Resources for Developing a Financial Plan/Presentation and Customization

Presentation and Customization
Presentation of a plan is of great importance. The presentation should capture the audience to solidify a commitment to proceed. Careful consideration should be given to the following for the delivery of the plan:

Presentation skills
Be sure to know the targeted audience. It is critical to the success of the plan to know as much as possible about the potential lender, investor, partner or government agency. Presentations often must be altered to appeal to a specific audience.

Clarity of information
The information presented should be clear and concise, answering most questions that can be anticipated from a specific reader. The plan must create confidence in management and the company. It should never be assumed that a reader knows much about the company.

Ability to field questions
Management will often pull together a team to present the plan. It is very difficult for one member of the management team to field all questions. Thus the team needs to be diversified to cover all questions that may arise and also to leave the audience with a strong sense of confidence in management. An inability to field questions can easily be seen as a sign of weakness.

Customization:

 * Banks are going to focus more on the financial data that is presented in the plan. Profitability, positive net worth, relevant ratios and length of time in business are some of the important items of interest to banks.  The higher the risk the lower the interest the banker has in a business.  Banks are in the business of taking on risk, but everything they actually do is centered on risk avoidance.  A company must generate sufficient profits to pay back the loan with interest even if it appears to meet all of the banks requirements.
 * Venture capital firms are generally looking for opportunities for growth and profitability. Marketing studies indicating a sizeable market share that can generate a sizable return will influence them.  They generally want an equity interest with the ability to “cash out” at a later date, often in the form of a stock offering.
 * Government and state agencies are traditionally overworked and have limited resources, so they are dependent upon lenders to screen and submit applications for them. Many lenders have the capability to approve applications on their own; this capability has been acquired after submitting several approved applications.