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Pitch-perfect: 3 things start-ups should include in an investor pitch

A moment of inspiration hits you while you’re at a dinner date with friends. You’ve got an excellent idea for a business that may be the best thing since sliced bread. You frantically scribble the plan on a piece of napkin, rushing to jot down every thought before it escapes you.

The three trusted friends around the table begin to cheer you on, as they feel you nearing the end of your journaling. You slam the pen, you borrowed from the waitress earlier, down on the table. The table goes silent. You stand up with purpose, and like a big tree that’s just been cut down, you tip over your seat and it goes careening to the floor. You punch your right fist into the sky triumphant. Napkin in your other hand, you look up and scream out loud, “This is it!”

You close your eyes, and mentally drown out the uproar from the restaurant. For a moment you allow your mind to wander to an idealistic future where your company has shifted paradigms and changed the world. This is your movie moment. You can almost hear the music swell, rising, building to an epic crescendo!

Then one of your friends asks, “Where are you going to get the money for this?”

Snap back to reality, because you are going to need a solid investor pitch deck with suitable graphics and data to move your investors. The people buying into your business idea will need to know how their money will help your vision succeed in the market and, more importantly, generate income.

While this article won’t recommend the soundtrack to your life, it will cover three main things that your investor pitch should include.

How do you write a good investor pitch? 

1. Your elevator pitch: It’s all about the story.

Whether you meet your investors in person or remotely, your elevator pitch is essential. But, as the name suggests, the duration should only last about an elevator ride. So, make your pitch a 20-30 second short and memorable summary of your startup’s unique business points.

A sequential narrative summarises all the main reasons an investor should invest in your startup. But don’t be afraid to make it relatable. Mr Julien Condmines, the founder and managing director of Co-creation Lab, says that the personal ‘why’ is essential.

It’s not about fancy slides or animations. Your story must be compelling enough to sell your idea to your investors. It also lets them know who they are working with, so the emotional buy-in when you share your ‘Why’ will give them a glimpse of your personality. 

2. Who do your products serve? 

One of the key drivers of change in our digital world is the available cross-border connections. However, while the world seems to be shrinking, it’s no doubt that local and regional cultural differences will still make or break business growth.

For instance, knowing how digital consumers in Southeast Asia spend their money and what they spend money on will give you realistic data that you can use to support your pitch deck. Or, if you’re planning to open a cafe in Indonesia, you need to recognise that Indonesia is the 4th largest producer of coffee in the world. So coffee places dot the entire country at every street corner.

It’s important even for retail businesses and restaurants. Knowing how local preferences and cultural differences impact your business will help you refine your audience segment. It also doesn’t hurt to look well-researched in front of your investor.

3. It’s all about the money.

Last but not least, you have to know your revenue model. It is a framework for generating financial income. It determines what product or service to offer, at what price, and to whom. 

In short, you need to know how you will operationalise your business to make money for yourself and your investor.

Part of that is sharing the tools and technologies you will need when asking for funding. Make sure you are clear on how these technologies will help you stay cost-effective and generate profit.

If you’re a retail business, you can stay cost-efficient by adding a smart point of sale solution. Qashier’s smart pos terminals and software solutions keep queues short for happy customers, allowing contactless QR code ordering and payment. It can also help businesses keep track of customers’ data and collect feedback. This impressive data will let your investors know that you’ve done your homework, and know how to keep your business afloat.

Remember to dress for success, and rehearse what you want to say. Be confident, take deep breaths, and stay calm when you are presenting.

And with that, we wish you good luck in securing funding for your startup. Go be a unicorn!

Once you’re all set up, you might be in the market for smart POS solutions. Consider Qashier’s multiple digital solutions in all-in-one terminals or software that can empower your physical or digital storefronts.

The smart POS system can handle different operational aspects, from QR code table ordering to table management (F&B), employee management, customer relationship management (loyalty programs), inventory management, data analytics, and cashless payments.

Speak to us to see if Qashier’s Smart POS can meet your business needs. Schedule a meeting with us here, contact us at +60 3-9212 1855 (Sales) or email at [email protected].

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