How to Pitch

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Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship How to Pitch
Dingman
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Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship Building,
Funding, Incubating Building companies from the
back of the napkin to the first 1M in financing
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Do you have a great idea?
I have a great idea!!! Now what? How can I get
money to fund my idea? What do investors need to
know about my idea to invest in it?
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Investor Pitch

• Investors have a very short attention spanyour
  pitch must be short and concise
• Do not get caught in technical details
• Do not use too much jargon
• Focus on developing one or two aspects of your
  business
• Be passionate and show great enthusiasm for your
  idea!

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How to cook a perfect pitch? Use these
must-have ingredients
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The Problem

• XYZ University Magazine
• No place for students to read about upcoming
  campus-wide events and reviews of past events
• No place for students to read about dining and
  shopping options on and around university campus
• Students are not using all resources available to
  them because they do not know about them.

• What is the problem you are trying to solve?
• What are the pain points you are trying to
  address?
• Is this an important problem or something people
  can afford to ignore?

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The Market

• XYZ University Magazine
• Within 10 miles of the campus
• 75 Restaurants and Bars
• 2 Malls with total 95 retailers
• 48 independent retailers
• 43 specialty service providers
• 200 student clubs
• All looking to reach
• 3,000 full-time students living on campus
• 3,000 full-time students living off-campus
• 2,000 part-time students
• 1,000 faculty and staff
• If XYZ pilot program takes off and goes well, we
  can expand to other universities campuses

• How many people have this problem?
• Is this a unique problem affecting only 10 people
  in your town a bigger problem affecting millions
  of people?
• Who exactly will pay you money for your product
  or service?

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Your Solution

• XYZ University Magazine
• Publish a monthly magazine covering all
  campus-wide events
• Magazine will write stories about the biggest
  monthly/yearly events
• Magazine will write reviews of stores, service
  providers, and restaurants on and around the
  campus
• Magazine will accept letters to the editors where
  students will be providing their reviews of
  various events, stores, dining options

• How do you plan to solve this problem?
• Is your solution realistic?
• Is your solution easy-to-implement?
• Is your solution controversial?

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Why You?

• XYZ University Magazine
• Competition Analysis
• Each school on campus keeps their own schedule.
  They publish it either online or in their
  newsletter.
• Local newspapers list some of the upcoming events

• Are there any competitors already on the market
  trying to solve the same problem?
• Why would people choose your product or service?
• What is unique about you?
• What is your unfair advantage that others will
  have a hard time replicating?

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Is Your Idea Financially Viable?

• XYZ College Magazine
• We will target local restaurants, shops, and
  service-providers to place ads in the magazine
• 9,000 college students, faculty and staff are an
  attractive target audience for local businesses
• Magazine will be provided to readers free of
  charge
• Revenue will come in form of advertising
• We estimate to sell10 full-page ads at 500
  5,00015 ½ page ads at 300 4,50025 ¼ page
  ads at 200 5,000

• XYZ University Magazine Yearly Financial
  Projections

• What are your revenue streams?
• What are your costs?
• How many customers do you need to
• become profitable?
• How will you attract customers?
• When do you plan to break even? Cash-flow
  positive?

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Use of Funds

• Use of Funds
• We will use 2,500 investment to produce and
  distribute the first trial issue of our
  magazine

• How do you plan to use investment money?
• Be specific and only list items necessary for the
  growth of your business, e.g.
• Product Research Development
• Supplies
• Marketing Research
• Marketing Activities

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Team

• Who is on your team?
• What are your teams qualifications?
• Are you and your team passionate about your
  business idea?

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To maximize your chances for success you should

• Be credible
• Be enthusiastic and passionate
• Be brief and use your words wisely
• Dress for success
• Practice! Practice! Practice!