No matter how good your business idea is, as a startup it's often funds that are needed to really get things off the ground. If you don't come from a wealthy background, have no savings and can't rely on relatives or friends to help fund the business, all is not lost.

Whilst you could go to your bank and ask for a loan or look into the government grants that are available, one of the best ways to gain access to significant funds that will help to propel your business forward is to seek investment.

Venture Capital (VC) firms and angel investors are always on the lookout for promising startups to get behind and there's potentially big money on offer. Our car buying platform, www.carwow.co.uk, can be used as a prime example of this.

"Investment is there for those dedicated enough to put the groundwork in"

Although initially bootstrapped after the site's 2013 launch, we managed to secure £250k worth of angel investment in the early stages and then raised £1.3m in our seed funding round in February 2014.

Although angel investors took part in this, such as Zoopla's founder Alex Chesterman, this seed round was led by the VC firm Balderton Capital, the same backers that also later contributed towards the £4.6m funding raised in our Series A round in December 2014 (alongside Episode 1 Ventures and Samos Investments).

During our most recent funding round (Series B), we raised £12.5m and this was led by the venture and growth equity firm Accel; backers of Dropbox and Spotify.

This funding has enabled us to invest heavily in an aggressive marketing plan, such as a TV advertising campaign and more digital activity, but it has also meant that we could expand our team, our office space and achieve key business goals.

Investment is there for those dedicated enough to put the groundwork in. It's by no means a walk in the park, but here are some tips for those looking to attract startup investment:

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Investors like to see that you believe in your idea enough to have put some of your own money behind it, so try to look into your other financial options first. As mentioned previously, savings or a loan from the bank or friends/family are options to consider. If you aren't willing to risk some of your own money on your idea, then why should anyone else?

Do you believe in your business enough to back it financially?

Have a Plan

If you don't have a business plan, you'll need one if you want to attract startup investment. This should be well thought-out and researched, including information such as the basic business concept, target demographic/market, key competitors, backgrounds of the founders and current team, your growth strategy, some in-depth research of the market and not forgetting your financial needs.

Get Your Pitch Down

At some point in your quest to secure investment, there'll be some form of pitching. Whilst this could be a more laid back, relaxed occasion, some investors will expect a formal presentation that's clear, concise and tells them everything they'd need to know.

The old adage of 'practice makes perfect' certainly rings true when it comes to pitching, but be aware that you don't want to come across as too robotic or rehearsed.

Make Media Waves

If potential investors are already familiar with your business, it'll certainly help your cause when you approach them; and it may even lead them to make the first move.

If you can dedicate some time or budget to public relations activity, you may find that you land your startup some mentions in some articles that start to get the name out.

Follow #journorequest on Twitter and look for reporters on the hunt for startups to feature in their pieces or any other features you could contribute towards.

Investors will warm to a good media story

Network

Attending business networking events or industry seminars is definitely advisable for those seeking investment.

This isn't to suggest that you'll bump straight into an investor who wants to hand all of their cash over to you immediately, but you could meet other business founders who may have been in a similar boat to you one day and who have some great nuggets of advice for you.

Take business cards along with you to hand to the people you meet and these connections will soon grow into a bigger network of people that you can lean on.

Be Receptive

Securing investment isn't just about money; there's much more to it than that. You're also gaining advisors who will be able to offer invaluable advice and guidance, so you need to be willing to take their pearls of wisdom on-board. Be open to ideas, suggestions and even criticism and try your best not to be stubborn or a know-it-all.