Where can I find an investor/sponsor to help me start an IT Company ?
371402
The bottom line is that you will NOT be able to find a US investor who will help you start a company in Europe. That is just not going to happen, and you really shouldn't waste the next year of your life trying to find such a mythical person. But if you want to start a company closer to home, check out these two books:\n\nJohn May's "Every Business Needs an Angel" [first link] and Asheesh Advani's "Investors in your Backyard" [second link].
834199
Get registered as self employed with the tax office. Go see a business startup specialist in a Bank.  One of the best banks out there from personal experience were Barclays they have a team of business specialists they can provide loads of info including Starting and running your own business guides on CD Rom and information fact sheets, there are other sources of information you can obtain through Business Link too. \n\nBanks usually lend on a matched funding basis to new businesses, ie 50/50 but only if you can provide a cashflow projection and business plan up front.  If you have already bought equipment to use for your business and can produce receipts this would be included in your 50%\n\nYou sound like a hardworker, working for yourself is not always easy and does demand your time and effort, from what you have said you have no objections to doing this.  The benefit obviously being that any money you make (less any deductions) is your own clear profit not someone elses.\n\nAnyhow, best of luck!
1069498
youre best bet sounds like it would have to be to find a business partner.  If you have a business plan I would look for investors.  Maybe look for an angel invester.  However, they might be weary because of the location of the business.  There are a lot of scams that sound similair to this so they will want as much info as possible.  Good Luck
542201
Many are available. I personally find bnet.com to be very helpful. If you are looking for sample business plans, bplans.com will be useful.
329429
There are tons of scams and huge start up fees!!\n\nI personally sat down and made a list of what was imporant to me. I wanted a company that had a clean slate with the BBB, one that cared about me and my family, one that had a proven track record and was dependable, free training, great support team, no selling or stocking, and no large amount of money to start up!\n\nI am a single mom so anything over 30 dollars is big!!\n\nI have found what it is that I was looking for and they met all of my requirements. That is the best advise I can offer you!
562395
Try Gartner Research. They are the leaders in IT statistics. Some articles require a fee before you can read or download them but they're worth it.  People in the industry trust their research so if you are preparing a sales pitch, the Gartner info would be great to add to your presentation.
539997
You may want to go and pitch your ideas where investors gather. Here are some places where angel investors come and those looking for funding can come and pitch their business plans. Be sure to have a strong business plan and describe what makes your business idea stand apart:\n\nAngel Capital Association (has a lot of links to angel investor organizations as well as information about angel investors) http://www.angelcapitalassociation.org\nAngel's Forum http://www.angelsforum.com \nBand of Angels http://www.bandangels.com \nCommon Angels http://www.commonangels.com \nKeiretsu Forum http://www.k4forum.com \nLaunchpad Venture Group http://www.launchpadventuregroup.com\nNew World Angels http://www.newworldangels.com \nNew York Angels http://www.newyorkangels.com \nPrairie Angels http://www.prairieangels.org (charges $125 to submit idea)\nRobin Hood Ventures http://www.robinhoodventures.com (charges $250)
170561
I found a few links that should help you to get started on your way.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
377194
Hi, I have no experience with this but I've found two sites that may help in starting up your business.\n\nGood luck!
476097
You might try the Atlanta Technology Angels (although they do primarily tech deals), or go a bit further afield and talk to Ariel Savannah Angel Partners. Those are both bona fide groups of sophisticated angel investors that actively seek out and invest in plans. A short bit down the food chain is the Gathering of Angels, which is a periodic event that takes place in a number of cities, including Atlanta, at which four entrepreneurs pitch their plans to investors. The problem with this one is that they will charge you $2000 to present.\n\nIf you feel like simply casting your plan out on the waters, so to speak, you could give a try to "Funding Georgia", which is a web page front end where you can post your business plan and hope that some investor sees it (pretty unlikely, but they claim to have 28 investors in Georgia signed up, so who knows?)\n\nFinally, if you want to try farther afield, take a look at the directory of the Angel Capital Association, which lists virtually every legitimate angel investment group in the country. Good luck!
889587
The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.\n\nI recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.\n\nAssociations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links. \n\nResearch, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:\n* Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA by Diana Ennen, Kelly Poelker\n* Start Your Own Business Support Service (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up) by Entrepreneur Press\n* The 2-Second Commute: Join the Exploding Ranks of Freelance Virtual Assistants by Christine Durst\n* The Virtual Office Survival Handbook: What Telecommuters and Entrepreneurs Need to Succeed in Today's Nontraditional Workplace by Alice Bredin\n\n* 301 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas: From America's Most Innovative Small Companies by Sam Decker\n* Off The Wall Marketing Ideas: Jumpstart Your Sales without Busting Your Budget by Nancy Michaels, Debbi J. Karpowicz\n* Guerrilla Marketing for Free: Dozens of No-Cost Tactics to Promote Your Business and Energize Your Profits by Jay Conrad Levinson\n* Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide: Over 1500 Great Marketing Tricks That Will Drive Your Business Through the Roof by James Stephenson\n\nThere are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
300125
You may want to go and pitch your ideas where investors gather. But be prepared to answer the questions a potential investor will ask you -- e.g. do you have patents, market potential, etc.\n\nHere are some places where angel investors come and those looking for funding can come and pitch their business plans. Be sure to have a strong business plan and describe what makes your business idea stand apart:\n\nAngel Capital Association (has lots of links to other angel investor groups) http://www.angelcapitalassociation.org\nAngel's Forum http://www.angelsforum.com \nBand of Angels http://www.bandangels.com \nCommon Angels http://www.commonangels.com \nKeiretsu Forum http://www.k4forum.com \nLaunchpad Venture Group http://www.launchpadventuregroup.com\nNew World Angels http://www.newworldangels.com \nNew York Angels http://www.newyorkangels.com \nPrairie Angels http://www.prairieangels.org (charges $125 to submit idea)\nRobin Hood Ventures http://www.robinhoodventures.com (charges $250)
340247
Try business link they awere really helpful when i started up mine. also business angels and venture capitalists are groovy.
1089012
Check out Yahoo Small Business.  They can do everything for you from register a domain, to hosting your store, helping you set up a merchant account, etc.
17207
There are several avenues to attract capital. In all cases, investors want to see a project plan or the actual idea in beta version. In your case (small scale business), friends & family are most likely the best option. These are the people that are familiar with your thoughts and ideas and will hopefully respect them enough to provide some starter capital. \n\nIf that fails, then you can look at approaching your local SBA center. They can help you with small federally backed loans from local banks. In addition, there may be some grants or special programs available to you. \n\nThe next step is angel investors or venture capitalists. Angel investors are usually individual and wealthy people that will fund an idea if they believe in it. Venture capitalists will only fund more mature ideas with management and some proof of concept.
153277
I posted 2 links that should help you to get started.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
1033316
To get started, I suggest contacting the Small Business Administration (SBA) – links below. Entrepreneur also offers a great site dedicated to money & finance – see below.\n\nResearch, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:\n\n* Free Money for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs by Laurie Blum\n* Finding Money: The Small Business Guide to Financing (Small Business Series) by Kate Lister, Tom Harnish\n* Financing Your Business Dreams With Other People's Money: How and Where to Find Money for Start-Up and Growing Businesses by Harold R. Lacy\n* No Cash No Fear: Entrepreneurial Secrets to Starting Any Business with No Money by Terry Allen\n* Starting on a Shoestring: Building a Business Without a Bankroll by Arnold S. Goldstein\n\nThere are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!