Where to find REAL investors?

[snowbank]

realtorpreneur's plans that he paid for(from the raising money section):

Step 1: ask for money
Step 2: if someone says no, insult them. tell them how much money you spent for us to tell you this plan, and that should impress then. then insult them more.
Step 3: if someone gives you feedback and it doesn't involve giving you money, disagree with them. if you haven't insulted them yet, insult them. if you already have, you should insult them again.
Step 4: tell them you have "projections"!
Step 5: if anyone who owns a benz gives you advice, tell him he is "half-intelligent", because he probably has money, and that way he will know that you are more intelligent than he is, and will probably want to invest with you to learn the other half by working with you.
Step 6: continue this pattern until you realize no one is going to give you money.
Step 7: approach new forum and repeat steps 1-6.

 

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[snowbank]

If you don't do it now, watch Shark Tank on Friday night. You'll learn a lot about what investors are looking for.

The first thing I thought of when I read this was Daymond's voice saying, "could you imagine working with that person, I'd wanna shoot myself".

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

So much amazing in this thread.

I haven't laughed this hard... well in an hour or so!

I follow the internet marketing crowd pretty tight. There are a lot of high priced programs going around on how to create and sell iphone apps. I'm sure one of these products is his "marketing plan".

No offense buddy, I'm sure you want to be successful, but you did the wrong thing by insulting the ones who actually ARE successful and were willing to give you advice.

Good luck!

 

[REALTORpreneur]

Progress! Now we are getting somewhere, a lot of useful posts now... Thanks everyone who has contributed positively.

bflbob - TY

petethepeddler - I'm going to look into it now, I might just have to put up the money myself and get a barebones version of it... Now my question is though, what if it doesn't do so well... Where do I go from there?


I think that's all the information I need for now, thanks everyone.


P.s. who ever responded negatively

have a good day
(not even going to acknowledge snowbank who is obviously high on hate)

 

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[CEBenz]

What I can't figure out is REALTORpreneur has 5mph of speed off this thread from having a grand total of 8 posts. lol

 

[bflbob]

(not even going to acknowledge snowbank who is obviously high on hate)

Hmmmm... I'm guessing that is not even possible to achieve when you post it. Nope. Didn't work. Right up there is an acknowledgment. See?

Now my question is though, what if it doesn't do so well... Where do I go from there?

Two issues here.

First is the fact that you have to believe in it enough to know that it won't fail. You've got the market study, right? So you know it will sell. If you can make it and you know it will sell, it can't fail.

Second, if you don't believe in it enough to bet the house on it, why do you think an investor should take a risk? They aren't there to risk their money on a "maybe". They are there to fund your "sure thing".

So what it sounds like you are saying is that you aren't as sure about the market research or product as you sounded at the beginning of the thread. That's OK. It means you are learning.

Nothing much is certain in life. That's what makes someone who comes in too full of themselves look sort of foolish when they make claims of guaranteed success. It isn't realistic.

So... where do you go from there? If you are close to your goal, you beg or earn another $10k and finish the product. If the market has changed, you abandon it. (Losing a $10k investment is better than feeding it $1k a month -- forever.)

It's that simple. You either move on (until you can't) or you drop the concept and try for a new one.


Bob

 

[REALTORpreneur]

I'm not saying I don't believe in my product at all. My market study's don't do a lot without money to actually paying for the marketing as most marketing plans do

From everything I've gathered I've got two things.

One create a mockup (basic functionality) application to show potential investors --


Two let it out in the market to drown if investors fail.

How can I fix #2?

 

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[biophase]

You see the thing is I'm not even defensive, I'm reading these reply's with a open mind and the only half intelligent response so far has been biophases'.

Yay, I'm half intelligent. You wouldn't want to hear from full intelligent response. It would blow you away.

Look you asked to find REAL investors. You don't know the background of anyone responding here. How can you sort through who is real and who isn't.

The UNREAL investors will be the ones that don't ask any questions and just ask how much and the projected return.

The REAL investors are grilling you because they have money and actually INVEST, which is why they are asking questions.

 

[REALTORpreneur]

Yay, I'm half intelligent. You wouldn't want to hear from full intelligent response. It would blow you away.

Look you asked to find REAL investors. You don't know the background of anyone responding here. How can you sort through who is real and who isn't.

The UNREAL investors will be the ones that don't ask any questions and just ask how much and the projected return.

The REAL investors are grilling you because they have money and actually INVEST, which is why they are asking questions.

That came out wrong sorry, I didn't mean to half-insult you ? Think that came out wrong too but, you know what I mean.

I didn't mean investors from here specifically... I meant how would I go abouts finding investors? How do you find angel investors? etc,

 

[biophase]

I didn't mean investors from here specifically... I meant how would I go abouts finding investors? How do you find angel investors? etc,

To find investors you need to have a good pitch. Here's one:

I want to purchase a store that costs $100k.
The store cashflows $80k per year right now.
Based on traffic and SEO ranking, I believe that I can increase traffic by 40% and sales by $20%
My experience and background is in running ecommerce stores and SEO
My current stores are ranking top 1-3 for major keywords
I am requesting $50k for 25% ownership of the store.
I will run the day to day and do the SEO
You just sit back and count your money.

Does this sound like a good investment opportunity for investors?

NOTE THIS IS NOT A REAL SOLICTATION

 

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[darkjediii]

Hey REALTOR, even though I think the initial moves you made are wrong, I applaud your efforts. That is the first step, and commend you for taking action..

Now to answer your question: based on the info you provided here, the only real investors you will be able to find are your friends and family. You can also take out some loans, max out your credit cards or work a job to fund development of your app.

That is the honest truth. There is no magic free money out there and no "real" investor will invest in an idea. It happens very rarely and when it does, they usually invest in a person that has already accomplished big things, has a solid plan and "skin in the game" aka the guy already invested $1m in prototypes to get the ball rolling and he needs another $10m to start production.

It is for this same reason that ideas themselves cannot be patented. It is the method of execution that is patentable.

Here is some advice for you:

1) Make this thing work.. Go out and take action every day. Lack of money will not stop you from creating this thing if you really want it to exist.

2) Get a proof of concept up ASAP - doesn't have to be perfect. Get 2 jobs if you have to. Sell your valuable possessions if you really believe in this thing. Talk to people that know you - friends, family etc. ask for loans/sell shares. Write a extremely detailed business plan that will show you are serious about this thing (many people here dislike business plans, but it is the next best thing if you don't have a working proof of concept and are asking for money.) Fund it by using your credit cards.

3) Partner with some talented people for a share of the company. (make sure that you get the majority share no matter what if you plan on giving up equity. NEVER give up control.)

good luck.

 

[REALTORpreneur]

Thanks Dark,

I got a offer to create the application for free, except I have to hand over %50 of the profits.... Now say I take that offer and the application does decent, where does that leave me now? Because with %50 already gone I would have nothing to offer potential investors.

 

[White8]

At this point you have 50% of nothing and if you invest $10k you could potentially end up with 100% of a negative $10k.

I'm not a fan of partnerships but if you can't write the code and don't have the cash, this would seem like a really good option especially if you can get him to take less. You'll also get someone who actually cares about the app because he has a stake in its success. Another thing to take into consideration is that with any app, regardless of the platform, there must be constant improvement and evolution to stay reliant in the market and by having someone you can work with in the long run, you have someone who knows the app and won't ding you for every little change.

On another note, this is an excellent forum with some very experienced and knowledgeable people. There is a lot to be learned here in a variety of industries if one has an open mind.

 

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[bflbob]

REALTOR:

I have to agree with White8 here. But there is always room for negotiation if done up front.

Why not try this track:

1. Developer agrees that the value of time involved in developing is $10k.

2. You have spent $1k on marketing plan, and $4k on idea development.

3. Upon completion of the project, you agree to pay developer $2,500 in cash or services. (Now you each have $7500 in it.)

4. At this point, developer earns 15%-20% of the value of the "company", but has rights to 100% of the profits until the remainder of his $7,500 "investment" is paid back to him. HE GETS PAID FIRST.

5. Once his $7,500 is paid back, he earns 15-20% of future profits, with the understanding that...

6. If the company is sold, he gets 15%-20% of the gain, or,

7. If an investor is brought in, both you and the developer lose ownership at a similar discount.

That way, if you gave an investor 40% of the company for $100,000 the calculation would look like this:

Before:
Developer: 20%
You: 80%

After:
Developer: 20% x .6 (40% discount) = 12%
You: 80% x .6 = 48%
Investor: 40%

Of course, you'd want a right-of-first-refusal clause in the buyout agreement, so that the investor couldn't just buy out the developer and take over the company.


Bob

 

[REALTORpreneur]

bfbob - Great idea! I'm going to run it past the developer although I think the chance of him accepting it is low because developers aren't business men. Either way I decided if he wont take that I will still take the %50 and get it developed for free and just see where it goes from there. As long as it pulls in some money I can always put that in marketing.

 

[JEdwards]

bfbob - Great idea! I'm going to run it past the developer although I think the chance of him accepting it is low because developers aren't business men. Either way I decided if he wont take that I will still take the %50 and get it developed for free and just see where it goes from there. As long as it pulls in some money I can always put that in marketing.

Actually they are business men. That's why they want to get paid first.

And if you can't sell them on the idea, maybe, just maybe you believe in the idea more than they do.

BTW: If you cannot sell a non business man developer on your idea, do you really think you can sell it to an investor?

 

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[REALTORpreneur]

Actually they are business men. That's why they want to get paid first.

And if you can't sell them on the idea, maybe, just maybe you believe in the idea more than they do.

BTW: If you cannot sell a non business man developer on your idea, do you really think you can sell it to an investor?

This is some of the most retarded logic I have ever herd, please stay out of my thread.

Durr ..dey r buzniess MEN! becuz dey do buziness!

No, they are not business men. They are developers.

Seriously stay out of this thread.

 

[JEdwards]

I have 10k to invest. Is that really your answer. Sad.

Maybe you should take a marketing class on Sales. Then like snowbank said, you would understand.

Living in Ignorance is a nice thing isn't it?

 

[JEdwards]

This is some of the most retarded logic I have ever herd, please stay out of my thread.

Durr ..dey r buzniess MEN! becuz dey do buziness!

No, they are not business men. They are developers.

Seriously stay out of this thread.

Nice edit to your post. You really have no clue do you?

 

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[REALTORpreneur]

Nice edit to your post. You really have no clue do you?

If you have $10k to invest you should invest in some common sense. Now instead of acting like a little kid in a thread talking to someone who wants no business talking to you, go be a man and flame on someone else.

I'm not trying to make enemies on this forum, there are some intelligent people here.
(other than Jack)

 

[Inphinity]

This thread led me to work out where the Add to Ignore List feature is in vBulletin, hooray, learning!

 

[JEdwards]

If you have $10k to invest you should invest in some common sense. Now instead of acting like a little kid in a thread talking to someone who wants no business talking to you, go be a man and flame on someone else.

I'm not trying to make enemies on this forum, there are some intelligent people here.
(other than Jack)

Thanks for the humor on a Friday night.

 

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[bflbob]

Now if any educated person can reply to this post it would be appreciated.

Strike one.

Please if you are going to be a ignorant stay out of my thread.

Strike two.

This is some of the most retarded logic I have ever herd, please stay out of my thread.

Strike three.

You're out of here. :coco:


This just goes to prove that you can't teach common sense. Now stay out of our threads.

 

[JEdwards]

Fast and swift. Poor guy. One day when his 1,000 dollar marketing plan works, he will prove us all how wrong we were.

 

[DeletedUser394]

a) You have a massive ego that in no way properly reflects your current success level.
b) You are incredibly immature for your age. (You've proven this multiple times in the span of a dozen posts)
c) You've insulted some of the most well respected people on this forum (or should I say, attempted to insult... these people are far too successful in 'REAL' life to care about what someone as ungrateful as yourself has to say about them).

The advice/criticism given to you in this thread can be summed up with one word... Reality.

You won't get anywhere with your current attitude. Not here, and certainly not in the real world.

Anyway... I don't want to overstay my welcome in your thread. Thank you for graciously allowing me to post in it

EDIT: Realized he was banned already :'( dang

 

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[Runum]

I was just about to post an advice post myself.

If you solicit advice on any public forum you are going to get advice you don't agree with. That does not diminish the effort from the giver, they gave you free advice you asked for. When you get the advice, whether you agree or not, you need to learn just two words, "Thank you".

I wish you well on your journey. With your current attitude you are going to need all the luck you can muster.

 

[hatterasguy]

I have had good luck in boating circles, but I also borrow from professionals, ie lawyers.

Talk to your accountant, professionals, ie doctors and lawyers are always looking for a good investment and they have a lot of cash. That's how Fred got Subway off the ground.

Edit: I really shouldn't post before reading a thread. $10k is change, if you can't get someone to cut you a $10k check your idea/you are way off. From what I have read it seems like you have a lot of learning to do.

Harsh? Maybe but I don't really care, this ain't a feel good lets all hug website.

 

[CEBenz]

To find investors you need to have a good pitch. Here's one:

I want to purchase a store that costs $100k.
The store cashflows $80k per year right now.
Based on traffic and SEO ranking, I believe that I can increase traffic by 40% and sales by $20%
My experience and background is in running ecommerce stores and SEO
My current stores are ranking top 1-3 for major keywords
I am requesting $50k for 25% ownership of the store.
I will run the day to day and do the SEO
You just sit back and count your money.

Does this sound like a good investment opportunity for investors?

NOTE THIS IS NOT A REAL SOLICTATION

By reading this, I come up with a ROI of 1 year 8 months (assuming the 20% increase in sales or 2 years assuming no increase). I'm also assuming the the 20% increase in sales would result in a 20% in cashflow (which may or may not be true).

To me, I'd still have a clause in the contract to incentivize the business partner to do as he says, lest he forfeit the other 75%. Am I missing something here?

Just sort of guessing at this. Seemed like an interesting math problem.

Crap. I didn't see that this thread had another page.

DOH.

Well, its one thing to insult the guy driving the Mercedes, but wow, he insulted the guy that daily drives a Bentley. Amazing. I'm dumbfounded.

 

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[bflbob]

Realized he was banned already :'( dang

I can undo it for a few minutes if you want to slap him around a bit. ;-)


I was actually tempted to just remove this whole thread, since it contains a lot of hate and ignorance. A lot of that its mine. I like trusting people. I think everyone has mainly good in them.

After a few posts, I felt that maybe I was misreading him, and he was misreading us. I decided to treat him with more respect than I felt he deserved. And he started asking better questions and giving more polite answers. I felt things had changed.

Unfortunately, his true colors showed up again tonight. I'm not a fan of direct confrontation. If I was, I'd have let it go on, and I would have tried to "fix" him. Because I think he really does need fixing.

While I'm writing this, my wife and I are watching a recording of today's Oprah. In it, she was talking about the biggest lessons she had learned over her 25 years on television. At just about the moment I started to write this, she was interviewing Maya Angelou. The lesson she got from her?

People tell you what they are. You need to believe them. They tell you if they are happy. They tell you if they are kind. They tell you if they are mean. You just need to understand that they are telling you the truth, and you need to believe them.

REALTORpreneur told me what he was in his second post. I should have believed him.

To all those who he insulted, I'm apologize for allowing it to happen. I'll do my best to believe the next guy before it goes this far.


Bob

 

[CEBenz]

Speed for you Bob

Being a moderator requires judgement calls and sometimes, you want to give people the benefit of the doubt. I think the mainstays of this forum are secure enough that I'm sure the disrespect they were shown by the poster were easily shrugged off.

Cheers Bob.

P.S., I'm the rogue mod on another forum. When my friend complains too much about dealing with someone, I go on and ban them and then I'm the a***** and I'm ok with that.