photo credit: DownTown Pictures
The following is a guest post by Sahail Ashraf.
Here are three ways to find an angel investor. These investors can pump anything from $1,000 to $1m into your venture, so knowing how to find them is kind of important.
- Get out more
This is basic stuff. You need to be visible in the business community, so join local trade organisations and bodies, and attend their meetings. At some point, all the networking you will put in will pay off. The more you network, the more chances you have of meeting an Angel, or meeting someone who knows one. - Talk more
Talk about your idea to people who know people. These are those professionals who meet hundreds of people, week in, week out. So tell your dentist that you want to start a company. Then tell your doctor, your lawyer, your accountant. These guys are part of a larger network. Someone, somewhere, will hear about you. And there is a good chance they will wear wings. - The Internet
A wonderful place to do your research. Note that I said research. The one problem with Angels is that if you get things wrong, they are rarely forgiving. So get to know how they work first. I have linked to these guys because they have the typical website for a group of Angels. Look for more like these (just Google ‘Angel Investor Groups’) and start researching how they work. Then think about pitching.
The bottom line is clear. You are either out there trying to meet these guys, or you aren’t. You can’t advertise for Angel Investors to come talk to you, for example.
The best way to look at it is to bear in mind that Angels (both business and otherwise) have always been devilishly hard to find.
Sahail Ashraf is a freelance writer living in Devon, England. His blog can be found at www.smarthomeworker.com.