Slide 11: Milestones and Funding

This slide concerns the funding needs and the major events or milestones in the business. You will allocate available funds differently depending on the relevant stage of business development. Generally, a business will establish numerous milestones to help measure the progress of the business.

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Create a Timeline

I recommend developing a projected timeline with your major milestones identified at various points. It can be helpful to estimate the expenditure of funds necessary to achieve each milestone. You want the investor to understand your major milestones, as this will allow him or her to understand where you are in your business development. Further, the investor will be curious as to how much money it is going to cost to reach the applicable milestone. You will discuss the issue of later capital needs and dilution on the following slide. You want the investor to understand how you plan to use available funds before ask for a particular amount of investment.

Stages on the Timeline

When constructing your timeline, common milestones include: prototype development, secure intellectual property, product launch, achieve positive revenue, break-even point, growth phase (various growth metrics - revenue, volume, number of customers, market penetration, etc.) and exit.