Should You Use Your Business Plan to Write Your Pitch Deck?

Many entrepreneurs wonder if it makes sense to simply convert their lengthy business plan into a short pitch deck for potential investors. While it may seem like an easy solution, there are a few important considerations before taking this approach.

Can You Directly Use Your Business Plan for a Pitch Deck?

On the one hand, your business plan likely contains much of the key information you need to communicate in a pitch deck, such as your product or service description, market analysis, competitive landscape, operations plan, management team background, and financial projections. So it makes sense to think that you could save time by adapting certain sections of your plan for a presentation.

Goals of a Pitch Deck and Business Plan

However, a pitch deck serves a very different purpose than a business plan. While a business plan is intended as an in-depth, formal document laying out every aspect of your proposed venture, a pitch deck is meant to provide a high-level overview and quickly capture investor interest.

Tips on Using Your Plan for a Pitch Deck

Here are some tips on using your plan content wisely:

Focus on Vital Details: Highlight only the most important information an investor would care about. Leave out granular operational specifics. Concise Language: Use concise bullet points instead of paragraphs of text. Relevant Visuals: Incorporate relevant charts and graphics rather than tables of numbers. Investor-Friendly Design: Ensure design and messaging are tailored to investors, not just documentation.

In the end, while pulling from your existing business plan can give you a head start, it’s important to recognize that taking the time to craft a targeted pitch deck is well worth the effort. A properly designed pitch deck is more likely to generate more investor meetings.

Adapting sections of an in-depth business plan for an investor pitch deck can be a helpful way to pull in background research you’ve already done on your venture. However, a presentation requires a very different format and messaging strategy. The most effective pitch decks create interest quickly with clean, hard-hitting slides that are focused specifically on what investors want to know.

Conclusion:

Using a business plan as a starting point for writing a pitch deck is a good idea. Your business plan should contain all the information you need to create a compelling pitch deck including your value proposition, target market, competitive landscape, marketing and sales strategy, and financial projections. However, it’s important to remember that a pitch deck is not simply a condensed version of your business plan. Focus on creating a visually appealing and engaging presentation that tells a clear and compelling story about your startup's vision, value proposition, and market opportunity. Remember, your pitch deck should be designed to generate interest and excitement and to encourage potential investors, partners, and customers to learn more about your startup.