The Pitch to Investors and Partners

Arthur Boni
John R. Thorne Chair of Entrepreneurship; Associate Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship; and Director, Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5912/jcb509

Abstract:

This article covers the essentials of constructing and delivering a “pitch” of a business opportunity to potential investors or corporate partners.  We advocate constructing an effective pitch first and then using that as a guide to prepare your business plan.  The content of the pitch itself as described herein in effect comprises the elements to be incorporated into a business plan as a more comprehensive documentation of the business.  Therefore, focusing efforts on creating and delivering the components of a compelling pitch will provide the essence of what you will then need to put into prose as a business plan.  So, our mantra is “pitch then plan”, i. e. don’t waste your time writing prose until you know what you need to write.  Furthermore plans change many times between the first writing and successful implementation.

Keywords:en ,