Tag: Challenges

Categories
Startup

5 Top VC Funding Firms Focusing On Women-Led Startups

5 Top VC Funding Firms Focusing On Women-Led Startups
5 Top VC Funding Firms Focusing On Women-Led Startups

Gone are those days when women were confined within the four walls of the kitchen. Today, from sports to business, women are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world; dominating every sphere unabashedly and fearlessly.

And as more and more women are realizing the significance of being financially independent, India is experiencing a great surge in the number of female entrepreneurs. However, the number of female entrepreneurs is still low as compared to men as seven out of 100 entrepreneurs in India are women.

Nonetheless, female entrepreneurs are excelling with their ideas and execution techniques. Some are even becoming business motivational speakers to help others who are trying to make a mark in their respective fields. But despite their good ideas, they are facing challenges when it comes to funding. Here is a list of five VC funding firms that are helping women entrepreneurs in India:

1. Kalaari Capital

Founded by a true leader Vani Kola, Kalaari Capital is a leading VC that strives hard to help founders succeed and flourish in the business world. Vani is referred to as The Mother of Venture Capitalism in India, and there is a reason behind it. Kalaari Capital is an early-stage, technology-focused venture capital firm with $650 Mn in assets. Based out of Bengaluru, it has been empowering visionary entrepreneurs since 2006. Not content with being one of the first homegrown VC firms in India with a steadily growing list of startups in its portfolio, Kalaari launched Kstart, a seed fund initiative, in 2016.

Kstart focuses solely on seed-stage funding and differs from other funds in that it doesn’t set a valuation at the time a startup is raising funds from it. Kalaari has built a reputation for picking the best young minds and mentoring them to build successful enterprises, some prime examples being Myntra, Urban Ladder, Zivame, Power2SME, YourStory, and Bluestone, among others.

2. LetsVenture

Founded in 2013, LetsVenture provides a common platform for startups and investors alike to connect. LetsVenture works with startups and investors on discovery, syndication, and closure. This involves managing due diligence and paperwork closure. There are 12000+ startups and 2200+ investors on the platform. Founded by Shanti Mohan LetsVenture has enabled more than 100 startups to raise over $40mn. Since its inception in 2013, LetsVenture has facilitated over $100 million in investments. Startups like Testbook, DailyNinja, Wishberry, MyUpchar, and Ketto as part of its portfolio, have 3,700 members.

3. Saha Fund

Founded by Ankita Vashista, Saha Fund is a Bangalore-based venture capital and private equity firm. Saha Fund is India’s (and Asia’s) first venture capital fund that promotes women’s entrepreneurship and is dedicated to making investments in women-led companies across different sectors. Saha is keen on companies that use technology to scale. If you too have a startup and are looking for funding, you can watch this video by Dr. Vivek Bindra- the best motivational speaker in India: 

4. She Capital

According to research conducted by She Capital, when women business owners pitch their ideas to investors for early-stage capital, they receive significantly less – a disparity that averages more than $1 million – than men. Hence, to encourage more women to participate in the Indian startup ecosystem and take on the boys’ club in the Indian unicorn ecosystem, Founder and former CEO of Mydala, Anisha Singh launched an early-stage venture capital fund, She Capital. The company was founded with a belief to help the next generation of phenomenal female-led businesses scale to their maximum potential.

5. Qualcomm Ventures India

Founded in the year 2000, Qualcomm Ventures is the $1 billion venture capital arm of global tech giant Qualcomm, and the arm is highly optimistic about India’s technology-driven startup ecosystem. The firm believes in diversity and encourages different points of view and aims to help connect entrepreneurs to the resources, relationships, and deep industry expertise they need to succeed in the entrepreneur journey.

The idea of managing a business is easier said than done and we completely agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with Foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses. To know more, visit: www.badabusiness.com

Categories
Strategy

6 Smart Tips For Entrepreneurs To Build Strong Relationships With Investors!

6 Smart Tips For Entrepreneurs To Build Strong Relationships With Investors!
6 Smart Tips For Entrepreneurs To Build Strong Relationships With Investors!

Summary: When adequate funds are the only thing that is stopping your startup from becoming successful, you might want to think about establishing good relationships with your investors.

Entrepreneurs put in their immense effort and hard work in pitching their business idea to angel investors to bring them on board because the key to success for most startups is having funds for the growth of their business.

However, a deal is never done when it comes to dealing with investors. If you have wooed your investors once, it does not mean you won’t need them again in the future. Investors with their lots of experience can offer incredible insight and resources that can get your startup business on the right track.

According to experts, nearly one-third of the startups shut down because of a lack of planning about the proper usage of their funds. This leads to investors losing interest and credibility in their business venture at the very early stage. Many entrepreneurs often hire a business coach to help them navigate the rough waters of the business world.

Managing investor relations can make a huge difference to your business. As an entrepreneur, it is your responsibility to strengthen ties with investors to position your current business for success. While a strong relationship can help the startup to grow rapidly, one wrong move can end the game for you.

Therefore, it is highly essential for you to maintain a working, productive, and winning relationship with your investors, even if they are not friendly.

Here are six pointers that will help you to build a strong and cordial relationship with your angel investors:

1.  Don’t Choose Investors Solely for Financial Purpose

Investors can provide not just funds, but also their valuable guidance and experience to accelerate your business. Acknowledge the relationships and expertise investors will bring to your business by giving them a voice. Listen to their underlying apprehensions and concerns. Encourage open conversation and clear dialogue so that you can learn more about their risk-taking appetite. You can consult with a business coach as well to understand how you can maintain dynamics with your investors.

2. Set Clear Expectations in the Beginning

An entrepreneur and investors need to be on the same page as nobody likes surprises in the business. Thus, it is vital to set the goals, nature of the relationship, degree of control, vision, the scale of growth, and exit strategy that is acceptable to both parties.

3. Be Authentic & Respectful

Investing in any firm is not a matter of a “fund it and forget it” scenario for any investor. In fact, they would like to stay updated with the latest ongoing in your organization. And when you are looking to strengthen your relationship with investors, it should be rooted in authenticity and respect. As entrepreneurs are coming into the market with their ideas, they should also respect their investors` opinions, suggestions, and feedback.

Despite the disagreements, they must behave respectfully towards each other. Discussions should happen openly to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.

To gain investors’ trust, startups must engage with them regularly, instead of treating them as an obstruction that needs to be dealt with.

4. Share Challenges & Achievements With Investors

Every investor wants to stay updated about the current progress of the venture he has invested in. Hence, update your investors regularly with the latest figures, and charts prepared by the startup team weekly or monthly, if not daily.

Also, be transparent with your investors. Even when there are failures or mistakes, be forthright with your angel investors. Keeping your communication channel open with your investors helps you build a positive image of the startup.

5. Pay Respectful Towards your Investor`s Input

Investors can guide your startup business with their expertise and insights gained from years of experience in the market. You don’t have to agree or incorporate every suggestion, but paying heed and valuing them will give your investors a sense of involvement and validation.

6. Address their Concerns

Investors might have concerns about your plans, strategies, or any other aspect of the business. You should make a conscious effort to address those concerns through open discussion, dialogue, and reasoning.

As founders seeking capital quickly learn, finding the right investor is often all about who you know.

If you are facing the biggest challenges from your investors, we can provide you with amazing solutions with our business coaching program. You can learn from the top industry experts how to take your business ahead in the market. Kick start your entrepreneurial journey by clicking here: www.badabusiness.com

Categories
Marketing

3 Greatest Challenges of YouTube Marketing

3 Greatest Challenges of YouTube Marketing
3 Greatest Challenges of YouTube Marketing

From popular brands to startups, independent business consultants to best motivational speakers in India, YouTube has become a source of entertainment and fun for people, worldwide. This popular social media platform has already witnessed the presence of some of the most popular brands like Google, BMW, Disney, Lego, and famous corporate trainers like Dr. Vivek Bindra. All of them have channels that are subscribed to by millions of followers.

Not only big brands, but companies of all sizes and even individuals are embracing YouTube and capitalizing as a promotional venue. So, there is no doubt that YouTube presents a huge opportunity for brands to reach and engage with their consumers firsthand, but only when done right.

So whether you are an independent business consultant or an entrepreneur who wants to reach your target audience, YouTube marketing is perfect for you. But, here are some of the biggest challenges that you might face on this platform:

1. Targeting the Wrong Audience

Sometimes it’s the quality of the content, while most of the time it’s the wrong target audience. Many marketers and startup businesses make the mistake of pitching their products and services to the wrong audience. This often results in visitors slipping away.

It is easy for brands to believe that the product videos will appeal to all sorts of demographics. However, this belief is far from the truth. Hence, avoid this mistake like plague, as it can cost you time, money, and effort. Determine your customers` demographics because not everyone requires and is interested in what you are offering.

2. Having No Objective

To create the right video content defining your marketing objectives clearly is highly essential for a company or an individual. Whether you want to increase sales, generate leads, or make new customers grow brand awareness, or decrease churn, it should be clear to you as well as to your marketing team.

Think about which type of emotion you want to invoke in your audiences. Do you want them to feel excited, moved, or inspired? You can use different types of video content like unboxings, events, interviews, behind-the-scenes glimpses, Q&A sessions, and how-to guides based on your marketing objectives and your target audience. Focus on emotions that drive value for a business.

3. Sharing Videos of Poor Quality

There must be millions of videos getting posted every day on YouTube. But videos that are of great quality and offer value are the ones that get instant likes in great numbers. Good videos appear more professional and make your audience feel more connected. Pay attention to minute details like lighting, audio, angles, and camera.

Keep background separate from foreground elements, eliminate shadows and emphasize key scene elements. Quality audio is also important for the success of your video and promotion efforts. Most viewers will leave your video and miss the message that you want to communicate if the sound quality is not good enough. Make a video that is informative, entertaining, and engages your target audience, and covers the topic that is they are looking for. This strategy can give the desired results for your YouTube marketing.

Businesses often fail to set the right metrics for their video marketing campaigns. They often focus on comments and shares. Though these two factors are important, other metrics will help you to give a good idea of the performance. Metrics like traffic source, average view duration, the view-to-subscribers ratio will help you measure success are average percentage viewed, unique viewers, watch time, and re-watches.

While your YouTube channel can be your brand-building powerhouse, the above-mentioned mistakes can fail even the well-crafted marketing strategy. The above-mentioned challenges are common and faced by every marketer at a certain point.

Having a compelling marketing idea is great. But you know what is even better? Personal guidance to increase your brand presence consistently to facilitate sales, engage your customers and close leads. At Bada Business, we offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with Foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses.