Page 190 - Winning The Credit Game Bundle (CK Patrick)
P. 190

Because  angel  investors  and  venture  capital  funds  often  seek
            similar things in the businesses they invest in, we will combine
            their requirements into a single section for the purposes of this
            book.
               A venture capitalist’s hope is that the company they invest in
            grows  to  become  very  large,  and  their  investment’s  value  will
            thus be multiplied. Imagine, for example, being one of the first
            investors  in  Apple.  As  a  venture  capitalist  investing  in  Apple,
            you could have purchased a large number of Apple shares for a
            fraction  of  the  current  share  price.  You  could  have  ended  up
            owning a large chunk of the company for what would be a tiny
            investment compared to Apple’s worth today.
               Because venture capitalists choose businesses that are newer
            and less proven, they will want rigorous information about your
            company’s  past  growth  and  plans  for  the  future  to  convince
            them that you have the potential to grow by orders of magnitude
            in the years to come. Only then will they give you a large infu-
            sion of cash in exchange for partial ownership of your company.
               Venture  capital  funds  will  also  often  serve  as  “fund
            managers,” signaling to other investors that they believe in this
            company  and  inviting  other  investors  to  invest.  They  often
            charge  an  annual  fee  for  managing  the  company’s  investment
            fund for a period of 7 to 10 years, during which they hope the
            company will establish rapid growth.
               Because  they  will  then  have  invested  a  great  deal  of  their
            own money into your company’s success, venture capitalists will
            also  have  an  interest  in  providing  guidance  to  optimize  your
            company’s chances of massive growth.
               This may be very desired if you are a financially motivated
            business owner who wants your company to become as big as
            possible. On the other hand, it may be very undesired if you are
            a craft-driven business owner who wants to ensure that certain
            business  practices  or  quality  standards  are  adhered  to,  even  if
            these  may  not  be  compatible  with  rapid  growth  into  a  large
            corporation.
                 This is why it’s a good idea to carefully consider what your

                                         178
   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195