Angel Group Here!

[Jersey Angels]

Hey fellow young entrepreneurs! Apparently there's a distinct lack of of investors that post here, but here's one who will!

There are a LOT of people on these forums seeking small sums of equity capital. These sums may be too large for Family & Friends but not nearly large enough for most angel groups or venture capitalists.

I'm representing a relatively newly-formed angel group based in Central New Jersey. The group is actually looking to increase its number of incoming applications above and beyond what each member can personally bring to the table. I'm helping to get the word out about the new fund, which is part of the reason I'm here (but ONLY PART mind you!). Be sure to check out our website:

Jersey Angels

One main difference between Jersey Angels and many other angel groups is investment scale. Most angel groups like to make 1-3 larger ($.5M-$3M) investments each year, and exercise stringent control over invested companies. Although our members are certainly open to these types of large investments (as many of our members are used to this), we as a group generally prefer to make many more, smaller investments. These investments can be as small as a few thousand dollars.

We as a group decided that it's a feasible long-term strategy, and does more to help the young entrepreneurial community than if we took a more traditional approach to funding. For this reason, we're targeting the younger entrepreneurial crowd more than other angel groups might, including recent college graduates, current students, and other higher-risk companies (including pre-revenue companies).

Our investment focus necessitates a more active role in garnering applications. Most angels will only look at a plan if it's referred to them from a trusted source. However, given the sheer number of investments our group makes, we need to jumpstart our sourcing activities for it to be effective.

You don't have to be in NJ to submit an application, or even in the northeast. We just want to review more ideas! If you're ready to submit a business plan, visit our submissions page or just send us an e-mail (apply@jerseyangels.com) with your business plan.

In any case, I'm looking forward to spending some non-work-related time on these forums when I get a chance. I'd like some input from other regarding my current startup, especially from other young entrepreneurs!

Looking foward to reviewing those applications!

[zlad]

Hey,

I just finished a grant/loan proposal for a magazine our company will be publishing. How can I be confident submitting it to Jersey Angels? ..not to be rude or anything, but how do I ensure the security of my venture?

Zlad.

[Ergo1]

Welcome! It's great to see an angel group on here. I checked out your website and information and really like the simplified approach. I have been submitting our plan to multiple angel groups in California and have found there approach to be somewhat dry and inefficient. I would like to hear your thoughts on our business. I have posted a summary and answered questions about our business in another thread located here: http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/for...ors-46499.html

If you think our opportunity would be a good fit for your portfolio Id like to send you a formal plan for your group to review.

[Jersey Angels]

Hey guys.

Thanks for the replies. I don't mind addressing each of you individually:

Zlad: I understand your concerns with confidentiality. I can assure you that all submissions are kept private, and will only be viewed by our angel members. I'm not sure what else you'd like me to say, other than that we're a legitimate Limted Liability Company registered with the state of New Jersey, and have partnered with most of the major entrepreneurial organizations in the state. Like I said, it's a new group, and members are currently evaluating the first round of applications that have passed the screening process. If you have questions about submissions, you may e-mail me directly at my name (Alex) @jerseyangels.com, and I'll do my best to answer them for you.

Ergo: I did see your thread prior to posting this one. Please submit whatever materials you'd like to apply@jerseyangels.com, and JA staff will take a look. Just so you know, I am not personally an angel (since I do not meet the SEC definition for accreditation). Rather, I am part of the staff that represents the accredited angel members. For this reason, I cannot personally choose whether or not to invest in a particular company. However, I can guarantee that all submissions will at the very least go through the formalized screening process by staff members. If it passes, then our angels will have the opportunity to evaluate your plan themselves.

Let me know if there's anything else I might be able to help you guys with.