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Houston Business Journal:

When startups in Houston need more money than the founders can muster, they have a number of resources to turn to.

Bill McDonald, partner in corporate securities at Thompson and Knight LLP, said the first place small business owners should turn to for investment is those who are closest to them.

“If you’re looking for $250,000 to $500,000, you’re usually talking about turning to friends and family,” he said.

Whether you’re intending to start another barbeque joint or oil field technology company, there are a number of places to turn for capital.

The University of Houston’s Small Business Development Center offers resources for those who want to start a business, secure more capital and just about anything else.

Houston Business Development Inc. is a nonbank community lending organization created by the city of Houston in 1986.

Thompson & Knight Attorney Bill McDonald quoted in Houston Business Journal article

....

Those most often are: how big the market is, why you’ll have an advantage in it, who is on your team, what is your edge, and what is your business model. Don’t get bogged down in things like revenue projections for 2014.

Follow-up after the first meeting is also critical.

“I have companies that come and make a presentation and don’t follow up on the leads they get for several months,” Anasazi’s Bryant said.

In other words, show some sales acumen.

“After all,” Rothrock said, “We have money. They want the money. They should be moving to close.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/01/20/small-business-how-to-guide---finance.html

© 2012 American City Business Journals, Inc.