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Angel Investor Guide Jul 24, 2011 // Anthony IsabelNo Comments »An angel investor guide is a great way to help you locate those persons or entities who are willing to invest in your company and assist in any way they can in order for your company to be successful. It cannot be denied that many businesses go though critical financial requirements during its inception.
In fact, the financial obstacles seem to be endless, particularly in the initial stages of a company. You may have a great business concept with an innovative product but the lack of funds can definitely hinder you from becoming a success. If you are currently in this situation, then an angel investor would definitely come in handy.
What are angel investors?
Angel investors are typically wealthy persons or businessmen who invest in start-up companies or small businesses that are perceived to have a promising future. Usually, these types of investors have their focus on companies that already have developed a fundamental business concept and strategy, and are in the primary stage of investment. Aside from infusing needed capital into a business startup or promising business entity, most angel investors also actively participate in the operation and marketing activities of the business.
So how do you find an angel investor for your business?
While it is true that there are cases where it is the angel investor looks for a worthy startup to invest in, most of the times you have to seek them out and provide enough reason for them to invest in your business. Using an angel investor guide would increase your chances of finding an angel investor that will infuse the necessary funds into your business. Here are some valuable tips when looking for a good angel investor to provide funds to your company:
- You must have a solid and realistic business plan.
This is one of the first things than an angel investor would look for in a business. Once you have a business plan that outlines your goals, as well as your strategy on how to reach those objectives, you will have the attention of an angel funding source.
- Seek out as many angels as you can
Try to meet with a lot of angel investors. Bear in mind that having an angel to invest in your business may not happen overnight. Besides, you have no way of knowing which of them will really show interest and invest in your company. It may take a couple of months before one of them makes a decision to invest in your company so try to keep on gathering names and their contact information. You may want to lookup the angel investor guide to help you find those whom you think would be willing to provide you the needed funds.
- Gain a favorable first impression
Try to develop a clear and dynamic presentation to impress your prospective angel investors. You might want to begin with a rousing speech to present your idea in a way that will make them see the advantage of investing in your company and then galvanize them into action. Try to do away with flowery phrases or far-reaching estimates. Instead, focus on what your company can really do and how your business concept can realistically impact the present market. Naturally, since they would be expecting that they would gain much from their investments, you must also include a realistic revenue forecast from year one to year three or more.
- Try to find out if the angel investors you are seeking have funded, or are in the process of funding, companies that you consider your competitors.
While having an angel investor on board is definitely a welcome boost for your company, you might want them to sign a non-disclosure and non-circumvention agreement if they are considering to fund, or is already funding, your competitor. You would not want this type of investor to become a liability in the future, right? Under such circumstances, it might even be wiser to just drop them as one of your prospective funding source if you have other angel investors on your list. This is why an angel investor guide is an invaluable companion when seeking out these types of investors.
- Negotiate for a clawback at the outset
A clawback is a financial mechanism or a contract provision that will allow you to buy back the shares previously issued to investors at a minimal price once you have achieved a certain milestone. This will help the company’s management to earn back some of their equity in order to increase their stake in the company.
- Try to get the angel investor to be your business strategic partner
Aside from the funds they infused to the company, you can also ask angel investors to be your strategic partner to help you achieve the goals of your company. Their participation may come in various forms – from helping you market your products through their own companies to directly lending their experience and expertise by aiding you in the management of your company.
Seek Out Those Angels Now
At this point, you may be asking yourself where to begin looking for those angel investors. As mentioned before, having an angel investor guide would increase your chances of finding a good and suitable angel investor for your company.
You might also want to look for angels in the clouds. Before you get any weird ideas, the cloud in this sense is the Internet. Yes, a lot of these angel investors can be found in the digital cloud. An angel investor guide would have all the information you need about these types of investors from their brick-and-mortar addresses to virtual offices on the Internet.
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