Raising Capital: Get the Money You Need to Grow Your Business Third Edition

Whether your organization is a fledgling start-up, a rapid growth company, or a more established organization, the only way to take your business to the next level is to gather the funds you need to fuel growth.

Covering every phase of the growth cycle and providing tools for building business plans, preparing loan proposals, drafting offering materials, and much more, Raising Capital helps you navigate the murky waters of capital formation. Packed with a huge selection of checklists, charts, and sample forms to expedite the capital formation process, the book takes you through every stage of the capital process, including:

Getting Ready to Raise Capital: capital-formation strategies, plus recent trends; understanding legal and governance structures and how they affect your ability to raise and use capital; and the role your business plan plays in securing capital

Early-Stage Financing: start-up financing; “bootstrapping”, or doing less with more at a stage in your business where “cash is king”; private placements versus commercial lending; leasing, factoring, and government programs

Growth Financing: strategies for obtaining venture capital; how venture capital transactions work; preparing for and executing an initial public offering (IPO)

Alternatives to Traditional Financing: franchising, joint ventures, co-branding, licensing, and other strategic alliances; mergers and acquisitions; plus the Capital Formation Business Growth Resources Directory

Brought fully up-to-date in this third edition, Raising Capital provides insights on the latest trends in the domestic and global capital markets, an overview of recent developments in federal and state securities laws, and strategies for borrowing money from commercial banks in today’s credit-tightened markets.

It makes no difference if your business is just a gleam in your eye, a newly launched operation, or a full-fledged firm that’s humming right along: You’ll never experience real growth with­out a substantial infusion of cash. Yet gone are the days when venture capital groups poured millions into every “next big thing”. With competition fiercer than ever, only the most viable businesses—and expert fundraising—will reap the capital necessary to drive continuous growth. Filled with eye-opening “war stories” and perspectives from the investor’s side of the table that will help you avoid pitfalls and guide your business confidently through every growth stage, this is the definitive guide to navigating the murky (and often rough) waters of capital formation.