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

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

Retired and looking at investments

$25,000 to $300,000

United States > Michigan

Looking for investment opportunities to generate capital to help with funding my investment interests.

$100 to $20,000

United States > Michigan

Work in automotive industry. Looking to be an investor and partner.

$100,000 to $250,000

United States > Michigan

I'm a 39 year old single male. Looking to grow my net worth by various income producing or asset appreciating vehicles. I am an experienced accountant by trade. I hold a Master's Degree in Accounting and also a CPA. I am new to this type of investing. Each opportunity is unique. I am open to hands on or being a silent investor. I am an individual investor.

$50,000 to $150,000

United States > Michigan

I have started and sold three businesses from nothing. All were auto related but it is business in general that I love . I consult for all types of businesses . I have a proven track record on starting and growing small businesses with strategic exits. I am very well connected and have numerous resources to pull from. Involvement can be all the above but at this point in my life , I would rather be silent with some advisory. I am an individual investor looking to invest into a business that is at that need for growth but I am not opposed to the right start up with the right ROI. I currently have a good share of funds invested or loaned at this time but do have a small amount for the right business and I will have a good amount of funds maturing towards the end of 2018. I am also interested in loaning funds to a legal medical marihuana business. A grower/caregiver or dispensary .

$50,000 to $500,000

United States > Michigan

I'm a 27 year old, single man living currently in Detroit, MI. I am a mechanical engineer with a master's degree and also an MBA in finance and data analytics. I have 5 years experience in B2B operations and logistics. I previously co-founded a startup outside the US that ran successfully before I sold it, specializing in manufacturing of packaging and distribution for food and beverage products. I'm looking for a hands-on investment opportunity to take part in the day-to-day operations and scaling of an existing business with growth potential. I'm currently an individual investor but with connections to deep-pocketed investor groups. Investments made do not have to be long-term, they can be joint ventures for a specified number of years as well.

$25,000 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