Kirk Rice Blog

Preparing Your Business for Investment: An Expert’s Advice for FoundersWritten on June 22, 2026 by Kirk Rice LLP

People often come to us with great business ideas but aren’t sure how to make them an attractive opportunity to investors. A common scenario we hear is: 

• I’ve had a great idea for a company. 
• I’ve considered funding options.  
• I’ve realised I need third party investment.  
• But I don’t know how to set myself up for investment success.  

We’ve worked with many companies in many sectors. Based on our experience, we’ve put together a short guide to the basics of getting investor ready. 

Details matter: a useful thought experiment

Imagine you’re pitching a holiday to friends. You suggest a country and a vague time of when to go. You pitch an itinerary, but you haven’t checked transport at all.  

Another of your friends pitches a holiday too. They’ve researched flight times, hotels, specific activities, potential costs and a range of dates.  

Suddenly your friends aren’t discussing your idea anymore. 

The same is true when attracting investment. Details matter. So, how do you make sure you’re set up to bag that investment?  

Investor pitch 101: Presenting yourself as a business, not just an idea

Going to a pitch meeting without any financial information is an unlikely recipe for success, no matter how compelling your idea is.  

Investors aren’t a charity; they are looking for a return on their investment (ROI). Financial information needs to be part of your presentation, and you need to be able to show the business side has been carefully considered.  

How should you prepare for an investor pitch?

Forecasts and budgets: show the best estimate of the company’s potential as well as how much funding it requires. It’s important that the numbers within are backed up with evidence and show your workings. For example, if you’re looking to rent an office, show how much this would cost and when you would need to pay. 

Estimated sales for an investment pitch need to be pitched carefully and realistically: 

• Overly conservative sales estimates may make your business look unappealing: Slow sales uptake may suggest you do not have confidence in your own project, and the investor might consider turning down your project for better returns elsewhere. 
• Too ambitious sales estimates may make you look like you have poor judgement: An investor may question the validity of the numbers and therefore the rest of your pitch. 

Tax incentives can be the key to making your company an attractive investment. You need to make sure that your business is tax efficient.  

Tax efficiencies like these could mean a few things to an investor:  Firstly, it shows you have been thorough in your research into setting up a company. Secondly, these reliefs mean they may need to invest less and therefore the investment risk to them is lowered.  

Investor incentives such as Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) allow investors to take additional deductions on their tax return. If your business can qualify for these, it may look less risky and more appealing to any potential investor. You should, if applicable, apply to pre-certify (known to HMRC as “advance assurance”) yourself under these schemes. A tax professional could help you identify if you qualify for them. 

Know the basics. Investors often invest in shares in a company, so you’ll need to know what this means for you.  

You’ll need to keep books and records, you may need to register for VAT, you’ll need to submit accounts on a yearly basis.  

Once a company is up and running, changing processes and systems becomes harder. For example, changing share capital rights is much harder once an investor owns the shares. It’s also tricky to change your bookkeeping system once an existing, but sub-optimal system is in use. Therefore, it’s key to get this right at the start. 

Expert support early on can set you up for success

Our advice to anyone looking for investment for their business would be to establish a relationship with an accountant early on.  

A professional business accountant can help you understand exactly what you need to do, giving you a better chance of getting the investors you want further down the line. 

They can help you review forecasts and ensure when presenting you show that you are knowledgeable about the reliefs available to you and your investors.  

Do this and you’ll be one step closer to making your idea real, and who knows maybe it’ll be your holiday that gets chosen? 

If you would like accountancy support in getting investor ready, get in touch: info@kirkrice.co.uk  

Please note: This article is correct as at the publication date. It is intended for general information only and does not constitute tax, financial or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change in the future.