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How to Raise Money

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Submitted By lfbennett
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Chapter 2 – How to Raise Money Lucas Bennett 3 Feb 2015

Do or do not, there is no try. Always talk with confidence in the success of your product. Attitude determines outcome. Investors will be more likely to invest. Determining how much money you need to raise will determine who you will be courting for seed money. All financial planning models that determine financial need will be wrong. Therefore, it is wiser to plan how long you want to operate your startup until the next meaningful milestone and/or how long to get users or expected revenue growth and/or what is your burn rate. Generally there should be real progress around a year. (approximate at best).
When determining a goal for seed money never ask for more than is absolutely necessary, a VC may hold back investment because they believe you will not meet your necessary goals. Additionally, do not give a range of goals. For example, between 5 Million and 7 Million. Be precise.

Things you will need before courting a VC: (1) A short description of your business also known as your elevator pitch. This is a quick description of your business. Typically between one and three paragraphs and describes the product, the team, and the business. Concludes with a very direct paragraph about whatever next step you want. (2) An executive summary is a 1-3 page description of your idea, product, team and business. This is your first impression with the firm and expect it to be passed around. Therefore it is important for you to spend lots of time on this. This must include the problem that you are solving and why it is important for you to solve. Explain how awesome your product is and why your team is the right combination.

(3) Presentation/ “powerpoint” This is a 10-20 page power point containing a substantive overview of your product. The style will depend on your audience. The goal is

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