Fit 4 Funding
Finding the right steps to funding
Dragon’s Den on BBC2 recently showed budding
entrepreneurs presenting their business opportunities to a group of business
angels, with the aim of raising finance.
Many had their opportunities rejected for
avoidable reasons such as poor presentation, arrogance, offering very small
amounts of equity, lack of appreciation that investors bring skills as well as
money, and personal chemistry.
 To help individuals and
businesses raise finance for their business opportunity, Business Link
Northamptonshire and Oxford Innovation have developed the Fit 4 Funding
programme (with support from the European Social Fund). If you are looking to
raise more than £10,000 then Fit 4 Funding could help you realise your goals.
What's more, this is a FREE programme.
Attracting investors’ funds into your
business is often critical to its future growth and success. There are many
sources of cash but which ones are right for your business? How can you maximize
your chances of successful funding? Who do you turn to for help?
The Fit 4 Funding programme helps
businesses select the right investor, understand what investors want and prepare
properly before presenting their opportunity through 5 funding steps to finance.
1. Exchange of information
Our first contact with a business is
extremely important. We’ll ask for information about your company and explain
how the programme works. We will ask for a business summary or a short version
of your business plan so we can ensure that your one to one assessment is as
effective as possible. A mutual decision will be made as to whether you will
benefit from Fit 4 Funding. If you move to the next stage you will be sent our
tried and tested Technology Funding Guide and be allocated an experienced
business adviser/mentor.
2. One to one assessments
Your adviser/mentor will seek to identify
your business’ needs during face to face or telephone consultations and will
give you written feedback and an action plan, which may involve elements or all
of the Fit 4 Funding programme.
3. Fit 4 Funding workshops
The workshops will help you understand:
-
The various types of finance available
-
What different types of investors look
for
-
The process of marketing your business
opportunity to investors
-
What excites investors
-
What is the best mix of finance for your
business
-
How to make a compelling case to
investors
Lasting 3 hours, these workshops will
provide you with advice from an experienced team (who are investors themselves)
in how to raise finance. Issues covered will include types of investor and their
preferences, presentation skills, investor’s involvement and legal issues.
All businesses will be asked to perform
their “elevator pitch” (a summary of their business opportunity) at the
beginning and end of the workshop. After all, practice makes perfect! Delegates
are encouraged to interact to get the most from this process.
Available dates
4. Finance Panel
The finance panels ensure that businesses
are able to present a compelling case to investors to maximise their chances of
being funded.
You will be, in effect, making a dummy run
presentation of your business opportunity in a supportive yet challenging
environment. Your 15-minute presentation will be to a panel with investment,
venture capital, bank finance, legal, business incubating and accounting
experience. This will be followed by half an hour discussing your opportunity
and feedback on how you can improve your case.
5. Debriefing
You and your adviser/mentor will review
the whole programme and the panel’s feedback. Together we will decide the best
way forward, which may lead to referral to the most appropriate Venture
Capitalists, private equity investors, banks or advisers.
To discuss whether Fit 4 Funding is
suitable for your business opportunity please call Placi O’Neill-Espejo at
Oxford Innovation on 01933 303030 or email her at
p.espejo@oxin.co.uk
Supported by:
Useful Fact Sheets
Upcoming Training & Events
The pitfalls and pratfalls of presenting
Tue, Mar 1st @ Turweston Aerodome
International Professional Networking event
Tue, Mar 1st @ Sir Denis Rooke Building, Holywell Park
Doing business in the Gulf
Thu, Mar 3rd @ London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
|
