the difference between business plan and pitch

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Pitch Deck vs Business Plan: Differences and Which to Use

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Have you ever spent time deciding between creating a pitch deck vs business plan? For startups and new business owners, where every minute counts, it’s crucial to concentrate on activities that deliver the most significant impact.

This blog article demystifies the pitch deck vs business plan, whether you aim to attract investors, secure a loan, or win over partners and clients. We’ll start with pitch decks, followed by business plans, with the goal of helping you choose wisely – so you can spend less time on paperwork and more time building your business.

1. What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a slideshow that concisely conveys your business idea, market opportunity, and value proposition in a presentation format. Also known as a business or investor deck, they are used to quickly present business ideas, products, or services in 10 to 20 slides.

Purpose of a pitch deck

The purpose of a pitch deck is similar to that of an elevator pitch: tell a compelling story to grab the attention of potential investors, partners, or clients.

The goal isn’t to seal a deal on the spot but to spark sufficient interest to secure follow-up meetings and negotiate potential funding.

How long should a pitch deck be?

Your pitch deck should pack a punch, not bore your investors. Aim for 10-20 impactful slides . For complex ideas or specific industries, slightly more might be okay.

The 10/20/30 rule is your friend: make a 10-slide deck that grabs attention. Investors see hundreds of pitch decks a year. Choose quality over quantity – make each slide count!

💡 Related article: How many slides do you need for a 10-minute presentation?

What should be in a pitch deck

Most successful pitch decks follow a similar flow to keep investors hooked. The tried-and-tested 10-slide pitch deck format is a great starting point but be prepared to adjust or add slides for emphasis.

These are the 10 core slides for a pitch deck based on Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule:

• Problem slide
• Solution slide
• Market size and opportunity
• Product/service
• Business model
• Competition
• Financials and key metrics
• Ask (funding needs)

Here are additional slides you may include based on specific business and investor preferences:

• Introduction
• Go-to-market (GTM) slide
• Sales and marketing strategy
• Use of funds
• Exit strategy

💡 Learn more about the 10/20/30 rule: How to create a pitch deck (and the 10 slides you need)

Pitch deck examples

Curious how some tech unicorns have pitched their ideas in the early stages? Here are two examples that have proven successful.

✅ Snapchat pitch deck (2013, Pre-seed)

✅ Tinder pitch deck (2016, Seed)

Examples from Best Pitch Decks

2. What is a business plan?

A business plan is a written document with detailed information that acts as a roadmap for your business. A traditional business plan is a formal document that outlines all aspects of your business, including its goals, strategies, market analysis, operational structure, and financial forecasts for the next 3 to 5 years. Most business plans are created in a Word document or report format, ranging from 10 to hundreds of pages long. 

There are other types of less formal business plans used by startups or for internal alignment:

• Lean startup plan/Lean canvas: Summarizes the value proposition and business model into a single page, with a focus on the problem-solution fit.
• One-page business plan: Fits the essential information of a business into one page. Great for quickly testing an idea’s viability or getting immediate feedback.
• Internal business plan: Less formal, designed for use within an organization — for example, a feasibility business plan, operations plan, strategic, or expansion plan.

Purpose of a business plan

Business plans aren’t just for paperwork – they drive action and results. Think of your business plan as a multi-purpose tool that serves several vital functions:

• Attract investors
• Fundraising or securing loans
• Map your strategy
• Provide a strategic roadmap
• Track business progress or provide a performance benchmark
• Win over partners, talents, and potential hires

Components of a business plan

Business plans don’t have a right or wrong format; only different situations call for other formats. You can mix different plan types to prioritize components that directly support your objectives.

What to include in a traditional business plan:

• Executive summary: A concise overview of your entire business plan, highlighting the most critical points.
• Company description: What your business does, the problem it solves, your target market, and competitive advantages.
• Market analysis: Research data like market size, trends, competitors, and customer demographics.
• Organization and management: The business structure, roles, and experience of key team members.
• Products or services: Details on your offer, including features, benefits, pricing, and any intellectual property considerations.
• Sales and marketing strategy: How you plan to reach your target customers (market) and tactics to promote and drive sales.
• Financial projections: Forecasts of your income, expenses, cash flow, and profitability for the next 1 to 5 years.
• Funding request: If you are fundraising, state the amount, how it will be used, and the terms you offer investors.
• Appendix: Include any supplemental information and documents.

💡 Pro tip: Customize your plan! Add, remove, or rearrange sections to achieve your goals.

How long should a business plan be?

Think about your reader and your goal.  Need a detailed plan for a bank loan? That might be 15-25 pages. Want a quick internal roadmap? A one-page Lean Canvas could work. Consider your industry, who’s reading it, and what you need the plan to do.

💡 Pro tip: Choose quality over quantity. Focus on clarity, regardless of length.

How long does it take to write a business plan?

It can take anything from 20 minutes to 20 weeks. The whole process of creating a business plan can be time-consuming (if opting for a long format), and it can also be quick (for example, the Lean Canvas).

The general advice is: Don’t overthink your first business plan. Start simple, move fast, and build as you grow. Business plans aren’t static, so be prepared to refine and expand your plan as the business evolves.

💡 Pro tip: It’s not uncommon to uncover some challenging sections while writing the plan – the key is to show awareness of these issues and ways to overcome them.

Business plan templates

Not sure where to start? Use these example plans and templates from these reputable sources to get you started: 

• SBA.gov: Write your business plan –  Has the traditional business plan and lean startup business plan templates
• SCORE.org – Has business plan templates for a startup , an established business , and the Business Model Canvas
• Bplans has over 550 business plan examples across multiple industries, which you can use for inspiration.

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3. Pitch deck vs business plan: the differences

Now that you understand pitch decks and business plans, let’s dive into their key differences.

• Pitch decks are short and punchy, designed to grab investors’ attention and get you that crucial meeting.
• Business plans are thorough and detailed documents, perfect for in-depth analysis or large funding requests.

💡 Think of it this way: Pitch decks are the attention-grabbing movie trailers that sell the whole project. Business plans are your complete blueprint.

Both documents can serve you, but understanding their differences helps you select the best tool for attracting investment or charting your company’s path.

4. Do you need a pitch deck or a business plan?

In the past, business plans were the standard document to present a business idea to investors. However, simple business plans and pitch decks are increasingly popular, especially in startups.

Here’s how to choose the right tool for the job:

🎯 Pitches and investor meetings

Pitch decks provide a snapshot of your business or idea’s potential to spark interest and secure future investor meetings.

🎯 Early stages or for idea validation

Use a simple business plan or Lean Canvas, as the format forces you to focus on the core problem you’re solving and the solution.

🎯 Internal roadmap and planning

Formal business plans will aid in longer-term strategic planning, or they can be shorter since they are for internal use.

🎯 Complex business model

Create a thorough business plan with intricate details; short plans and pitch decks wouldn’t cut it for specific industries or complicated business models.

🎯 Fundraising, loans, or traditional financing

Banks, investors, and government-funded grant applications often require a detailed business plan. Whether you seek debt or equity funding, angel investors, VCs, and banks need compelling reasons to support your venture.

💡 Pro tip: You’ll still need a traditional business plan for detailed strategy or significant funding!

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5. Conclusion

Pitch decks and business plans aren’t simply documents – they’re essential tools for driving your business forward. Now that you know the difference, consider your current needs. Ready to capture investor attention? Start crafting a compelling pitch deck. Need a detailed roadmap? Begin writing a winning business plan. Use the resources in this guide to get started and put your business on the right track toward success!

When should you write a business plan?

According to research by Harvard Business Review , between six and 12 months after deciding to start a business. For various reasons, crafting a comprehensive business plan either earlier or later doesn’t necessarily impact business success:

• Most startups pivot from their original ideas and plans.
• The time needed to create a thorough plan is better spent on other business activities (at least initially).
• Creating an elaborate plan may distract entrepreneurs from seeing opportunities in real time and responding to real customers’ needs.

Planning is valuable, and entrepreneurs who plan are more likely to start a successful business. However, you don’t need a complex business plan to begin working on your business. It’s okay to create a plan early on but remember; it’s more about being strategic with your time than trying to forecast the future from the start.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a canvas?

They differ in complexity and length. Business plans are longer and more detailed and are typically used to secure funding from investors or financial institutes.

A canvas, Lean Canvas , or business plan canvas, is a 1-page business plan. The Lean Canvas template helps you deconstruct your idea and focus on finding customer problems worth solving without a significant time investment. 

It is popular as a direct replacement for traditional business plans within startups. The canvas can be used for quick and efficient brainstorming of multiple business models in a few hours or less.

How do I turn a business plan into a pitch deck?

Once you’ve done the groundwork of creating a business plan, you can reuse some of the insights, data, and information for a pitch deck. 

• First, extract the core details from the business plan, such as the problem you solve, the solution, the size of the market, team strengths, and financials.
• Translate that information into your chosen pitch deck template (for example, the 10-slide pitch deck ) or use an AI presentation generator tool such as SlidesAI to structure your slides. 
• Add and emphasize visuals. Replace some text with charts, diagrams, and graphs whenever applicable.
• Edit and keep the pitch deck focused and clear. Quality over quantity!
• Get feedback, practice your pitch, and then iterate on the deck until you are ready to show it to investors.

💡 Related article: 5 best free AI pitch deck generators 2024

Is a pitch deck only for investors?

No, while the primary purpose of a pitch deck is to attract funding, it can be adapted for various audiences and goals, such as partnerships, customers (especially enterprise customers), grant applications, startup or pitch competitions, or even for internal alignment within your team.

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November 20, 2023

Pitch deck vs. business plan: which one do you need for your business, and when? As a businessman or entrepreneur, do you sometimes wonder why your potential investors aren't responding after you've sent them a long and detailed business plan or a catchy pitch deck? This could be due to the minimal information provided in the pitch deck or the lengthy, boring, and irrelevant details in the business plan that repelled them from reaching back to you. However, you should also know how to send pitch decks to investors. Therefore, it's crucial for an entrepreneur to understand which approach is best for their venture. Before seeking out investors, one should be very well aware of the difference between a pitch deck and a business plan. Luckily, we have all the information you need. Check out our resource on how to send a pitch deck to investors.

Pitch Deck vs Business Plan

What are pitch decks and business plans, and how do you write them? Let’s find out.

A business plan identifies, describes, and analyzes a business opportunity and/or an existing business. It focuses on the technical, financial, and economic viability of the idea, and explains in detail the plans your company has for the next 1, 3, and 5 years. This document is used as a reference point by potential investors when deciding whether or not to invest in your company. Furthermore, it's frequently used in a due diligence step in the funding process. A pitch deck, on the other hand, is a much more summarized version of a business plan that aims to excite investors about a company, to set up a second meeting and the possibility of an investment discussion. It is a pitch presentation used by business owners or entrepreneurs to give potential investors, like venture capitalists or angel investors, a concise but informative overview of their startup or company. Investors can use it to see where your business stands and where it is going, and decide whether they want to support it in getting there. It is purposefully sent to potential investors in order to set up a face-to-face meeting or used as a visual aid during a live presentation to potential investors.

Included Information

A business plan contains the research you have conducted on your industry and competitors as well as your company's operational, marketing, and sales strategies. It also includes financial analysis, growth, success projections, and a road map of where your business will be in the future and how it will get there. These nine sections are combined in a traditional business plan design in one way or another:

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Market research
• Operational plan and management
• Service or line of goods
• Sales and marketing
• Money request
• Financial estimates

If you want a professional business plan, it is highly recommended to use a business plan consultant. On the other hand, a pitch deck usually covers the following sections:

• Introduction
• Target market
• Marketing and sales strategy
• Pitch Deck Competition Slide
• Funding request
• Financial Strength

You can find all the details in our Pitch Deck Outline article. Another element of information that should be included in a pitch deck is how much money the company intends to raise, for what amount of equity, and how the money will be spent. Therefore, it must contain expected financials and a pre-money company valuation. You can also include a timeline of significant events in the company's history, which will help convince investors to approve the funding.

The business plan is a lengthy, in-depth document that typically has 10–100 pages and is created in Word. It is primarily text-based. On the other hand, the pitch deck's length ranges between 10 and 20 pages and is produced using PowerPoint with the intention of using visual aids such as pictures, graphs, tables to convey as much of the critical information as quickly as possible.

Situations Where a Business Plan Is Needed

• Obtaining Debt Financing from Conventional Banks: If you want to obtain any type of loan from a bank, you will need to submit a business plan, as they still review them.
• Company Having Multiple Co-Founders and Co-Owners: A business plan is quite helpful in managing a bigger board of seniors in the company. It ensures that everyone sticks to the company's core values and carries out the intended plans to achieve long-term goals. This should be a dynamic document that is continually updated as circumstances warrant.
• Fundraising over $500K: If you are raising a large amount of cash, you better have a strategy in place for how you are going to use it. Be ready for due diligence from investors.

For an in-depth guide on startup business models , click here.

Situations Where a Pitch Deck is Needed

• Meeting or Starting a Conversation with an Investor: A pitch deck is a conversation starter that encourages investors to get in touch with you. You can email a PDF file or send a printed copy to start building a relationship with investors.
• Pitching in a Competition: The startup community organizes many pitch competitions and events that provide business founders the opportunity to practice pitching their business and gain exposure. In these competitions, a pitch deck is a must-have document that effectively communicates the startup plan.
• Seeking Equity Funding: If you are seeking funding from venture capitalists, angel investors, or knowledgeable friends and family, you need a clear pitch deck.

What to Write First - Business Plan vs Pitch Deck?

At the initial phase of a business, a fundamental document called a business plan is written. This plan is updated as the business develops and as needs and goals change over time. The lengthy document can serve a variety of purposes, including internal use within the company or in banks that still require business plans for loan applications today. Additionally, the business plan document can be very useful in creating a compelling pitch deck. In the eyes of professionals, the pitch deck is considered a child of the business plan. Having a prepared business plan makes it much easier to get depth and length in your plans, which eventually results in more clarity and strong points that you could include in a pitch deck. Research is already completed when writing a business plan, which allows the pitch deck to focus on composing the already-existing information in such a manner that encourages the investor to approve the funding you need.

The Pros and Cons of a Business Plan vs. a Pitch Deck

Both business plans and pitch decks have their advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of each.

Business Plan Pros

• Comprehensive: A business plan is a comprehensive document that covers all aspects of your business, from your market research to your financial projections. It may be helpful to seek assistance from a financial modelling agency when creating your financial projections.. It provides potential investors with a detailed understanding of your business and its potential for success.
• Strategic: A business plan helps you to think strategically about your business. By analyzing your industry, your competitors, and your own strengths and weaknesses, you can create a plan that maximizes your chances of success.
• Useful for fundraising: A well-written business plan can be an effective tool for raising funds from investors. It provides potential investors with the information they need to make an informed decision about whether to invest in your business.

Business Plan Cons

• Time-consuming: Writing a comprehensive business plan can be a time-consuming process. It requires a significant amount of research, analysis, and writing.
• Outdated quickly: Business plans can quickly become outdated as your business evolves and circumstances change. This means that you may need to update your business plan regularly to ensure that it remains relevant.
• May not be read: Some investors may not have the time or patience to read a lengthy business plan. This means that your hard work may go to waste if your plan is not read by the right people.

Pitch Deck Pros

• Concise: A pitch deck is a concise document that provides potential investors with a quick overview of your business. It is designed to be easy to read and understand, which makes it more likely that it will be read by potential investors.
• Engaging: A well-designed pitch deck can be an engaging and memorable way to present your business to potential investors. It can help you to stand out from the competition and make a strong impression.
• Can lead to meetings: A pitch deck is often used to secure meetings with potential investors. If your pitch deck is well-received, it can lead to a face-to-face meeting where you can provide more detailed information about your business.

Pitch Deck Cons

• Limited information: A pitch deck provides only a limited amount of information about your business. This means that potential investors may not have a complete understanding of your business and its potential.
• Not suitable for all businesses: A pitch deck is not suitable for all businesses. If your business is complex or requires a significant amount of explanation, a pitch deck may not be sufficient.
• Not as useful for fundraising: While a pitch deck can be used to secure meetings with potential investors, it may not be as effective as a business plan for actually raising funds.

Ultimately, the decision to use a business plan or a pitch deck will depend on the specific needs of your business and the goals you hope to achieve. It's important to understand the pros and cons of each and use them appropriately to effectively communicate your ideas to potential investors.

How to Create a Winning Pitch Deck

Creating a pitch deck that stands out can be a challenging task, but it's essential if you want to attract investors to your business. Here are some tips to help you create a winning pitch deck:

1. Start with a Strong Introduction

Your introduction slide should grab investors' attention and make them want to learn more about your company. Use a catchy tagline, a powerful image, or a compelling statistic to draw them in.

2. Focus on the Problem You're Solving

Your pitch deck should explain the problem you're solving and why it matters. Use real-world examples and statistics to illustrate the problem and show why it's important.

3. Explain Your Solution

After you've described the problem, explain how your product or service solves it. Be clear and concise, and focus on the benefits of your solution.

4. Show Traction

Investors want to see that your company is gaining traction and making progress. Include data on customer acquisition, revenue, and growth to show that your business is on the right track.

5. Describe Your Marketing and Sales Strategy

Your pitch deck should explain how you plan to market and sell your product or service, including specifics on your target market, your marketing channels, your sales process, and any startup market research services you may use to gain insights into your target audience and industry.

6. Highlight Your Competitive Advantage

Investors want to know what sets your business apart from the competition. Explain your competitive advantage and show how it gives you an edge in the market.

7. Be Realistic About Financial Projections

Your pitch deck should include financial projections, but they should be realistic. Don't exaggerate your projections or make unrealistic promises. Instead, focus on achievable goals and realistic timelines.

8. Keep It Simple and Visual

Your pitch deck should be simple and easy to follow. Use visuals, such as graphs, charts, and images, to convey your message and make your presentation more engaging.

9. Practice, Practice, Practice

Finally, practice your pitch deck until you're comfortable delivering it. Practice in front of friends, family, or colleagues, and ask for feedback. Refine your presentation until it's polished and persuasive.

By following these tips, you can create a winning pitch deck that will help you attract investors and grow your business. Remember to start with a strong introduction, focus on the problem you're solving, explain your solution, show traction, describe your marketing and sales strategy, highlight your competitive advantage, be realistic about financial projections, keep it simple and visual, and practice, practice, practice.

Tips for Writing a Compelling Business Plan

Writing a business plan can be a daunting task, but it's an essential step in securing funding for your business. Here are some tips to help you write a compelling business plan:

1. Know Your Audience

Before you start writing your business plan, it's essential to know your audience. Who will be reading your plan? What are their goals and objectives? What information do they need to make a decision? By understanding your audience, you can tailor your plan to their needs and increase your chances of success.

2. Keep It Concise

While a business plan is a detailed document, it's essential to keep it concise. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand. Instead, use short sentences and simple language to convey your message. Use bullet points and headings to break up the text and make it easier to read.

3. Focus on Your Unique Value Proposition

Your unique value proposition is what sets your business apart from the competition. It's essential to focus on this in your business plan. Explain why your product or service is better than what's already available in the market. Show how you plan to differentiate yourself and capture market share.

4. Be Realistic

When writing your business plan, it's essential to be realistic. Don't exaggerate your projections or make unrealistic promises. Instead, focus on achievable goals and realistic timelines. Provide evidence to back up your claims and show that you've done your research.

5. Include Financial Projections

Financial projections are a crucial part of any business plan. They show how you plan to make money and when you expect to become profitable. Include projected income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Be sure to explain your assumptions and include a sensitivity analysis to show how your projections could change under different scenarios.

6. Get Feedback

Before submitting your business plan, get feedback from others. Ask friends, family, or colleagues to review your plan and provide feedback. Consider working with a business coach or mentor who can provide guidance and support.

By following these tips, you can write a compelling business plan that will help you secure funding and grow your business. Remember to tailor your plan to your audience, keep it concise, focus on your unique value proposition, be realistic, include financial projections, and get feedback.

Key Components of a Business Plan and a Pitch Deck

A business plan and pitch deck have different components that are essential to the success of your company. Here are the key components of each:

Business Plan

• Executive Summary: This section provides an overview of your entire business plan. It should be concise and highlight key points about your company, such as the problem you're solving, your target market, and your competitive advantage.
• Business Description: This section describes your company in more detail, including your mission, vision, and values. It also includes information about your team, your product or service, your target market, and your business model.
• Market Analysis: This section analyzes your industry and your competitors. It includes information about your target market, your competition, your marketing strategy, and your sales strategy.
• Operational Plan and Management: This section explains how your company will operate on a day-to-day basis. It includes information about your organizational structure, your management team, and your operational processes.
• Service or Line of Goods: This section describes your product or service in detail. It includes information about the features and benefits of your product or service, as well as any intellectual property you've developed.
• Sales and Marketing: This section explains how you plan to sell your product or service. It includes information about your sales strategy, your marketing strategy, and your pricing strategy.
• Money Request: This section explains how much money you're raising and how you plan to use it. It includes information about your funding needs, your use of funds, and your financial projections.
• Financial Estimates: This section includes your financial statements, such as your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. It also includes any other financial information that investors may need to make a decision.

• Introduction: This slide includes your company name, logo, and tagline. It's the first thing investors will see, so it should be attention-grabbing.
• Problem: This slide explains the problem your company is solving. It should be concise and clearly explain why your product or service is needed in the market.
• Target Market: This slide describes your target market. It should include information about your ideal customer, such as their demographics, psychographics, and buying behavior.
• Solution: This slide explains how your product or service solves the problem you identified earlier. It should be concise and clearly explain the benefits of your product or service.
• Traction: This slide describes any traction your company has gained so far. It should include information about your customer acquisition, revenue, and growth.
• Marketing and Sales Strategy: This slide explains how you plan to market and sell your product or service. It should include information about your marketing channels, your sales process, and your pricing strategy.
• Competition: This slide describes your competition. It should include information about your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, as well as how your product or service is different.
• Funding Request: This slide explains how much money you're raising and how you plan to use it. It should be concise and clearly explain why you need the money.
• Financial Strength: This slide includes your financial projections. It should include your revenue, expenses, and profit margins.
• Team: This slide describes your team. It should include information about your management team, your advisors, and any other key team members.

Keep in mind that these are just the basic components of a business plan and pitch deck. Depending on your industry and your company's unique needs, you may need to include additional information.

Both a pitch deck and a business plan are essential tools for entrepreneurs seeking funding for their ventures. While a business plan provides a comprehensive overview of a company's operations and financial projections, a pitch deck is a more concise and visually appealing document that seeks to excite potential investors about a company's potential. Understanding the differences and appropriate use cases for each document can greatly increase an entrepreneur's chances of securing funding and growing their business. By following the tips outlined in this article, entrepreneurs can create compelling pitch decks and business plans that effectively communicate their vision and attract potential investors.

Key Takeaways

A business plan analyzes a business opportunity and/or an existing business, while a pitch deck aims to excite investors about a company and set up a meeting for an investment discussion.

A business plan is a lengthy, text-based document, while a pitch deck is a concise document that uses visuals to convey critical information as quickly as possible.

A business plan is helpful for obtaining debt financing from conventional banks, managing a bigger board of seniors in the company, and fundraising over $500k, while a pitch deck is useful for starting a conversation with an investor, pitching in a competition, and seeking equity funding.

A business plan is comprehensive and strategic, while a pitch deck is concise and engaging.

Both business plans and pitch decks have their advantages and disadvantages, so it's essential to understand the pros and cons of each and use them appropriately to communicate your ideas effectively.

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Pitch Deck VS. Business Plan: What is the Difference

Business Plan Template

• May 8, 2024

Pitch deck or a business plan—confused about which of these business documents you should create for your business?

Well, the short answer is both.

But, in a thriving startup world, where time’s a chase, knowing what will help you to make the most significant impact will make the choice easier.

Through this blog post, let’s help you understand the key differences between these two documents, i.e. pitch deck vs business plan , and instances when you will need them.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive right in.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a concise visual presentation, often used by startups and emerging entrepreneurs, to introduce their business potential in front of investors and potential stakeholders.

These presentations explain the key details of your plan such as the problem, solution, revenue model, traction, financials, and organizational team through engaging visuals and simple text blocks.

Pitch decks hook the audience to your excellent business idea and persuade them to engage further or take action.

Pitch decks are important for a quick business introduction. But let’s now gather a basic overview of what a business plan is.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a professional document outlining the goals, strategies, and operational aspects of your business. It serves as a guide for decision-making and offers a roadmap to achieve your business objectives.

In General business plan include key components like executive summary, company overview, market analysis, products and services, marketing and sales strategy, operation plan, management team, and financial plan.

It’s one detailed document that will help you to secure funds from potential investors.

Now, that you have gathered a fair understanding of pitch decks and business plans, let’s understand what makes them different.

Difference between a pitch deck and a business plan

Pitch decks are crisp offering a macro overview of your business idea through sharp and remarkable visuals. Business plans, on the other hand, are immaculately detailed, offering a micro overview of what your business does and where it aims to reach.

Well, the differences between a business plan and a pitch deck are fundamental and we will now explore those differences in detail.

Pitch decks serve the purpose of familiarizing the audience with your business idea in a short time. They capture the audience’s attention, spark excitement about a business idea, and help you secure further discussions and meetings with potential investors.

Business plans, on the other hand, offer an in-depth detailing of your business framework, financial projections, and strategic objectives. They are required by banks to grant loans, investors to evaluate the business’s viability, and internally to guide the management and operations.

2. Length and Format

A slide deck is precise and concise. It summarizes your entire business idea within 10-15 slides, and sometimes even less.

These business documents are heavier on visual components. Instead of paragraphs, the important information is usually conveyed through crisp statements and bullet points.

Business plans, however, are extremely detailed and lengthy. While the length of a typical traditional plan varies between 20-100 pages, a startup business plan in a lean format can be as small as 1-2 pages.

These professional documents are heavier on text and include tables and charts to support the textual content. The design is kept minimal and professional and the information is organized neatly into digestible sections.

A pitch deck includes high-value information summarizing only the key aspects of your business plan. They focus more on the problem and the solution, revenue model, traction, competitive advantage, and key financial metrics of your business.

Such presentations also include your funding demand and are pretty straightforward in terms of content.

Business plans, however, provide extensive information detailing your business idea, strategies, resources, financials, and even the assumptions and justifications.

Generally, a comprehensive business plan includes an executive summary followed by a detailed description of the business, market analysis, products and services, marketing and sales strategies, operations, management, and financials.

However, one can adjust the contents and details of a business plan depending on their objective to write a business plan.

4. Audience

Pitch decks are essentially prepared to pitch to investors and venture capital firms for equity funding. However, that’s not it.

The very purpose of a business pitch deck is to educate the people about your business idea and stir their interest. So anyone who wants to acquaint themselves with the core fundamentals of your business in a short time is an ideal audience for a pitch deck.

Similarly, a business plan is also intended for a vast audience, including but not limited to, loan officers, investors, stakeholders, and the company’s internal team.

In fact, anyone who wants to have a deep, thorough insight into your business’s strategies, policies, operations, and finances can benefit from reading your business plan.

And those are the most fundamental differences between a pitch deck presentation and a business plan. However, let’s now understand different instances when you will require these business documents.

When to use a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck offers a snapshot of your business and is most suitable for situations, events, and audiences that prefer to gather a level of information within a short span.

Here are a few instances where you would definitely require a business pitch deck:

• When you want to introduce your startup idea at investor meet-ups, networking events, and accelerator programs.
• When you want to get initial equity funding from investors and VC firms.
• When you want to secure an in-person meeting with an investor.

However, for all this to happen, you need a pitch deck that brilliantly captures the key essence of your business.

Well, it’s not that easy. From design to content—it takes a lot to create a 10-page, compelling pitch deck.

You must have figured out that creating a pitch deck is challenging given the crispness, conciseness, and briefness it requires.

Not anymore. You can now use AI to create your strategic pitch decks from scratch, requiring zero designing.

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When to use a Business Plan?

A well-mapped business plan is an asset that will take your business to quite a few places helping you realize your business goals. If you are wondering where will you require a business plan, here you go:

• When you want significant funding from potential investors.
• When you want to validate your business idea.
• When you want to plan for subsequent business stages that require a strategic roadmap.
• When you want to explain your complex business model.

Now, a business plan can only help achieve all those things when it offers a true and realistic overview of your business and its strategies.

Absolutely, it’s a difficult task. But with the right tools and aid, you can create a realistic plan that offers a roadmap to success for your business.

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What to Write First—Business Plan or Pitch Deck

Ideally, a business plan should be drafted before creating a pitch deck.

The business plan demands thorough analysis and research. Writing it first will encourage you to explore the business nuances in detail.

You are more in sync with your business idea and its strategies by the time you are done writing your business plan. Such understanding is essential to creating a pitch deck that reflects your startup’s potential in a true light.

A Way Forward

It’s evident that you need both—a business plan and a pitch deck, to venture successfully into your market. Instead of contemplating, let’s make business planning easier for you.

Upmetrics offers a range of AI-powered solutions for all your business and strategic planning needs.

Whether you need an AI business plan generator to create a thorough business plan or AI pitch deck generator for a compelling pitch deck—Upmetrics has got you covered.

No need to spend any more time worrying about where and how to get started. Our perfectly designed solutions will guide you to create stellar business documents in no time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a pitch deck similar to a business plan.

Not really. Business plans are textual offering a detailed overview of your business idea. Pitch decks, however, are concise and visual. It can be said that pitch decks are a byproduct of business plans. However, they are not the same.

When should you use a business plan?

Business plans should be used when you want to obtain financing from traditional banks. However, even angel investors would ask for a business plan when the funding demand is substantial. Apart from this, you use a business plan for strategic planning and internal guidance.

When should you use a pitch deck?

Pitch decks should be used to introduce your business idea to different audiences. It is extensively used to pitch potential investors and persuade them for financing.

Do I need a pitch deck or a business plan?

A business requires both a pitch deck and a business plan. It is preferable to write a business plan first before creating a pitch deck to capture the essence of your business effectively.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Home / Blog / Pitch Deck vs. Business Plan: What is the Difference?

Pitch Deck vs. Business Plan: What is the Difference?

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Deciding between a pitch deck and a business plan for your next fundraiser? In reality, both documents play an important part in your fight for the next round. 

• Research shows that a clear, concise pitch deck can increase the chances of securing an initial meeting with investors by up to 72% .
• A business plan reduces internal confusion by 25% by clearly outlining the goals, strategies, and financial projections, leading to a 30% increase in team collaboration .

Both documents require heavy research and are designed to convince investors to back your venture. However, they accomplish it in different ways.

Having raised over $505M in 2023 for startups with our pitch decks and business plans , we’ll walk you through a detailed Pitch deck vs. Business plan comparison and their role in the fundraising game.

What is the pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a 10-20-slide presentation showcasing the potential of your business idea and startup to investors. Briefly and compellingly, it introduces your company, product, market, business model and overall strategy. 

An effective must showcase your market research, traction to date, and a roadmap to where you want to get. No one-sized pitch deck exists, so you can even pitch someone in the elevator .

Think of it as an introductory sales document designed to pique investor interest and encourage further dialogue.

Components of a pitch deck:

• Introduction: Brief overview of your company and its purpose.
• Problem Statement: Clearly define the problem your product or service solves.
• Solution: Describe your product or service and how it addresses the problem.
• Market Opportunity: Showcase the potential market size and target audience.
• Business Model: Explain how your company plans to generate revenue.
• Traction: Highlight any milestones, achievements, or user statistics.
• Market Strategies: Outline your marketing and sales approaches.
• Competitive Analysis: Identify and analyze your competitors.
• Team: Introduce key team members and their roles.
• Financial Projections: Present forecasts for revenue, expenses, and profitability.
• Ask/Investment: Clearly state what you’re seeking from potential investors.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a 30-100-page document showcasing an in-depth analysis of your business idea to potential investors to convince them to invest. It elaborates on things like:

• Your sales, marketing, and operational plans for growth
• Where your company will be in the next 1,3 or 5 years
• A step-by-step plan of how you’ll get there.

The business plan is the first part of the investor’s due diligence process before finalizing the deal. It lays out more detailed research on your industry and competitors, contains many charts, graphs, and pictures, and is very text-heavy. 

Think of it as a comprehensive blueprint of your venture designed to persuade interested investors to pull the trigger and invest.

Components of a business plan:

• Executive Summary: A brief business overview, goals, and plans.
• Company Description: Details about your business, mission, vision, and structure.
• Market Analysis: Research your industry, market, and competitors.
• Organization and Management: Information about your team, structure, and key personnel.
• Product or Service Line: Description of your offer and its benefits.
• Marketing and Sales: Your strategies for promoting and selling your product or service.
• Funding Request: If you seek funding, outline your financial needs.
• Financial Projections: Projected financial statements, like income statements and balance sheets.
• Appendix: Additional supporting documents, charts, graphs, etc.

What are the differences between a pitch deck and a business plan?

While the business plan and pitch deck give a view of your venture, they serve different goals, reach different audiences, and build the story differently. These distinctions manifest in the length, format, target audiences, and funding stages. 

Length and Format

• Pitch Deck:

Brief and eye-catching 10-20 slides with engaging visuals, like images, charts, and minimal text. Generally highlights critical points, like product or service, target market, business model, and future potential.

• Business Plan:  

Detailed 30-100 page text-heavy document armed with visuals like charts and graphs. It typically emphasizes projected revenue, expenses, and profitability through financial statements and forecasts. The document details strategies for sales, marketing, operations, and human resources, along with a description of team members’ expertise, experience, contributions to the company’s success, etc.

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Targeted Audience

• Pitch Deck: Investors (initial stages)
• Business Plan: Investors (due diligence), internal team

Stages and Objectives

• Pitch Deck: 1. Shines in early stages: Pre-seed, seed, Series A. 2. Captivates investors: Concisely delivers the problem, solution, market, and team.
• Business Plan: 1. Dominates later stages: Series B and beyond. 2. Secures substantial funding: Demonstrates viability and potential return on investment (ROI).

Frequency of use

• Pitch Deck: 1. High Frequency: Used frequently and repeatedly throughout the fundraising process. You might prepare several variations tailored to different investors or stages of funding. Examples: Initial investor meetings, pitch competitions, and conferences seeking investment opportunities.
• Business Plan: 1. Lower Frequency: Typically used once during the later fundraising stages, specifically during due diligence. 2. Focus: Providing detailed information for investors to thoroughly assess your business’s viability.

Pros and cons: Pitch Deck vs. Business Plan

Advantages:

• Comprehensive: This thoroughness is crucial for investors, lenders, and internal stakeholders.
• Strategically complete: Aids decision-making, resource allocation, and risk management.
• Supportive fundraising: Studies suggest that companies with a well-crafted business plan are 18% more likely to secure funding than those without one.

Disadvantages:

• Time-consuming: Requires potential expertise in areas like financial modelling and market research.
• Outdated quickly: Market dynamics and business strategies can evolve rapidly, necessitating regular updates to the plan to maintain its accuracy and relevance.
• It may not be read: Lack of time and poorly structured info can push away the potential investor.
• Concise and engaging: Studies reveal that audiences lose focus after 10-20 minutes of presentations. Pitch delivers a clear and quick message.
• Easy to adapt and share: Adapting the pitch deck for various audiences and situations is simpler due to its brevity.
• This can lead to meetings: Engaging presentations foster positive connections with potential partners and lay the groundwork for long-lasting collaborations.
• Sometimes limited information: By definition, it does not provide the in-depth financial analysis, operational details, and market research needed for comprehensive due diligence.
• Less suitable for later stages: As funding requirements and investor expectations increase, a pitch deck alone may not be sufficient for securing more significant investments.

Which is more important, the pitch deck or the business plan?

There is no one-size answer; in most cases, you need both. The importance of each depends on your industry and fundraising stage. The pitch deck is crucial early on , but investors scrutinise the business plan for details as you progress . 

The pitch deck is vital for visibility. Without it, you may miss opportunities with investors and hinder connections with mentors and partners essential for your startup’s success.

On the other hand, the business plan is crucial to validate everything you’ve outlined in your pitch deck. Investors can quickly spot unprepared founders or unrealistic propositions. While a compelling pitch may secure a meeting, a thorough plan will convince investors to back your venture.

Important: A well-crafted pitch deck often stems from a strong business plan.

When to use a business plan and not a pitch deck

• If you seek debt financing: Banks rely on business plans, emphasizing their importance for loan applications.
• If you fundraise above $500k: Careful planning is crucial for substantial fundraising. Investors will scrutinize your venture, so be thoroughly prepared.
• If you have cooperative ownership planning: A written plan is essential for co-owners to navigate challenges together, staying true to the initial vision while embracing necessary changes.

When to use a pitch deck and not a business plan

• When attracting equity investment: A concise pitch deck is essential to secure funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, or knowledgeable friends and family.
• When looking for networking with potential investors: Crafting a positive initial impression is paramount.
• For pitching opportunities for founders: Explore pitch competitions in the startup community, seizing opportunities for exposure and honing your pitching abilities with a solid pitch deck.
• When seeking co-founders: If you’re looking for cofounders, there is no better way to convey your concept and the value you can bring to the table than through a pitch deck.
• When applying to accelerator programs: A well-crafted pitch deck is typically required. It is a critical asset in the assessment process for entry into the accelerator’s next cohort.

You need both 

Need to grab attention and lock connections? Use a pitch deck. Need to showcase in-depth details and long-term potential? Use a business plan. Both tools are paramount in navigating your fundraising journey effectively.

Want to know how to craft pitch decks that secure investor interest? Check our pitch deck hub to learn all about it straight from the trenches.

CONTENT WRITER

Hey there! I'm Anastasiia, a Content Writer at Waveup. With my marketing expertise and storytelling magic, I turn complex data and industry insights into your startup playbook, making the business world a breeze for you! At Waveup, I work with brilliant folks who make insights a never-ending flow. So, join, read, and enjoy!

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Hello, I'm Ravi Warrier, the founder of Funding Pitchcraft and a dedicated mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs. My journey in the startup ecosystem began after graduating from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, where I cultivated a deep passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. With over a decade of experience in startup consultancy and venture capital, I've had the privilege of guiding numerous early-stage startups to success, especially in securing crucial funding.

At Funding Pitchcraft, my focus is on empowering startup founders with the skills and strategies necessary to effectively communicate their vision and secure investor backing. I believe in a personalized approach, tailoring my coaching and consulting to address the unique challenges and potentials of each startup. Through my blogs, I share insights and experiences aimed at demystifying the journey of securing investment and growing a successful startup. Join me in exploring the nuances of the startup world and transforming your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.

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Pitch Deck vs Business Plan — Which One Do You Need?

Uncover the differences between a pitch deck and a business plan and discover which is essential for your startup. Learn and create with PitchBob.

In this dynamic world, where ideas can spark revolutions and dreams become realities, two essential companions await your journey: the pitch deck and the business plan. These tools aren’t just documents but the wind beneath your entrepreneurial wings. Let’s set sail into the world of pitch decks and business plans, unraveling their magic and discovering when to wield their power.

Imagine standing at the helm of a ship, gazing at the uncharted waters ahead. Your startup is that ship, and at your disposal, you have instruments that can guide it through the unpredictable currents of the market. These instruments are the pitch deck and the business plan — crafted to impress and chart your course with purpose and strategy.

What is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck isn’t just a collection of slides; it’s the vibrant tapestry that weaves your startup’s narrative. Visuals, text, and passion converge to create a captivating story. Think of it as your startup’s cinematic trailer, offering a sneak peek into the adventure you’re embarking upon. It’s not just about presenting facts; it’s about evoking emotions and igniting curiosity.

When you’re at a startup event surrounded by potential investors and decision-makers, it is your chance to condense your startup’s essence into a visually striking, emotionally resonant package. The pitch deck shines brightest in scenarios where time is short, attention spans are fleeting, and impact is paramount.

What is a Business Plan?

Now, let’s steer our ship toward a different horizon. Imagine a comprehensive map that not only outlines your journey but also details every landmark, every challenge, and every resource needed. This map is your business plan — a strategic document that transcends mere ideas and dives deep into strategy, operations, and financial projections. It’s the blueprint that guides your ship through uncharted waters.

Where your startup has gained some traction, you’re no longer just presenting an idea. You’re showcasing a vision backed by research and planning. This is where the business plan takes center stage. The business plan becomes your guiding star when seeking substantial investments, forging partnerships, or outlining your startup’s long-term trajectory. The document demonstrates your commitment, knowledge, and foresight to potential investors and stakeholders.

Main Differences Between Business Plan and Pitch Deck

Let’s pull out our magnifying glass and explore the nuances that set these two powerhouses apart:

1. Purpose and Usage:

• Pitch Deck: The pitch deck is akin to your startup’s captivating movie trailer — a visual and concise introduction that sparks curiosity, leaving the audience eager to learn more about your venture. It’s your chance to pique interest and create a memorable initial impression that lingers.
• Business Plan: In contrast, the business plan is your startup’s comprehensive screenplay. It delves deep into the plot, character development (or market analysis), and intricate details of your venture’s journey. This document captures attention and provides a comprehensive roadmap for potential investors, partners, and your internal team.
• Pitch Deck: Like a thrilling teaser, the pitch deck is succinct, comprising a carefully curated collection of 10-15 impactful slides. Each slide is a trailer frame, revealing essential plot points of your startup’s story.
• Business Plan: In-depth, the business plan reigns supreme. It stretches across 20 to 50 pages, meticulously laying out every scene of your startup narrative. Your comprehensive manuscript covers everything from your startup’s origin story to its grand finale — the financial projections.

3. Audience Focus:

• Pitch Deck: The pitch deck is tailored to a bustling audience, including potential investors and partners. They have limited time, seeking a snapshot of your startup’s possible and unique selling points. The deck’s visuals and succinct content aim to capture their attention swiftly.
• Business Plan: Here’s where you zoom in. The business plan caters to investors, potential partners, and your internal team. It invites them to explore the finer nuances of your startup universe — the market analysis, the competitive landscape, and the intricate strategies that will propel your venture forward.

4. Creation Process:

• Pitch Deck: Crafting a pitch deck is a delicate dance of creativity and strategy. It’s about weaving compelling visuals, impactful messaging, and the right balance of information. Each slide should be visually appealing, grabbing attention and guiding the audience through the story.
• Business Plan: Assembling a business plan is akin to preparing an epic saga. It requires meticulous research, strategic planning, and attention to detail. Your business plan showcases your commitment to realizing your startup’s potential, demanding a systematic approach to ensure each detail is accurate and well-structured.

Pitch Deck vs. Business Plan — At What Stage Will You Need Them?

As you journey through the startup landscape, timing is everything. Knowing when to whip up your pitch deck and business plan is essential for a delectable startup recipe, just as a chef adds ingredients at precisely the right moments. Let’s break it down, shall we?

When Do You Need a Pitch Deck?

Imagine you’re at the starting line of a grand marathon. The gunshot goes off, and you sprint to capture attention, make connections, and spark interest in your startup. This is where the pitch deck becomes your secret weapon. In the early stages of your venture, when your idea is ripe with excitement and potential, your pitch deck steps into the limelight. Think of it as your startup’s dazzling overture — a concise yet impactful introduction that beckons investors, partners, and decision-makers to notice.

You’ll want your pitch deck ready when you’re:

• Introducing your startup idea at networking events, pitch competitions, or investor meet-ups.
• Seeking initial funding to transform your idea into a reality.
• Elevating your startup’s visibility and attracting potential collaborators.

When Do You Need a Business Plan?

Now, picture your startup as a mighty oak tree. It began as a tiny seed, and now it’s growing tall and strong, casting its shadow across the industry. But as it grows, it requires a well-thought-out plan to sustain and nurture its growth. Enter the business plan. When your startup has evolved beyond the ideation phase and is gearing up for significant growth, that’s the cue for your business plan to take center stage. It’s not just about capturing interest; it’s about showcasing your startup’s depth, potential, and strategic prowess.

It’s time to unleash your business plan when you’re:

• Seeking substantial funding from investors who want a comprehensive view of your venture’s future.
• Navigating partnerships and collaborations that require a detailed roadmap.
• Planning the subsequent phases of your startup’s growth and expansion.

How Can PitchBob Help to Create Pitch Deck and Business Plan?

Hold on to your compass because we’re introducing you to a game-changer — PitchBob! Imagine a platform where creating pitch decks and business plans is efficient and creative. PitchBob empowers you with customizable templates, user-friendly tools, and the freedom to infuse your unique voice into your documents. Whether you’re aiming for elegance or innovation, PitchBob has you covered.

In a world where startups rise like constellations, your pitch deck and business plan are the guiding stars that illuminate your path. They’re not just documents^; they’re your dynamic ensemble, your tag team. The pitch deck takes the stage, captivating hearts, and minds, while the business plan works backstage, ensuring your startup’s strategy is solid and future-proof.

As you navigate the waves of uncertainty and opportunity, remember that you’re armed with these potent tools. Whether stepping onto a stage bathed in the spotlight or sitting across the table from investors in a boardroom, your startup’s journey is powered by the fusion of innovation, strategy, and vision. May your pitch be as compelling as your plan is meticulous, and may your startup voyage be filled with discovery, triumphs, and the realization of your dreams.

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Pitch Deck vs. Business Plan – 3 Differences You Should Know About

by admin | Jul 27, 2017 | Pitch

Pitch deck vs. business plan

Before we start the big pitch deck vs. business plan comparison, we need to understand the basic information.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a number of slides which summarizes your company. A pitch deck is not something you present, but rather something you send to potential clients or investors. Because of this, you should make sure that the pitch deck includes all the information required, since you can’t add information during a presentation.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a detailed description of your company. It explains what your company does, how things are going and what your future plans are. A business plan can be as long as anywhere between 10 and 100 pages.

A business plan usually has two functions:

• You send it to investors, to give them information about your company
• You can use it later as a reference guide for yourself, to see if you’re still on track

So now you know a little bit about the differences between a pitch deck and a business plan. Does this mean you should only create one of them?

No. For your company you should always have both of them. I’ll explain why.

Why should you create a pitch deck and a business plan?

It’s not always pitch deck vs. business plan. In fact, you should create them both.

Since a pitch deck and a business plan have a very different set up, you should also treat them differently. A pitch deck is used when a potential investor, partner, or client wants to know the basic information about your company. Since it takes a long time to read a business plan, this one is usually sent over only when an investor is seriously contemplating investing in your company.

Because of this a pitch deck is usually the way to go. The ratio ‘sending a pitch deck’ vs. ‘sending a business plan’ will probably be around 10:1. As a rule of thumb, you only should send a business plan when somebody explicitly asks for it.

What is the difference between a pitch deck and a business plan?

When do you send a pitch deck or a business plan?

Pitch deck: As descried, a pitch deck can be sent early in the process. This can be done through cold ‘acquisition’, but preferably from an introduction via a mutual connection.

business plan: As described, a business plan doesn’t get sent too often. You need to have a business plan for yourself as a reference guide, but also for cases when an investor asks for it.

What is more important: a pitch deck or a business plan?

Since you’ll be sending a pitch deck way more often than a business plan, you might say that a pitch deck is more important. However, a pitch deck is usually created after creating your business plan. The business plan is the foundation for your pitch deck, and therefore is equally important.

We can help you with your pitch deck

If you don’t have experience with creating a pitch deck it can be a tough ride to create one. You want it to have a slick design, but even more important, it should communicate the right things. We can help you with this. Drop your information at https://pitchskills.com/pitch-deck/ and we’ll create one for you!

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What are the Differences Between A Pitch And A Business Plan?

Table of Content

Introduction

Starting a business is not an easy task. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and planning to create a successful venture. One of the most important parts of starting a business is developing a pitch and a detailed plan for your business. In this article, we will explore the differences between a pitch and a business plan.

What is a Pitch?

A pitch is a brief presentation that provides an overview of your business idea or product. It is generally given to potential investors, partners, or customers. It is designed to grab the listener’s attention and convey the most important aspects of your business idea in a concise and compelling way. A pitch should be short and to the point, it should last no more than five minutes. It should cover the following key points:

The problem you are solving: Clearly articulate the problem you are trying to solve and why it matters.

Your solution: Describe your solution to the problem and explain why it is unique or better than existing solutions.

Market opportunity: Explain the size of the market opportunity and how your solution addresses a real need in the market.

Business model: Explain how you plan to make money from your solution.

Team: Introduce your team and highlight their relevant experience and skills.

A pitch is not a detailed plan for your business. Rather, it is an overview of your idea that should spark interest and generate further discussion.

What Is a Business Plan?

A plan for a business is a detailed document that outlines your business strategy, goals, and financial projections. It is typically used to secure funding from investors or lenders, but can also be used internally as a roadmap for your business. A detailed plan for your business should include the following key sections:

• Executive summary: A brief overview of your business idea and the key points of your plan.
• Company description: An overview of your business, including your mission statement, target market, and competitive advantage.
• Products and services: A detailed description of your products or services, including their features, benefits, and pricing.
• Market analysis: A thorough analysis of your target market, including its size, demographics, and competition.
• Marketing and sales strategy: A description of how you plan to market and sell your products or services.
• Operations: An overview of your business operations, including your organizational structure, staffing plan, and technology requirements.
• Financial projections: Detailed financial projections for your business, including revenue, expenses, and cash flow.

A detailed document for your business should be comprehensive and detailed, providing a clear analysis on your business. It should be well-researched.

Key Differences Between a Pitch and a Business Plan

While a pitch and a detailed document for your business share some similarities, they are fundamentally different. Here are some key differences between a Pitch and a Business Plan:

In conclusion, a pitch and a detailed plan for your business are two important reported information for starting a business. They share some similarities but fundamentally there are some differences between a Pitch and a Business Plan. A pitch is a brief overview of your business idea designed to generate interest and spark further discussion. A detailed plan for your business, on the other hand, is a detailed document that outlines your business strategy, goals, and financial projections.

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Pitch Deck vs Business Plan

A relatively common question we get revolves around business plans. A good amount of our customers asks us if we can write a business plan for them, and we always respectfully decline. 

I believe a startup should NOT write a business plan. It's a terrible waste of time for the founders in the early stages of the company when they should be focusing on validating their business premises.

We are going to look into why the business plan is an outdated way to approach starting a business, and how new frameworks like The Lean Startup are a much more effective way to build companies.

Definition of a business plan 

"A document setting out a business's future objectives and strategies for achieving them."

If you look at most business plan templates available online, you are often looking at a 20-40 page document that touches on The Opportunity, Problem, Market Size, Execution, Sales Plan, Company, Team, Financial Plan...

Well, guess what, a pitch deck touches on every single one of those topics; the difference between a pitch deck and a business plan is that a pitch deck can take a few hours to write (less than an hour if you use that a really awesome tool we've mentioned before). In contrast, a business plan will take you days and days of writing, proofreading...

An angel investor or venture capitalist evaluating a startup for a seed round is not going to sit down and read a 40-page document. They want to know that you are on the right track. They want to confirm that you have a plan to grow the business, but that doesn't need to be a 20-page document. 

Any starting business is built on assumptions. On the assumption that this product or service is going to appeal to these users. The assumption that these marketing tactics are going to be effective in converting them. Yet, all of these assumptions might be wrong, and it's the CEO's job to test these assumptions fast, and if the premises incorrect, pivot the company in the right direction as fast as possible. 

In the end, it's a race against time. How many iterations of your product, audience, and marketing/sales strategy can you go through before you run out of time? For a startup, time = Funding/Money. 

If you had to spend two weeks putting these assumptions on paper, proofreading them, and styling that business plan, you literally wasted two weeks of precious time. You could have run two audience experiments at that time and find out right away, instead of just 'planning.' 

That's my problem with business plans, in a nutshell. They take too long to write. You should spend that time validating instead of planning. 

This mentality comes from the framework most startups these days abide by, laid out on The Lean Startup by Eric Ries . It's a fantastic book any entrepreneur should read, and we'll be giving away a few- so stay tuned on how to get them. 

The methodology that the book proposes is the Build - Measure - Learn cycle. 

- First, you BUILD an iteration of your product. That may be an MVP, a website, a version of your app or service.

- Then, you MEASURE . You throw this iteration to the world and measure its success. That may be conversion rate, sales, click-through rate. You need to understand if your premise is correct and if it has a measurable impact on your company performance. 

- Finally, you LEARN . You study the results, understand if they were positive or negative, and create a new premise based on them. Once you are done with this analysis, you BUILD again. 

Every key aspect of our business was built this way. 

We first launched a simple landing page to figure out if people would be interested in this pitch deck, AI design product. We measured conversion rate, compared it to our expectations, and then built our next iteration, which became our first beta. 

Every single marketing campaign we do is a Lean Startup product. We come up with a new campaign, "BUILD" it as fast as we can, MEASURE it, LEARN, and then improve on it. 

Our last relevant iteration was our pitch deck consulting service. We had a theory that many startups who were using our product to build pitch decks would benefit from a real human assisting them. We didn't know.

Instead of running market studies or business plans, we BUILT a quick landing page, threw some traffic in there, and MEASURED results.

When I say build a landing page, this was a few-hour project. The first few leads were landing directly on my cell phone, and I used to handle both the sales, quoting, writing, and design stuff. This is as lean as you can get. 

Only when we LEARNED that this business made sense, that the economics worked, and that we could scale it, we went back to BUILDING a new iteration, with a much more elegant page, sales and nurturing process. 

We had the answer to this question in less time than it would have taken us to write a business plan, and that's the moral of the story. 

We've also built countless lean startup experiments that have failed, by the way. But that's the point, we MEASURE fast, LEARN that we were wrong, and carry on. 

Pitch Deck vs. Business Plan

A pitch deck is The Lean Startup version of a Business Plan. 

To write a compelling pitch deck, you also need to have figured out your Total Addressable Market and your Go to Market Strategy. The difference is the pitch deck fulfills the purpose of pitching this to an investor without requiring the extended version. 

More importantly, the reality for any company is that they are going to be wrong about their assumptions in the early stages. Their pricing might change, or their 4-page sales plan might not work at all, so they need to be able to change course as fast as possible. 

On your pitch deck, you should be passionate about your expansion strategy; you should believe in it, and show your metrics to prove whether it's working or not. Still, everybody in the room knows your success will depend on your ability to come up with new strategies and deploy them faster than your competition. 

Another pair of fantastic tools that can help you replace a Business Plan is the Business Model Canvas and the Lean Validation Board. Both of them can help you figure out the answers to these questions. 

In summary...

Make sure you can answer these key questions about your business. 

• How big can it be? Is it a $1MM, a $10MM or a $100MM company? 
• How fast can you get there? 
• If you are B2C or business to consumer- Who is your perfect customer? How old are they? Where do they live? What apps do they have on their phone? What do they do for fun? 
• If you're a B2B or business to business - Who is your perfect client? How big is the company? 
• Who in the company do you need to get in touch with? How makes the call to buy your product? How much money do you make per customer, and therefore, how much can you afford to spend to sign them up? 

Most of the companies we work with are missing one of those questions, which makes it really hard to define the type of investor they need to look for.

If YOU can answer them, then summarizing them into a slide is a no-brainer, especially with a platform like Slidebean that takes care of the design for you. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel !

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What is a Pitch Deck? Examples, Tips and Templates

Written by: Mahnoor Sheikh

A pitch deck is a brief presentation that gives potential investors or clients an overview of your business plan, products, services and growth traction.

As an entrepreneur, you probably know this: your company or idea needs financing.

Oftentimes, this financing will come from external sources—i.e. people who aren’t friends or family. This means that you’ll need to communicate your ideas to potential financiers in a way that gets them excited about investing in your business.

In other words, you’ll need a pitch deck .

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit pitch deck templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Table of Contents

What is a pitch deck, what’s included in a pitch deck presentation, 8 real-life pitch decks to know, the dos and don'ts of pitch decks, how to create a pitch deck in 3 easy steps, pitch deck faqs, looking for presentation software.

• A pitch deck is a visual presentation that tells the story of a business to persuade and engage potential investors.
• The most common pitch deck slides are introduction, problem, solution, market size and opportunity, product, traction, team, competition, financials and use of funds.
• Learn from the eight real-life pitch deck examples to get inspired about creating your own.
• Visme helps you create pitch deck presentations to secure funding in just three steps: choose a template, customize it and download or present it.
• Sign up for Visme's free online presentation software and start customizing your pitch deck templates now.

A pitch deck, also known as a start-up or investor pitch deck, is a presentation that helps potential investors learn more about your business.

As strange as it sounds, the primary goal of a pitch deck is not to secure funding—it’s to make it to the next meeting.

Surprised? Wait, let me explain!

Securing funding is a multi-step process. A good, informative pitch deck is the first rung on the ladder. You’ll want to present investors with an idea that intrigues them and gets them to engage with you.

Build relationships with customers and drive sales growth

• Reach out to prospects with impressive pitch decks and proposals that convert
• Monitor clients' level of engagement to see what they are most interested in
• Build a winning sales playbook to maximize your sales team's efficiency

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What is a Pitch Deck Presentation?

A pitch deck presentation usually consists of several slides that help you tell a compelling story about your business . You can put one together using a generic software like PowerPoint or use a modern tool like Visme to create an out-of-the-box presentation.

What is an Investor Deck?

An investor deck is a presentation entrepreneurs prepare when seeking financing rounds from investors. It presents valuable information about the business, which is critical when seeking financing or looking to convince the best investors.

When faced with busy executives who won't sit through a presentation, opt for a startup one pager as an alternative. It'll help you grab their interest faster and secure a meeting where you can share your pitch.

Interested in learning more about creating compelling investor decks? Read this article and take advantage of our professional design templates to get started.

It’s tempting to dump information onto investors. As a founder, every part of your business is important to you. But the best pitch decks are ones that are short and easy to follow.

A good rule of thumb is to include no more than 19 slides in a pitch deck.

There are many different opinions about the components of a pitch deck. But when we looked at some successful startup pitch decks out there, we noticed 10 key slides included in most of the presentations.

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Let’s take a look at each of these slides in detail.

1 Introduction

The first slide of your pitch deck is also the most important one. It’s your chance to make a great first impression, so make sure you don’t let this opportunity go.

Keep the introduction slide short and sweet—tell people who you are and why you’re here.

You can also use this slide to communicate the value proposition of your business . Try to articulate it in a single phrase or sentence, like:

“We make video games for doctors.”

“We make Happy Meals for adults.”

“We’re Sephora for pets.”

You get the point.

A good value proposition will make your audience sit up straight and want to listen to the rest of your presentation.

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If your business idea doesn’t solve an actual problem, what are you doing?

You should identify a problem your target audience faces, a gap that the market is currently not addressing.

A good problem slide will identify two or three problems your product will tackle without being long-winding. Keep the text focused so that investors will have an easy time following.

Airbnb’s ‘problem slide’ from their original pitch desk is a great example.

In this slide, identify a concise and clear solution that investors can easily follow. This is an important slide that makes your product deck captivating.

Airbnb’s solution slide highlights how they aim to solve each of the three problems they pointed out earlier in big and bold letters.

In this slide, identify a concise and clear solution that investors can easily follow.

Airbnb’s solution slide highlights how they aim to solve each of three problems they pointed out earlier in big and bold letters.

Avoid making grand statements like “we are the only ones doing this.” Most people in the room will probably know multiple companies trying to address the problem you’ve identified.

Another good strategy is to offer multiple possible solutions to the problem presented and then move on to the one you have chosen and why. This shows investors your dedication and research.

Instead of uniqueness, focus your presentation on your research, drive, commitment and capability in solving the problem.

But make sure you don’t put all of that on your slide. Keep it simple and to the point, and let these guidelines shape your entire presentation.

Airbnb Pitch Deck Template

Here's a pitch deck template inspired by Airbnb that you can customize for your own startup.

Customize now!

Customize this pitch deck template to make it your own! Edit and Download Now

Visme's AI Writer is a game-changer for crafting pitch decks. It provides clear, concise information, making sure your pitch deck impresses every audience. Just explain the tool about what you want write and it will take care of the rest.

4 Market Size and Opportunity

When creating a sales pitch structure, be sure to include a summary of your market research.

The market will determine if you get your funding or not. If you are operating in a small market, investors might find that the potential ROI is too small or too risky to fund you.

Using sources from your research, a solid market slide will graph out past market growth and future potential market growth so that investors can easily see what the potential of your product is.

A good example of a market size slide is from Lunchbox’s pitch deck.

Notice how the slide clearly shows the market size and identifies the opportunity in measurable numbers.

Create a powerful pitch deck in minutes!

• Choose from hundreds of ready-to-use templates
• Customize text, images, logos and more
• Add interactive buttons and animations

This is the part where you show off the actual product or service your business is selling.

If it’s a physical product, add professional photos of your product from different angles. You can also include exploded or cutaway views that highlight the materials and features of your product.

If your product is an app, online tool or service, consider adding screenshots that show off its most unique features.

Dandelion Energy's product slide includes a comprehensive explanation of their product in a concise and easy-to-understand manner with an illustrated graphic.

To take things further, you can also do a physical demo of your product in the middle of your presentation. Or embed a video or link into your slide to do a virtual demo.

TouristEye Pitch Deck Template

Here's a pitch deck template inspired by TouristEye that you can customize for your own startup.

This slide should be all about the growth of your business—the numbers of sales you’ve made, the major goals you’ve achieved till now and the next steps.

Most startups include a hockey stick growth chart in the traction slide of their pitch deck.

This slide in Buffer’s pitch deck is a great example of how you can show off your current achievements to investors.

The traction slide plays a crucial role in crafting a compelling pitch deck for investors as it reduces risk in their eyes. They want to see proof that your business idea or solution has what it takes to be profitable.

Buffer Pitch Deck Template

Here's a pitch deck template inspired by Buffer that you can customize for your own startup.

Customize this pitch deck template to make it your own!

• Add your own text, images, logo and more
• Customize anything to fit your brand image and content needs

Your pitch deck outline will include your core team members. The investor is interested in the drive of these people and what makes them unique enough to see this project to its success.

Under each core team member, consider including bullets, descriptions or titles that show why they are central to your mission.

Here’s an example of a team slide from Teton AI's pitch deck.

Keep the members here limited to your core team. Advisors need not be included.

8 Competition

Utilize the competition slide to visually illustrate your competitors and communicate the factors that make your startup special.

Airbnb has a great slide in this regard.

Notice how they use affordability and ease of access as the driving force setting their business apart from other travel or listing companies.

Buzzfeed also does great by showing how they offer more than what their competition can. They use their plan to reach across the aisle and offer the services of multiple competitors as their selling point.

Buzzfeed Pitch Deck Template

Here's a pitch deck template inspired by Buzzfeed that you can customize for your own startup.

9 Financials

The financials slide in your pitch deck is one that investors spend the most time looking over.

Your pitch deck outline should contain your company’s projected growth over the next three to five years, along with details about your business model and finances.

Enlive’s pitch deck does a good job at showcasing their income statement projection in this slide.

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• Choose from 16+ types of charts, from bar and line graphs to pyramid and Mekko charts
• Customize anything, from backgrounds and placement of labels to font style and color

The use of colors and a bar chart makes the financials easier to understand and definitely look more interesting than a boring spreadsheet full of numbers.

A lot of this information is not set in stone. No one can accurately predict where you’ll be in the next three years, but investors expect to see you outline your plan and show that you have the financial knowledge to reach it.

You can also explain your economic plan here. This includes your operating structure and distribution channels as well as your plan to make money.

10 Investment and Use of Funds

Before you wrap up, don’t forget to tell investors what you need from them.

But instead of just asking for a certain amount of funding, also let them know what you plan to do with the money.

When you justify your ask, it helps build trust and lets investors take you seriously.

Here’s a no-nonsense investment slide from Intercom’s original pitch deck as an example.

Remember to be strategic here. Let your investors know the amount you are asking for, but keep it real. You don’t want to lose out on a big investment simply by aiming too high. Cover your bases.

Intercom Pitch Deck Template

Here's a pitch deck template inspired by Intercom that you can customize for your own startup.

While there’s no universal structure for creating pitch decks, make sure your pitch deck outline contains the slides we’ve highlighted.

When it comes to choosing pitch deck dimensions, you can either use the 4:3 aspect ratio or 16:9 aspect ratio. When emailing your pitch, ensure the file size isn’t larger than 10MB.

Learning from real examples is like getting advice from experts. By looking at what has worked for other businesses, you can better understand how you should design your own pitch deck.

So, here are some good pitch decks and examples that real-life companies have used recently to secure funding.

1. Finix ($126M)

Finix's pitch deck presents a tailored solution for businesses to manage payments, emphasizing their platform's efficiency and scalability. It effectively visualizes their unique value proposition, revenue model and market opportunity with a sleek and professional design that reflects their purpose well.

2. Softr ($15.7M)

Softr's deck uses aesthetic consistency with clear visuals to highlight their no-code platform's functionalities. Their compelling narrative includes discussion on market trends, competitive differentiation and growth plans, capturing the essence of their vision.

3. Lunchbox ($72.1M)

Lunchbox is a restaurant technology platform that enhances the customer experience by offering online ordering, loyalty programs, and other digital solutions to streamline operations.

They've cleverly included lots of additional visual elements like icons, illustrations, charts and data visuals in their presentation. Everything in their deck shows how they mix food and technology together.

If you want to elevate your pitch deck's visual appeal using unique and high-quality graphics, like this example, Visme's AI image generator is there to help.

It can help you generate any graphic in different formats, like icons, illustrations, drawings, abstracts and more. Use the tool to generate a high-quality graphic to emphasize your pitch deck content.

4. Plum ($82.4M)

With its sleek, minimalist design, Plum's pitch deck establishes its mission to automate wealth management effectively. Their slides are rich with data on target markets, growth strategies and financial projections, reflecting their drive to democratize personal finance. Also, they limited their slides to 9 and still managed to cover enough.

5. Teton AI ($6.4M)

Teton's pitch deck features a clean and professional design, aligning with its focus on cutting-edge AI technology in healthcare. They've used Venn diagrams, charts, shapes and high-quality, relevant images to emphasize their deep learning and computer vision products.

6. Vue Storefront ($38.9M)

Vue Storefront's pitch deck smartly incorporates its brand color – a refreshing green scheme. This not only aligns with their brand identity but also infuses vibrancy and a distinctive sense of innovation into the design.

They used boxes for text organization to convey clarity and structure, making information easily digestible.

7. Party Round ($7M)

Party Round, with a recent funding of $7 million, is dedicated to simplifying the fundraising process for founders.

This pitch deck is smartly designed with a balanced layout that quietly hints at automation and user-friendliness. The use of big letters boldly captures attention, while adding 3D design elements adds a layer of dynamism, creating a visually engaging presentation that stands out.

8. Dandelion Energy ($134.5M)

The color choice of Dandelion Energy's pitch deck aligns with the company's focus on sustainable energy, evoking warmth and eco-friendliness. The deck incorporates visual elements such as bar graphs, images, and an illustration to vividly explain how their geothermal product works.

Now that you’re clear on what a pitch deck is and what a good one contains, let’s take a look at some common dos and don’ts for creating and giving powerful pitch presentations.

But before that, make sure you watch the video below on the top pitch deck design tips for creating the perfect startup pitch.

When Designing 

Do use bullet points on slides..

Remember that this is a presentation with a short time span. Make your sales pitch deck brief and to the point.

Don’t overwhelm your audience with a lot of text. Explain the things you want to explain in detail but don’t cram them onto your slides.

DON’T stuff your slides with text.

As you can see from the examples above, it’s best to have bullets, not paragraphs, on slides.

Furthermore, use large font sizes, lots of visuals and a readable color scheme. This will help you put together an engaging and informative presentation.

DO include your contact details.

Make sure you include your contact information at the end of your presentation to let your audience know who to reach out to for queries.

Here is the contact slide from Facebook’s 2004 pitch deck.

This slide also allows your business to have a ‘face’ and encourages investors to look this person up.

DON’T add too many team members.

In your Team slide, stick to core members. Too many executives can overwhelm; your investors want to know who is piloting the ship.

When Presenting

Do tell a story..

Make sure you present your audience with an engaging narrative that allows them to feel why your business is tackling the problem it is and how this will affect them.

DON’T focus on only the stats.

Without a cohesive narrative and a bigger picture dealing with the why of your business and what it will bring to your customers, all your stats sound dry and boring.

Make sure a purposeful narrative runs throughout your presentation, not just at the beginning. The stats are important, especially financial stats, but they aren’t the only important thing.

DO elaborate and minimize as you see fit.

What is on the slides is important, but so is how you present it.

As you’re speaking, gauge your audience, their interests in the particulars of your business, and what they most care about. Then, tailor your company pitch deck to their needs.

DON’T just read from the slides.

Tailor your presentation to keep your audience engaged and never just recite what is written on your slides.

Remember, investors can read. The reason this is a presentation and not an email is so you can engage with them.

Creating a startup pitch deck doesn’t need to be difficult. If you’re short on time, you can use a design tool like Visme to put one together in literally just a few minutes.

No more starting from scratch and creating slides one by one. You can simply use ready-made templates and replace the placeholder content with your own.

Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Choose a template.

To get started, sign in to your Visme dashboard and choose a pitch deck template that fits well with your content and type of business.

There are hundreds of presentation templates in Visme’s library, and they’re all fully customizable.

Customize your favorite pitch deck template! Edit and Download

You can also mix and match slides of a similar style using our presentation themes.

Step 2: Customize.

When you find a pitch deck template you like, click on Edit to start customizing it inside the Visme editor.

You can change anything and everything to fit your content needs. The editor is easy-to-use with drag-and-drop functionality. You can use it even without any prior design experience.

Change colors, fonts and images. Swap icons for relevant ones using our free icon library. Add and customize data visualizations to make boring numbers more interesting. Insert animations and links, embed videos, and more.

You can also add, remove or rearrange slides as you see fit. Use Dynamic Fields to keep your personal, company and other key information accurate and consistent throughout your presentation.

The entire customization process will barely take you an hour if you just replace the placeholder content with your own.

Step 3: Download or share.

You can download your pitch deck in image or PDF format, or as a PowerPoint file.

Generate a link to share it privately with specific people, like in an email. You can also publish your presentation on the web so it can show up in search results on Google.

You can also embed the pitch presentation on your company website using a responsive code. Once you’ve shared your deck, you can start tracking analytics to see how many people viewed it or have taken action.

Running out of time? You can generate a complete and captivating AI pitch deck in minutes using Visme's AI presentation maker .

Just describe the type of presentation you want the tool to create and Visme's Chatbot will suggest different template styles. Once you've chosen the most relevant template for your presentation, you can wait for the tool to create the design.

After that, you can preview, regenerate, or open your project in the Visme editor. Once you're sold on the template design, you can further customize it using the wide range of design tools and assets available in Visme's pitch deck maker.

Here are some frequently asked questions that will help you clear any doubts about creating your pitch deck.

Q1. What should you avoid in a pitch deck?

When developing a pitch deck, you should take care of several pitfalls to deliver an effective and impactful presentation:

• Avoid using unnecessary jargon and complex terminologies to keep your explanation simple and clear.
• Don't overcrowd a single slide with too much information, as it can make it hard for your viewers to grasp the key elements.
• Ensure to include the unique aspects of your product or service that set it apart from others in the market.
• While you need to recognize your competitors, highlight what makes your venture different and, perhaps, more appealing.
• Be realistic with your revenue predictions; overly optimistic numbers can cause investors to doubt your credibility.

Q2. How long should a pitch deck be?

The ideal pitch deck should be about 10 to 15 slides long. Each slide should discuss critical business aspects, like problem statement, market size, solution, business model, etc. However, the number of slides may change based on your business complexity and target audience.

Q3. What is the difference between a pitch deck and a business plan?

A pitch deck and a business plan are both critical for startups but serve different purposes:

Pitch Deck: A pitch deck is a brief presentation to give your audience (typically potential investors, partners, or customers) a quick overview of your business plan. It's generally used during face-to-face or online meetings and should be engaging, concise and to the point.

Business Plan: A business plan, on the other hand, is a formal document that details the tactics and strategies you intend to employ to start and grow your business. It covers minute aspects such as your business model, detailed market analysis, organizational structure, cash flow projections, etc.

Q4. What is the best software for creating a pitch deck?

It depends on your business, but you’ll generally want to choose software that blends the ease of use with cutting-edge functionalities. In that case, Visme is the best software for creating a pitch deck with advanced features like data visualization tools , presenter notes , presenter studio , animated graphics and more.

Q5. Cost of making a pitch deck?

The cost of making a professional pitch deck can vary depending on whether you hire a designer or do it yourself. Hiring a designer to create a custom deck from scratch could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

However, tools like Visme allow you to easily create high-quality decks without design experience or costs. Visme offers free online presentation software with hundreds of professionally designed templates for pitch decks and other types of presentations.

Q6. What types of investment pitch decks are there?

There is no universally accepted classification of investment pitch decks into specific types, but they vary based on the nature of the business or the purpose of the pitch.

However, there are a few common types or themes of pitch decks that companies often use:

• Pre-Seed Pitch Deck: This pitch deck serves the purpose of securing initial funding to shape and refine a business concept. This deck outlines the problem, solution, market potential, basic financials and team.
• Seed Pitch Deck: Crafted to attract funding for the launch and early development of the business. It builds upon the pre-seed deck by offering more details on market validation, product development, and initial traction.
• Series A/B/C Pitch Deck: This type of pitch deck is for seeking significant funding rounds for growth and expansion. They provide comprehensive information on market leadership, financial performance, scaling strategies, competitive landscape and potential exit plans.

Q7. What is the difference between a pitch deck and a presentation?

A pitch deck is a type of presentation designed specifically to propose an idea, product, solution or opportunity to potential clients, investors or partners. A presentation, on the other hand, is a content format composed of slides, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be used for pitching purposes.

Q8. What should not be included in a pitch deck?

A pitch deck should not include irrelevant information, unrealistic financial projections, unverified claims, technical jargon and overly complex data or slides. You should also steer clear of presenting negative information like potential risks or challenges without offering mitigation strategies or solutions.

A powerful pitch deck can help you secure the funding you need to make your business idea a reality. This article will give you the confidence you need to design and present a killer investor pitch deck .

If you want to learn more about pitch decks and giving great presentations, check out some of the resources below.

• 17 Pitch Deck Templates Inspired By Real-Life Startups and Businesses
• 15 Expert Tips for Giving a Powerful Business Presentation
• Presentation Success Formula: How to Start Strong and End Powerfully

You can also watch this video on how to structure your presentation to keep your audience hooked till the very end.

If you're looking for an easy-to-use, professional presentation software to help you make a powerful pitch deck, Visme can be just what you're looking for.

You can browse through fully designed pitch deck templates that are inspired by real-life pitch decks of successful companies, such as Airbnb, Buffer and more.

Each template is customizable, so you can easily plug in your own content, graphics and brand assets, and download it in PowerPoint or PDF format, or publish it online.

Ready to create your very own pitch deck? Sign up on Visme for a free account and take it for a test drive!

Create captivating pitch decks in minutes using Visme

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About the Author

Mahnoor Sheikh is the content marketing manager at Visme. She has years of experience in content strategy and execution, SEO copywriting and graphic design. She is also the founder of MASH Content and is passionate about tea, kittens and traveling with her husband. Get in touch with her on LinkedIn .

Expert business plan and financial models

Startup Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck: Which One Should You Prepare?

• February 17, 2022
• Fundraising

When it comes to raising capital, investors expect to receive very specific documents from founders to present the investment opportunity. And this for a good reason: VCs are said to spend less than 4 minutes in average per pitch deck . Preparing the right document is vital for investors to even dare looking at it.

You might have heard of business plan and pitch decks when raising capital for your startup. So, what’s the difference between the two? Which one should you prepare, and for whom?

In this article we explain you which one you should prepare if you plan to raise capital from investors. Read on.

What is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is a presentation that summarises a company’s business plan. Often prepared using PowerPoint or Keynote, a pitch deck usually has 15 to 20 slides. It can either be used as a visual support for in-person meetings or sent as a standalone document to potential investors.

A pitch deck is not only short, it also follows a clear structure investors are used to. Read Guy Kawasaki’ and YC’s guides below to know which slides you should include in your pitch deck:

• The Only 10 Slides You Need in Your Pitch
• How to Build Your Seed Round Pitch Deck

The goal of a pitch deck is to get investors’ attention and obtain funding. With a pitch deck, you summarise, in a few slides, where your business is today and where you are going.

Because pitch decks are trying to catch investors’ attention who often have never heard of the business itself, the presentation uses a lot of charts, pictures and limited text. Text should be limited to bullet points to make text as easy as possible to read.

It’s actually good practice to prepare 2 pitch decks: one for in-person meetings and another that can be sent as a standalone presentation. Indeed, when pitching investors (either via video or face-to-face) you should be the centre of attention. Whilst key information should be on the slide, most information should be voiced over instead. Else, investors would simply read your presentation.

If you are preparing a pitch deck for your startup, read our detailed guides and craft the best presentation.

Tech startup financial model templates

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your business plan

What is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a long document that contains a detailed description of your business and business plan. Unlike a pitch deck, a business plan is prepared as a word document and often includes 30 up to 100 pages.

A business plan only is a standalone document: unlike a pitch deck, it should never be used as a visual support when presenting to investors.

Whilst a business plan includes charts, tables and images whenever relevant, most of the information is in plain text. Bullet points can be used, yet longer paragraphs are more common.

So, is a business plan a longer, more detailed version of a pitch deck?

Well, yes and no. Yes, because all the information included in a pitch deck should be in your business plan. No, because the business plan includes information that shouldn’t necessarily be included in your pitch deck. A few examples of pieces of information that aren’t required in your pitch deck yet a must in your business plan are:

• Employees and team structure
• Detailed tech stack
• Detail of suppliers

Of course, if you have prepared the information, you could include it in your pitch deck as an appendix. But remember, nothing too wordy either: sometimes less is better.

Which one should you prepare?

Whether you should prepare a pitch deck or business depends on your objective, and the type of investor you are targeting.

As a general rule, you should prepare a pitch deck if you are raising equity from venture capital firms, angel investors and crowdfunding platforms . These investors prefer (even require) pitch decks as they expect you to be able to sum up your investment opportunity in a concise, yet attractive 15-20 slides presentation. Indeed, VCs, angels and crowdfunding investors all have hundreds, if not thousands of investment opportunities to look at. Clarity and conciseness are key.

Government-funded grant applications often require a business plan instead . If you aren’t sure, read carefully their requirements as not submitting the right document might simply result in the failure of your application, without really knowing why.

Banks and other standard debt investors will also very likely ask for a detailed business plan . The simple reason is that debt investors accept a lower level of risk, unlike equity investors. Debt investors do not benefit from any upside (the startup valuation) but instead make money on the repayment of the debt and the associated interests. For downside protection they are simply requiring more documentation.

What if there is no clear requirements?

Prepare a pitch deck if there are no clear specific requirements . For instance, if the crowdfunding platform or angel investors website doesn’t list clearly which document(s) you should upload. Or if you have an email address to send your documents to without any requirements.

Why should you choose a pitch deck over a business plan when in doubt? For 2 main reasons:The person receiving your document for the first time will likely not spend 4 hours of their time to read through a 50 pages business plan. Instead, a 15 slides presentation can be read very easily (and quickly). The message you are trying to pass on is clear end-to-end. From what your business is, to your future strategy and the funding ask, investors get it under a few minutes

Preparing a 15 slides pitch deck takes much less time than a 50-100 pages business plan. Running a startup is already quite hard, focus your time on what’s best for your business. If you don’t need a business plan but a pitch deck instead, save some time. Less in better in some cases

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Pitch Deck vs Business Plan – Which One do You Need?

What is a pitch deck.

A pitch deck is a presentation that entrepreneurs use to sell their business idea to potential investors. The purpose of a pitch deck is to give an overview of the business, its products or services, its market opportunity, and its team in order to persuade the audience to invest in the company.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document that outlines the goals, strategies, and financial projections of a business. It is used to persuade potential investors to invest in the company.

Pitch deck vs Business plan

Pitch decks and business plans are different in their purpose, content, and format.

Whether you need a pitch deck vs a business plan will depend a lot on the type of business you are running or planning to set up.

Both these documents help entrepreneurs navigate their businesses over the next few years. Both these documents help investors in deciding whether to fund the business or not. However, where business plans are essential for traditional businesses that have a more concrete pathway to success, startups don’t require business plans. A pitch deck is more appropriate for a startup as a lot will change in the course of business.

In this post, we will discuss the differences between pitch deck and business plan and help you determine which one is necessary for your business.

The purpose of a pitch deck is to raise money from venture capitalists and angel investors. The purpose of a business plan is for traditional businesses or late-stage companies to raise money from investors and banks and also to forge partnerships with other organizations.

A pitch deck is a summary to help investors get a decent understanding of the business and helps create opportunities for entrepreneurs to get meetings with venture capital firms and angel investors. Business plans on the other hand serve as full-proof research to help investors understand whether they should invest.

As mentioned previously, pitch decks are more apt for tech startup companies whereas business plans are prominently used by established businesses, small or big.

Suppose I am an angel investor or a venture capitalist investing at a seed stage (up to $1 million). In that case, I am more interested in the team and the idea and how the business could disrupt a whole industry or create a new one. When the company has grown from an idea to a company with employees and millions of dollars in revenue, I am more interested in seeing how they will reach stability and become the number 1 or 2 player in the market, and I am interested in detailed strategies. That is when I want to look at the business plan and understand how they will execute their plans.

Pitch decks can range between 10-50 pages and depend on the stage of the startup. For example, investors who invest in very early-stage startups require not more than a 10-page pitch deck. However, as the startup grows and raises more money, investors who come in at a later stage would want more information and might require a detailed pitch deck that can range up to 70 pages.

Business plans on the other hand are very detailed as cover every aspect of the business and can easily be 100 pages long. A business plan can even contain forecasts for the next 5 years.

A typical investor will spend 2-3 minutes going through a pitch deck but needs to spend more time going through a business plan as there are more details.

4. Audience Focus

A pitch deck focuses on the team, product, market, and traction metrics. These are 4 primary features investors look at to decide whether to invest or not. And these features can easily fit into a 10-page deck.

When the relevant audience looks at a business plan, they want to know if the business they are getting into is/can be profitable and also runs stable operations. In other words, since business plans look at a much longer-term, it includes a lot of details.

5. Presentation

Pitch decks are more visual compared to business plans and are presented vocally to an audience or a set of investors. Business plans are presented verbally as they are read by the relevant audience. Since business plans are longer, they are not presented to an audience.

Pitch decks are usually created with software like Microsoft PowerPoint or Google slides. There is also other software like Prezi and Slidebean which specifically help in preparing pitch decks.

Business plans are usually prepared in Word format as they are heavily text-based.

These are the key differences between startup pitch decks vs business plans.

A pitch deck typically covers key aspects of your business, such as the problem you’re solving, your solution, target market, business model, team, financials, and competitive advantage. It’s a concise overview designed to capture the essence of your idea and pique the interest of potential investors or partners.

On the other hand, a business plan is a comprehensive document that delves into every aspect of your business. It includes an executive summary, company description, market analysis, operations plan, management team details, financial projections, and risk analysis. The business plan serves as a roadmap for starting and operating your company.

8. Level of Detail

A pitch deck is a high-level overview that concisely presents key points and visuals. It focuses on the most critical aspects of your business, leaving out granular details.

In contrast, a business plan is an in-depth and comprehensive document that covers all aspects of your business in great detail. It provides a thorough analysis of your industry, target market, competitive landscape, and operational strategies.

9. Time Frame

A pitch deck is often focused on the present and near future, highlighting the current opportunity and potential for growth. It’s designed to capture the attention of investors or partners and convince them to support your business in its early stages.

In contrast, a business plan typically covers a longer time frame, usually spanning three to five years. It outlines the long-term vision, goals, and strategies for your business, providing a roadmap for sustained growth and success.

The tone of a pitch deck is persuasive and compelling. It emphasizes the unique opportunity and potential of your business idea, aiming to excite and convince the audience to invest or partner with you.

On the other hand, a business plan adopts a more formal and objective tone. It presents the facts, figures, and analyses in a straightforward manner, focusing on the feasibility and practicality of your business plans.

11. Confidentiality

Pitch decks are typically shared externally with potential investors, partners, or stakeholders. They are designed to generate interest and secure funding or resources.

Business plans, however, are often kept confidential and shared only internally or with select stakeholders, such as investors or lenders who require a comprehensive understanding of your business plans.

12. Frequency of Updates

Pitch decks are updated as needed for different pitches or rounds of funding. As your business evolves and new information becomes available, you may need to revise your pitch deck to reflect the latest developments and tailor it to specific audiences.

In contrast, business plans are living documents that should be updated regularly, typically on an annual basis or whenever significant changes occur within your business or industry. As your company grows and plans shift, the business plan needs to be revised to reflect the current state and future strategies.

Here’s a table summarizing the differences between the two.

Pitch deck vs business plan, w hat comes first?

The pitch deck is a teaser and comes first. If you are running a business and have decided to raise funds from investors, it’s obvious that you probably don’t know most of them. So, a pitch deck is a great way to get your foot on the door and make a good first impression.

With many new entrepreneurs starting up, you can imagine that every investor gets plenty of pitch decks and business proposals to invest in. Probably hundreds, every month. So, if they have to read lengthy business plans, they won’t have time to actually make investments. That’s why it’s essential to capture their attention with a crisp 10-15 page pitch deck that introduces them to the team, the idea, and how the business can make investors rich.

Do you have all the elements of a good pitch deck?

A good pitch deck gives you the opportunity to grab the attention of investors. A good pitch deck contains most of the necessary information required for investors to make a decision on whether they should talk to you. Take the free assessment to find out if you have all the elements that should be included in your pitch deck .

Also, check out our post on how to create a good elevator pitch to get investors interested in what you’re building.

Tips for creating a good pitch deck

Here are a few tips for creating a successful pitch deck:

– Keep it short and sweet: Remember that you only have a few minutes to make your case, so make sure your deck is concise and to the point.

– Focus on the key points: Investors will want to know about your team, your business model, your traction, and your financial projections. Make sure you hit on all of these points in your deck.

– Use visuals: A pitch deck is a great opportunity to show off your company with some visuals. Include slides with graphs and charts to illustrate your key points.

– Practice, practice, practice: Before you ever step in front of investors, make sure you’ve practiced your pitch a few times. This will help you deliver it confidently and ensure that you don’t leave anything out.

Partha Chakraborty

Partha Chakraborty is a venture capitalist turned entrepreneur with 17 years of experience. He has worked across India, China & Singapore. He is the founder of Tactyqal.com, a startup that guides other startup founders to find success. He loves to brainstorm new business ideas, and talk about growth hacking, and venture capital. In his spare time, he mentors young entrepreneurs to build successful startups.

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Business Pitching Guide — Elevator Pitch, Pitch Deck, & More

2 min. read

Updated April 8, 2024

Can you describe the value of your business in just a few sentences? Do you have a story for why you started in the first place? If not, then you need to work on your business pitch.

In many ways, the pitch is your passport to funding. It’s more than just a speech and a fancy PowerPoint—it’s a story that needs to resonate, convince, and compel. Crafting a quick but captivating elevator pitch, designing a pitch deck, facing investors; these aren’t just tasks, they’re opportunities on your path to business growth.

This comprehensive pitching guide will ease you through the process, offer tried-and-true strategies, and help you better understand what makes a good pitch. We’ll delve into alternative methods, show you how to shine in pitch competitions and share the secrets of winning over investors.

It’s time to pitch with confidence.

• Guide to pitching your business

There are many ways to pitch your business and different aspects of the pitch you’ll need to nail. Check out the resources below for in-depth guides on developing an elevator pitch, creating a pitch deck, and participating in pitch competitions.

How to craft the perfect business pitch

You have very little time to convince potential investors that your idea is worth funding. That’s why you need to create, practice, and refine your presentation until you have a tight and captivating elevator pitch.

How to create your pitch deck

While it’s crucial that you nail what you say during an investor pitch, it’s just as vital to have something to show. Learn how to transform your business plan into a visual deck that compliments your verbal pitch.

Business plan and pitch competitions

A great way to practice your pitch is by participating in business plan pitch competitions. Learn the basics and how to successfully win one of these events.

• Elevator pitch and pitch deck resources

Resources and templates to help you successfully pitch your business idea.

Free investor pitch deck template

Visualize your business pitch and wow investors with this free pitch deck template.

Download Template

Free business plan template

Back up your pitch with a detailed and investor-ready business plan. Get started with our fill-in-the-blank business plan template.

Pitch and plan with a single powerful tool

Create and share your investor-ready plan, pitch, and financial forecasts with LivePlan.

Kody Wirth is a content writer and SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software—the creator's of Bplans and LivePlan. He has 3+ years experience covering small business topics and runs a part-time content writing service in his spare time.

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What Is The Difference Between A Pitch And A Business Plan?

In this article, we shall discuss what is a Pitch Deck and a Business plan and how they differ from each other.

In case you are an entrepreneur who is working out the details of your first startup, you might have a lot of questions. Whether it is fundraising, legal aspects, hiring, or even setting up a company; everything looks complicated at first. Also, the chances are that most such entrepreneurs will have to go through multiple meetings and client calls to land their first gig. An essential part of fundraising is having the right pitch deck and a business plan. A question that a lot of entrepreneurs have when initially starting out is, “ What is the difference between a Pitch and a Business plan?”. Also, you must be wondering which comes first, which is more important and why we need them. In case you have such doubts, read on because, in this article, we will cover the fundamental differences between a pitch and a business plan!

Table of Contents

What is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is a visual presentation with around 10 to 20 slides that help investors get a gist about the business plan. These presentations are usually the first information that the investors receive about the business or company. In many ways, it is the first impression that the investor gains about the company, which is crucial. The pitch deck, which is usually delivered as a Powerpoint, acts as a visual aid during the vocal presentation.

Pitch decks for investors serve as an introduction, which helps them gain some understanding of how the business works. Moreover, it helps share information about the company, the product, and the market in which it functions clearly and concisely. It also lays out market strategies, explores future opportunities, and explains your business model. Further, a good pitch deck is about presenting your research and analysis in the most visually pleasing manner possible. Essentially, it allows an investor to see how far you have grown, where you are now, and where you want to be in the future.

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Business Plans in Pitch Deck

A business plan is a document with around 50 to 100 pages that explains everything about your business. Additionally, it is a thoroughly researched document that conveys in great detail everything about your business, from marketing to finances. Additionally, it also includes information regarding your plans for the company in the years to come. Further, it is fundamentally comprehensive research done not just of your business but also the industry it is a part of. Further, a good business plan contains information regarding the marketing, operations, HR, and sales of the business. Additionally, business plan templates detail how the upper management works, what each member brings to the team, and how the company will accomplish its goals. Moreover, rather than something that comes out in the initial meetings, a business plan is probably the first part of the due diligence process before finalizing the deal.

What Comes First, Pitch, or Plan?

The Pitch And A Business Plan is actually a document that takes a long time to create. It requires days and months’ worth of analysis and research. Additionally, having a good business plan or business plan format will ensure that you have the right processes in mind to grow your business. Moreover, it acts as an essential part of the documentation as it showcases your growth and how you want to run your business. Therefore, you must first have a business plan before you draft out a business pitch or pitch deck. While Venture Capitalists relied heavily on business plans in the past, as the number of entrepreneurs increased, they found themselves being short on time. It is around this time that pitch decks became popular. These serve as more succinct summaries of the business plan, allowing the VCs to understand roughly how a business runs. Therefore, the pitch deck is almost like a subset of the business plan. 

  In most instances, you will need both a pitch deck and a business plan. Moreover, which one you will need depends a lot on the industry you work in and what stage of the fundraising you are at. During the earlier stages, it is the pitch deck that is more important. However, as you go through the stages, the investors will need more and more information about your company. During such times, it is your business plan that will be scrutinized by them. While some argue that a pitch deck is more important as it has a higher chance of being seen by investors, both are important. Therefore, as a pitch deck comes via your business plan, you cannot draft a good deck without having a sound plan in place. 

While there is a tangible difference between Pitch And A Business Plan when it comes to investment terminology, at the end of the day, the source of both of these concepts is clarity in vision and business philosophy. So at the end of the day, as long as these two are set in stone with the founders, then it is just a matter of presentation. So when you have an idea for a product, you must also introspect on the monetary vision of the product which will ensure its sustainability in the long run.

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Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck

by Alejandro Cremades

Business plan vs. pitch deck? Which should you be focusing on first as a startup founder?

For decades entrepreneurs and business owners believed they needed to focus on building a comprehensive business plan. All before taking real action. There were good reasons for that. More recently, many entrepreneurs have gone almost exclusively with pitch decks in place of a traditional business plan.

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Here is the content that we will cover in this post. Let’s get started.

• 1. Definitions: Business Plans Vs. Pitch Decks
• 2. Uses For A Business Plan Today
• 3. The Pros & Cons Of Business Plans Today
• 4. Uses For A Pitch Deck Today
• 5. The Pros & Cons Of Pitch Decks Today
• 7. FULL TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO:

Definitions: Business Plans Vs. Pitch Decks

A traditional business plan is a fairly lengthy text-based document. It lays out all of the parts of the business.

From the corporate structure to marketing plans to startup needs and growth plans and financial forecasts for the next five years. Plus the much longer-term game plan. This is typically in a Microsoft Word style format, and can easily run 25 pages. It begins with a brief executive summary . Which can be 1-3 pages long on its own. 

A pitch deck is a slide-based presentation. Think PowerPoint or Google Slides formatting. Ideally, your pitch deck will run between 5 to 20 slides. It is a very short, simple and compact version of a traditional business plan. Pitch decks emerged specifically for pitching startups to potential investors for fundraising. However, they are increasingly replacing business plans. 

Uses For A Business Plan Today

Are business plans still relevant today?

Yes and no. Every business and entrepreneur should have a plan. We all know what failing to plan means. Yet, what is effective and valuable in terms of business plans may be changing and evolving.

A business plan really helps you get depth and length in your plans. It gives more clarity than you could ever fit into a pitch deck. This process helps entrepreneurs really think through the details and big vision and long term game plan. It helps you get granular with marketing plans, startup costs, cash flow needs, and financial projections.

It also helps to give you a framework to start building on. As well as really thinking through a functional business model .

Investors, advisors and other key players may be completely satisfied with seeing a one-page business plan, executive summary, and bullet-pointed action plan. Providing that accompanies a great pitch deck.

However, there may still be some scenarios in which you will be asked for your business plan. This includes applying for some types of loans, leasing space and joining certain groups or applying for licenses. 

The Pros & Cons Of Business Plans Today

The advantages of business plans:.

• Being forced to think through the details
• Having an in-depth plan and awareness of your real needs
• Being able to back up the hype with something tangible
• Credibility with potential partners and early investors
• Being prepared if you are asked for it
• Having a comprehensive guide and roadmap to follow

The cons of business plans:

• Chances are no one else will ever read it
• Things move so fast, most may be irrelevant in a couple of months
• It’s a black hole for your time, energy and momentum
• Many entrepreneurs get bogged down here and miss their best opportunities
• Additional expenses with negligible returns
• Appearing like a novice to experienced investors

Uses For A Pitch Deck Today

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In fact, you’ll find pitch decks useful from before day one through your exit. 

These scenarios include:

• Honing your initial concept and model, like with a business plan
• Gaining initial feedback 
• Recruiting cofounders
• Enrolling advisors
• Hiring early and key team members
• Pitching investors on and offline
• Securing early customers and strategic partnerships
• Through multiple fundraising rounds
• Getting to an exit

The Pros & Cons Of Pitch Decks Today

The advantages of pitch decks:.

• Expected when raising capital
• A streamlined framework for creating a mini business plan
• Easily and efficiently updated for multiple purposes and overtime
• Much faster to create
• More likely that you will use and refer to it often
• Easier to share
• Enables you to get down to business faster

If you want to go more in detail you can view the video below where I cover this.

The cons of pitch decks:

• Can be an excuse not to have a real plan of model
• Dangerous gaps from not thinking through the details
• Not prepared when a business plan is requested
• Emphasis on fluff and hype versus substance
• Very short term outlook

There are many advantages and disadvantages of solely running on a traditional business plan or new modern pitch deck. Trying to juggle both simultaneously can further compound the cons, distraction, and length of time before you really get into the game. 

Today, it seems the best-prepared entrepreneurs, especially when it comes to getting funded are those with a strong pitch deck, and at least a one-page business plan, and strong executive summary. 

Do not dismiss the importance and value of having a real plan. You could be sabotaging your own mission and future. If you plan to stay small local business or solopreneur forever a real business plan is smart. Though as the founder of a fast-moving startup that needs funding, a pitch deck can be even more important. You’ll probably be moving so fast your business plan will never keep up. 

If you have to choose one, it should be focusing on knocking out a winning pitch deck. This process will also give you many of the answers and framework for fleshing out your real business plan. At least this way you’ll be poised to raise money, and build out your team and gain early clients in the meantime. 

Remember that storytelling plays a key role in fundraising and you will need capital to scale things up. This is being able to capture the essence of the business in 15 to 20 slides. For a winning deck, take a look at the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel ( see it here ) that I recently covered. Thiel was the first angel investor in Facebook with a $500K check that turned into more than $1 billion in cash.

Remember to unlock the pitch deck template that is being used by founders around the world to raise millions below.

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FULL TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO:

Hello, everyone. This is Alejandro Cremades, and today we’re going to be talking about the main difference between a pitch deck and a business plan. Essentially, a pitch deck is a 15 to 20 slide presentation, while a business plan is a 10 page to a 100-page document. Both have been sent in the past or have been used to be sent to investors when you’re raising capital. So with that being said, let’s go into it and really understand the difference between one and the other.

In terms of the actual use: the actual use of the business fund, I think it’s a great way to give a complete inside to the business to the investor. Remember: it’s a 10 page to 100-page document. The thing about a business plan is that it tends to be lengthy. Data shows that typically investors, right off the bat, especially doing the first discussions, they’re going to be only allocating to reviewing your opportunity about 2:41. That’s it. 

With that being said, the main difference here is that, for example, on the pitch deck, you’re really giving that possibility to the investor of reviewing everything in those 15 to 20 slide of the business, understanding the 30,000-foot view, and really knowing if that’s an opportunity that they want to pursue further, or perhaps that it makes no sense because maybe it’s not a fit with their investment thesis.

In terms of the actual disadvantages of maybe pitch decks or business plans, the main disadvantage of a business plan is the fact that your business is going to be constantly changing. No single business plan is completely bulletproof to the market. So you may be investing a ton of time in putting those 100 pages. Then you go to the market, and you realize that you need to either optimize or iterate on the business model in order to get it right. So that’s basically going back to the drawing board.

What I like about the pitch deck is that it’s just a 15 to 20 slide presentation where you can continue to iterate and optimize the presentation as you go based on the feedback that you’re getting from investors, from customers, from employees, whoever that is that is helping you to understand how you’re positioning this better towards the investors that are going to be reviewing the document.

In terms of the business plan today, certainly, it has taken a backstep towards the fundraising process when it comes to pitch decks. Pitch decks today are used more than business plans, and they’ve been taking the lead over the course of time.

Now, the beauty here of business plans, though, is that they’ve taken a backstep, but they’re a great document that you could use with your team and then also to showcase to investors if there’s further interest as an 18 to 24-month roadmap as to how you’re planning to execute the business.

For the pitch deck, again, it’s a great way to showcase the 30,000-foot view of your business in a way in which you can continue to change depending on the concerns and those questions that you’re receiving while you’re out there raising the capital.

Lastly, as part of the difference between the business plan, and then also the pitch deck, remember timing. Timing is the reason why you’re going to be sending a business plan is because the investor is about to make the investment. It’s one of the last things that they need in order to push forward and give you the money.

Then while you’re sending the pitch deck is because you want a secure meeting because you want to maybe convince the investor further. But, really, the difference is that one is going to be lengthy, while the other one is going to provide a 30,000-foot view of the business.

So with that being said, if you like the video, make sure that you Like this video and then also hit the Subscribe so that you don’t miss any other videos, and then leave a comment. And don’t forget to check out the fundraising training where you’re going to be able to see how we help founders from A all the way to Z with everything related to fundraising, live Q&A, templates, agreements, you name it. Thank you so much for watching.

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Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck: What’s The Difference And Which One Do You Need?

March 30, 2023

Do you have a brilliant business idea that you can’t wait to bring to life? As exciting as it is to start a new business, it’s essential to have a solid plan in place to ensure your success. Two critical tools for any startup are a business plan and a pitch deck , but which one do you need, and what’s the difference between the two?

In this article, we’ll delve into the world of business planning and pitching, explore the key differences between a business plan and a pitch deck, and help you determine which one is best suited for your business. 

Business Plan: In-Depth Planning For Long-Term Success

A business plan is a detailed document that outlines your business’s goals, strategies, and financial projections. It typically includes an executive summary, market analysis, competition analysis, target audience, product or service description, and financial projections.

A well-crafted business plan can help entrepreneurs and business owners obtain funding, attract customers, and stay focused on achieving their objectives. A business plan is usually a more comprehensive document that provides a roadmap for the business.

Business Plan:

• A comprehensive document that outlines the business goals, strategies, and financial projections.
• Includes an executive summary, market analysis, competition analysis, target audience, product or service description, and financial projections.
• Provides a roadmap for the business.
• Typically used to secure funding.
• Provides a detailed and in-depth overview of the business.

Pitch Deck: A Brief, Visual Overview To Spark Interest

A pitch deck is a visual representation of your business concept and highlights the key elements of your business plan. It is typically a 10-20 slide presentation that provides a brief overview of your business, including your unique value proposition, target market, revenue streams, and financial projections.

The purpose of a pitch deck is to grab the attention of potential investors, partners, or customers quickly. Unlike a business plan, a pitch deck is meant to be a concise, persuasive tool that can be presented in a short amount of time, such as during a pitch meeting.

Pitch Deck:

• A concise presentation that provides an overview of the business idea or proposal.
• Consists of 10-20 slides that highlight key elements such as the problem the business solves, the unique value proposition, market analysis, financial projections, and team information.
• Designed to capture the attention of potential investors, customers, or partners, and generate interest in the business.
• Provides a high-level view of the business.
• Typically used to generate interest and excitement in the business.

While both a business plan and a pitch deck are essential tools for any startup, they serve different purposes. A business plan provides a comprehensive and detailed overview of the business, while a pitch deck provides a high-level view of the business in a concise and engaging way. A business plan is typically used to secure funding, while a pitch deck is used to generate interest and excitement in the business.

Let’s take a closer look at the key differences between a business plan and a pitch deck:

Key Differences: Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck

• Length and Detail: A business plan is typically longer and more detailed than a pitch deck. A business plan can range from 30 to 100 pages, while a pitch deck is typically 10 to 20 slides.
• Audience: A business plan is intended for both internal and external use and is typically used to secure funding from investors or lenders. A pitch deck is created primarily to attract potential investors or customers.
• Purpose: The purpose of a business plan is to provide a comprehensive guide for your business, while the purpose of a pitch deck is to grab the attention of potential investors or customers quickly.
• Format: A business plan is typically a written document, while a pitch deck is a visual presentation.

It’s important to note that a business plan and a pitch deck are not mutually exclusive. While a business plan provides a more comprehensive overview of the business, a pitch deck can be used as a supplement to provide a visual and engaging presentation of the key elements of the business. In fact, many investors and potential partners will want to see both a business plan and a pitch deck to get a complete understanding of the business.

Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck: Which One Do You Need?

If you are just starting and need to plan every aspect of your business, a business plan is the best option. A business plan allows you to map out every detail and anticipate potential obstacles. If you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, a business plan is a must-have.

On the other hand, if you want to quickly grab the attention of potential investors or customers, a pitch deck is a great option. A pitch deck allows you to highlight the most critical elements of your business and can be presented in a concise, persuasive way. If you plan on pitching your business to investors or customers, a pitch deck is essential.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, both a business plan and a pitch deck are essential tools for any startup. While they serve different purposes, they are both crucial for planning and pitching your business. Understanding the differences between a business plan and a pitch deck and choosing the right tool for your needs can help you achieve success and make your business idea a reality.

Are you struggling to create a winning business plan or pitch deck? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Our team of experienced professionals can help you develop a business plan that addresses every aspect of your business and provides a comprehensive roadmap for success. We can also help you create a visually stunning and persuasive pitch deck that grabs the attention of potential investors or customers quickly.

Don’t let a poorly crafted business plan or pitch deck hold you back from achieving your entrepreneurial dreams.  Contact us  today, and let us help you take your business to the next level!

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The differences between a business plan, pitch deck and an elevator pitch

• Pitch deck design /
• Presentation design

Over the years we encountered confusions between our startup clients regarding whether they should have a business plan before making a pitch deck or if they need one in the first place. So let’s put it like this, the business plan is your house, the pitch deck is your window that shows the indoor beauty and the elevator pitch is your alley to the house.

First things first, you need all three of these materials prepared when you want to start a business. Before we start to talk about the differences between them, let’s go through some basic information.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document that contains a detailed description of your business. You will use it as a roadmap for how to structure, run and grow your new business. It is built to store and transmit your plans for the next 1, 3 or 5 years, including the research of the industry,  the competitors. It covers the sales predictions, the marketing strategy and the operational plans.

The document is based on charts, representations of growth and financial strategy, but mainly the information is transmitted through plain text. A common business plan has a length of 10 to 100 pages. As nobody has the patience to go through a 100 pages document you should keep it simple, but well structured.

In the end you are making the business plan for you, to reflect the vision and the direction you are going. After that, the goal of a business plan is to give investors information about your company, to show them how do you plan to use their investment. 

Tip: You should be honest with yourself in your business plan, which is why it’s important to consider challenges and opportunities. If you’ve got a strong idea, let it stand on its merit.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a presentation that summarises the business plan and it gives an overview of your company. It is usually made using PowerPoint, Keynote or Prezi as a visual support and used in face-to-face/ online meetings with potential investors, customers, partners or presented in pitch competitions.

The pitch deck contains 10 – 20 slides and should include all the information required, as you may be asked to send it after the presentation. The structure can vary from business to business, but it must include company details, who it serves and why, the size of the market, you added value. 

The goal of the pitch deck is to show investors where you are, where you are going and most important to get a meeting or start a conversation with one about funding you.

If you want to know more about what to put in a pitch deck read

How to create a great pitch deck .

What is an elevator pitch?

As its name says an elevator pitch is a brief description of your business, like a movie trailer, that can be presented during an average elevator ride 10 – 30 seconds. An elevator pitch should be pre – prepared so when the occasion arises you will know exactly what to say.

You can also look at it as a positioning statement. Start with Who do you help , this is also important to set for yourself. Now they are listening to you so you continue with what you help them with .

The elevator pitch can be used in other situations, such as job fairs, networking events, your LinkedIn bio. It is a great way to introduce you to people that you meet as a conversion starter.

The goal of this speech is to be short and spark interest to your elevator ride so they want to know more about your business.

Focus your elevator pitch around “ We are X and we help Y to do Z “

What are the differences?

Basically all three of them have the same content, but it’s a matter of details. You start with the business plan that has everything about the business, then make a more compact version for the pitch deck and finally you create an elevator pitch that has the essence of your business.

The link between the business plan, the pitch deck and the elevator pitch

We talked about the differences, but now let’s see what is the connection between these three. 

As we know the pitch deck and the business plan include mostly the same section and while the business plan is more detailed, the pitch deck offers high level information on some sections ( problem, solution, product, market, team). We can consider the pitch deck a visual summary of the business plan.

The elevator pitch is used without an additional support, but when presenting a pitch deck the first information has the role of an elevator pitch, to catch the attention of the investors for the rest of the presentation. You open the pitch deck presentation with the elevator pitch.

Looking at the big picture we can see that the elevator pitch is included in the pitch deck, which in his turn is included in the business plan.

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We recommend having all of them prepared. For the business plan you can use all kinds of templates and platforms to build one or having a consultant working with you. The pitch deck should be made with a pitch deck designer as it needs to be compelling, but there are also a lot of tips for how to create one. And for the elevator pitch follow a structure that puts your advantages in the spotlight.  

Hope this helped you to have a clear perspective about what is a business plan, a pitch deck, an elevator pitch, when to use them and what are the differences between them. 

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This is very helpful information

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