Inside Secrets to Venture Capital

The inside story on finding the capital your business needs togrow When it comes to finding capital--and the right investors for yourbusiness--entrepreneurs need all the help they can get. Brian Hilland Dee Power spent three years surveying 250 venture capital firmsto find out what venture capitalists look for when putting theirmoney in young businesses. Their results will give you all thetools you need to make smart decisions and avoid pitfalls andunnecessary risks, including: * How to create and present a business plan to investors * Profiles of venture capitalists in action * Enlightening true tales in venture capital * How to organize a quality management team to attractinvestors * The truth about referrals * Tips on valuing your company realistically * Doing due diligence: scams, vultures, and bottom feeders * Negotiating the best terms for you and your business Inside Secrets to Venture Capital will show you what it takes toattract the investors and the money you need to grow. It'severything you need to know to play the venture capital game--andwin . . .

Preface: Venture Capital: Make No Mystique About It. What Is Venture Capital? Where Is the Industry Going? Your Search for Venture Capital. Presenting a Business Plan to Investors. What Do Venture Capitalists Think of the Business Plans TheyReceive? The Capital Crapshoot. Earthbound Angels. Venture Capital Decision Making. No, It's Not Location, Location, Location, But It IsManagement. Finding Investors Where They Work and Play. Getting to the Big Show: Venture Capital Conferences. Do Referrals Open Doors? Intermediaries and Other Wild Things. So Many Venture Capitalists, So Little Time. Confidentialty: Prudence or Paranoia? The First Date: Meeting with Venture Capitalists. Valuing Your Company: A Small Dose of Reality. Due Diligence: A Two-Way Street. Give a Little, Get a Lot: Negotiating. Closing the Deal and Living Happily Ever After. Putting It All Together. Final Thoughts: You Can Get There from Here. Words of Encouragement and Advice. Index.