Raising funds for a community startup can sometimes be overwhelming. It requires convincing community investors to buy your idea over your competitors and trust in your ability to actualize it. To achieve this, you have to create a winning pitch deck, including all the essential elements. So, if you are a community startup founder or CEO, here are the steps to convert your business idea into a winning pitch deck.
Many community investors care more about making an impact in the local communities than about financial returns. Therefore, research your potential investors enough to understand what causes they support, learn about their previous or ongoing investments, and their specific interests in the community.
Once you study every detail about your audience, you can tailor your message to address them directly. Demonstrate how your idea will benefit the local community if actualized. It could be job creation, environmental sustainability, or solving a local problem, such as a lack of clean water.
Investors are more likely to remember an engaging story better than mere facts and figures. Thus, wrapping your whole idea in a narrative can help you stand out among competitors. First, share your “Why?”. It is advisable to share the origin story of your business idea or the personal motivation behind it.
Moreover, you have to explain why it matters to the local community. The key here is to illustrate an urgent problem and present a solution. The problem and solution statements play a significant role in determining the success of your pitch deck. Therefore, it would be best to seek professional assistance from pitching experts, such as Slidesvamp consultants, to create an engaging, emotional narrative.
Craft a concise pitch deck of about ten to fifteen slides, highlighting key points to capture and retain the reader’s attention to the end. It is best to explain a single topic in each slide. Here is a simple flow of an effective pitch deck:
The title slide should contain your company logo, name, and a clear tagline to direct the reader to the subsequent slides.
Divide these into two slides, starting with the problem statement, where you demonstrate the problem you want to solve. Clearly show that it affects a large percentage of the population and why it needs an urgent solution. Afterwards, you can present your idea as the solution.
Use solid data to describe the size of your target market and your potential to grow in it.
Here, you need to outline how you intend to earn revenue from this venture since it determines how the investor will earn their returns on investment.
Describing all your progress, early sales, phototypes, or contracts can boost your credibility before the investor.
Use data to prove that you understand the competitive landscape in your industry and what sets you apart from your competitors.
Present a realistic revenue projection for about 3 to 5 years. You should also include key assumptions in your forecast.
State the exact amount you seek, how you plan to use it, and the expected outcome. It also helps to briefly explain how the investor should expect to earn benefits from the investment.
Rehearse your pitch as many times as possible with a mock audience (teammates or mentors) to build your confidence and ensure a smooth delivery. Additionally, expect difficult questions and potential objections regarding market challenges and risks. Responding to these objections honestly and confidently shows thoroughness and builds trust with your audience. Most importantly, be passionate about your idea since you can transfer the same energy to the investor.
Impressing community investors with a pitch deck is straightforward. You only need to master the basics of a professional pitch deck. In addition, research can help you prevail over competition since it enables you to understand your audience, industry, and target market composition. All these play a primary role in building trust and credibility.
