Hi everyone
What a week!!
That market collapse was quite scary. We’re now seeing some recovery but the overall downward trend continues. So how does this impact on raising equity investment?
Venture capital companies raise parcels of money from the pension/superannuation funds. So those VCs who have a fund in place will continue to invest in the entrepreneurial [...]

Hi Everyone
This has been about 3 years in the making - a national angels conference. So if you want to meet lots of angel investors then get to Canberra on 13-15 February. You’ll also rub shoulders with investors from UK, US and NZ.
If you’ve been reading my blogs you know that networking to meet investors [...]

Hi all,
Wow, what a great holiday break. Lots of good company, good food and that lovely red stuff to drink. I hope that you are as refreshed as I am.
How many of you have a strong value proposition?
I don’t see many in all the plans I read. It’s as if most entrepreneurs have not heard [...]

Hi
On Tuesday I received a business plan for a startup entrepreneur with a fantastic product. I could see that this product had lots of potential. In was in the ‘green’ space and in demand.
He wanted me to help him raise the money.
The entrepreneur, Joe, wants to raise about $4.5 million to get moving. He had [...]

Hi
I’ve been talking to Bill Reichert from Garage Technology Ventures in Silicon Valley. He and Guy Kawasaki invest in technology based businesses.
He made a very interesting point about what you need to do when pitching to investors and I quote:
“The reality is that raising venture capital is about getting investors to fall in love with [...]

I love this job. So many interesting situations!
Yet again I saw a company that was going for capital but, after some basic analysis, they didn’t need the money.
Anyone who invests in your business will charge top dollar. What I mean by that is that they will take a big chunk of your shares and they [...]

Hi Everyone
Earlier in the week I was talking to an entrepreneur who wanted help to raise about $1.2 million. After a few qualifying questions about marketing and the financials he passed the first screening. He sounded credible on the phone. I asked him to send me his plan.
Then it all fell apart. His idea of [...]

Hi Everyone
I was at a mentor meeting today with an entrepreneur who needs capital for a very interesting internet business. This guy had done a pretty good job with his plan - better than most that I see. And he had lots of sense. Again rare. And he listened. Even rarer.
He got a lot of [...]

Hi Everyone
You’ve no doubt heard investors referred to as ‘vulture’ capitalists. And I’d agree that I have seen some investors act like vultures. Not a nice look.
But let me put this to you…
When you take on an investor you have made certain ‘promises’ about what you and your team will deliver in exchange for the [...]

You’ve heard of ‘death by powerpoint’ well, ‘death by technology’ is even deadlier! It’s the Black Mamba in the world of pitching.
Yet too many entrepreneurs keep sticking their hands into the Black Mamba cage and they keep getting bitten - most don’t survive.
I made a presentation at the AusFirst Angel Conference last weekend. I spent [...]