There are an inordinate number of websites offering free templates for writing a business plan. However they fail to explain to the entrepreneur the intent, or style the business plan should adopt. Structure is important, but the key to writing any effective communication is to never forget your reader. Copywriters learn early in their careers never to alienate the reader. The reader is king. The reader's needs and wants are more important than those of the writer. The writer is only a conduit. I knew some writers who were so fanatical about the reader, they kept a photo representation on their desk during a writing assignment - just so they didn't forget who they were speaking to. http://futurebooks.com.sg/blog/writing-business-plans-that-speak-to-investors/2308 ‎

1. Inspired by Eric Tachibana.
February 2012
WRITING
BUSINESS PLANS
THAT SPEAK TO
INVESTORS

2. ABOUT
FUTUREBOOKS

3. ABOUT FUTUREBOOKS
Futurebooks is
Singapore’s and Hong
Kong’s most progressive
bookkeeping company.
We offer affordable
incorporation, bookkee
ping, business planning
and brokering, to
entrepreneurs with big
ambitions.
www.futurebooks.com.sg

4. ABOUT FUTUREBOOKS
www.futurebooks.com.sg

5. ABOUT FUTUREBOOKS
Help you to market and
sell your firm
www.futurebooks.com.sg

6. THE READER
Investors receive dozens
of business plans every
week to read.
www.futurebooks.com.sg

7. THE READER
Written by entrepreneurs
claiming to be the next
Zuckerberg.
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8. BIG QUESTION
HOW WILL
YOUR BUSINESS
PLAN HOLD THEIR
ATTENTION?
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9. #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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10. #2 DOES YOUR
AUDIENCE CARE?
Is the value significant
enough to warrant
someone paying for it?
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11. #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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12. #4 SHOW THEM
THE MONEY
Tell the investor simply
how they are going to
make money.
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13. #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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14. #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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15. #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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16. #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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17. #9 ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE
GROWTH
Put in place measures to
ensure your audience
will be loyal now and in
the future.
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18. #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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19. #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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20. QUESTIONS
Contact Futurebooks to
help you write your
business plan.
www.futurebooks.com.sg
www.futurebooks.com.sg

21. TERMS OF USE
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