2025 Guide to Business Investment: Get the Best Investor Offer

March 28, 2025March 27, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every business needs funding to launch and grow. Often, that funding comes directly from the founder or a business loan. For some businesses, though, getting to that next level requires the help of a business investor. That avenue can be rewarding but carries unique challenges, such as finding the right investors and successfully courting them. Whether you court venture capitalists, angel investors or crowdfund your investments, you must recognize a good deal from a bad one to avoid getting burned.

What makes a good investment deal?

If you create a detailed investor persona and a compelling pitch, your hard work will eventually pay off, and you will be rewarded with an investment deal. However, not all investment deals are created equal. How can you tell the good from the bad? Don’t just jump at the money. Stop to think about where the deal in question can get you down the line and how it might influence the overall growth of your business in the long term.

How Small, Local Businesses Can Reach New Investors And Keep Dollars In Communities | Fastcoexist.com

March 2, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Small, local businesses lack access to capital. Banks will place restrictions before giving loans, like asking for collateral, wanting to see years of revenues, or asking for personal covenants. And then venture and angel investors aren’t interested in the low-rate returns hairdressers, restaurants and furniture-makers can offer; they want “high growth.”

That is why small, local businesses generally stay as small, local businesses. But what if small businesses could reach over the top of those market failures to the general public and investors who are willing to suffer the relatively low returns on offer? That might open up options.

How to Start a Business Without Debt | BusinessNewsDaily.com

January 7, 2013January 7, 2013 ~ lmehit ~ 3 Comments

Entrepreneurs often talk about how they started their businesses with loans from family and friends, seed money from investors and even by maxing out their credit cards. But, for every one of these feel-good success stories, there are more than a few with unhappy endings.

Noelle Federico, the business manager and chief financial officer of Dreamstime.com, a stock photo service, said that while it is not easy to start and grow a business without incurring debt, it is possible.

“We’ve proven that it can be done,” she said. “Myself and the leadership team at Dreamstime.com have never taken loans, used credit cards or tapped angel investors to grow our business.”

Shorter Flights at Lower Heights: The Right Way To Angel Invest | OnStartups.com

July 15, 2012July 24, 2012 ~ CBPS ~ Leave a comment

A more effective model for Angel investing is long overdue. If Angels want to win — they want to lower their risk, create better returns, and help entrepreneurs more they’ll do the following: fly lower heights (avoid trying to fund the next 5 Facebooks) and take shorter flights (avoid riding each investment out all the way to the end).

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Should Startups File for Patents? – Bloomberg

May 16, 2012May 16, 2012 ~ CBPS ~ Leave a comment

“The system we have now will eventually destroy innovation in Silicon Valley. Every patent is a micro law prohibiting innovation. We’ve gone from a model of companies competing with each other to create the best product to companies suing each other to prevent them from innovating.”

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On Being an Entrepreneur | Peter Mehit

June 16, 2011January 22, 2015 ~ CBPS ~ Leave a comment

Peter Mehit of Custom Business Planning and Solutions was a participant at the 2011 OC Technology Influencer Mixer and Summit. Here he speaks about his experience as an entrepreneur, the qualities entrepreneurs possess and why he is dedicated to helping them find success.

Y Combinator, TechStars: Investor Mentorship and Leverage Outweigh Capital | Fast Company

September 28, 2010 ~ CBPS ~ Leave a comment

“You’re starting to see a trend of investors having to work harder to convince founders that they should be able to invest in that company,” he explains. “There is very much early-stage capital available for startups–many are getting involved in angel investing, and lots of traditional VCs are too. Founders are now asking investors, What are you going to do? Why should I take your money over the other angels? On a day-to-day basis, why is having you in my company going to be a good thing? These are questions that people never asked before.”

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