One popular saying is, “the best deal is the one on the table.”  It’s hard raising capital and if you are lucky enough to catch the attention of an investor, you’d be crazy not to take the money and get on with it.

On the other hand…

It’s never just about the money.  For one thing, there’s the personality issue; a conversation for another time.

The point here is that your investment partners need to bring something to the relationship beside their money.  They need to have a track record of helping their portfolio companies get to the next level of investment.  They also need to bring their Contact List to help you grow the business and get you in front of the right advisors.

If it’s just about the money, you might be better off, GULP, to pass on the deal.

• Investors