Rachel A. Z.

Don't be afraid to do things differently. If you're in the world of innovation, your content, personal brand and way of thinking should all reflect this. Change things up, try a different format, make references to different industries and share perspectives people haven't heard before. Be cautious, because if your content isn't thoughtful or intentional, it may do more harm than good.

Remembering that each individual is unique and top talent usually know what they want and have a calculated path to achieve their future goals, regardless of what it is. Whether or not your company is a part of that path is up to you. I highly recommend having an honest conversation with your team, to truly understand their future vision without judgement. It's up to you to figure out how you can ensure your business's needs align and can support them.

One of the most important factors of the risk analysis especially in the early stages that an investor is looking for, boils down to, "did you even perform a risk analysis?" Especially when it comes to novel and disruptive technologies, there's a lot of unknowns, uncertainties and most likely very hard to source relevant data for decisions. However, your character as an entrepreneur here is what's most important. Did you even take the time to perform an analysis? Have you assessed your options? Do you have contingency plans? By demonstrating you can execute these activities, as time goes on and you need to pivot and uncertainties arise, investors can be assured you have the mental capacity to navigate challenges which is most important.

Aside from looking at your main market, in this section of your business pitch you can introduce future growth plans and applications across other verticals. Especially if operating in a niche market with a limited market size, investors will be immediately calculating the potential of their return and the time frame required. If the market size is too small, this will raise flags. However if you can demonstrate a well-structured plan for expansion and diversification across markets without diluting your business's brand and effectiveness, this will support your success in fundraising!

When networking, my top two pieces of advice: -Networking can happen anywhere. While on holidays, in an elevator, crossing the street, you never know who you will meet and where you will meet them. Being open to people and opportunities and approaching networking from a genuine place of curiosity and not trying to "sell" off the bat will authentically support the growth of your community and network. -Be Curious. Aim to seek out those with diverse perspectives, whether its from different geographic regions, industries or positions.

When applying to incubators and accelerators, ensure you have assessed the value-added by each program and the costs of joining. Some incubators and accelerators will offer grants and early-stage funding in exchange for equity in a business (and often at higher rates due to the risky nature of this stage of investment) so ensure that the program has a good reputation, and offers the exact resources, network and opportunities needed to propel your business forwards.