Startups seeking funding may consider angel investment. Angel investors are individuals or small groups who invest in startups in exchange for a percentage of equity of the startup. The amounts invested vary greatly depending on the startup and angel investors involved. Terms of investment also vary greatly and are specific to the startup receiving funding. Determination of investment is largely based on a startups funding or investment pitch, which covers all details of the startup. The main considerations for investment are market opportunity, a clear realistic business plan, and evidence of future business success. Angel Investors will want to see prototypes of products or details of services to be offered. The angel investors will ask specific questions regarding the startups finances, marketing, customers or clients, founders and management teams and so on. The startup must be thoroughly prepared to answer these questions.

A startup must complete proper, in-depth research and planning before, during and after seeking funding through angel investment. Not only should the startup be knowledgeable of their market and business plans but also knowledgeable of the angel investors they are seeking funding from. The startup and angel investor will remain in consistent contact starting from their initial meeting. Startups typically update their angel investors on their business status, both good and bad, on a monthly basis.

There are many positives and negatives of investment for both the startup and angel investor. Angel investment is very risky for the investor. If the startup is not successful all money invested may be lost but if the startup is successful there is potential for huge earnings. The main positives of angel investment for the startup, other than receiving necessary funding, is that it often results in many more business contacts and opportunities. Angel investment also often increases the startups business knowledge and experience and creates business advice avenues. Angel investment often gives the startup more credibility through association with their angel investors along with giving the angel investor credibility through association with investment in successful startups. Angel investment is often time consuming and difficult to obtain but may be a good option for startups to receive funding, often large amounts of funding, if they are willing to exchange equity for investment and meet additional terms of investment.

Resource Box:

Kristen Gaul, RVT, VTS(ECC) is the founder of My Pet’s Care, LLC and is an experienced Registered Veterinary Technician and a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care. Kristen is currently enrolled in the Masters of Entrepreneurship Degree Program at Western Carolina University. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as the article in its entirety, author’s information, and any links remain intact. Copyright 2017 by Kristen Gaul.

At the start of a new year it is often tradition to compile a list of resolutions. Some are simple things but others are personally challenging. For example, I am in the process of starting an in-home pet care business. I have been in the planning stages for several years but I’ve been afraid to actually put my ideas out there and finally start my business. Over the last year I realized that my daily habits, or lack-there-of, were the main reasons I wasn’t making my business happen. I’m really good at making lists of things I need to do and I am very aware of all the steps I need to take to make everything happen, I just haven’t been as organized or productive as I need to be. Perhaps resolutions should not be a once a year tradition but a year round lifestyle change to ensure organization and productivity.

Based on my personal life, here are a couple of my suggestions for creating a more organized and productive lifestyle. Instead of sleeping in on your days off, wake up and get ready as if you were going to work. Once you are awake and ready spend an hour or more working on completing tasks that need to be done, such as, clean or organize a room or space in your house or garage, plan out the coming weeks meals or even pre-prep meals, run errands that you may have been putting off, or work on projects for your work or business. This extra hour of work won’t take much time away from your day but you will notice how much more you can accomplish by making this a habit.

Another suggestion to ensure you work on your to do list is to get a planner or calendar and actually schedule or plan out everything you need to do in the next days, weeks or even months. This may mean that you write a task for a certain day, schedule a task for a certain time or plan out the order of everything you need to complete on a certain day. This will help keep you organized, stay focused and enable you to better prepare for upcoming tasks.

These suggestions are not major life changes but they will make a huge impact on your organization and productivity. For me, making these things a habit for the past few months has allowed me to finally get my business out of the planning phase and it is now open and growing. Had I not made these changes I may have continued to be in the planning phase for a few more years. I believe these suggestions can help anyone determined to follow through with their resolutions by creating a more organized and productive lifestyle.

Kristen Gaul, RVT, VTS(ECC) is the founder of My Pet’s Care, LLC and is an experienced Registered Veterinary Technician and a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care. Kristen is currently enrolled in the Masters of Entrepreneurship Degree Program at Western Carolina University. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as the article in its entirety, author’s information, and any links remain intact. Copyright 2017 by Kristen Gaul.