Whatever you decide to do, such as going through a bank or trying to find a venture capitalist, it all begins with you. You need a solid business plan and good financial information. You also need to do some research on the lending sources you wish to approach. You need to know about your lending source is the plan and direction of that source. Who is running the company and what are their plans for their organization? If you can develop a relationship before approaching them with your plans and needs, so much the better. It will help you sell your idea and give you an opportunity to demonstrate that your business is not a big risk.
It also helps to be educated before going forward. There are community college classes, bank seminars, online courses through the Small Business Administration and other online business sites. If you have never been through the process before, then the information that these classes can give you will be very helpful. Also, finding an experienced mentor to coach you through the process of raising capital can be of value. The key here is to have what you need, know what to say and know who to say it to. Once you have these in place, you are ready to set up a meeting
