Angel Investors: 7 Online Business Plan Scams and 1 Real Deal
We’ve all seen the hype: “We’ll put your plan in front of thousands of investors!” “We’ll write you an award-winning online business plan!” “Only $3,000 for thousands of investors to learn about your company!”
I cringe every time I see one of these ads. Vultures are preying on honest business people who want to fund their businesses. Here are some ways to spot them:
1. “Only qualified investors see your business plan.” Yeah, sure. And who “qualifies” them? Have a friend try to sign up as an investor (that part is usually free). How is she “qualified”? Is there a background check? Does she submit a financial statement? Odds are that she will be asked to do nothing more than sign a statement that she has a certain net worth. That’s no “qualification” in my book. So who are these “investors”? Who knows. One could be your strongest competitor.
2. “You approve anyone who sees your business plan.” Okay. So what are you going to do to qualify the potential...