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Suggest You - Ditch the VCs and Angel Groups: Raise Funds for Your Business On Your Own
From the outside, things could not look more perfect. You have a great husband, terrific kids, a fantastic house and go on amazing holidays. Why is it, then, that inside you're screaming?Who are you? Chances are you're a bright, educated woman, probably with two or three children, who gave up her own career to follow her husband. But now, you're about ready to walk. You're not alone: Studies have shown that a high percentage of marriages that fail do so because the wife is unhappy about sacrificing her own career or the life she had envisioned for herself.There's a new trend leading women are taking to enjoy happier lives. Lets look at this new movement towards creating something for yourself; and becoming a successful business women. Just for a moment let go, don't worry about - your kids, your
The clients I have helped raise funds from individual investors have experienced:
Faster infusion of capital. Searching for a deal with a VC or angel group can take months. The only time limitation to raising money in a self-directed securities offering is how hard you are willing to work. The sooner you get started, the faster you can raise funds. Additionally, while VCs often invest in large sums at the closing of a transaction, by going to individual investors, you can “trickle” investment funds into the company quickly to cover immediate expenses such
Ever wonder what the best job in the world is? It's not a professional sports player. It's not the lead singer in a rock band. It's not a doctor. It's not a lawyer. It's not an architect. It's not a CEO in a Fortune 500 company.What is the best job in the world? If you wake up each morning excited and eager to go to work, you have the best job in the world. If you earn an above average income, you have the best job in the world. If you consider your co-workers and colleagues as friends, you have the best job in the world. If you get to do what you like to do each and every day, you have the best job in the world If your career accomplishments get recognized and rewarded, you have the best job in the world. If you like your boss, you have the b
VCs and angel groups are like the movie stars of the financial world. Stories about the “hot” VC market and how VCs are virtually throwing money at companies sell financial newspapers like Brangelina sells copies of US Weekly. The reality is, the average entrepreneur has as much of a chance of closing a deal with a VC as they do landing a date with either Angelina or Brad.
Here’s the scoop: VCs and angel groups fund as few as two of every 2,000 companies they look at. More and more, VCs are acting like top tier investment banks and angel groups are acting like VCs. The competition for investor capital is fierce and institutional style investors like VCs and angel groups can afford to be picky. Considering these odds what can you do?
Many of my clients are emerging companies and early stage businesses and have asked me the same question. I have been advising my clients to not waste any time shopping their deal to VCs or angel groups unless they can answer yes to at least three of the following questions:
• Do you, or does someone else on your management team, have a proven track record building companies and taking them through a liquidation event like an IPO or merger?
• Does your business have any revenues?
• Is your business in the “darling” industry sector of the month?
• Do you even know what the darling industry sector of the month is?
• Do you personally know anyone who is a venture capitalist or member of an angel investor group who invests in your chosen industry, or at least someone who can introduce you to someone who does?
Instead, I have advised clients to raise money through a self-directed private or public offering. By using this technique, you go directly to individual investors to obtain the money you need to grow your business.
“That’s impossible,” you say, or maybe you do not know anyone who can invest. And while I agree that raising money from individual investors is no simple task, neither is getting a VC or angel group to write you a check, nor is closing that big account, finding a deal with a big supplier or recruiting a hotshot executive officer. For your business to be a success, you will need to sell your product or service in the marketplace, and raising money from individuals is not such a big stretch. In fact, we believe the average entrepreneur has considerably better odds raising the funds they need from individual investors than they do closing a deal with a VC or angel group.
The clients I have helped raise funds from individual investors have experienced:
Faster infusion of capital. Searching for a deal with a VC or angel group can take months. The only time limitation to raising money in a self-directed securities offering is how hard you are willing to work. The sooner you get started, the faster you can raise funds. Additionally, while VCs often invest in large sums at the closing of a transaction, by going to individual investors, you can “trickle” investment funds into the company quickly to cover immediate expenses such a
Now that you’ve decided to use printed mugs as promotional gifts to represent your company or organization, it is important to carefully design what will appear on the space your clients will see. Having the right design can help create an impression of your organization that will gain you new business and strengthen existing relationships. As an item your clients and potential clients can view on a daily basis, creating the right image is absolutely key. How you get from deciding on printed mugs to sending in the design for your final product is a process that requires careful consideration and planning. By following a few simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to the perfect promotional product!First, consider the size of the mug and the constraints that will put on your design. Even if you hav
Here’s the scoop: VCs and angel groups fund as few as two of every 2,000 companies they look at. More and more, VCs are acting like top tier investment banks and angel groups are acting like VCs. The competition for investor capital is fierce and institutional style investors like VCs and angel groups can afford to be picky. Considering these odds what can you do?
Many of my clients are emerging companies and early stage businesses and have asked me the same question. I have been advising my clients to not waste any time shopping their deal to VCs or angel groups unless they can answer yes to at least three of the following questions:
• Do you, or does someone else on your management team, have a proven track record building companies and taking them through a liquidation event like an IPO or merger?
• Does your business have any revenues?
• Is your business in the “darling” industry sector of the month?
• Do you even know what the darling industry sector of the month is?
• Do you personally know anyone who is a venture capitalist or member of an angel investor group who invests in your chosen industry, or at least someone who can introduce you to someone who does?
Instead, I have advised clients to raise money through a self-directed private or public offering. By using this technique, you go directly to individual investors to obtain the money you need to grow your business.
“That’s impossible,” you say, or maybe you do not know anyone who can invest. And while I agree that raising money from individual investors is no simple task, neither is getting a VC or angel group to write you a check, nor is closing that big account, finding a deal with a big supplier or recruiting a hotshot executive officer. For your business to be a success, you will need to sell your product or service in the marketplace, and raising money from individuals is not such a big stretch. In fact, we believe the average entrepreneur has considerably better odds raising the funds they need from individual investors than they do closing a deal with a VC or angel group.
The clients I have helped raise funds from individual investors have experienced:
Faster infusion of capital. Searching for a deal with a VC or angel group can take months. The only time limitation to raising money in a self-directed securities offering is how hard you are willing to work. The sooner you get started, the faster you can raise funds. Additionally, while VCs often invest in large sums at the closing of a transaction, by going to individual investors, you can “trickle” investment funds into the company quickly to cover immediate expenses such
Even the best business will receive an occasional customer complaint. Knowing how to resolve these complaints will help you gain loyal customers who will then refer others to your business. Here are some important tips.1. Listen carefully to the customer and gather as much information as possible.2. Restate the complaint as you understand it. This ensures that you completely understand what the situation is.3. Resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Tell the person you are sorry this happened and ask what you can to do to make this right. Do not argue with the customer, even though you are right and do not become defensive.3. After correcting the problem, tell the customer thank you for bringing it to your attention and that you appreciate their business.4. Develop a writ
• Does your business have any revenues?
• Is your business in the “darling” industry sector of the month?
• Do you even know what the darling industry sector of the month is?
• Do you personally know anyone who is a venture capitalist or member of an angel investor group who invests in your chosen industry, or at least someone who can introduce you to someone who does?
Instead, I have advised clients to raise money through a self-directed private or public offering. By using this technique, you go directly to individual investors to obtain the money you need to grow your business.
“That’s impossible,” you say, or maybe you do not know anyone who can invest. And while I agree that raising money from individual investors is no simple task, neither is getting a VC or angel group to write you a check, nor is closing that big account, finding a deal with a big supplier or recruiting a hotshot executive officer. For your business to be a success, you will need to sell your product or service in the marketplace, and raising money from individuals is not such a big stretch. In fact, we believe the average entrepreneur has considerably better odds raising the funds they need from individual investors than they do closing a deal with a VC or angel group.
The clients I have helped raise funds from individual investors have experienced:
Faster infusion of capital. Searching for a deal with a VC or angel group can take months. The only time limitation to raising money in a self-directed securities offering is how hard you are willing to work. The sooner you get started, the faster you can raise funds. Additionally, while VCs often invest in large sums at the closing of a transaction, by going to individual investors, you can “trickle” investment funds into the company quickly to cover immediate expenses such
TABLE OF CONTENTS1. The Security Consultant's Perspective...2. The Insider Threat...3. Threats by the Outsiders…4. The Terrorist Threat...5. Protective Measures...1) Security Consultant's Perspective...Traditional techniques at combating Workplace Violence pits the disgruntled employee against the system and the potential victims in a waiting game. It seems that the “Inside Threat” is reduced to monitoring the known potential, the “Ticking Bomb”, while the unknown threats go unmonitored. Threats by "Outsiders" are just as common and equally violent. Complicating this challenge, we now must grapple with the threat of terrorism (political and domestic) in our workplaces. I am reminded of a quote by James Baldwin from his book, "The Price of the Ticket". "No one ca
“That’s impossible,” you say, or maybe you do not know anyone who can invest. And while I agree that raising money from individual investors is no simple task, neither is getting a VC or angel group to write you a check, nor is closing that big account, finding a deal with a big supplier or recruiting a hotshot executive officer. For your business to be a success, you will need to sell your product or service in the marketplace, and raising money from individuals is not such a big stretch. In fact, we believe the average entrepreneur has considerably better odds raising the funds they need from individual investors than they do closing a deal with a VC or angel group.
The clients I have helped raise funds from individual investors have experienced:
Faster infusion of capital. Searching for a deal with a VC or angel group can take months. The only time limitation to raising money in a self-directed securities offering is how hard you are willing to work. The sooner you get started, the faster you can raise funds. Additionally, while VCs often invest in large sums at the closing of a transaction, by going to individual investors, you can “trickle” investment funds into the company quickly to cover immediate expenses such
There are millions of people working extremely hard every day in the UK to ensure that the public are healthy and recover from illness or accidents. Countless medical staff around the country study hard to become doctors and nurses and then work long hours and endure stressful situations in order to save the lives of men women and children every day. These people are present day saints and have chosen the caring professions because they genuinely want to help others. Sadly though, their efforts sometimes are not appreciated.Figures show that each hospital in the UK reports an average of 43 violent assaults on staff every year. From receptionists and porters, to nurses, surgeons and doctors, people trying hard to make others feel better, are constantly at risk from unprovoked attack by unruly patients. U
The clients I have helped raise funds from individual investors have experienced:
Faster infusion of capital. Searching for a deal with a VC or angel group can take months. The only time limitation to raising money in a self-directed securities offering is how hard you are willing to work. The sooner you get started, the faster you can raise funds. Additionally, while VCs often invest in large sums at the closing of a transaction, by going to individual investors, you can “trickle” investment funds into the company quickly to cover immediate expenses such as legal and accounting fees, business planning, and research and development.
Keeping significantly greater control of their company. When working with a VC or angel group, you can often give up a big chunk of your company. Even worse, they may force you to accept one or more of their board appointees with whom you may not want to work. Further, your ability to take any material action, like change your business strategy or raise additional capital, will likely require prior approval from your new funding partner. In a self-directed offering, you set the valuation of the company and the offering terms. Accordingly, you will likely give away less of your company and retain greater managerial control.
Rapid and exponential expansion of their professional relationship network. Raising money from individual investors requires meeting with many people. Our clients leverage the relationships they make while searching for investors into an unlimited number of opportunities with potential customers, vendors, investors and strategic advisors.
Keeping the deal terms simple. VCs and angel groups frequently require complex deal terms, including convertible preferred stock with liquidation preferences, dividend rights, anti-dilution rights and other terms that can make doing deals more difficult in the future. In a self-directed offering, shares of common stock are frequently the only securities that are sold, keeping the capital structure of the company more straightforward and easier to manage.
Not a Time to “Play Securities Lawyer”
Like most of my clients, I am also an entrepreneur. At times I have been guilty of the entrepreneurial “I can do it myself” bravado, usually to my detriment. Conducting a self-directed offering is not something that you should do without the guidance of an experienced securities attorney. The offering will need to comply with federal and state securities laws, and even the simplest mistake could cost you tens of thousands of dollars to fix or could derail your business for good.
Can I pay someone to do it for me?
Generally, it is illegal to pay any person a commission or compensation that is linked to the successful sale of your company’s securities unless that person is registered with the NASD as a broker or dealer. Also, there are strict rules relating to who can offer your company’s securities to investors, how offers can be made and to whom. Again, make sure you resolve these issues with your lawyer before you raise money.
The techniques used to raise funds from individual investors are very powerful. In fact, I helped one client, the CEO of a software developer, raise o
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