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As the founder of a new startup, you’ll face countless hurdles -- from developing a business plan to building a team -- to acquiring customers and so on. One challenge, however, stands out among the rest: raising money.作為新創業公司的創始人，你會面對無數的障礙--從發展一個商業計劃到建立一個團隊--再到獲取客戶等等。

然而，有一個挑戰，也從中脫穎而出：融資。

As CEO of Placester, I’ve been through a few funding rounds, and I’ve experienced firsthand how difficult the process can be. While I’ve certainly learned a lot along the way, there are more than a few things I wish I’d known beforehand. With that in mind, here are my top pieces of advice for raising your first (or next) round of funding.作為Placester（2008年成立獲6輪融資的房地產營銷平臺）的首席執行官, 我已經經歷過了幾輪融資，并且我也已經親身經歷了這個過程會有多艱難。

雖然一路上我確實學到了很多，但有更多事情我還挺希望能預先知道。

考慮到這一點，這里是一些籌集你第一（或下一）輪融資 的我的首要建議。

1. Gut check.審視內心Before you take the plunge, double, triple and quadruple check that this is what you want. If you’re not ready to be in it for the long haul, raising money could be a major misstep for your business. The first question to ask yourself shouldn’t be, “Do I need money to take the next step?” That may be true, but raising money isn’t just about funding your business -- it also means making commitments to investors, employees and customers. Instead, ask yourself, “Am I ready to grow or possibly even force growth unnaturally? And am I ready to commit to this growth for the foreseeable future?”在你采取決定性步驟之前，兩遍，三遍，四遍地檢查這是你所想要的。

如果你沒有準備長遠投身在這項事業，融資會是你業務的一個重大錯誤。

第一個問你自己的問題不應該是，“我需要錢去邁出下一步么？”那可能是事實，但是融資不僅僅是關于為你的業務提供資金--它也意味著向投資者，員工和顧客做出承諾。

相反， 問問自己，“我準備好發展或甚至可能不按常規的強制發展么？并且我準備好為這種可預見的未來投身于這種發展么？”2. Seek advisers, not investors.尋求顧問，而不是投資者Once you commit to raising, it’s typically all you can focus on. When raising, It’s easy to become shortsighted and only cultivate relationships that will directly lead to a check. In reality, it’s important to remember that there are more indirect paths to money than direct ones. There’s a wide variety of potential seed investors out there, and very few of them hang a sign broadcasting it. Because of this, it’s important to think about fundraising not in terms of pure cash but rather in terms of relationships and value.一旦你致力于籌集資金，通常它是所有你會關注的。

當籌資時，會很容易變得目光短淺并且只培養關系會直接導致一次檢驗。

事實上，記住間接獲取資金的方式比直接更多是很重要的。

有很多各種各樣的潛在種子投資者在那里，并且他們中很少一部分人會去掛標傳播。

因為這個，所以重要的是，考慮融資不僅完全在現金方面，相反更要在關系和價值方面。

With that in mind, set your sights on finding advisers, not investors. There are two reasons for this. First, once you choose an investor, he or she is inevitably going to be weighing in on your business decisions. By implementing this person’s advice before their investment, you can test out your relationship and get a sense of what he or she brings to the table as a business partner.考慮到這一點，你就要把眼光放在尋找顧問，而不是投資人。

對此有兩個原因。

第一，一旦你選擇了一個投資人，他或她必然會參與到你的商業決策中。

在他們投資前通過執行這個人的建議，你會測試出你們的關系并且了解她或他作為一個商業伙伴所帶來的東西。

Second, finding investors often means playing the long game. Most non-professional investors (i.e., those who don’t do it for a living) won’t open up until they’ve built a working relationship with you. By asking for advice, you can start building that relationship quickly. Plus, just because someone isn’t prepared to invest in your business now doesn’t mean they won’t invest down the line (or introduce you to someone who will). By seeking advisors, you can cultivate long-term relationships that blossom into something more.第二，尋找投資者通常意味著要打一場持久戰。

大多數非專業的投資者（例如，那些不靠做這個為生的）不會開口直到他們已經建立一個工作關系。

通過尋求建議，你可以開始很快的建立那種關系。

另外，正因為一些人現在沒有準備去投資你的業務不意味他們完全不會投資（或將你介紹給有些愿意投的）。

通過尋求顧問，你可以培養長期關系從而成長出更多結果。

When seeking out these advisers, don’t just pursue CEOs. Instead, look for experienced professionals in operational roles like head of engineering, sales or marketing. These people have a wealth of knowledge to help you with the particulars of running a business. Plus, in many cases, such folks have money to invest or are just as engaged and connected with investors as CEOs. Finally, endorsements from expert advisers will signal other, established investors that you know what you’re doing.當尋找這些顧問時，不要只關注CEO。

相反地，尋找一些在運作角色中經驗豐富的專業人士，像工程主管，銷售主管，或市場主管。

這些人都有很多知識在運行業務的細節方面幫助你。

另外，在許多情況下，這樣的人有錢去投資或作為CEO 有與投資者接洽和 聯系。

最終，來自專業顧問的推薦將向其他已經建立的投資者發出信號，你也知道你在做什么。

3. Talk to founders who have done it before.和那些已經做過的創始人談話As you’re building your network of advisers, be sure to include other founders who have not only been through the process, but have done so recently. When it comes to startups and fundraising, every city is different, so concentrate on finding folks in your community -- or the community you want to be in. Above all, get to know founders who are just one step ahead of you (about 9 to18 months).作為你正在建立的顧問網絡，一定要包括其他還是那些不僅通過了這個過程，而且還是最近完成的創始人。

當談到創業和募資，每個城市都是不一樣的，所以集中精力在你的社群尋找這樣的人--或者你想要進入的這樣的社群。

以上所有，要了解那些在你前一步的創始人（大約8到9個月）。

Trying to raise a seed round? Talk to someone who just did it. Looking for a chief technology officer? Try to find someone who just made a similar C-suite hire. The players, the environment, the market -- all of it will be fresh in their mind. Don’t talk to your uncle who raised money 10 years ago in a different city or the guy who just raised an eight-figure Series D.嘗試去籌集一個種子輪？和那些剛做過的人談一談。

尋找一位首席技術官？試著找那些剛做了類似最高管理層雇傭的人。

參與者，環境，市場—所有的在他們腦海中都會是最新的。

不要和在不同城市十年以前融資了的叔叔輩人或只籌資了一個八位數D級別的人談話。

Finally, be transparent about what you want and where you are, and don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know what you’re doing. We’ve all felt the same way at some point.最后，對你所想要的和你在的位置保持透明，不要擔心去說你不知道你在做什么。

在某種情況下我們都有這種感覺。

4. Choose the right type of investor for your business.為你的企業選擇正確類型的投資者Founders looking to raise money tend to focus on the biggest and richest sources of funding. But there are actually many different kinds of seed investors, each with its pros and cons. While there are tons different definitions out there (and some will disagree with mine), I’ve distilled seed investors into three basic categories.創始人尋求融資更趨向專注于最大和最富有的的資金來源。

但是事實上有很多不同種類的種子投資者，每個都有利有弊。

雖然有很多不同的定義在那（并且一些不同意我的），我將這些種子投資者總結為三個基本類別。

Angels are individuals who invest their own money. Their investments are typically relatively small, anywhere from a few thousand to a couple hundred thousand dollars.天使是那些投資他們自己的錢的個人。

他們的投資一般相對較小，幾千到幾十萬美元都有。

Pros: It’s possible to raise angel investments in as little as a few weeks -- far faster than other investor types. Angels also tend to be collaborative, forgiving, and flexible, and like advisers, they provide guidance, adding value beyond the cash.優點：只要幾周就能籌集到天使資金—比其他投資類型要快的多。

天使也傾向于合作，寬容，和靈活，并且像顧問，他們提供指引，現金后的增加價值。

Cons: Angels often want to be heavily involved in a company’s business decisions. If you’re scraping together investments from several angels, that may mean a lot of cooks in the kitchen. This isn’t always the case, however. Some angels may be completely disengaged, making lots of modest investments and paying attention to very few of them.缺點：天使通常想要較深地涉及一個公司的商業決策。

如果你從幾個天使那里拿來投資，那可能意味著像很多廚師在廚房里一樣。

并非總是如此，然而，一些天使可能會完全脫離，做大量適度投資并且關注很少。

Super angels are similar to angels but typically have a fund with anywhere from a million to 50 million dollars. They’re often investing other people’s money and treat this as a full-time job -- two factors which make for a slightly more formal relationship.特級天使很像天使，但是典型地擁有從1百萬到5千萬美元的基金。

他們經常投其他人的錢，并且將這個作為一份全職工作--兩個因素造成了一個稍微正式的關系。

Pros: Like angels, super angels often want to spend time with you and provide guidance. Plus, because they offer more money, you can get away with having fewer investors and thus fewer voices to listen to.優點：像天使，特級天使常常想要和你花時間并且提供指導。

另外，因為他們提供更多的錢，因此你可以離開那些錢少點的投資者并且聽到更少的聲音。

Cons: A super angel may expect involvement in your company in proportion to the amount of money they contribute, which can be just as disruptive as having several angel investors.缺點：一個特級天使會希望按他們貢獻公司的比例介入你的公司，會和有幾個天使投資人一樣的破壞性。

Venture Capitalists (VCs) have the most cash in the venture community and come from firms that may invest in dozens of companies in markets all over the world.風險投資家（VCs）在企業群體中有最多的現金，并且來自可能在全世界市場中投資了幾十家公司的企業。

Pros: Deep pockets aside, VCs can bring brand-name prestige that will help you attract great talent and add some external hype to your company. Plus, if you’re doing well, a VC will likely lead your next round of funding. Unlike angels, most VCs aren’t interested in getting deeply involved in your business operations, with the bulk of their contribution devoted to serving on your board. (The exception is a VC who has experience in operations and, as a bonus, can be a great resource for operational advice.) Finally, VCs bring more formality to the negotiating table. While this may not sound like a benefit, formality is a good thing because it forces you to develop and codify the processes that drive your business -- a crucial step for any company getting ready to grow.優點：除了財力雄厚，風險投資家會帶來品牌效益，會幫助你吸引人才和附帶一些對你公司的外部宣傳。

另外，如果你做得很好，一個風險投資很可能導致你下一輪融資。

不像天使，大多數風險投資家對深度參與你的公司運作不感興趣，他們的貢獻大多數用于你的董事會。

（例外的是，在運營上有經驗的風險投資，作為獎勵，能成為一個運營建議的好的來源）Cons: VCs typically take the longest to win over -- we’re talking months, not weeks. There are always exceptions, and those exceptions are frequently written about, but expect at least a month or two of work to go from zero relationship to term sheet.缺點：風險投資人典型的需要花費最長的時間去爭取--我們談了幾個月，而不是幾個星期。

總是會有列外，并且那些例外經常有寫到，但是預計至少一到兩個月的工作從零的關系發展到簽署協議。

5. Ignore the naysayers, but watch out for the “yes” men.忽略否定者，只留意“肯定”的人In your quest to grow your company and raise money, you’re going to hear the word “no” over and over again, in countless ways. Dozens of people, if not hundreds, will simply ignore you. Others will tell you, as politely as possible, that your idea sucks. I had one investor tell me that literally all of our customers -- namely, real-estate professionals -- would be out of business within five years. Listen to their concerns and thank them for their time, then do your best to ignore the negativity and persevere. Even the best ideas face rejection.在你尋求公司發展和融資時，你會一遍遍的聽到“不”這個詞，以無數種方式。

幾十人，不然，成百上千人，會直接忘記你。

其他人會對你盡可能有禮貌的說，你的主意很糟糕。

我曾經有一位投資者告訴我，甚至我所有的客戶—換句話說，房地產專業人員--會在五年內倒閉。

聽他們的關注點并且感謝他們花費時間，然后盡你所能忽視消極并且堅持。

即使最好的想法也會面對拒絕。

While a “no” is certainly disheartening, potential investors who never say “no” are even worse. These are people who string you along for months with assurances that they love what you’re doing and are interested in investing in your business, only to change their minds at the last minute or disappear without warning. “Yes men” can be especially disastrous if you allow them to dictate how you spend money you already have (or don’t have, as the case may be) in hopes of winning their investment. If you’ve asked someone to invest multiple times, and they still haven’t given a firm “yes” or “no,” it may be time to draw the line.雖然一個“NO”確實令人沮喪，但潛在投資者即使更糟也決不說“NO”. 有很多人喜歡你正在做的事情并且對投資你的業務很感興趣，他們會有把握的支持你幾個月，唯一讓他們改變主意的是最后一分鐘或毫無征兆的消失。

‘Yes man’會是災難性的，如果你允許他們去命令你怎樣花你已經擁有的錢（或沒有擁有的， 根據具體情況） 希望贏回他們的投資。

如果你已經問了某人投資許多次，并且他們仍沒有回復“是”或是“不是”。

那也是是時候劃清界限了。

6. Be prepared to give yourself over to the process.準備讓你自己越過這個過程Once you start raising money, you’re effectively on your investors’ schedules, which means you need to be ready to relinquish control of your own. I call this the wrecking ball effect. At some point, for instance, you’ll have an important meeting that was scheduled weeks in advance. An investor will call you and say, “I’m booked for the next two months. I can only meet tomorrow at 2 p.m. Is that okay?” Naturally, you’ll say yes. Then, once you’ve rescheduled everything else around that meeting, the investor will come back and say, “Actually, can you do 9 a.m.?”一旦你開始融資，你實際上是在你的投資者日常表上的，意味著你需要準備放棄控制你自己。

我稱這為破碎球效應。

在某一時候，例如，在原計劃提前幾周你會有重要的會議。

一個投資者會打電話給你說，“接下來兩個月我被預定了。

我只能在明天下午兩點開會。

可以么？”自然而然你會說好的。

然后，一旦你重新安排了關于那個會議的所有事情，投資者會回來說，“事實上，你能早上9點做么？”Apart from its mental and emotional toll, the wrecking ball effect can be a serious obstacle to running a team and getting things done. To mitigate its impact on your business, make sure that the people around you understand that this may happen often, and that you’ve built a team you can trust to pick up the slack in your absence.除了精神和情感代價，破碎球效應對運行一個團隊和把事情做好來說是一個很嚴重的障礙。

為了減輕它對于你業務的影響，確保你周圍的人理解這可能會經常發生，并且你已經建立了一個你可以信任的團隊，在你不在的時候收拾殘局。

While it’s certainly no picnic, raising funding can be a game-changing moment for your company as long as you’re ready for it. Be sure to stay positive, surround yourself with the right people, and remember: It only takes one yes.雖然它確實是不容易的，只要你準備好，對你的公司來說融資會是一個游戲改變的時刻。

一定要保持積極地，與正確的人為伍，并且記住：只需要一個 Yes。

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