The Infographic Business Plans
The Infographic Business Plans
As part of our continuous effort at N2V to disrupt digital arabia, we are always introducing new ways of doing things, and this has finally come to the business plans! I am done with “Traditional Business Plans” and “Traditional Presentations”, and I am introducing here a totally new approach in N2V’s “Early Startups” investment program to pitch your startup.
There has been lots of improvements on the business plans, but there was no real disruption in this. I would like to encourage innovation in re-thinking the form of the business plan, or how to present it.
At the start of the venture capital industry, VCs were asking for a full 50-page plan, then they wanted a shorter yet detailed version in 20 pages! Presentations were long too. I’ve seen 60-page business plan presentation few years ago!!
However, in the last 5 years, we have seen VCs (including N2V) asking for only 5-page plan for early stage startups, and a simple direct to the point application form for seed stage startups. When it comes to presentations, VCs are now asking for only a 10–15 slides presentation within 20 minutes max.
This was all good, because for VCs, business plans are only needed to have an idea about how entrepreneurs will convert their visions into actions. In other words, to have an idea about execution. We don’t actually need the plan, but we need entrepreneurs to go through the process of planning, researching and documenting the dynamics of their target markets.
I am not arguing the importance of business plans, because we all agree that it is actually the roadmap of a startup. I am just done with the way they are prepared and presented. Who said it always has to be submitted in Word and Excel?!! Who said that it always has to be presented in a PowerPoint presentation?!! There hasn’t been any disruption in this. It was and still a word document with excel financial model, and a powerpoint presentation.
Instead of a boring word file or powerpoint presentation, I would like entrepreneurs to create infographics!!! I am introducing a new form of business plans: the “Inforgraphic Business Plan” or the “iBP”.
An inforgraphic business plan is actually a graphical representation of your vision of the startup and the dynamics of your target market.
It will still include the same components of the business plan, but in a graphical interface. It will show (not only tells about) the
Company Purpose, Problem, Solution, Value Proposition, Why Now, Market Size, Competition, Competitive Advantage, Product Description, Development Roadmap, Business Model, Marketing and Sales, Team, Risks, Targets and Milestones, Needed Funds, and Use of Proceeds. All well summarized in one well designed picture!!!
It should show your own innovation in presenting what you want to do and how you will do it. It should show your own creativity and personal touch. This works perfectly for web and mobile web startups! It will give me as a VC an idea about how good you and your team are in design, user interface and product development, in addition to business planning of course.
From now on, when you approach N2V’s Early Startups Investment Program, there will be no more traditional word or pdf business plans to submit, no more application forms to fill, and even no more powerpoint slides to present!!! From now on, I will only accept the “Inforgraphic Business Plan” or the “iBP”.
