A virtual data room is a cloud service specifically designed to secure the storing and sharing of confidential business information. They are usually used for due diligence in mergers and purchases, but they can also be utilized for fundraising, IPOs or legal proceedings, as well as any other venture that requires secure distribution of sensitive data.
During due diligence, the buyer is required to review the relevant documentation in order to evaluate the company’s worth. The process was carried out in a physical space, but now it is conducted online through virtual data rooms. This makes the process quicker and less expensive for both parties because they don’t need to travel to review documents.
To ensure that potential buyers can quickly find the information they need it is important to organize your data in a simple and logical manner. Create folders that are able to reflect the content of each document and clearly label them. This will make it easier for buyers to identify the information they require and answer any questions that might arise.
Make use of your data room to highlight important metrics and tell a compelling story. Investors are likely to be looking through hundreds or even thousands of slides that contain rich data, and they’ll want to know that the data is in line with the overall investment premise. Avoid sharing a fragmented presentation or unorthodox analyses that don’t add value. Showing only a portion of your profit and loss statements isn’t helpful. Instead, you should show the whole statement.