Once you decide to incorporate a small business online and depending on your particular needs, you need to consider how you’re going to finance the new venture. This is one of the biggest challenges business startups face – finding funding.
You can go to investor conferences and pitch your idea. However, a casual atmosphere to discuss things with potential investors is lacking to say the least.
And if you’re asking people for money, they probably want to get to know you a little bit unless your business plan just wows them from the start.
In comes Venture Café, an idea hatched by Cambridge Innovation Center founder and CEO Tim Rowe. The café opened March 1st in Boston to provide area entrepreneurs and investors a place to interact in a casual atmosphere and talk business. Currently housed in a temporary location, the café is looking for a permanent location.
To get things started, organizers are holding a series of “office hours” sponsored by the New England Venture Capital Association where entrepreneurs can hold 25-minute pitch sessions at the café. Organizers invite investors to attend and encourage them to come a little early and stay a little later – all in the hopes of them making more random, casual connections.
It’s especially nice to see innovative techniques like this being put into action. Nothing can take the place of one-on-one relationships so it’s nice to see ideas like this put people together. Not only does it serve as a wonderful way to meet prospective business partners, its casual nature will help those entrepreneurs who may be nervous about approaching some large venture capital firm.
Incorporating a business and running it successfully requires a lot more than simply completing some forms. But places like Venture Café in Boston help make the journey more fulfilling.