Today's Entrepreneurs Are Coming to the Investment Table Prepared

Even though an increasing number of angel investors are throwing money into startup companies, entrepreneurs aren’t taking their business concepts and proposals lightly, according to financial experts.

“People are still coming out of the recession, so the days of half-witted ideas and foolish get-rich-quick schemes are gone," says Mike Lebus, co-founder of Angel Investment Network. “Today’s entrepreneur wants to make sure he or she is presenting the best plan possible to angel investors to secure funding for their venture."

At Angel Investment Network, only serious entrepreneurs are allowed to post their business ideas for investors to sort through. After viewing the details of an entrepreneur’s plan — such as the amount already invested and the company’s/product’s current stage of development — investors can then contact the businesses that most interest them and request a meeting or a formal proposal.

Investors say that these initial contact stages are crucial. Some of the things they are most impressed by include: the entrepreneur having done extensive research in his product’s/service’s field, referrals from industry connections and showing the company is social media friendly. In an era when everyone is reading blogs and communicating on Facebook and Twitter, business angels want to see that entrepreneurs are making their company or product visible.

“These days entrepreneurs are doing a lot of the footwork and marketing themselves before asking for funding from an outside source," says Lebus. “They want to build a product and a brand that investors can believe in and show that they can do much of the work on their own before asking for help."

Angel investors also say that they often get sold on the entrepreneur, the person, as much as they do the business idea. They are looking to investment in someone who shows passion, skill and vision as well as expertise.

“At Angel Investment Network, we have hundreds of entrepreneurs with promising business ideas," says Lebus. “And while we facilitate the initial connection between entrepreneurs and angel investors, it’s up to the entrepreneur and investor to see if it’s a good match."

URL : http://startupreport.com/todayaes-entrepreneurs-are-coming-to-the-investment-table-prepared-startupreport/