September 26, 2009 - Saturday
Zero to Funding in 120 Days Boot Camp: A little-known and highly-successful way to raise money in challenging times without Banks, Angels, or VC Funding
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Raising funds to start a company is one of the most challenging endeavors that entrepreneurs face. In this knowledge-packed boot camp, you will learn from a master fundraiser how to raise money using a relatively little-known funding vehicle referred to as Investor Direct Offerings.
What you will learn
By the end of this boot camp, you will learn practical rubber-meets-the-road tools to:
- Refine and repackage your business into a more exciting and compelling investment opportunity
- Reach a new, untapped pool of high-probability investors
- Excite, entice, and motivate investors to come hear your story
- Structure your deal with 3 insider tricks of the trade you won’t learn anywhere else—especially from attorneys. Without these tips, 90% of all deals are killed.
- Create a demonstrable and compelling presentation
- Close investors in 5 working days by making an investment offer that investors can’t refuse.
EVENT: Zero to Funding in 120 Days Boot Camp
DATE: September 26, 2009 - Saturday
TIME: 08:30am-12:30pm
WEBSITE: http://www.davinciinstitute.com/events/413/zero-to-funding-in-120-days-boot-camp-saturday-september-26-2009
LOCATION: Wolf Law Building, 2450 Kittredge Loop Road, Boulder, CO 80309 (Corner of Baseline & Broadway)
DIRECTIONS: Driving Directions
COST: $119, Members: $79, SuperMembers: Free
PHONE: 303-666-4133
TOPIC: Zero to Funding in 120 Days Boot Camp: A little-known and highly-successful way to raise money in challenging times without Banks, Angels, or VC Funding
SPEAKER: Michael Bissonnette
SPEAKER: Michael Bissonnette
Founder and former CEO and Chairman of AeroGrow International (Inventors of the AeroGarden), Current Founder of Bissonnette Fund
Michael Bissonnette is a serial entrepreneur and fundraising expert with over 28 years of proven experience in funding, launching, and expanding start-ups into successful companies. He has built five businesses from concept to reality—including three multi-million dollar companies and two global enterprises. These include AeroGrow International, producer of the world’s first kitchen crop appliance, and Voice Power Technologies, which developed the world’s first hand-held consumer product that used voice recognition.
Having researched raising money through conventional channels including banks, angels, and venture capitalists, Michael quickly recognized the long odds of getting funding. He turned to a little-known (and quite revolutionary) fundraising approach that allowed him to market his offering direct to individual investors.
In 1982, he launched his first fundraising campaign and raised $1.5 million in less than 100 days. Michael continued to use “Investor Direct Funding” for the next 27 years to fund his companies. In total he has launched 21 funding campaigns in good times and bad, and he has been successful all 21 times. He has raised a total of over $50 million and funded five companies with this process.
Michael has likely raised more money from small individual investors using Investor Direct Funding than any other entrepreneur in the United States.
Over time, Michael refined and improved his process into a streamlined, battle-proven methodology, which he now uses to help entrepreneurs fund their companies.
AGENDA
8:00 - 8:30 - Registration
8:30 - 9:00 - Welcome and Introductions - Thomas Frey
- Introductions and Announcements
- Introduction to Michael Bissonnette
- Attendee Goals for the Boot Camp
9:00 - 10:00 - Investor Direct Offerings - Michael Bissonnette
- What they are, why they are a great funding vehicle, and how to implement them
- Deal structure—insider tricks of the trade that you won’t learn from attorneys
- Virgin investors, adventure investors, & affinity investors—new, untapped investor opportunities
10:00 - 10:15 - Break
10:15 - 11:15 - Finding and getting in front of qualified investors - Michael Bissonnette
- Tapping into the Motherload of high-probability investors
- How to excite, entice, and motivate investors to come hear your story
- Get the inside story from past successes: handout & review AeroGrow investor sales materials
11:15 - 11:30 - Break
11:30 - 12:30 - Closing the deal - Michael Bissonnette
- Creating a demonstrable and compelling presentation
- Making an investment offer investors can’t refuse--core strategies to close 8 out of 10 investors in 5 working days
12:30 - 12:35 - Thank you for joining us - Thomas Frey
