Get Your Business Funded: Creative Methods for Getting the Money You Need

Where to Find Angel Investors

So the question you now probably have is, where do you locate these angel investors of which I speak? There are many ways.

The first place, and often the best, is through networking. Speak with friends and family, with your accountant and lawyer, with real estate agents, bankers, customers, and clients, with people where you worship, and with sales reps and business associates. This sort of informal networking often works well because (1) the people you speak with know you and (2) you can get a personal introduction to any potential investor.

(Note that friends and family members can also be a type of angel investor, but because they create unique opportunities and challenges, they were discussed in the previous chapter. In addition, often friends and family members offer less money than an angel might, so in that sense they are different too.)

Beyond networking, there are a variety of other options available to you:

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and universities. SBDCs work in conjunction with the SBA and local universities to offer information and assistance to businesses and startups. And because the businesses that work with SBDCs are affiliated with universities (because of the SBDC connection) and because angels like that, SBDCs are a good place to look for angel investors.

And while you are at it, professors and chairs of university graduate programs in business and entrepreneurship can also be a good source for locating angel investors. ...