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How Do I Choose the Best Investors for Business Ideas?

Amanda R. Bell
Amanda R. Bell

Unless you have a large amount of capital on hand, you may have to find one or more investors for any business that you want to launch. Once you have pitched your idea to a variety of companies, organizations, and individuals, you will then have to go through the process of choosing the best investors for business ideas. When doing this, start by narrowing down your options to people or organizations that are not looking to control your venture. While choosing an investor that has experience in the type of business that you plan to start can be helpful, one of the most important parts of choosing the best investors for business ideas is to find people who do not claim to be experts in fields that they are not. Once you have found people who you feel that you can trust with your new venture, make sure that you and the investors agree on your partnership, and be careful not to settle on the issues that are important to you.

One of the biggest downfalls to using investors to start up your business idea, as opposed to generating the capital needed yourself or using loans, is that an investor typically has a fair amount of power over your company. When choosing investors for business ideas, it is important that you find people who are willing to let you control how the business is started and subsequently run. He, she, or the company should not be constantly looking over you or your employees' shoulders, or expect to be included in every small detail of your business. To start choosing the best investors for business ideas, start by narrowing down your options with these qualifications in mind.

It is important to choose an investor who has relevant business experience.
It is important to choose an investor who has relevant business experience.

In most cases, you should always choose an investor that has experience in the type of business that you plan to start. This aspect of choosing investors for business ideas is relatively simple, as most people do not invest outside of their realm of experience. Despite this, it is important to remember that the only thing worse than choosing an inexperienced investor is choosing a person who believes that they know more than they do. Doing so can lead to control issues in the future, and can typically cause you and your investors to view the future of your business differently, which can make for a stressful and unworkable partnership. Picking partners based on their knowledge as well as their personalities is an extremely important part of choosing investors for business ideas.

An angel investor is an investor who puts personal money into a start-up business to help it grow more quickly.
An angel investor is an investor who puts personal money into a start-up business to help it grow more quickly.

Once you have found a selection of people or organizations that are willing to give you the freedom that you need in order to develop your business ideas, as well as have the experience and wisdom to help you create your business, you also need to make sure that you and the investors agree to the terms of your partnership. If you find that you cannot come to an agreement with an investor, it is important to have a basic understanding of what you are and are not willing to settle on. Always remember that, as much as you want to see your business ideas become reality, you may not be able to if you are tied to an investor who does not share your vision or goals, even if he or she can provide the capital.

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    • It is important to choose an investor who has relevant business experience.
      By: FotolEdhar
      It is important to choose an investor who has relevant business experience.
    • An angel investor is an investor who puts personal money into a start-up business to help it grow more quickly.
      By: auremar
      An angel investor is an investor who puts personal money into a start-up business to help it grow more quickly.