Raizor's Edge

In a pitch, you have to be able to communicate your vision for your business to your potential investor. You need to strike a balance between being too aspirational and unrealistic and not having any growth plans at all. Investors always strive to get a good return on their investment. They are looking to scale startup businesses but are also aware of the risks that startups face. You need to effe...

Investors want to make sure you are aware of all the risks that may affect your business – which you may not have mentioned during your actual pitch. They need to know you’ve considered all possible risks and they especially want to know which are the ones that give you sleepless nights. When answering this question, you need to be honest. In episode 49 of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allo...

Dealing with competition is an inevitable part of business. It’s simply a fact that when your business begins to thrive, new competitors will emerge and they will want a piece of the market pie. You need to show your potential investors during your pitch that you have strategies in place to build defensive “moats” to keep the competition at bay. In episode 48 of The Successful Pitch, Allon Raiz ex...

As entrepreneurs, we never stop making hiring mistakes. There are many reasons a hire could be bad for your organisation. Join Allon Raiz for episode 10 of the 20 Lessons Over 20 Years podcast series two find out what the two biggest reasons are behind hiring mistakes. He also shares some important pointers on staff recruitment processes that every entrepreneur needs to know. Listen Now > ·...

Do you have a plan in place if anything happens to you, the business founder? This may be an uncomfortable question but one you should definitely be prepared for when you’re pitching to potential investors. Investors will want to know that you have thoroughly thought through how your business will continue operating in your absence and that you have put solid plans in place. In episode 47 of The S...

When you’re delivering an investor pitch, it’s vital to show your potential investors that you are aware of who your indirect competitors are. These are businesses who may entice your target audience to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere, even if it’s on a different product or service. Knowing your indirect competitors can help you strategise and stay ahead. In episode 46 of The Successful Pi...

It’s important for you to be able to show potential investors that parties who are doing business with you have given you some form of commitment. Investors always try to mitigate their risk so if you can produce letters of intent during your pitch, it will increase your chances of getting funding. Allon Raiz talks about the importance of letters of intent in episode 45 of The Success Pitch podcas...

Who would be your first ten staff hires? By asking this question, investors want to establish if you have a thorough understanding of the operational requirements of the various functions in your growing business and the respective roles that must be filled. Listen to episode 44 of The Successful Pitch series to hear Allon Raiz’ advice on how to answer this question during your pitch.

Attracting and retaining the right calibre of staff is a fundamental component of scaling a business. It’s vital to invest in the right people by hiring top talent with expandable and diverse skill sets. A growing business also needs a staff complement to match its increasing operational demands. Be prepared to answer the question of how you will attract and maintain skills as your business expand...

An early quandary that most startup entrepreneurs have to face is getting the size of their business premises right and, if they’re renting the space, the duration of the lease. If you’re strapped for cash, you obviously don’t want to be paying for unnecessary space. At the same, though, when you start growing you may have to find new premises which may mean incurring penalties to terminate your c...

No company is immune to business risks. They impact your business in several ways and can pose a serious threat to the very existence of your organisation. It’s imperative to address these risks during your pitch and indicate to investors how you plan to mitigate against and minimise them. Investors want to see that you have a thorough understanding of the main risks that have the potential to aff...

When starting your business, it’s advisable to raise enough capital to sustain you throughout the growth phase . . . But, in some cases, it’s better to start with less capital. That’s because the growth phase will be a learning curve during which making mistakes will be unavoidable – and minimising the mistakes and their associated costs will be important. Your investors will want to see if you ca...

In business, a return on investment is a by-product of margin profitability. Investors want a business with the potential to achieve increased profitability, a business that can identify areas in their operations that can be leveraged to achieve bigger margins. During your pitch, you need to be prepared to answer questions on how you plan to increase your margins and provide practical examples to...

As an entrepreneur, you should expect investors to pose the following question during your pitch: “What do you need the money for, and how are you going to spend it?” This is a crucial question, and it needs a well-articulated response that clearly outlines your projected expenditure over a specific time frame. Investors always want to minimise risk; they are looking for an entrepreneur who displa...

Your financial statements provide detailed information regarding the financial health of your business. Too many entrepreneurs fail to produce accurate and timely financial statements, which has a negative impact on the growth of their businesses. As an entrepreneur, you need to consider the quality aspect of your financials: are they complete, accurate, and logical? These will not just appear; th...

Investors always strive to get the highest possible return on their investment; they want to gauge if their investment will be worthwhile, how lucrative your business is and if it has growth potential. The financial performance of your business will be scrutinised in terms of capital requirements and profitability. You should expect the following question: “When are we going to be paid back?” You...

Every single business known to man has competition and to deny this is a fatal mistake. The question investors want you to answer is “What is your plan for dealing with competitors?” Investor’s want to know that you have thought this answer through in a strategic, realistic way. Join Allon in episode 37 of The Successful Pitch for some dos and don’ts when giving this answer. Listen Now >

Your break-even threshold is a pivotal point in your pitch. Surprisingly, investors don’t want this number given to them in terms of revenue, they would much prefer this figure in terms of units sold. Listen to Allon explain why in episode 36 of The Successful Pitch. Listen Now >

As much as investors want their return on investment, they also want this return to transpire in a certain timeline – and this timeline varies from investor to investor. In this episode of The Successful Pitch, Allon prepares you for the question, “Who will buy my equity when I am ready to exit?” Join him for episode 35 as he walks you through laying out potential future buyers in a well-construct...

Another question to be prepared for is the inevitable, “What’s in it for me?” Your investor isn’t in the investing game to give money away freely. You are one of three or four potential investments. This month. Join Allon in episode 34 of The Successful Pitch to gain some insight into balancing why the return-on-investment opportunities far outweigh the potential risks – and how to prove you can b...

In episode 7 of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, Allon Raiz discusses how too many entrepreneurs hand over the responsibility of their finances to an external accountant and, in effect, abdicate their responsibility when it comes to their business numbers. It is a trap that he, too, fell into when starting his entrepreneurial journey – right up until he ran out of money! The bank wouldn’t extend his over...

Join Allon Raiz in episode 33 of The Successful Pitch. Over the next 20 episodes, Allon will take you through some common questions investors ask and what they are looking for in your answers. This week’s question is “who else is doing something similar to you in the world?” Tune in to find out why it’s important to answer this on a global scale and which direction an investor wants you to take wh...

Pitching is a serious business, and you definitely want to put your best foot forward. But it’s important to remember to be a human – smile, make an appropriate joke, show how approachable you are. If you are enjoying yourself, your investor will too. It’s not all fun and games though. Listen to Allon in episode 32 of The Successful Pitch to learn how to balance the serious side of pitching with a...

The highest pressure-point of a pitch is the last sentence. Should you end on a comment, a statement or an ask? If your investor is left thinking there is more to the pitch, you know you’ve ended on a weak, fluffy note. Listen to Allon in episode 31 of The Successful Pitch to find out how to go out with a strong ending. Listen Now >

Investors come in all shapes and sizes but one thing they all have in common is that they are impatient. Start your pitch off with a bang to avoid losing their interest. Help them frame the rest of your pitch around a schema or model. Listen to Allon explain all the benefits of presenting the important stuff upfront in episode 30 of The Successful Pitch. Listen Now >