The Other Side of the Table

Welcome to Part 3-of-3 in our “What if you could see the possibilities” Series.

In this article we’ll look at:

• What if you are on the other side of that crucial “investment bridge” bridge that we have been talking about??

And -

• What do you do if you are NOT “status quo” AND you’re new to the “I think I need investment” table?

Let’s get started!

The very first thing to do is:

Find integrity. Yep — it can be done!

It takes time, hard questions, and broken promises BUT when we look hard enough (and gather a few trust-scrapes and ego-bruises along the way) we can all find trusted mentors/colleagues/organizations!

Let’s start here -

1- Network. Network. Network.

There’s no shortcut here. Spend time with people both inside and outside your circle. Make mistakes. Trust the right people — and the wrong people. Get a feel for the investing industry and the people who make it a reality.

2- Do your research — lots of research.

Look into potential mentors AND their companies. Look deeply into potential investment funds, and investment organizations. Ask others about their personal experience with these people, funds, and organizations. (Don’t forget to do this outside their circle of influence as well, and if possible find both people who like them and people who don’t).

3- Learn about investment in general

Laws, trends, good/bad outcomes of different investment structures.

4- Learn about success/failure journeys of companies like yours.

And take the time to thoughtfully share some of your own stories. This is where some amazing conversations start!

5- Take your time. Research and forming trusted relationships takes time. Meet people in person, if possible.

In the end, this likely leads to relationships with high-integrity, like-minded people — the ones who walk their talk. 😀

We need to be our own best advocates in sourcing the investment that we need.

We need to find Smart Money.

Money that will support we are and we want to be.

It isn’t an easy ask — I know, I’ve been there — but it’s the only way forward. Always start with people! Find great people. Start there. — And insist on transparency, integrity, and an aligned investing philosophy.

Let’s keep the conversation going!

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Together we can see the possibilities!

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.