You've got a great idea for a business, or maybe you're even close to having a finished product. But you need money--for a prototype, marketing, salaries, web development, hardware, legal help, office space, or all these things and more.Whom do you ask? How do you ask? How much do you ask for? How do you improve the chances you'll get the funds you need? That's whatFunding Your Startup: Raising Money from Venture Capitalists, Angels, Family, Friends, Banks, and Other Sourcesis all about. In a how-to format, it delivers the basics of raising capital: identifying sources of funds, understanding what investors are looking for in early-stage companies, asking for funding effectively, using the pitch to maximize your chances of success, and ensuring you retain control of the business. Among other things, this book:
Walks you through the essentials of attracting potential investors Shows you how to define the fundamentals and prospects of your business idea in a way that excites investors Teaches you how to articulate your business "out loud" and deliver a pitch with the power to sway even the most tightfisted angels and VCs Author McAdory Lipscomb, Jr., known in the startup world as "the Pitch Doctor," has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs fund their businesses. In Funding Your Startup, you'll not only learn to navigate the fundraising maze, but how to present your business as a rare opportunity for investors: how it will work, how it will make money, how you will attract customers and topnotch employees, and how you will take the business to the billion dollar mark and beyond.
The template Lipscomb provides will help you pass the all-important "CEO audition" and get the money you need to start and grow the business of your dreams."
About the Author: McAdory (Mac) Lipscomb, Jr., known worldwide as the Pitch Doctor, is a strategist for startup CEOs working in the angel and venture world both here in the USA and internationally. He has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs gain startup capital. A management consultant to executives in private and public companies, he is a former operating partner at RRE Ventures, and a mentor and coach for NY Angels, IBM Global Smart Camp, ASTIA, UltraLights NYC, and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator. Previously, he has had global leadership positions as an Accenture partner, an executive vice president at Showtime Television and WorldSpace global direct radio, former CEO of Political Channel, and senior marketing and communication roles in two national presidential campaigns. Lipscomb holds a BA (University of Maryland, College Park), an MA (Auburn University), and an MBA (University of Colorado-Boulder).
