Put your best foot forward

We have had enquiries from four totally different businesses over the past 1-2 weeks regarding access to potential investors - unfortunately, all four gave the impression they had left things to the last minute ie. the potential for expansion was there but they were running out of cash.



Finding a suitable investor today is a lengthy process & given the current global recession, expect higher returns for taking on risk. Investors are of course inundated with approaches by business owners to invest in their businesses - to really attract their attention right upfront, you have to put 'your best foot forward'. By this I mean taking the time to put together a professional business proposal in which you tell a compelling story as to why they should put money in your business. They will look for the following :



1) A business that is unique in some way - does not have to be the latest, most advanced product on the market, it could mean having expertise that very few other businesses have

2) Management - who is running the business, how experienced are they & can they achieve the future targets they have set ?

3) Financial projections & return on investment - are the figures realistic & are they backed up with sound assumptions ?
4) An exit in 3-4 years time - an investor will look to 'cash in' their original investment some time in the future. This could be a sale back to the other shareholders or to an outside party.

There is definitely no substitute to a well prepared & professional business proposal - if necessary, get help from someone who has experience in this area to ensure you 'put your best foot forward'.