"Venture capital" is a term that is often heard in business discussions. But more often than not, the more common belief is that this is rather complicated and difficult to understand, especially for those who are new in the game of business. For entrepreneurs and anyone who may be interested to get into business, it is important to understand what this is all about.
Venture capitalists and firms are composed of people and firms that have pooled in their resources in order to invest in businesses, whether to start-up financing or for company expansion, for the purpose of earning profits within a short period of 3-7 years. The goal is to increase the company's value so as to yield more profit at its exit, which may be an initial public offering or what is commonly known as IPO. Other exits include an investor's buyout, a merger, or an acquisition.
These firms concentrate on a certain field or area. It is therefore important that you know what these areas are. This is called investment criteria. If you have a specific area in mind which does not match that of the firm, there are many other firms that you can find. You just have to know where to look.
The web is one source of venture capital firms. Make a search on the internet. Some sites are helpful enough to provide listings of these firms as well as other tips such as how to draft your proposal, how to raise venture capital, among others.
When you've found the investor to match, it is then time to draft your proposal. It should be truthful, direct and thorough. You might want to ask a professional to check on your proposal before submitting it. Your proposal should leave a mark in the minds of the capitalists, since they have to go through tons of them. An estimate of 1 in every 400 proposals gets approved, so it is imperative that your proposal be impressive.