Where to get money for a business: list of funds, tips, useful links. Where to get money for a startup: how the Boomstarter platform works

29.09.2019

1 Crowdfunding – one dollar per dollar
2 Business angels and venture funds
- 2.1 Features of the work of venture funds
- 2.2 How to find an investor among business angels?
3 Registration of subsidies from the state
4 How to find an investor - alternative options
- 4.1 Social networks of stakeholders
- 4.2 Direct investment
- 4.3 Grants

The components of a successful startup: an original business idea, faith in its implementation, desire and start-up capital. If you have the basic elements, but the only thing missing is money, do not rush to give up. There are many sources and methods for attracting small business investors.

Many argue that at a time of unstable economy, it is unwise to open a startup; it is much easier to promote a VKontakte group and earn income from it. But practice shows the opposite: in 2008 alone, despite the crisis, the share of small businesses increased by 30%. In other words, if there is an idea and ways to implement it, there is no need to postpone the project until better times. At the same time, it is important to find an investor who will support this business idea and attract start-up capital for its implementation and development.

Crowdfunding - every dollar in the world

Crowdfunding is public financing, a group of people who voluntarily pool financial resources (most often through online platforms) to support the owners of startups, organizations, private entrepreneurship or small businesses. It is built on the principles of crowdsourcing, but the main goal is not to solve a problem, but to raise funds.

To take part in such programs, you need to indicate the purpose of the project, the amount of investment, detailed cost calculations, and privileges for investors. Information about collecting and attracting money should be open and accessible. Also, in addition to text information, you can add a video or make a presentation. The more clearly the information is presented, the more investors will be found. We need to develop a reward system. What will private investors get by supporting a startup? Perhaps a free meal or drink at an establishment that is planning to open, or bonuses when ordering a service that is being promoted. The advantages of crowdfunding are obvious - the opportunity to raise capital almost free of charge. But keep in mind that not all projects manage to find enough investors in this way. In addition, platforms for posting information take a small percentage of the money raised (usually 10-15%).

Useful crowdfunding platforms:

Kroogi;
Thank you;
Planeta;
Boomstarter.

Business angels and venture funds

The purpose of business angels and venture funds is to finance promising startups to make money. A business angel is a person who has capital and wants to become an investor, and a venture fund is a company that brings together such investors. They don't know how to create their own franchise, but they finance promising projects to increase their capital.

Features of the work of venture funds

This type of financing is aimed at commercial startups that anticipate stable growth and high profitability in the future. As a rule, IT projects are relevant for business angels and venture funds, although the scope is wide. A striking example One such startup is Facebook, which managed to find an investor for development among venture funds.

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List of leading venture funds in Russia:

Flint Capital;
Skolkovo;
RVC Infrafund;
Almaz Capital;
Maxfield Capital;
TMT Investments;
Inventure Partners;
I2BF Global Ventures.

The advantages of such financing include solid partners, close relationships, the ability to find a major investor and receive considerable start-up capital for the development of a startup or small business. But, on the other hand, the investor becomes a co-founder and can influence management decisions.

How to find an investor among business angels?

Despite the fact that the goal of business angels is to generate income from startups, when choosing projects they rely not only on the information provided, the business plan, graphs and tables, but also on personal impressions and emotions. To make a decision, one meeting with a potential investor is enough to understand whether cooperation will work out in the future.

note: when choosing a startup, the investor analyzes the staffing and professionalism of the team, its knowledge of the product and competitors. He also evaluates the adequacy of the project founder, his ability to perceive criticism and draw certain conclusions.

It is very important for a business angel how much money, time and effort has already been invested in the startup. You can find such people in:

National Association of Business Angels. It opens a list of interested parties to whom you can send commercial proposals for cooperation.
National Commonwealth of Business Angels. On the official website of the organization you can also find an investor and apply for a partnership, learn about exciting events, exhibitions, and get advice.
Organizations of business angels in St. Petersburg.
Business Initiatives Development Fund, which is looking for startups for investment at an early stage.

In other words, if you know how to get rich in Russia from scratch, but do not have the money to develop the idea, look for partners among business angels.

Registration of subsidies from the state

Every year, the state budget includes expenses for financing small businesses. Every potential or active entrepreneur, a startup founder can receive financial assistance to develop a small business. In Moscow, such assistance amounts to 500 thousand rubles, in the regions – 300-400 thousand.

A significant disadvantage is that it is not easy to obtain such support, and the funding is partial. Key Requirements:

small business must be no more than two years old;
A businessman or startup developer must find and raise half of the capital on his own.

The decision to allocate money is made by a special commission, before which you need to defend your business plan. When making a positive decision, the businessman must submit tax and accounting reports to the government inspection authorities.

Advice: Choose a niche that you are interested in and knowledgeable about. Make sure there is enough demand for the final product.

How to find an investor - alternative options

“He who seeks will always find” - it is written in the Bible. This statement can also be applied to the process of attracting investors in small businesses. There are really a lot of search methods, if you would like to find them.

Social networks of stakeholders

IN social network A large number of investors can be found on LinkedIn. There are other platforms where businessmen and individuals are registered who are looking for profitable startups and want to invest money in promising projects. These include EFactor, Plaxo, Startup Nation and others.

Direct investments

Sometimes it is more effective to go the hard way by contacting a company that specializes in providing direct investments. As in a hedge fund, the amount of capital can be large (from several thousand to a million dollars), which will be used to develop the startup. It all depends on the prospects of the chosen niche and the nature of the project itself. Such companies are created with the aim of creating a profitable small or medium-sized business and selling their share a few years after the growth of assets.

Grants

Large international associations are also interested in the development of startups, which highlight financial support to startupers in the form of a grant. The difference from previous investment methods lies in the financing objectives. As a rule, such associations are interested in the development of non-profit projects, but often support social small businesses. Grants are also available to startup founders who know what kind of business is in demand now and want to find an investor and develop their business. The main thing is that the project solves social problems(not necessarily on a global scale).

Vivid examples of such investors include Microsoft, US AID, UNESCO, USIA. To find out how to become partners with such companies or international organizations, visit their official websites. The selection of candidates takes place on a competitive basis.

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Today there are many ways and channels that provide the opportunity to find investors. But to do this, you need to develop an interesting project that would be in demand among the general population or solve socially significant problems. Don't be upset if you can't find commercial offers about cooperation from potential investment associations or individuals. Prepare for rejection, but quickly follow your goal, then everything will work out.

Step-by-step instructions and pitfalls

We have already made detailed selections about where to go for a startup with a bare idea and where to get money for business in various niches, but this did not stop the flow of questions from newcomers. This time we have combined Rusbase training materials into a single logical chain to guide even beginners.

Where to start looking for investments? People who ask us this question are usually at the idea stage. To attract investment, they will have to go through a long and labor-intensive journey: thoroughly develop an idea, study competitors, assemble a team, create a working prototype of a product, make a competent presentation, register in online services to find an investor, upgrade to an accelerator, participate in competitions, make acquaintances at events, find potential investors and write them a lot of letters, read the specialized press and try to get on its pages.

Some points here are optional, some people do without them, but the general algorithm is this. Passing it in itself does not guarantee attracting investments - it all depends on you and your product. But without a presentation and understanding of the investment market, you definitely won’t see it.

What to do with the idea?

Work it out! Your brilliant idea is worthless until it starts attracting an audience and making money. Without a working prototype and a team, investors won’t even listen to you - unless, of course, you are already known in the market as a successful serial entrepreneur. By investing in an idea, an investor risks not only money, but also his reputation. To prove your ability to run a business, you need to independently find at least the minimum resources to create a product.

Often, startupers are afraid to tell experts about their brilliant idea, thinking that it will be stolen. In fact, an idea is worthless until it is implemented. This simple truth is reflected in the fifth paragraph of Article 1259 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation: copyright does not apply to ideas, concepts, principles, methods, processes, systems, methods, solutions to technical, organizational or other problems, discoveries, facts, programming languages. You can secure intellectual rights only for technology, unique design and software. Learn more about your copyright protection options.

Moreover, the idea almost always turns out to be not new if you thoroughly study the market. Even if the product is unique, you can usually find substitute products, albeit with different properties. An investor will never believe that you have no competitors at all. He will think that you haven’t probed the waters well and that you shouldn’t be given money.

Before you approach venture capitalists, you need to understand the difference between a startup and a small business. In the public consciousness, the word “startup” often means the initial stage of business development. In fact, this is a special type of enterprise that implies product innovation, global ambitions and rapid growth. If you want to open a traditional business (for example, an atelier or a flower stall), then you will have different investors and a different strategy. Venture investors still prefer projects related to IT and innovation.

Where to look for a team?

To get even a fraction of an investor's attention, you need a working prototype and a team. It’s difficult to create a product alone, so you need to try to infect someone else with your idea.

Experienced entrepreneurs advise attracting like-minded people at startup events. Especially at hackathons, where you can see a person in action. You can search for competent co-founders using special services - for example, on the website CoFoundIt.ru, which recently launched IIDF (the base is formed from accelerator graduates). You can also always make inquiries from friends or call out on social networks, but in this case there is less chance of snagging an experienced specialist.

More information about team formation can be found here:

If you already have an MVP

A working prototype is not a landing page with empty forms. At the investment search stage, it should already be tested by potential clients. You also need to come up with and be able to clearly explain a business model - how you will earn money per unit of product.

If theoretical knowledge did not help you understand the idea, MVP and monetization strategy, you can turn to product development specialists. For example, this is done by the company Create, whose services will cost you from 150 thousand to 1 million rubles, depending on the amount of work.

Well, if you have a working prototype, you can start looking for an investor. To do this, you will need a thoughtful, compelling presentation that will become the basis for your pitch.

But before you dive into the intricacies of creating perfect slides, you should think hard: do you really need an investor? It is important to understand that investment is not a panacea. Business is not built on them, but on customers and sales. If this is not the case, then no investor will help you. It is best to attract investments to increase sales, because the essence of a startup is rapid growth. If you develop well, investors will come to you themselves, you’ll see.

So sometimes you just don't need an investor. Some startupers generally manage to develop a company only with their own money - this is called bootstrapping, which translates from English as belt-tightening. And this approach has a lot of advantages - for example, complete freedom of decision-making and serious development of entrepreneurial skills.

In addition, there are hundreds of free or cheap services on the Internet that will save you money, effort and time when solving various business problems.

How to make a presentation for a startup?

Investors are doomed to watch hundreds of presentations a year - respect their time. The presentation should be concise and well-structured, that is, it should contain visual information about the team, product, market, audience, business model and capitalization.

Read about the rules for creating a successful presentation here:

If you still can't combine these tips and our free templates into a high-quality presentation, you can.

But beautiful and clear slides alone are not enough for investors - they want to hear about money and their profits. To prepare for tricky questions in advance, first read these materials:

Search for investments through startup databases

When you already have a product and clear outlines of the project (which are outlined in the presentation), you can register with online investment search services. Investors are looking for projects there in the niches they need. Posting in startup databases is usually free, but projects undergo moderation, the severity of which depends on the resource’s policy.

Rusbase Pipeline adds startups only if there is a working prototype and signs of demand (we currently have about 350 projects in our database), investors - only if they are ready to invest at least $50 thousand in one project (their list exceeds 200 names).
StartTrack is a crowdinvesting platform from IIDF that helps investors enter into joint deals. A startup needs to pay a commission to attract investments. There are currently 725 investors and 37 projects in the StartTrack database. This ratio hints that the site’s requirements for startups are quite high.
Spark is a service for finding an investor who has retrained as a technology project crowd (analogous to Habr), where you can share experiences and post vacancies. There are 4249 projects in the database, 1329 of which are seeking investment.
Napartner is one of the first startup exchanges on the Russian market. As indicated on the website, there are 1,139 registered investors, 9,892 “innovators” and 456 projects seeking investment. There is also a section for selling ready-made businesses and a vacancies section.
Askcap is perhaps the largest Russian startup database. According to the project’s own information, the site contains profiles of 5,410 projects, most of which are available only to authorized users. 163 partners work with Askcap - venture funds, incubators, accelerators and technology parks.
AngelList is the world's leading service for finding startups and investments, which has spawned many clones (ours are listed above). Its database includes 1,589 startups and 378 investors from Russia. AngelList provides opportunities for co-investment in projects, posting vacancies and resumes.

Participation in competitions and other events

Competitions help you get valuable experience competition, and in case of winning - a grant and the attention of investors (including through reporting publications in the media). In Russia and abroad, competitions, hackathons and free educational programs for startupers - it’s convenient to follow this flow of opportunities using our tag.

It can also be helpful to go to industry events, especially if you're new to the venture scene. There you can listen to successful technology entrepreneurs, meet potential investors, catch the main trends, talk about your project and get feedback. Of course, moderation is needed in everything - connections and parties alone cannot promote a project. We collect the main events of the startup industry in the “Entrepreneur Calendar” section.

Active search for an investor

If you haven’t found an investor at events, you can try writing to venture funds. Try it - because cold and warm contacts do not work well in such matters, the most effective means has always been and will be personal acquaintance.

Before writing a letter to an investor, it is critical to make sure that your project matches their preferences. Funds usually indicate on their websites what niches and stages of startups they are interested in. If not, then you can still guess about it from the list of portfolio companies (which should be studied in any case). To compile a list of funds to which you can send your project for consideration, you can use our database of investors - there are convenient filters by niche and stage.

What to write to an investor? Before you sit down to write, you need to carefully study the foundation’s website. Fan mailings to investors never worked. Also, under no circumstances should you write from someone else’s mailbox. In order not to be left without an answer, you need to accurately formulate the subject of the letter, adequately introduce yourself and the project (and yes, ask a literate friend to proofread the text for errors) and explain why your startup is relevant to the fund (for example, it is similar to or complements one of the portfolio projects). If the letter consists only of a reference to the attached presentation, it simply will not be opened.

Why go to accelerators?

Accelerators are intensive, full-time educational programs (usually lasting several months) that help early-stage projects grow to the point of receiving their first investment. This is a great option for those who can’t find an investor themselves.

Accelerators usually charge 3–7% of the company for their services, so they are interested in finding investors for them in order to recoup their costs with a successful exit. There are enough accelerators in Russia; to choose the optimal one, you need to look at its requirements by stage and niche, as well as the fate of graduates.

The most active on the market are:

The IIDF accelerator selects experienced teams of at least 2 people, with a legal entity, a business model, a market volume of at least $10 million and the possibility of monetization during acceleration. The list of graduates can be viewed.

Startup PR in the media

To better understand the market, it’s definitely worth subscribing to thematic media - Rusbase, vc.ru, Firrma, Roem and “Secret of the Firm”. When you thoroughly understand their headings and formats, you can try to get on the pages of these media. If implemented correctly, this good way attract the attention of investors and audiences.

But there are also pitfalls - for example, you shouldn’t go into the press with a raw product or a lack of competencies (readers will immediately notice this). But when you grow up, journalists will come to you themselves (as well as investors).

Read about how to reach a journalist and not get into trouble here:

Just please don’t forget that no amount of PR or investment can replace your business with a quality product that people need.

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Many beginning entrepreneurs are faced with the problem of financing their projects. In most cases, own funds are not enough. It is necessary to attract borrowed funds, and this is precisely the problem. The fact is that financing venture projects is associated with high risks. Banks are not ready to invest in such projects without serious collateral for issued loans, which, as a rule, is not available. Accordingly, entrepreneurs have to look for other lenders. Get investment for your project is quite difficult. It is necessary not only to start a worthwhile business, but also to present your project to potential borrowers in the proper way in order to arouse interest, so that co-investors want to invest their money in this project.

Where to get investments?

Possible from three sources:

Private investors. Such people are also called business angels. Usually these are wealthy people who are ready to enter the project as an investor at the initial stage of development. When the project reaches maturity, investors sell their share either to the entrepreneur himself or to third parties, but at a much higher price. As a rule, business angels take a fairly active part in the development of the project. They help with advice and connections.
Venture funds. This - financial organizations who make professional money by financing new projects. The funds have significantly larger funds and are interested in financing fairly large projects.
State programs to support entrepreneurship development. By participating in such programs, you can receive loans at a preferential rate, subsidies and other preferences.

Investments from the state

Receive investment from the state most preferred. They are available for more favorable conditions. It is for this reason that before you start looking for investors for a project, visit the entrepreneurship support fund at the city administration. Here you can find a lot of useful information, and if you’re lucky, find funds for your project. Don't hesitate to ask. The information received can provide you with invaluable assistance. Help from knowledgeable and experienced people is worth a lot.

By the way, we have already written about grants from the state for starting your own business. Read it. This is interesting.

Venture funds

A feature of venture financing is the specialization of investors. If you only have an idea, or the project is at an early stage of development, or the startup is small, then turning to a venture fund for investment is essentially pointless. The scale is not the same. Really get investment For such a project you can contact business angels.

Business angels

There are business angels and absolutely strangers who just want to put their money to good use, and sometimes to participate in the project personally. It is quite difficult to reach such people. Many business angels do not advertise their activities. To facilitate the search for investments under new project networks of business angels are being created. For them, membership in networks is voluntary. Only membership fees are paid. Finding such networks on the Internet is quite simple, just use the search. Fill out a form on the angel network website, and hundreds of potential investors will learn about your project. Just don't flatter yourself. Getting investment for a business is quite difficult.

The easiest way to get investment

As Russian practice shows, many beginning entrepreneurs received funds for their project from relatives, friends and acquaintances. In the West they are also called “FFF” (fools, family and friends), which translates as “fools, family and friends.” Fools, in this context, mean people who do not understand the specifics of your business.

Why is this method the most popular and simplest? Because FFF are exactly those people with whom it is easier for you to come to an agreement and who are closest to you. They are interested in your prosperity. However, under unfavorable circumstances, you may lose friends. Having common financial interests is sometimes too risky. We already wrote about this in “Should I take out a loan to start a business?”

Where to get investments, we seem to have figured it out. Now let's try to explain why it is difficult to get them.

Reasons for refusal to invest

Financing projects at the initial stage of their development is associated with high financial risks. Therefore, investors approach the selection of projects suitable for investment very carefully. According to statistics, only one out of a hundred proposed projects succeeds in obtaining investment for a business. The reason for refusal of financing may be:

Questionable project idea.
Poor preparedness of the project from an economic point of view.
Doubts about the ability of the person at the head of the project to competently organize and manage the business.

In order to reduce the risk of possible losses, venture investors split their investments between several projects. No more than 5-20% of available funds are invested in one startup. Despite such measures, the likelihood of entering into an ineffective project is quite high. According to statistics, out of ten funded projects, 4-5 projects are unprofitable, 3-4 more or less pay off, and only 1-2 projects bring significant profit.

Investment period and distribution of shares

By turning to venture capitalists for help, you can get investment for your business for a period of 3-7 years. Moreover, financing can be provided without any collateral - simply in exchange for shares of the new enterprise. Often venture capitalists want to have at least a blocking stake in a new company (25%), but no more than 49%, in order to maintain the interest of the person at the origins of the company in the development of the business.

Investor Identity

There is a joke in business: “You can divorce your wife, but not your investor.” Money, of course, matters, but when choosing an investor for your project, it would be useful to ask what kind of person he is, what his reputation is, what goals he pursues, whether he is connected with criminal organizations, etc. You will have to interact with this person for quite a long time, so it is better to play it safe and collect as much information about him as possible.

In any case, put all your obligations, the investor’s requirements, as well as the terms of your cooperation on paper. Resolve all disagreements that arise during cooperation by legal means. Don't be lazy to look for compromise solutions. Remember: life does not end with one project. Get investment for business– this is just the first step. In the future, it is very important to successfully complete the project and develop a positive reputation for the future.

If you still fail to find an investor, you can try contacting credit organizations. Read about this in our “How to properly take out a business loan from scratch, so you don’t regret it later.”

Good afternoon, dear readers of the financial magazine “site”! Continuing the topic of investing, we will consider the issues of finding investments for a business, namely where and how to find an investor to start a business from scratch, what to do to get him to agree to finance a business project, and so on.

In this article we will cover:

Why investors are needed and how to properly attract them to start a business;
What steps should you take to find an investor from scratch;
What rules should be followed when searching for an investor;
Who can you turn to for help in finding investors?

You will also find answers to frequently asked questions at the end of the post.

The article will be useful to absolutely everyone: as aspiring businessmen, and for those who already have some experience in developing your own business. The article will also appeal to those interested in the theory of finance and investment.

To find useful information about attracting investors, read our article to the end.

Where and how to find an investor to start a business, what to look for when looking for investors for a small business from scratch - you will learn about all this and more later in the article

Regardless of the type of activity, a business needs Money Oh. If you don't raise capital, even the most best project develop will not . This threatens that the business will die at the planning stage.

It should be understood that for successful development In entrepreneurship, it is important not to miss the moment. Therefore, businessmen, as a rule, do not have the opportunity to save money. There is a great risk that while it is possible to collect the required amount, the moment will be missed, and the proposed market will be attacked by faster and more enterprising competitors.

At the same time, novice businessmen should not be embarrassed by the fact that their capital is insufficient. Even successful large companies, when they just started their activities, used borrowed funds.

Young companies with prospects for successful development most often feel a lack of funds. At the same time, they have a huge number of ideas that require implementation." Here and now ».

To date Finding investors has become much easier: created for this purpose a huge number of funds and companies who agree to transfer their funds to start-up businessmen.

But it should be understood that not everyone can receive funds from the funds. First of all, a businessman will need to convince investors to invest in his project. To do this, you will need not only to draw up a business plan, but also to prove that a particular business project is more interesting than that of competitors and also has better prospects.

Most professional investors have extensive investment experience. Therefore, they easily determine those projects in which it is best to invest in order to obtain maximum profit.

Businessmen must remember that how funds, so private investors They do not give money to charity. They expect from the projects they invest in maximum and fastest return.

Thus, any sources of investment funds, be it banks, funds or other companies do not issue funds without the necessary confirmation. You can, of course, try to get a grant. However, the companies that issue them approach the selection of applicants even more strictly.

What to look for when attracting investors

2. How to attract investors - necessary conditions 📋

The goal of any investor is to increase the funds he has. Most of them know that income on bank deposits barely covers the rate of inflation. Therefore, such investments investors completely not satisfied .

Investors are striving for a level of income that will not only offset price increases, but also ensure a comfortable life.

All this explains why those who have significant amounts of money are looking for such companies in order to invest in them funds that will be able to provide them with sufficient income.

Beginning businessmen, when starting to search for a potential investor, should perceive him not as a creditor, but as a partner. It turns out that the businessman invests an idea into the project, and the investor invests his own money. Therefore, such a deal should be beneficial for both parties.

Most professionals agree that search for investors– the task is not that difficult. The main thing here is to be smart present your idea. You will also need to convince the owner of the funds that investing in the project will be quite promising and will bring significant income.

When telling an investor about a project, you should cover the following topics as fully as possible:

uniqueness and demand for the product/service offered for production;
the size of the required investments;
in what timeframe it is planned to recoup the investment;
expected level of profit;
What is the return on investment guarantee?

If a businessman correctly characterizes each of these issues, the chances of convincing the investor that the project can really bring good profit, will increase significantly. As a result, the investor will decide to allocate funds for it.

3. How to find an investor from scratch - a step-by-step guide to finding an investor for a business 📝

When looking for an investor, it is important to act consistently in accordance with the recommendations developed by professionals. Thus You will be able to achieve success in finding investors faster.

In the process of searching for investment sources, it is important to take into account the interests of the owner of the funds. It is important to understand that investors are guided by their own commercial interests when making investments.

Potential investors not interested , how innovative the activity will be, and whether it will bring profit to the business owner. They are concerned about the increase, as well as the safety of their capital.

For some investors not important business ideas, as they are looking for passive income, tired of actively developing a business. They have already managed to earn initial capital by working hard. Now only wish such investors - so that the available funds bring profit, and at the same time there would be no need to do anything.

At the same time, they are looking for investment options that will bring more income than traditional investments – , mutual funds and similar financial instruments.

Step-by-step instructions on where and how to look for an investor to start a business

Therefore, when looking for an investor, it is important to convince him that they can get such an income. It is of great importance to follow the step-by-step instructions, which we will describe below. This will help increase the chances of quickly and efficiently finding the necessary funds.

Step #1. Drawing up a business plan

First of all, when choosing an investment property, investors pay attention to the business plan. It must be properly executed, otherwise the likelihood of receiving funds may disappear.

A properly drawn up business plan must contain the following information:

project description;
calculation of the required amount of money;
analysis of the commercial benefits that the investor will receive;
the payback period of the project, that is, after what period of time the first income will be received;
what are the prospects for further development of the organization.

Everything should inspire confidence– from the quality of the paper on which the document is printed and the folder in which it is enclosed, to the use of professional graphic editors when preparing the necessary diagrams.

We wrote in more detail in a separate publication.

Step #2. Choosing a suitable form of cooperation

Cooperation between a business owner and an investor can take place in various forms. It is important to analyze in advance which of them may be most effective for a company seeking funds.

Investors agree to provide funds, receiving income in the following ways:

as a percentage of the invested amount;
as a percentage of profit during the entire duration of the project;
as a share in the business.

The business owner, having decided which option is more acceptable to him, must indicate it in the business plan. However, it is often difficult for a new businessman to find the necessary funds.

Therefore, if a potential investor categorically disagrees with the chosen model, wanting to use another option for cooperation, it should be assessed. Often It’s better to agree to the investor’s terms than being left without money.

Step #3. Enlist the help of experienced businessmen

Aspiring entrepreneurs can be sure: no one will understand them better than experienced businessmen who have been working successfully in the same field for a long time. Many of them willingly advise newcomers on how to proceed. This is especially true in cases where when mutually beneficial cooperation is possible between them in the future.

Often, experienced businessmen take newcomers under their wing: they can invest money in their ideas or recommend the project for investment to other investors. Even if this does not happen, it is quite possible that professionals will give advice and recommendations that will help in the future.

Step #4. Negotiation

Often a positive decision from investors to invest in a project determined by competent negotiations . Even those who easily get along with people should carefully prepare for the meeting.

It will be necessary not only to convince a potential investor of the prospects of the project, but also to answer all the questions he has. Therefore, it is advisable to think in advance about what a businessman might be asked and prepare reasonable answers.

From the first meeting, investors usually expect a competent presentation of the project, as well as a business plan.

It would be useful for a businessman to invite a specialist who participated in the development of the project to negotiations. It is quite possible that he will explain all the nuances of the project much more competently, and also answer any questions that arise.

Step #5. Conclusion of an agreement

The final stage of negotiations, if an agreement is reached, is signing a cooperation or investment agreement. It is important to carefully study absolutely all the terms of the drawn up contract; it would be useful to involve a professional lawyer in this process.

It is important to ensure that the agreement stipulates:

duration of cooperation;
investment amount;
rights, as well as obligations that are assigned to the parties.

In accordance with the agreement, funds are transferred to the businessman under certain conditions. Their essence is that money must be invested specifically in the implementation of the project .

It is important for the investor that the signed agreement excludes the possibility of using funds beyond the intended purpose, even part of the invested money should not go to needs not related to the implementation of the project.

Conclusion of an investment agreement - sample

An example of an investment agreement can be downloaded from the link below:

(example, sample)

Thus, it is important to maintain a certain consistency in attracting investor funds. A businessman should focus on the above step by step instructions. Then raising funds will be as effective as possible.

The main ways and where you can find investors

4. Where to find an investor - 6 options for attracting investment 🔎💸

We have already written about how important it is to draw up a competent business plan at the first stage of searching for an investor. However, not all businessmen know where to next look for someone who will agree to provide funds for the implementation of their project.

However, there are several options, and each of them deserves close attention from a businessman.

Option 1. Close people

Finding investors to finance a business – not an easy task. Therefore, it is advisable to involve as many relatives and friends as possible in this process. This option is ideal for those who are just starting their own business and have neither experience nor popularity. Moreover, loans from relatives and friends are less risky.

If the project does not require large initial investments, it can be offered to be financed by close people for a small percentage, which will be paid when the business becomes profitable.

Option 2. Businessmen

In all cities (especially large ones) there are a large number of businessmen who have already earned capital. Now they want to receive passive income by investing money in some profitable business.

It makes sense to turn to such businessmen to receive funds to develop their own business.

Most often, merchants issue money according to one of 2 (two) schemes:

in the form of a loan with payment of interest;
as a share in a new business project.

It should be understood that the second method leads to a significant restriction of the freedom of decision-making of a novice businessman. Therefore, you should think several times before choosing this option.

Option 3. Funds

Another way to find investors for a business is special funds - investment And assistance to small businesses. However, obtaining funds from such companies can be difficult.

You will have to prove that the new business project is viable enough. It should also be taken into account that a newcomer to the field of entrepreneurship must have own funds, which he wants to invest in the project along with those attracted. Therefore, funds are more suitable for those who already have an existing business.

So that the decision to invest funds is positive , you will need to analyze the current activities of the company, as well as formulate a plan for its further development.

Those looking for an investor should also look into the activities of government funds. They often provide funds to the most promising business projects, organizing competitions for this purpose.

Option 4. Venture investment

This option is quite common in some developed countries. If you want to attract money to a business with the help of venture investment, you should keep in mind that such funds invest only in risky projects with great prospects.

In this case, business projects are most often financed innovation sphere , Sciences , and IT technologies .

Less often, but still, venture funds are invested in trade, as well as the service sector.

We wrote in detail about venture investments, in particular what they exist and what they do, in a separate article.

When investing in a business, venture funds want to receive regular income. For this purpose, they take over a share of the business. Moreover, they own part of the company for only a few years, after which they sell it to third parties.

Option 5. Business incubators

A business incubator is a special platform created for the purpose of implementing various business projects. To receive investment funds through an incubator, it is important to draw up a competent business plan.

In addition, you will need to win a competition or successfully pass a special interview.

Option 6. Banks

If you can’t find an investor, you can try to apply for a bank account. However, getting enough a large amount It's often not easy. Therefore, this method of searching for an investor is suitable when when you need a small investment.

Credit institutions demand enough from potential borrowers high requirements. To receive money, you may need to provide property as collateral, guarantors, and collect a large list of various documents.

If a loan applicant cannot fulfill at least one requirement of the credit institution, he will not be able to receive a loan.

Thus, searching for an investor for business– it’s not an easy and rather lengthy matter. Therefore, a businessman will need a lot of patience. It is important to evaluate all possible options and analyze emerging risks. Then you can be sure that your search will be crowned with success.

There is an article on our website in which we talked about where and how to properly draw up a promissory note - we recommend reading it.

Basic rules for finding investors and their investments

5. 5 important rules for finding investors 📌

Every day a huge number of different business projects appear that require investment of funds. The owner of an idea does not always have the necessary capital. However, most ideas require quick start and development. In this regard, huge a number of businessmen are looking for an investor to implement the project.

Often this process is delayed, and often completely ends in failure. To increase your chances of success, it is important to follow 5 (five) basic rules. They allow businessmen to be more confident in finding an investor, as well as approach the selection process wisely.

Rule #1. The search should begin as early as possible

Every businessman must understand that searching for an investor is a long process. A lot of time passes from the moment they start until the funds are received.

That's why start You should look for an investor as early as possible. Ideally, this should be done when future activities have been planned, and it has also become clear how best to present the benefits of the project to potential investors.

It's important to understand that the risk of the investor is higher than that of the project owner. It is the one who invests money in business who risks his capital, loss of time and reputation.

Therefore, he has the right to suspend investment of funds or even negotiations if he decides that the risk level is too high for him.

Moreover, investors usually carefully study the company in which they plan to invest money. They analyze the history of the company, its successes and failures, and prospects for further development. All this leads to the fact that it is better to start looking for an investor in the early stages.

Own funds invested in a business usually run out very quickly. As a result, a sharp rise at the beginning of the project may give way to a fall even before the start of investment receipts, and this situation may alienate most investors.

Rule #2. It is important to collect as much information as possible about a potential investor

When looking for an investor, it is not the best decision to cooperate with the first one who offers his capital. It is necessary to collect as much information as possible about the prospective investor.

In this case, you should find out:

what areas does it usually invest in;
possible volumes of invested funds;
investor preferences regarding the method and principles of cooperation.

All collected data should be compared with the desires of the businessman himself. You should cooperate with the best investor. This means the most optimal, not the largest and most popular.

It's important to understand that any interaction with an investor should take place in the form of mutually beneficial cooperation.

At the same time, both the businessman and the investor themselves must imagine what stage of interaction they are at, as well as what will happen next.

A good investor, if he knows why, will provide significant assistance in the development of the project. A bad one will ruin even a great idea.

When assessing the investment amount, worth understanding, which, if necessary, 50-100 thousand dollars there is no point in turning to someone who traditionally invests millions. The same can be said in the opposite case: there is no point in going for big investments to someone who simply doesn’t have them.

A large amount of collected information can make it easier for a businessman to participate in the negotiation process with an investor. You can think about it in advance rough plan negotiations, and also decide what questions to ask the investor.

Moreover, if there is sufficient information can be predicted, what questions the owner of the funds will ask the businessman, and decide how to answer them. Information about an investor's previous investments can be very helpful during negotiations.

Even before meeting with an investor, a businessman must decide how he will behave during the negotiation process. The investor must believe that a businessman needs not just money, but mutually beneficial cooperation.

If high-quality contact is established between the parties, you can be sure that the interaction will be beneficial for both parties.

There are many examples in history that when good relations between businessman and investor even if there were errors and small failures, they were still provided. Ultimately, success was achieved in the activity.

Rule #3. The amount of investment must be carefully planned

A businessman must remember that the investment amount must be indicated specifically in numbers, not a range. An investor will almost certainly refuse to invest if he is asked for an amount from 100 to 200 thousand dollars.

In this case, the owner of the funds may have a huge number of questions, which will almost certainly lead the negotiations to a dead end.

A businessman must tell the investor a specific amount , which should be reasonable. The size of the investment must take into account all possible scenarios that could cause the range to arise.

Rule #4. Focus on goals

When developing company development goals for which you need to raise funds, do not use them too much globalize.

Ideas that are too large, as well as the desire to cover a large number of issues, usually cause investors to doubt that it is possible to successfully implement them.

Therefore, the goals that a businessman sets should be as specific as possible . They must be limited by capabilities as well as needs. A businessman’s goals should be specified even before he finds an investor.

Even in cases where in the future it is planned to develop the project to a global scale, you should not immediately describe this idea globally. Such interpretations usually repel investors.

Those who have experience in investing, as well as developing business projects, agree with the opinion that with globalization, forces and resources are dispersed, but proper efficiency is not achieved.

Therefore, an investor should be sought under solving specific problems And business issues.

Rule #5. You should be as honest and open as possible

In the process of negotiating, and subsequently when drawing up reports, a businessman should not lie And keep back.

In the process of conducting business, it is quite normal to deviate from the original plan, but such facts cannot be hidden from the investor . He has the right to be aware of the current situation.

At the same time, it is important to explain to the investor the reasons for the deviation from the plan, what this may lead to, and how it is planned to proceed further.

Compliance with all the above rules increases the chances that a good investor will be found. And this is precisely the key to a successful start of any activity.

6. Providing professional assistance in finding investors 📎

Those who are unable to find an investor for their business on their own can turn to professional help.

There are special platforms on the Internet that help not only those who want to invest, but also those who are looking for capital to develop their activities.

The most famous Russian-language sites are 2 (two) sites:

1) EASTWESTGROUP

The resource's specialization is search for investments for investments both in operating and mothballed businesses. To use the services, just register and then contact those who provide the funds. The resource allows you to save not only time, but also energy.

Company specialists conduct business analysis, after which its strengths are determined. This is done absolutely free and helps attract investors. The resource has been investing for more than ten years.

By registering on the site, a businessman gets in touch with several dozen investors at once. This significantly increases the chances of receiving funds. The cost of the investor search service is calculated individually for each user. However, you do not need to pay anything until you receive the funds.

Using the site's services is very simple. Just go through a few steps:

submit your application;
get a free consultation from a company employee;
sign an agreement with the company on the provision of intermediary services;
the resource itself conducts negotiations with the investor;
businessman enters into a mutually beneficial deal with an investor.

2) Start2Up

This resource is a kind of bulletin board on which they post investor proposals, entrepreneurs, startupers looking for business partners.

Thanks to the site, those who have funds can find where to invest them. At the same time, budding businessmen have the opportunity to enter into an agreement with investors who are ready to support their project.

All advertisements posted on the site are divided into groups depending on the region, as well as the field of activity.

The most popular destinations businesses here are:

Internet;
IT technologies;
education;
art as well as culture;
the science;
real estate.

There are also other promising areas of activity.

The site's users include hundreds of businessmen and investors. These are people not only from Russia, but also from Belarus, as well as a number of European countries. Therefore, the chances of those who register on the site to find an investor increase significantly.

The site contains several hundred offers buy out a startup, invest in different directions business, and improve existing production facilities.

In addition, with the help of the project it is possible to purchase or sell the property of ready-made companies. You can follow the news of the portal using the Facebook group.

Thus, those who find it difficult to find an investor for their project can turn to popular Internet resources for help.

Don’t forget about the site’s crowdfunding as well. Thanks to (a type of crowdfunding), it is also possible to attract capital from interested platform participants for a share in a startup.

7. Answers to frequently asked questions 📑

The topic of finding investors is quite complex. Therefore, businessmen have a huge number of questions in this regard. The publication would not be complete if we did not answer the most frequently encountered questions.

Question 1. Where can I get money for my business?

Finding money to grow a business can be a daunting task for any aspiring entrepreneur. This especially concerns the formation and further startup development. Develop any business project without raising funds practically impossible. We wrote about what stages it should go through, how to attract money, etc., in a separate article.

Every aspiring entrepreneur is looking for his own options for finding an investor. That’s why it’s so important to reconsider how you can find funds.

Method 1. Accumulate

This option is the simplest. Having accumulated money, the entrepreneur will not become financially dependent on other people; he will be able to run the business completely independently, without reporting to anyone and without giving away part of the profit to anyone.

At the same time, to save money, you only need great desire, as well as financial self-discipline. It is enough to optimize your own expenses to start saving money. With due diligence, already for 6 -12 months you can raise a significant amount of money.

This option is suitable for those who know how to save. If you manage to save for a major purchase or vacation, this method of finding funds will probably suit you. Moreover, this option helps you learn an optimal attitude towards money, which will definitely come in handy in the future when implementing a business project.

Method 2. Take out a loan

Those businessmen who have a good understanding of the rules of maintaining financial discipline may well take out a bank loan for the development of activities.

The danger of this method is that at the very beginning of business, companies almost always operate on the brink of loss. Therefore, there is a high probability that there will simply be nothing to pay off the loan.

This method is suitable only for those who are confident that the business will become profitable even before the loan payments begin. It is worth understanding that credit institutions startups rarely invest. Much more often they issue loans for the development of an existing business. However, the decision is always made individually.

A businessman should definitely take into account that interest in most cases is at least 15%. In addition, it is important to contact banks with a good reputation.

To simplify the task for businessmen, the table shows the best banks for small and medium-sized businesses.

Method 3. Government subsidies

The state is trying actively support small businesses. Any aspiring entrepreneur can take part in competitions for subsidies.

If you wish, you can contact the Employment Center to receive a self-employment grant. The amount for this program varies by region, but on average it is 90-100 thousand rubles.

In addition, the country has created so-called incubators (most often on the basis of the largest higher education institutions educational institutions teaching the subject “Economics”).

Such structures are financed from the budget. The goal of such organizations is to create favorable conditions for business development.

Method 4. Close people

This option can be considered a last resort, since doing business with relatives and friends can be very difficult. Nobody likes to just give away their money, so even close people should be interested. You can offer them a share in the business.

There are also advantages to this method of raising funds. Firstly, it is easier to agree with loved ones on the timing of the return of money. Secondly, receiving funds is much faster, since you do not need to collect a large number of documents and also wait for a decision from third parties.

Method 5. Private investors

In some cases, there are simply no other options other than borrowing money from private investors. You can get funds from private investors quite easily quickly and without unnecessary problems.

In the majority major cities There are Internet sites where relevant advertisements are posted. At the same time, to obtain a loan it is enough confirm your identity and write a receipt. Some private investors require mandatory notarization of this document.

Question 2. Where to start looking for an investor for a small business?

There are several basic steps that will help a novice investor navigate the process of finding an investor.

Step 1: Making a plan

A businessman must develop a high-quality business plan, which he will use as a presentation to people who invest money in the business. It is the plan that will help convince the investor that the businessman’s project is capable of generating significant profits.

Important so that the business plan contains not only a description of the company itself, but also a study of its position in the market, as well as further development prospects.

Step 2. Choose an investment scheme

There are several possible options raising funds. Investors can buy new equipment, by providing a loan at certain interest rates. Others invest, demanding in exchange for a share in the company .

In any case, a businessman should decide in advance which of the schemes is most suitable for him. It would be useful to indicate this in the business plan itself.

Step 3. Help from professionals

Experienced businessmen can give valuable advice both in raising funds and in running a business.

Step 4. Search for online resources on investing

There are sites on the Internet that allow you to present projects to business angels. After posting information about themselves on such resources, businessmen often note an increase in the number of offers from investors.

Question 3. I am looking for an investor to start a business from scratch/into an existing business. What portals/sites and forums should I look on?

Popular Internet resources (websites, forums, portals) for searching for investors

The development of Internet technologies has made it possible to significantly simplify the procedure for finding investors. There are quite a large number of Internet resources that help in this difficult task.

Here are the most popular ones:

Starttrack.ru is a popular investor search portal. There is an opportunity to post information about your business project. If it passes approval, the chances of attracting investors will increase significantly.
Ventureclub.ru– a resource that allows you to find fairly large investors.
Napartner.ru- is a regular bulletin board on which investors post information about themselves.
Mypio.ru– here you can place information about your business project. Advertisements on this portal are viewed daily by a large number of investors.
Startuppoint.ru– a project with a huge number of proposals from investors. If today there is no suitable option here, it is quite possible to post information about the project for viewing by potential investors.

Question 4. Where to look for an investor for a startup or how to find an investor to implement an idea?

A businessman must remember that the best place to find an investor is where they gather maximum amount. It can be various exhibitions, and presentation events. As part of such events, they are usually organized round tables owners of funds where you can meet a future investor. This option is quite simple, however its effectiveness is highly questionable. Such events are held extremely rarely, get acquainted with the right person happens here too not easy.

Another easy option– investing in a new business project by diverting funds from an old, already developed one. Naturally, this method is unacceptable for novice entrepreneurs.

You can find private investors on various Internet resources. You can find a large number of business investment proposals. But don't forget that areas of large accumulation of funds are infested with a huge number of scammers. Often, businessmen are offered to contribute a certain amount of money to start investing under various pretexts.

It is considered a good way to attract investment investment broker assistance. For a small commission, the businessman shifts the worries of finding an investor onto someone else's shoulders. In this case, you will have to pay only upon the issuance of funds.

The help of business angels is often considered effective.. However, today there are too few of them for a large number of applicants. In addition, they often demand a significant share in the business being created.

Incubators do not have the purpose of investing in projects. They are created to provide businesses with optimal conditions for development.

Question 5. How to search for foreign investors? Where to find foreign investors who will give money?

On this moment There are several ways to find a foreign investor who is interested in your business:

Using the intermediary services of public or private commercial structures in searching for investment proposals;
By posting information about a project (startup, idea) on specialized sites (investment project databases);
Participating in various specialized exhibitions and fairs.

On investment market Many different agencies are successfully operating, providing professional services for finding foreign investors. It is important for potential foreign investors to see the prospects of your business project.

8. Conclusion + video on the topic 🎥

If you have read the publication to the end, rest assured that you have received enough information to attract an investor. It is important to remember that this process is not easy and requires high-quality preparation.

A businessman must remember that even if he finds sufficient funds, there is no guarantee that the project will be successful.

Finding an investor is only the initial stage, a small part of a long and difficult journey.

Having spent money, a businessman must make every effort to achieve the desired return from it.

In conclusion, we suggest watching a video from Stolitsa FM - Where and how to look for business investments?

And also an interesting webinar “How to attract investment in business” from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

The site magazine team wishes you good luck and success in attracting a good investor and, of course, success in further development business. If you have any comments or questions on the topic, please ask them in the comments below.

90% of companies close in the first year after opening. Another 3-5% - in the second. Moreover, the business plan was ideal and things went well from the very beginning. But suddenly the successful start failed... It’s good if there are no loans and other debts left, but only unjustified hopes. Is it possible to start a business with a brilliant business idea and not fail? Is it really possible to start a business without investment? How to develop startups in Russia? You will find the most useful tips, proven and justified, in our article.

What is a startup

Before we talk about effective approaches to developing a startup, we need to understand what it is. Some people believe that a startup is just a beginner's business. Another mistake: some people think that a startup is support from the state for a particular idea, a cash subsidy intended for promising entrepreneurs.

A startup is not just a new business. And not a government subsidy. This is a company that can get bigger, has the ability to scale, and can attract investors.

A local store is also a business. It may generate income, but it is a business for a living. Not a startup. Although there are known exceptions, when shops became a chain.

There are opinions that a startup and a business have different goals and objectives. The idea of a startup is to test a hypothesis. The idea of the business is to scale a proven idea.

What is a startup? To summarize, we can formulate a definition: a startup is the first step towards a business that is stable and capable of growth.

Misconceptions and mistakes

If you don’t know where to start a startup, start by studying other people’s mistakes. Of course, each case may have its own set, but here are the most common ones:

a startup is based on an idea that outstrips sales;
a lot of money was spent on furnishings in the office, on renting premises, purchasing office equipment, and so on - this is money invested without calculation;
a friend becomes a partner - the likelihood of business disagreements is too high; They advise you to look for partners, and not make them friends.

What to focus on

The initial stage of a startup is to sell the idea. We need to decide on a hypothesis. For example: “I want to sell chairs.” The next stage is testing, that is, direct sale of chairs. If there are problems with the product, promote the product more actively; if there is a flow of customers, engage in marketing. The formulated problem is already in many ways the answer to the question of how to cope with it.

It is also important not to miss the time to scale. A clear understanding of the client segment will help diagnose this step.

It is a common thing for a novice businessman to fail at the same chair sale. And instead of analyzing the mistakes and starting over, the entrepreneur chooses another product. They advise the opposite: to return to the hypothesis and sell chairs again, correcting the shortcomings of past experience.

And at the first stage higher value will have concluded transactions rather than profits.

If everything goes well, you need to plan for growth. And here it is necessary to calculate two figures: how much the client costs and how much he will bring to the company. For example, you invest 1,000 rubles in a product, the client gives you 5,000 rubles.

It is important to analyze the number of people who “paid” you again. If people come back for your product again, everything is fine. If this doesn't happen, look for problems in the product and don't blame the failure on ineffective advertising. This excludes, of course, expensive or exclusive items. It is unlikely that anyone will buy two expensive TVs a month apart. But they may well recommend it to friends.

A business plan for a startup doesn’t hurt, but often things move forward without following its points. It is more productive and useful to solve current problems. Step by step and gradually.

Focus on responsibility. Precisely distribute the functionality between your employees: who is responsible for applications, who is responsible for promotion, who is responsible for payment. Data slice at initial stage It is better to do it a couple of times a day. This way you will more easily understand where the mistake is and can prevent failure.

To formulate a hypothesis and the startup itself, it is advised to choose a business or product that you like. There will always be competition, but inspiration from your favorite activity will be an advantage and help generate income.

Where to find money for a startup

The simplest answer is from investors. But they need to be attracted and convinced of the uniqueness and profitability of your idea. In the investment “trend”:

projects in the financial sector;
production projects;
IT projects - 70% of total demand.

Investors need startups with the ability to capitalize and with the prospect of increasing their own prices. Startups that are attractive to investors must have an effective development strategy, the obviousness of which is beyond doubt.

For an investor, the profit should be tenfold. Otherwise, he will not invest his funds.

Business angels

Formalized investors need well-thought-out business plans with full justification for spending every penny and expectations from the plan. This is important for incubators, venture capital and government funds.

However, business angels are often found in the business sphere.

An angel investor is an investor who gives money without asking unnecessary questions or looking at the business plan. But this is not naivety. The investor simply understands the promise of the idea, believes in the quality of the idea and the quality of its execution. Most often, such investors have a flair for good projects and are ready to invest, counting only on him.

How to attract an investor

If you need money for a startup, start looking for an investor. This is a process consisting of points that require step-by-step implementation.

Step-by-step instruction:

Idea-hypothesis.
Test sample creation and testing.
Creating a presentation for an investor.

Your investor pitch should outline the problem your idea solves. Describe why and how this problem should be solved, who benefits and how. Provide an assessment of the market.

Describe production, calculate costs and distribution, tell us how you intend to sell the product. In the financing model, provide calculations for profits, costs and expenses. The investor should have no doubt about profitability, and he should see a forecast for the company's development in the future.

End your presentation with a story about your team, proving that your people can implement ideas. This important condition A positive answer is to allocate money for a startup.

A classic presentation for an investor is usually 10-12 slides.

You don't need money for a startup

A startup from scratch is a real startup. This is the opposite point of view on financial support for starting a business, denying the search for an investor. You need to learn to work with a certain amount of money so that, having received a large amount, you do not waste it thoughtlessly. Need experience. An investor should be approached with a proposal to support a developing project, and not the first step. An investor's willingness to invest money in a start-up business can result in ruin for the entrepreneur.

Supporters of this position also believe that the company is developing in extreme conditions. This is how efficiency increases and the business squeezes out all its resources. Projects initially need people, not investments.

How to start a startup without investment

It is believed that if people talk about wanting to start a business, but everything depends on their lack of starting capital, that's an excuse. The expectation of capital and the funds themselves are a classic excuse for the brain. There is a long-established startup scheme that proves: a business can be with zero investment, but based on marketing knowledge, the ability to create customer flows and find a customer.

The agent-trader-manufacturer scheme works like this:

Agent- you are looking for orders on websites or by “cold” calls. You may not have a product, but you may have applications. With the flow of requests, the agent becomes the right topics, who do not have enough applications.
Manufacturer- the agent offers his application flows on terms of cooperation on a commission basis.
Money appears from regular orders. From the trader - the transition to production.

Startup money from your pocket

Money needs to be allocated when the startup takes place. If so, how to find the initial capital? Information businessmen offer several options:

use credit cards or borrow from relatives;
earn money by hiring;
use the scheme: prepayment - ordering goods - transferring goods to the customer.

Complex, but effective method starting a startup with minimal capital - renting premises or property. If you think through ways to use them effectively, you can make a profit.

Not all business ideas require investment; it is important to reinvest the profits from a startup into the next stage.

Loans for startups in Russia are issued at high interest rates. This option is usually not recommended, but if you can’t use your savings, then it makes sense to consider it. In Western startup practice, collateral, real estate sales, and business loans are very popular.

Contributing to a startup

If the proposed options are not suitable, and you do not want to wait for money for a startup from the state, then ordinary users can raise money to launch your startup. This is called crowdfunding, when entrepreneurs present their hypothetical ideas, business plans or a detailed presentation of their startup on an Internet platform. If users like the project, they can invest, for example, from 1,000 rubles to the full cost of the idea. Raising money for a startup will no longer be a problem.

Initially, this scheme was developed by American entrepreneurs, but analogues of such platforms have been operating in Russia for several years.