Matchmaking Methodology and Best Practices

How do you benefit from Matchmaking?

The potential benefits include:

• attracting key talents, suitable partners and advisors to help you start or grow your business. You can maximize your chances of success by reaching potential candidates outside your immediate geography.
• finding the physical resources you need by reaching a large audience with varied expertise and capabilities
• discovering potential funding opportunities by tapping a large number of investment sources including micro investors and philanthropists.

What do you do?

• broadcast your requirements for partners, key staff, board members, mentors and advisers to many people with varied backgrounds and capabilities.
• broadcast your requirements for physical resources to many individuals and companies willing to help.
• broadcast invitations for investment in your business to potential investors.

How does it work?

1. post your resource requirement. You can add a video or a slideshow to your post; details
2. the discussion/comment thread will allow people to respond to your broadcast
3. review and assess the responses you get for best fit and shortlist candidates
4. contact potential candidates for more information, discussions, face-to face meetings and selections.

How to get the most out of Matchmaking?

1. make your pitch short and interesting and use a slide show or video to make more impression
2. provide contact details
3. provide adequate description of your business (plans, objectives, team, etc).
4. describe your requirements including details of the contribution you expect from a desirable business associate (time, money, expertise etc), and the benefits to them.
5. specify constraints on your requirement such as the timing
6. offer incentives for referral as appropriate

Extra tips when addressing investors:

• cover the basics:
• what does your company offer, or plans to offer
• who is going to buy it
• what differentiation do you have
• who are you, who is on your team, and why do you think you will succeed
• how much money you are looking for and what will it allow you to achieve
• highlight the terms of investment you are offering - What is in it for the investors?

To see what others are looking for, visit the Matchmaking Center

Post your own business needs and get users to help you

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