How to Build your Contacts on Linkedin

Having a large network on Linkedin is key to gaining access to 100s of thousands of capital sources. Even if you only have a handful to start, here is a tried and true way to build your network.

1. Join groups and participate
2. Answer questions and develop expertise
3. Invite folks...Don't use the "standard" LinkedIn invite feature. Customize the message and why you are looking to link. You have to be sparing with this b/c LinkedIn will limit your account if you get too many "don't knows"
4. Do something to improve your list each day...set a quota of some sort
5. I would suggest bulleting your expertise at the top of your profile. Nobody is going to read through the whole thing. Think of it like an Executive Summary
6. Go through your email and find people to invite that you already know
7. Put your LinkedIn profile in the closing for email that you send
8. Invite people as you meet them so that it is fresh in their mind
9. Consider joining TopLinked (a group) if your goal is volume

To Your Wealth!

Russell Roesner
http://www.equitycoalition.com/

INVESTOR CATEGORIES

Each investment has a specific fit with certain investor categories. To begin, I'm going lay out a list (search terms) that I use depending on the investment I'm raising money for. I search on Linkedin and search engines to build my contact lists.

Endowements
Family Offices
RIA's (Registered Investment Advisors)
Wealth Managers
Broker Dealers
Insurance Companies
Pension Plans
Private Equity Funds
Hedge Funds
Investment Networks and Clubs
Alternative Asset Management
Special Opportunity Funds
Angels
Venture Capital

This article is in progress. I will try to define each category when I have some time. In the meantime, Google, Facebook, or Linkedin away on these groups!

To Your Wealth!
Russell Roesner
http://www.equitycoalition.com/

LEGAL ADVICE

I am not a lawyer and cannot give you legal advice. However, one of the most interesting sources of info I've found online is through Jillian Sidoti who is a lawyer. Her blog is at http://www.freeinfolawyer.blogspot.com/.
I was surpised at how much legal advice she has on that blog for free. Go take a look!

To your Wealth!
Russell
http://www.equitycoalition.com/

BLOG INTRODUCTION

I've been working for investment companies for years in investor relations. I've successfully raised well over $100,000,000 for various small to mid-size companies in the past 5 years. To learn more about me, please go to my Linkedinpage.




Raising money used to be relatively easy using the owners existing network of family and friends, and my own contacts in the financial world.

Types of institutional investor groups most likely to look at a new or relatively new business are Hedgefunds, Family Offices, RIA's, Broker Dealers, Insurance Companies, Pension Plans, Private Equity Funds, and Investment Clubs.

Over the next several weeks, I will be explaining how to market to each of these groups both directly, through email campaigns, and using existing websites such as Linkedin to approach and sell to investors.

In today's economic downturn, its much harder than it used to be to raise capital. I hope this blog will give you perspective and help you in your efforts.

Russell Roesner