Investment Opportunities: Finding the Best Investor For You

CLEVELAND, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- You have a solid investment opportunity and are excited to share it with an investor who could be interested in backing your business venture. Searching out the right investor is critical to the success of your business, so follow these tips to increase the chances of your idea receiving the funding and support necessary to take off and flourish.

"The first thing to look for is an investor who can provide more than just money," said Kevin Mendelsohn, Investment Associate for Jumpstart Inc., the venture development organization behind IdeaCrossing (www.ideacrossing.org), a free Internet resource for entrepreneurs and investors. "Seek out an experienced investor who can provide you with expertise, connections, new skills and who can continue to support your investment opportunity over time."

It's also important to ensure you and your investment partner share similar goals and your plans for return on investment and profits are in line. "Investors and entrepreneurs need to share similar time horizons in terms of expected return on investment and exit strategy," said Mendelsohn.

Make sure your personalities mesh as well. Will your partner expect to be very hands-on, or prefer to observe your investment opportunity (www.ideacrossing.org/index.aspx) from a distance? Many investors ask for a permanent seat at your management table, while others prefer a passive role as shareholder or board member. All of these issues need to be ironed out in advance, and it's important to have open and direct dialogue with your investor before moving forward.

When it comes to cash, you should strike a balance by seeking an investor (www.ideacrossing.org) with the right amount of money. If an investor's pockets are too deep, chances are he or she is involved with several startups, and your investment opportunity may take a back seat in terms of priority. But it's also important that your investor has sufficient funds for both initial funding, and subsequent cash infusions, should you need them. Angel investors are typically willing to back smaller startups, while venture capital firms historically seek out a comparatively larger investment opportunity.

Concrete contacts is another essential characteristic to seek out in an investor, who should help you secure potential customers, follow-on investors, key staff, suppliers, and other business basics.

Finding an investor has never been easier thanks to the power of the Internet, and the rise of online social communities. Beyond networking with professionals such as business owners, corporate and patent attorneys, and accountants, be sure to promote your investment opportunity (www.ideacrossing.org/RegisterEntrepreneur/index.aspx) online. Put your opportunity directly in front of an interested investment audience, and start connecting now.

Links: https://www.ideacrossing.org/ https://www.ideacrossing.org/RegisterEntrepreneur/index.aspx

About IdeaCrossing

IdeaCrossing (www.ideacrossing.org) is a free Internet resource available to all individuals and organizations with an interest in supporting and promoting entrepreneurial activity. IdeaCrossing helps entrepreneurs find the assistance and investment capital they need to launch promising new business ventures. Additionally, IdeaCrossing serves the Angel and Venture Capital community by identifying and screening new investment opportunities. Simply stated, IdeaCrossing is about creating the connections that build businesses.

For more information contact Tiffan Clark at tiffan.clark@jumpstartinc.org or call 216.363.3400.