7 Emerging Trends in Business Plans & Pitch Decks

It seems like everything in life has changed with the onset and continuation of the pandemic.  Outside of regular routines, businesses are near the top of this list.  This means that the documents that support them, such as a business plan or Pitch Deck, are evolving as well.  Here are a few trends that have emerged or accelerated as a result of events of the past year.

1.       No Offices – One thing the pandemic has shown the world is that a great majority of work that we thought had to be done in offices, doesn’t.  A resulting trending in business plans or pitch decks is the office-less business.  They are run through things like registered agents and P.O boxes to give them a mailing address.

2.       Online Businesses – Besides businesses being fully remote, more businesses are based online.  They are selling services or products that can be sourced and delivered through an online supply chain.  In many cases, they are based on technology and the transfer of information, rather than the transfer of physical goods.

3.       Global Businesses – The thing about businesses that aren’t tethered to a physical office and are based online, is that they world becomes their pool for employee candidates, suppliers, and customers alike.   This has increased the rate of creation for truly global businesses.  Finding partners and opening additional virtual businesses around the globe has never been so attainable.  The business plans and pitch decks are popping up to prove it.

4.       Complex Business Models – These office-less, online, global businesses are coming in all shapes and sizes.  They also tend to be more innovative, and tech based.  The days of the most common business plan or pitch deck being something in retail or restaurants are long gone.  The new businesses of today are far more complex.

5.       Written in Plain English – There are some audiences that still expect and require super technical language filled with business jargon.  This may include a Bank Business Plan or more traditional pitch deck audience.  Overwhelming though, it seems investors and others have learned that if someone can’t explain something in simple language, they may not understand it well enough themselves.

6.       Reliance on Technology – It probably comes as no surprise that predominantly online businesses are relying on technology.  Tech is required for them to run.  Tech is also being relied upon in a big way in recent examples of a pitch deck or business plan.  In order to be as efficient and resilient as possible, technology has become an imperative.

7.       Business with Purpose – The pandemic did just force us all online and increase our reliance on technology.  It also ripped open our awareness of our interconnectedness.  Beyond that, several events relating to social unrest were also emerging at the same time.  This has led to an acceleration of a more purpose-driven consumer base.  More and more, businesses are operating with a purpose-with-profits.

Businesses are led by humans the therefor are deeply impacted by “human” events.  The pandemic is glaring evidence of this.  As humans evolved to a new normal, their businesses adapted alongside them.  In turn, the business plan and Pitch Deck have changed as well.