How to Make a Business Plan Presentation [Detailed Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Mar 19, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 7
While working on a business plan presentation for our client Samantha, she asked us something that made us pause for a second.
“How do I make sure this doesn’t just look good, but actually gets investors to say yes?”
Our Creative Director simply replied,
“By telling a story that explains why you exist, why now, and why you’ll win.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many business plan presentations throughout the year. And in the process, we’ve noticed one consistent challenge: Most founders think of the presentation as a recap of their Word doc, not as a pitch that needs to win attention, trust, and buy-in.
So, in this blog, we’re breaking down how to structure, write, and design a business plan presentation that actually does its job, gets your business taken seriously.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Why & When Do You Need a Business Plan Presentation
Let’s start with the obvious: you’re not making a business plan presentation because you love PowerPoint. You’re making it because you need someone to understand your business quickly and believe in it enough to say yes. Yes to investing. Yes to partnering. Yes to giving you a shot.
But most people confuse the timing and purpose of the presentation.
A business plan document is internal. It’s detailed, wordy, and made to guide operations. A business plan presentation, on the other hand, is external. It’s meant to sell your idea — not explain every last operational detail.
So, why do you need it?
To pitch to investors
Whether it’s angels, VCs, or even a strategic partner, nobody has time to read your 40-pager. What they want is a story that answers three questions: What are you building? Why now? Why you? Your presentation is your best shot at making that case — visually, succinctly, and confidently.
To align with potential partners or co-founders
Before you shake hands or sign paperwork, you need to know if people truly get what you’re building. A strong business plan presentation puts your vision on the table. No misunderstandings. No fluff.
To win competitions or grants
If you’re entering startup competitions, applying for grants, or pitching to accelerators, the format almost always involves a slide deck. And here’s the kicker — most of your competitors will show up with templated slides filled with text. If your deck tells a clear story and looks like it was made with intent, you immediately stand out.
To test your clarity
Even if you’re not raising money tomorrow, putting your plan into a presentation forces clarity. If you can’t explain your business in 10–12 slides, you don’t understand it well enough. That’s not just a red flag for investors — it’s a red flag for yourself.
And when should you build it?
Before you reach out to investors
Don’t wait until someone asks for your deck. That’s the moment you lose control. You want to be ready when the door opens, not scrambling to slap together slides that don’t reflect the strength of your idea.
When you’re refining your strategy
Think of the deck as a mirror. If something doesn’t make sense when visualized, it probably doesn’t make sense in reality either. A presentation can expose gaps in your plan early — before they become real problems.
When you're about to tell your story publicly
Maybe it's a press opportunity, a demo day, or a major meeting. In all these moments, your business plan presentation becomes the version of your company that the world sees. You don’t get many chances to control that narrative. Make it count.
In short, you need a business plan presentation every time you want someone outside your company to quickly understand what you’re doing, why it matters, and why you’ll succeed. It’s not a vanity project. It’s a necessity for growth.
How to Make a Business Plan Presentation
You don’t need a design degree to pull this off. But you do need structure, clarity, and purpose. Here’s exactly how we recommend you build your presentation — the same way we build decks for our clients.
1. Start with structure before design
Don’t open PowerPoint first. That’s how you end up designing around chaos.
Start by outlining your story. Here’s the flow we recommend (and what we use with clients):
Title Slide
Think of this as your company’s elevator pitch in one line.
Example: Instead of “JohnTech Solutions”, try “JohnTech | Automating logistics for local retailers in Tier 2 cities.”
The Problem
Explain the real-world friction. Use data if possible. Don’t exaggerate.
Example: “80% of retailers in Tier 2 cities still rely on pen-and-paper inventory systems, leading to 25–30% monthly stockouts.”That’s specific. That’s relatable.
Your Solution
What are you offering? Keep it simple.
Example: “We built a mobile-first inventory platform that helps local shop owners track stock, manage vendors, and reduce spoilage — all in under 10 minutes a day.”
Market Opportunity
Who needs this? How big is the opportunity? Investors want scale, but they also want focus. Show you know your niche.
Example: “India has 13M+ small-format retailers. We’re starting with 300,000 in UP, Bihar, and MP where smartphone adoption has crossed 70%.”
Product Demo (if applicable)
A few screens. A short video. A simple use case. Keep it visual.This isn’t a walkthrough — it’s a teaser.
Business Model
How do you make money? What’s the pricing logic? Avoid vague answers like “freemium” or “ads.” Be concrete.
Example: “We charge ₹299/month per shop. That’s less than ₹10 a day for digitizing inventory.”
Go-to-Market Strategy
How will people find you? What's your distribution plan?Show that you’ve thought beyond product.
Example: “Partnering with local FMCG distributors to onboard shops. They already have access, we ride the trust.”
Traction
If you have it, show it. Users, revenue, retention, testimonials. Don’t inflate. Investors can smell fluff from a mile away.
Example: “In the last 3 months, 2,300 shops onboarded with 78% active usage after 30 days.”
Team
Who’s building this and why are they the right people? Highlight relevance, not resumes.
Example: “Ajay scaled distribution for Big Basket in rural Maharashtra. Priya led mobile UX at Paytm.”
That’s more valuable than saying “MBA, IIM”
Financials / Forecast
3-5 years. Revenue, costs, and unit economics. Don’t be overly optimistic. You’re not pitching a fantasy. You’re building trust.
Example: “With a ₹3.5 CR raise, we project a 4.8x growth in paying shops by Y3 with monthly breakeven at 15,000 active accounts.”
Ask
How much are you raising? For what? Be specific.
Example: “We’re raising ₹3.5 CR to expand to 3 new states, build distributor partnerships, and scale engineering.”
Closing Slide
Reiterate your one-liner. Make them remember why this business matters now. You want to leave them curious, not overwhelmed.
This is the structure. You can tweak it slightly depending on your stage — but don’t mess with the logic. It flows for a reason.
2. Say less, but say it better
Your biggest enemy? Over-explaining. If a slide has more than 40 words, it’s a document, not a presentation.
Each slide should do one job. That’s it. One message per slide. Not three. Not five.
Take this example:
Bad:
“Our platform is a SaaS-based mobile and desktop application that enables real-time tracking of procurement, storage, and distribution of fast-moving goods in small retail environments across semi-urban and rural geographies.”
Good:
“Track inventory. Reduce stockouts. Grow margins.”
Then explain the rest verbally, or visually. The slide’s job is to anchor the idea. Not do all the talking.
Also, replace paragraphs with visuals wherever possible. If you’re talking about market size, show it with a clean pie chart. If you’re showing customer profiles, use real photos or personas. Visuals stick. Text doesn’t.
3. Don’t show data. Prove a point with it.
Every number in your deck should answer the question: So what?
Too many founders throw data onto slides because it looks impressive. But unless that number proves a point, it’s noise.
Example:
Bad:
“India’s retail market is $1.1 Trillion.”
Good:
“Only 2.3% of India’s $1.1T retail market is digitized. We’re building for the remaining 97.7%.”
Same stat, but one version builds a case. The other just sits there.
Also, be ready to back up your data. If you quote a number, you should know where it came from. If you made projections, be able to explain your assumptions.
4. Design like you respect your audience’s time
Design isn’t decoration. It’s clarity. And respect.
If your slides look like they were slapped together the night before, the message that sends is: “We’re not ready.”
Here’s what we recommend:
Use one typeface family. No Arial mixed with Calibri chaos.
Use one color as an accent. Don’t paint the rainbow.
Use whitespace. Crowded slides are stressful to read.
Use consistent icons. Don’t mix styles.
Use grids. Align your text and visuals properly. It shows attention to detail.
And please — avoid corporate clipart and low-res logos. Investors have seen it all. They will judge you based on aesthetics, even if they say they won’t.
If you’re not confident with design, get help. This is one of the few areas where investing early makes a real difference.
5. Prepare for the conversation, not the slideshow
Here’s something no one tells you: the presentation is not the pitch.
You are.
Your deck is a tool. A prop. The conversation is what matters.
So your goal isn’t to create a slide that answers every question. It’s to spark questions. That’s what leads to deeper engagement.
Some things we always prep our clients for:
Don’t read your slides. Talk around them. Use them as signposts, not scripts.
Be comfortable skipping slides. If a conversation goes deep into one area, follow it.
Know your appendix. Sometimes, you’ll need backup data — CAC, churn, breakdowns. Have those slides ready, even if they’re not part of the main deck.
If you build your deck as a tool to support conversation — not dominate it — you’ll come across as confident and in control.
6. Tailor it for each audience
You can’t send the same deck to everyone.
An early-stage angel investor might care more about your vision and founding team. A VC might dig into scalability and exit potential. A grant body might need impact metrics.
So adapt the tone and emphasis.
We once worked with a founder building a clean energy startup. The base story was the same, but we created two versions of his business plan presentation — one for investors, one for government grants.
Same core idea. Different points of focus.
That’s how you increase your odds — by doing the work most others won’t.
How to Present Your Business Plan Presentation
You could have the world’s best deck. But if your delivery is flat, unsure, or robotic, none of it will land.
Here’s how to present in a way that actually makes people listen:
Own the room from Slide 1
Don’t start with a disclaimer. Don’t mumble through your name. Start with energy and intention. You’re not asking for attention — you’re already holding it.
Talk like a human, not a brochure
If your sentences sound like they were written by a legal department, rewrite them. Investors aren’t grading your grammar. They’re judging your clarity. Speak in short, direct sentences. Imagine you’re explaining your idea to a smart friend — not defending a thesis.
Use the deck as a backdrop, not a crutch
Your slides are there to support your story, not tell it for you. Look at your audience, not your screen. Don’t read. Refer.
Handle questions with honesty
If you don’t know something, say so. Then explain how you’ll find the answer. What people remember isn’t that you didn’t know — it’s how you handled the moment.
End strong, not soft
Don’t trail off with “So yeah, that’s basically it.” Recap your core message, remind them why your business matters, and leave the door open for deeper conversation.
You’re not there to impress. You’re there to connect. That’s what gets people to lean in, ask more, and eventually say yes.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.