Episode 21Fund or Get Funded
An eternal question that every start-up business owner asks themselves; fund or get funded? Do you dip into your savings or ask for a loan? Tonight on Marketing Matters, our host Peter Applebaum dives into the topic with our expert panel to give you the best advice when weighing up the options for your business.
Case study
Lisa Maree, a global entrepreneur and founder of international fashion label, Lisa Maree, stocked in over 12 countries and worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Rhianna, has worked in the beauty and fashion industries for almost a decade. She is also the co-founder of Glamazon; a one-stop shop to book any beauty appointment at the touch of a button, whether at home or on the road. Lisa has a wealth of advice and experience to offer on tonight’s panel as she has experience both sides of the ‘fund or get funded’ coin.
Case Study Key Takeouts
- Outsource, outsource, outsource! Outsource your weaknesses and hire someone who can help you in these areas. If funds are an issue in the beginning, you can look for someone offshore who can provide their services at a cheaper cost.
- PR is a powerful tool to grow your business and it works! If you do not have PR experience or knowledge yourself, find an agency who can help you with this.
- To market yourself to an investor, start with a pitch and create a minimum viable product. Prove your concept and present this to the investors, explaining how and why your product works.
Marketing Panel
Lisa Maree
CEO and Founder of Lisa Maree
Co-Founder of Glamazon
Pete Haselhurst
Owner and Managing Director
Milky Lane
Kylie Green
Managing Director
Kimberlin Education
Panel Key Takeouts
- Whether you ‘fund or get funded’, there is no guarantee to success.
- Only accept funding if you need it i.e. if you are looking to scale and you have a proven model, funding could help you move to that next step.
- The most effective way to market yourself to investors is to nail your pitch. You only get one shot at this and you need to succeed in communicating the right message to your audience.
- Mentors and coaches are an invaluable tool to have for your business. You can never stop learning and using as many resources as you can will be extremely beneficial to your success.
Caller Key Takeouts
“How do I maintain control if I decide to accept funding for my business?” – Anthony Antoniou
- You may choose to accept funding for an equity which is less than your own which will maintain your control over the business.
- Be clear with your investors about what you want out of the investment from the start. Do not give any authority away unless you want to.
- Have an agreement in place about whether the investor will be a silent investor or involved in the business and to what degree. Communication is important.
Anthony Antoniou
One Round Entertainment
“As a service-based business, would I be able to attract investors?” – David Shteinman
- There are accelerated programs you can participate in to put you in front of potential investors and partners. You need to have IP behind it and look at how you can offer something different to disrupt the market to get noticed.
- Investors look for business which you can scale, and a service-based business CAN be scaled. There are investors out there, you just need to get noticed!
David Shteinman
The Industrial Sciences Group
Marketing Tech Key Takeouts
Which tools can you use to power your eCommerce business?
- Your online business needs to be adaptable and scalable. Try Shopify, Bigcommerce, Wix or Weebly.
- There are two key factors you need to research before deciding which way to go: load speed and mobile options.
- You need an amazon strategy.