Advantages

• Business expertise. Aside from the financial backing, obtaining venture capital financing can provide a start-up or young business with a valuable source of guidance and consultation. This can help with a variety of business decisions, including financial management and human resource management. Making better decisions in these key areas can be vitally important as your business grows.
• Additional resources. In a number of critical areas, including legal, tax and personnel matters, a VC firm can provide active support, all the more important at a key stage in the growth of a young company. Faster growth and greater success are two potential key benefits.
• Connections. Venture capitalists are typically well connected in the business community. Tapping into these connections could have tremendous benefits.

Disadvantages

• Loss of control. The drawbacks associated with equity financing in general can be compounded with venture capital financing. You could think of it as equity financing on steroids. With a large injection of cash and professional – and possibly aggressive – investors, it is likely that your VC partners will want to be involved. The size of their stake could determine how much say they have in shaping your company’s direction.
• Minority ownership status. Depending on the size of the VC firm’s stake in your company, which could be more than 50%, you could lose management control. Essentially, you could be giving up ownership of your own business.

Bottom line: Would you rather own your own business or partner in a larger, potentially more successful one?

Deciding Factor

• Are you open to more active input from a venture capital firm?
• Do you appreciate the additional expertise and resources a VC firm could provide?
• Is loss of ownership and control an issue for you?
• Could you gain through a VC firm’s business connections?
• If you lack experience and could appreciate the additional support, a VC arrangement might work for you.