A presentation to potential investors in your business -- to family, friends, or angels -- should include most of these elements.

Typically at a venture-capital forum, you have about 10 minutes to cover the topics listed below. VCs in particular love the nitty-gritty details of how, say, you plan to grow 200% in two years. But any presentation to investors --whether to family, friends, or angel groups -- should include most of these elements:

• Opening
• Benefit statement of what you do
• Problem and solution
• Market size and opportunity
• You and the team
• Revenue model and financial projections
• Competition
• Milestones to date (partnerships, customers, revenue, product development, investment)
• Milestones for the future
• Use of funds
• Exit strategy
• Close and call to action