Send a brief Investment Summary that is so compelling that it makes us anxious to read your full business plan. Otherwise, you may not get to the next step!

Remember your audience when writing the Investment Summary. You need to appeal to new investors that may or may not know anything about your company or your offer. Most people want to tell us all about their business and nothing about the deal . At first blush, all we want to know about is the deal to determine whether your company matches our profile.

If your company matches our profile, then we are interested to learn more about your business. So Step One, start with an Investment Summary that tells us quickly and succinctly about the deal . Then, you can send the full business plan upon request.

Remember to make your summary COMPELLING TO AN OUTSIDER. Convince me why I should use my scarce capital to invest in your company - one out of hundreds to chose from! Make sure your investment summary includes the following critical elements - which are geared toward the investor reader:

Upon request, send us the complete business plan. Hire outside professional help if you are not a skilled writer or you are not comfortable with financial modeling. A poorly written business plan can cost you millions in potential investment dollars!

While the above list is not exhaustive, it is thorough. Be careful not to overdue the business plan. We only have a limited amount of time to read your plan. Use clear and concise sentences and remember -- pictures and graphs are worth a thousand words.

Be prepared to answer in depth questions about anything in your investment summary, your business plan with appendix, or your company. Make sure it all ties together. If you change your assumptions on how much money you wish to raise, make sure you also change your financial projections.

Hopefully you were successful in attracting an outsider to seriously consider your company. What's next? In the language of venture capitalists, the dog and pony show follows. That's the time for you to impress the investor with your presentation skills and knowledge of your company. These presentations involve the senior management team and often last twenty to sixty minutes and are followed by a question and answer session.

The Center For Women's Business Research, founded as the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, is the premier source of knowledge about women business owners and their enterprises worldwide. This non-profit is located in Washington, DC.

Count Me In is an online micro-lender that uses a women-friendly credit scoring system to make loans of $500-$10,000. These loans are available to women across the United States for that all-important first business loan.

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. Headquartered in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, NAWBO is the only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs in all types of businesses. The organization currently has over 75 chapters and is affiliated with a global organization represented in 35 countries.

NAWBO is the only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs in all industries. Their mission is to propel women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. The association has over 8,000 members in nearly 80 chapters nationwide, and is affiliated with Les Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises Mondiales (World Association of Women Entrepreneurs) in 35 countries . This non-profit's national office is in the Washington, DC area.

The Committee of 200 is the professional organization of women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders running large companies or divisions. The organization capitalizes on the power, success and influence of businesswomen in the global economy. Membership is by invitation only.

Springboard is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating women's access to the equity markets. The organization produces programs that educate, showcase and support entrepreneurs as they seek equity capital and grow their companies. To date, Springboard has hosted over 14 venture forums for women resulting in over $2 billion in capital raised.

The Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) is a non-profit membership organization for a select group of women presidents who have guided their businesses to at least $2 million in annual sales (or $1 million for a service-based business). Participation is by invitation only.

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC, pronounced "wee-bank) is dedicated to enhancing opportunities for women's business enterprises in America's major business markets. In partnership with women's business organizations throughout the United States, WBENC provides access to a national standard of certification and provides information on certified women's businesses to purchasing managers through an Internet database -- WBENCLink.

The Women's Leadership Exchange (WLE) offers all-day business conferences for the established woman business owner. WLE provides knowledge, tools and connections to help women grow their businesses.

As the voice for women business owners, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) attracts, supports and motivates women entrepreneurs through dynamic programming, committed and influential corporate partners, financial strength and professionalism. The DFW chapter holds monthly meetings across north Texas and offers special programs and events, peer-to-peer mentoring, loan program and a web-based network listing.

This center is dedicated to offering women who want to start a business in Ft. Worth or Dallas, a place to get the help they need to make their businesses successful. The Center offers free business counseling and mentoring as well as educational workshops in the areas of financing, technology, certification and more.

Check www.onlinewbc.gov (or http://www.onlinewbc.gov/wbc.pdf ) for locations of other women business centers throughout Texas and the Southwest.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created by Congress in 1953 to help America's entrepreneurs form successful small enterprises. Today, SBA offices in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, offer financing, training and advocacy for small firms. In addition, the SBA works with thousands of lending, educational and training institutions nationwide .

The SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives), "Counselors to America's Small Business," is a non-profit association comprised of 10,500 volunteer business counselors throughout the U.S. and its territories. There are 389 SCORE chapters in urban, suburban and rural communities. SCORE members are trained to serve as counselors, advisors, and mentors to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. These services are offered at no fee, as a community service.

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) is a highly competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is an important new small business program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small business and the nation's premier nonprofit research institutions. STTR's most important role is to foster the innovation necessary to meet the nation's scientific and technological challenges in the 21st century.

Congress created the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program in 1958 to fill the gap between the availability of venture capital and the needs of small businesses in start-up and growth situations. SBICs, licensed and regulated by the SBA, are privately owned and managed investment firms that use their own capital, plus funds borrowed at favorable rates with an SBA guarantee, to make loans or venture capital investments in small businesses.

SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO) promotes the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities. With a women's business ownership representative in every SBA district office, a nationwide network of mentoring roundtables, women's business centers in nearly every state and territory, and the Online Women's Business Center, OWBO is helping women start and build successful businesses.

WomenBiz.gov is the gateway for women-owned businesses selling to the federal government. It is organized to target the five specific stages that a woman business owner should go through as she begins to explore whether the federal government is the right customer for her.