If you are seeking financial support from investors to start or grow your business, you will need to prepare a formal investor proposal. While the content of your proposal needs to be customized to your particular company, using a template to get started can help you pull together essential information in an appealing, well-organized format.
Sample Format for an Investor Proposal
The investor proposal template provided here is a printable, fill-in form that can be customized to meet your needs. Click the image below to access the document. See this guide for printables if you need assistance.
The template will open as a PDF document that you can save and use as a fill-in form or print to use as a guide for what to include if you'd prefer to type your proposal in your favorite word processing program.
When to Use This Type of Proposal
This type of proposal should be used when you are seeking funding from investors to bring capital into a business venture. It is designed for situations where entrepreneurs have an opportunity to meet with, and pitch to, an angel investor, a venture capital group or another private investor who may be interested in investing in your business.
Preparing a Winning Proposal
When writing your investor proposal, keep in mind that your overall goal is to convince someone to invest money in your business venture. It needs to make a compelling case for why an investor would want to provide capital for your business venture, so focus on information relevant to conveying how, and to what extent, investors can benefit from getting involved with your organization.
Keep in mind that investors will scan your proposal first to get a sense of whether or not it interests them. Your proposal doesn't need to be overly complicated or riddled with industry jargon. As a matter of fact, VentureGiant.com stresses that it's critical to "keep your investment proposal simple." Include key information about your business and clearly define the funding need. Emphasize how much money you need, what it will be used for and, realistically, what kind of return investors can expect.
