Angel Investors

Some key points I agree with mentioned in the video:

1) Don't be afraid to take and existing idea and making it your own. You don't have to necessarily have a unique idea to run a business. Just a unique approach.
2) It's important to have support; people you can talk to about the challenges you face. You need to talk out your stress. It's not easy to take on a new business.
3) Surround yourself with key people who know the business and can offer important ideas and perspectives.
4) It's all about growth. Not just financial but personal as well.

In my case, I am lucky. I can talk to people and if I really, really need to, I can probably have them be my angel investors. I'm in a critical stage myself as I see my funds dwindling and debts mount as approach my opening date. Looking for other sources of cash is part of the game. You WILL make mistakes and they WILL cost you money. It takes a person who can keep their eye on the big picture in order to not buckle under that kind of pressure. I must admit, I'm being tested every single day.

I've also surrounded myself with a "gold standard" personel that I know will benefit my day care. I will pay more up front, but it's a cost-benefit decision that will in the long-run keep my business viable and probably give me a special edge over competitors. From what I hear, some private day cares aren't always ready to pay for real talent. I am.

Last, capital for investment is always available. They're called 'angel investors.' They're called such because they're all around us even though we may not necessarily see them. Like how we talk to angels, you have to seek them and suddenly they appear. I'm telling you, they exist.

If you have a sound idea that's well thought out, all that's left to do is to self yourself. I don't think people truly grasp this basic but powerful concept. In the end, people invest in people.

So why did I put myself through all this? Because, at this stage in my life, I know for a fact in my heart of hearts, I wasn't meant for anything else but be an entrepreneur. Unless I found a small business in which I could act as a personal liason to the owner, I don't cope within a corporate structure nor was I made for a job in the civil service.

I always knew this to be the case and working in a corporate environment for 10 years only solidified it.

As I've said in the past, it's not for the feint hearted and you better damn well make sure your spouse is ready for the volatility.

Hope this post helps others thinking of entering this realm or already in it.