What You Should Immediately Do After That Big Investment Rolls In

Funded startups that suddenly find themselves flush with cash need to know how to put it to good use to impress their investors and grow. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of stories of startups growing too fast and falling on their faces. Young entrepreneurs rarely have the experience to allocate large amounts of funds, which can lead to slow, unnecessary purchases or overspending. Being able to properly and effectively distribute the investment will be critical to the future success of the young company.

After receiving a major investment, most startups will immediately look to increase their workforce. Unfortunately, this can easily lead to overstaffing. While a strong sales team is important to increase revenue, the infrastructure and tools need to be in place before these employees can be effective. Hiring a balanced staff will provide far more benefits than overstaffing a single department to drive sales. (A robust sales team is of no use if the website crashes whenever a customer attempts to complete a purchase). Growing the business horizontally to establish a strong employee foundation will provide many long-term benefits, and can help prevent wasted capital.

Building a dedicated accounting department is the best thing a startup can do to accurately monitoring expenses and revenues. This will give the young company a strong handle on where it is spending unnecessary funds, and it can identify which aspects of the business need more money. Also, it will provide a set of clean books, which will be indispensable for future growth projections and in attracting additional investors. A strong chief financial officer will hold the rapidly growing startup accountable for its purchases and investments to assist in understanding what makes the business profitable.

Investors want to see consistent progress and growth after that first round of funding, which is why startups should always invest in research and development. Whether it is fixing current systems or designing a new product, perfecting current offerings and/or developing new ones are essential to long-term, sustainable growth. Additionally, now more than ever, the user experience and design of the product and website contribute significantly to sales and customer loyalty. If your website or product have a poor design, you will find that it is difficult to retain customers.

Hiring tech support or an IT team, depending on your size, increases data security and decrease productivity loss due to technology down time. This dedicated group will ensure internal and external systems are properly maintained in working order, allowing the business to continue operating efficiently. In addition to avoiding potential downtime, an IT team will keep proprietary data and sensitive information safe from hackers. Depending on the industry, data encryption may be mandatory.

An important area that is frequently overlooked by startups is creating a proper legal department or ongoing partnership. Every startup will need legal advice, and with local, state and federal laws consistently changing, the need for legal guidance grows more important. Writing, reviewing and executing the necessary legal documentation can protect the budding business from any negative ramifications, as well as ensure growth is always on the right side of the law. If the startup relies on its intellectual property (IP), there is a strong need for consistent legal council to monitor and maintain a strong portfolio.

The best legal defense is prevention, and working with a qualified business attorney can reduce the chances of lengthy, expensive court battles.

Depending on the stage of the startup, a marketing team can provide a significant boost to the bottom line of the company. These experts can create and run lead generation campaigns, Google Adwords, social media strategies, content marketing and vendor relations. All of which will increase the exposure of the business. A brand with little awareness will have trouble reaching its target audience without an apt marketing team that knows where to find its customers. Growing the presence of the brand and entering new markets will be critical to the development of the startup and to impressing investors.

A rapidly growing business will need a new office to house all of its employees and equipment. When selecting the new location, there are several aspects that should be taken into consideration: size, projected growth, location and layout. Young companies often rent or purchase an office space that is too lavish or too large for their current stage. While they may want to feel like they have hit success, they do not have the sustainable revenue to fund their luxurious accommodations. Projected growth should also be considered when choosing a new office, but with a reasonable timeline and expectations so as to avoid straining resources. When seeking office space, the layout should be taken into consideration, as it can reinforce the culture of the business. A well-built office culture will also attract top talent, which will be key to the forward progress of the company.

Time is one of the most valuable resources to a startup, and spending those much-needed funds on areas that will increase efficiency can be highly rewarding. Rapidly growing startups frequently fall into the trap of overspending when they receive a large investment. However, this fear should not deter entrepreneurs from spending money, as some expenses are necessary and others can offer incredible benefits. The more efficient a startup can spend its money, the better it is positioned for long-term success. Working with current investors, partners and a qualified business attorney can poise a young startup for a healthy future, as these professionals will be able to offer invaluable insight - based on their unique skillsets - in key business decisions.