Florida 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.

Florida Investors

Florida > Miami Beach

38, Biochemistry at MIT, MD at Ohio State. Now working on Wall Street. Very experienced

$25,000 to $500,000

Florida > Tampa

We represent the investment interests of a medium sized Asian country. Our primary interests lie in construction, development, real estate, community redevelopment and large project build out.

$10,000,000 to $50,000,000

Florida > Tallahassee

High-energy, strategic thinker with 25 years of experience in wholesale sales management, customer service and operations. I owned my own business for 15 years and spent 8 years as an executive for a Fortune 50 company. Recently sold my business to a larger competitor and looking for promising small/medium businesses to invest in and contribute hands-on sales/management/operations expertise. BA from Penn State and MBA from University of Michigan Ross Business School. Individual investor based in Northern Florida.

$5,000 to $200,000

Florida > Orlando

We have been in business for 12 years. The decision makers in our organization has over 30 years of experience. We understand how difficult it is for a start up and existing businesses to get funding in this economy at this time. The traditional lenders are afraid to relax their lending practices here in the United States and worldwide. We are ready, willing, and able to fund new Start ups and exciting Businesses here in the United States and abroad. We do not charge any upfront fees and depending on the program we won't need any collateral to get you funded. We can you help with business plans and advisory consultation if needed. We are there if you need us after funding. We can get an approval in 24-48 hours. And get you funded within 2 weeks depending on the clients proactive involvement. We look forward to funding your project.

$50,000 to $5,000,000

Florida > Palm Hrbor

Operating Partner with P****** Group Ventures Corporation with over 35 years of experience in manufacturing companies and private equity investment groups as a member and/or owner, who has created, directed and executed the strategic planning, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, financial structuring and restructuring, of numerous companies. Planned and executed “Greenfield” startups of a manufacturing facility in Europe and established a trading company in China. Performed due diligence, planned, directed, negotiated and executed the purchase/acquisition of strategic target companies and/or target asset(s) of a number of companies with a total value of $200,000,000. Previously CEO of a $60 million dollar machining firm serving Fortune 50 companies. Owner, Managing Partner and CEO of a $20 million machining company. Along with another partner started a small boutique private equity group making investments in small start-ups.

$50,000 to $2,000,000,000

Florida > Tampa

I am both a real estate investor and real estate agent in the Tampa Bay area. I have a business background, as well as non profit experience.

$100 to $100,000

Florida > Miami

While I have invested in traditional enterprises, real estate, food industry, education, I am currently heavily invested in unique and innovative technologies and related solutions for the Direct Marketing and Internet Advertising Industries. As such, I have a company that is bringing a new form of web based tools to this space based on the enhancement of understanding communications preferences of customers. This started out as an educational application. I am looking to invest in companies that have complimentary value to the advertising and marketing industry. I am also keeping my ears attuned to the education and online learning space, as that has always been of great interest to me. My occupational background is in the area of private career education which was the launching pad for these new ideas. After successfully using these training applications with GE Medical Systems I decided to become an entrepreneur, and started investing.

$25,000 to $500,000

Florida > Palm Beach Gardens

I am a 38yr old individual currently living in Palm Beach County, FL. I have experience in corporate trust services, and helped managed several power plants in the energy industry. I'm now involved in a work from home business and looking to invest in other businesses as a silent investor or hands-on Invested if I'm trained.

$50,000 to $150,000