How to pitch your business to investors, lenders or customers
Match the pitch to your audience, keep it short, and be ready for questions.
Last reviewed 22 October 2026 · Written by the Acing team
Know who you are pitching to
A pitch is a short, structured case for why someone should back or buy from you. The structure stays similar. The emphasis changes with the audience.
| Audience | They mainly want to know | Lead with |
|---|---|---|
| Angel or equity investor | Can this grow fast, and can the founder deliver? | Market size, growth plan, team, how their money is used |
| Lender | Will the money be repaid, on time? | Cash flow forecast, repayment ability, realistic assumptions |
| Customer | Will this solve my problem at a fair price? | Their problem, your result, proof, next step |
Write one sentence stating what you want from the meeting before you build anything. For example: "£30,000 to buy equipment" or "a six-month supply contract". Everything in the pitch should support that sentence.
Investors: what the British Business Bank says to prepare
The British Business Bank article How to pitch to an investor draws on UK investor views. Its main points are practical.
- Research the investor first, and expect to be asked for your deck.
- Be ready to say how much you want and on what terms.
- Build rapport early. Investors weigh your character and drive as well as the business.
- Tell the problem as a story, then show your vision. Do not read out a list of facts.
- Send a detailed version of the deck beforehand. Make the presented version more visual, with less text.
- Make the deck understandable without you in the room.
The Bank's angel investment checklist adds that angels generally do not want a long business plan at the start. They do want a clear story that shows what makes you different. It also stresses honest expectations and a clear exit strategy.
Numbers that investors test
The checklist points to figures you should know cold: where money is spent, your cash burn, margins, and what it costs to win a customer compared with what that customer is worth over time. Have evidence ready for any claim you make, such as accounts or letters from customers. If you cite it, be able to prove it.
Investor and equity decisions carry real risk. Check any angel's credentials, including on the FCA register, as the checklist advises. The UK Business Angels Association keeps a database of registered angels, which the Bank also points to.
Lenders: the Start Up Loans view
A lender cares less about vision and more about repayment. Start Up Loans shows the paperwork a lender-style application expects. At the time of reading, it listed three documents in English:
- A business plan covering your aims, how you will earn money and how you will get there.
- A 12-month cash flow forecast of money in and out, including sales, suppliers, rent and tax.
- A personal survival budget comparing your personal income and costs, which lenders use to judge affordability.
The same page described loans of £500 to £25,000 at a fixed 6% a year over one to five years. Terms change, so confirm current details on the official site before you rely on them.
The lesson applies to any lender. Show that you understand your costs and how repayments fit into monthly cash.
Customers: pitch the result, not the company
For a business customer, replace "market size" with their pain. Open with a problem they will recognise, quantify it in their terms (hours, pounds, risk), show your fix, then give a clear next step. Keep to one page or five slides unless they ask for more.
A 10-slide outline
This outline follows the contents list the British Business Bank gives for a deck. Adjust the order to suit your story. If you would like a starting draft, the free pitch outline generator drafts an outline from a few answers about your business.
| Slide | Title | What goes on it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The one-line pitch | What you do, for whom, and the result |
| 2 | The problem | Who has it, how they cope now, what it costs them |
| 3 | Your solution | Your product or service and why it works better |
| 4 | Customer and market | Your ideal customer and the size of the opportunity |
| 5 | Business model | How you charge and make a margin |
| 6 | Traction | Existing sales, customers or pilots you can evidence |
| 7 | Marketing and sales | How you reach customers and what it costs |
| 8 | Competition | Who else solves this and how you differ |
| 9 | Team and numbers | Who does what, plus sales forecast, profit and cash flow headlines |
| 10 | The ask | How much, on what terms, and what it achieves |
Practise properly
- Say the one-line pitch aloud until it takes under ten seconds.
- Time a full run-through. Cut slides rather than speak faster.
- Rehearse in front of one person who will interrupt you.
- Record yourself once. Watch for filler words and slides you read out.
- Prepare a printed or sent version that works without you.
Practise with the slides closed. If you can only talk when reading them, they hold too much text.
Handle questions
The Bank notes that weak answers to questions are a common pitfall, and how you respond matters as much as what you say. Prepare for three groups.
- Numbers: Where does this forecast come from? What happens if sales are lower? Keep a one-page list of assumptions.
- Risk: What could go wrong? Name two risks and your response to each.
- People: Why you, and who else is involved?
If you do not know, say so and promise a date for the answer. Then send it. Guessing damages trust more than a gap does.
After the pitch
Send a short thank-you within a day with the deck and any evidence promised. Note every question you struggled with and improve that slide. If you are turned down, ask what would have changed the answer.
Next, see how to improve your website's conversion rate to strengthen the traction slide, and the one-page growth plan to back up your forecasts. Browse the business hub and the guides library for more. Interview skills overlap with pitching, so the careers section may help too.
This is general information, not financial advice. Funding terms change, so check current details with the provider.
Free tools for this
- Conversion rate calculator — Your conversion rate and the £ value of improving it.
- Website conversion checklist — Tick 24 checks, get a score and a prioritised fix list.
- Pitch outline generator — Six answers in, a slide-by-slide pitch outline with speaker notes out.
- Elevator pitch generator — Three 30-second pitches for you or your business.
Sources
- How to pitch to an investor - British Business Bank
- Angel investment checklist - British Business Bank
- A brief guide to Start Up Loans
General information only. Check details with your school, exam board, employer or adviser.