Tips to finding the Right Investor for your Business

Finding the right investor is about more than convincing the person with the deepest pockets. It’s about finding someone who believes in your vision understands the challenges ahead of you and has the business knowledge and experience to help you succeed. Money is a good thing but the right and qualified investor provides more than that. As an entrepreneur, you will need someone experienced and knowledgeable enough to help your business grow. Finding the right investor for your business will save you time and allow you to pitch only the best prospects.  A business may decide to look for an investor for capital this is depending on the amount one needs and the overall goals or targets of a company. Pitching for investors is mostly done by startups.

What an entrepreneur needs to know when finding an investor

1. Understand your options.

You should know what you need, is it a bigger network, more expertise or money or even all three. Different investors can fulfill different goals. When you finally take your business from concept to reality and reach the co-founder stage, your first conversations will likely be with an appropriate kind of investor.

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Compiling a list of investors before you start pitching to them might help you a lot. There are countless investors out there but not every one of them will be interested in your business. That’s why it’s important to seek out those with a track record of investing in ventures in your industry.

2. Get a vast knowledge of the assets and resources different investors use.

Investors are more than just walking checkbooks they are industry experts. The right choice can help you manage your capital and your infrastructure. Many investors will have seats on your board. You want partners who provide guidance without challenging every decision you make.

Before deciding on whom to invest in your business, have the knowledge that will help you through and get the ideal investor.

3. Learn how to manage your relationship with your investors.

Startups and companies looking to grow must have equity capital. Finding the right investor for you and your company can be very personal, and you might be in the relationship for the long term. Early-stage companies get funded by the founders, friends, and families, and sometimes suppliers and customers. Before you go searching for an investor, know your skills in relating with investors, you need a loyal relationship that should benefit you.

4. Translate your company’s goals for Your Investors.

If you need outside equity financing for the company, start with your goals for the company and the financial strategy for the company. Translate your plans and goals for the company into the financial needs of the company. Identify the size and the timing of significant financing, the timing for liquidity, and when investors can get their money back.

5. Consider what having investors mean to you and your company.

When you bring in investors, you are in fact selling some or all of the company. You will now start dealing with a board of directors, which you may not have had before and these members are going to have a significant say in how the company operates and what its plans are moving forward. you have to manage and evaluate whether these investors are going to be ready and willing to bring in new funding in the future and whether they’re going to give you access to their networks and other resources beyond just the funding that they bring to the company.

Bringing in new investors depends on the form, but they will hold you accountable to regulatory control and legal review that you don’t have to do with funding from your friends, family, and founding team. The valuations will not be set by yourself and your hopes and wishes. It will be set by what investors are willing to put into your business and expect to get from their ownership of the company through their investment

6. Assemble the best team possible to attract investors.

You have to make your company be as attractive as possible to the investors you’re going after. Assemble the best team you can get for accounting, your board of directors, board of advisors, and your branding marketing team. Get the team that will make it clear that you can be a successful investment. No investor will deny a company that seems to have potential and the right set of people in it.

7. Develop a pitch for your investors.

Develop a short, clear profile or an elevator pitch for your company. Why is it a good match for the investors you are targeting? Create a list of investors who are likely to be interested in the story you have to tell about your company and the opportunity it presents for them.

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8. Reach out to Investors.

When you’ve done all the above, it’s time to execute your investor outreach to the types of investors that are going to be interested in your plan. They don’t want to waste their time talking to prospects who are not going to be a good partner for them in the long term. In the end, if they say no ask if they have recommendations for other investors who might have an interest in your company.

9. Be Realistic About Your Company’s Value.

Get real about the value of your company. Unrealistic expectations for the valuation will end up frustrating you and the investors and you won’t get the support that you’re hoping for which you need.

The biggest benefit of finding a business investor may be obvious, they give you money for your business. Businesses need capital to grow and working with business investors means you don’t have to grow the old-fashioned way of building your business slowly. Instead, you get funding in and your business can expand. However, finding funding isn’t as simple as convincing investors to give you large amounts of cash. Seeking investment means trading something for access to funding. As an entrepreneur seeking business growth, you should be aware of the two sides of having investors the benefits and the cons.

Mombasa, Kenya.

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