Tag: Winflow Financial Group

Financing Your Business at the Beginning Stages

Posted by WFG – September 2, 2011

Financing your business can be something for the more advanced business owners. Other, more modest small businesses may need minor funds before making an investment pitch. So where do these finances come from?

Money

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Financing your business with Personal Savings

The first way for financing your business is through personal savings. This can be easier when you’ve had time to save though in some circumstances this option isn’t available. It can be tough to make sufficient savings for starting a company, but it’s one of the best ways of small business funding. The advantages include.

  • No debt
  • No interferences from external sources
  • Building a good credit rating
  • The ability to take small steps, instead of one larger loan Read the rest of this article

Investment Pitch Questions

Posted by WFG – September 1, 2011

Question mark

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When it comes to your investment pitch, you need to plan ahead. You’ll have prepared your company plan and practiced how to pitch your business, but have you planned for the questions that might be fired in your direction? This can cause a potential stumbling block but knowing what to expect can leave you one step ahead.

Question 1) What’s your business all about?

This is the most common question from investors, and it sounds easy to answer. But there are still a lot of people that talk for a long time, about every aspect of the company. Remember, that it’s not always about the question but the way it’s being said. When an investor asks what you company is about, they want it in a short, precise, attention grabbing moment. Sell your business to them as if they were waiting for a train and it just started pulling into the station.

Question 2) Your Investment pitch is good, but do you have any customers?

When completing your investment pitch it’s always good to include the customers you already have. This shows that something is working and with a bigger push, there will be more people interested. If you have references, use them. Anything that shows your company has potential will give you a better chance of receiving new business funding.

Question 3) What’s stopping a bigger company stealing your idea?

There is always competition, so avoid answering this question with ‘no one can’. But what can you say? A larger company will have more staff, more money, and years of experience. The only answers you have are that you can move quicker, that other companies have too much to deal with already. Read the rest of this article

Find Angel Investors In Any Location

Posted by WFG – August 31, 2011

If you’re trying to find angel investors, it’s unlikely that they will fall in your lap. They don’t have name tags and they won’t slip a calling card in your pocket when you’re not looking. You have to go after them, and do it in a ruthless fashion. But when you know how, you’ll be able to find them no matter what city you’re in.

Find Angel Investors with Networking

Some people are better than others when it comes to networking, but we all have friends, right? When you need to find angel investors ask every last friend you have if they know someone. The message will soon spread and before you know it someone somewhere will get your message. Read the rest of this article

Investment Pitch Mistakes

Posted by WFG – August 31, 2011

During your investment pitch the chances are you will make some mistakes. This is normal and errors such as dropping your pen will be largely ignored. But there are other glaring problems that need to be addressed. The only problem is, you probably don’t know you’re making them.

Overselling Your Investment Pitch

You may think you’ve made it big when you pitch your business to investors. But the truth is you’re not even close. Some small business owners are overly confident when they believe their business to be in a great position. But be warned, investors can see through this. Read the rest of this article

Pitch Your Business with Three Simple Rules

Posted by WFG – August 30, 2011

berlin 196

Image courtesy of Klara.Kristina

If you have the chance to pitch your business for funding, there are three simple rules. These rules are for those of you that already have a basic outline and a business plan, but need that something special to help you stand out. Without it, you’re just another small business owner with an average idea.

Pitch Your Business in a Circle

Not physically in a circle, that would be silly, but make sure that the start and the end match up. Think of it like a Simpsons episode. At the beginning everything is normal, Homer works in the factory and the family live at the same house they always have. There is an introduction, much like your investment pitch, until the storyline starts and the core of the show unravels. This is the moment to reveal your business plan and company outlook. As the program goes on, the cartoon characters are built up and more often than not, the loose ends will be tied up, with the family back to sitting on the couch. It’s in this part that you summarize your pitch, much like you started, but with a broader outlook. Read the rest of this article

Small Business Funds

Posted by WFG – August 30, 2011

money roll

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Small business funds are the life source of a startup company. They not only help you progress as an organization, but as a small business owner. These funds though, can be hard to come by and while you can try pitching your business to investors, you can also look to government grants.

Government Grants

The first approach to finding small business funds is the government grant. But before you rush to your nearest government office, you’ll need to consider a few requirements.

  • Make sure you’re eligible, which sounds obvious, but true. A wide selection of applications get turned down simply because company owners don’t read the criteria.
  • Keep your finances in order. When going through the application process, authorities will need to make sure your finances are professionally maintained. This means invoices, receipts and any documents to support your application.
  • Have enough time. Many small business owners don’t understand that government grants can take time to complete. Give yourself roughly three to four weeks.
  • Seek professional help. You may find that completing the application process is getting in the way of other tasks. By getting professional help you can complete a good government grant application, and work at the same time. Read the rest of this article

Elevator Pitches

Posted by WFG – August 29, 2011

Service elevator

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Elevator pitches are an important part of business. If you’ve ever found yourself in a position to use one, you’ll know that it’s harder than reading a few tips from an article online. In the moment, you think back to the advice you were given. But it’s an error and you can’t help but think that the person your pitching your business to is getting bored. They’re shuffling their feet, looking to the corner of the room and nodding without thinking. Can you get them back?

Elevator Pitches are supposed to be Sexy!

So you’re beginning to bore the potential investor as you pitch your business? This is because elevator pitches are supposed to be sexy, not a string of memorized business lines. Imagine putting yourself in the investor’s shoes. Would you want to listen to this speech?

Elevator pitches can happen anywhere, in an office, at a party, down the road. So it’s good to have the ability to think on your feet. But this doesn’t mean turning into a robot. Relax, tell the potential investors about statistics but make your business opportunity sound like the best thing they’ve ever heard.

Negatives are Positives

While you might just be getting the investors’ attention back, there is still some work to be done. A large majority of people will fail at this moment, but not you. This is because you turn the negatives in to positives and highlight the key objectives. If your company had no problems then you’d already be rich and famous, so during the elevator pitch tell the investor how you plan to overcome the issues. Read the rest of this article

Finding an Investor

Posted by WFG – August 29, 2011

Finding an investor might sound simple, but it isn’t. There are a series of different strategies and the chances are you’ll need to put them all into action. Just remember that if your business idea is good, they’ll need you as much as you need them. Pitch your business well and you’ll be in a commanding position.

Know Your Plan

Before you start pitching your business and finding an investor, you need to know what you’re looking for. There is a typical angel investor and you should aim your search for the following points.

Age: 40-60

Income: Exceeds $100,000 Read the rest of this article

Pitching Your Business

Posted by WFG – August 26, 2011

Pitching your business can be a nerve-racking experience. We all remember the time, as children, when we had to make a presentation at school. Your hands would shake and your speech sounded wrong, all this, in front of a room full of people. Though years have passed, your body still acts the same. The only difference now is that you’re pitching your business to potential investors and have the future of your business in their hands. Read the rest of this article

How to Find an Investor in Toronto

Posted by WFG – August 25, 2011

Toronto

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Working out how to find an investor in Toronto can be a tricky business. You look online and only see broad articles that don’t explain the ins and outs of the city. And when you look closer the articles lead you back to where you started. So what’s the best approach?

It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know

The first thing to do when working out how to find an investor in Toronto, is speaking to contacts. Though it may seem like an outside bet, you’ll be surprised with who knows who, and if they’re local, you’ll have more of a chance in finding your investor. Ask anyone you know to send out the message that you’re looking, and then start with the next steps.

How to find an investor in Toronto with Networking

Some people don’t have contacts, so try networking. There are a wide number of websites for potential small business owners, so try online, then in local publications. Enterprise Toronto is a great place to start, and they will also have links to sites that might come in handy. Read the rest of this article