Securing investment can transform the pace of your growth, but capital only flows to businesses that can prove they are ready to deploy it responsibly. Brisbane investors expect a well-run operation with momentum, clean governance, and a clear funding plan.
This seven-point investment readiness checklist mirrors the roadmap we use inside the InvestReady Program. Work through each step and note where you still need evidence, documentation, or expert support.
1. Clarify a Scalable Business Model
Be explicit about how revenue grows faster than cost. Show how new investment accelerates customer acquisition, product delivery, or expansion into adjacent markets without disproportionately lifting operating expenses.
Investor expectation: a one-page model that explains revenue streams, unit economics, and the milestones capital will unlock.
2. Present Clean, Forward-Looking Financials
Investors need current management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), historical performance, and a forecast that maps funding to growth outcomes. The forecast must reconcile to your cash runway and demonstrate sensitivity testing.
Weekly rhythm: schedule a finance review every Friday to update actuals, confirm debtor receipts, and adjust the forecast before presenting it to potential investors.
3. Prove You Understand the Market
Show that you know your ideal customer, their lifetime value, buying triggers, and the competitive landscape. Investors look for differentiated positioning supported by research, customer interviews, and traction metrics.
Bring to the table: a clear market size calculation (TAM/SAM/SOM), competitor matrix, and proof of how you win deals today.
4. Demonstrate a Capable Leadership Team
A compelling team slide highlights previous execution wins, complementary skill sets, and the governance cadence you already follow. Call out any strategic gaps and how investment will help you hire to fill them.
5. Evidence Customer Traction
Traction reduces perceived risk. Share cohort retention, revenue growth, pilot results, testimonials, or signed letters of intent. Highlight leading indicators (pipeline velocity, activation rates) not just lagging revenue figures.
6. Tighten Legal and Governance Foundations
Before due diligence starts, ensure your cap table, shareholders agreement, IP assignments, key contracts, and compliance obligations are current. A clean data room sends a powerful signal about how you run the business.
7. Articulate the Investment Ask and Use of Funds
Be precise about how much capital you want, the valuation you are targeting, and what milestones that investment funds. Break the ask into deployment buckets (team, product, go-to-market, working capital) tied to measurable outcomes.
Work through these seven steps and you will build investor confidence while strengthening your company even if you decide not to raise. Prepared founders move faster when the right opportunity appears.
30-Day Investment Readiness Sprint
- - Audit your financial statements and build a 24-month forecast with cash runway scenarios.
- - Map customer proof points (case studies, metrics, testimonials) into a shared data room.
- - Review governance documents with your advisor and close any gaps before due diligence begins.
- - Refresh your pitch narrative: problem, traction, model, funding plan, and ask.
- - Schedule a workshop session with the JSB team to stress-test your assumptions.
Thinking about raising capital for your business?
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