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Looking for Investor for Michigan Based Company

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jimmyj77

posts: 10

Dec 08, 2008 9:34 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Looking for an investor that looks to the future, and understands the changing world of marketing and advertising. I own a sms/text message company that is based in Sterling Heights, MI. www.textricity.com . We specialize in taking any size or any type of business and instituting a text message platform into their marketing arsenal in the form of informational alerts, voting, mobile coupons, and much more. We are eager to turn our fast growing business into a household name across the U.S. by getting investing to gain market share as well as changing to a go green company by supporting paperless communication and advertising. This is not a spam company. It requires all customers to sign up and offers them a way to opt-out. We follow all guidelines set forth by the Mobil Marketing Association and have a strict no spam policy. My target demographic is ages 16 -42.

robertj

posts: 1458

Dec 09, 2008 12:07 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Since this forum is intended to elicit feedback on your elevator pitch - my input is that it would be more powerful if you began by describing:

what problem your business solves
How/why you do it better than the others

-------------------------

Business Growth Masters, LLC -
Capital Catalysts for Entrepreneurs
Home of the Scalable Business Plan and QuikStart Capital Programs
http://www.bizgrowthmasters.com
info@bizgrowthmasters.com

jimmyj77

posts: 10

Dec 09, 2008 12:41 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Thank you for your reply Robert.

The problems that our product solves are many. Business owners across the country have many to contact their customers. Radio, TV, Newspaper, Flyer, Email, and Internet. These are all great. But with these forms of advertising, owners are spending a lot of money just hoping there target customer is reading, listening, or viewing their ads. With our product, owners of companies can contact their customer(s) within seconds, right to a device that is on someones hip at all times. The average consumer checks their cell phone 84 times a day. And remember, the consumer signed up for this service.

I am sigining up a local grocery store right now. If the meat department realizes on a Wednesday afternoon that they ordered way to much T-Bone steak and needs to get rid of it before it spoils what are they going to do? They can get an add printed that day. They can`t get a spot on the radio. But they could blast all there customers at 4:45PM, who are on there way home from work and thinking what they are going to have for dinner, with a mobile coupon thats says "come in tonight and and get half of steak for dinner tonight".

Also, we are talking to an Apartment complex, now an aprtment complex can save all the money they spend on ink, paper, and labor to put flyers and messages on tentants doors and just send a simple text message.

What good does emailing weather alerts, which Dell just bought a company that does email this for 15 million dollars, to a person that works on the shop floor of a tool and die company? What good does an email do at 7:00AM in the morning when a mother is loading her kids in the car, only to find out half way there that the school is closed.

I am also have a meeting with a local hospital on Friday. What good does it do for a Nurse Manger to sit on the phone and leave messages to fill a shift for someone who called in at 7:30 AM, whose shift was to start at 8:00AM. And then to have all the people she left messages for call back for the next hour saying they can or can not fill the shift. People do not check their email in their sleep. All they would do now is blast a message to all the employees phones saying their is a shift available, and when the shift is fufilled send another text saying the shift has been taken. These are just a few examples....

This is for retail and non retail businesses. Non retail is very high cost/labor savings, Retail increases sales as well as keeping there regulars coming in. We are much better because we have put the time in to do this legally and by the book. This is not spam company! Our software is awsome, and we have even gone as far as to add features of accountability for retail owners so they can see exactly how many people respond to the text and are able to print reports and graphs that let them see trends and how much cash exactly is coming in.

danielcim

posts: 77

Dec 09, 2008 9:24 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Very interesting concept, just wondering how hard it would be to sign up members that would agree to receive the messages?

Have you done any research on this?

Good Luck

jimmyj77

posts: 10

Dec 10, 2008 12:04 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

Points: 0 Vote

Yes. It has taken us 2 years to write the software, test, get all the cell phone providers to accepts us, apply and recieve our short code...So yes the research is done. I could ramble for paragraphs but it works off a short code so they agree at the same time they sign up. They text my shortcode and then there number is automatically stored in our software to be retrieved later by the business owner. Go ahead try it - text the word dan to 79649. It`s free, and I will erase later. Every business I have, will have, has a different keyword etc...

Have a good one

robertj

posts: 1458

Dec 10, 2008 1:56 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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jimmyj,

OK - you`ve written the software and have some (paying) customers - good stuff.

How much capital are you seeking?

What are the key uses of these funds?

Are you Capital Ready?

jimmyj77

posts: 10

Dec 10, 2008 3:17 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Seeking 25-50k. This will be used for a software packet that itself costs 5k that will give us the ability to send automated appt reminders for certain customers that will get sent automatically of a calendar. The rest of the money will go towards marketing.. Folders, Pens, Radio and Magazine ads. We need a face, and a reputable face to back us. We not selling something that is a known thing, and when it comes to change and technology people are scared of it.....

Not sure what capital ready means. If that means that when we get it we know where it is going then yes.

robertj

posts: 1458

Dec 10, 2008 5:24 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

Points: 0 Vote

For the amount you seek, your best bet is to seek support from those in your "expanded" network (those people that you know directly and those that they know).

Although the specific things required may be different for each situation, being Capital Ready means that everything is in place and poised so the process can move forward once the provider of capital is “on the scene”. The objective is to avoid any stoppage or delay in the progress toward the receipt of the capital.

Send me a PM with your email and I`ll send you our document that has more detail on the subject of Capital Ready.

jimmyj77

posts: 10

Dec 10, 2008 7:29 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

Points: 0 Vote

Sent you that message...Thanks!

What do you think my chances are for finding someone to fund this - out of our expanded network.

FastVentures

posts: 306

Dec 11, 2008 10:46 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

Points: 0 Vote

Hi, I just came across your post and my initial thoughts were “oh my gosh just another provider that enables (tele)marketers to blast their annoying ads to my phone. What got my attention was how you explained the benefits of your service as a strictly subscriber-based solution.

So, I would be interested in reviewing your business plan.

As far as your capital requirements are concerned, $25-$50 Ks is so little that it hardly makes any sense to jump through all the hoops of finding an investor that will invest in return for equity. I see strong benefits for any type of emergency-based services, so there must be a grant or alternative financing option out there.

Alternatively, you could explore not only covering the short-term cost for acquiring upgrading your software platform, but also layout a 3-5 year growth strategy that you seek funding for. I guess the point that I am trying to make is that you shouldn’t think about taking one step, but taking 3-4 steps at a time. This would increase your chances to find a suitable investor, as they are always interested in seeing the whole picture.

So, if you’re interested, please PM me or contact me via our website.

I hope this helps.

Mark

-------------------------

Jackson Steiner
http://www.JacksonSteiner.com

Advanced Document Design for entrepreneurs, intermediaries, and the financial services industry.
http://www.Publications.FastVentures.com

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