Many countries are witnessing the growth and emergence of startups. The increased focus on the startup sector, increase in the number of players and the heavy funding has contributed to an increase in challenges for the startup world. Therefore, it is important for a startup to understand the market dynamics and have a strategic and focused approach.
New businesses have to face entry barriers such as competition, government regulations, economies of scale, etc.
However, there are some formidable challenges a new entrepreneur must face before getting started. One of these obstacles is lack of sufficient funds. Most of the startups are started by young entrepreneurs who do not have much capital to invest. As a result, knowing when and how to raise money from investors or other sources can help you get started.
When To Raise Money
There’s no set or particular period when a business needs to raise funds. The owners of the startup should have set a plan and spent some of their time in research, studying profiles and trends. With that said, what is important in raising funds for a startup is being able to persuade the investors and show them potential growth, scalability, unique value proposition and business model.
To fully understand how the modern-day investment behaves the way it does, here are some important grips you should know:
1. Investment has increased at a high level
There are ups and downs in fundraising driven by profuse over-investment followed by a reactive belt-tightening. However, despite these fluctuations, the growth trend for fundraising highly positive: start-ups are now raising more capital at higher valuations.
2. Different risk levels have a different impact to investors.
Risk levels have an impact to the types of investors who are attracted to a startup deal, and amounts raised. The early stage investment attracts risk – loving investors while the later-stage fundraising appeals to the risk-averse investors.
Find The Right Co-Founders
Coming up with the right founding is the most important decision you should make as a budding entrepreneur. Bringing someone on board with a similar way of thinking may be convenient but counterproductive in the long run if lacking in foundational skills. A more effective approach is finding a co-founder with complementary capabilities based on the enterprise model you want to implement.
Looking For Strategic Investors
Strategic investors are the best type of investors since their interests tend to align with your startup. In addition, strategic investors tend to give you a higher valuation because they will benefit from your startup. The strategic investors expect to gain more than just the financial return from your venture.
Moreover, looking for individual angel investors with deep know-how of your market place help a lot not only in financial terms but also through validation and advice. Many professionals make the angel investments stay engaged in the business world. Others invest because they foresee a potential future business partnership between your startup and their own business.