Sunday 19 November 2017

Tips For Getting The Venture Capital Funding Your Business Needs For Sustained Growth

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.

Firstly, you should know what this brand of financing entails. If you are of the view that it is as straightforward as asking for a loan from your friends or family, you have been misinformed. Investor funding is often the most difficult to get.

This is simply because the investor you approach first needs proof that your venture will not crumble even after getting its much needed funds. Investors usually grow cold feet once they get a whiff of failure in the ventures they are about to fund. The pitch you make is the main thing that will make a difference on the negotiating table. Make sure the figures you include in your proposal are backed by evidence.

The major mistake that most new entrepreneurs make is approaching multiple investors with the same proposal. No move could be more imprudent, especially in light of the fact that the typical investor is fueled by greed. Investors do not take such proposals seriously and when they do, they take advantage of the desperation of the businesses that approach them.

This kind of behavior was prevalent in the business community in the mid end of the twentieth century. These days, investors pay little attention to unsolicited pitches. What you should be focusing on is making a name for your business first. Once it shows promise of growth, investors will line up to get a share of it.

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.

What you ought to look for is a partnership. Your research should yield the names of a few good investors in your locality. Ensure you do not engage multiple investors at the same time. All in all, your proposal should be in sync with the nature of the market segment that your preferred investor deals in. You may not get financing from an investor in a different sector.




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