{"id":2640,"date":"2021-01-28T09:16:21","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T09:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1335929"},"modified":"2021-01-28T09:16:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T09:16:21","slug":"how-to-reach-your-first-1m-investment-tips-from-someone-whos-actually-done-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=2640","title":{"rendered":"How to reach your first $1M investment: Tips from someone who\u2019s actually done it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Funding is one of the biggest challenges in the entrepreneurial journey. Navigating the world of venture capitalists and storytelling is no easy feat, especially when looking for your first seed round or a million-dollar investment. <\/span><\/p>\n

Not to mention, against the backdrop of COVID-19 and a <\/span>heavily disrupted<\/span><\/a> investment sphere, early-stage founders now face an even more complex road to securing funding. <\/span><\/p>\n

The business landscape has no doubt changed for good because of the pandemic; there are more opportunities to respond to new customer needs and get ahead of the curve for future usage trends. <\/span><\/p>\n

Founders who know there is a clear appetite for their product or service and can showcase early growth may actually find themselves in a more favorable position to ask for more money. That said, much of the process is dependent on reframing the funding process and relationships with individual investors. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the new conditions, here are my tips on how to reach your first $1 million investment or seed funding, a feat I\u2019ve managed to do multiple times:<\/span><\/p>\n

Rethink how you approach funding<\/b><\/h2>\n

I know it\u2019s easy to assume that securing a round of funding is a signal that you\u2019re on your path to success, but you may find the reality to be a lot different. <\/span><\/p>\n

Fundraising should be considered a byproduct of your success \u2014 you have to already have a solid reputation and a genuinely valuable product or service to get funding in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen many first-time entrepreneurs fall into the trap of thinking that a funding round is the equivalent of a major milestone. If you consider raising money to be the ultimate solution to your business problems, and funding to be the core metric for your progress, you\u2019ll run out of steam pretty quickly. <\/span><\/p>\n

My big advice: you have to shake this mentality as soon as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, if you host multiple funding rounds and bring on board a number of investors, you\u2019re probably going to give away a lot of equity in the process. Of course, on the other hand, if you raise no money, you may discover that your runway is not long enough and quickly come into financial difficulties.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re striving for a million-dollar investment, you need to view fundraising as an event to help you break even or be profitable. It should <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> be a needed lifeline for your venture. <\/span><\/p>\n

The general rule of thumb is that you should have sufficient money <\/span>before<\/span><\/i> you start the fundraising process to facilitate getting an early version of your product or service to market. <\/span><\/p>\n

Position yourself as a gap, not a gamble<\/b><\/h2>\n

Investment isn\u2019t a luck game, it requires hard work. You, as the leader of your startup, have to convince investors that you are filling a real market gap and that your competitive advantage separates you from the thousands of other startups out there.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve managed to make my first impressions impressive by showing my product has demonstrable traction. <\/span><\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be a huge revenue stream, it can be a sizable number of free trials, beta customers actively using the product and seeing value, or a letter of intent from a well-known brand. <\/span><\/p>\n

These early wins are essentially your evidence that there is a real demand for your product. If you launch into an investment stage prior to having traction, you\u2019re basically asking investors to take a gamble on you, as opposed to getting involved in a product with proven customer success.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let me be clear: if you don\u2019t have tangible successes (not even small ones), do not look for funding! None of the first $1 million I\u2019ve raised as a founder would\u2019ve been possible if I hadn\u2019t had something to show. <\/span><\/p>\n

For my current team at GrowthPlug, we were able to generate strong customer traction around the product and had scores of paying customers realizing a tangible ROI with the product. With paying customers and a profitable bootstrapped company, it\u2019s a lot easier to get attention from investors.   <\/span><\/p>\n

Nurture your investor relationship<\/b><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s only natural to put investors in a box; they hold a significant amount of power and can make or break a company. Still, an investor is a human being with the same interests as you \u2014 to see a business succeed. Just as you would with any other stakeholder in your business, it\u2019s important to be candid and honest with investors, no matter what stage your relationship is at.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the get-go, devote a good chunk of time brainstorming your product journey, customer success, and future roadmap with investors. You aren\u2019t selling just what your company looks like now, you\u2019re selling what it will be, and for that to effectively resonate investors need to be informed about the realistic trajectory. <\/span><\/p>\n

Likewise, your struggles and challenges should be addressed so investors can prepare for the obstacles ahead \u2014 even better, they can connect you with people and resources that may be able to smoothen potential roadblocks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can utilize your niche communities to target specific investors you\u2019re interested in talking to. Do your due diligence by researching and identifying investors who know the field you\u2019re going after. <\/span><\/p>\n

The more you have in common with the investor, the more they\u2019ll resonate with your pitch, connect with you on a personal level, and be passionate about the problem you\u2019re countering.
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Follow degrees of separation to establish a trail between your network and the right investors. Try to find mutual common connections and request a warm introduction if possible. Chances are, if an investor gets a message from someone they know referring you, you\u2019ll be in a better position to land a meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make your metrics talk<\/b><\/h2>\n

Similar to customer traction, there are certain metrics you need to present to secure a million-dollar investment. Without these metrics, there\u2019s no real quantitative foundation for investors to believe that your projections are true. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike smaller investment amounts, which may rely more on qualitative data or short sales cycles to generate quick ROI, an injection of $1 million will almost certainly require a detailed breakdown of core metrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those include Total Addressable Market (TAM), Churn (monthly, annually), Annual recurring revenue (ARR), Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), Burn Rate and Gross Margin. <\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the above core metrics, here are the metrics that are particularly important for investors:<\/span><\/p>\n