Capturing plans
Capturing plans
A key advantage of using technology is that we don’t have to be rigid in how we allow the entrepreneur to upload information only because investors want it that way. We can translate their knowledge into a standardized format that is easily accessible to investors.
So I have spent most of the last week worrying about what the entrepreneur will see when he comes online to upload his business plan. To start with, I went back into the documents to see what entrepreneurs are really good at. Three things struck me: the story, the operations, and the connections.
We want to build on those strengths! Based on this realization, and the need to find a way to deal with the various requirements of different industries and stages, we came up with a template we think most entrepreneurs in
A very rough depiction of what can be expected is featured in the pic. Both optically and operationally, this design places the uninterrupted story at the centre of the upload. To make identification of the data entered easier, the entrepreneur will also be encouraged (though mostly not required) to enter information into pre-formatted pop-up boxes, which make it easy to enter data-heavy parts of the plan.
The Content is structured so the pop-up’s are relevant to the story currently being entered. We will be working toward a scenario in which the entrepreneur is automatically reminded to enter this information as he enters relevant text into his story (“1956” would for instance prompt a Timeline reminder).
We are currently finalizing the content. It will take a lot of testing to come up with something final. In the meantime I would appreciate your feeback on the idea. How can we improve the entry experience for the entrepreneur? What would make the information entered more reliable? How can it be made more investor-centric without impacting on the entrepreneur?
This is only a temporary solution in a never-ending quest to find the best solution for users. We are currently working on building a team that can deliver the next generation of upload forms, which are not at all form based and far more helpful than the current options we have. Possible partners in this endeavor include technology partners, business schools and further social enterprise experts. If you feel you can contribute, please contact us! More information on this topic will come online soon.
Andre