The world of start-ups is overwhelmed with the compulsion of rising a level above. At times, it can be immensely frustrating for newbies striving to raise investments through some venture capitalists or angel investors. It is quite unfortunate that none wants to take the risk of providing capital to a new start-up, especially if it's in a nascent stage. But one cannot ignore the fact that any start-up would require a sustainable amount of funds to get going for pushing products into commercialization.
Thus, business founders must be fluent in their business model presentation to attract investors' attention by surpassing thousands of pitches that investors have to deal with regularly. So how would you prepare yourself? What are the steps to prepare for attracting investment? Let's find out:
Know What You Should Ask For:
You are well aware of a rounded figure that can help you weather through. But this is not nearly enough. You should have a clear concept of why you need the funds and at what points you will use them.
It would help if you showed them that when your business is established to a certain extent, incorporating the extra funds will bring about a remarkable difference in the company's growth. For this, you should also look for a responsible finding source. Some venture capitalists are simply interested in procuring return for their investment on how they perceive their funding abilities.
So it's advised to search for investors who can also guide you strategically using their knowledge and experience in the field. So it would help if you made it obvious what you want from your business investor: this will make things easier for you and your investing partner.
Capital is a Tool for Business: It's Not Any Prize
Today's consumerism culture may prevent growing businesses from exploiting the benefits of bootstrapping. Bootstrapping is a popular term used in industry, and it refers to building a company from scratch with no outside resources. Today, many big names have started as a bootstrap where they have made themselves through personal savings, computing gadgets, private spaces like garages, or a backyard for building their business.
Spending inexpensive belongings may be indicative of misuse of capital invested in the business. This is a far cry from the actual objective of making returns for both the company and the investor. Instead, it would be best to depict that your start-up can thrive on a low budget and have the essential operations running well.
It will induce confidence in the investors that you spend your liquid funds responsibly, which, in turn, will check their risk. Remember that when you are investing in your start-up, you are investing in the people who are helping your business stand erect. Thus, it would help if you tried to build trust from the very beginning.
Simplify the Ideas and Know Your Product
Many new start-up founders have a misconception that pitching is categorized as a marketing process. They spend hours preparing for a well-rehearsed speech, and brilliant presentations are created thus. Well, this can be a fantastic show if this is the investor's first-ever public presentation. But the truth is, most investors tend to look beyond your flashy presentations and concentrate on your products and services.
The one you appoint for presenting your product should know it in and out. In other words, they should be able to answer any questions at any level without fumbling. But they should not make anything too complicated to comprehend. The idea and concept of the product have to be simplified so that it's understandable even to the lowest common denominator present over there.
It could be that you belong from a technical backdrop and take much interest in several tech-oriented industries. But individuals in the same industry as yours may have backgrounds in Finance or even, Literature. So it's no use thinking that everyone out there has experience in computer science or telecommunications engineering. With that being said, you should also draw a line of the difference between being too techy and overly abecedarian.
Bring in a Flavor of Reality
Although you don't possess any financial expertise, it is no big deal to forecast the expense and revenues with a fundamental flow of cash is an effective means of showing your understanding of the structure of Finance and how to plan your funding. It is also a viable tool that helps you stay on track even when you receive the funding. However, make sure that the figures you put before your potential investors are sensible enough. Steer clear from randomly citing numbers as it reduces your credibility and the efficacy of your business model.
To Be Honest or to Be Proud
When pitching for investment, start-up founders conveys a mixed message about their success. Entrepreneurs indeed feel enthusiastic while describing the success of their business. But when you wish to attract investors, you want to portray that your business is heading for financial troubles.
This dichotomy brings about a weird paradigm that puts your business in a dilemma. Your potential investor is well aware of trials prevalent in the start-up world. That's why it is advised that you be honest when pitching for investment. Being truthful will help you have the requisite capital boost, which will help your business to prosper.
Patience is a Key Factor
Every professional venture has to undergo several regulations and formalities. This implies that you should advance your Finance plan so that you don't run out of funds while striving for investment. Getting involved in pitching when you have the last few pennies left, hoping that you will have everything right at the moment, will have a long-term negative impact on your business.
It will stop the optimal performance of your business operations while straining your connection with the investors.
When you are in dire need of money, you should practice bureaucracy to a certain extent. This may come in the form of passing the idea through various gates. If you try to rush this procedure, both the investor and the founder will have compatibility issues and put you under unwanted stress.