Topic: Investor legends: World Most Exclusive Investor Club - page 4. (Read 741 times)

Website: https://icotravelvee.com/

Industry: Tourism, Booking

Stage (idea, ready business, pre-startup, etc): ICO Initial Coin Offering

We're giving 50% bonus on TRAVEL for Pre Sale a maximum of $ 1,000,000

Needed amount: $5,000,000 (soft cap) and 30,000,000 (hard cap)

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/ico-travelvee-innovative-booking-platform

Website: https://masternodeinvest.io

Industry: Fintech

Stage (idea, ready business, pre-startup, etc): ICO Initial Coin Offering

Type of investment, proposed share for investors:

we're giving 20% bonus on MS token of $ 1.000 minimum purchase and 10% bonus purchases included between 1000$ and 200$

Private sale for large ammount over $10.000

Needed amount: $1,000,000 (soft cap)

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/masternode-invest-ico-get-revenue-from-cryptocurrency-masternode

Sports sponsorship is a $66-billion industry with massive flaws.

That is why we introduce Instant Sponsor, a blockchain-powered global sponsorship marketplace seamlessly connecting brands and the rights holders (teams, athletes and events) across sports, Esports, and entertainment. The key to our platform is connecting brands with rights holders/sponsorship opportunities through matching algorithms targeting demographics, maximizing exposure and providing quantifiable metrics for every dollar spent. We also pride ourselves on efficiency thought real-time procurement of sponsorships.

Please see clickable prototype: https://projects.invisionapp.com/share/SW5MNSEX6#/screens/150552966

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/instant-sponsor-enhancing-a-66-billion-industry

Fundseeker's presentation: Tokenised precious metals secured using iris recognition technology

Visit our website http://www.gigzi.com to learn more about the global currency of the future and find early investment opportunities that will generate great returns!

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/tokenised-precious-metals-secured-using-iris-recognition-technology

Dave Gowel has raised $3 million in the three years since he started RockTech, a Cambridge, Mass.-based enterprise-training platform for cloud technologies. Of the 29 angel investors he’s brought onboard, all have one thing in common: “Every investor relationship I have was influenced by LinkedIn,” says Gowel, RockTech’s CEO.

“A compelling example of this came when one of my investors listed his affiliation with RockTech on LinkedIn, and then another angel who saw that update contacted me,” Gowel continues. “The latter angel had a very strong respect for my investor who had updated his profile, and [he] became an investor within six months—he even brought in another angel to invest with him.”

Thanks to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lifting the ban on general solicitation for investors, LinkedIn has become a potential mother lode for identifying and pitching investors. But it’s a nuanced and regulated game.

“I don’t think a general solicitation as a first contact is the way to go,” Gowel says. Instead, he and others recommend using LinkedIn as a recon tool to improve real-world interactions with potential investors. Here’s how.

• Embrace the advanced search. If you’re not clicking the “Advanced” link next to the site’s search bar and hunting by industry, company, location, alma mater, groups you belong to or specific keywords of your choosing, you’re wasting your time, says Gowel, who, in addition to running RockTech, is the author of The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn.

“There are 300-million-plus people on LinkedIn,” he says. “Advanced searches help you cut through the clutter and zero in on the right people to meet.”

Next, follow a potential investor’s company page. Join any relevant LinkedIn groups to which your target belongs. Scour his or her profile and posts to familiarize yourself with the person’s portfolio, investment approach, likes and dislikes, says Milwaukee entrepreneur Seth Knapp, who’s sussing out investors for his social marketing app, Chitter. “Reaching out to an investor without doing any homework tells him everything he needs to know about you—none of it good,” he explains.

• Vet and be vetted. Resist the urge to ping investors who sound like a fit right away. Instead, ask mutual contacts for insights about them, Gowel advises. You don’t want to partner with an investor who’s known for being difficult or one who doesn’t meet the SEC’s definition of an accredited investor (see sidebar).

If you do decide to move forward, don’t contact an investor cold; an introduction through a mutual contact can catapult you to the top of the correspondence slush pile.

“The one thing you can’t fabricate is a strong relationship,” Gowel says. Plus, he adds, a mutual acquaintance may know how and when that investor prefers to be contacted.

• Be patient. Partnerships aren’t built overnight. “Your deck and any other information you send over will fall on far less deaf ears if you patiently develop a relationship with the investor,” Knapp says.

Of course, most angels won’t end up investing, no matter how much they love your pitch, warns Brandon Bruce of Cirrus Insight, which sells a software add-on to Salesforce. But a carefully cultivated relationship can lead to market intel, strategic advice and, most important, referrals to other potential investors.

THE FINE PRINT
Despite the SEC’s loosened regulations for soliciting investors, there are still rules. Before you start hitting up your LinkedIn network to publicize your capital raise, consult an attorney to make sure your pitch is legal and your paperwork has been filed with the SEC.

You’ll also need to familiarize yourself with the SEC definition of “accredited investor”: someone with $200,000 or more in annual income or $300,000 in annual household income or exceeds $1 million in net worth, excluding primary residence. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to make sure the investors are accredited. If they’re not associated with an angel funding group or known to be accredited, you may have to ask them to provide copies of their tax returns to prove it.

Here, chairman of the World Business Angel Investment Forum, Baybars Altuntas, provides Business Advice readers with guidance on securing interest from an angel investor in a startup.

Angel investment has enjoyed increased exposure in recent years, and when world leaders identified it as one of the crucial lifelines that would help bring stability and prosperity to the world’s economies, business owners and economists everywhere have taken notice.

Today, there is a wave of new entrepreneurs ready to get their businesses off the ground, but many are not sure how to go about seeking investment and gaining interest from an angel investor.

PEOPLE, NOT PROJECTS
Although the business idea you present to an investor does have to be adequate, angel investors focus far more on the person who comes to them rather than the project they pitch, so give plenty of thought to the way you present yourself.

This includes your physical appearance, your demeanour and the words you use in your pitch. If you come across as an engaging and inspiring person, you are more likely to attract interest from an angel investor.

ELEVATOR PITCH
Angels have seen it all in business, and if you’re going to grab their attention, you are going to need to make your pitch succinct and captivating. So, forget the long, rambling presentation and work on perfecting your elevator pitch.

A good entrepreneur should be able to grab interest from an angel investor by explaining their key points around financing, the payback period and exit strategy. This should take just five minutes – any longer and you are likely to lose an investor’s interest and come off as someone who’s not going to be an engaging person to work with.

EXIT STRATEGY
Addressing a mutually-beneficial exit strategy during your pitch is a must, and it is common for entrepreneurs to get so caught up in starting a business relationship that they neglect to think of how they will ultimately finish it.

Angel investors want to know exactly what they stand to gain from a business arrangement and how much of their time it will require, so a firm exit strategy is vital for getting interest from an angel investor.

KNOW YOUR ANGEL
They may be experienced and wealthy, but this doesn’t mean that an angel investor’s money is just there for the taking. If an angel invests in you, they want to know it is because you are a good match, and not just because you needed the funds they could provide.

So, research your prospective angel investors. Get to know their backgrounds, previous business arrangements and passions, if for no other reason than because they will give you a good indication of how good a match they would be for you.

SECTORS
An angel investor is unlikely to invest in a health product if their expertise is in communications, and they are unlikely to have the contacts and resources that would be most relevant to your proposal.

When looking at prospective investors, pay particular attention to the sorts of investments they make, and consider how well your pitch fits into this demographic.

DUE DILIGENCE
In the event that an angel decides to invest in your company, it is standard for a period of due diligence, or “probation” to occur, so expect it and understand the need for it.

A pitch is one thing – its whole point is to be appealing – but if the reality of your business credentials or numbers is not in line with the information you present in your pitch, then the investor has every right and reason to reconsider their offer of investment.

Don’t take the due diligence period as discouraging – it is a wise move on an investor’s part. Coming out of this period successfully will only be further validation of your business’s potential.

Website: https://nortonchain.io

Industry: platform

Stage (idea, ready business, pre-startup, etc): pre-startup

Type of investment, proposed share for investors: we're giving 20% bonus on NRT of $10 minimum purchase. Furthermore we're also giving out 50% bonus to members purchasing token worth $5,000.

Needed amount: $1,000,000

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/nortonchain-platform

The journey of Era Swap began with research from the KMPARDS team—the core team behind the formation of the Era Swap token and its ecosystem. The team determined that the current community at large needs a middle-man-free, transparent ecosystem where they can get paid directly without commissions from any employer.

To establish said platform for this worldwide community, we came up with the idea to launch the Era Swap technological ecosystem, which will be supported by the Era Swap token. Our unique token ecosystem defines time as a service and offers bot services for crypto trading and crypto investment plans. The first and foremost aim behind developing the Era Swap ecosystem is to provide the benefits to the public.

This token is designed to be a token of “time for work” via smart contracts that can never be bought.

5% of the total tokens will be available only during the crowd sale period. It is the last and best chance to secure your Era Swap Tokens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2McuXwX7Q4&t=11s

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/era-swap-token

Company name: Dominium

Website: http://www.dominium.me

Industry: Real Estate

Stage (idea, ready business, pre-startup, etc): Launch on the Blockchain 30th Nov 2018

Type of investment, proposed share for investors: Tokens. Equity available depedent on level of investment

Needed amount: 90m Euros

Dominium-Pitch-Deck-20181001.pdf

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/dominium-the-worlds-first-global-property-platform-on-the-blockchain

Nursecoin is a dApp for Smart AI disease management and self-sovereign health record keeping. The platform utilizes professional nurses and an AI recommendation engine for managing populations with chronic Illnesses. As populations age around the globe, the demand for disease management will rise. The platform is a scalable machine-human solution.

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/nursecoin

Thank you for your attention to our project. We are not here to gather new members, we are here to make our offer available to the community and share the connections we have with as many good people as possible. Many ICO founders are here struggling to find funds for their projects, while we have many good investors who look for good projects, which they can trust and believe in. We think this is exactly what BitCoinTalk was built to do, building community and bringing people together.

Having a big, billion-dollar idea for a new company or start-up is great—but now what? You probably need a website, a tech team, some office space, and, of course, at least enough cash coming in each month to pay your rent.

Which means, you need money. Whether it’s a cool new app or a swanky café, most businesses and most entrepreneurs require at least a little bit of funding to really get off the ground in their early days.

As an executive member of BizFilings, I’m often asked by entrepreneurs for help finding funding. The good news is, there are quite a few places to get it (and many that are frequently overlooked). Read on for a first-time founder’s guide to where to look for funding, and which type might be right for you.

BEGIN WITH BOOTSTRAPPING
When first getting started, many entrepreneurs use “bootstrapping,” which means financing your company by scraping together any personal funds you can find. This typically includes your savings account, credit cards, and any home equity lines you may have.

In many cases, using the money you have instead of borrowing or raising is a great approach—in fact, some entrepreneurs continue to bootstrap until their business is profitable. This can be beneficial because it means you won’t have extensive loans and monthly payments that bog you down, especially if you run into snags along the way.

But, if you’re looking to scale your business quickly, it can be advantageous to bring in outside sources of funding. So, what happens when your funds run out, or you decide you need something more? That will ultimately depend on the type of business you’re building, but there are some common places to start.

CONSIDER FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Asking your friends and family for money might seem like a daunting prospect—but tapping those closest to you is often a good first step before getting external funding. And hey, it can never hurt to ask. While Aunt Irene is probably not in a position to finance your entire new social network for dog owners, she may be impressed enough to toss you a couple grand to help you get rolling (and join the site to find Fido some new playmates).

Before you ask your friends and family for money, though, you should have a business plan at the ready. This way, you can explain to them exactly what you’re selling, what you plan on charging, how you’ll make money, and whether you’re asking for a loan, an investment, or a gift (i.e., whether or not they should expect to get back any money they put into your business, and if so, how much).

EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES
If you’re looking for a relatively small amount of money (anywhere from $25 to $5,000), there are quite a few micro-loan organizations that lend to start-ups and entrepreneurs, such as Kiva and Accion. These websites cater to low-income entrepreneurs in the U.S. or those working for social good (and some only provide micro-loans to those living below the poverty line). But if you think you might qualify, check out their websites for more information.

Another alternative are the increasingly popular crowd-funding sites, such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, which provide you a platform to raise money from individual, small supporters across the web. You’ll set up a campaign and name a target amount of money you want to raise, as well as create perks for donors who pledge a certain amount of money. Then, you raise money for the campaign over a specified time period. With Kickstarter, you’ll only get to keep the money if you raise the full amount of your goal, but IndieGoGo will let you keep anything you raise (for a cut of the proceeds). For more info, check out our guide to choosing between the two and maximizing your crowd-funding campaign.

LOOK LOCAL
If you’re launching a small company (vs. a tech start-up that you see as the next Facebook), you’ll definitely want to check out your local small business development center. Many universities have one, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) alone has 63 across the country. Not only can these centers help connect you with groups of entrepreneurs for networking and angel investors for funding, they can help you determine what type of loans and funding you might qualify for and help you apply. Your local chamber of commerce may also be a treasure trove of information and guidance in terms of where to get local funding. Many large cities have programs and organizations that exist solely to bring business into the local community.

CONSIDER TAKING OUT LOANS
If you can show that you’ve started gaining traction and making money (and that a loan would help you earn even more), you may be able to qualify for a traditional bank loan. Many banks, such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo, have recently announced increased commitment to small business. While each bank and individual situation differs, this may be a good bet if you’re looking to find funding between $5,000 and $500,000.

LOOK TO ANGELS
If you have a tech start-up, you’ll probably eventually need more capital to really get going—to hire people or get office space, for example—than bootstrapping and crowd-funding will afford you. You’ll likely need to reach out to outside investors. A good place to start is angel investors, usually established business professionals with high net worths who are looking to invest in promising companies. Typically, an angel will invest anywhere from $10,000 to a few million dollars.

To find angels, ask other entrepreneurs in your network, or check out the Angel Capital Association, which counts over 330 angel investor groups nationwide. You can also look at AngelList, a website that helps entrepreneurs make connections with interested investors. So far, the site has helped more than 1,000 start-ups get funded.

In addition to making direct loans, angel investing groups sometimes host events or competitions that can help provide new entrepreneurs with additional networking opportunities. Check your local community for these groups.

VENTURING INTO BIGGER CAPITAL
If you’re looking for some serious funding (at least $1 million), you’ll need to turn to venture capital. Venture capitalists (VCs) are more likely to require an in-depth and airtight business plan, but they can also give you larger amounts of money.

VCs typically invest in a few different companies for their clients, and hope to make money off of one (or all) of them to pay back their client’s investments. What that means for you is that they see all kinds of businesses—and you have to make yours stand out. Also, you should know that VCs are looking for a return anywhere from 3-10 times their original investment, usually within the next 5-7 years, so it’s best to have an exit strategy in mind.

The best way to get meetings with VCs is through introductions from other entrepreneurs or investors—which means that if you’ve decided to solicit VC money, it’s time to leverage your contacts (and their networks) to see who you can talk to. Don’t have any contacts? It’s more of a gamble, but you can also browse the National Venture Capital Association website and pitch your business to the ones you find a connection with. While cold-calling a venture capitalist may not be the easiest feat, it’s somewhere to start.

READY TO LAUNCH
Finding funding can be the hardest part of getting your business off the ground, but also the most rewarding. Once you’ve saved, gotten approved for a loan, or found other people to invest in your business, you can get back to—or start—your dream job! Though it can be a long road to success, finding allies along the way (whether they’re friends, angel investors, or venture capitalists) to help keep your business afloat can make all the difference in the world. Good luck!

There have been many initiatives like this, but I don´t think that an Invitation Only club requires a post in Bitcointalk in other to gather new members. It sounds very fishy, even for crypto standards.

I know what it’s like to pitch to investors—both angels and venture capitalists. I’ve raised close to $1 million from angel investors for my previous technology startups. Sometimes you only get 10 minutes to pitch your business opportunity to the investors (or less in some cases). Here’s how to get started.

Create a presentation
First, take the time to put together a pitch deck. You can use our free pitch deck template for Powerpoint that can help you get started, and there are lots of other tools that can help you put together a professional-looking presentation.

Don’t wing it
If there’s one thing I can’t stress enough, it’s the importance of rehearsing your pitch. I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs think, “Oh, I know my business inside and out—pitching will be a breeze!” Good luck!

I’ve seen many entrepreneurs crash and burn when delivering their investor pitch—and ramble on and on. There’s nothing more frustrating than being told, “I only need 10 minutes of your time,” and then 20 minutes later you’re still on slide number five.

Be prepared
Additionally, investors will want you to be able to back up your claims. Have a well-thought-out business plan on-hand to share, so investors can read more if they’d like to. The intention, after all, is that you deliver a powerful pitch, and by the end, their hands are out asking for either your executive summary or your complete business plan.

Below is a format I’ve successfully used for my own ventures, and to help many other first-time startup CEOs raise investment capital.

The most important things to keep in mind for your 10 minute pitch to investors:

1. The problem: Tell a story
Begin your pitch with a compelling story. It should address the problem you’re solving in the marketplace. This will engage your audience right out of the gate.

If you can relate your story to your audience, even better! Do some research about the investor, so you have a good sense of what they care about and can tailor your story to them.

2. Your solution
Share what’s unique about your product and how it will solve the issue you shared in the previous slide.

Keep it short, concise, and easy for the investor to explain to others. Avoid using buzzwords unless your investors are very familiar with your industry.

3. Your target market
Don’t say that everyone in the world is potentially your target market, even if it could be true one day.

Be realistic about who you’re building your product for and break out your market into TAM, SAM, and SOM. This will not only impress your audience, but it will help you think more strategically about your roll-out plan.

4. Your revenue or business model
Investors tend to care about this slide the most. How will you make money? Be very specific about your products and pricing and emphasize again how your market is anxiously awaiting your arrival.

5. Your successes: Early traction and milestones
Early in the presentation you want to build some credibility. Take some time to share the relevant traction you’ve had.

This is your opportunity to blow your own horn! Impress the investors with what you and your team have accomplished to date (sales, contracts, key hires, product launches, and so on).

6. Customer acquisition: Marketing and sales strategy
This is usually one of the most skipped sections of an investor pitch and a full business plan. How will you reach your customers? How much will it cost? How will you measure success? Your financials should easily allow you to calculate your customer acquisition costs.

7. Your team
Investors invest in people first and ideas second, so be sure to share details about your rock star team and why they are the right people to lead this company.

Also be sure to share what skill-sets you may be missing on your team. Most startup teams are missing some key talent—be it marketing, management expertise, programmers, sales, operations, financial management, and so on. Let them know that you know that you don’t know everything!

8. Your financial projections
Show what you’re projecting in revenue (per product) over the next three to five years. You must back up your numbers by sharing your assumptions. You’ll see investors taking out their smartphone calculators to make sure your numbers make sense, so give them the information they need to see that your calculations are accurate.

If your financial chart shows “hockey-stick growth,” be sure to explain what happens to cause those inflection points.

9. Your competition
Again, this is a very important part of your pitch, and many people omit this section or don’t provide enough detail about why they’re so different from their competitors.

The best way to communicate your value proposition over your competitors’ is to show this slide in a competitive matrix format—where you list your competitors down the left side of the page, you have your features/benefits across the top, and place check marks in the boxes for which company offers that service. Ideally, you have check marks across the top for every category, and your competitors lack in key areas to show your competitive advantage.

10. Your funding needs
Clearly spell out how much money has already been invested in your company, by whom, ownership percentages, and how much more you need to go to the next level (and be clear about what level that is). Will you need to raise multiple rounds of financing? Is the investment you’re seeking a convertible note, an equity round, or something else?

Remind the audience why your management team is capable of managing their investment for growth. Tell investors how much you need, why you need the money, what it will be used for, and the intended outcome.

11. Your exit strategy
If you’re seeking large sums of investment capital (over $1M), most investors will want to know what your exit strategy is. Are you planning on getting acquired, going public (very few companies actually do), or something else? Show you’ve done some due diligence on this exit strategy, including the companies you’re targeting, and why it would make sense three, five, or 10 years down the road.

Best of luck pitching your business! Oh, and I almost forgot one other very important aspect of pitching your business—have fun!

Website:
https://www.minedblock.it

Industry:
Cryptocurrency Mining

Stage:
We are currently in our Presale period offering large discounts to early investors, funds raised in the Presale are to market our project throughout the main ICO, which begins on 1st November 2018,

Type of investment, proposed share for investors:

Please contact us directly for our early investing proposals, we currently have an attractive proposition on Angel Investors, Investment into MinedBlock would be highly profitable for early adopters,

Needed amount:

We are looking to raise between $100,000-$1,200,000 during our Presale period to help fund our marketing strategies and attend Blockchain exhibitions, Please contact us directly for more details about our marketing plans.

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/minedblock-mining-as-a-service

Website: https://suapp.org

Location: Nigeria.

Type of investment, proposed share for investors: Equity, Angel Investment and Venture capitalist are welcome for negotiation.

Needed amount: Softcap : $750,000

Hardcap : $5,000,000

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/suapp-decentralized-idea-sharing-and-reward-blockchain-platform

Company name: VeryFile sagl

Website: https://veryfile.io

Stage (idea, ready business, pre-startup, etc): Private sale opened

Needed amount:

Soft Cap $2,500,000

Hard Cap $24,000,000

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/veryfile-ico-blockchain-for-sensitive-file-management

You can see our presentation here:

https://talentico.io/img/doc/presentation_en.pdf

https://www.investorlegends.com/forum/topic/talent-ico

Finding the right investor for your company isn’t only a matter of how much they can support you financially.

A good team of investors can be the foundation of your startup’s success, but a bad one can obliterate even the strongest ideas. Investors can provide your business with more than capital — they can become resources for organizing, marketing, and realizing ideas. Knowing what to look for in an investor and being able to attract the best kind of investors are vital skills for any new entrepreneur.

ATTRACTING INVESTORS
As a newbie with limited experience, how do you convince potential investors you are worth listening to — and get them to buy into your idea? Here are two qualities I strongly believe are key:

Communication: In a time when people are constantly connected online, it’s essential to be good at correspondence in its simplest form. People hate being relegated to your voicemail, and unanswered emails make it appear that you don’t have time or don’t care about responding.

Our investors know they can call me anytime, and I’ll always pick up the phone or get back to them quickly. Respond to phone calls and voicemail messages and make time — not just to read, but also to thoughtfully answer emails every day.

Honesty: Being truthful is obviously non-negotiable. If you misrepresent yourself or your business, you’ll be dead in the water.

It’s natural to think seducing investors with best-case-scenario figures is the most effective way to get funding for a new project. Actually, the opposite is true. Nothing will torpedo an investor’s confidence in you faster than projecting everything through rose-colored lenses.

Making cautious or even negative projections shows investors you’re honest with them and also capable of being realistic about your project’s potential problems. Underpromising and over-delivering is your best bet, and an honest assessment of a project’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial.

SEALING THE DEAL
Once you’ve established yourself as accessible and trustworthy, you will not have to go out of your way to land the investment. Take these steps in advance to increase your chances of sealing the deal:

• Prove it works. Once you’ve built a business successfully — even a small one — investors are more likely to believe in you. Get an idea going, and achieve small successes to show you’ve got the drive to see things through. As someone who’s been on both sides of the table, I personally feel more confident investing in ideas that have already proven viable.
  Build relationships. Every person you meet is a potential investor or a contact who will lead you to one. This has proven true for me dozens of times. I met a guy at Starbucks once who introduced me to a group that invested $250,000 in one of my ideas. We eventually sold that business for seven figures.
  Be likable. It’s impossible to raise money if investors don’t like you. Engage people and be friendly. Look sharp and exude positivity. An investor once told me that he chose to invest in my company because I was personable. “I know we have a winner here because of you. I like you,” he said.

FINDING THE RIGHT INVESTORS
Getting the right investors for your project is just as important as being able to attract investors. Here’s what I advise upcoming entrepreneurs look for in their investors:

Diversity: The more well-rounded your investment group is, the better suited they’ll be to address the challenges your company will face. Look for investors with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Positivity: Supportive people can be the difference between a project’s success and failure. No company can grow without encountering problems. Finding people who remain confident through these times can improve your chances of success.

Investors are vital in far more ways than just providing cash. Depending on the arrangement, the right group can become unofficial consulting firms or even assist in day-to-day operations. My current partner, Ryan Goldschmidt, first invested in a nightlife venue he had neither the experience nor the skills necessary to operate. After an exhaustive search, he found a company willing to invest in the buildout with the skills to operate a large venue and the capital needed to make the necessary improvements.

Of course, some investors prefer to remain at arm’s length. Either way, your team of investors can make or break your startup. Always approach potential investors with honesty and confidence, and don’t forget to be picky when choosing the right people to partner with.

Entrepreneurs have a number of funding options available to them. From crowdsourcing to angel investors and venture capitalists, there are many organizations and individuals interested in backing startups. Businesses can avoid going into debt from high-interest business loans by securing funding through investors. As startups grow increasingly competitive, a new company must really set itself apart. Having a solid brand identity and mission and demonstrating cohesive goals are just the beginning. Take a look at these five ways to appeal to potential investors and get funding.

1. BUILD A SOLID BUSINESS PLAN
As investors search for startups to fund, they examine which companies will be able to properly use any capital they receive. A solid business plan will go a long way in establishing a startup’s credibility. Many new companies have a lot of raw energy, a pointed mission, and passionate talent driving new products. But often, there is a dearth of business planning. What areas of a business would benefit from new capital? Would funding go toward operations, expanding manufacturing, or opening new offices? How did a startup operate on its budget before an investor got involved? What are the operational costs, tech refresh plans, and long-term growth projections?

2. FUTURE-PROOF YOUR STARTUP
While a new business may have products and solutions that are exceedingly relevant to current public needs, investors want to see how relevant a startup will be in the future. Does a startup have the talent and resources to grow along with their clients? Future-proofing one’s business plans and products shows investors that a company is flexible enough to stay afloat. When there is no plan in place, a startup may generate a high amount of initial success and then crash. Understanding a startup’s target audience is an excellent way to address their upcoming needs and desires. Marketing strategies should include social networking and community interaction to truly understand how a company can adjust to their clients’ future needs.

3. BE UPFRONT
Some startups are extremely shy about making their needs known to investors. Investors do not have the time or ability to dig through a startup’s plan and identify key areas of need. Startups need to learn how to ask directly for financial help in order to receive it. New companies should clearly identify why they need funding and how they intend to use it. Investors want transparency regarding how a startup is using current funds. If an area requires funding, a startup must show how their resources are being allocated.

4. DEMONSTRATE SUCCESS
Startups must never be afraid to take credit when it is due. Any major accomplishments, successful product lines, and marketing campaigns should be showcased as investors learn more about a company. Having a track record of success can set a startup apart from their competitors, especially with industries that are flooded with entrepreneurs. Reporting should be clear, with specific numbers and results demonstrating growth and experience. Storytelling can also be a great way to demonstrate community impact, if a startup has contributed significantly to enriching their customers’ lives.

5. SUSTAIN INVESTORS’ ATTENTION
While many startups are able to secure investors for their initial steps, they may have difficulty in gaining additional capital further down the road. Holding the attention of investors can be a difficult trial. Make sure to keep in touch with current and potential investors, leaving an open channel between decision makers. Be sure to update these contacts with company success stories and updated numbers. Tracking innovations and upcoming funding needs can be a great way to sustain interest, as a startup builds a positive reputation. Having a history of investment capital, future-proof products, and ongoing cash flow can help startups maintain investors’ interest.