FAQ

• What am I doing here?
• Do you have any suggestions for how to properly describe my opportunity?
• I am worried that someone will steal my idea if I post it.
• I created my listing and no one has contacted me.
• Okay, I have received a few responses to my listing. What do I do next?
• My listing is not showing up at all, or looks wrong, or I have another problem with the site.
• Notes on VCs/Investors

What am I doing here?

Well, if you're asking that question you definitely deserve an answer. Investifieds attracts a wide variety of entrepreneurs and investors to our site where they can connect. Entrepreneurs post summaries of their ideas, businesses and projects, including how much financing they need and contact information (the listing). Investors browse through these listing looking for qualities that suit them as a potential investor. The investor, if interested, will contact the entrepreneur directly and the rest is up to the parties. Investifieds is not a broker, so we don't give opinions on listings and we don't get involved in the dealings between investors and entrepreneurs.

Do you have any suggestions for how to properly describe my opportunity?

We suggest that you only explain enough to give a potential investor an idea why you are seeking funding, while also piquing their interest. For examples of listings, please click here. See also notes on VCs and basics of business funding.

Use video You can easily add videos that you have uploaded to Youtube (and other video sites). Youtube videos can be added to your listing description by going to your Youtube video page, locating the "embed" field in the gray box in the top right corner, and copy and pasting that string of code into your listing description. Remember to make sure to allow "embed" permissions when you upload your video to Youtube (this is the default).

Link to your site

If you have a website with more details, link to it.

I am worried that someone will steal my idea if I post it.

This is something you need to consider when creating your listing. There is a risk of divulging too much, and it should be weighed against the appeal of your listing. General descriptions along with solid numbers and exciting opportunities for growth and/or profit are things potential investors want to see. We have some effective sample listings on the listing creation page.

I created my listing and no one has contacted me.

Some things take time and we have found that some investors look at listings a few times before contacting them. If it's been a few months and you have not heard from anyone, we suggest taking a good and honest look at your listing to see if there's something you're missing, or if there's something you could be saying to give your listing more appeal. Sometimes showing your listing to someone you trust can be a good idea as fresh eyes bring new perspectives. Remember; put yourself in the investor's shoes. If you were going to invest your money with a complete stranger who may or may not be changing the world, you'd want to know certain things to feel comfortable. For example, they might ask (a) where is my money going - what is it being used for, (b) what is the potential here - what's in it for me, (c) who are the people behind this - who will be running the show and what are their qualifications, (d) how much time can you devote, plus anything else pertinent to the specific listing. Their questions will be the tough ones, so better to ask them of yourself first.

Okay, I have received a few responses to my listing. What do I do next?

Congratulations! This is the position you want to be in, and you might want to act quickly while interest is fresh. But first (and most importantly), you want to verify the people who are contacting you. Are they who they say they are? Is their company legitimate? Ask detailed questions and verify the answers before you proceed. There are other helpful hints when you get to this stage on the listing creation page, like never give out your personal or financial information like credit card numbers, bank info, social security numbers or anything else of that nature. If things check out to your satisfaction, another recommended step is to sign a Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (or NDA), which you can find an example of here. This document offers some protections against someone stealing your idea, but it is not full proof, and could require considerable expense to defend, so it is a good idea to keep your guard up even after its signed. With that warning language out of the way, it's time to exchange information and move towards the ultimate goal of getting financing.

My listing is not showing up at all, or looks wrong, or I have another problem with the site.

Please contact us and we'll be happy to assist you.

NOTES ON VCs

Of course, all VCs have their own views on what is worthy of funding, and they all readily admit that just because they turn down a project, it does not mean it's not worthy. It goes to show that perseverance pays off. Here is a short list of comments from VCs that we've heard time and again on what they consider to be potentially fundable.