How to Find investors: You may have a great idea and the confidence to know.
It will eventually take off and be profitable.
But you need some start-up capital to get it off the ground.
Traditional banks and small business loans can be an option, but they can be difficult to get.
Most small businesses get off the ground with financial assistance from family and friends.
If you have a tech idea or groundbreaking invention.
You may be able to find professional investors willing to fund you.
If you plan on building your business in a neighborhood that’s struggling economically.
You may be able to use a government program.
How to Find investors: https://blog.mycorporation.com
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How to Find investors
1. Talk to friends and family.
Since it can be difficult to find investors.
Many small business owners look to close friends and family.
To raise at least their initial seed money.
It’s easier to find investors if you’ve gotten your business off the ground.
Than it is if you’ve only got an idea.
- If you have a friend or family member who is interested in any significant investment.
- Treat it as a business transaction – not a gift.
- Put it in writing with a legal contract or investment agreement.
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How to Find investors
2. Drum up interest on social media.
And encourage friends and family to connect to them and share them on their networks.
- Use posts not only to talk about your idea but also demonstrate the need for the product or service you want to offer.
- Include news and information about the neighborhood where you want your business to be located.
- Encourage your friends and followers to share posts about your business and help you spread the word.
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How to Find investors
3. Provide incentives for likes or follows.
Contests and exclusive discounts will get more people on board.
- For example, if you’re planning to open a coffee shop.
- You might offer a free cup of coffee to the first 20 people who like and share a post.
How to Find investors
4. Try crowdfunding sites.
Can help attract micro-investors who are interested in supporting the next great idea.
- Crowdfunding also helps market your product or service.
- If you fund your project through contributions from 100 people.
- Those are 100 people who are interested in your idea and want to see it succeed.
- Each of those 100 people will potentially tell their friends about your product or service.
How to Find investors
5. Research investors thoroughly.
Especially if you’re strapped for cash, you may want to jump at the first offer that comes your way.
However, your investors will have a hand in your business.
It’s worth taking the time to get to know them.
- Find out as much as you can about their investment track record.
- If they’ve previously invested in other companies.
- See how those companies are performing today.
- The best investors for you will be people who have experience in your industry.
- For example, if you have an idea for a mobile app.
- It isn’t necessary that your investors are computer engineers.
- But they should at least have a basic understanding of how your app works and what it does.
- Based on your research, you should be able to come up with a list of 20 or 30 investors you can focus on.
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How to Find investors
6. Learn common investment terms.
And startup investing to avoid an embarrassing mistake.
7. How to Find investors
Investors will be interested in the value of your company.
They may refer to pre-money valuation and post-money valuation.
The pre-money valuation is the agreed-upon valuation of your company before funding.
The post-money valuation is the pre-money valuation plus the amount of money invested.
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How to Find investors
8. Become familiar with rounds of investing.
The first round typically is referred to as the “Seed” round.
You may then proceed through A, B, and C rounds of financing.
When investors fund your company.
They’ll receive shares of stock in your company in exchange for their investment.
Read up on the types of stock you can issue.
So you’ll understand what investors are asking for.
How to Find investors
9. Check out online angel investor networks.
Online networks, such as AngelList,.
Do more than connect you with private investors.
These websites also have educational resources.
That can help you build your business plan and market your idea.
- Craft your profile carefully and share your page with family and friends to gain possible connections.
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How to Find investors
10. Craft a thorough business plan.
An investment is not a loan. When you pitch your idea to investors.
They want to know that they will eventually make money off of their investment.
- Your business plan should clearly show how you intend to monetize your idea and when you expect to achieve a profit.
- Also make sure your start-up expenses are realistic. Investors want to know that you have a reliable budget and will be able to launch your product or service without needing additional funding.
How to Find investors
11. Personalize your pitch for each investor.
Successful private investors may hear hundreds of pitches every week.
Stand out from the competition.
By letting each investor know exactly why they should have a personal interest in your project.
- Ideally, your investors will provide not just money.
- But resources and expertise to help your project launch and succeed.
- When you’re planning your pitch, think about what each specific investor could add to the project.
- It may help if you can demonstrate that with the assistance of a particular investor.
- Your project would perform better than if you used anyone else.
- Don’t be afraid to appeal to an investor’s ego.
- Encourage them to believe that they alone could provide an immense benefit to your project.
How to Find investors
12. Focus on selling yourself.
Selling your product or service to an investor is only part of the equation.
You also must convince them that you’re the person to run the project and get it off the ground.
- Think about why you are uniquely suited to develop the project.
- It needs to be something beyond the fact that you came up with the idea.
- Highlight related personal and professional experiences.
- That give you insight into the project that no other person could have.
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13. Identify what makes your idea unique.
Especially if you’re trying to enter a relatively saturated market.
You must be able to differentiate yourself from the competition.
Be prepared to show potential investors.
What your product or service offers that your competitors don’t.
- One way to do this is to focus on a particular niche that is relatively untapped.
- This could be a target location or a particular demographic.
14. Look for a local incubator.
An incubator or facilitator is a business designed to help develop and grow start-ups.
Incubators are particularly common in the tech industry.
Investors may take on a more hands-on, mentoring approach.
- Check the website of the National Business Incubation Association.
- To locate incubators near you that could possibly help you find investors.
How to Find investors
15. Start with local small business associations.
A small business association in your area will have tips and resources.
To help you find investors for your business.
These associations typically are nonprofit organizations, or are run by the government.
- Look for a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) near you.
- Often these are housed in community colleges.
- The SBDC can connect you with a mentor and provide connections in your industry.
- Your local Chamber of Commerce will have resources for start-up businesses.
- And may also host events where you can meet business peers as well as potential investors.
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How to Find investors
16. Use government funding for research and development.
Especially if you’re in the tech sector.
You may be able to get government.
Funding under the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR).
This program offers funds for technological innovation.
Recognizing research often is out of reach for startups.
- Awards follow the same development cycle as startup investment funding.
- With three phases or rounds of funding.
- To qualify for the program, your company must be located in the Nigeria.
- And the majority of its owners must be Nigerian citizens or permanent residents.
How to Find investors
17. Research state and local government programs.
Your state or local government may have loans.
Or investment programs to help small businesses raise start-up capital.
Many of these programs are focused on specific types of businesses.
That will better their communities.
Or meet the specific needs of a struggling neighborhood.
- For example, if you are a woman or a minority.
- You may be able to join a program.
- That provides start-up capital specifically for female-owned or minority-owned businesses.
- Local governments also may have investment programs.
- That provide funds to businesses located in particular parts of town, such as depressed neighborhoods.
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How to Find investors
18. Check into federal loans.
While the federal government doesn’t offer grants for business startup and development.
There are a number of loans that you and your business may qualify for.
These loans have low interest rates and favorable payback options.
- Loans frequently are available for particular groups of people.
- Who are traditionally underrepresented in their industry.
- Including women and minorities.
- Development loans also may be available.
- If you want to start your business in an area that is struggling economically.
- Or if you want to work with people who are struggling.
- Such as former prisoners or recovering drug addicts.