To do that, you need a pitch deck — a visual representation of your business and how it will revolutionize the world once it’s up and running. Creating a pitch deck is an art form — one that needs practice before you get comfortable with it. But once you’ve got the hang of it, it can be an extremely effective way to inform potential investors about your business and sell them on the fact that they should be part of its launch. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about developing a strong startup pitch deck.
What is a startup pitch deck?
A pitch deck is a visual representation of your business, its capabilities, and its markets. You use it to inform an investor or other potential stakeholder about your startup, both in writing and in visual format. It’s your sales tool. Investors want to know about your business, its capabilities, and its markets. Those are the three primary components of a pitch deck.
How to create a startup pitch deck?
There are a few things you’ll need to create a pitch deck for your startup. The first and most important is a business model. The business model is the “how” of your company. It’s the foundation of your entire business model and is the foundation of everything that follows. Your business model should include:
- Your product/service offerings
- Your price points
- Your revenue sources and growth projections
- How your business model is different from competitors
- Your business model is your foundation. Without it, any other information in your pitch deck will be useless.
Tips for writing a startup pitch deck
- Don’t re-write your business model in a pitch deck. Visuals are better than words. visuals assist in enhancing the information and make it more memorable. There’s also more room for mistakes, which is an important aspect of creating pitch decks.
- Be clear. Investors are busy people. They don’t have time to decipher confusing business plans or plans that don’t make sense.
- Be precise and short. Investors hate business plans that are too long and too complicated. Your goal is to inform and persuade, not confuse and overwhelm.
- Visuals go a long way. Investors are visual creatures. Include visuals in your presentation to help make your pitch deck more memorable, more engaging, and more persuasive.
- Keep it simple. Investors are busy people. They don’t have time to decipher confusing business plans or plans that don’t make sense. Be precise and short. Investors hate business plans that are too long and too complicated. Your goal is to inform and persuade, not confuse and overwhelm.
The benefits of creating a pitch deck
- Pitch decks help you find investors. You can’t expect to find investors without pitching to them — hence the need for a pitch deck.
- Pitch decks are excellent for gaining media attention. A pitch deck is a great way to gain media attention, especially if it’s well-written and visually engaging.
- Pitch decks help you convey your message more effectively. It’s difficult to communicate your message in words, let alone in a written format. Pitch decks allow you to incorporate visuals and other compelling tools to make your point.
- Pitch decks allow you to test your business model. When developing your business model, you should test it against the real world. This helps you understand your product/service better and thus, better pitch your model.
The 3 standard components of a strong pitch deck
A strong case for your investment: Your pitch deck must include a strong case for your investment. It should include not only the low-down on your product/service, but also how it impacts the world, how it solves a problem, and how it impacts the market.
A strong case for your industry: Investing in a startup is risky. It means trusting that the company will make money in the future, and competing with other companies for that future. It means you’re competing with other investors for profits. How are you different?
A strong case for your team: A weak case for your team will only lead you to failure. Your pitch deck should include a strong case for your team, including their experience, expertise, and credentials.
Conclusion
Finding investors can be incredibly difficult, particularly for startups with no track record. Creating a pitch deck is a great way to help you find investors, and it can also be used to improve your business model. If you want to find investors for your company, creating a pitch deck can help you gain media attention and can also help you test your business model in the real world.
