Kevin Geiger and Dr. Steven Gedeon

Kevin Geiger has two decades of experience in the animation industry. He has worked with Disney creating digital characters for movies like “Reign of Fire” and “Chicken Little”. In 2009 he cofounded Magic Dumpling Entertainment, showing that he can take Chinese content to global markets he later returned to Disney in 2012.


According to Kevin, a few key factors investors are looking for an a business plan include:

• How are the investors going to make their money back?

• Prepare a cash flow projection

• Create a business plan presentation for investors

• Select development and advisory teams.



Steven Gedeon is a professor in Entrepreneurship & Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management. He holds a MBA and a PhD from MIT. He has won numerous teaching awards and is the director of the Ryerson Entrepreneur Institute, which is Canada’s only student run entrepreneurship centre.

Steven’s view on a business plan is: The most important component is the executive summary and what are the qualification of the management team, the overall business idea and the financials. The key element to a successful business plan is does it have creditability and is their a guide to action.


The two views show that it is very important to let investors know why you need them to invest, how you will create a cash flow, and what they should expect for their return of investment. These are key points that need to be addressed in the beginning of the business plan. It highlights for a potential investor all the key points so they can make the decision if they want to continue reading. You want to be direct and to the point in your plan less fluff and more precise information and accountable numbers. Being prepared with a presentation will also impress a future investor and providing a sample of your item or service will give them a great idea exactly what they potentially will invest in.