Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Briz.com is a community for small businesses to sign up for a free profile where they can list their business details, news, events, coupons, etc.

Any suggestions to how we should market this idea to venture capitalist or angel investors?

Check out the site: www.briz.com

Thanks,
The Briz Team

Hi,

 

The concept sounds good. Who`s your competition? How are you different? What`s the problem you`re solving?

 

Your website looks nice and has interesting functions. My two cents: when presenting to investors I might avoid using a direct comparison to Facebook or MySpace. If I had a nickel for every social network that said they are "the Facebook of (insert niche here)." I hope that doesn`t come across negatively. I suggest leading into your pitch to investors with an explaination of the customer your are targeting and the specific problem you are solving for them.

 

I just came across a neat site called www.ojeez.com

 

It is pretty cool, check it out, the profile srea is soo neat with video and all.

 

Joe, 

 

I`m not saying that it is right or wrong,,,,, but  (  ) if I`m not mistaken, in one of my first marketing classes many years ago doing this was actually taught.  You, as a smaller business, always want to make such a comparison  to those that are bigger than yourself,  thus making yourself appear bigger than you actually are at the present time.

 

Don`t major corporations do this on a regular basis in just a slightly different way.  They associate themselves with those things that are much bigger than themselves in the eyes of the market in which they are trying to attract.  Christmas, Easter, Nascar, The Olympics, The NFL Superbowl. 

 

Like I say, I`m not saying right or wrong either way,  sometimes I like to stay neutral. 

 

Mike

Hi Mike,

 

You`re are definitely right. However, in this case, I wasn`t thinking about the "user/customer" in my response. I was thinking about the pitch to investors. I agree that making a link to other solid brands is a good marketing activity. However, I`m just shy of making those types of comparisons to saavy investors. I personally wouldn`t make that comparison in my elevator pitch. In a detailed presentation to investors...maybe. At the same time, I am sure there are lots of smart people that might think it`s a great.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

agreed,  

 

all subjective.  Once I was trained in detail about the writing of resumes.  Once I was waiting in line to speak to a professor and the person ahead of me asked for his opinion about the format of her resume.  I instantly recognized certain things that were  supposed to be  taboo,  but the professor had absolutely no problem with it,  

 

all personal preference.  

 

as far as this  example  I believe if you could make a proper link then it would be a possibility  otherwise an unrealistic stretch would be more detrimental than helpful. 

 

But I`m inalyzing it from a distance and not from the inside like yourself. 

 

thanks

 

mike