The best idea will not be funded without a detailed and complete business plan. Many of the Business Plans and Private Placement Memorandums sent to us are prepared improperly. Key information is missing, the project is structured wrong, valuations are lopsided, etc. For those reasons and many more the investor’s default answer is NO. However, in many cases had the documents been prepared properly the projects could have had a decent chance to be funded. Preparing your business plan is the most critical first step. The other critical issues that you will address are under what deal you offer the investors such as how you price the deal and what percentage of ownership do you offer the investors? However, each of these issues is not appropriate to be included in the business plan and are reserved for you to address in the Private Placement Memorandum. Reason: The inclusion of any of these topics in your business plan converts it from a business plan to an Offering document that now becomes subject to Federal Securities Laws regardless what disclaimers you add to it.
Preparing a plan is time-consuming and difficult. Yet it is one of the most critical elements of your efforts to raise investor capital. Each of you may have potential investors that you have already mentioned your idea. Most of these prospects have said send them the information when it is ready. These are your best prospects. You have one shot at these people.When you submit the PPM, which includes the Business Plan to your prospects you must successfully anticipate what answers you need to have included within the documents that will get you a yes to your funding request. You do not get a second chance with the investor. Once they say NO you will find it impossible to reverse their decision. Your first presentation to the investor must be your best effort. There is no 2nd chance.
We can provide you on request ,access to one of our professionally written business plans so you can see what a well written, professionally prepared business plan looks like. We no longer write business plans but this will provide you with an understanding of what a good plan can look like.
Our best recommendation for a resource for you to write your business plan is to go to liveplan.com. This is an excellent interactive software application that will make your task of writing a business plan significantly easier. (We receive no compensation for making this recommendation.)