How to Raise Money for Your Business (What Investors Really Want)

When should you raise money for your business? What are investors actually looking for? And is having a co-founder the secret to startup success? In this episode of **Conejo Valley Visionaries**, I sit down with **Luke Erickson, founder of Startup Ventura**, for the second installment of **Visionary Playbook**, a series dedicated to practical business advice from people who've actually done it. Luke went from preparing for medical school to founding and exiting his own company. Now he's helping other entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses while working to build a stronger startup ecosystem in Ventura County. We talk about the realities of raising capital, including why the best time to approach investors might actually be when you don't need their money. Luke breaks down the different stages of funding, what investors want to see in an early-stage business, and how to know if outside investment is the right move. We also get into why Luke wouldn't want to build another company alone, what to look for in a co-founder, and a surprisingly simple public-speaking trick that can make your next investor pitch stronger. Plus, Luke shares what's ahead for Startup Ventura, including plans for a new startup accelerator, and why he believes entrepreneurs shouldn't have to leave Ventura County to build successful companies. *IN THIS EPISODE:* When to raise money for your business Friends and family funding, angel investors and venture capital What investors really look for in a founder How to prepare for an investor pitch Finding the right co-founder Startup Ventura's upcoming accelerator Building a thriving startup community in Ventura County *ABOUT VISIONARY PLAYBOOK* Visionary Playbook is a Conejo Valley Visionaries series featuring actionable advice from entrepreneurs and experts to help you start, build and grow a business. Watch our first Visionary Playbook episode:    • Why Most Founders Become the Bottleneck—an...   *CONNECT WITH LUKE ERICKSON & STARTUP VENTURA* Startup Ventura:   / startup_ventura   Luke Erickson:   / luke_erickson   *CONNECT WITH CONEJO VALLEY VISIONARIES* Instagram:   / conejovalleyvisionaries   Subscribe to Conejo Valley Visionaries for conversations with the entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders shaping Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Newbury Park and beyond. Hosted and produced by Cristina Dennstedt. Edited and produced by Justin K. Sloan / J.Sloan Productions. #StartupAdvice #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #ConejoValleyVisionaries