Presenting a project proposal
Here we will provide you How to present a project proposal with Presenting a Project to an Investor.
Being well prepared to present a project to investors is almost as important as the quality of your idea. New startups are born every day and it’s hard to stand out from the rest.
When the entrepreneur has compiled market information, studied the feasibility and has a business plan, it’s time to seek funding! Financing is one of the most delicate aspects of starting a business. You can have your own money to invest in your project, but this is usually not enough and we should look for other ways, such as presenting your project to investors.
However, the intentions of the entrepreneur and the investor are different and, in many cases, we don’t know what to present to them. While all information is important, it is not necessarily relevant to the project, so questions arise about what information to select for the presentation. In this article we will explain how to present a project to investors to obtain financing.
Guide to Presenting a Project to an Investor
Below are guiding principles for Presenting a Project to an Investor.
Presentation Objectives
Before starting to present your project, you should be clear about the objectives of your presentation and, based on that, design a strategy:
- One of the main goals you should set is to minimize investors’ perception of risk . We are in a market where trust is a key element; investors are afraid of losing their money and their job is to mitigate it.
- You must show that your business is viable for investment . Your presentation is oriented to demonstrate that your project is not a crazy idea, but it makes sense in the market. Therefore, investors are interested in knowing whether it is a feasible project (if you can do it), viable (if we are the right people for it) and scalable (if it will cause any growth by creating a significant volume of business that allow return on investment).
- With your presentation, you should be able to capture the interest of investors to start a trade . You have to be aware of the difference between investors having access to your project presentation and being given the basis to start a negotiation. Keep in mind that investors study many projects, but only deal with a minority of entrepreneurs, so everything you say and what you don’t should be geared towards making the investor feel attracted to your project.
What structure should we follow to present a project to investors?
With the goals very clear, it’s time to prepare the presentation! Keep in mind that you, as an entrepreneur, are the best introduction to your project; Even if the idea is really good, if you don’t know how to sell it, you won’t win. Therefore, follow the maxim Keep it simple , present things clear without complicating life. Let’s see how to do this:
#1 Presentation: Start by introducing yourself as an entrepreneur and your team. The first thing investors want to know is: who are you, where do you come from, what are your motivations, etc. That’s where you can get their attention; It’s hard to sell an idea through PowerPoint, but conveying the values a person has for becoming an entrepreneur draws a lot of attention.
#2 The problem: expose the problem or need you found in the market. We recommend that you explain this as a story, because it impresses the most. You can share how you and your team arrived at the issue at hand.
#3 The solution: At this point you should lay out your proposal to solve the previous problem.
#4 The product: the result of the problem and the solution, what you propose to solve it. You shouldn’t go too far at this point; it is not the most relevant point for investors as it can change over time and depending on the market.
#5 The market: Your business depends on your reactions, so this is what investors are most interested in. Your goal should be to demonstrate that your product fits them. Who are your customers, what are their interests, how they behave, what volume, etc. This shows that there is a market and a great business opportunity!
#6 Competition: The market and competition are closely related. If there is no competition, it is possible that the market you are targeting is not yet very developed. You must talk about your competitors, who they are, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and your strategy for positioning yourself in the market. It is essential that you never look down on your competitors as it shows your own weaknesses.
#7 Business Model: Advocate how you make money from your idea. You must explain how much money the public is willing to pay for your product.
#8 Marketing strategy: At this point you must explain to investors how you are going to reach the customer and get them to buy your product. What channels will you use, with what messages, what are your capabilities to do so (if you have experience or hire someone), etc.
#9 Current Results: Present the actions you have taken so far, their cost, and the results achieved so far.
#10 Growth strategy: to grow you have to invest in equipment, technology, etc. Explain to investors how much funding you need to grow and where you will allocate it.
#11 Financial projections: analyze the possibilities your business has for growth. Here we recommend presenting two versions: a moderate version and a more optimistic one.
#12 The proposal: This is the time when you tell investors how much they need to invest and what you are going to commit. Explain that you have a big winning project and convince them that if they support you, they can get a big benefit.
#13 Questions: If your project interested them, there will be doubts, take the time to answer them.
#14 Acknowledgments: Always be grateful for their time and interest in you. It is highly recommended that you rely on a PowerPoint slideshow to visually explain your argument. Make slides with little text and numbers, keeping in mind that it’s just a script of what you’re going to present. Investors must focus on you.
