Could You Use Some Seed Money To Start Up Your Own Business?

Could You Use Some Seed Money To Start Up Your Own Business?

One state currently has a Start-Up Capital Investment Fund. This funding program supports high-tech start-up companies as they near commercial viability by providing access to early-stage capital to accelerate company development.


These funds will extend the personal investment of entrepreneurs during the critical stage when they are developing their businesses to the point of readiness for outside investment.


The fund targets companies throughout the state that are creating the newest technologies in the following competitive areas:

• Advanced automotive, manufacturing, and materials;
  
  
  
• Alternative energy;
  
  
  
• Homeland security and defense;
  
  
  
• Life sciences

To find out more about this funding program, you can visit their website

YES! There Are STILL Angel Investors Around!

Yes there are still angel investors that are around!

In one state there is one angel network that was formed to make financial and intellectual capital available for early stage and growing entrepreneurial companies!

This particular angel network seeks a balance among risk-adjusted returns, enhanced job creation and economic development in the state. The network looks to fill the gap for companies looking for and investment of $250,000 to $1,000,000.

The network is a not-for-profit entity that is member-led with each individual member making their own investment decisions. The culture of the group is intended to be one of active investors willing to contribute to the large amount of work involved in deal flow, vetting opportunities, presentation preparation, due diligence, negotiation and post-investment monitoring.

For more information you can either contact them by phone or you can visit their website.

Are You Looking For An Investor?

There is one such organization which is a national venture capital firm currently managing $170 million of private equity investments.

Since forming its first fund this organization has played a leadership role in providing venture capital to more than 30 emerging technology companies.

This organization identifies its investments by partnering leading universities, research institutions and companies together and commercializing their technological advancements. Their portfolio of investments includes a concentration of early stage companies whose technologies address large, well recognized problems or transform existing health care and technology markets.

The fund's managers are committed to making their investments a long term success and bringing important new technologies to market.

The fund concentrates on the untapped markets of the Midwest and Southern California, but does exclude the strategic opportunities offered by the Bay Area and Boston.

For more information on the fund, click here.

You can also contact this organization by phone.

Looking For Investors?

Here is an excerpt:

"What you have to do is go find investors. I do know that there are still investors - and even angel investors around - but they don't advertise a lot - could you imagine the number of emails they would get if they did! I know of at least one blog that has mentioned that there was one guy looking for great ideas and he was willing to invest in them.

There are lists of online investors, angel investors and even venture capitalists - but you are going to have to go online and do some research to find them but they are out there!"

Are There Still Investors Around?

As hard as it may seem to believe the answer is yes - there are still investors and angel investors that are still around (although they don't seem to advertise much!).

To find out more information about investors you can visit my Investor's Bulletin Board site.

Bet You Didn't Know........

Have you seen the commercials of Dr. Jarvik. He is the medical doctor who invented an artificial heart that is currently being tested on patients (which means that he is also an inventor). Currently he is coming under a lot of scrutiny because of the drug that he pitches on those commercials.

But did you know that Dr. Jarvik has received both federal grant money and private investment capital from a Connecticut investor for his invention? (He is currently working on a newer version of his invention.) But even with all that provided funding, Dr. Jarvik has maintained control of his small company, and several of its employees are members of his family.

Another State Grant Program For Start Up Businesses

Here is yet another state grant program providing grant money for a start-up business(es).

The govenor of one state announced a package of tax breaks and other incentives to encourage start-up businesses in that state.

The package will include additional state money for technology grants and loans and additional tax benefits for investors in start-up companies.

This funding package is intended to build on the state's economic growth and to shore up the state's manufacturing base and to promote high-tech businesses. The original funding program initiative leveraged more than $260 million in the state since 2003, as well as increasing so-called "angel" investments in start-up businesses by more than 50 percent in the past two years.

The program was put in place so that the state can move from a traditional manufacturing economy into a "knowledge-driven economy" of highly skilled, well-educated, and highly paid workers.

The package includes:

• Adding $5 million in tax credits annually which will leverage over $400 million in private investments in the state by 2015.
  
  
• Raising the tax credits available to so-called "angel" investors from $1 million to $4 million per start-up company.
  
  
• Providing an additional $5 million annually to the grant and loan program to provide seed money and bridge loans for start-up companies and small businesses.
  
  
• Raising the exclusion on state capital gains taxes up to $10 million for individuals, partners, and limited liability companies if the taxpayers reinvest all of their funds into companies that are in the state.

Do You Need Money To Help Start Your Own Business?

Here is yet another program that is awarding money to those that want to start their own business but are lacking in the funds to do so:

The deadline to apply for this is

January 28, 2008

Maximum Award - $20,000.

There are a number of secondary money awards as well.

In its 2nd year this program has been underwritten by the Govenor of the state.

This funding program is offered to show new entrepreneurs that the state is serious about helping business, creating opportunities and proving to people that they can have any future they desire right here at home in their own home state (instead of leaving their own home state and looking elsewhere).

In addition to cash awards this program will bring people with new business ideas together with judges and other invited guests who have business development experience and several who have a capacity to make venture investments.

In order to apply, applicants must submit a written business plan. The judges give heavier weight to business opportunities that would advance the state's employment or business base. Existing businesses may apply only if the proposed opportunity is a significant departure from their previous business and if the monetary award would significantly advance the execution of the opportunity. Previous winners may not apply again for the same idea. The focus of this program is on the business plan or business model and is not limited to technology entries.

Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 28, 2008.

For more information about this program you can contact the state's office by phone or you can visit their website where you can also download their application.

Calling All College Students!

Would a $100,000 grant award help you and your team develop a new technology-related project? Do you have a business plan for a project or business to help bring more education and/or awareness to the community?

These are just 2 of the requirements for eligibility that are needed for a grant program that was started last year! Business plans submitted have been funded as part of the early process and all vie for the final grant award of $100,000.

Already one project submitted involves rap music where besides using it as a self-promotion for its own artist, the rap music itself is being used as a teaching tool!

Another project involves the developement of a gaming device that others can use at parties and social gatherings.

Another project partially funded is being developed by a team of college students who want to create a better and less "prejudiced" version of Digg!

The finalists will be given the opportunity to pitch their ideas to executives who may fund their projects!

Seeking Investors....

I saw this very interesting tv show tonight. It was all about people wanting to be entrepreneurs by building the next big internet site. They were looking for investors. Interestingly enough there were plenty of investors to go around! But the hard part was convincing the investors to invest.

As I have said many times before the way to getting an investor is with the presentation that you make. This kind of advice has been compared to "telling your story". Tell your story about your product to your potential investors. Tell them why your project would be a good investment for them. Show them "what will be in it for them!"

I have heard investment money amounts like "half a million" and $60,000 being thrown around as potential investment amounts. You can be sure that if a potential investor is going to invest those kinds of monies into your business they are going to want to know "what's in it for them".

I didn't put this information on my Working From Home Blog because I felt that this topic was more grants-related than it was working from home-related.

So if you are seeking investors then you will be quite happy to know that there are still many investors and investment companies out there. But you have to show them why they should invest in your business!

Seeking Investors

I keep seeing this alot! People are posting to message boards and forums that they are seeking investors. Then they post that they want the potential investors to contact them by email.

I don't think that this is a very good way to get investors. When you have nothing else to work with then this way is better than nothing but if you're really serious about getting investors then you should really get serious about getting investors.

First there are still investors, angel investors and venture capitalists around. Some of them advertise and some of them don't. But what they are all going to want is to know just how serious you are about your venture. Remember you have to convince them why they should invest with you - "What's in it for them?"

You should be planning and then creating a presentation to present to your prospective investors. How do you find the investors? You look! I remember reading about one guy who was looking for investors and he went to some "millionaire's" club where he got investors from there. I have seen people write a prospectus and present it to potential investors and they manage to get their investment money that way. What is a prospectus? How do you make one? All of this information can be found online.

So the good news is that "yes" there are still investors around but the bad news is that you have to work to get them!

Getting Investors

I see a lot of "investors wanted" posts all over the Internet. Somebody has an idea for a great invention and they need investors so they post to the Internet. I used to think that this was a very futile kind of thing to do but in the back of my mind was always the thought "you never know". Its one of the things that I talk about on my consultation page - about the fact that you never know where your opportunities may come from.

So tonight I was watching this program about a man who invented a different kind of sneaker and what was so surprising to me was that an investor sought him out instead of it being the other way around where he went after investors. Did you know that he got a check from his investor for $150,000!

So this kinds of puts things in a new perspective as far as those who are looking for investors go. If you got a good invention and you need investors - SPREAD THE WORD! You never know who's listening!