Many entrepreneurs are asking us here at Startup Monthly: "when is the right time to raise the money?". This is a very valid question.  Given that it takes around 3-4 months to raise the needed funds for a young startup, founders have a dilemma on their hands. Start raising too late and they are running the risk of running out of steam. Start raising too early and the risk is that investor will be more skeptical and will ask for more in return.

Another good question is "why should I raise money from investors?". 

Many folks ask us why we, as VC's, hold free office hours? After all, VC's have an agenda to meet only with those startups which have been singled out for a potential investment.  

This is still true for us at StartupMonthly. However, we find a few more advantages to hold our office hours even for those teams which are not ready for funding from us. Other VC's out there - take notes.... The rest of the readers, skip to the end to see how to take advantage of this opportunity.

These tips are applicable for networking whenever you are trying to engage your partner and form an important immediate connection as a foundation of a future follow up.

I recently read a post by Fred Kofman, a professor of leadership and coaching, titled “7 Steps to Prove That You Are Listening”. It was addressing men, husbands, fathers suggesting how to open up the channel of communications with their wives, daughters, significant others. What was interesting is that I realized this was the intent only after getting to the end of the post. I read the whole thing with the impression that the tips were for effective networking for anyone.

Read more at http://www.women2.com/effective-networking-by-learning-to-listen

As promised in my last blog entry, I'd like to address the topic of efficient networking and bringing to a close stale conversations. I called it "Knowing your No's". 

You've been there, I am sure of it. You're talking to someone new at a networking event. You are eager to identify the threads that connect you only to discover that the two of you have nothing in common. Furthermore, you are sure you cannot bring value to each other and any further interaction is simply a lost opportunity to connect with someone else. We're talking about efficiency here! Worse yet, you have probably been on the other side of that handshake oblivious to the fact that your partner is trying to shake you off. 

The value of networking events cannot be overemphasized. A stimulating conversation can spark a new idea. A thoughtful introduction can create an opportunity. A supportive ear can rekindle the passion in your pursuits. Whatever the benefit an entrepreneur receives, networking events provide a great overall value to the startup ecosystem.

However, with so many events happening seemingly every day in Silicon Valley, attending more than a few every month can be taxing. How does one maximize the utility of these events? Here are 6 tips to taking better advantage of networking opportunities.

by Vadim Slavin

Welcome back, readers, to the StartupMonthly Blog. It's a new year, new beginning, new resolutions to keep and to procrastinate on. One such resolution of mine is to keep this blog current. There is so much to share with our community, so many lessons learned, so many ideas for how to help our growing ecosystem.

Here is what to expect in this Blog in 2013. I will be sharing the ecosystem news from around the world where StartupMonthly is active. Currently it is Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Israel, USA, UK and the list is growing. Secondly, I will be sharing our lessons learned on running our accelerator. I will report back on what we, at StartupMonthly, are learning from our own mentors and advisers. And lastly, I will be giving away insights on how to get your next idea funded. Phew. Let's hope someone will be reading this.

Let's get our minds stretched in 2013, let's get pumped to achieve what we set out to achieve, and let's be accountable for our own actions towards our own dreams - it's the only way to go. Happy New Year and see you all soon!