convertible note sounds like a possible option... but what if the asset owner needs to cash-it-in before the maturity date. Say the asset owner has to pay some bills after 6 months but this convertible note might not be encashable until the 12 month period is over, which is it's maturity period. At this juncture both parties are in trouble. Perhaps, the asset owner will vacate the startup for cash from new tenants next month.
This will be a complex financial model. I'll see if I can come up with some stable form of transaction agreeable by both sides. If you require any assistance on this, drop me a line at subhankar.sett which is in gmail. I'll try my best.
"Reputation" indicators depends on trust by the asset owners. And when it comes to money handling, building a reputation takes a long long time. I'm just saying. I mean, think of it in this way, if I am your first deal, why would I want to believe in your reputation indicators? I don't even know your system. I'd recommend providing the asset owners with estimated revenues based on the average revenue of the sector in which the startup operates. A counsel by the VCs about why they funded the startup could also help a lot.
1. some will (blindly) trust your scaling system out of trust
2. some will want to know how you arrive at a value in your scaling system (the whole process, which might kill their mood)
I reckon you will have to go through type 2 people before acquiring type 1 people. I just came across materials that explain the Islamic Banking system; where the risk of financing an asset is shared by the bank and the purchaser of the asset. How about bringing a micro-financing institution in the middle (perhaps one that follows this Islamic Banking system) who will pay the asset owner while betting on the startup; all the while sharing the risk with both the parties (asset owner and startup)?
being the broker in the deal between the asset owner and startup folks, you will need to convince the asset owner about the worthiness of the startup. Have you thought of the metrics that could be used to help the asset owner understand the startup's value? Most asset owners do not know beyond GMail, Yahoo Mail and, perhaps, Facebook and Twitter. So how will they ever understand about values of startups like, for example, Cloudability or AdCash?
This will be a complex financial model. I'll see if I can come up with some stable form of transaction agreeable by both sides. If you require any assistance on this, drop me a line at subhankar.sett which is in gmail. I'll try my best.