Raising capital for a small business can be tough without the experience or strategy to do so. However, if you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to securing funds for your small business.
Your first step will be to develop an executive summary. This will serve as a high-level business plan, and explain what will help your small business grow and thrive.
Once you have your executive summary completed, it’s time to develop a teaser deck. This can be sent ahead to capture an investor’s interest and set a meeting to present a full and detailed capital raise deck. The teaser deck should include the following items:
1. Brand Story
Develop a brand story that clearly and concisely explains who you are, why your company is different, and why it is better than what is already out there.
2. Market and Sales Plan
That accounts for growth that will be repeatable and scalable.
3. Financial Pro-Formas
Turn your Marketing and Sales plan into a compelling financial story. For example, a SaaS company may have an effective recurring revenue model. Also, be sure to create unique financial charts and graphs, rather than trying to showcase a dense Excel spreadsheet.
4. Ops Plan
Have an operations plan that is well thought out and detailed (with a timeline). It needs to show how you are going to take your small business to the next level
5. Your Team
Have a team page that is going to highlight the members of your team who will effectively execute our business plan
You will also need a marketing plan that details who and how you are going to pitch your capital raise presentation to. Be sure to cover the following items:
Develop a database of key contacts, investors, bankers, attorneys, etc., that you want to meet with and ask who invests in these kinds of deals.
Start to connect with and grow your professional network. Get in front of people on Zoom calls and meet when you can to tell them the exciting news regarding your small business and all of its opportunities
Explore utilizing fundraising websites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or Crowd Supply, to reach a much larger audience.
Check out local chambers of commerce that have pitch events and see if you can get involved in their program.
They say fundraising for small businesses can be like finding a prince; you have to kiss a lot of toads before you find your prince that can and is willing to help and support your business venture.
If you need assistance with your own fundraising efforts, check out our Capital Raise Decks page to see how we can help.
CEO | Brand Champion
Michael Doyle has been changing the face of Brand Marketing for over two decades. He built a tech-based advertising agency, DNA Advertising, into a multi-million dollar company. Michael sold the company as part of a national IPO in 2000. Michael founded Brand Iron in 2002 and has since lent his expertise to hundreds of other businesses in dozens of industries around the world.
