A Pitch Deck is an abbreviated and more visual version of your business plan. While both will cover the same basic concepts, they way they are presented and broken down will differ considerably.
The Business Plan Breakdown
Not every business plan will have the same exact sections. Each Business Plan will – and should – be tailored to the exact audience. They usually will contain the following sections at a minimum. Some may contain others or break certain parts down further if necessary.
Executive Summary – A brief overview of the entire business plan. This section is usually written last.
Industry Analysis – An overview of the entire industry. It will usually touch on the history of the industry, the current status, current trends, and future predictions.
Market Analysis – This section of the business plan will focus on the market. This may include the exact location in which you operate and the target market(s) (in other words, customers) you intend to pursue.
Marketing Plan – A description of how you plan to reach and appeal to your target market(s).
Personnel Plan – One of the key aspects of your business plan is who is going to run it and what experience they have. Even the best ideas will fail without the right people, so the personnel plan is especially important.
Financial Projections – This is where you will present historical information about the company’s performance (if applicable) as well as the future expectations. The Financial Projections in the business plan usually look 3 -5 years ahead.
The Pitch Deck Breakdown
When it comes to the pitch deck, the list of regular or expected sections is longer but, the amount of information in each section will be considerably shorter. This is because the pitch deck is presented in a slide format, so you need to keep the information brief. The goal is to gain interest in reading the full business plan.
Problem(s) – Every product or service needs to be solving a problem or filling a gap in the market. This is where you present the issue your product addresses.
Solution(s) – After identifying the problem, you explain how what you offer will provide the solution or fill the missing need.
Product/Service Description – At this point in the pitch deck you will go a bit more in depth about the product(s) or services(s) that will be offered.
Business Model – Here you will give the general structure of the business and how it will run, operate, and generate revenue.
Traction – If your product or service already exists, you will explain the interest you have already generated or sales you have already made in this part of the pitch deck.
Industry and Market Overview – A brief description of the overall size of the industry, what your market is, and the potential in the market.
Competition – Key competitors can have a tremendous impact on the ability of your business to succeed or the potential of market share it may achieve.
Competitive Advantages – This slide of the pitch deck will explain how your business will fit in with or overcome the competition.
Market Approach and Strategy – With your target market identified earlier, here is how you will cover the key points of your plan for reaching them.
Team Bios – As mentioned in the business plan section, the team is very important. This slide of the Pitch Deck is where you will call out the most impressive aspects of the teams’ experience.
Deal Description – Most pitch decks are created for potential investors. Here you will list what you need from them and what you are offering them in return.
Financial Projections – Select pieces of information from your full projections. Usually touching mainly on total revenue, total expenses, profits, and cash flow.
It’s evident that there is a great deal of valuable information that is contained in these two documents. Though they will often serve different purposes and be presented differently, they should still tell the same general story. One that hopefully excites and encourages other people to be interest in your business as well. Following a similar format makes it more understandable for your audience, whoever that may be.
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