Product Description

While raising capital has never been easy, it has become a lot more difficult over the past few years. The dot–com debacle has made investors skittish, especially when it comes to financing early–stage start–ups. As a result, more and more entrepreneurs are being forced to compete harder and harder for a spot around the money well. At the end of the day, all most have to show for their efforts are tattered Rolodexes and battered egos. What they need is the competitive edge that comes with having a friend in the business–an advisor who’ll cut through the mumbo–jumbo and tell them in plain English how to get the money they need. What they need is Raising Capital For Dummies.

Whether you’re just starting your business and need a little seed capital to launch your first product, or you’re looking for a little help expanding an established business into a new market, this friendly guide helps you get the financing you need to realize your dreams. You’ll discover how to:

• Tap personal sources of financing, as well as family and friends
• Approach customers and vendors for financing
• Hook up with commercial lenders
• Find angel investors 
• Get an SBA loan
• Raise cash through private equity offerings
• Woo and win investment bankers and venture capitalists

Venture capital guru, Joseph Bartlett explains in plain English the capital–raising strategies and techniques used by some of today’s most successful businesses, including tried–and–true methods for:

• Assessing your financial needs and creating a solid financial plan
• Researching sources of financing and making first contact
• Finding, contacting, and convincing angels
• Getting your customers to finance your company
• Understanding and exploiting matching services
• Exploring commercial banks, savings institutions, credit unions, finance companies, and the SBA
• Qualifying for a loan
• Working with placement agents
• Raising cash through IPOs and mergers

From raising seed capital and funds for expansion to IPOs and acquisitions, Raising Capital For Dummies shows you how to get the money you need to survive and thrive in today’s winner–take–all marketplace.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #686815 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
First there was "Dating for Dummies," then "Indoor Grilling for Dummies " and now ... "Raising Capital for Dummies."
The newest how–to book for novices from Wiley Publishing Inc., the publishers of the popular "Dummies" series, comes at what could be a wickedly good time. With venture capitalists retrenching and so–called angel investors burned by the dot–com meltdown, fund–raising has become a tough task for venture capitalists.
"There′s a lot of places to look for money that just doesn′t occur to people," said Joseph Bartlett, co–author of the "Raising Capital for Dummies " book.
Offering advice from finding government resources to tapping friends and family members for cash without causing feuds, the Dummies guide walks business execs from the "embryo to the IPO" stages of a company′s cash needs, says Mr. Bartlett.
If all else fails and a fund–raising effort comes up short, there′s another guide that might be worth checking out: "Job Hunting for Dummies. (The Wall Street Journal, September 6, 2002)

Review
"The newest how–to book for novices from Wiley Publishing Inc, the publishers of the popular "Dummies" series, comes at what could be a wickedly good time." (The Wall Street Journal, September 6, 2002)

From the Back Cover
"An easy–to–use primer for first–time entrepreneurs." Andrew Ziolkowski, Managing Director, Forest Street and SAE

Great advice from the guru of venture capital and start–up financing

The fun and easy way to get the funding you need to realize your dreams!

Rarin’ to start your business but strapped for cash? Relax! This savvy guide cuts through the mumbo–jumbo and leads you through the stages of financing your business from raising seed capital and funds for expansions to IPOs and acquisitions and shows you how to survive and thrive. So take the money and run!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear–out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

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Customer Reviews

Not much use if you have more than a passing interest.
I was really disappointed by this book. Some of the dummies books are not too bad but this one seemed to be a book by the numbers. It contains a very simplistic overview of the area of raising capital. It also covers (very simplistically too) other areas of business which I felt were outside its remit. There was a lack of real world examples. It felt that they just touched on all the bases to fulfil their brief in a token way. I very much doubt this book has helped anyone raise actual capital. Only buy this book if you can't even guess at some of the broad issues that might be involved in raising money for a business. (Don't buy this book!) There are so many better books!