Browsing Tag
find funding
81 posts
6 Successful Dealmakers Provide Top Tips on Raising Capital
Bootstrapping will only take your startup so far. Many businesses underestimate how much money they really need to keep going and growing, and they run out of runway. When raising capital, these investor-entrepreneurs and members of The Oracles share their best secrets, tips and strategies. 1. Soul-search For me, it’s all about enthusiasm. You need to show...
From Concept to Delivery: Tips for Perfecting Your Investor Pitch
Raising money for a startup is a long process, but an important one. Securing funding may not be easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. In order to successfully pitch investors, you’ll need to move through several steps, from concept to pitch deck to the act of pitching itself. Below are some pointers to help...
Rewards-Based or Equity Crowdfunding: Which is Best for My Business?
One of the most popular methods of fundraising for a startup is the use of crowdfunding platforms. With crowdfunding, people choose to make a donation through an approved funding platform to help raise money for a specific venture or project. If you're considering crowdfunding, it's important to have an understanding of the various models available...
How to Find the Perfect VC Partner, Even During Times of Uncertainty
While the pandemic has certainly had an impact on the startup space, speculations were off about one thing: venture capital. It didn’t dry up: Venture investors poured $150 billion into North American companies in 2020, up about 7% from 2019 levels. All was not rosy, however, as first-time financings comprised only a fraction of that...
From Our Founder: Legislation Makes Equity Crowdfunding the Go-To Source for Startup Funding
Venture capital funding, while essential to the startup growth ecosystem, is a funding source that makes its way into only a small percentage of companies seeking critical startup and growth funding. The companies that get venture capital fill a narrow band that meet certain strict criteria, leaving many other highly meritorious and worthy companies out...
Top Small Business Grants for Women and Minorities
For an updated list of grant programs for women and minorities available in 2021, please click here. Funding a small business can be quite the undertaking, whether you’re starting a new venture for the first time or have decades of experience in your industry. Of course, securing capital is often necessary, but depending on what...
4 Tips for Writing a Standout Business Plan Financing Request
One of the most important elements of a business plan is a financing request, or the amount of funding your business is requesting of potential investors. Many entrepreneurs may worry they are asking for too much money, while others may not feel totally certain about the future of their company, especially nowadays. This leaves the...
The 5 Things Investors Really Care About When Reviewing Your Business Plan
A business plan is an essential tool for startups and, when executed correctly, it serves two key purposes: It provides goals and a roadmap for you to follow in order to build a successful company. It provides the format and information lenders and investors need to determine whether or not to provide funding to you....
What Does Michigan Venture Capital Look Like Today? These 3 Business Moguls Discuss
StartupNation founder and CEO, Jeff Sloan, shares a conversation with Ara Topouzian, executive director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association and RJ King, editor of DBusiness Magazine, on the status of venture capital in Michigan today. Related: WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Michigan Leads Nation in Venture Capital Investment (Episode 229) Tune in to the Michigan Venture...
E-Commerce Financing: Funding Your Online Business
It’s a Catch-22: you sell your products to make money, but you need money to buy those products to sell. What if you don’t have the working capital on hand to do so? That’s where e-commerce funding comes in. You can take out a loan to purchase what you need, then pay it back from...
An Inside Look at Michigan’s Prosperous Venture Capital Community
If you're a startup company looking for capital, today's show is for you! On this special edition of StartupNation Radio, Jeff shares a conversation with Ara Topouzian, executive director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association and RJ King, editor of DBusiness magazine, on the status of venture capital in Michigan today. StartupNation exclusive discounts and...
Why Investing in Minority-Owned Startups is Key to Unlocking Innovation
Despite being a critical force in the future of the U.S. economy, people of color are disproportionately hurt by lack of access to capital. While diversity and inclusion initiatives are en vogue in Silicon Valley, the reality is that access to funding remains a tightly-guarded gateway to success — and venture capitalists today are missing...
WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Midwest Venture Showcase (Episode 215)
On this morning's WJR Business Beat, Jeff and Paul W. Smith discuss the 2021 Midwest Venture Showcase, a partnership between the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) and InvestMidwest, which will showcase 57 companies actively seeking funding to an audience of top-tier investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and business executives. The virtual event runs April 27 to 28, 2021. Tune in...
7 Exceptional Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out to Lenders
Searching for a small business loan can feel a little bit like hitting the dating scene. You’re researching lenders wondering, “Will they like me? Or will they reject me?” Working at Nav, where we’ve played matchmaker between thousands of small business owners and lenders, I’ve observed several key steps small business owners and entrepreneurs can...
Bloomscape and 2021 Midwest Venture Showcase: Successful Startups are Blooming in Our Region
Welcome back to another brand new episode of StartupNation Radio! Today, Jeff is joined by frequent co-host, Norm Pappas, president and CEO of Pappas Financial. First up, the two welcome Justin Mast, founder and CEO of Bloomscape, to StartupNation Radio. Later in the show, Jeff chats with Phyllis Ellison about an upcoming event, the 2021...
Alternative Lending Options for Small Businesses in 2021
All businesses require funds to operate. Maybe when you first opened your doors, you used your own savings or received microloans from family or friends. But as businesses grow, it's sometimes necessary to obtain outside financing. The majority of business owners usually opt for traditional bank loans or loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA)....
2021 Midwest Venture Showcase to Feature 57 Companies Actively Seeking Funding
The 2021 Midwest Venture Showcase, a partnership between the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) and InvestMidwest, will showcase 57 companies actively seeking funding to an audience of top-tier investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and business executives at the virtual event on April 27 to 28, 2021. The Midwest companies in the Showcase span the life sciences, medical...
WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies (Episode 211)
On this morning's Business Beat, Jeff welcomes Dr. Craig Everett, finance professor at Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School, who shares details of the Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies competition. Built to help great companies succeed, the contest provides the opportunity for companies seeking funding outside of major investment areas like Silicon Valley to find investors. Tune...
Free Business Funding: 5 Tips for Writing a Winning Small Business Grant Application
If you’ve researched grants for startup or existing businesses, you know how hard they are to find. Sure, you can find incubators, accelerators, loan programs, angel investors and venture capitalists, but the vast majority of those funding options require that you give up at least some equity in your business in exchange for some financial...
Get Startup Funding Fast! Applications Open for Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies
The Graziadio Business School of Pepperdine University has opened entries to its fourth annual competition, Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies, to identify America’s Most Fundable Companies. All U.S.-based startups with less than $10 million in revenue are invited to participate. Participants in the Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies competition receive a comprehensive feedback report free of charge...