Does your company need capital and you think an angel investor would be a gift from heaven?Written by Dee Power
1. Know who you're looking for. The average angel investor is male, 49 years old, has a college graduate degree, at least five years of investing experience in private companies, and invests an average of $72,000 per investment.2. Look in your own backyard. Most of investments made by angels are close to where they live. Networking is one of most neglected and most effective ways of finding angel investors. Join your chamber of commerce, industry groups, software associations and other business groups and then attend their meetings. 3. Angel investors give to charity but invest in businesses. Angel money is not free money, it is not a grant, and it is not an entitlement. Angels invest for a number of reasons, and one of those reasons is to generate a handsome return on their money, average expectation is a 34% annual return.
| | No RulesWritten by Dave Balch
For an interesting experiment, I suggest that you go to any local event where there are a number of different small businesses exhibiting or selling their wares. A swap meet would be a good example, or a street sale, or a local fair. When you are there, observe different styles of businesses.Some people put their merchandise on a table and then just sit there and wait for customers to come. Others arrange everything "just so" with colorful table coverings, plants, and other decorations to create an inviting look. They put up signs that describe who they are and what they offer, and then they greet passersby with a friendly smile. Then there are outrageous ones who dress-up in costumes, have loud music blaring from behind tables, or try to entice customers with entertainers. The variety of approaches to accomplish essentially same goal is fascinating. But, as usual, there is a lesson here: there are no rules about how to conduct your business. Sure, there are some basic things you should do, but key word here is "should". For example, it's simply common sense to treat your customers with respect, but even that can be ignored as in case of a restaurant that I know where big attraction is that servers are rude to their guests! Insults are "special of day", and believe me they let 'em fly! It's a successful business, too. Go figure. Since we're talking about rules, let me clarify one thing: there are definitely rules to follow as stipulated by management of event. If they say that you can't have loud music, then you can't. If they say that you have to stay within your assigned booth when doing business, then you do. I just returned from sharing a booth at a book fair. Some of people in booth chose to ignore that particular rule, and they evicted us! They actually came on morning of second day and moved all of our materials into street so that new occupants could move in! It was unreal, and it was done in a rude, arrogant, and unprofessional manner (but that's another article!).
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