You are going to change the world with your incredible new business idea. You have drawn all the plans in your head, conducted all the market research, and are sure of an industry takeover. The only thing holding you back is funding.  One viable option to secure this is through an angel investor business plan.

An angel investor is a high-net-worth individual who provides capital for a startup, usually in exchange for an equity stake in the company. As a result, they have heard millions of “million-dollar pitches,” and have gone through thousands of business plans claiming to be the ultimate solution to just about every problem imaginable.

A seasoned angel investor knows that ideas on their own are not worth much and that the first major step in determining the viability of any business is the quality of its business plan.

Thankfully, the internet has made information very accessible, and with a quick google search, you can get thousands of templates and information on how to build a “winning” business plan. However, this begs the question: if this information is so easily accessible, why does research show that less than 1% of startups get funded by angel investors?

While a lot of these online articles and templates are quite helpful, most of them come from sources that have no real-life, practical experience with crafting fund-attracting business plans. At Joorney, we have experts with practical startup experience who have produced business plans, pitch decks, and other documents that have helped our clients raise millions in funding and achieve other business goals.

If your business is to stand any chance at getting funding from angel investors, these are some tips you need to incorporate into your business plan today.

In every business an angel investor examines, they are looking for crucial qualities that show the company knows what it’s doing, understands the market it’s operating in, and can mitigate potential risks. In particular, investors are looking at a handful of critical elements that show that the business is worth investing in.

When drafting a business plan for angel investors, you must note that the primary objective is to grow their wealth and see a return on investment. If your business plan does not clearly show how your business will make money for the investors, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Your business plan should succinctly indicate your startup’s cash flow and other financials and make clear the return the investor can expect and when. This is an area investors evaluate seriously and spend a lot of time brooding over, so be thorough when planning this.

Obviously, investors want to make money but that’s not the only reason they invest, and they know full well not every investment will succeed. Many angel investors are willing to take chances on projects that have potential but don’t ultimately give a positive rate of return.

According to a report published by Wharton Entrepreneurship, only 40% of angel investors exits in 2017 showed a positive return on investment. What this tells us is that many angel investors look at the passion behind a project before investing in it, not just its profitability potential. If an investor finds a project that resonates with them personally, they’re likely to invest in it and take a risk.

Knowing your market is essential in securing funding for your burgeoning business. You should clearly show your angel investors the full potential of the market which your startup plans to engage. This will require you to conduct extensive research and present meaningful insight into your market.

This includes things like the size of the market, the market segments, your product’s niche in that market or industry, the growth prospects that are available in that market, new trends and technologies, and any barriers to entry. Make it clear in your business plan that you fully understand the opportunities as well as the barriers and risks and that you have plans to address them.

Management can make or break a small business or a startup. This relationship between leadership and success means that investors are always concerned that their funded enterprises have the right management team. Since investors are pouring money into a business, they expect regular reports on the enterprise’s health and growth.

To this end, a well-rounded management team that combines research, sales, accounting, manufacturing, and human resources is what these investors seek out to know all main areas of the business will be tended to correctly.

One great way to ensure investor attraction is to prove your product can be successful by showing evidence of past achievements. This demonstrates the ability of your business to follow through on its ideas and show them where your business is headed.

While angels often take chances at earlier stages, the majority of investors consider a business with some traction because it minimizes the risk involved. Be sure to give details of all revenue streams as well as any potential deals that have been secured so that they can see the bigger potential of your business.

Some investors are hands-off, allowing the company to get on with their business without interference. Others, however, prefer to have a more active hand in how the company operates. This intervention could be a blessing in disguise, especially if the investor is passionate about the project and has experience in similar types of business in the past. Their advice could be crucial to help the company grow and prosper.

Entrepreneurs may want to include how much involvement they expect from their investors within the business plan. This clear statement allows everyone to understand the expectations and roles of the investor.

Before angel investors sign off on an investment, they prefer knowing that they have a viable way to exit the investment when the time comes. If you’re looking for angel investors to fund your enterprise, you have to give them a chronological expectation for when they can reap their rewards. Not giving them a time-frame or criteria under which to exit the investment is a red flag that would drive off many angel investors.

If you cover all of the elements above in your angel investor business plan, you will be well on your way to securing funding. However, you still need to make sure that the business plan is organized structurally and follows a predictable, logical order. While there are variations depending on the business model and other factors, this is the standard format we follow at Joorney:

•     Objective
•     Products or Services Offered
•     Market Analysis
•     Sales and Marketing Plan
•     Operations Plan
•     Structure of the Business
•     Management Team Background
•     Financial Overview
•     SWOT Analysis
•     Capital Requirements

Joorney has delved into the requirements of business plans and has experience in covering all the critical aspects of business plans for angel investors. As startups and small businesses compete for funding, proper consideration of the crucial elements needed to convince them to invest becomes more prominent.

Hopefully, with the right advice and guides, more companies can tap into the investor funding they need by focusing on the vital factors investors look for before funding a business. Contact us today to help you craft an investor business plan that will attract the attention of angels, or a pitch deck to get your foot in the door.