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Your goal in submitting your business plan is to convince
Venture Capitalist to meet with you. People invest in people. They don't invest in business plans. If you get an invitation to meet with
VC staff, go to
meeting with a soft sell strategy. Focus upon answering their questions and not hard selling them on your company. Unless asked to come with your management team, keep
first meeting to no more than you and one key team member. Aim to build a business relationship with
VC staff, based upon your company's credibility and your professional competence. If
VC wants to meet a second time, odds are you will get your financing.
Should your business plan be professionally written? My advice is "no." Most professional business plan writers follow a set format that is easily recognized. They know less about your industry and plans than you do. Professionally written business plans lack
conviction of those written by
fund seeker. However, once you have your draft business plan, it is usually wise to have it edited for clarity, credibility and
removal of padding, by a professional writer. A good business writer can focus your business plan, without making it appear to be written to a textbook format.
Be credible. Be honest. Be specific. Be qualified to make your company grow. Address
needs of your potential investor and not try to feed your ego. Prove cashflow now. Be willing to sell your company when its assets justify it. At
initial meeting, soft sell your proposal. Clearly and concisely answer
investors questions. If you adopt this approach to raising risk capital, you will greatly improve
odds of finding
money of your dreams.
About
Author: William Cate is
Managing Director of Beowulf Investments [http://home.earthlink.net/~beowulfinvestments/], a merchant bank doing multinational M&As. He is
Executive Director of
Global Village Investment Club [http://home.earthlink.net/~beowulfinvestments/globalvillageinvestmentclubwelcome/]. He reviews business plans for several Venture Capital firms. You can contact him at: Beowulfinvestments@Earthlink.net

He has been the Managing Director of Beowulf Investments [http://home.earthlink.net/~beowulfinvestments/] since 1981 and is the Executive Director of the Global Village Investment Club [http://home.earthlink.net/~beowulfinvestments/globalvillageinvestmentclubwelcome/]