According to Steve Muehler, “The hardest thing that faces entrepreneurs today is the surge of brokers, consultants, capital finders and investment banking services providers that all essentially attack entrepreneurs today with fee seeking services that allegedly help these entrepreneurs successfully raise capital. Unfortunately, most do not live up to the expectation of the entrepreneur, some are blatant frauds, and most unfortunately are downright illegal services being put together by unlicensed capital finders who believe they found or know of some loophole in the system. This is why we have partnered with a number of FINRA Registered Broker Dealers and Market Makers to provide our ‘Broker Dealer Placement’ program for small business and entrepreneurs.”

A broker-dealer, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), can be a great help in carefully and successfully seeking capital in a private placement offering.


What Is a Broker-Dealer?

The “broker” in the name means that the firm can sell securities for clients and the “dealer” in the name means that the firm can sell securities for themselves. You will be dealing with this agent as a broker for your private placement offering. They make their money through fee-based services and from commissions on funds raised.


How a Broker-Dealer Can Help

A private placement broker-dealer can pull from their rolodex of angel investors and networks to match up your offering with interested parties. They may also have ties to financial institutions (such as investment banks, venture capital firms, private equity firms, etc.) increasing the range of options you have for buyers.

A reputable broker-dealer signing off on your offering also reduces an investor’s risk. The investor knows that a broker-dealer has done its own due diligence into the company before agreeing to work with them and they can breathe easier than if the company is selling its shares directly.


Problems of Working with Unregistered Agents

Any firm or agent outside of your company, whether they are compensated or not, who helps you to find a buyer for your security is acting as a broker in the eyes of the law. If they are not registered with FINRA, they face stiff penalties for working illegally. As the company who hired them, your transactions may potentially be voided because of working with an unregistered broker. This can mean that there will be a rescission, whereby the contract is voided and the funds raised must be returned to the buyers. If you have already used the funds (or even if you haven’t) you may be subject to lawsuits and additional penalties at this point.

Furthermore, the fact that a firm or individual who is substantially acting as a broker-dealer hasn’t taken the time to register should tell you that they do not take this part of their career that seriously. For the best results, always work with an agent who must stake his career and reputation on each deal or transaction he performs.


Additional Online Resources:

About Steve Muehler Portfolio of Companies (Steve Muehler Holdings, LLC):
Steve Muehler – Paralegal: www.SteveMuehlerParalegal.com
Steve Muehler – Investment Banking: www.SteveMuehlerSecurities.com
Steve Muehler – Annuities: www.SteveMuehlerAnnuities.com
Steve Muehler – Debt Capital Markets: www.SteveMuehlerDebtCapital.com
Steve Muehler – Equity Capital Markets: www.SteveMuehlerEquityCapital.com
Steve Muehler – Real Estate Loans: www.SteveMuehlerLoans.com
Steve Muehler – Insurance: www.SteveMuehlerInsurance.com
Steve Muehler – Commercial Insurance: www.SteveMuehlerCommercialInsurance.com
Steve Muehler – EquityLock Residential: www.EquityLockResidential.com
Steve Muehler – EquityLock Commercial: www.EquityLockCommercial.com
Steve Muehler – Bail Bonds & Immigration Bonds: www.SteveMuehlerBail.com

About Mr. Steve Muehler, Founder & Senior Managing Member:
Personal Site: http://www.SteveMuehler.com
Personal Site: www.StevenMuehler.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-muehler-819a056a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenjmuehler
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.muehler
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/steven-muehler
AngelCo: https://angel.co/u/steve-muehler
Medium: https://stevemuehler.medium.com/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/stevemuehler/


All trademarks and service marks are the property of the respective parties. Steve Muehler is not a Broker Dealer and does not provide, and does not offer to provide, any Broker Dealer related products or services.

NEWS SOURCE: Steve Muehler Holdings, LLC