Money Chasers - The Courtship Might Leave You Broke.

MONEY CHASERS - The Courtship Might Leave You Broke.

Dear Friends, Colleagues, TNNWC Members and Accidental Tourists:

If you've been an entrepreneur or the promoter of an early-stage enterprise, you've had to chase money at some point. After all, capital is the mother's milk of business.

And, of course, that money comes from individuals who have either large sums of it or who manage large sums of it as fiduciary agents for others. These people become our "targets," and we go to great lengths to court them and to convince them that we represent (through our neophyte companies and our early-stage ventures) either a) a great investment opportunity, or b) a very small 'favor for a friend'.

In the West, the game is played by either associating socially (and by being most gracious and generous) to those whom we have targeted, as if we wanted their friendship; the alternative is to somehow prove that we have all of the money that we need (the portrayal of independence and self-sufficiency), and that we are doing them, as our equals, a favor by "inviting them" to participate. In either case, the ruse will cost you a fortune in funds that you either need desperately just to keep the lights on at your corporate headquarters (i.e., in your mom's garage), or which you must borrow.

However the game is played, courtship can be very expensive.

If you cannot afford the costs associated with either "sucking up" to the rich and famous (lavish gifts, charitable donations, gourmet meals, planefares, and the like), or with showing how you don't "really need their money," in which case the costs will be just as ridiculous, you might consider trying a slightly different approach:

1) Prepare a wonderful Executive Summary;

2) Make vigorous but judicious use of social media and networking platforms; and,

3) Be completely honest about your finances, and your required timing for infusions of funds.

A mixture of ingenuity, integrity and audacity will most likely get you far closer to funding than "dancing with the stars" in a rented tuxedo. Oh, and another thing - the rich and famous folks usually aren't fooled anyway, and they may even be laughing at you behind your back. Making an offering or sacrifice of your scant treasury balance will not ingratiate you with the money gods -- in fact, they'll usually take you for even more, or just drop you at the curbside without cabfare.

Don't play money games. Don't be a Money Chaser. Be an entrepreneur -- it's much more respectable.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. A notable quote follows...

"The richer your friends, the more they will cost you."

--Elisabeth Marbury,


American theatrical and literary agent

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This article appeared in the Capital For Business Growth™ Blog.
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