When a start-up decides that it is time to start rapid capital, there’s a lot of potential business impacts to consider. If things go well, funding can launch start-ups into another thing, earning them more customers, traction and promotional than ever. What many founders are less appropriate to discuss, however, is what happens when fundraising efforts do not go well.
The three of them will be discussed below:
1.) Focusing on Features
Very often it is very difficult to communicate the unwise and locks of your start-up in an arena without feeling like you have to explain the details of the product along the way. This is especially true for the founders who come from a more technical background. It’s important to remember, however, that keeping your arena straightforward, brief and focused on your long-term vision will always work in your favor.
“One mistake I see entrepreneurs make time and again is wasting time talking about a product they’ve built or the key features of that product,” said Brian Powers of Pact Safe. “Investors want to know what problem your business is solving and why customers will pay for it. The details and features of your product are almost always irrelevant.”
2.) Forgetting That Investors Become Partners
Founders often forget that their investors become their key partner in the business.
“Sometimes entrepreneurs don’t fully think through the fact that successfully raising capital comes with both the advantage and the cost of equity of adding another partner to your team,” said Prahasith Veluvolu, CEO at Mimir.”
3.) Not Having a Plan Post-Capital
Obviously, the most horrible mistake an entrepreneur can do when entering the fundraising arena is to walk into it carelessly without a clear target outcome in mind.
“It’s very apparent when entrepreneurs don’t have a clear idea of what success means,” said Herb Sih, the Managing Partner at Think Big Partners based in Kansas City, MO. “We always want to see that the entrepreneur has laid out a roadmap. We all need to be very clear on where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.”
Hopefully, new entrepreneurs will avoid these three mistakes and take as much information as they can before starting-up with their projects.
