How To Get Venture Capital Funding For Your Startup

By Sarah McDonald


One of the key challenges faced by growing businesses is generating enough money to offset operational expenditure and make profit at the same time. Such challenges have seen the rise of investment firms that specialize in giving growing businesses venture capital funding. Getting an investment firm to invest in your business is not an easy thing to do. Luckily, there are some steps you could take to enhance your bargaining chip during your initial pitch.

First of all, you need to understand what venture capital firms really want. If you think scoring the financing you need is as easy as borrowing money from friends or relatives, then it is not for you. This type of financing is usually the hardest to get.

This is because firms will only offer to finance your business once they are sure it has the potential to grow. It is usually difficult to get financing as there is virtually no form of security for the funds you get. It is your business proposal that creates the winning effect. Facts and figures matter a lot in light of this. The figures you put in your proposal ought to portray a positive growth outlook.

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.

Multiple pitching used to be widely practiced in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Today, few investors will stop to listen to an unsolicited pitch, more so one that is half baked. The one thing you should train your attention on before approaching investors is turning your business into a brand. Once you have something to offer, investors will begin to line up.

Your effort to get financing will not be fruitful if you do not do prior research. A vast majority of investment firms have a specialty in specific market sectors. This is usually aimed at restricting funding to startups that have aligned interests. Most of these firms post information on their preferred market sectors on their websites.

There are many other resources that you can use for your research online. Some sites post a great deal of information on capital, local funding associations, advice, book lists and statistics. Some also allow you to search specifically for firms that finance organizations in your market segment. As you conduct your research, it would be wise to avoid firms that are known to wholly take over the businesses that they agree to fund.

What you need to look for is a partner. From your initial search, you should be able to come up with a list of a few firms that you may approach. Ensure you approach each of these firms at their own time. Finally, tailor your proposal to fit within what these firms deal with. For instance, a technology company may not get funding from a firm that funds agribusiness.




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