--- description: Discover Monica + Andy founder Monica Royer's 4 tips on how to approach fundraising for a new business. title: These 4 Helpful Tips Helped Me Successfully Fundraise for My First Business image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt008b0fabc90a8b1c/6988c3e8cf40a8a098c47599/raise-money-startup.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These 4 Helpful Tips Helped Me Successfully Fundraise for My First Business by [Monica Royer](/author/monica-royer/) ## Monica Royer Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2017 2:52 PM CUT  A photo of businesswoman giving presentation to colleagues at conference table. Professionals are in formals. Business people are in board room. Concentrated associates listening to presentation, in a brightly lit modern office. A photo of businesswoman giving presentation to colleagues at conference table. Professionals are in formals. Business people are in board room. Concentrated associates listening to presentation, in a brightly lit modern office.Getty Images by [Monica Royer](/author/monica-royer/) ## Monica Royer Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2017 2:52 PM CUT I am probably one of the few [entrepreneurs](http://motto.time.com/4425076/things-i-learned-entrepreneur/ "undefined") on earth who enjoys [fundraising](http://motto.time.com/4270466/fundraise-keep-friends/ "undefined"). When I declare my fondness for raising dollars, other entrepreneurs look at me as if I’ve said something incredibly offensive. “You _like_ fundraising?” they repeat back to me as if they’ve surely heard me wrong. But yes, I do. I may even love fundraising. It could be because I’m new at the game. Or maybe I haven’t been jaded by the process and don’t know any better yet. However, the idea of sharing my passion for [Monica + Andy](http://www.monicaandandy.com/ "undefined") with potential investors, and on occasion getting them to actually invest, leaves me with a high. Fundraising is the single biggest challenge for any rapidly growing [startup](http://motto.time.com/4337952/startup-business-advice/ "undefined"). It’s what keeps most entrepreneurs up at night. But I’ve learned to wrangle the process in four easy steps rather than let it overwhelm me. **Step One: Share Your Story** The first step is putting together a deck that tells your brand’s story. It should capture both the excitement of where you are now and where you are taking your business. Think about your brand’s purpose. Present your case for how you’re solving a critical problem. Share the details of how your product makes life easier or better. And remember, you are the answer. **Step Two: Network** Once your deck is ready, it’s time to get it out there. For most entrepreneurs, this is the hardest part. To get started I used sites like [Angel List](https://angel.co/ "undefined") and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/ "undefined") to search my own networks for people to connect with. Do copious research on who invests in your field. Ask mutual friends for introductions, but don’t be afraid to reach out cold. Create a “one pager” with all of your company’s major highlights. This way potential investors can take a quick initial look and decide if they want to meet you to hear your entire story. **Step Three: The Terms of Investment** When you take on investors, you give up ownership. However, the tradeoff is that your investors give you the opportunity to grow and expand. Beyond an infusion of cash, the right partner also brings connections. These relationships should help you open new doors. Consider these factors when negotiating. **Step Four: Be Critical** The number one and most counter-intuitive fact of fundraising is that you don’t always have to take the money. Finding investors is like online dating (or so I’m told — I’ve been married for 10 years). You need to make sure that you like each other and that this is someone you want to be dealing with. Your investors should fit your company culture as much as a new hire. It’s okay to say no thank you. Don’t be afraid to let them know you’re vetting them just as much as they’re vetting you. I’ve learned firsthand how important it is to have great investors in your corner. During the last Monica + Andy raise I had two [miscarriages](http://motto.time.com/4292958/miscarriage-advice-friend/ "undefined"). Between the personal loss, running a growing business and trying to find investors, I was spread very thin. But with a supportive board, I was able to take a breath, practice self-care and focus on moving the business forward. My team had my back. And you can’t put a price on that. _Monica Royer is the founder of Monica + Andy, a clothing store that specializes in quality, organic baby apparel. This is_ **_part two_** _in a_ **_four-part series_** _about how she started her company._ **_Part three_** _will focus on how to find and hire great employees. Read_ **_part one_**_, on_ [_how Monica quit her job to start her own business_](http://motto.time.com/4737265/quit-job-start-company/ "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4749149/raise-money-startup/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4749149/raise-money-startup/"},"headline":"These 4 Helpful Tips Helped Me Successfully Fundraise for My First Business","datePublished":"2017-04-21T14:52:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:05:30.106Z","description":"It's not all about the money","url":"https://time.com/4749149/raise-money-startup/","keywords":["motto","startup"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt008b0fabc90a8b1c/6988c3e8cf40a8a098c47599/raise-money-startup.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Monica Royer","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/monica-royer/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt008b0fabc90a8b1c/6988c3e8cf40a8a098c47599/raise-money-startup.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Businesswoman Giving Presentation To Colleagues At Conference Table","caption":"Businesswoman Giving Presentation To Colleagues At Conference Table","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4749149/raise-money-startup/","name":"These 4 Helpful Tips Helped Me Successfully Fundraise for My First Business"}}]}] ```