Today begins a 5-part weekly series, posted each weekend, on strategies and tactics for raising capital, from preparation through presentation.

• Preparing to raise investment capital, part 1 of 5: How much, from whom and when?

• Preparing to raise investment capital, part 2 of 5: Creating your unique value proposition

• Preparing to raise investment capital, part 3 of 5: Mastering your 30-second sound bite

• Preparing to raise investment capital, part 4 of 5: Writing your pitch piece

• Preparing to raise investment capital, part 5 of 5: Presenting your pitch to investors

This information has been well received (“I haven’t seen anyone lay out the realities and pitfalls of raising institutional funding so succinctly before, and I always love a contrarian perspective.”) and generated some compelling conversations when I last presented it.

So, part 1, “How much, from whom and when?” follows.

Thanks again for your interest in and contributions to this blog. Your comments are always welcomed.