There are billions of dollars of venture capital available to businesses in all kinds of industries at a variety of stages of development.

Currently, venture funds are in good positions to make investments, even with the number of dot.com's that have and are failing - they will always be VC's available to invest - it all depends on you finding the right one for your business.

Most firms have millions of dollars to invest and provide money in sums ranging from $250,000 to $10 million or more. Most venture capitalists have set limits, minimums, and maximums they are willing to invest, and some specialize in certain regions of the country or industry, while others invest in any U.S. firm. Biotechnology and high technology are the most popular types of firms for venture capitalists, but service companies and other firms do receive venture money. Retail and consumer companies are of interest only if they have high expansion potential. Look through a » list of venture firms  and » SBA Venture Capital Links for their geographic or industry specialization before making your contact list.

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• Extraordinary growth potential: The industry you are in or are entering must be able to support exponential growth. Venture-funded companies are expected to be able to grow to $50 to $100 million in less than ten years.
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• Management talent: Venture capitalists must be convinced that you and the others in your company are capable of building a multi-million dollar business. You will probably need previous experience building and managing growth in the past or the ability to hire top people.
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• Proprietary products or services: Patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other rights to a product or service will give you a great advantage in your pursuit of venture capital. Venture capitalists are looking for companies with an advantage over existing or potential competitors.

If you are looking for venture capital you also need to be on the lookout for scams. Never give "upfront fees or deposits" to a firm that promises it will give you venture capital. Disreputable people posing as venture capitalists have bilked thousands of people out of thousands of dollars over the years by asking for "good faith" deposits. The excuses they use to collect these funds are lawyers fees, accounting reviews, travel expenses, research fees, phone call expenses, and document review fees.

What you will need to provide to venture capitalists is information. Begin by sending the executive summary of your business plan to venture capitalists you have identified as prospects. Do not send your entire business plan at first. If a venture capitalist wants your business plan, he or she will ask for it.

» VFinance
Vfinance.com is a comprehensive and easy to find list of Venture Capital firms including a good selection of resources for Entrepreneurs.

» National Venture Capital Assoc.
"NVCA is the only public policy advocate for the venture capital and private equity industries." They have a directory of hundreds of members and provide a lot of valuable information for entrepreneurs seeking venture funding."

» Garage.com
Garage.com can give you assistance in obtaining seed level financing. They also provide member entrepreneurs with expert advice, research and reference materials, as well as topical Forums to help launch and grow their startups. Garage.com organizes bootcamps for startups a "must attend" for any entrepreneur."

» VentureOne
VentureOne offers a range of products and services to assist entrepreneurs in identifying venture capital firms, assessing the valuations of companies comparable to their own, and tracking venture investment activity in their industries. They also have a lot of free resources for entrepreneurs.

» Angel Investors Online
Business partners is a nationwide Internet based service that connects potential partners, angel Investors, Investment Bankers and Venture Capital firms with Startups, mature businesses and entrepreneurs.