Raising funding for a startup is hard. There’s no question about it: raising capital from angel investors or venture capitalists is a huge hurdle for almost every startup out there. For new entrepreneurs it’s even more daunting; the experience can feel like a brutal marathon and sprint at the same time.

The reality is that very few startups are successful at getting funded. Angelsoft – which tracks a lot of angel investments – notes that only 3% of deals its angel investors looked at ended up raising financing. So the odds aren’t good. And truthfully, not every startup needs funding, you can always bootstrap or raise “friends and family” money. But for those startups and entrepreneurs that are going to raise venture capital or angel investment, you need to be as prepared as possible.

The resources provided below focus primarily on how to prepare for VC and angel investor presentations, and how to pitch effectively. Although your startup pitch is far from the deciding factor as to whether you’ll raise financing, it helps a great deal. And in my experience I’ve found that improving on your pitch makes a huge difference in how confidently you attack the fundraising process (and has benefits beyond that as well when it’s time to sell to customers, etc.)

• The $250,000 Funding Trap
• Paying Yourself is Not a Reason to Raise Early Stage Funding
• How to Pitch Your Startup to a Complete Stranger
• There’s No Such Thing as a Nominal Investment
• 5 Quick Tips on Pitching Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists
• 8 Tips for Successful Venture Capital Meetings
• Venture Capitalists Love Sex Because Sex Sells
• Startup Fundraising According to Paul Graham
• What Does Your Brain on Funding Look Like?
• 7 Things No One Ever Tells You About Raising Venture Capital Financing
• An Introductory Guide to Startup Funding
• 10 Questions Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors Are Going to Ask
• 5 Lessons Learning from Pitching VCs
• Don’t Try to Get Funding Before You Know How It’s Done