Real People, Real Business is my online show featuring business owners and entrepreneurs who are in the trenches, creating and growing their dream businesses, one step at a time. Sometimes we need inspiration and answers from folks who are closer to where we are, and who share the same experiences, constraints, challenges and opportunities that we do.
I’m Stephanie, and I work with experienced business owners who are trying to figure out what’s next in their businesses. They have pushed themselves to achieve enough success that they know their business is viable, but feel they have run out of options for growth. I help them create a new vision and strategy for their business so that they can feel completely aligned, excited and energized about their new direction with a clear path for financial and personal growth.
IN THIS EPISODE - "THE CHANGING FACE OF FOUNDER FINANCING"
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CEO Melissa Widner is changing the landscape of financing for founders through her work at Lighter Capital, a leader in revenue based financing for tech start ups and scales ups, and the non-profit she co-founded and chairs, Heads Over Heels, which supports women entrepreneurs running companies with high growth potential.
If you’ve ever thought about getting outside capital to fund your business but weren’t sure what your options were or what the process entails, my conversation with Melissa will help answer a lot of those questions.
In this episode, you’ll learn about the different financing options for founders and how Melissa is contributing to the expansion of opportunities available, especially for female founders. You’ll gain new insights from Melissa’s years of experience, not only as an entrepreneur, but also from her work in angel investing, venture capital, and revenue-based financing. You’ll also hear how she became very involved in Australia’s startup ecosystem and the non-profit she started there to help women entrepreneurs get more support and access to networks and capital.
Melissa walks us through how she came to work in revenue-based financing and explains what the difference is between that and venture capital. She helps us understand the pros and cons of equity-based financing compared to debt-based financing, situations where one type might be a better fit than the other for a business, and how to know when you should consider seeking outside funding for your business.
Melissa delves into how Lighter Capital supports entrepreneurs, what their financing process is, what a typical financing arrangement might look like, and how revenue-based financing can be a pivotal first step before seeking venture capital. She also shares examples of the many successes her Lighter Capital clients have achieved.
Finally, Melissa tells us the observation she made that inspired her to form her Australian non-profit Heads Over Heels to help female entrepreneurs, what she says is the reality of the business world compared to what we hear, and how you can apply for financing with Lighter Capital.
View episode details at https://podcast.stephaniehayes.biz/episode-79/
Find Melissa at:
Website: https://www.lightercapital.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissawidner/
Apply for Lighter Capital funding at: https://lightercapital.com/apply
Lighter Capital’s free startup valuation calculator mentioned by Melissa: https://www.lightercapital.com/valuation-calculator
Learn more about Stephanie: https://www.stephaniehayes.biz
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Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniehayescoach/
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