Tag Archives: entrepreneurs

Like Finding Water in the Desert…

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Oasis in the Desert courtesy of Environmental Graffiti.comToday, a friend asked me how my quest for capital was progressing? 

My answer – Like finding water in the desert. 

But the more I thought about it, the more apt the analogy became.  You see there is water in the desert, it’s just hidden under the sand.  That’s how oases are formed in nature.  The winds of change shift the sands until the water table is closer to the surface.  Then, even in a desert, things begin to grow.

Lately for some, it may feel as if the winds of change are blowing sand right in your face.  The trick is to look for the opportunities that may be lying underneath the surface as you see the sands shifting.

There are oases out there.  Here are some examples:

  • A friend of mine sent me an email tonight.  She owns a great and growing company.  She asked for a favor…can you help me find a key employee for my company.  I called a few friends who might be a fit.
  • Another friend in La Quinta, CA  has a new book out and started a radio show to help people look at their careers.Career Secret Sauce and the Career Mechanic. 
  • Over coffee, I got to meet with the guys who run AZ Weekly. They have a great concept and are growing circulation like crazy.  We brainstormed how they could grow more AND save money.  Hopefully it helped.
  • My social media expert friend, Steven Groves ,is coaching me on how to navigate the social media desert and use it to build a brand.  If he can teach me – he can teach anyone!  If you need help, ask Steve!
  • I found a really cool deal, but I need to access capital to make it work.  Friends from across the valley have offered to help me.  We just might make it too.
  • And as I talk to others about my really cool deal, I get to learn about their opportunities…and help them connect to others who can help them.
  • And so it continues…

“Opportunities out there, just below the surface…like finding water in the desert.”

–  Joan Koerber-Walker

Show me the money…

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Over the last few weeks I have been on what some say is an impossible quest.  Raising capital in today’s economy.  The journey is not a new one and the road has many twists and turns.  It’s taken me from the coffee shops of Phoenix, to the islands north of Vancouver and the mountains of Winnipeg.  From Singapore to Europe and back to Arizona again.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJS_zTnUiBc&hl=en&fs=1]

The two projects could not be more different. 

One – a biotech company is pre-revenue with a vision of detecting dread diseases, including cancers, before the disease can spread and harm the ones we love.  SBIR funding and early stage capital has taken them far in the lab, but now to commercialize takes funding from the equity markets or strategic partners if we are to make vision  reality.

The second – a manufacturing company – has product, inventory, a proven system, an experienced sales and management team, AND, best of all, customers. 

In multiple conversations, across multiple continents, in the quest for money, the secret is to find the RIGHT partner and show them the value.  Only then will they ‘show me the money.’

I have not reached the end of the quest yet, but I am learning along the way.  Here are a few of the lessons I have learned:

1.  Be creative – funding streams can come in all forms from traditional lending and equity, to more creative funding streams like loan guarantees and debt conversions.

2.  Be passionate – if you can’t get excited about what your opportunity- how can you get an investor excited?

3.  Be flexible – they have what you need.  You can’t call all the shots.  Know what points you can flex on and those you can’t without jeopardizing the success of the business plan.

4.  Do your homework – not just on the company you are working to build but on the needs of a potential investor.  What do you need and when.  What do they need and when.  Look for strong matches.

5.  Reach out to your network and listen.  You’d be surprised who knows who or who’s done what in the past.  Your network can connect you to the perfect partner if you take the time to listen.

So wish me luck along the journey and stay tuned…