Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SwissCham NL)’s Post

💡 Keep it short – every type of material you send out has only one goal – to get to the next step with investors. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "There are three types of basic materials that I think you need to contact investors. The first is the initial contact material, which you'll likely send via email. It has to summarize - very briefly - what your business idea is and why the investor should take the next step, i.e. what jumps out of it. Maybe you can already get to a conversation here, preferably online. You then need an executive summary with enough details that the investor will bite and be interested in a meeting. You send this summary after he asks for it. Finally, you need a more detailed presentation, which can either be sent out or presented in a reduced version. Keep it short – every type of material you send out has only one goal – to get to the next step with investors. You don't close the deal on the first contact. What not to do: - At the first contact, send an NDA with a contractual penalty. - Dictate the conditions for an investment right away. Usually, an investor participates via shares of the company and unfortunately these are illiquid assets in the majority of all startups. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan Sollberger to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice

💡 That's not a bad thing, because it takes more than just an idea to be successful as a company. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "Who is in the competition? The really ingenious and unique ideas are very rare. Often there is already a comparable approach to a business idea from another company. That's not a bad thing, because it takes more than just an idea to be successful as a company. In any case, you should deal with the competition and the strengths and weaknesses of competing companies. In this way, you show investors that you know the competition on the one hand and, in the best case, know why your start-up is better or what advantages your company has over the competitors. Only then does the investor see the market for it and its return on investment. Otherwise there is not a single golden thaler from the treasure chest of the castle by the lake. HORSEPOWER: No one will invest solely on the basis of a business plan or a pitch deck. except a fool. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice

💡 An investment is always associated with consequences. Especially among professional investors. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "A classic mistake startup teams make when looking for funding is to be sure of the money before the process is complete. Experience shows that you have to keep selling until an offer has been made. Remember, you're selling until the last second, and investors also want to be convinced to buy before they decide. HORSEPOWER: Shares of startups are high-risk securities and illiquid assets. No investor invests according to the principle of hope unless he or she is a fool. And an investment is always associated with consequences. Especially among professional investors. Oh yes, also important to mention, an investor does not give you money so that you can use it to pay your private debts. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan Sollberger to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice

💡 If you can show that they're making money from your business, that's half the battle. Here are a few things to keep in mind that are generally important in any presentation to investors 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "While every investor has their own requirements and is looking for an investment that matches their personal interests and selection criteria, there are a few things to keep in mind that are generally important in any presentation to investors, regardless of their preferences: 1. On the one hand, investors want to see a return on their investment. They put money into young companies to make money. 2. If you can show that they're making money from your business, that's half the battle. 3. Investors want to invest in companies and industries that they can understand. Actually logical... 4. One of the most important factors that play a role for an investor are the founders and the other people involved. So if you're a good guy to work with, then you're exactly the type of founder investors are looking for. 5. Investors also want to see a so-called proof of concept. 6. Money: if it's not clear how your business is ever going to make money, it's not a business, it's a hobby." ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs h #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice

💡 Your job is to dispel an investor's doubts, answer their questions and enable them to make an investment decision. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: " From time to time, I see founders giving an investor the impression that they have to invest in their company. They try to exert pressure on the investor to make a decision. I also hear time and again in presentations that founders should appear confident to investors so that they "have no choice" but to invest. In my opinion, this is not a sensible approach. I do agree with one point: Founders should not act as submissive supplicants. However, putting pressure on an investor rarely leads to success, especially if the investor still has criteria that need to be met. For this reason, you should once again consider the situation in which the investor finds himself: The investor has money, is likely to want to invest, but is not sure whether he is doing the right thing by investing in your company and will achieve a return. T hey will have doubts as to whether you or your company are what they are looking for. Conclusion: So your job is to dispel their doubts, answer their questions and enable them to make an investment decision." ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Startup #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur

💡 Investment is always based on trust. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "New angels are people who do not perceive themselves as business angels and are therefore not members of business angel networks or other associations. Most of them do not introduce themselves as investors, but are interested in entrepreneurship and making early-stage investments. Unlike members of business angel networks, who have usually invested in five or ten companies, new angels may only be invested in one or two. You can find these new angels through your extended network Linkedin. Linkedin is a good place to start: look here for people you know, either directly or through mutual friends, who you know have money to invest (due to their business career and/or their own business) and who you think are interested in entrepreneurship (because they've started or funded other businesses). New angels can be right under your nose: for example, old schoolmates or a former boss. And the good thing is: You know each other and a corresponding trust already exists. Because an investment is always based on trust. And only you as an entrepreneur can achieve this trust through your personality. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan Sollberger to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice  #InvestorMindset #DeriskStartup #InvestmentRisk #StartupDeRisking  #InvestorThoughts #InvestorMindset #InvestorThoughtoftheDay

💡 A complementary group of co-founders and first employees is powerful enough to reduce the risk for investors. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "A strong team will not only help you build a great startup, it will also help you attract capital in the future. Find a powerful, well-complementary group of co-founders and first employees and finance your startup yourself in the first phase to reduce the risk for investors. The lower the risk, the easier it will be to find investors. A good team requires (at least) the core competencies of product development and sales. These core competencies should not be outsourced. If you need to develop a product quickly, you can outsource some of the development work, but only for the prototype - this is the exception to the "no outsourcing" rule. Your core team should never be outsourced. Also, avoid typical mistakes when building your team, which will sooner or later fall on your feet. This includes not giving shares to your early employees, giving shares without buyback rights, and not seeking legal counsel from good lawyers experienced in this area. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan Sollberger to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice  #InvestorMindset #DeriskStartup #InvestmentRisk #StartupDeRiskin

💡 Investors primarily want to know (1) How can your company make them money, and (2) If they were to invest, how would you protect their money. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, advisor, mentor and investor. 🎧 English Translation: "On the one hand, investors want above all a return on their investment. They put money into young companies in order to make money from them. If you can show that they're making money from your business, that's half the battle. On the other hand, they also want an answer to the question of how their investment can be protected from risks. No one likes to lose money. Of course, it plays a role what risk tolerance an investor has. It is true that every investment represents a risk per se (one should not be under any illusions). However, it can also play a major role in what barriers exist for a start-up to keep imitators out of the market, what certainty a start-up can give with regard to the timetable outlined or how complex the regulations are that the start-up has to observe for its offering. All of this can exacerbate the risk for the investor. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan to comment on in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice  #InvestorMindset #DeriskStartup #InvestmentRisk #StartupDeRisking  #InvestorThoughts #InvestorMindset #InvestorThoughtoftheDay

💡 Family offices are interested in longer-term investments and do not immediately think about exiting. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "You have a good chance of getting an investment from a family office in two cases: Either your startup works in a similar field to the company with which the family made their fortune – then your chances are good that you will arouse the interest of the entrepreneur and that valuable synergies arise here. Or your company contains a socially valuable aspect – because more and more family offices act like a business-oriented family foundation, so they are particularly interested in "impact investing". This also goes hand in hand with the fact that, unlike VC funds, family offices are also interested in longer-term investments and do not immediately think about exiting. This can be beneficial for you if you're building a company for which you have a far-reaching or technically very complex vision that a VC investor might not have the patience to realize." ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan Sollberger to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice  #InvestorMindset #DeriskStartup #InvestmentRisk #StartupDeRiskin

💡 Private investors often do not know what they are investing in and what the corresponding risk. Professional investors know the risks, have their criteria, conditions and therefore it takes a lot of trust, etc. for an investment to take place at all. 👨💻 Stefan Sollberger is the CFO Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) and the CEO of Sollberger KMU Treuhand. He has an extensive number of years of experience and expertise as a Partner, Advisor, Mentor and Investor. 🎧 English Translation: "What is the difference between private investors and professional investors? Private investors often do not know what they are investing in and what the corresponding risk is and are persuaded by so-called equity advisors to make high-risk investments, because they are contacted by phone every week with the statement that this is now the next big thing and that they will go public in two years (of course with a value in the billions). Unfortunately, many of these companies do not go public after two years, but go bankrupt with a total loss, which can have fatal consequences for these people, because surprisingly they did not expect such a failure. All arithmetic or what... Professional investors know the risks, are repeat offenders, i.e. invest again and again, but have their criteria, conditions and therefore it takes a lot of trust, etc. for an investment to take place at all. Many startup entrepreneurs don't understand this. Of course, one could also argue here that people who invest solely on the basis of a phone call are also a bit stupid. " ⬇ Curious about how an investors mind works ? Comment on any question or topic you would like Stefan to write about in his future posts . . Brought to you by The Digital Socialitez - Official digital marketing and social media management partner of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands (SCCN) . . . . #SwissChamberofCommerceInTheNetherlands #SCCN #BusinessExpansion #EuropeanMarket #MarketAccess #StrategicGrowth #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #entrepreneurship #Startups #entrepreneurs #Business #europeanbusiness #Investors #Europeannews #euronews #Europeaninvestment #Europeancountries #Europeaninvestments #Europeanfunding #TechUK #TechGermany #TechFrance #TechNetherlands #TechSweden #Investment #Entrepreneur #InvestorMindset #InvestmentAdvice