Approaching and meeting investors can be one of the most daunting aspects when growing a company. From knowing where to find the right ones to crafting your elevator pitch, there is a lot to consider. 

In this episode, I speak with Francesca Smith, founder of Frankie’s: a membership for businesswomen that helps them connect, collaborate and engage with finance. As an experienced strategic financial planner, Francesca is passionate about increasing the amount of investment provided to female founders by equipping them with the confidence they need to grow their businesses and demonstrate their value. 

With many founders wondering what to do first when pursuing investors, Frankie shares her advice on how to leverage your existing network, how to identify the right investors and why ‘people first’ is the best approach. 

Frankie’s advice:

• Always aim to meet people naturally, by networking or joining a club
• Be open to building a relationship through friendly conversation, sharing possible common ground.  Be interested, rather than interesting!
• Make sure you follow up promptly
• It’s not just about the financial investment, it’s about bringing on board someone who can contribute - so look for gaps in your skill sets and consider areas where you might need help
• Never be afraid to reach out and ask for help
• LinkedIn and free events can be a useful way to meet the right people
• Make sure your message is clear and concise and that you have a well-defined business plan
• Be conscious of how much of your business you are prepared to give away to an investor; don’t be over-eager to surrender too much in the early days
• Always look at the investors’ track record
• While you need someone on your wavelength who understands your aims, you also need someone who will challenge you and sometimes disagree with you
• The best approach on meeting someone is to find common ground - or appeal to their imagination
• Anticipate that finding the right investment could take a year and many pitches, so be tenacious
• Always trust your instincts; you need someone you know/trust/understand, who knows/trusts/understands you in return
• Finally, it’s about the people first, then the money

Frankie has some great starter kits available too.
If you’d like to contact Frankie you can reach her via [email protected]

FF&M enables you to own your own PR. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites

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