Inspired by Eric Tachibana.
February 2012
WRITING BUSINESS PLANS THAT SPEAK TO INVESTORS
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ABOUT FUTUREBOOKS
We offer affordable incorporation, bookkeeping, business planning and brokering, to entrepreneurs with big ambitions.
Futurebooks is Singapore’s and Hong Kong’s most progressive bookkeeping company.
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ABOUT FUTUREBOOKS
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ABOUT FUTUREBOOKS
Help you to market and sell your firm
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THE READER
Investors receive dozens of business plans every week to read.
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THE READER
Written by entrepreneurs claiming to be the next Zuckerberg.
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BIG QUESTION
HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS PLAN HOLD THEIR ATTENTION?
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#1 EXPRESS THE SINGLE-MINDED PROPOSITION
If you can’t express your idea in one sentence, you probably don’t have an idea.
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#2 DOES YOUR AUDIENCE CARE?
Is the value significant enough to warrant someone paying for it?
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#3 WE HAVE NO COMPETITORS
It is unlikely you have no competitors. If there are none, no significant need may exist.
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#4 SHOW THEM THE MONEY
Tell the investor simply how they are going to make money.
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#5 PRICE IT RIGHT
Have a pricing strategy. The higher the perceived value, the higher the price you can charge for your products and services.
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#6 CALCULATE THE REAL COST
Underestimate your costs and you will not ask for enough funding. Add a loading to your people costs by a factor of 1.7 to 3.
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#7 TARGET AN AUDIENCE
Your idea should not be all things to all people. Start with segments you can economically reach.
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#8 FOCUS YOUR RESOURCES
Focus your resources and take one market at a time. If you spread yourself too thin, you run the risk of achieving nothing.
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#9 ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Put in place measures to ensure your audience will be loyal now and in the future.
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#10 CREATE BARRIERS TO ENTRY
Patents are not your sole barrier to entry. Cost-leader and product differentiation can be more important to a startup than a patent.
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#11 GET USED TO ‘NO’
Not every investor who reads your business plan will love your idea. Learn something from every interaction.
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QUESTIONS
Contact Futurebooks to help you write your business plan. www.futurebooks.com.sg
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