In 2016, VC-backed startups raised $100.8bn in about 8300 deals worldwide. How did these companies (the startups and the investors) find each other? The traditional approach is both expensive and inefficient. Our matching platform has been set up to facilitate the overall process.
We love what Sequoia Capital says about Business Plan. The original can be found on their web site, but we are pleased to reproduce it below:
We like business plans that present a lot of information in as few words as possible. The following business plan format, within 15–20 slides, is all that’s needed.
Company purpose
Define the company/business in a single declarative sentence.Problem
Describe the pain of the customer (or the customer’s customer).
Outline how the customer addresses the issue today.Solution
Demonstrate your company’s value proposition to make the customer’s life better.
Show where your product physically sits.
Provide use cases.Why now
Set-up the historical evolution of your category.
Define recent trends that make your solution possible.Market size
Identify/profile the customer you cater to.
Calculate the TAM (top down), SAM (bottoms up) and SOM.Competition
List competitors.
List competitive advantages.Product
Product line-up (form factor, functionality, features, architecture, intellectual property)
Development roadmapBusiness model
Revenue model
Pricing
Average account size and/or lifetime value
Sales & distribution model
Customer/pipeline listTeam
Founders & Management
Board of Directors/Board of AdvisorsFinancials
P&L
Balance sheet
Cash flow
Cap table
The deal
Serial entrepreneurs are a great source of knowledge for all those who want to create successful and lasting businesses, whether small or large.
And the best thing about it is that their advice is available for free. Take a look at It’s called fishing not catching, a web site maintained by Ben T Smith IV. Ben is an Advisor to, investor in, and founder of technology and media companies.
Enjoy the tips and insight!
Plans are always wrong – everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much. Why is that the case?
Plans are inaccurate, but they are not worthless. The value of planning is not so much in the plan itself, but:
If you want to improve your plans in a very uncertain environment, the Scenario Planning technique can help.
If not, then read our introductory article about ‘Real’ options.
Happy New Year 2012 to our readers.
Whereas the book – ‘Business Planning for Managers’ – largely focuses on techniques, including plenty of formulae, maths and number crunching, this web site focuses on the Art of making good business plans. So this time you won’t find a single formula!
Now, if you really want more formula, browse the book there, or check where you can buy a copy!
Investaura Management Consultants welcomes you to The Art of Business Planning, a web site fully dedicated to the topic of business planning. Our objective is to help entrepreneurs, start-ups as well as managers working with mature companies write better business plans and launch more successful and lasting businesses.
The web site will be updated on a regular basis as our consultants gain additional insight and come across new materials that we want to share with you, in particular videos.
Thank you for your patience!
Enjoy your meal and contact us if you have any comment or question.
