There’s more to life than money. That’s true. In some circles it’s become fashionable to talk about the goal of business as being about more than single-mindedly making money. Ok, that’s true too. But it’s worth noting that although money can’t buy you happiness, poverty can’t buy you anything.

I stole that witty observation from a meme on Facebook, but it does point up a basic truth: whatever else you’re trying to achieve, you can’t start, run, or grow a business without money.

When you hear terms like “Venture Capital,” and “Series A Funding” you may find your eyes glazing over and your attention wandering, but these are just various ways of saying “money.” And if you have a local business here in New Orleans it can be hard to get your hands on enough of it to compete with businesses in capital-rich environments, like Silicon Valley.

My guests on Out to Lunch today are both in the business of funding local businesses.

Caroline Crumley is an investor at Benson Capital Partners, a venture capital firm founded by Gayle Benson, best known as the owner of the Saints football team and the Pelicans basketball team.

Van Hamilton Barbeau is Vice President of Evangeline Securities, a firm that facilitates mergers and acquisitions and capital raising services through their offices in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Boston, Massachusetts.

A lot of us have a love/hate relationship with money. We love having it, but we don’t love the effort, time, and risks we often have to take to get a hold of it.

Two wealthy and successful entrepreneurs in the 20th century, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, famously said, “Money can’t buy me love.” But like love, if money was easy to get and to keep, it wouldn’t be as highly prized.

Where you find love is a topic for a different podcast, but if you have a business in Louisiana there are places where you can find money. Not least among them, Benson Capital Partners and Evangeline Securities. As  investors and experts, Caroline and Van are providing literally invaluable tools and products for the development and growth of local businesses.

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

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