So, you’ve got a great business idea and you’re ready to present it to potential investors, but there’s one slide that can make or break your pitch — the Financials Slide. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
The purpose of this article is to help you create a financial slide that impresses investors and sets you apart from the competition. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of what the financials slide is, how to create it as well as expert tips & common mistakes to avoid.
“Investors invest in the future, not the past. The financials slide must show that the future is bright.” — Reid Hoffman
What is the Financials Slide in a Pitch Deck?
The financials slide is the section of your pitch deck that details your company’s financial projections and performance. It includes your revenue, expenses, and profit and loss (P&L) statements, as well as your cash flow projections. This is a crucial component of your pitch deck, as it gives investors an understanding of the financial viability of your business.
What role does the Financials Slide play?
Plays a crucial role in understanding financial projections and the viability of the business
Helps paint a picture of future financial performance and ROI
Builds credibility and confidence in the company and management team
A powerful tool for convincing investors to support and take the business to the next level
How to Create the Financials Slide
Creating a compelling Financials Slide for your pitch deck is a two-part process that requires both strategy and creativity. First, you must craft content that accurately communicates the financial projections and viability of your business. And second, you must design the slide in a way that visually supports your message and captures the attention of your audience.
How to write content for the Financials Slide
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to write the content for the financials slide of your pitch deck:
Start with revenue projections: Begin by outlining your revenue projections for the next 3–5 years. This should include the estimated amount of revenue, the growth rate, and the sources of revenue. Make sure to be realistic and conservative when making projections.
Outline expenses: Next, you need to outline the expenses that you expect to incur over the next 3–5 years. This should include fixed costs such as rent and salaries, as well as variable costs such as marketing and sales expenses.
Create a P&L statement: The P&L (Profit and Loss) statement is a summary of your company’s revenue, expenses, and net income over a given period of time. It’s a critical component of your financials slide and should be presented in an easy-to-understand format.
Cash flow projections: Cash flow projections are an important component of your financials slide as they provide investors with an idea of how much money is going in and out of the business. It is critical to know the liquidity of your business and its ability to meet its financial obligations.
Key metrics: In addition to the revenue projections, expenses, and P&L statement, include key metrics such as customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, and churn rate. These metrics provide valuable insights into the health of your business and help investors understand the opportunities and risks associated with investing in your company.
Be concise and clear: When writing the content for your financials slide, it’s important to keep it concise and to the point. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be confusing to your audience. Focus on making your message clear and easy to understand so that your investors can see the potential of your business.
How to design the financials slide
Here are the steps you can follow to design your financials slide:
Keep it Simple: When it comes to designing your Financials Slide, simplicity is key. Use simple and clean layouts that are easy to understand. Avoid using overly complex graphics or charts that can confuse or overwhelm your audience.
Use High-Quality Graphics: Make sure to use high-quality graphics that are professional and visually appealing. Your financials slide should look polished and well-presented.
Use Color to Highlight Key Information: Use color to highlight important information and make your financials slide more visually appealing. Choose a color palette that is consistent with the rest of your pitch deck and use it to distinguish between different sections or areas of your slide.
Use Icons to Clarify Information: Icons are a great way to clarify information and make your financials slide more visually appealing. Use simple, clean icons that are easy to understand and that effectively communicate your message.
Use Graphs and Charts to Visualize Data: Graphs and charts are a great way to visualize data and make it easier to understand. Choose the right type of graph or chart that best represents your data and use it to effectively communicate your message.
Label Your Axes: Make sure to label your axes and provide context for your graphs and charts. This will help your audience understand your data and provide them with a clearer picture of your financials.
Make it Interactive: Make your financials slide interactive and engaging by adding animations, transitions, and other interactive elements. This will help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your presentation.
Common mistakes founders make while creating the Financials Slide
Creating the financials slide for your pitch deck is a complex process, and it’s easy to make mistakes along the way. Here are some common pitfalls that founders often fall into when crafting their financials slide:
Overcomplicating the design: Your financials slide should be easy to understand, and its focus should be on the content rather than the design. Avoid using complex charts, graphs, and animations that can distract from the key message.
Providing too much information: Investors want to see your financial projections, but they don’t need to know every detail. Keep your financials slide concise, and stick to the key metrics that will help them understand the health of your business.
Ignoring the big picture: The financials slide should provide a snapshot of your business, but it should also tell a story. Make sure to put the numbers in context, and explain how they fit into your overall strategy.
Being too optimistic: Investors want to see that you have a clear plan for the future, but they also want to know that you’re realistic. Avoid making overly optimistic projections that are not backed up by data.
Failing to explain the assumptions: The financial projections in your financials slide should be based on a set of assumptions. Make sure to explain what those assumptions are, and how they might affect the projections in the future.
Work with us
The financials slide of a pitch deck is a crucial aspect that provides investors with a clear understanding of the financial viability and future performance of a business. By presenting accurate and detailed financial information in a concise and clear manner, the financials slide can help build credibility, boost confidence in the company, and convince investors to support it.
If you find the financials slide overwhelming, don’t panic. We’re here to help. Our team of experts has years of experience creating pitch decks for businesses of all sizes. Get in touch with us today to get started.
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