Inside Secrets to Venture Capital (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author) "Venture capital investing is all about a willingness to accept a high degree of risk in order to obtain the potential for an extremely high..." (more)
Key Phrases: venture capital conference, full business plan, angel investors, Woodside Fund, United States, Managing Partner (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The inside story on finding the capital your business needs to grow

When it comes to finding capital—and the right investors for your business—entrepreneurs need all the help they can get. Brian Hill and Dee Power spent three years surveying 250 venture capital firms to find out what venture capitalists look for when putting their money in young businesses. Their results will give you all the tools you need to make smart decisions and avoid pitfalls and unnecessary risks, including:

• How to create and present a business plan to investors

• Profiles of venture capitalists in action

• Enlightening true tales in venture capital

• How to organize a quality management team to attract investors

• The truth about referrals

• Tips on valuing your company realistically

• Doing due diligence: scams, vultures, and bottom feeders

• Negotiating the best terms for you and your business

Inside Secrets to Venture Capital will show you what it takes to attract the investors and the money you need to grow. It’s everything you need to know to play the venture capital game—and win . . .

From the Inside Flap

No voodoo rituals . . . No mumbo jumbo . . . Just the facts on finding the investors and the capital your business needs to prosper

The entrepreneurial road is a tough one to follow—full of setbacks, unforeseen perils, and the fear of all-too-possible failure. Your business needs capital to grow, but finding that capital can be difficult and stressful. You need straightforward advice, sensible insight, and reassurance that the process can work for you.

For fifteen years Brian Hill and Dee Power have assisted small and mid-sized companies with strategies for finding capital. They understand the venture capital world and why it seems confusing, contrary, and frustrating. Entrepreneurs worry that they won’t be able to find the capital they need to prosper, that they will fall victim to an unfair deal with a shady partner, or that they will lose control of their business to their investors. This book addresses those concerns with straightforward advice and real answers.

The authors spent three years collecting data, opinions, and statistics from more than 250 venture capital firms, including some of the world’s largest. This book showcases those results in the actual words of the venture capitalists themselves. In Inside Secrets to Venture Capital you will find a wide range of opinions and a wealth of candid comments to help make sense of this sometimes maddening process.

You will find hundreds of tips, pieces of advice, and pitfalls to avoid, as well as comments and opinions from entrepreneurs who have successfully raised capital for their businesses. You will learn how to create and present a business plan to investors, how to organize a quality management team to attract investors, and how to do due diligence and avoid scams and rip-offs. Inside, you will find enlightening true adventures in venture capital, tips on valuing your company realistically, and advice on negotiating the best terms for your business.

So get inside the world of venture capital—and learn what it takes to attract the investors and the money you need to grow.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471414069
• ISBN-13: 978-0471414063
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,716 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable handbook and reference guide, September 4, 2001

By A Customer

Raising capital is a mystifying process for most entrepreneurs. They get very little feedback from potential investors on the quality of their business plans, the packaging of their deals, the presentation of their opportunities, and the underlying strength of their business strategies and value propositions. This situation is complicated by differing scope and levels of advice between professional service providers, such as accountants, attorneys, and management consultants. Entrepreneurs waste valuable time trying to raise capital ineffectively, and as a consequence, their businesses suffer.

Inside Secrets to Venture Capital takes the mystery out of the process. It is a valuable handbook and reference guide to entrepreneurs, professional service providers and investors. In a clear and logical format, the book addresses the issues to consider when raising venture capital, and then describes the process in detail. The book is rich in case studies from entrepreneurs, professional service providers and investors on their actual experiences. Most importantly, the book contains feedback from actual investors on what works for them and what doesn't.

Inside Secrets to Venture Capital is a necessity for anybody in the field of raising capital."

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Over-promised and under-delivered, March 26, 2003

By A Customer

Having spent a couple years now as a venture investor, I was looking for a book I could point entrepreneurs to, so they could get a better perspective on the venture investment process: what do they need to have in place, what's most important, how does the process work, etc. "Inside Secrets to Venture Capital" would take someone maybe 75% of the way there. Unfortunately, that's not good enough, as the lack of that last 25% would likely mean that the reader would head off in some unproductive directions. So I can't recommend this book to entrepreneurs I counsel, or to anyone else.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise but thorough explanation of venture capital, June 11, 2002

By A Customer

"Easy to read and a concise but thorough explanation of venture capital and the paths and processes that lead to it. Entrepreneurs looking for anything other than a standard bank loan will be better prepared for their search if they understand the subjects dealt with in "Inside Secrets to Venture Capital."

Lee Mercer, President, National Association of Small Business Investment Companies