Ask HN: Should we raise money from people who aren't accredited investors?

I have a friend who raised a small amount from an unaccredited investor. The investor was a trusted family friend. The startup went nowhere, and the investor lost all her money. She was irate and demanded all her money back. No matter how much explanation you give of the risk, some unaccredited investors will still not understand.

You definitely want to have a proper shareholder agreement and make sure any amateur investors understand the terms of it before going ahead.

Some potential problems: investors not understanding what kind of shares they have (probably non-voting) and expecting a say in where the company goes, investors expecting to be able to pull their money out or sell the shares when they feel like it, investors expecting dividends from your company when you want to retain all the profits. It's mostly about expectations, which can be managed if you're prepared up front.

IANAL. Try to avoid it. If you really want to do it anyway make sure your lawyer is really familiar with the proper procedures.

There's more potential that a non-accredited investor will try to cause trouble or be a pain in the ass later. Make sure it's someone you know well and can trust.

My general rule of thumb, don't do it. Not worth the potential problems. Instead, get a basic letter of intent from them showing proof a few of them are willing to invest and approach others who are accredited to invest.