Wondering about business plans on PowerPoint? Microsoft PowerPoint does give you another option for presenting your business plan, but the distinction is important -- most business plans are presented to investors and bankers for funding in printed format or, if conveyed electronically, in Microsoft Word. PowerPoint is a great tool and can give you a way to make a presentation to an investors group, but you don't want to focus solely on the PowerPoint and not develop a full business plan document that you can present. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but having ONLY a PowerPoint is not your best bet. Bankers especially will demand a printed Word format, and unless you know your investor personally, you should go in knowing that the PPT is only one piece of the equation.
No matter what format you focus on for the production of your business plan, remember the key topics you need to cover:
Executive Summary
Use of Funds
Service Description
Market Opportunity
Marketing Initiatives
Management & Personnel
Financial Projections
Exit Strategy
Appendix
Your financial model in a full plan should include revenue and expense projections for 3-5 years, with cash flows, balance sheets, start-up summary, break-even, and if needed other analyses as required by your funding source. Emphasize your points of differentiation and the advantage you have over established competitors. Whether you ultimately deliver a PowerPoint or a Word document or a software program export, make sure you leave no stone unturned. Need help with your PowerPoint synopsis or the full text of your business plan? MasterPlans has almost a decade of business plan development experience and a full in-house team to assist you in your search for a funding-ready presentation. Contact MasterPlans at 877-453-2011 to speak with a consultant today!
