GRAND RAPIDS ? StartupCentral will

review the findings of a study done by the University of Michigan that shows entrepreneurs and investors are not on the same page when it comes to what they want from each other, and until they better understand each others? needs, fewer deals will be funded in Michigan.

In the study done by Master of Business Administration students at the U-M, entrepreneurs participating in the Michigan Tri-Corridor grant program they wrote business plans to obtain funding, connect with investors, find business partners and attract employees.

?Obviously they think they need to find funding to go to the next level,?? said David Brenner, chairman of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest, and co founder of StartupCentral, a Grand Rapids group that works with very early stage entrepreneurs to get them ready for business plan writing contests like GLEQ.

?The disconnect comes up with whether they are at a stage of development in line with what the investors expects of them for asking for this money,?? Brenner said. ?Investors are demanding more evidence of their investment-worthiness in the form of more and better training on planning their business and the quality of coaching and mentoring. It goes right to the heart of why Start-Up Central and Automation Alley were created in the first place, and how GLEQ contributes to a more effective entrepreneurial climate in Michigan.?

The key finding of the study, Brenner said, is entrepreneurs need to know what the marketplace expects of them. They need to assemble a solid management team, create a workable business model and explain to the investors exactly how they will use the money, all new tenants GLEQ will embrace this year.

Contests like GLEQ puts them in front of the people who have the money and by listening to those people improves their odds of getting funding, he said.

?When you look at the sheer number of entrepreneurs you can say the overwhelming majority do not understand this point, Brenner said. ?If we are to turn Michigan into an entrepreneurial environment we need the entrepreneurs to understand that. You have to provide what the marketplace expects of you to get funded.?

The report will be the subject of the StartupCentral Meeting on March Event Series: Workshop

Title: Disconnects between Entrepreneurs and Investors – Bridging the Divide

Monday, March 21, from 6-8 pm at the

University Club, 10th Floor, Fifth-Third Bank Building

111 Lyon Street NW, Grand Rapids. There is no-charge to attend.

To register for this event, click on StartupCentral