Summary: Investment: A buzzword that is massive right now and something that brings about a lot of opportunity. However, most people do not know much about it.<br> As an entrepreneur, you need to secure investments to get others to buy into your vision and dream. You need to look at investment opportunities to grow your business!<br> Start out with your friends and family members – borrow money from them. They are a key point to starting your business!<br> Then look for outside investors. They want a return on their investment. So they look for certain characteristics and traits in people. They are more interested in you than your business.<br> Investors are willing to help if you are:<br> <br> * Passionate<br> * Driven<br> * Willing to make sacrifices<br> * Dedicated<br> * Innovative<br> * Smart<br> * Energetic<br> <br> Finding investors is just one thing you need to do to scale your business. But there is so much more.<br> <br> * As an entrepreneur, work hard, work long hours, and get your hands dirty. Never be afraid to learn something new. All of this leads to opportunities.<br> * Also, visit blogs, forums, and other outlets to communicate with like-minded people and find opportunities.<br> * Outsource services to save money and run your business. Invest in your own company.<br> * Look at businesses you can partner with.<br> <br> Follow what you want to do. Don’t give up. Persevere. Plus, once you succeed, maybe you can invest in other companies!<br> About Mark:<br> Mark started MyVoucherCodes for £300 in 2006 and sold it in June 2014 as part of a £55million acquisition.<br> Mark grew up in Liverpool, left school at 16, did an NVQ in catering and moved to London age 18 for a job in the Claridges kitchen. While working his way up the high end kitchen chain, he seized an opportunity to run three gastropubs. The business was profitable but Mark realised that a bricks and mortar business had a glass ceiling. He fell in love with ecommerce as it is scalable and started the UKs first voucher codes from his bedroom. Year over year <a href="http://MyVoucherCodes.co.uk">MyVoucherCodes.co.uk</a> has grown dramatically and it is now a multi million pound business active in 12 countries.<br> Mark has also invested in more than 9 tech startups to the tune of £5million in the past 3 years including Ve Interactive, Paddle and <a href="http://Playlists.net">Playlists.net</a>.<br> Challenged Issue:<br> In this episode, we challenge the issue of when a startup is looking for funding but keeps failing and does not get investments. Therefore, we discuss how to secure those investments.<br> Mark’s Actionable Tips:<br> <br> * Do your homework. Be an expert in your sector. Know what you are talking about when asking for money. Be confident in your abilities, knowledge, and skills.<br> * Think big. Don’t be afraid to project your ideas. Be realistic, but blow investors’ socks off. Show them how big the opportunity can be!<br> * Prove your passion and commitment. Have everything in place (vision, goals, plans, etc.) when talking with investors. <br> <br> <br> Top Quotes:<br> <br> * “For the first time, I chose what I wanted to do.”<br> * “Actually, I am as good as other people in different areas. I’ve just got to find out what I am good at.”<br> * “Like any career, you’ve got to work your way up.”<br> * “If you are going to be an entrepreneur and going to go on this journey, it is not a 9-to-5 and it’s not easy.”<br> * “I always had an entrepreneurial drive inside, but didn’t really have any opportunities to fulfill them.”<br> * “I had grand ambitions internally of what I wanted to achieve.”<br> * “I was the voucher king.”<br> * “Some of these companies have grown to be huge.”<br> * “That’s what excites me about investing. I like people to think big. I like people that really go for the big opportunities.”<br> * “Now really is the time.”<br>
