Business Angels and Startups Going Global!

The entire landscape of early stage funding is in a state of flux – new innovations in funding models are emerging to threaten the traditional status quo  and the world has become a smaller place for those adventurous entrepreneurs willing to take a risk internationally.

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The Metrics of Fundraising from Business Angels

One way or another, right or wrong, there will probably be a cost to you to gain access to the angel investment you seek for your business – or as someone once said to me, “It costs money to get money.”

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Inflation – Should Business Angels and Entrepreneurs Worry?

The short answer is yes and no it’s really down to how well prepared they are. Here’s why inflation can be both good and bad news for entrepreneurs and angel investors…

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3 (Very Different) Approaches to Angel Investing

Even though only 3% of businesses actually consider equity funding from business angels in the UK, three  different models of funding have emerged to try and bridge the gap between start-up entrepreneurs and business angels.

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Angel Investing – Nurturing Start-Ups

This should be an exciting time, you’ve waded through all those investment proposals and found a business that feels right, one that you believe has the potential to give you a profitable exit in 3 years. So what next? Will you be a ‘guardian angel’ or a hands- off angel investor?

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Enterprise Investment Scheme Under Threat

The Office of Tax Simplification will be reviewing all tax reliefs and allowances ahead of this year’s budget. The Enterprise Investment Scheme will be one of those tax reliefs under the microscope – but as investment through the scheme has slumped, the real question is, will it be missed?

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2011 – Year of the Business Angel?

2011 will be the year of the business angel as all the Business Angel as all the latent angel investors who didn’t bother risking it in 2010 decide this will be the year to jump in and live dangerously.

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Early Stage Funding – Why your First Shot is your Best Shot!

Investors talk and investors remember.

It is quite common for me to send out an executive summary to an investor or investment group only for them to say something like, “Yes, I know of this company. Are they still looking? We took a look at this last year and told them to come back once they have a little more traction. Have they got any sales yet/did they get the product out?”

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Early Stage Funding – The Rules of Attracting it

How many frogs can you kiss in 6 months? Fundraising is not for the fainthearted!

Anyone who has ever tried and been successful in courting angel investment will know only too well that the process of attracting investment into your company can be slow, time consuming and energy sapping.

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3 Questions every Business Angel must ask – and every Entrepreneur needs to Answer

There are three questions that every business angel (or Venture Capitalist, for that matter) will ask, and hence, these are the three questions that every entrepreneur and investment proposal needs to answer. That is, assuming the entreprenuer wants to get funding.

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5 Things to Keep Business Angels Awake at Night

“I’m not investing in that, I’m out!” If only it was that that simple. TV makes the process of selecting and getting involved in start-up business investment seem easy. The reality for business angels is somewhat murkier.

With this in mind let’s take a look at 5 things likely to keep business angels awake at night…

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The Secret Philosophy of Angel Investing

Can having a grasp of ancient philosophy lead to more successful outcomes for business angels?

The usefulness of studying philosophy at university came up in a conversation I had recently. What is its relevance in today’s world? Can ancient Greek philosophers like Plato teach us anything about how to conduct ourselves in an environment so far removed from Greece thousands of years ago?

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The 3 Most Important Things a Start-up Needs

In order of priority, the 3 critical factors that will have a big influence on the success of a start-up in today’s economic climate are:

- people
- people
- people

You’re about to make a decision about funding but before you do, does your start-up have…

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Cor blimey! An East End Silicon Valley?

The East End of London is perhaps more famous for long-running soap opera Eastenders than it is for tech innovation but according to news out today, it is about to be transformed into Britain’s answer to Silicon Valley.

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Why Business Angels Committed Less Cash in 2010

Far from plugging the funding gap, the latest statistics from the US reveal that business angels are now committing less of their cash in new business according to figures released in the first and second quarters of this year.

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Why Business Angels Need to be in Tune with Start-ups

Should business angels listen more carefully to the needs of start-ups as well as working on their own image?

Most of what we read about business angels’ relationships with start-ups revolves around how much they should invest and what start-ups can do to attract business angel funding.

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How to Negotiate with Business Angels

In these difficult, recessionary times it’s become harder than ever for SME’s to raise money to finance their working capital and expansion. Banks seem to be closed to business and institutional money is very hard to come by for small companies. So, potential deals with business angels represent a life-line for SME’s.

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Should Business Angels Charge for their Services?

Paying to pitch is it a good idea or bad idea? This question stirs up a lot of anger amongst entrepreneurs and even some business angels, but business angel networks and consultants are on the whole keen to defend the idea. So who is right?

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Business Angels Need Help!

Much has been written about how angel investors can help entrepreneurs, but who do business angels turn to when they need help?

Business angels are seen as the amateur cousins of professional venture capitalist investors in much the same way as the blue chip business sector is often seen as the core value sector of any economy. In fact, blue chips represent less than 2% of businesses in terms of volume and less than 50% in terms of value.

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The 10 Minute Interview – Mike Weaver CEO of Business Angel Group Beer and Partners

Beer and Partners CEO Mike Weaver has a strong belief in business angels’ ability to help stimulate economic recovery. However, Mike also believes there are no guarantees of success in angel funding and business angels should be prepared for a significant number of their investments to go “pear shaped” before they find a “star”.

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