DUE DILIGENCE OF AN INVESTOR CANDIDATE – PART 4
Karl Dakin
I help you overcome challenges to raising capital. Take advantage of my Motivated Money Method to identify those investor candidates that are most likely to invest. Top expert in fundraising.
FUNDING POINT – DUE DILIGENCE OF AN INVESTOR CANDIDATE – PART 4
?So, you met someone and you think that they may be an investor candidate. You need to determine if they are a true candidate and, if they are, what needs to be done to get a check.
?In the first three parts of this series on due diligence of an investor candidate, I have listed many reasons why an investor candidate may or may not invest and why it may be a better decision to reject their funding. However, none of this matters if the investor has no money to invest.
?It is common to put off asking the hard question, “Are you going to invest”? Getting rejected is tough. Asking too soon may cause a loss of an investment. However, I recommend in the first meeting with an investor candidate where they show interest in investing to ask them point blank, “Do you have money to invest today?”
?This may seem counterintuitive. If they are an investor candidate, surely they have money to invest. Not necessarily true.
?A person or organization that manages their wealth will not have money sitting idle – ‘dry powder’ – doing nothing while waiting for the right investment opportunity to present itself. Commonly, the investor candidate or their wealth manager is moving money into and out of investments continuously in order to keep revenue flowing.
?Money is only available for investment between exiting one investment and entering into another. Although the timing of investments is difficult, commonly the next investment has been selected and the time between investments is very short.
?An investor or their wealth manager wants to keep the money invested, however that does not mean that they will chase a bad investment or accept a higher risk investment to do so.
?As a result, an investor candidate may be wealthy and cash poor. There is a similar statement about farmers being dirt rich and cash poor. There is a growing problem right now within the capital industry where venture capitalists and private equity funds want to sell their existing investments and roll their money into new investments, but no one is willing to buy these investments at the prices that this managed money is seeking.
?When asking an investor candidate about investing, you must be clear that you are asking about cash in the bank today that is available for investment and not the health of their wealth.
?If engagement with an investor candidate takes place over several meetings, the question about the ability to invest money today should be asked at every meeting. Situations change. The investor candidate may make a new investment, have a setback in an old investment, learn that they cannot exit their investment, or just get soured on investing and decide to take a sabbatical by throwing all of their money into US Treasury notes.
?Unfortunately, some people lie. They will tell you they have money when they don’t. They will put on an act like they are interested in your pitch and string you along through a series of meetings – particularly if you are buying the food and drinks. Then, they will come up with some excuse for not investing. This happens all too often.
?You need to ask and ask often.
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SUCCESSFUL FUNDING
TUESDAY, my guest on the Successful Funding show will be Ron Yeager on Investors of Different Flavors. We will talk about the different preferences of investor candidates and how this may affect a capital strategy, crafting investment offers, and campaign planning.
You may see a recording of this show at:
You can see all of my shows at the time of broadcast or recordings of past shows at my profile on LinkedIn.
领英推荐
?DON COHEN SHOW
WEDNESDAY, I was a guest again on Don Cohen’s LinkedIn Live show. We talked about ‘integrity.’ Don portrayed integrity as a combination of strength and trust – to be depended upon. I viewed integrity as part of a relationship which required respect for others. Several examples of integrity were reviewed and discussed.
You may see a recording of this show at:
MONDAY, I was a guest on Don Cohen’s LinkedIn Live show. We talked about teams and teamwork. In my projects, I focus on building custom teams to drive business opportunities. It's crucial to identify the required skills, experiences, and contacts for each team member role and find individuals who are both capable and willing to take on these responsibilities.
You may see a recording of this show at:
Don is an expert on LinkedIn, particularly on the use of Live streaming to build brands and communities. We will discuss using LinkedIn as a social media platform for building communities that support raising funding.
All shows where I have been a guest can be viewed on Don Cohen's LinkedIn page under Posts.
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?Karl Dakin, the Capital Coach
Dakin Capital LLC
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I help you overcome challenges to raising capital. Take advantage of my Motivated Money Method to identify those investor candidates that are most likely to invest. Top expert in fundraising.
4 个月Do you ask the question?