By Tanisha Lele
Optimizing this one-page document to provide the perfect sneak-peek of your startup.
A one-pager plays a crucial role in raising funds for any early-stage business. It can help to define a startup and its mission, along with its current position in the market (financial and otherwise).
Coming up with the perfect one-pager is extremely important as it has to attract the attention of potential investors. The one-pager is also an efficient tool that can be used to publicize and market a firm to the world.
What does a one-pager comprise of?
Often referred to as an executive summary, it is a compilation of everything that the brand believes in and stands for. It includes everything from the company’s name and logo to its milestones. In short, it is an overview of your firm at one glance.
The one-pager must contain all those things that can hold the attention of the person reading it, but not give away so much that they don’t feel the need to contact you for more information, or compromise sensitive information. It should be a brief outline of your company and must include:
- Business identity: The company’s name, logo, and tagline (if any) must be clearly stated and defined. The reader has to remember these things more than anything. They must come first in your one-pager and in that order.
2. Company overview: Explain who you are and what you stand for. Talk about why you founded this business and what you’re offering to your investors. Describe your goals and aspirations. The reader must be able to resonate with your ideas.
3. Problem statement: List the problems that your service is going to tackle. Speak about the consumer’s worries. Discuss how your product could make the end-user’s life more convenient. Write about why you believe the problem needs to be addressed and wiped out.
4. Solutions: Describe how your product or service is going to eliminate the problems that you’ve created it for. Your solution has to be clear and well-explained. Avoid complex descriptions and stick to the important points, clearly listing the main benefits of your product or service.
5. Market overview: Investors will only back you if they believe that you have a real chance to sell in the market. Inform your investors about the market size for your solution, and also briefly describe the competitive landscape. Emphasize the elements of your solution that aren’t present in your competitors’ solutions.
6. Business model: This must comprise information related to your finances and customers. How is your startup planning to make money? Is there evidence that this model is feasible, e.g. existing customers or traction in the market? Don’t dive too deep into financials – that information is only for serious investors – but share enough to show promise.
7. Achievements: Highlight your successes, biggest milestones, and any awards or achievements your company has received. Talk about the company’s milestones. This shows how far your startup has come since being founded.
8. Core Team: Write about the people who helped you achieve everything. Introduce your team members and their contributions to the company. It’s well-known that a talented team is key to the success of a startup, so this part is especially relevant to investors.
9. Fundraising plans: Indicate roughly how much money you want to raise, and also give investors an idea of how you plan to use the funds.
While you’re working on all these aspects of your one-pager, you need to be careful of a few common mistakes. You should:
- Include only the most relevant information, no matter how hard it might be to leave certain details of
- Plan the design: Content is undoubtedly the most important element of the one-pager, but it has to be presented in a way that catches the eye. Be creative, but don’t go overboard. Use a few photographs, such as team photos or eye-catching product photos.
- Make it accessible: Many websites aren’t designed intuitively enough for the audience to easily locate information. It could be a contact number, email address, or sales information. If such information is inaccessible, the person trying to find it eventually gives up, potentially depriving you of a potential buyer or employee. Similarly, if you choose to make your one-pager publicly accessible, clearly indicate where it can be located.
- This one goes without saying – invest in having multiple people go over the grammar in your one pager. Bad grammar not only creates a bad impression, but also shows that you don’t proofread things before publishing them on your website. It is a serious issue and can drive people away from your page. So to avoid grammatical errors, keep checking your content and make changes when necessary.
The one-pager is the first impression to give to investors, setting the stage for what could lead to multiple rounds of negotiations before a deal is either closed or abandoned. With care and attention to detail, your one-pager could seal the deal on your next funding round.
Header image by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash.
