Michigan Investment Network

Business Plan Tips

What Investors Are Looking For In A Plan

Investors, whether angels or VC's, are looking for the same things when reading a business plan. They want to know how big the opportunity is, whether this is the right team to exploit the opportunity, who the competition is, what the risks are, and why they can expect this team to implement successfully. Your job in writing the business plan is to address these questions convincingly and clearly.

Emphasize Your Real Strengths

Highlight what your team brings to the table. If your business hinges on a particular competency (for example, understanding the procurement process), your plan will be more persuasive if one of your team members knows something about it and that is brought out in your plan. Rather than including generic resumes of team members, tailor the resumes to draw out the experience each member has that will make him or her a valuable contributor.

Get To The Point And Make It Clear And Comprehensive

Investors see many business plans. A 20-page plan which clearly lays out your business is far more likely to be read than a 100 page plan. Today, some entrepreneurs are using a 15 slide Powerpoint presentation. If your text is short and punchy, you won't need to repeat yourself, because the reader won't be bogged down keeping ten chapters in their head. Reading the same thing over and over, even if it's in different words, can get really tiring. The more you use brevity and give each concept a single home in your document, the more people will want to read it.

Write In Plain English

If you can't explain your idea in English, either you don't understand what you're talking about (What is a transaction enabled atomic journaling database server, anyway?) or you haven't simplified the idea enough. Think, revise, and try again.

Get Rid Of The Hype

Yes, we know you will be the "premier insert product category here of the Internet, achieving 99% market penetration with 60% customer retention in 3 months". Your product will reach "new heights in customer experience through the use of personalization and one-to-one profiling and customization". It will be "user friendly" because you will be creating a truly "ecstatic customer experience". It is a "quantum leap forward" in the marketplace for product category here. Um, yeah. Believe me, we've read it before. About a dozen times today, in fact. (And by the way, the phrase "quantum leap" really doesn't mean anything.) Stick to a tight, simple explanation of your idea. Convince your reader you'll be the best because your idea is the best, not because you can string a dozen buzzwords together.

Use Quantifiable Information

In each section, back up your assertions with solid facts. Even if you are a new venture and cannot give specific figures on the performance of your business, quote figures for the industry or your competitors. These real figures carry more weight than your assumed projections and give more reality to your plan.

Choose A Huge Market

Especially in the internet world, investors are looking more at the market than at the detailed specifics of your financials. Choose a market that is big enough to be an obvious good opportunity. A business which targets teenage girls who listen to music and has a reasonable chance of capturing 90% of the girls that are online is a huge opportunity. A business which targets net-savvy SAAB mechanics who need prosthetic limbs is not.

Michigan Investors

United States > Michigan

I am the founder and Chairman of a venture group. I am a former professional hockey player, venture capitalist and renowned entrepreneur. An early entrant to the cleantech market, our efforts have garnered global recognition his companies awards include Time Magazine's "Best Inventions 2005," and was awarded the Wall Street Journal's "Technology Innovator" and the World Economic Forum's "Technology Pioneer" awards that same year. In early 2007, he was named a "Young Global Leader" by the Forum. Repeated successes has been acknowledged by the global business community. His insight has been sought by such publications as the New York Times, Time Magazine, Inc., Red Herring and the Wall Street Journal. In addition, he is a regular attendee of the World Economic Forum. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Brandon University, in Brandon, Manitoba.

$50,000 to $10,000,000

United States > Michigan

I'm a individual investor and young professional in the automotive industry looking to invest in opportunities within the state of Michigan. My educational background includes an undergrad degree in electrical engineering and a MBA from Lawrence Technological University. In regards to involvement in any opportunities, the most I would ask for is advisory but in most cases I would be silent.

$1,000 to $50,000

United States > Michigan

Young aggressive physician looking to invest and build further. Plenty of medical experience, but would like to link with developers in real estate and home flipping projects.

$10,000 to $100,000

United States > Michigan

Recently retired police officer, currently working as management in the private sector security. Interested in any possible investment but have my eye on anything in the cannabis industry.

$1 to $100,000

United States > Michigan

I am 51 years old and have invested in small companies starting at $600,000 in valuation and turning them into companies worth $17 million. I have owned insurance companies which also have grown from small entities to groups just under $20 million. I've sat on board of directors to small businesses helping them with behind the scenes help on the business side and the insurance side along with marketing. I am willing not only to help with dollars, but a willingness to help your business on the front lines!

$10,000 to $100,000

United States > Michigan

Looking to invest and/or have an active role in a Michigan cannabis company. I am 45 years old, married with adult-age children living in northern Oakland county. I am a results-driven leader with over 25 years of experience in the military and Fortune 100 space. My experience is in developing, monitoring, and managing large-scale sales and operational teams. Offering an array of experience in strategic vision implementation, business/financial acumen, talent acquisition and development, performance analysis, campaign management, marketing/advertising, and problem fixer. Proven ability to multi-task and yield results in high-intensity, dynamic environments while driving growth and focusing on customer service excellence. I hold an MBA from Walsh College and love the plant.

$50,000 to $150,000

United States > Michigan

I’m a sales and biz dev leader with 12 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, where I’ve worked with global OEMs and high-growth tech companies to bring new products to market and scale revenue. I've also spent 3 years in strategy consulting at McKinsey, helping clients solve growth, go-to-market, and operational challenges across tech and industrial sectors. I hold an MBA from the University of Chicago (Booth), and I’ve also spent time on the founder side - launching two companies, one of which was successfully acquired. Outside of operating roles, I’ve been an active real estate investor for more than seven years, focusing on long-term, cash-flowing assets. I grew up in Toronto and have since lived in Dallas, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Today, I’m based near Ann Arbor with my wife and our two young boys, ages 2 and 4. I enjoy connecting with entrepreneurs, supporting early-stage teams, and getting involved where I can add both strategic insight and hands-on help

$1,000 to $50,000

United States > Michigan

I was born in Idaho, but raised in Montana on a cattle ranch. While I was in college, the family ranch was sold and I moved toward a career in business. After business graduate school, I worked 10 years in Corporate America for a Fortune 500 Company involved in acquisitions and supervision of companies once acquired. Working closely with the owners of the acquired companies that had built their businesses from start-up sparked the desire to start my own company. For the next 25 years three businesses were started, developed and sold to larger companies or investment groups. The last few years have been spent in using financial contacts, assets available and the experience gained to help fund or invest in other promising companies, operations or projects. EDUCATION Washington University - St. Louis, Missouri - MBA degree BYU - Provo, Utah - Degree in Accounting

$1,000,000 to $99,000,000