Funding
Money most certainly does not buy happiness, but it does make the world go round. And the lack of money can lead to hardship in many ways. A question that I keep overhearing recently is about whether it is still possible to raise finance during the coronavirus pandemic. The simple answer is yes… maybe!
We are now a few weeks into the UK’s ‘lockdown’, and the existence of many small – and large – businesses is under threat. An inability to operate cash flows as normal is undoubtedly a major concern and so many are seeking ways to cut costs and access cash, and fast.
A staggering 66% of startups have less than 12 months runway and 39% have less than six. These bleak statistics paint a somewhat gloomy picture and yet, in the UK alone, we saw a steady 8.5% increase in the number of companies being registered last year, so these figures are certainly not deterring the business leaders of today. Here James Hyde, CEO and co-founder of James and James, explains more…
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard, and small businesses in particular. The UK Government is moving at great pace to implement unprecedented economic assistance measures, but even with their best efforts, the dramatic drop in footfall over recent weeks has made it difficult for small businesses to survive even in the short interim period.
Smartlands has received the ‘Best Crowdfunding Platform’ award from the fintech breakthrough awards, which recognises the top companies and products in the financial services and technology industry today.
In February, digital bank Revolut became the UK’s most valuable fintech startup after a funding round saw its value triple to £4.2bn. It has since announced that it’s set to launch in the US very soon, where no doubt it will continue its swift growth trajectory.
In any business, at any time, cash is king and cashflow is much more important than turnover, and in the short term it can often even be more important than profit. If turnover is vanity and profit is sanity, then cash flow should be regarded as stark reality.
The government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has been rolled out at unprecedented speed, and the size of the financial packages being made available to support businesses and employees are also unprecedented. But these are also, of course, unprecedented times.
We invest in people that are very similar to us. That in itself it can be a good thing, the problem is that men invest mostly in men! Having spent the last eight years in venture capital investments working with many entrepreneurs during their journey from early stages into growth, I realised that there are differences in the way the women entrepreneurs in my portfolios experienced the fundraising journey.
Not all investors are equal. They each have different expectations and require subtly different information to be able to make a decision. So how do you know what kind of investor is best for your company?
Let’s face it: if your business is growing fast, you’re likely to need capital. There are different ways of financing it (advanced or discounted sales, strategic partnerships, bartering, grants & loans, crowdfunding) with Venture Capital one that arguably poses the greatest risk for both founders and investors.
Whatever any of us care to call it – funding, finance, getting investors, or any other variation on the theme – obtaining finance remains one of the biggest areas of both concern, and lack of detailed knowledge, for many startups.
Fluidly, which is changing the cashflow management game through automated forecasts, is launching a funding service to aid the million-plus small businesses that have fallen into overdraft or that need funds to grow.
Getting accountancy advice and assistance is a natural and important step for all most businesses, especially those starting out. When you hire an accountant, the last thing you anticipate is that they will be negligent. Unfortunately, accountants and other professionals do not always get it right.
Angel investment is one of the best ways early stage startups can raise investment. Therefore the behavioural trends of investors will be closely followed by savvy businesses looking to ensure they have what it takes to raise finance.
As a three-time entrepreneur, I’ve been on the difficult journey of scaling from founder to big-company CEO. In one of my ventures I went from an idea on a whiteboard to a publicly trading entity in eight years, and it isn’t just one big celebration – it is hard to keep up with your company.
You’ve rehearsed your pitch within an inch of your life. Your slides are well designed, hit all the relevant points and your timing was spot on at three minutes.
When choosing to ‘go it alone’ as entrepreneur, there are numerous financial, operational hurdles in the way. Starting a new business from scratch is not easy, often requiring huge amounts of time and personal investment.
Give yourself a well-deserved clap. You’ve done it! You’ve come up with a revolutionary new idea, quit your day job and launched your own business. But to really get this off the ground, you’re going to need funding.
I’ve heard thousands of pitches from hopeful CEOs of startups in a vast array of formats. Many investors have strong views on what to include or not include in a pitch deck.
