Intro Description

Raising capital is not about hype — it’s about clarity, credibility, and preparation. For decades, MBA Group has helped founders and operators translate strong businesses into investor-ready opportunities. This 23-question framework reflects how professional investors actually evaluate companies. Not every company will have perfect answers to every question — and that’s okay. In fact, identifying gaps is often the most valuable part of the process. The goal is not perfection, but honesty, structure, and readiness. If you can answer these questions thoughtfully, you are building the foundation of an investor-grade business plan, capital raise, or strategic transaction. Take your time. Be direct. Depth matters.

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The 23 Critical Questions

1. What is your product or service? Tell me (the investor) in words I’ll understand, even if I don’t know your industry.

2. What problem does it solve for customers? What's the ever‑popular "pain point" you address?

3. Is your product/service proprietary? If it is, what is your backup for that claim? Is it patented? Is there other backup?

4. If your product/service is not proprietary, what is your value proposition? What's your "elevator speech" — that thirty‑second statement that defines why customers buy or will buy from you?

5. Who is your target market? Be as specific as possible. Break down your target(s) so I know just who you're talking to.

6. How big is that universe in terms of dollars? How many millions or billions of dollars are currently spent on products/services like yours?

7. What's the analysis of the market growth potential? Is the industry projected to grow? By how much over what period? Who says?

8. What market share will you need to be profitable? Even if you think your product/service is unique and valuable, you won't be getting 100% of the possible market. What market share do you need — based on your costs? How realistic is that?

9. Who are your competitors? We often hear, "We have no direct competitors." You almost certainly do. If no one else provides your product/service, what are your customers using instead? From whom are they buying it?

10. What intelligence do you have on your competitors? Sales volume? Market share? Competitive difference? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses?

11. What is YOUR competitive difference? We've already defined your value proposition, but go further. Why will people buy from you instead of from your competitors? What's your backup for your assumption?

12. What is your marketing plan? What's your strategy? What are your tactics? What elements will be included in your marketing plan? Why are you using them? How does this compare with the rest of your industry? What milestones has your plan achieved to date?

13. What will the marketing plan cost? How much will you need to implement it? Do those costs include staff? Contractors? Marketing automation systems? Media? Online and offline channels?

14. What are the metrics for marketing plan success? How will you determine ROI? Will you need software to analyze the results? Have you included it in your marketing plan costs?

15. Do you have a database of your prospects? How did you develop it? How current is it? How many contacts are in the database?

16. Do you have a CRM package? Have you implemented a Customer Relationship Management system? Which one? Is your staff using it? If you don't have one in place, what are your plans?

17. What is your sales plan? Will you have an in‑house sales staff? Will you be using distributors? Will you be developing retail channels? What is the plan and how will you implement it?

18. Who is your management team? What are their histories and qualifications to build the business? What are their roles and achievements in the company?

19. What management gaps will you need to fill? Will you need a new CEO? CFO? CMO? Operations Manager? Will you be willing to explore the possibility of expanding your key management staff to fill any holes?

20. What are your financial projections? 1 year? 3 years? 5 years? What assumptions are your projections based on? Are you using standard industry costs and realistic sales projections?

21. How much money are you looking for and what will you do with it? Will the money go for new facilities? New equipment? New software? New staff? New distribution channels? To implement the marketing or sales plan? Where will the money go?

22. How much equity in your company do you expect to give up to the investors? What's that based on? What is the pre‑money valuation for your firm? Whose analysis?

23. What is the exit strategy? How will investors recoup their investment and how long will it take?

Final Step: Attach Your Pitch Deck

At the end of the submission, please include an option to attach your current pitch deck or investor materials (PDF preferred). This helps our team review your company in full context.
If you do not yet have a formal pitch deck, you may still submit the form.

Pitch deck (Accepted document formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX. Maximum size: 5 MB)

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