Tips

The Startup Tools

Here you will find some tools for making it all somewhat easier. You are not the first one to struggle with similar issues. Then is just easier to listen what others have find out about their mistakes and successes and take all the best things.

According to Sami Etula:

“A pitch is a tool that allows companies to solidify what they do and where they are headed to. This is extremely useful not only for companies themselves but also their partners, clients and potential funders. A pitch contains all the essentials.”

“Pitching embodies the ability of the presenter to consider who sits in the audience and to fuel their interest about the topic at hand. At his/her best, the presenter arouses excitement in all listeners leading to a captivating conversation.”

Sounds easy, but the truth is that even after juggling with excel sheets and different analysis beforehand, you still need to work on each slide for one or two days. It’s easy to talk for long, but it’s difficult to capture the essence. A good pitch works in sales situations, when recruiting and when looking for funding. In fact, it works in any situation when asked “What does your company do?”.

Sami Etula

Sami Etula’s tips for a good 2-3 minute pitch, that covers a topic to be discussed for hours.

A good pitch is clear and easily understood by your friend working in a completely different field. It has a solid structure allowing easy comprehension. Remember that all investors are familiar with the structure and format, so they expect a certain storyline.

1. ATTENTION CATCHER – A GOOD PITCH

A good pitch starts with an attention catching slide that consists of the name of your company and an explanation of what your company does in just one sentence. This is a slide that the entire audience will pay attention to. If they find it interesting, you’ll have their attention.

2. PROBLEM

Defining the problem is the hardest and most challenging but by far the most important part. You need to ask: Who is facing the problem? When does it occur? How big and what exactly is it? A good problem is concrete, understandable, and gets a bit under the audience’s skin.

3. SOLUTION

Each solution can be explained with one slide. Far too often I see pitches with 8/10 slides describing all the details of the product or service. They are not important in your pitch but telling how the problem is solved is vital.

4. MARKET POTENTIAL

A map is the best way to display the market potential. At the same time, you can tell when and in which markets your company will be launching. When speaking about market potential remember that there are several subsets, such as the TAM-SAM-SOM division.

5. REVENUE MODEL – FINANCES

When you’ve convinced your audience about the potential, assure them of a profitable revenue model. There are tens of models, but a good revenue model stands out from the others and delivers a competitive advantage. The most important part to know about finances is when you’ll break even – is it now or in five years?

6. COMPETITORS

There is ALWAYS a competing alternative for each solution that is solving an existing problem. You can identify your competitors with a table or a graph. It’s good to have broader information available, but only include the most important parts in your pitch. Explain how you stand out from your competitors and what makes you better than them. Remember that often your most distinctive features are not in your technique, qualities or technology.

7. TEAM

Everything comes down to your team. You need to state who you are, why you are the best, and why you are going to smash it. An A-class team can carry out a B-class idea but not the other way around. Remember that holdings are public information in Finland and important to investors. 

Partner companies are not a part of your team.

8. RESULTS

Up until now everything has been all talk and tooting your own horn. It’s time to show that your team can actually deliver results. List your achievements and impress the doubters.

9. NEED

Finish by explaining why you presented your idea to this specific audience and what exactly do you want from them – they’ll already be queueing up at your stand. In a presentation made for investors, it’s good to tell how much money you’re asking for, how much is the company worth, for what do you need the investors’ expertise and which contacts you wish to make use of. If your presentation is for clients, you can throw a customised offer or propose a partnership. A presentation without a clear proposal is a waste of their and your own time.

10. END PAGE

This slide will be shown to the audience for the longest. Think of the most important message you want to communicate. You can end your pitch with the previous slide or make a summary that includes the name of your company, your own name and contact details.

Read more (In Finnish): http://etula.fi/sijoittaminen/hyva-pitch-nain-rakennat-hyvan-pitch-esityksen/

Elevator Pitch 20-30 seconds

Tomi Kaukinen

Tomi Kaukinen is a serial entrepreneur and a speaker (finalist as a “Storyteller of the year” 2020 to be awarded in August). He currently runs his blog Licence to Fail (in Finnish), which deals with different aspects of start-up funding and problems founders face. 

In 2020 he also launched an extensive investigation on the Finnish Venture Capital scene with interviews with for example Riku Asikainen: https://youtu.be/zcBYAZgKcxI

An elevator pitch is a compelling 20-30 second presentation about you and/or your business. The term “elevator pitch” refers to the amount of time you have to pitch your business idea to the person next to you before the elevator reaches the top floor.

You always need to have an elevator pitch ready because you never know who you’re going to meet on the street, in a bar, or even in an elevator. It’s the fastest way to convincingly summarise who you are and what your business idea is.

An elevator pitch needs to be structured and customised to maximise the time you have with each listener. A strong intro, a solid story of yourself, then the hook, shake hands and strike a deal.

An elevator pitch consists of four key points: Interest, Praise, Hook and Question.

  1. Interest: Arouse interest with an attention catching intro. (3-5 seconds.)
  2. Praise: Why are you the best? Show, don’t tell. Use examples. (10-15 seconds.)
  3. Hook: What are you offering? (3-5 seconds.)
  4. Question: Ask for contact details, for a meeting etc. (3-5 seconds.)

Read more (In Finnish): https://licenceto.fail/hissipuhe/

Licence to Fail – Tomi Kaukinen shares his tools for funding:

What do you need to know about funding?

How to set up a financing round: https://licenceto.fail/mita-tapahtuu-start-upin-rahoituskierroksessa/

If you are struggling with your pitch deck, here is the ultimate guide for that: https://youtu.be/lwpMQLiK5u0

Everything you want to know about valuation (In Finnish): https://licenceto.fail/kaikki-mita-haluat-tietaa-start-up-valuaatiosta/

Everything you want to know about VC’s (in Finnish): https://licenceto.fail/vc/

The Success Matrix by Sami Etula
(A Success Matrix – The team building tool)

The success matrix presented below can be used to evaluate the team of a startup. It’s not a tracking method, but instead a tool to analyse whether your company has a profitable network and enough knowledge. In other words: Do you have the right people to be successful?

The required skills for a team are determined by the company’s vision. Does your team reflect the goals of your company? What are your goals? What kind of skills do you need to achieve them?

  1. In this case, your company’s vision is a CONCRETE goal to be reached in 3-5 years.
  2. Define 5-7 soft skills your company needs to reach the goal. For example, negotiating skills, social skills, and presenting skills.
  3. Define 5-7 hard skills your company needs to reach the goal. These are usually something that you can learn in school. For example, construction engineering, linear optimisation, and tying flowers.
  4. Write down your company’s owners, employees, advisors and board members.
  5. Evaluate each person from -3 to +3 regarding how much knowledge s/he has over each identified skill. This can also be done as a peer review.
  6. Calculate the pluses and minuses of each person. You’ll see what added value they bring to the company.
  7. Calculate the pluses and minuses of each identified skill. You’ll see what your company’s strengths are and in which areas you need more resources.
  8. Find people who are motivated and fill in your knowledge gaps – Make them a part of your team!

WILL X KNOW-HOW X COURAGE = SUCCESS

Evaluate all following points from 0 to 3 and multiple the results.

Will is deliberate desire. Desire to work on your idea and company tirelessly, regardless of whether you have the skills or not.

Know-How is knowledge, skills, experiences, and contacts. The team of a successful company knows what it takes to stay ahead of the game. 

Courage is to be different and dare to think differently whilst ignoring fear, pain, difficulties, danger, insecurities, and results.

NORDIC GUIDE TO FINDING AN ANGEL INVESTMENT: https://www.fiban.org/guide.html

Tahko Ski Lift Pitch PITCH DECK

The SLP growth community provides tools for startups to use freely. For example, this deck can be used while creating a 3-minute pitch for the Tahko SLP competition.

Tahko SLP 2023 I Pitch deck templateDownload
Tahko SLP 2023 I Pitch deck template_in EnglishDownload

Microkatu 1, M-osa
70210 Kuopio

Audra Shallal, Vice President of Corenvest; EBAN

The process of raising money for a business venture begins with a great pitch. The « elevator pitch » is an extremely concise presentation of an entrepreneur's idea, business model, company solution, competitiveness and marketing strategy delivered to potential investors. The workshop, conducted by a seasoned entrepreneur/business angel and an expert in Pitch Coaching, will highlight some of the key steps involved in presenting an effective pitch and will provide attendees with inspiration, effective tools, and increased awareness of the challenge of entrepreneurship in today’s highly competitive business environment.

CONTENT:
x The construction of a powerful one-minute pitch.
x Identification of Key Elements investors require in a 10-minute presentation.
x The process of Fine-Tuning Investor Ready Skills to pitch to investors in the marketplace, engaging them to want to know more about your project and the potential of being interested in possibly investing in your company.

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Sointu Borg on puhuja, yrittäjä, ekonomi sekä media- ja somepersoona. Isomman yleisön tietoisuuteen hän nousi voitettuaan realityformaatti Diilin vuonna 2021. Soinnun rajoja rikkova ja räiskyvä asenne hakee vertaistaan! Terävä, sensuroimaton ja huumorilla höystetty ulosanti kuuluvat naisen tavaramerkkeihin.Sointu kuuluu tällä hetkellä Suomen kysytyimpiin ja mielipiteitä herättävimpiin henkilöbrändeihin. Hän omaa runsaasti kokemusta juontamisesta, kameran edessä työskentelystä, puhumisesta sekä
esiintymisestä.

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Join us for an insightful presentation on the important role of teamwork in fostering intellectual property (IP) within growth companies and startups. This session will look at how different roles - from technical to creative to business strategists - each contribute uniquely to IP creation. How technical experts innovate with unique technologies and software, creatives enhance branding and design, and strategists develop game-changing business models and trade secrets. The focus will be on the synergy between these diverse roles and how their collaboration is key to building rich and powerful IP assets. This presentation aims to inspire companies to unlock the full potential of their teams, driving IP success and fostering business growth.

Suvi Julin, Lawyer, Patent Attorney, European Trademark and Design Attorney

Suvi has wide-ranging experience in the field of intellectual property and technology law. She advises clients on a variety of contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters including trademarks, designs and patents as well as in copyright, contractual, employee invention and privacy matters.

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Elias Aalto is one of the founders and the original product lead of Wolt. He's also a co-founder of Qvik – a digital agency that has grown organically to over 120 experts. Prior to them, he designed and developed early games on the iOS, claiming the first Apple Design Award in the Nordics for his game Wooden Labyrinth 3D.

After exiting Wolt, Elias has concentrated on bringing up his daughters and dabbling in angel investing. Recently he joined Shark Tank Finland as one of the sharks on the show.

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Join us at the Kuopio Health Side event @Tahko SLP - where health meets innovation, and opportunities abound! Kuopio Health side event is aimed at investors, startups, entrepreneurs, R2B teams, and of course ecosystem members. The event offers a unique opportunity for networking and making new contacts with actors in the same field. Sit down with investors or exchange ideas with other attendees and hear what's new in the industry.

Side event is open4all, but requires registration: Kuopio Health side event @Tahko SLP - Kuopio Health

 

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Juho Pesonen is a professor of tourism business and deputy head of the department at University of Eastern Finland Business School. He is a member of the Tourism Business research group and the director of the International Master’s Degree Programme in Tourism Marketing and Management. Prof. Pesonen completed his Ph.D. in marketing at University of Eastern Finland, focusing on market segmentation in rural tourism. Now his research focuses on understanding how tourism businesses can survive and thrive in the digital and sustainability transformations. Prof. Pesonen also has the title of Adjunct Professor of digital marketing at University of Turku. He has widely published his research in dozens of peer-reviewed academic journals and has edited several books in the tourism field. He also holds several board positions in companies and associations.

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Ohjelma:

12.00 Tervetuloa!
Antti-Jussi Pitkälä, puheenjohtaja, Kuopion alueen kauppakamarin kauppa-, matkailu- ja palveluvaliokunta

12.05 Kasvua kansainvälisestä matkailusta – Markkinat, yhteistyö ja myynti
Heli Saari, Area Manager, Visit Finland

12.25 Pohjois-Savon Matkailu Oy – Maakunnallinen yhteistyö kilpailuetuna
Pekka Vihma, hallituksen puheenjohtaja, Pohjois-Savon Matkailu Oy

12.55 Navitas Yrityspalvelut – TBC
13.10 TBC

13.25 Data kansainvälisen matkailun vauhdittajana
Juho Pesonen, matkailuliiketoiminnan professori, Itä-Suomen Yliopisto

13.40 Kestävä matkailu – Kulttuuriperintömatkailu kansainvälisenä vetovoimatekijänä
Kirsi Piirainen, projektipäällikkö, Iisalmen kaupunki

13.55 Loppuyhteenveto
Antti-Jussi Pitkälä, puheenjohtaja, Kuopion alueen kauppakamarin kauppa-, matkailu- ja palveluvaliokunta

14.00 Tilaisuus päättyy.

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14.30 Welcome!

14.35 Orion - A short description of the phenomenon

14.40 Pitch 1

14.50 Pitch 2

15.00 Pitch 3

15.10 Pitch 4

15.15 Closing words

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13.30 Welcome!

13.35 Kemira - A short description of the phenomenon

13.40 Pitch 1

13.50 Pitch 2

14.00 Pitch 3

14.10 Pitch 4

14.15 Closing words

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Ennakoinnin, markkinatuntemuksen ja käyttäytymisen muutosten ymmärtäminen ovat avainasemassa, kun innovaatiotoimintaan integroidaan sidosryhmiä, uusia teknologioita, käyttäjälähtöistä suunnittelua, datavetoisia tuotteita ja palveluita sekä asiakaskeskeistä strategiaa kestävän kasvun tavoittelemiseksi. Lähestymistapa edellyttää poikkitieteellistä osaamista ja kykyä hyödyntää eri alojen mahdollisuuksia, jotta voidaan kehittää innovaatioita, jotka vastaavat asiakkaiden tarpeisiin ympäristöä ja yhteiskunnallista vastuuta kunnioittaen.

Innovation Practitioners Communityn Antero Kivikoski ja Janne Pulkkinen johdattavat osallistujat tämän hetken keskeisimpiin kysymyksiin innovaatiojohtamisen saralla. Käytännönläheiset esimerkit ja monikulmainen keskustelu tarjoavat tuoreita näkökulmia oman toiminnan kehittämiseen.

Ohjelmassa:
klo 8.45 Kahvit ja verkostoitumista.
klo 9.00 Avauspuheenvuoro – Kuopion alueen kauppakamari ja Itä-Suomen yliopisto
klo 9.10 Innovaatiojohtamisen uusi aika – Innovation Practitioners Community ry Janne Pulkkinen ja Antero Kivikoski
klo 10.50 Päätöspuheenvuoro – Itä-Suomen yliopisto vaikuttavuusjohtaja Minna Hendolin
klo 11.00 Tilaisuus päättyy – Kuopion alueen kauppakamari

Tilaisuus on maksuton ja avoin kaikille aiheesta kiinnostuneille. Workshop on osa Kuopion alueen kauppakamarin Pohjois-Savon elinkeinoelämän TKI-toimintaympäristöselvitys -hanketta (A91005, Etelä-Savon ELY-keskus).

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How to Rock Your IPO  - Everything You Need to Know about going public

Join us for an insightful conversation with Päivi Pakarinen from EY and Minna Korpi from Nasdaq and learn about the benefits, criteria, challenges, and
preparation of going public. Going public is a major milestone in companies growth path, but it also involves a complex and rigorous process that requires careful planning and execution. If you are interested in learning more about the IPO journey, you are invited to join us for a fireside chat with two experts who will share their insights and experiences on this topic.

  • You will hear from Päivi Pakarinen, IPO Leader at EY Advisory, and Minna Korpi, Director in Listings at Nasdaq Nordic, who will explain the key steps and best practices of going public in the Nordic markets. In this fireside chat, they will discuss the advantages, requirements, challenges, and preparation of the IPO process.
  • Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from Päivi and Minna, who are both experts in the field of IPOs. They will share their knowledge and tips on how to prepare for and execute a successful public offering.
  • The fireside chat will be held in Finnish

Kuinka menestyä IPO:ssa – kaikki mitä sinun tarvitsee tietää listautumisesta pörssiin Tervetuloa mukaan mielenkiintoiseen ja ajatuksia herättävään keskusteluun EY:n Päivi Pakarisen ja Nasdaqin Minna Korven kanssa ja opi listautumisen hyödyistä, kriteereistä, haasteista sekä valmistautumisesta.
Listautuminen pörssiin on merkittävä virstanpylväs yritysten kasvupolulla, mutta se on myös monitahoinen ja tiukka prosessi, joka vaatii huolellista suunnittelua ja toteutusta. Jos olet kiinnostunut oppimaan lisää IPO-matkasta, tervetuloa kuuntelemaan kahden asiantuntijan näkemyksiä ja kokemuksia aiheesta.

  • Kuulet Päivi Pakarisen, EY:n listautumispalveluista vastaavan partnerin, ja Nasdaq Nordicin asiakkuusjohtaja Minna Korven ajatuksia pörssilistauksen tärkeimmistä vaiheista ja parhaista käytännöistä. Keskustelussa he keskustelevat listautumisprosessin eduista, vaatimuksista, yhtiöiden arvostuksesta, haasteista ja valmistelusta.

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Student track idea contest is a great opportunity for students and their early-stage business concepts to get sparring and coaching for their business ideas. Top cases will pitch in the final, which will be held in Hophaus Tahkovuori. The best contestants will be rewarded. More about Student track idea contest.

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