Take Your Company Public: The Machiavellian Method of Fund Raising...Get Ready! | The Communication Blog

Monday, December 21, 2009

Take Your Company Public: The Machiavellian Method of Fund Raising...Get Ready!

By James Scott

The psychological profile of business proprietors and entrepreneurs in general boasts the critical 'Risk Taker' element which allows one to take the leap from the financial security of a 9 - 5 job to the dicey waters of action based, success based income generation meaning: No Sales = No Money and No Food.

Many of these risk takers function within the realm of right brain communicative as opposed to left brain analytical which passes over the critical detail oriented solutions that are mandatory for raising capital. It is crucial for someone of this profile to hire a professional to come in and cross the t's and dot the i's in preparation for corporate fundraising efforts. After this is facilitated the entrepreneur needs to prepare mentally and emotionally for the turbulent road ahead.

Raising capital is no easy task and after the company is properly structured and you have an investor finder service, market maker or broker dealer in place to sell or promote your funding cause, you must step back, take a deep breath and prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. This preparation should start with the concept of 'objectivity' when you talk to investors, some will love your business model while others see an investment in your company as a waste of time. You must take these critiques, good and bad with a grain of salt. Don't get caught up in the habit of emotionally reacting to these ideas from outside sources, don't allow your mind to attach itself to an investor's idea of your company or it will drive you insane and you'll find that these emotional ups and downs will find their way home as your family will quickly be affected by your emotional fluctuation.

The second thing you must do is read and absorb the knowledge in such books as "The 48 Laws of Power" and "The 33 Strategies of War" by Robert Greene and of course "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. These books deal with strategy that can easily be translated into the business world and can help you prepare mentally for the art of fundraising. Read these books cover to cover and then read them again. Absorb the intricacies and strategies that these books offer and make it a point to use these concepts in your daily professional life; believe me, you'll be glad you did.

The next thing you want to do is to study great strategists like Napoleon and Machiavelli. One thing that you will realize almost instantly is that these investors are out for their own gain, period (Why wouldn't they?). They will try to attract your attention with the right hand while their left hand is reaching in your financial records looking for chinks in your corporate armor to make their case for more equity for less investment. You need to be able to analyze, not just the words of the investor but also all the other elements of their expression such as: intonation, facial gestures, eye movement, standing and sitting positions and other 'tells' that can give you an insight to what they are truly trying to communicate so you can anticipate their next move. These are just a few things to consider before entering the world of venture capital. Raising money for a business is a daunting task only to the unprepared.

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