9-34. MESSAGE STRATEGIES: PERSUASIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES [LO-3] Your new company, WorldConnect Language Services, started well and is going strong. However, to expand beyond your Toronto, Ontario, home market, you need a one-time infusion of cash to open branch offices around the country. At the Entrepreneur’s Lunch Forum you attended yesterday, you learned about several angels, as they are called in the investment community—private individuals who invest money in small companies in exchange for a share of ownership. One such angel, Melinda Sparks, told the audience that she is looking for investment opportunities outside high technology, where angels often invest their money. She also indicated that she looks for entrepreneurs who know their industries and markets well, who are passionate about the value they bring to the marketplace, who are committed to growing their businesses, and who have a solid plan for how they will spend an investor’s money. Fortunately, you meet all of her criteria.