We put our Investment Readiness Accelerator together for a reason: To ensure your startup is ready to go out for funding and you are equipped with the right tools to ensure you can close a round and be successful. To do this without support is nearly impossible, and would take 6 months to a year of work, rather than 8 weeks.
Here’s why it's hard to fundraise without support:
There’s lots of information to master
This ranges from financial projections, to cap tables, valuations, how to structure your shares, business models, market sizing and more.
The information out there is confusing and not dedicated to female founders
Let’s be clear, there’s too much information on the internet and in books about how to fundraise, but it's frequently conflicting. As a result, founders don't know what to do or which path to go down. On top of this, the information available is not focused on women. And the most common strategies for fundraising don’t work for women. The majority - if not all - female founders don’t know this. They follow these strategies and they don’t work - Blaming themselves rather than the information.
Part-time fundraising doesn’t work
Founders need to think of fundraising as a campaign, it’s vital to gain steady momentum and not be sporadic.
Lack of understanding of what investors want
It’s vital to understand what investors are looking for at different stages of business growth
Founders find it hard to take a bird’s-eye view of their business
It's difficult to provide the right information at a high level to investors when founders are immersed in their business. It’s important to get a second set of eyes on pitch decks.
It is a lonely and frustrating process
Going out for investment can be very psychologically and physically strenuous - Support is vital, whether it’s a mentor or community of founders that spur you on!