Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
Should pitch decks be created in-house or with external design help?
Most members take a hybrid approach depending on the deck's purpose and how frequently it needs updating. **In-house creation** works well for sales decks that change often, giving you full control and flexibility. **External design support** is worth considering for investment pitches (SEIS/EIS), where visual polish matters to investors. Members recommend: - **Beautiful AI** — praised for making decks look polished - **Canva** — members noted it's a great option for creating professional-looking slides - **Freelance designers** — several members worked with external designers to handle the visual design while keeping core content control **Albatrans** was mentioned as helpful for template work. The consensus: write the core content yourself (you understand the narrative best), but consider bringing in a designer for investor-facing decks where presentation quality directly affects credibility.
What are the best practices for structuring investor communications, ticket sizes, and closing timelines during a fundraising round?
Fundraising requires treating investment like a sales pipeline: confirm ticket size early, set clear minimums, and move fast on documentation. Here's what the community does: **Establish ticket size expectations early** — Ask prospective investors "If you were to invest, what is your normal ticket size?" at the end of your first conversation. This filters out time-consuming small-cheque conversations early and lets you focus energy on serious prospects. **Set a minimum ticket in your deck** — Most members use a £10k+ minimum (e.g., "our minimum ticket is £10k, how does that work for you?"). This closes the funnel quickly, though you may occasionally miss smaller cheques from valuable strategic investors. The trade-off is worth it for focus. **Frame ownership, not just price** — Market the investment as percentage ownership post-money. For example: "£10k = 1% ownership, £25k = 2.5%, £50k = 5%, £100k = 10%." This is a stronger sales frame than absolute numbers. **Execute documents immediately after commitment** — Close the documentation loop as soon as an investor says yes. Members warn that the "investor high" fades fast; chasing signatures weeks later is painful. Money in bank is the only win. **Keep pledged investors warm during the raise** — Raises take longer than expected. Update early commitments regularly so circumstances don't change and investors fall off before close. Treat it as an active sales pipeline, not a done deal. **Don't lose the business in the raise** — Fundraising is consuming and easy to let dominate. Ring-fence time to keep the core business running; growth during a raise shows investors traction and reduces distraction cost.