Tips to find venture capital funding
Filed by: bizblog, under business plan, find angel investors, find venture capital, startup business | Leave a Comment
Finding venture capital funding to finance the next big idea has always been the dream of many entrepreneurs. In the eternal optimism of the American spirit, we all think our product or service is going to make us the next household name and billionaire. In our mind, we just need to get the break and find some private investors or angel investors to invest in the startup business.
I’m here to tell you it’s okay to dream but there’s real work to be done in finding venture capital funding. To be honest, do you think anyone will hand you a few million dollars on a whim? The venture capitalist firm that rounds up these private investors will carefully look at your business plan. Does it communicate well what the business is about? The business plan should be short and easy to understand, as good businesses are simple. Also, VC firms will carefully scrutinize the personality of the people that make up the company. This is your team. It’s teamwork that makes those stressful and long nights bearable. Make sure that you have a solid team around you as this is critical to any company’s success.
In exchange for the start up capital, the VC firm will want shares in the company. The company and the VC firm will need to enter negotiations on how many shares the firm gets for the venture capitalist funding. Typically, it’s somewhere between 10-50%. The VC firm will also want to be involved in the decision making process of the company to ensure the success of the business. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the intent is to make the company go public on the stock exchange market or for it to be bought out by another company.
In reality, you’re not just courting a venture capitalist firm for business capital, but you’re also interviewing them too. A good venture capitalist firm should be experienced in taking a company public and also getting them networked with useful contacts in the industry. It is your responsibility, as much as it is the VC firm, to ensure that it is a good fit and partnership you’re entering.
In closing, when trying to find venture capital funding, make sure you have your business ready to be scrutinized by private investors, angel investors, and venture capitalists. Your business plan should be short but comprehensive. Make sure you have a core group of people in your team that you can work well with. Lastly, it’s just as much about you interviewing the VC firm as it is about them interviewing you. You wish the best for your company and it’s your responsibility to get it there with the right mixture of people and business funding.