Читать книгу Start & Run a Coffee Bar - Tom Matzen - Страница 74

A private investor can be hard to find, and money obtained in this way generally comes with conditions. The investor may want control of the company, for example, or, if the money takes the form of a loan, an extremely high interest rate. While such conditions can be fair depending on the degree of risk, often the strings attached to this kind of financing are so stringent as to limit your ability to control your operation effectively.

Should you find an investor you haven’t been personally referred to (e.g., if you find an investor through the newspaper), check him or her out carefully. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t let your good sense evaporate because a stranger is willing to put cash on the table.

A good source for finding private investors is your accountant. People with money to invest in small, start-up ventures often rely on their accountants to guide them. They will ask the accountant to keep an eye out for promising business investments.

If your accountant happens to be the potential investor’s accountant, a good relationship can result. Expect such investors to be cautious and to attach conditions to the loan. Their approach to lending money or taking an equity position in a small business is similar to that of a bank. They require complete and accurate information on the business seeking funds.