The Art of Pitching 🎤

Hi Entrepreneur,

This week we’re turning our spotlight on a skill that's crucial for success of any business: The Art of Pitching 🎤

Oh have you heard about the Glasgow Airport’s Living Lab Digital Twin Competition? This is a strategic initiative funded to facilitate the development of digital twin technology solutions specifically tailored for the aviation sector. The aim of this programme is to showcase how existing digital twin solutions can address specific aviation-related challenges.

In Phase One, up to five successful organisations will have the chance to present their digital twin concepts at Glasgow Airport where they can showcase how their technology can be applied to the challenges above, accessing up to £3,000 in funding.

Following an assessment of the showcase, one organisation will be chosen to advance to Phase Two to further develop and implement their digital twin technologies in a live aviation environment at Glasgow Airport, accessing up to £70,000 in funding.

Application Deadline is 7th March 2024. Make sure you apply to secure this opportunity. To know more about the grant and apply for the competition visit here.

Why is Pitching Your Business Important?

Business pitch is a presentation of your business idea and the purpose behind your startup. This your chance to sell your business to potential investors and partners.

The important thing to keep in mind before you create a pitch is that the specificity of your data, and the value of your pitch deck (presentation deck used to pitch your idea or oragnisation to people) are the essential factors affecting the amount of funding your business receives.

Do you have an amazing pitch ready to promote your business to an audience? Then our upcoming Networking Event is your stage to be on! 🎤 We are coming at King's Building, Strand Campus on the 26th of March 2024, 18:30pm. Don’t forget to book your tickets and enrol yourself to pitch your business! Find more details here.

Some tips to keep in mind!

If you have build a pitch and you feel that it can be better then here are some tips for you to keep in mind or include in your pitch:

• Securing funds 💵: The most important reason is to get investors to invest in your business. It is essential to keep in mind that these investors and Venture Capitalists come across thousands of pitches in a year. To get the right VC for your business here are few things to keep in mind:

  1. Look for investors who specialise in your field.

  2. Look for investors that share the same values as you instead of looking for richer investors who might not understand the idea behind your business.

  3. Make sure you build your pitch deck in a way that it shows how and why your business will profit. Investors are looking for investing in businesses that has the highest return potential.

• Show your skills 🔍: Your confidence, knowledge and charisma plays a vital role in landing your pitch well in front of potential partners and investors. Few things to keep in mind while presenting your pitch are:

  1. Your communication skills, the way you talk about yourself, your business, but also the way you pose questions and listen to others are all important details when it comes to pitching.

  2. Well researched, The more evidence-based your pitch is, the more confident and persuasive you sound. A well-researched pitch demonstrates that you can work with multiple sources of information.

  3. Problem Solving, to be innovative you need to be willing to experiment and go beyond the boundaries of the expected. Solutions are the result of any good analysis, but the most novel and original solutions are only achieved through creativity.

• Knowing your audience 👥 : It is important to do your research and really know your audience, this will help you in building your pitch in a way that lands well with your target audience. Here are few things you can keep in your mind while networking with people:

  1. Interview some customers, review your pitch and research what audience your business resonates the most with. Make time to actually interview some of them. You can also build Personas to help you visualise your audience.

  2. Network with investors as much as you can, these can be VCs or Angel Investors. Build a strong networking base, make your business known to as many people you can.

  3. If your pitch has different target audience, then adjust your pitch according to these groups to promote your business in a right and impactful way.

Common Mistakes People Make:

According to Forbes, here are some common mistakes entrepreneurs make while pitching their ideas/businesses to investors:

• Getting Sentimental: It’s understandable that every entrepreneur is passionate about their business, although it is not ideal to get sentimental while pitching in front of investors as they are driven mostly by the need to make profits. A deal has to be financially attractive in order to appeal to most investors.

• Focusing on Your Story Too Much: Although it is important to share your story to highlight the purpose behind your business, it’s not the best idea to just focus on it. Focus on how much money you can make for yourself and the investors. Give them hard data and numbers to look at as well.

• Not Understanding the Competition: When building your business and your pitch, it is vital that you research about the competition in your field. Look at companies doing exactly what you are doing and also alternatives in the market that provide the same value or benefit to the customer. Understand your differentiators clearly and explain concisely.

• Giving a General Pitch: Every type of audience you’ll have will hold a different perspective and value. Altering your pitch according to the audience will give you higher chances of securing funds and promoting your business in the right way.

If you’re looking for expert advices on how to make a perfect pitch, then Tune in to our Podcast every Thursday on Spotify to learn more about all things related to startups, innovation and creating something from scratch. 🎙️

This Week: Alon Bochman 

🎤Join us as Alon Bochman shares his entrepreneurial journey and transition to AI. He discusses the impact of AI and the concerns surrounding its development. He emphasizes the importance of building something people want and advises entrepreneurs to focus on achieving product-market fit. He also discusses the challenges of raising investment and the differences between the US and other countries.

We’ve had the opportunity to hear entrepreneurs give some amazing pitches at our past Networking Event. Check these inspiring pitches out on our YouTube Channel! 🎥

We are glad to introduce our course “Build your Business in 6-weeks”, with 8 different course modules.

This week we are introducing an exclusive session on Business Idea Generation 101 with renowned expert Dean Williams! 🚀

📅 Save the Date: April 12th, 2024

🕔 Time: 5:00 PM –7PM

In this 2-hour session, you'll gain invaluable insights into:

• Creating a business model canvas for startup planning

• Assess the viability of your business idea through Problem-Market Fit analysis

• Develop essential skills in writing a comprehensive business plan

• Craft a persuasive pitch deck for presentations

• Strategically build your ideal team

• Establish and cultivate a mentor community for ongoing support in your entrepreneurial journey.

With only 24 spots left, this is an opportunity you won't want to miss! Secure your spot now and build your startup. 💼✨

Get an early bird discount now by enrolling here! 🚀

To find more about the course visit our website: https://thestartupevents.co.uk/

Join our community and network on our platform, it’s a space where you can share your startup has a story and inspire others as well as exchange tips and experiences. You can be a part of our Vibrant Startup Community by applying here. 🤝

We’re hoping to see you at our upcoming Neworking Event, and hearing you pitch your business idea! 🚀🎤

Warm regards,

The Startup Events Team 🌐