Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I`m looking to raise money for a new publication. The publication will be focused on businesses that are trying to market new products or services, or businesses in the start-up phase that have an idea they need to promote in order to secure funding or more resources.

I want to raise the money by recruiting businesses that need these services now. If you have a business, start-up, or product/service that needs to be marketed I want you to sign up now.

I`m offering 20 spots at $300 dollars each.

We will offer promotion for your business for a year.

The product will launch as soon as I have recruited enough businesses.

I`ve found that often enough for a business to launch or survive, entrepreneurs overlook the need for resources. Not just capital, although that is very important and the tools necessary to raise it are the same, but also talented, dedicated personnel who can help make your venture a reality.

Business is done between people, not numbers or machines, and it is through promotion and marketing we are able to reach out to people, recruit resources and spread a wider net.

Here`s how it will work:

- We will develop a podcast and radio segment in which we will interview you about your product/service or idea. This is a positive "elevator pitch" segment where you get to describe what you want the potential customer or investor to know about you.

- You will be able to submit your business plan, concepts, ideas, etc. to a panel of resources such as Search Engine Optimization experts, designers, attorneys, finance guys, etc. who will discuss your product/service and provide insight. Think of it as an analyst panel. Positive reviews will be posted online in the form of articles.

- We will continue to follow up with you over the course of a year, interviewing you about updates, milestones, achievements, challenges, etc. so that customers and investors can track your progress or keep you top of mind.

- We will release press relases, in association with our publication, to wire services, partner publications and our own media network contacts to announce newsworthy accomplishments.

Can we do it? We have been doing it for sometime in other industries. Thimble Media, LLC is an online media firm that produces magazines, podcasts, radio shows and other publications for niche markets.

We`ve worked with companies such as Conde Nast, VH1, San Diego ConVis, Nintendo, Microsoft and others. Our brands have been mentioned in publications such as the NYTimes, Wired Magazine, BusinessWeek, Blogger and Podcaster Magazine, etc.

Our flagship brand, Insomnia Radio, has shows in over 11 metro markets, including groundbreaking shows in Turkey, the UK and New Zealand. Jason Evangelho, our production manager, and host of Insomnia Radio, is one of the pioneers of podcasting and recently returned from California where he was a guest speaker at the Podcast and New Media Expo, the largest convention of its type. http://www.newmediaexpo.com/saturday2007.htm#MusicPromotion

To see an example of what we have done in other industries:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070426/news_1b26mu sic.html

We also broadcast live high school sporting events, produce a similiar publication (just launched) for Veterinarians, and work with mainstream media companies to produce content for travel, gaming, etc.

Please, let me know if you are interested. We`re ready to roll now...

This is a location for elevator pitches is it not?  Why would a company that decides to self capitalize a project be considered spam or inappropriate for an elevator pitch, but a company who is looking for funding from an angel investor or VC group not be considered spam?

What would you consider creative financing?  Royalties against sales volume? Loans against invoiced contracts?

The reality is, in this case, bankrolling a project by having early phase businesses participate to get the greatest amount of benefit without spending large amounts of their own capital to help in one of the most expensive aspects of business - promotion - makes sense. 

If you have access to a media company that has an existing audience base, and is willing to give you access to that existing audience base in an endeavour to create a new publication,  one specifically focused to make the public more aware of your business and its efforts, AND is willing to fund its efforts by allowing the very businesses that have limited funding and need those activites the most to participate at a low dollar point, how is that not creative financing?

It creates a win/win situation for both parties, reduces debt equity, establishes an immediate customer base (as they grow, you grow) and allows those early businesses the opportunity to benefit most on their ROI.  Increased exposure for their business.

$300 for an entire year`s worth of promotion, based on principals already being used with success in another industry, by an established media presence is a steal.  It can only be construed as creative finance opportunity.

To sum up - the elevator pitch was directed to the early stage, startup minded businesses and entrepreneurs who frequent this forum, not to stray VC or Angel investor types.

If nothing else, I hope that businesses in the startup phases of their businesses continue to look at other methods of financing their operations than just hoping someone is going to bless them with a large windfall of cash.  Many businesses do receive capital from VC`s and Angels, but if they just looked deeper at their existing resources, client/customer base and thought outside of the box they may find they have more to work with than they thought.

Capitalization is a long, delicate process that many startups fail to realize can position them in such a way that they are unable to operate successfully.  Or worse, their wait for such capitalization could result in the inability to conduct business.