- Tell your story and know your ‘why’
In order to get an angel investor to consider investing in your business, you must explain your background, how did you come up with the idea that you are pitching, what problem do you aim to solve, and why do you think people will choose your business over the existing ones, or if it is new, why is it needed in the market. You must be as authentic as possible, and not get caught up in distilling the details, but rather get them excited about your unique idea. People assume that investors shy away from investing in first-time founders, but that is not true anymore. If your business is promising and you can show them the real picture without filtering out the details, they will consider investing.
To convince investors to believe in your idea and fund your business, you must show them that you are committed to your business, and will not jump ship when things get tough. Most investors prefer investing in businesses that have more than one founder, so if you are a solo founder, you have to make sure that you can handle the pressure, are focused on growing your business and won’t give up.
- Be ambitious, yet realistic
Ambition is a key trait to get investors excited about investing in your startup. However, if you have unrealistic goals, it may affect the funding that you receive. It is better to show investors how your business will grow slowly and steadily rather than fabricating the projections.
- Don’t be afraid to be a first-time founder
Being a first-time founder can be daunting, but you should never underestimate yourself. There are more than enough first-time founders who have proved to the world that a startup can get it right on the first try. If you are building something that has the potential to grow big, investors will be interested.
The final but probably the most important piece of advice from the angel investors was – do not lie. Whether it’s about the number of people interested in investing in your business, or the number of customers you are expecting, it is best to be completely honest. As the startup community is tightly-knit, investors do discuss upcoming startups with one another before investing, so if something that you told one investor does not match up with what you promised another, it may prevent your business from getting funded.
If you are a startup founder, an investor, or someone who aspires to network with disruptors from the startup ecosystem, join our community here.