Timing your startups' capital raising periods can be very important because a lot of VCs conform to a fairly predictable schedule.

Mark Suster offers a handy guide:

I encourage entrepreneurs who are raising money to focus on the following time periods to START your process:

- January 6 - May 15th (green zone)
- May 16th - June 30th (yellow zone)
- July 1st - September 7th (red zone)
- September 8th - October 15th (green zone)
- October 16th - October 31st (yellow zone)
- November 1st - January 7th (red zone)

He points out that this is a US guide, in Europe the VC season stretches well into November (no Thanksgiving.)

Another useful fact: Full partner meetings are on a Monday.

Last chance this season to get your money is for a full partner meeting scheduled for Monday November 23. If you don't have one you'll have to wait until next year.

Mark Suster offers a 6-step relationship guide to VC.