This ad will close in  Closing a Startup Financing Deal  Smart
advice from a money pro on just how to get that deal done--and
your money in the bank.  Fundraising for startup businesses is
typically a slow and painful process. Most entrepreneurs would
rather spend time growing their business than making fundraising
prospect lists, scheduling pitch meetings and asking for money.
Unless you have a track record of business success or excellent
sales ability, the reality of fundraising for many first-time
business owners is that it takes contacting at least four to
five prospects before you can close your first investor. But
this poses a challenge since most entrepreneurs need at least 10
investors to put together a meaningful round of funding--and the
process of assembling 40 to 50 fundraising prospects is
daunting. So what's an entrepreneur to do?  In previous columns,
I've written about the process of identifying private investors
and brainstorming a list of relatives, friends and business
associates who'd be