Investing in Small Businesses

Hey guys

I found this website today on the FT:

https://circleup.com/companies/

It was launched by an ex-PE guy, and essentially allows you to invest in early stage companies (I suppose via crowd-sourcing).

Would you guys consider investing in these companies, and if so what would your strategy be?
Would you guys consider starting a company while working in IB, and if so would you consider using something like this (i.e. crowd-funding) to finance your company?

Interested to hear your thoughts.

Regards

 

These and other crowd funding sites seem to be a collection of either; every entrepreneur who has been rejected by all the standard financing options or isn't savvy enough to get in front of those standard options. The only plans that seem intriguing are the mad scientist who has a genius invention - but I'm not the guy to invest in unproven technology.

Global buyer of highly distressed industrial companies. Pays Finder Fees Criteria = $50 - $500M revenues. Highly distressed industrial. Limited Reps and Warranties. Can close in 1-2 weeks.
 

Agree with you but apparently they typically sell preferred stock without warrants, etc. I can't imagine VCs being very easily satisfied with this, which makes sense.

The 'crowd' won't be able to negotiate as favourable terms, which might make it preferable for the companies raising capital as compares to more traditional routes.

 
Best Response

Laundromats, car washes, real estate, and the like. Try to think of things that are difficult to outsource or offshore. For instance, people might have included pay phones 30 years ago. The people who did invest did not see cell phones becoming popular even though those phones were cash cows at the time.

 

The problem is - how do you find businesses like this if you don't have connections. Also, without observing the business over an extended period of time, it is quite difficult to gauge how much of the success of the business is dependent on the previous owner

 

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