Have a client preparing to raise capital?
THE YOUR-CLIENT-STAYS-YOUR-CLIENT PROGRAM
Give them the preparation they need before they approach investors.
You know the situation.
A founder has a good business. They want to raise $500,000, $2 million, $5 million or more. They have a deck, financial statements, a list of potential investors, and they're ready to start making calls.
But they're not necessarily ready to raise.
The story may not be clear. The financials may not support the investment thesis. The proposed terms may not make sense. The diligence materials may be incomplete. And there may be no real plan for how to approach investors and manage the process.
That's where we come in.
We prepare the company.
The founder raises the capital.
Prepared to Raise helps founder-led companies build the strategy, materials, diligence package and process needed to approach investors professionally and run their own raise.
We don't solicit investors, introduce investors, negotiate securities or take a percentage of the money raised.
We are a good fit when a client:
Is considering a private capital raise of up to approximately $10 million
Is founder-led and privately held
Has a real business or a credible plan to build one
Intends to raise the capital themselves rather than hire a placement agent
Needs help turning their business, financials and strategy into a coherent investment proposition
Has a deck or other materials but isn't confident they're investor-ready
Is unsure what investors will expect to see before approaching them
Needs help organizing diligence and offering materials
Wants an experienced outside perspective before going to market
The ideal referral is often the company that isn't quite ready to raise, but is close enough that preparation will materially improve the process.
We help management answer the questions investors will ask before they start asking them.
Capital Raise Strategy
We help determine the appropriate raise size, structure, investor profile, positioning and approach based on the company's circumstances and objectives.
Investment Story
We turn the company's business, financial performance, strategy and opportunity into a clear investment thesis that investors can understand and evaluate.
Investor Materials
We prepare the core materials used to present the opportunity, including the investor presentation and executive summary.
Diligence Preparation
We help organize the company's financial, corporate, operational and other diligence materials so investors can evaluate the opportunity efficiently.
Offering Materials
We coordinate the preparation of the offering package and work with the company's securities counsel where legal documents or legal review are required.
Management Preparation
Before the raise begins, management rehearses the investor presentation and prepares for the questions investors are likely to ask.
Launch Support
Once the materials are complete, the founder runs the raise with their Raise Playbook: a written plan for who to ask, in what order and how, loaded in their tools. The first wave goes out with Joel on the launch call, then 90 days at their side: four sessions timed to the raise, and reply drafts and weekly numbers reviewed on Slack within 24 business hours.
What we don't do
This distinction is important. Prepared to Raise does not:
Solicit investors
Introduce investors on the company's behalf
Act as a placement agent, broker or finder
Negotiate securities transactions
Provide legal, accounting or audit services
Take a percentage of the capital raised
Take equity or warrants in exchange for our services
We prepare; the company raises.
That separation is intentional.
We fill the gap between "we want to raise" and "we're ready to raise"
CPAs, attorneys, CFOs, wealth advisors, M&A professionals and other trusted advisors often encounter companies that are considering a raise but need more preparation before approaching investors.
You may not provide that preparation as part of your own engagement. That's where we can fit.
Our job is not to replace the company's existing advisors. It's to help management pull the pieces together into a coherent capital-raising strategy and investor package.
An experienced capital-markets perspective
Prepared to Raise was founded by Joel Arberman, who has spent more than 30 years in capital markets as an analyst at multi-billion-dollar asset managers, an institutional sell-side equity research analyst and a partner at a 700-person investment bank.
Joel has taken 17 companies public, including four of his own companies, and has prepared founders for more than 30 private placements.
That experience informs how we prepare companies for investors.
What will an investor want to know?
What questions will they ask?
Where will they find inconsistencies?
What will make the opportunity difficult to understand?
What needs to be addressed before the first investor meeting?
The objective is not to make a company look bigger than it is. It's to make sure the company is properly prepared to present what it actually is.
We don't need to own the client relationship.
If you're an attorney, CPA, CFO, advisor or other professional, we're comfortable working alongside you. We don't need to become the company's investment banker. We don't need to manage the investor process. And we don't need to control the relationship after the introduction.
The company remains your client.
We have a defined role: preparing the company for the raise.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU
Refer with confidence.
Your client stays your client
We have one defined role: preparing the company for the raise. We don't take over the relationship or become their banker.
No referral fees, either way
We don't pay or accept referral fees, so your recommendation stays independent and your professional obligations stay simple.
You stay informed
With your client's permission, we'll keep you updated at the key milestones: assessment, materials complete, and launch.
WHEN TO REFER
The moment to send someone our way.
CPAs
A client at year-end or tax time says they're thinking about raising capital, and the financials don't yet tell the story.
Corporate and securities attorneys
You'll handle the legal documents; they still need the strategy, story, numbers and plan. See how the two halves fit.
Fractional CFOs
The model is solid, but the raise strategy, investor materials and plan for the ask aren't there yet.
Wealth and business advisors
A business-owner client wants to raise from their network and asks you where to start.
MAKE A REFERRAL
Refer a client in two minutes.
Tell us who they are and we'll reach out within 2 business days. We'll copy you unless you tell us otherwise.
PREFER TO INTRODUCE US YOURSELF?
Here's an email you can send.
Subject: Before you raise: an introduction
Hi [Client name],
You mentioned you're thinking about raising capital. Before you approach investors, I'd suggest a free 20-minute call with Joel Arberman at Prepared to Raise. He helps founder-led companies get their strategy, investor materials and offering documents ready before they ask anyone for money, for a fixed fee, with no success fees and no investor introductions. He's taken 17 companies public and spent years as an analyst deciding which companies deserved capital.
If you want a quick read on where you stand first, his 2-minute Raise-Ready Quiz is at preparedtoraise.com/quiz.
You can book a time here: preparedtoraise.com, or email him at Joel@PreparedToRaise.com. I've copied him here.
[Your name]
What happens after you make an introduction?
01
Introductory call
We have a brief conversation with the company to understand what they're trying to accomplish and determine whether there's a potential fit.
02
Readiness Assessment
If appropriate, the company can engage us for a Readiness Assessment. Within five business days, they receive a written assessment of where they stand and which preparation path fits their raise, plus Running the Raise, the client-only companion to our free guide. The $1,500 assessment fee is credited in full toward any package if they continue within 60 days.
03
Preparation
If we proceed, we work with management to develop the strategy, investor materials, diligence package and offering materials appropriate for the raise.
04
Launch
The company conducts the raise itself, with its Raise Playbook and 90 days of support from Prepared to Raise after launch.
A useful referral to make when the client says:
"We're thinking about raising capital, but we're not sure we're ready."
That's exactly when we can help.
The earlier we can identify the gaps, the more useful the preparation can be.
Let's talk.
If you have a client who is considering a capital raise and could benefit from an experienced capital-markets perspective before approaching investors, we'd be happy to have an introductory conversation.
Prepared to Raise
We prepare. You raise.