A crash course in shareholder management will help you to keep them onside and maintaining credibility with the investment community.

It’s a tough time to be an entrepreneur. You’ve got panicking board members, rebellious investors ready to vote “No” at any moment - not because they don’t like what you’re doing but rather out of frustration over delays caused by stakeholders (like employees) pushing back against change ̶ even when it’s for their own good. If things get really bad before voting day arrives, then here are some tips from seasoned CEOs who have been there before: Keep them busy/interested.

You can keep your shareholders busy or interested by placing them on strategic boards or committees, or perhaps get them to help with short-term projects. Since people tend to want what they cannot have, suddenly giving shareholders access to parts of the operation they haven’t had before could be enough to keep them occupied for a while.

1. Know Your Investors

The first step to becoming a successful company is understanding who you are shareholders of. The names on your shareholder register may not be the actual owners, and it’s important for companies - especially those whose shares trade publicly to make sure they’re speaking with their investment advisers.

“Anytime you get a significant shareholder, whether it’s $50 or $25,000, who is this an institutional investor?” said Anthony L. DiNello, president of First New York Securities in Melville. “This isn’t your next door neighbor investing.”

DiNello added that the approach needs to be the same as when dealing with any major investor.

2. Be Inclusive

Pay attention to your shareholders. If you are not providing all of the information needed for them, then someone else with more knowledge will take over as CEO.

Sarah Wilson, CEO of Minerva Analytics Ltd, says that selective briefing on difficult topics is fine but it’s better if there isn’t any problem in the first place by making things clearer from day one - simply put: be inclusive about what goes into annual reports or disclosure statements so everyone can make informed decisions when voting at shareholder meetings.

3. Consider Using a Shareholder Management Software

Buying a Shareholder Management Software allows you to quickly onboard your team, easily import your company data and immediately begin benefitting from it.

4. Engage Early

Engage your investors early. Don’t wait until the AGM is imminent. ‘Investors say, talk to us outside of proxy season’ says Cas Sydorowitz, Head of Georgeson. In April they may be voting on hundreds of meetings per day so make sure that you have their time in order not only for now but also later when other board members are busy or simply don’t care enough about what’s going on around them any more.

A great way would just by sending out updates via email each month, which could include articles from reputable news sources as well things happening within the company itself, such new product releases, etc.