Financial Literacy for Raising Money

Financial Literacy for Raising Money 
The Questions You Need to Ask Yourself 

Mindy Barker | Barker Associates

As we continue to discuss increasing our financial literacy, we must also consider the ways in which a company increases its chances for securing money for growth. The list of possible ways to obtain money to finance the growth of a company is extensive, including multiple forms of debt and equity instruments. The question of which is right for you is dependent upon your particular situation and your level of understanding of each. In order to navigate through this scenario, we have come up with a list of questions you need to be able to answer to make the best decision for you and your company overall.  

Do you really need money for growth? 

While there are many professional organizations that make endless promises to help you raise capital for your business, and while they all sound tempting, you must first understand whether or not you actually need money for growth. Contrary to popular belief, you will not always answer this in the affirmative. If you decide your organization requires capital for growth, then begin the process by speaking to your trusted advisors about their opinion on your plans. This discovery process should happen with professionals you already have a relationship with and who know about your company. Think about your attorney, CPA, outsourced CFO, or someone in a similar situation who has previously advised you in these matters. Only after this discovery and pertinent conversations can you then move forward with first designing a strategy, and then executing that strategy in a way that does not allow the fund raising process to consume the C-suite and deteriorate the business itself. These results can occur whether you are a small start-up or a large organization.  

How do you know in which direction to go?  

If you’re the decision maker and have governance over an organization, the first step is to evaluate your ethics and check your ego at the door before you begin to have the necessary conversations. Raising capital has become so sensationalized that those with decision-making authority tend to think of fund raising as a necessity. However, that is not necessarily the case. While raising funds is a common impetus to growth, it isn’t for every company.  

Start by looking at the historical and projected financial information. Ensure the use of funds you expect to raise is clear, and that the financial strategy for growth is viable. This initial step will require that you have quality up-to-date financial information.  Click here to see my blog about the need for financial infrastructure. 

How do you know who to trust?  

Many entrepreneurs tell me about situations where a third party offers to help them raise capital, but charge them a percentage of what they raised. Keep in mind, if the person who made that statement is not a broker or investment banker, that arrangement could be illegal and cause issues as the company grows. My biggest piece of advice is to ask if the person if he or she has a license to effectuate this type of arrangement.   

The other issue is that some of the investment bankers have had a difficult time getting clients in the pandemic environment. As a result, they have started consulting to assist with cash flow and to provide themselves with additional companies to move into the investment banking sales funnel. The issue with this is that these companies are signing up to be with the investment banker before they even know if that is the right fit for them or not.   

As a true professional, both of these instances are painful to witness. Before executing a contract or providing a deposit to anyone to assist with fund raising, proceed with caution. Make sure their culture and track record are consistent with your goals and strategy.  If you have partners that have different goals and ethics, it could be catastrophic to the organization.  Do your homework to make sure it is the right partner from the outset! 

Do you need debt, equity, or a combination of the two?  

Banks are conservative, and it is difficult for any size corporation to secure debt these days.  This form of capital is, of course, cheaper than equity overall as you do not have to give up ownership and the interest rates are currently so low. 

Equity partners can potentially have in-depth experience with the industry you are in and can actually help you build a larger and more robust entity. The saying is, “You can have a smaller piece of a big pie and actually have more value than a larger piece of a small pie.” If you do your homework and make sure your equity partner is aligned with your values and the right fit overall for your company, you can accomplish this goal.  

In a scenario with a combination of convertible preferred stock, it provides the investor with a liquidation preference. In the event a few unlucky events happen, this could mean the common stock investors could wind up with nothing in the end, which is exactly what happened when BlackBerry liquidated.  In that case, the company emphasized to employees that they should buy in while they could. When they were granted stock, they had to pay the taxes at the value at the time, and then when they sold the stock, it was, at time, at 1% of the value on which they paid the taxes. So, that could mean they were granted stock worth $45 per share, paid the taxes on it at their rate, let’s say 20% or $9, then they sold it for $.40, which was all the cash they received for that share, despite the taxes they paid. If they had a number of shares, that is a lot of money wasted. 

In the situation with a SAFE combination, there is a debt instrument that converts to equity at the next round of investment. This is a great instrument when companies are at an early stage and the discussion over valuation is difficult. When valuations increase quickly for successful companies, this can actually turn into an uncomfortable conversation that can hold up an exit transaction under certain circumstances.   

Just as with our previous financial literacy articles, it’s not just about improving your financial knowledge of the present, but about strengthening that knowledge to predict a brighter future, especially as it pertains to the growth of your company. If you would like to discuss various growth strategies and what makes the most sense for your business, or if you have other specific areas of concern, please click here to schedule a 30-minute free consultation. NOTE: beginning May 1, 2021 consultations will no longer be free. 

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