The Investor Connection

Imagine just listing a description of your small business online, then finding your inbox flooded with requests from investors willing and excited to fund your company.

No, it's not a dream. It is a reality, and several Web sites can help you do exactly this.

Entrepreneurs have the ideas, but they often need help finding exposure to investors. "Most people seeking capital don't have the means or resources to do that," says Richard Singer, CEO of RaiseCapital.com, which was launched six weeks ago.

No matter how interesting a concept, without the proper resources, a company is likely to fail. Inadequate funding is the second-most-common reason why small businesses don't succeed, according to the United States Business Administration.

There is a need for these services. In 2005, there were 25 million businesses in the country. An overwhelming number of them -- more than 99%, says the SBA -- were considered small, with less than 500 employees.

"People turn to us because we help bridge the gap between the entrepreneur and the investor," says Singer.

RaiseCapital.com is attractive to investors; it's free for them to browse the many small businesses and to contact entrepreneurs. They also can get email alerts based on specific industries of interest, whether that's film, software, Internet, fashion or real estate.

Of course, there is a price on the other side. There are three different packages, all of which give entrepreneurs an individual, searchable page on the site: Silver (about $30 per month) allows text, gold ($40 per month) permits text and photos and platinum ($50 per month) offers text, photos and video. Video is especially advantageous in attracting notice because "if you're a potential investor, you can see how [the entrepreneur] presents himself," says Singer.

And RaiseCapital.com is drawing attention to itself as a company in order to build up its network further. "We're in the middle of a six-figure national campaign to attract investors and entrepreneurs. ... One is a full-page ad in Entrepreneur Magazine," says Singer. The company has also been featured on Entrepreneur.com and the National Venture Capital Association.