Secrets To Getting Venture Capital Funding For Your Growing Business

By Sarah McDonald


One of the main challenges that startups face is raising enough money to remain on course for growth. It is this shortfall that has led to the mushrooming of investment firms that offer venture capital funding. Convincing a firm to fund your business is not easy. However, there are many things you could do to increase your leverage on the negotiating table.

To begin with, you must know exactly what this type of financing entails. If you imagine getting funds is as simple as borrowing from friends or colleagues, you are misinformed. This is often the most difficult kind of financing to get.

The reason for this is because the firm you approach will most likely need the assurance that your business will not go down under. Investors are often apprehensive about investing in ventures that do not look promising due to the level of risk involved. Your business proposal is what will make the big difference during your pitch. In this case, facts and figures play a major role. The growth figures you throw around ought to be backed by evidence.

The main mistake that new entrepreneurs make is sending bulk proposals to different firms in the investment business. This is an ill advised thing to do, especially considering the fact that every entity in the business world is a shark. Firms usually disregard proposals from finance seekers once they get wind of the fact that the same proposals have been sent to many other investors.

This sort of behavior was at a peak in the business world in the mid 1980s. Nowadays, investors barely stop to hear or read unsolicited pitches. The sole thing you want to focus on is making your enterprise become a brand name before pitching. Once your brand starts to grow, investment firms will approach you instead.

Your efforts will not bear fruit without active research. A large percentage of investor funding is market centered. This is because the typical investor is looking to partner with a business that has similar interests. Many investment firms post crucial information regarding market preference on their websites to avoid confusing fund seekers.

The internet has got lots of other useful websites that you can use for your research. Some contain a lot of stuff about statistics, capital, book lists, regional funding associations and general advice. You can also make a targeted search for firms that specifically deal with your kind of business. During your research, you might want to avoid firms that do not seek to grow the startups under them but simply want to take over.

The relationship you should angle for is a partnership. From your research, you should get a shortlist of the great firms that are open to solicitation in your area. Make sure you set different times to engage the ones on your list. Lastly, amend your proposal to fall in line with what your investors are interested in. For example, an agribusiness firm may not get funding from a tech centered investment firm.




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