How to Prepare the Perfect Pitch for Your High School Business? Here are 8 Stellar Tips

As a high schooler interested in entrepreneurship and how businesses start and grow, one of the first things you’ll need to learn is what a business pitch is. A business pitch is a brief, persuasive presentation where you explain your business idea, its value, and why it deserves support. A pitch usually aims to attract investors, secure a partnership, or gain entry into an innovation competition. 

Unlike a formal business plan, which can be lengthy and detailed, a pitch is typically concise and designed to capture attention quickly. Whether given in person, in writing, or via a slideshow, a successful pitch conveys the essence of your business in a compelling way.

What are the key components of a business pitch?

A strong business pitch has three core elements:

• The hook: A powerful introduction that hooks your audience’s attention immediately.

• The line: A clear definition of the problem your business addresses and how your solution is unique. Highlight key aspects of your business model, including target market, competitive advantage, and revenue streams.

• The sinker: A robust closure with a clear call-to-action, such as asking for investment or partnership. Every component needs to be clear, concise, and tailored to the audience's expectations.

Why does a business pitch matter in high school?

While a business pitch is, naturally, meant for businesses and entrepreneurs, it is still a valuable thing to learn for high school students. A well-prepared pitch can be an asset if you’re seeking investments for a competition, mentorship for a major project, or even in business case competitions. It demonstrates that you’ve thought critically about your business or your idea, shows that you understand its value, and provides a cohesive structure for communicating your passion. 

In competitions, a strong pitch can influence judges' perceptions and can distinguish your idea from others. With investors, it shows you're serious and capable of thinking like a businessperson. A solid pitch also builds your confidence, equipping you to present and defend your ideas effectively.

8 tips to help you build a solid pitch

1. Know your audience

If you want to create a pitch that resonates with your audience, you need to know what they want. Consider what motivates them—investors may prioritize potential returns, while judges in a competition might look for innovation and social impact. Research who they are and what they care about. For example, if you’re pitching to environmentally conscious investors, emphasize your business's sustainable practices. Tailoring your language, examples, and goals based on audience interests can make a significant difference in capturing attention and establishing relevance.

2. Do your market research thoroughly

Market research provides the data to back up your pitch, showing that your idea fills a real need. This could be primary research, like surveys and interviews, to understand your potential customers, or it could be secondary research, utilizing reports on industry trends. Presenting concrete statistics—like market size or customer demand—makes your pitch more credible. Sites like Statista and Pew Research are good sources of reliable statistics.

3. Craft a compelling story

People remember stories more than data points. Narrate how you discovered the problem you’re solving and your motivation for addressing it. For example, if you’re creating an app to help students organize schoolwork, share a personal story about struggling with assignments. This approach personalizes your pitch, making it relatable and memorable. Harvard Business Review offers insights on the power of storytelling in business pitches here.

4. Highlight the Unique Value Proposition

Your unique value proposition (UVP) is what sets your business apart from competitors. It is your core differentiator and is (or should be) the fundamental basis for what makes your idea viable. For instance, if your business is a plant-based snack company, emphasize health benefits and ethical sourcing if they’re unique compared to similar brands. A strong UVP convinces your audience that your idea isn’t just another version of what’s already out there.

5. Cultivate a consumer-first mindset

While features are the tangible aspects of your product, your pitch should focus on the actual benefits those features will offer your consumers. For example, instead of saying, “Our app has real-time notifications,” emphasize the benefit by saying, “Our app helps students stay organized without missing deadlines.” The benefit-centric approach highlights your product’s impact, making it more attractive to both customers and investors. Not only does this mindset make a better first impression, but it also makes you think more critically about your own offering and its value.

6. Be prepared for questions

Anticipating questions is an essential part of a pitch. Think about possible concerns investors or judges might have about your business model, market strategy, or revenue projections. Practicing answers beforehand makes you appear confident and well-prepared. For example, if your business is new, be ready to discuss your plan for customer acquisition. Practice responses with friends or mentors who can simulate real questions. The Lean Startup Methodology can provide useful tips for answering common startup-related questions.

7. Use visuals wisely

Visuals, like slides, charts, and infographics, can simplify complex ideas. They should enhance, not overwhelm, your message. If your pitch includes financial projections, consider using graphs to make the data more digestible. For product-based businesses, images or short demo videos can give your audience a better understanding. Platforms like Canva offer easy-to-use templates for creating professional visuals. Just make sure each visual adds value to your pitch and isn’t cluttered with excessive information.

8. Practice!

Practice is key to a confident, polished pitch. Rehearse multiple times—preferably with an audience that can give constructive feedback. Pay attention to pacing, eye contact, and tone. Practicing also helps reduce filler words, like “um” and “like,” which can make a pitch sound less professional. Recording yourself can help you identify areas for improvement. If you want to be even more prepared, consider reading TED’s guide to public speaking for tips on delivering a compelling, polished presentation.

Another option—Young Founders Lab

The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.

Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more.

The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.

You can access the application link here!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.