Business plan presentation

When preparing your business plan presentation bear the following points in mind:

• Readability
Make the plan readable. Avoid jargon and general position statements. Use plain English, especially if you are explaining technical details. Aim it at non-specialists, emphasizing its financial viability. Avoid including unnecessary detail and prevent the plan from becoming too lengthy. Put detail into appendices.

Ask someone outside the company to check it for clarity and “readability”. Remember that the readers targeted will be potential investors. They will need to be convinced of the company’s commercial viability and competitive edge and will be particularly looking to see the potential for making a good return.

• Length
The length of your business plan depends on individual circumstances. It should be long enough to cover the subject adequately and short enough to maintain interest.

For a multi-million pound technology company with sophisticated research and manufacturing elements, the business plan could be well over 50 pages including appendices. By contrast, a proposal for £200,000 to develop an existing product may be too long at 10 pages. It is probably best to err on the side of brevity – for if investors are interested they can always call you to ask for additional information.

Unless your business requires several million pounds of private equity and is highly complex, we would recommend the business plan should be no longer than 15 pages.

• Appearance
Use graphs and charts to illustrate and simplify complicated information. Use titles and sub-titles to divide different subject matters.

Ensure it is neatly typed or printed without spelling, typing or grammar mistakes – these have a disproportionately negative impact. Yet avoid very expensive documentation, as this might suggest unnecessary waste and extravagance.
Business plan presentation should done in a way that its attractive to the investor.