Five Tips to Become an Investor Magnet

This article was written by Jennifer Pellet of Entrepreneur.com

It can take years of hard work and good fortune to find an investor who will help take your business to the next level. But what if you didn't have to wait? What if you didn't have to seek out investors and instead they came to you?

That is not a fantasy -- it actually happens every day. Private equity groups and venture capitals are always on the lookout for great companies that have the potential to become great investments. In fact, most investors don't sit around waiting for entrepreneurs to call and ask for money. Instead, they actively hunt for companies that are already well-positioned for strong growth.

Bruce Evans, managing partner at Summit Partners in Boston, says there are certain fundamentals that help companies attract investors. Summit Partners' 80 or so investment professionals manage nearly $9 billion and have invested in more than 280 companies since 1984. Summit makes both VC-style investments and later-stage private equity investments. In either case, Evans says, good fundamentals can make him pick up the phone and dial your number....