Investor Connect Podcast

Why Acquisitions Fail? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Not all acquisitions succeed. Here's a list of why some fail: The buyer wants to eliminate a competitor by taking them off the market. The acquisition was simply a means to an end and there was no intention of continuing the acquired business. The investment t...

Why Companies Acquire Other Companies? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Companies acquire other companies for many reasons. Here's a list of potential reasons to consider: Companies seek to acquire a customer list. They want to grow their business by adding more customers. Companies seek to acquire intellectual pro...

Acquirer Expectations Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In selling your business it's important to understand the expectations of the acquirer. Acquirers will look for your accounting to be clean and well-organized. Make sure your contracts, loans, and intellectual property documents are in order. Acquirers will inv...

The Founder's Exit Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The cap table shows the ownership of the business. It's often the case in venture-funded startups that the founder ends up with less than double-digit ownership. There's the issue of liquidation preferences and other terms that pay investors before the founder. In...

Are you curious about the future of high-end dining? You're in for a treat! In this episode of Investor Connect, we're joined by Jim Bowen, the visionary Chief Development Officer at Debut Development Group. Located in Toronto, Ontario, Debut Development Group is a developer, owner, operator, and consultant for high-end hotels, resorts, restaurants, and entertainment venues with worldwide experien...

Make a List of Target Acquirers Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. It takes twelve months to sell a business. The first six months will be spent finding the buyer. The second six months will go to completing the transaction. To find the buyer consider the following: Start with a list of 250 companies and the names of...

Mistakes in Emailing an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In emailing an investor avoid these mistakes: Skip the research and just treat the investor as you would anyone else. Try and tell them everything in the hopes that something will stick. Skip the attachments and make them ask for a deck. Ask for fund...

Adding Social Proof to Your Investor Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Social proof makes your email more compelling to the investor. Here's how to add social proof to your investor email: Highlight key advisors you have brought on board. This demonstrates your startup has enough momentum to engage others. Sho...

Best Practices for Emailing an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Here are some best practices for emailing an investor: Put the name of your company in the subject line. Use social media for making contact but not for pitching. Spellcheck the email to eliminate any typos. Refine the email to exclude filler...

Investor Email Essentials Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In emailing an investor consider these essential todos. Avoid sales-like verbiage as investors have their guard up against sales pitches. Focus on what value you can provide the investor. Keep the email short and concise. Remember, long rambling stories wil...

Welcome to another episode of Investor Connect with Hall T. Martin. This marks the second episode of our new segment, "How to Raise Funding," where we delve into real-life examples and insights from individuals seeking the most effective strategies and approaches for success in the world of finance. In today's episode, we talk about Ten Capital Network. With over a decade of experience, we special...

When To Send an Investor Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Timing is important in sending an email to an investor. Consider these points in scheduling the send of your investor email: Your email should come at a time when there's little competition for the investor's attention. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursd...

How To Capture the Investor's Attention in an Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In emailing an investor it's important to capture their attention. The subject line and the first line in the email are the two best opportunities. Here are some techniques to consider: Key off a past investment made by the investo...

The Investor Update Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After you have pitched an investor it's important to update them on the progress of your startup. Investors look for momentum and traction in the startup before investing. Forecasting high revenue is not the same as actually demonstrating a growth story in...

Building Your Network for the Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before launching your email campaign, build out your network of investors. As you meet investors it's important to collect their emails into a list to provide updates. Sort the list by type of investor -- angel, venture capitalist, family offi...

Generating Investor Interest in Your Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most investor emails are filled with stories, details, and other extraneous information in an effort to inform the investor. This typically creates long winding emails with big blocks of text. Instead of informing, you should intrigue the i...

Embarking on the funding journey for your startup can be a formidable task, filled with uncertainties. Questions about the right amount to raise, where to find investors, and how to deliver a compelling pitch often loom large. In this engaging segment, we've gathered live insights from startup founders who've successfully navigated these very challenges. We share practical strategies and firsthand...

An Example Investor Email Format Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For writing the investor email here is an example email format to follow: Start with why you are sending this email. This could be seeking investment, asking for advice, or requesting a referral. If raising funding, write about the current status of...

What the Investor Looks for in the Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In writing an email to an investor keep in mind the investor's viewpoint. Here's what investors ask themselves when opening an email: In looking at the email sent name, the investor asks how do I know this person? When reading the subject lin...

How To Write the Subject Line Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In emailing an investor the most important line is the subject line. This gets read by every recipient even if they don't open the email. To make the best subject line consider the following: Draw from your research of the investor and include key point...

Investor Email Best Practices Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising requires contacting many potential investors through email. Here are some best practices to consider: Keep the email short and to the point with no more than 200 words. The shorter the email the more likely it will be read. Start the email w...

How To Personalize the Investor Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In emailing an investor consider using the following to personalize it for the investor: Start with common connections and indicate any referrals made. Mention the names of mutual contacts who you've recently spoken with and give an update about...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Jacob Kehoe, Associate Director of the Baylor Angel Network. Located in Waco, TX, USA, Baylor Angel Network (BAN) is an investment network that provides early-stage capital to entrepreneurial companies. As an active investment network, BAN provides a collaborative platform for experiential learning by students of Baylor University, creating a mutu...

Outline for the Investor Email Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In emailing an investor consider using the following layout: In the subject line include the name of your company, what you do in 5 words or less, and a recent milestone. In the body of the email expand on what your startup does in just a sentence. Thi...

Challenge in Cold Emailing an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding a founder will need to contact investors. For those contacts the founder knows, this is a simple process. For the rest of the potential investors the founder does not know, this presents a challenge. Cold emailing an investor...