As a partner in an investment firm considering a $1 million investment in your business

I would ask a series of questions to evaluate the potential for a strong return on investment (ROI) and to minimize risk. Here are some key areas I'd cover:

### 1. *Business Model & Value Proposition*

   - *What is your core business model?* (How does your business make money?)

   - *What is the unique value proposition?* (What differentiates you from competitors?)

   - *Who is your target market, and how large is the market?* (Is there sufficient demand for your product/service?)

### 2. *Financial Performance*

   - *What is your current revenue, profitability, and cash flow status?* (Are you currently profitable? If not, when do you expect to be?)

   - *What are your key financial metrics?* (Profit margins, customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, etc.)

   - *What are the projections for revenue and profit over the next 3-5 years?* (What’s your financial growth plan?)

### 3. *Investment Purpose & Use of Funds*

   - *How exactly will you use the $1 million investment?* (Will it go towards operations, expansion, marketing, product development, etc.?)

   - *What milestones or objectives do you plan to achieve with this capital?* (What measurable results can we expect from the investment?)

### 4. *Market & Competitive Analysis*

   - *Who are your main competitors?* (How do you compare in terms of market share, pricing, quality, etc.?)

   - *What are the main risks in your industry or market?* (Technological changes, regulation, market saturation, etc.)

   - *How do you plan to mitigate competitive pressures?* (Do you have IP, exclusive contracts, or other competitive advantages?)

### 5. *Customer & Sales Strategy*

   - *Who are your key customers, and what is your customer acquisition strategy?* (How do you attract and retain clients?)

   - *What’s your sales strategy?* (Direct sales, partnerships, online channels, etc.)

   - *What is your customer churn rate, and how do you improve retention?*

### 6. *Leadership & Team*

   - *Who is on your leadership team, and what are their qualifications?* (Do you have a solid management team to drive growth?)

   - *How do you plan to scale the team as the business grows?*

### 7. *Exit Strategy & ROI*

   - *What is the expected return on investment, and over what time frame?* (When do you project investors will see returns, and how much?)

   - *What is your exit strategy?* (Do you plan for an acquisition, IPO, or other exit within a certain time period?)

   - *What financial controls and governance will you have in place to ensure accountability?*

### 8. *Risks and Challenges*

   - *What are the biggest risks facing the business, and how will you address them?* (e.g., operational risks, market risks, legal risks)

   - *Have you had any major setbacks in the past, and how did you overcome them?* 

### 9. *Past Performance & Growth*

   - *How has your business performed over the past few years?* (Revenue growth, customer growth, market expansion)

   - *Have you raised capital before, and what were the results?* (How were previous funds used, and did they generate growth?)

### 10. *Partnership & Governance*

   - *What role do you expect the investment firm to play beyond providing capital?* (Do you want advice, mentorship, networking, etc.?)

   - *How will decisions be made post-investment?* (Board involvement, reporting structure, investor updates, etc.)

   - *What is your commitment to transparency and governance?* (How often will you report financial and operational results to investors?)

These questions aim to uncover the potential for a successful investment while assessing your readiness and strategic vision for scaling the business. The answers to these would help me, as an investor, understand both the upside potential and risks involved.\