Successfully finding an investor for a business is a life-determining task for most start-up companies. Implementing it in modern conditions is much easier than a few years ago, thanks to the Internet and remote investment platforms. But in any case, an entrepreneur looking for funds for his own project should know several important rules and recommendations that will help solve this problem more successfully - we talk about them below.

Before you start looking for investors to implement your idea, you need to understand what this concept means and how it differs, for example, from a sponsor or philanthropist. These terms are often confused with each other, although in reality they refer to very different ways of directing funds.

The goal of any investor is to increase their own investments. Investors invest money only in projects that, after a certain period, will increase their capital or begin to generate regular profits in the form of dividends.

Investments are not charity. Unlike sponsors or philanthropists, investors give money to companies not with the goal of helping, but with the prospect of making money on it. Investments are needed for business development and ultimately benefit both parties: the entrepreneur gets the opportunity to realize his business idea, and the investor increases capital.

Unlike sponsors or philanthropists, investors give money to companies not with the goal of helping, but with the prospect of making money on it.

Who most often acts as investors?

In a situation where you need an investor to start a business from scratch, it is important to know who can play this role. Most often this is:

1. Banks. Financial institutions prefer to deal with existing, stable and promising companies, so for beginners, going to a bank is clearly not the best option.
2. Investment funds - carry out collective investments of their participants. The decision to allocate money is usually made on the basis of a business plan. They support both existing and start-up projects.
3. Independent private investors. These can be wealthy businessmen, owners of large capital, and even professional investors who make money from successful investments in many projects simultaneously.

What to do before attracting investments

If the query “I’m looking for an investor to start a business from scratch” is relevant to you, Before you start searching and negotiating, you need to prepare the following:

1. Detailed business plan for the project with calculations and payback period. The investor must see over what period his capital will increase. It is desirable that the plan describes the project for at least 1 year (but better for several years), is realistic, and does not contain inflated expectations.
2. The exact amount of financial resources required, possibly in several versions. For example, according to the minimum plan and according to the maximum plan.
3. A brief and vivid presentation of the project, which will describe all its prospects, strengths, innovation and expected profit. That is, this is a brief summary of why it is profitable for investors to invest in this business.

Attracting investment is quite a difficult task even for existing companies. For those entrepreneurs who raise funds to implement an idea from scratch, it becomes much more complicated. Particular attention should be paid to the business plan: it is on its basis that potential investors will judge the company’s prospects

What types of investment are there?

Investments for business come in two varieties:

1. Direct - in exchange for financial resources for the implementation of the project, the investor receives a share in the management of the organization. The money is used to purchase means of production, raw materials, sales organization, and so on. This type includes only those investments after which the investor’s share in the company will be at least 10%.
2. Portfolio - the acquisition of an organization's securities (shares or bonds) for the purpose of owning them or reselling them at higher prices when their value increases. The investor who purchases the securities usually does not participate in the operational management of the company and decision making. His goal is not the development of the company as such, but the increase in capital.

What investors like

To understand how to find money for your business idea, you need to know what attracts investors to start-up companies. You already know that experienced businessmen and owners of large capital who only intend to increase their profits most often act in this capacity.

Despite the generally risky nature of investing as a phenomenon, investors like guarantees. The more a business plan demonstrates the reality of payback and increased profitability, the more potential investors will like it.

Don't count on the "wow" effect- it does not play any role when investing. Transparency and realism of all calculations are also highly valued. In other words, the promise of profit should not be fabulous, but based on real numbers and calculations. Among the personal qualities attractive to investors are organization, enterprise, multitasking, the ability to control the situation, predict options and events.

What repels investors

The main thing that will not allow you to find investors to implement your own idea- this is the unrealism of the business plan, errors and overestimations in it, the futility of the project. Investors are looking for an opportunity to multiply their capital and for this reason will not participate in activities that are obviously unsuccessful.

How to find finance - features of finding funds for a project in different sources

Now it’s time to move on to the practical part of the issue and understand how to attract an investor to the project. To do this, we will consider the most popular options and the procedure in each case. An entrepreneur raising funds for his company should use several options at the same time, which will increase the likelihood of search success.

Applying to a bank for a loan

Many banks offer business lending services. True, a novice businessman has much less chance of receiving a large sum of money than an already existing organization. Issuing financial resources to an unrealized project is too risky for a financial institution, so it is very likely that the amount will be reduced or the loan will be refused altogether.

However, if an entrepreneur is looking for where to find an investor for a small business and the amount he needs is really small, it is worth applying for a bank loan. In this case, it is also necessary to have a business plan, including calculations of the required amount. It is quite possible that the bank will require a guarantor or collateral, for example, in the form of the entrepreneur’s personal property.

An entrepreneur raising funds for his company must use several options simultaneously.

Raising capital through investment funds

It is convenient to search for investments and investors through investment funds. These institutions bring together a variety of investors and make mixed and collective investments in a wide variety of start-up projects. Due to the specific nature of their activities, funds treat risks much more simply than banks.

Foundations can be state or non-state. Entrepreneurs whose company has any social or strategic significance for the region in which they plan to operate should contact government agencies. This could be, for example, an asphalt production business: it provides many new jobs (social value) and creates resources to improve the quality of streets and roads (strategic, local value).

If the project does not involve solving such problems, it is better to turn to non-state funds. The most famous in Russia are:"Finance-invest", "SotsAgroFinance", "Adfincom", "VTB Capital", "Sberbank Electric Power", "Gazprombank Asset Management".

Raising funds for a business idea via the Internet

Above we looked at two traditional ways to obtain funds for the implementation of your own project: through a bank or through investment funds. However, now there are other options on how to attract investors using modern technologies.

The most popular and convenient option for raising money to implement a business idea is to use a variety of specialized online services and platforms. Now among them there are already quite a lot of popular and proven ones:

• angel.co;
• startup.network;
• napartner.ru;
• pitchbook.com;
• preqveca.ru;
• business-platform.ru;
• rb.ru/pipeline;
• towave.ru;
• startupnetwork.ru;
• azium.ru;
• shareinstock.com.

Each site for searching for investors invites entrepreneurs to register their project and indicate all the most important information about it - the amount of required investments, plans and prospects, payback period, significance, innovativeness.

The service will show this information to potential investors looking for projects in a similar area of ​​business or who have the necessary funds. Some platforms, providing investment assistance, send out new offers to their registered user base, notifying them of the emergence of promising companies.

To increase the likelihood of raising funds, use several services at the same time. Not all of them are Russian-speaking, but it is quite possible that a business plan, especially a technological one, will also be of interest to foreign investors. This option for raising capital is very convenient and promising, as it allows the entrepreneur and investor to interact directly with each other.

If an entrepreneur is looking for an investor in his business that is already operating and demonstrating success, you can try to find investors yourself.

Independently attracting an investor

If an entrepreneur is looking for an investor in his business that is already operating and demonstrating success, you can try to find investors yourself. For example, post information about the need to invest on your own website, write about it on your social media accounts.

Another option is to issue additional securities. Their implementation will help you find new shareholders (and with them new finances), as well as, possibly, new ideas and steps for the development of the enterprise. However, do not forget that even in this case you will need a business plan from which each investor will understand what benefits the investment will bring him.

How crowdfunding can help

Crowdfunding - that is, raising funds through voluntary donations - is not investing in the truest sense of the word. However, this type of search for money to start your own business is also very promising. When donating through crowdfunding, contributors do not acquire a stake in the company or its securities, but help to release the first batches of goods and get started.

To start collecting funds, the author of the project creates its description on the crowdfunding site and indicates the required amount. With such financing, the business plan is less important. Innovative, technological developments or socially significant, socially beneficial projects will have an advantage.

In Russia, crowdfunding is just beginning to develop. The most famous Russian-language platforms are “StartTrack” and “Boomstarter”. On each platform, you can study the experiences of successful companies that have raised funds in this way and see what ideas are currently collecting donations.

Summary

Finding an investor even for a new project is possible. The basis for searching for finance to implement your own idea should be a high-quality business plan with accurate calculations. Investors are attracted to technologically advanced and promising projects that will help multiply their capital. The most effective way to find investment is to use specialized online services.

This section is for those who are either ready to invest and are looking for an object for profitable investment, or, on the contrary, are interested in attracting Russian or foreign capital. Here you can find advertisements from private investors who are ready to invest money in business, as well as investment programs of investor companies offering, among other things, project financing. Direct and venture investment funds, major regional and industrial investors are invited to contribute to this section. Both small and large businesses will find a wide range of investment opportunities here.

It doesn’t matter who you are: a private equity fund, a venture fund, a private investor, a business angel, an investment bank or a management company, if you make direct investments and are ready to provide project financing, then this portal will be useful to you.

If you are interested in diversifying your investment portfolio, looking for new and profitable objects for investment, post information about yourself: investment priorities, volumes and directions of investment, principles for selecting investment projects and companies, ways to exit an investment project.

You can not only post information about yourself, but also subscribe to receive applications to attract investments. Just customize the search form in accordance with the criteria you are interested in and regularly receive investment applications in your mailbox. Do you want to be more active in your search for investment targets? Then refer to the section "Investment projects".

Step-by-step instructions and pitfalls

Finding an investor: where to start?

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 as follows. 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 like 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, 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 (similar 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 to gain valuable competitive experience, and if you win, 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 are regularly organized - it is convenient to follow this flow of opportunities with 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 link to the attached presentation, it simply will not be opened.

Read more about this here:

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.
• Here .

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. When implemented correctly, this is a good way to 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 competence (readers will immediately notice this). But when you grow up, journalists will come to you themselves (like 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.

How to find an investor for a small business from scratch? This question is often asked by young and aspiring entrepreneurs who have their own project and idea, but do not have money. Asking for help in getting money is a difficult step, however, you can find your investor by setting yourself the goal of implementing your project. How to attract investors to small business?

Searching for investors to implement an idea in a small business

How to get investment for a small business? When searching for sources of financing for a project, consider the following rules:

• do not delay deadlines;
• collect as much information as possible about the potential investor to avoid misunderstandings in the future;
• carefully calculate the amount of investment required;
• focus on specific goals;
• in the process of negotiations with an investor, be honest and open, do not hide important facts.

Useful video on the topic:

How to get investments for small businesses from the state?

Today, the Russian government offers a wide range of ways to promote the development of small businesses:

• allocation of state subsidies for the purchase of premises and fixed assets in the amount of up to 60 thousand rubles;
• grants for beginning businessmen in the amount of up to 60,000 rubles;
• compensation for previously received bank loans for business development;
• subsidy from the Employment Center up to 25 thousand rubles;
• assistance from Small Business Support Funds;
• subsidy for entrepreneurs aimed at developing innovative technologies (maximum 60 thousand rubles).

You can learn more about state support programs on the Russian Government portal (http://government.ru/).

How to find a private investor to borrow money?

How to find a private investor to borrow money to create and develop a business? To obtain financing, there are online platforms specializing in business lending:

• Fundico - shared lending service;
• Nimfamoney is a closed platform for investors and startups (loan amount from 100,000 to 1 million rubles);
• business.potok.digital - lending to entrepreneurs by private individuals.;
• vdolg.ru - deposits up to 500 thousand rubles to a bank card;
• loanberry.ru - online loan service for up to half a million rubles;
• townmoney.ru is a P2P lending service that unites the interests of borrowers and investors.

How to find an investor for a business from scratch in Russia: 7 ways

How to find an investor to finance a business created from scratch in Russia?

I offer 7 options:

1. Contact your family and friends– this is the option for financing your own business that is most often used by start-ups. And here the essence of the matter is not to borrow money against a receipt or interest - the essence of the matter is to turn a friend or relative into your partner and boss, and start earning money together. This investment option is optimal if the diet involves a small amount - many friends and relatives will not have a lot of money for your project, free amounts on hand. The main thing is to convince them of the profitability of your idea and the opportunity to receive their share of passive income.
2. We are looking for a business agent. Today in the service market there are many agents - intermediaries between a startup and an investor who are ready to help you find a potential sponsor for a certain percentage or amount of money. Agents often unite in various associations and clubs - their coordinates can be easily found on the Internet and already on the spot have a more substantive business conversation. This option of finding an investor for your own project will be of interest to those who are planning to bring something grandiose and large-scale to life. Most often, agents have access and contacts with very wealthy investors, and if they like your project and it is approved, the matter will not be about finances. But they are unlikely to sponsor projects that will not bring in a lot of money - this is not their level, and here it is worth going and choosing a different option for finding investment.
3. Crowdfunding. If we talk about this type of search for an investor, then this phenomenon means the help of the crowd or public funding, built on the principle of mutual aid funds. This phenomenon has been gaining a lot of momentum in recent years - this option of searching for an investor has gained attention and is therefore worth taking into account. The essence of this method of finding an investor and financing one’s own project is that a person publishes his own idea on one or another specialized website, his own project, and on social networks dedicated to this area, having written down the conditions for participation in the project - those under which he intends to attract financial activists. Anyone can take part in the project, and by contributing their part of the money as a percentage or a fixed amount, you can collect the amount necessary for the implementation of the startup. Most often, this method of searching and attracting investors is used in such areas and areas as charity in the field of medicine, financing non-profit projects - recording amateur music and holding festivals, creating films and holding exhibitions.
4. Bank loan. An option for finding an investor is to contact the bank with your own developed business project, all the necessary calculations of investments and profits, and the payback period. But this option is possible if you have stable and official earnings and can make a certain deposit in the form of real estate or a car. This option is relevant if there is a need for a large amount of money, if the initial investment in your project does not require large financial investments - you can resort to financial sponsorship from microfinance organizations, where the conditions for issuing borrowed funds are somewhat softer, although the interest rate for using the loan will be higher than in jar.
5. Platforms for attracting business investment. If you don’t want to resort to the help of a bank or microfinance organization, you can visit specialized platforms for startups. It is on such specialized platforms that the necessary information for a beginner is posted - research and statistics, practical advice and assistance in launching new projects, plus data on investors, the ability to find their coordinates and contacts, investment conditions. In search of your own investor, you can visit online lending platforms. This is a kind of MFO or bank lending format. More specifically, such a platform could be Startups.co, which can act as a proven and reliable channel for finding a potential investor. As statistics show, more than 13.9 million potential users and investors have already been registered on the presented platform, who can act as both a consultant and a sponsor. Another proven platform that is popular among startups and investors is Gust.com - with its support, about 1.8 million dollars have been invested in many projects in recent years.
6. Social networks of professionals– these are groups of potential investors that can be easily found on the Internet. Professional investor networks are a currently developed area where you can meet a potential sponsor working in one direction or another. Most of the sites presented on the network work with foreign investors who are ready to directly join the international, global business space.
7. Business angels, private equity funds. If you need to find a reliable investor for your own project, you can contact a private investment company that specializes in this type of financial investment. What’s most important is that you can get approval for a variety of amounts, ranging from several thousand to several million dollars. What is the interest of the investors themselves - after a few years, to sell their own part a few years after the start of the startup. An example is the private equity fund Zunder Invest. But even if you were refused a loan of money, you were refused by a bank or an MFO, an investor - do not despair. Perhaps your investor has not yet met your path, or your project does not meet all the requirements of a potential sponsor.

Where to find an investor for a business from scratch: 5 options

To find investments, you can use the following tools and resources:

• Social networks for professionals (LinkedIn, EFactor, Xing, Plaxo, Startup Nation, Cofoundr and Meetup)
• Business incubators and accelerators (The best include Synergy Innovations, Ingria, the business incubator of the Academy of National Economy, the API Moscow business accelerator, the First City Business Incubator of St. Petersburg and others)
• Platforms for startups (the full list is below)
• Small business support funds and employment centers
• Investment club “Business Youth” (molodost.bz/investfund_OLD)
• Investor forums (investory.biz, investorov.net/forum, investtalk.ru/forum/)

Websites for finding investors in Russia and abroad: top 20

The most popular platforms for finding investors today are:

How to attract investment in business: ideas and platforms for startups

How to attract an investor to a startup is the first most difficult task that a novice investor who wants to implement his business idea will have to solve.

Where to find investment for a startup? To finance your project, you can use specialized online platforms for searching for private investors, the help of business angels, business accelerators and incubators, government support programs, and crowdinvesting platforms.

How to get investment for a startup? To obtain funding, the startuper must convince the investor of the viability and profitability of the project. To do this, you will need to cover the following topics in your business plan in as much detail and reasoning as possible:

• uniqueness and prospects of the project;
• demand for a product or service on the market;
• investment size;
• payback period of investments;
• projected level of profitability;
• guarantees for return of invested funds.

How to attract investors to a project quickly and without unnecessary problems? The search for investments and investors can be carried out using specialized online platforms:

• Boomstarter is a Russian crowdfunding platform.
• Planeta.ru is a platform that allows you to raise from 20,000 to 15 million rubles for the implementation of any creative idea.
• nachinanie.ru - service for collective financing of new projects
• Startups.co is an international platform for startups that allows you to solve the problem of how to find an investor for a project.

How to write a business plan for an investor: key points of the project

How to draw up a project for an investor? The business project summary should contain the following points:

• description of the essence of the business idea;
• market analysis;
• portrait of the target audience;
• how and with the help of what tools the idea will be monetized;
• analysis of competitors (their strengths and weaknesses);
• the team involved in the project implementation;
• project benefits;
• investment project performance indicators (payback period (DPP), MIRR, IRR (internal rate of return), ARR (return on investment ratio));
• how much money has already been invested in the project at the start;
• investment use plan;
• what the investor will receive as a result and in what time frame.

How to calculate return on investment (ROI)? To calculate, you must use the following formula: ROI = PE / I * 100%, where PE is the net profit for a certain period of time (this indicator is calculated as the difference between the total profit and the cost); And - investments.

How to make your business proposal attractive and find a private investor? Where and how do you search for investors for startups? Who can help if I'm looking for an investor to open a business in Moscow?

Hello everyone who visited our site! Denis Kuderin is in touch, an investment specialist.

Let's continue the topic of investing. In the new article I will try to answer in detail the question of how to find an investor for business projects, startups and other commercial endeavors.

The publication will be useful for both beginning entrepreneurs and those who already have experience in promoting and developing their own business.

So, let's begin!

1. Why are they looking for an investor?

Any business needs financial support. Without attracting funds, the full development of the project is impossible - it will simply die in its infancy.

Saving money and patiently waiting for the right moment is not an option: in business, time is the most important factor for success. While you save money, your niche will certainly be occupied by agile competitors.

There is nothing wrong with a lack of finances. Even the largest modern companies (for example, Google) at the debut stage developed exclusively at the expense of third-party capital.

Young and promising enterprises almost always feel a shortage of finances: as a rule, this is balanced by an excess of promising ideas. Today, the process of finding investors has been greatly simplified - there are hundreds of funds and companies ready to provide their resources to budding businessmen.

However, these funds do not provide money to every businessman. First, you need to convince your partner to cooperate with you, prove that your project is better, more promising and more interesting than that of your competitors, and provide a competent business plan.

And since most investors are professionals with extensive experience, they are able to almost accurately determine where it is better to invest in order to get a guaranteed profit.

Remember: foundations and private investors are not engaged in charity: they are interested in a full and, as quickly as possible, return on their investments.

Any sources of financing - credit institutions, venture capital companies, business angels - are interested in the return of their assets and do not give out money without sufficient commercial grounds. The exception is organizations that issue grants, but it is even more difficult to win their attention.

Natural questions arise:

• How exactly to attract an investor to your business?
• how to talk to an investor so as not to get rejected?
• where is it better to contact – investment funds, banks, directly to businessmen, friends and acquaintances?

I will try to answer these questions (and some others) in subsequent sections of this publication.

2. What might interest an investor?

Why do some entrepreneurs manage to find money in a matter of days, while others spend years looking for financial support for (at first glance) promising projects?

It’s not a matter of natural charm at all (more precisely, not only of it). Getting an investor interested is a whole science or even an art. First of all, investors need guarantees that their money will work.

Every investor needs to know everything about business participants - their professional and organizational abilities, motivation and goals.

When turning to partners for support, entrepreneurs should prepare in advance:

1. Presentation of your project– an intriguing introduction to the essence and meaning of the upcoming business is half the success.
2. Competent business plan: This document, among other things, must contain specific indicators that the company intends to achieve over a certain period.
3. A realistic plan for spending the funds received– the investor must know where the funds provided to him will go.

Your partners do not need excessive information, but you should have ready-made answers to any possible question from the investor. Excessive optimism will also not inspire confidence: do not try to inflate possible profits and do not remain silent about possible risks.

Try to interest the investor in the originality of your idea, but also remember that too radical innovations may scare away conservative lenders.

Example

A startup developer begins a conversation with an investor with the following phrase: “I want to provide you with a product that has never been on the market before!” It sounds impressive, but an experienced businessman will immediately be wary. He knows that there is usually nothing on the market for which there is no demand.

Even if your product is truly unique, be prepared to prove it to your potential partner with facts. Think in advance about how you will deal with objections and conduct a personal risk analysis.

When starting your search, it is also advisable to immediately determine the circle of people who will be interested in your offer. Your actions must be purposeful. You can search for partners on your own or with the assistance of professional consultants.

3. How to find an investor - step-by-step instructions for beginning businessmen

By acting consistently, competently and, as they say, “according to science,” you will achieve results much faster. The main rule when looking for sources of financing is to take into account the interests of the investor. Remember that the person providing the loan is always guided by commercial considerations.

Your potential partners do not need innovation; they are not concerned at all with your well-being, but with multiplying and preserving their own funds. Many of them are not at all interested in new business ideas, since they are already mortally tired of active commerce.

Investors have already earned money through their own labor and now simply want to receive passive income from their assets. At the same time, they are interested in ways that will bring more money than mutual funds, banks and other traditional investment areas.

Your task is to convince your partners that you will provide them with such income.

Step 1. Create a clear business plan

A business plan is the first thing investors pay attention to. If you do not have a well-designed development strategy, your chances of success in seeking financial support will be minimal.

The plan should contain the following items:

• the essence of the proposed idea;
• the size of the required investments;
• commercial benefit for the investor;
• approximate payback period and first profit;
• prospects for the company's development.

Experts advise paying attention to every detail, right down to the execution of documents: it is recommended to print them on high-quality paper and accompany them with professional graphic design.

Step 2. Decide on a suitable form of cooperation

There are various ways of interaction between the recipient of the investment and the investor. It is necessary to decide in advance which form will be most effective for your company.

Some investors give money at interest, others may demand a share in the business or commissions on future earnings. Having chosen the most acceptable cooperation model for you, be sure to indicate it in the plan.

Remember that a new businessman needs to be flexible: if an investor insists on a particular form of interaction, it may be worth meeting him halfway.

Step 3. We turn to experienced businessmen for help

A beginner will be best understood by experienced entrepreneurs who have been working in your chosen niche for a long time. Many successful businessmen willingly give advice to neophytes if they are planning a mutually beneficial partnership in the future.

Even if the “senior friend”, after listening to the business idea, does not decide to make direct investments, he will certainly provide you with valuable parting words or wishes that will bring success in the future. In addition, he may recommend your candidacy to others.

Step 4. Negotiate

A positive response to an investment proposal often depends on skillfully conducted negotiations.

Even if you have no problems communicating with people, you need to prepare in advance for a conversation with a potential investor. As I already said, you will need answers to possible questions and logical arguments in favor of the viability of your startup.

At the first meeting with a potential partner, you will be expected to make a competent presentation. You will not go wrong if you invite a specialist to participate in the presentation of the project, who will clearly and clearly explain all the nuances of your idea.

Step 5. Conclude an agreement

The culmination of the meeting is the signing of investment documents or a cooperation agreement. I think there is no need to remind you that the contract should be read, not skimmed. It is even better if a professional lawyer gets acquainted with it.

The contract must indicate:

• investment amount;
• terms of interaction;
• rights and obligations of partners.

According to the document, the money is transferred to the customer under certain conditions. The essence of these conditions is that funds are invested specifically in business (production, equipment, creation of an online project).

The investor must be sure that his assets will not be used (even partially) for outside needs - for example, to pay the debts of the head of a startup.

4. Where to find an investor - 5 proven ways

We have come to the next most important question - where to find an investor? The short (albeit banal) answer is as follows: you can find a business investor anywhere.

You just need to look around carefully and you will see how much free money is spinning in the financial space. These funds are just waiting to be “taken into circulation” by energetic and enterprising people, which (I sincerely believe) are our readers.

Let's consider the most popular ways to attract financial resources to your project.

Method 1. Friends and relatives

It is unlikely, of course, that you have heard such a phrase from your friends: “I wish I could become an investor in some promising startup.” However, the inner circle is exactly the area where you should begin your search.

This is especially true for young and novice businessmen, whose number of real contacts in the business world is usually zero. But almost everyone has friends or relatives who have the amounts necessary for an initial deposit.

And often these people do not know where to put their “free” money. Due to the low level of financial literacy, citizens of the Russian Federation sometimes do not even suspect that their existing assets can and should be increased by making smart investments.

However, everyone strives to protect their finances from inflation. Your goal is to convince your friends to become business partners. I agree, the task is not an easy one: in our country, even close people often do not trust each other. But this is no more difficult than borrowing money from a bank or investment fund.

My only advice is to not promise mountains of gold to your friends, uncles, aunts and cousins. Be realistic. Treat your loved ones as official investors: you can even provide them with a full-fledged business plan to dispel any doubts.

Method 2. Experienced entrepreneurs

Even in the smallest city there are people who own successful businesses and have already amassed a substantial fortune. Experienced entrepreneurs understand that money should work, and not lie as a dead weight.

Successful businessmen are always looking for where to invest their capital so that it brings stable profits without much labor. Your task is to make such people believe in your business idea and invest in a new endeavor.

There are two main partnership options:

• take money in the form of a long-term loan;
• offer equity participation in the project.

In the second case, your freedom of action will be significantly limited, but experienced businessmen are more willing to engage in such cooperation.

Read more about this method of searching for investors in the article “”.

Method 3. Investment funds

Such structures often specialize in assisting small and medium-sized businesses. To receive money from an investment fund, you need to prove to its representatives the viability of your project.

This option is more suitable for those who already have an existing business, but do not have enough funds to develop it. For a positive decision on the part of the organization’s management, you, again, will have to carry out thorough preparatory work.

Namely, to analyze the company’s work and draw up a plan for its development or reconstruction.

Method 4. Business incubators

Incubators and technology parks are ways to organize a favorable business environment for aspiring businessmen. In incubators, the development of businessmen occurs quickly and painlessly. Beginners get a chance to realize their own ideas at minimal cost.

Every major city has one or more business incubators. They may be called Entrepreneurship Development Centers or something else, but their essence is the same - to help neophytes create their own business or enterprise.

Technology parks are usually based at universities or research institutions. Their task is to introduce into practice production developments related to hi-tech (high technology). Thanks to technology parks, large industrial companies benefit from the achievements of small, knowledge-intensive businesses.

Most Russian institutions of this type were created with state support.

Method 5. Banks

The most traditional way to find funds for a business. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to get a loan.

Typical requirements of financial organizations for recipients of loans for business activities:

• availability of collateral;
• impeccable credit history;
• reliable guarantors.

In addition, such loans are issued at high interest rates (average rate - 17%).

Sometimes it’s easier to get a consumer loan: simpler, but not cheaper. After all, if things suddenly don’t work out, you’ll have to repay not only the debt, but also the accrued interest.

If this prospect does not scare you, then my advice is to borrow money from companies where you already have an account. Or contact large financial organizations - Sberbank, .

The table shows the most popular loan products for debutants of small and large businesses:

5. Alternative sources of investment - what are they?

It is not always possible to find an investor or a sufficient amount to implement your plans. In such situations, try to get help from alternative sources.

These include:

• state funds to support entrepreneurship;
• grants from private companies;
• companies offering to open a franchise business.

In Moscow and some other cities there are committees and centers for promoting small/medium businesses. These organizations are ready to act as guarantors for loans and sometimes even provide subsidies to pay off interest rates.

Some companies (in particular, " Support of Russia") they themselves are even ready to give money for promising projects. Applicants for subsidies are selected on a competitive basis.

Grant is the most desirable option for young businessmen. The advantage of such assistance is that the grant does not need to be repaid; it is free of charge.

Finance is allocated from budget funds and directed to the development of priority business areas for a particular region or city. Large regional and metropolitan universities often act as intermediaries in issuing free loans.

There are also international organizations of a similar nature - for example, the Scientific Potential Foundation.

There is a separate material on the site.

Self-confidence, creativity and a well-developed business idea: these are the main success factors in finding an investor. The investor must understand that he is not throwing money away, but is investing it in a profitable and worthwhile business.

To help future businessmen, we have collected the most practical advice on attracting third-party subsidies.

Tip 1. Regularly visit places where potential investors gather

Large cities regularly host events to help newcomers meet the right people. Not only investors hang out on such platforms, but also mentors, mentors, experts and other useful people.

The development of information technology greatly simplifies the task of entrepreneurs. There are many intermediary resources online, with the help of which investors look for investment properties and vice versa.

Tip 2. Gather a team of professionals who are passionate about one idea

Teamwork is always more effective than “solo” projects. An example of this is our website “HeatherBeaver”, which works thanks to the coordinated actions of like-minded people.

People who share each other’s views and are passionate about the same idea often make more correct and far-sighted decisions, overcome difficulties more successfully and achieve the desired results faster.

Tip 3: Don't be afraid to pitch your idea to funders

Do not be afraid that you will not be understood, and do not make your project a mystery shrouded in darkness. Openness appeals to investors. If you trust your financial benefactors, they will trust you too.

Tip 4. Don’t set yourself the task of achieving everything at once

This refers to the ability to be patient and flexible. It will be great if you offer the investor several options for business development at once.

Remember also that gradual and systematic movement is more productive than running headlong over rough terrain.

Tip 5. Competently justify the advantages of your startup

If you can clearly and simply explain the advantages and unique properties of your startup, you will gain a competitive advantage over other applicants.

Lack of an original idea and sluggish presentation are the main reasons for failures in finding a source of funding.

And for clarity, a video on the topic of searching for investors with the participation of the famous businessman Vladimir Dovgan.

7. Who can provide professional assistance in finding an investor?

If you find it difficult or impossible to find financial sources for your business, you should seek professional help.

There are platforms on the Internet for those who:

• wishes to invest funds;
• looking for investment;
• wants to find a business partner.

Let's look at the most famous Russian-language resources of this type.

Notice board for investors, startupers, entrepreneurs in need of business partners. The service helps people with finances invest money in profitable projects. And vice versa - budding businessmen can find generous investors here to support their projects.

Advertisements are divided by region and business area. Activities include Internet and IT, Culture and Art, Science, Real Estate, Education and dozens of other promising areas.

Among the participants are hundreds of businessmen and investors from Russia, Belarus and European countries. Placing advertisements is free. Simply register on the site, and your chances of finding investors or business partners will increase many times over.