7 Positives for the UK Startup Scene from the Autumn Budget

Yesterday the Chancellor unveiled his budget plan for the UK.

The main headline was that we can expect slow growth (around 2%) for the next few years. And that Brexit seemed to be the principal cause of this. A gloomy budget indeed.

But, as ever, even in the murkiest river a nugget of gold can be found. With a little sifting, I’ve found some positive news for us spirited folk on the startup scene.

The sifting was very boring. I’ve tried to set out my findings as clearly as possible. So, you can enjoy the gold without getting your feet wet! You’re welcome.

The Treasury conducted a survey called ‘Patient Capital Review’ which set out to consider how to support innovative firms in getting funding and achieving scale. The conclusions drawn are positive and will be a boon for early-stage companies over the next 10 years.

These conclusions resulted in an ‘Action Plan’ in the budget which aims to unlock £20bn over the next 10 years to support growth in innovative firms.

The main points are as follows:

1. Tax Breaks (EIS & VCT)

– EIS allowance for people investing in ‘knowledge-intensive companies’ will double from £1m to £2m each year.
– ‘Knowledge-intensive companies’ can receive twice as much EIS & VCT investment each year. That’s a move from £5m to £10m.

(Check out a previous post for more info on the benefits of EIS.)
SEIS & EIS budget
Result: An estimated extra £7bn of investment.

2. Government-backed Co-investment Fund

– A £2.5bn Investment Fund incubated in the British Business Bank will be established to co-invest with the private sector.
Result: An estimated extra £7.5bn of investment.

3. Backing Fund of Funds

– The British Business Bank will invest in a series of private sector fund of funds.
Result: An estimated £4bn of investment will be unlocked.

4. Backing Fund Managers

– The British Business Bank will continue to back new and existing fund managers through its existing Enterprise Capital Fund.
Result: An estimated extra £1.5bn of investment.

5. Backing overseas investment into UK

– The Department of International Trade will support overseas venture capital into the UK.
Result: An estimated extra £1bn of investment.

6. Support for Regional Investment

– The British Business Bank will establish new investment programmes to support business angel groups outside of London. This will complement existing programmes like the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund.
– £21m is budgeted to expand Tech City UK’s reach across more regions.
Result: Unlocking of investment potential outside of the London hub.

tech city uk budget (1)

7. Other

– British Business Bank to investigate supporting Women Entrepreneurs getting access to equity investment
– £2.3bn increase in R&D spending
– £1m Games Fund to support video game development
– Helping Pension Funds invest in innovative firms
– Qualification for Entrepreneurs’ Relief will no longer de-incentivize accepting external investment

I hope all that makes sense.

It’s pleasing to see that, in difficult times, the government recognises the importance of supporting the innovation sector as a key driver of our economy.

If you want more detail on this Action Plan in the budget, I’ll be at the UKBAA National Investment Summit on 28th November. Keith Morgan CEO of British Business Bank will be leading the discussion on the Chancellor’s proposals.

You can get tickets here

Hope to see you there!

Free Access to Europe’s Biggest Business Show with Angel Investment Network

Angel Investment Network are proud to announce our latest partnership with the Business Show. As part of this, we are offering complimentary tickets to their London event on 16th & 17th November 2017. For more information and to claim your tickets please see the article below by Shane Ransom, Senior Marketing Manager at PRYSM Media Group:

Overview

After 19 years of running, PRYSM Group are proud to announce the 38th edition of The Business Show will be kicking off on the 16 & 17 November at London’s Olympia.

To anybody who has attended the show, it will come as no surprise that it has firmly established itself as Europe’s largest event dedicated to helping startups and SMEs successfully evolve or expand their businesses.

Due to the show’s sterling reputation within the B2B events community, 25,000 tenacious entrepreneurs and business owners will flock to The Business Show. All on a mission to source the latest services, solutions and strategies to take their business to the next level.

World-renowned Speakers & Business People

Renowned for acquiring a calibre of attendee unmatched by any rival show; over the years the exhibition has attracted industry legends looking to discover the latest business innovations to stay ahead of their fierce competitors. This list includes James Caan, Lord Alan Sugar, Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman and many more.

business dragons

The Business Show continues to be at the forefront of all other business exhibitions, from Apprentice winners to a plethora of dragons from Dragons’ Den, from the head of B2B marketing for Google UK to even the chairman of Crystal Palace F.C, our show consistently attracts the industry’s most relevant speakers and – as you can see – November’s speaker lineup is no exception.

See full keynote line-up here

Learn how to Grow your Business

With 350 visionary exhibitors showcasing the latest products, systems and services transforming the business world, our show allows more SMEs and startups to connect with more sought-after suppliers than ever before.

Every one of our 250 seminars features up-to-date content, based on current UK business trends. We have attracted a vast array of world-class speakers working within the health and fitness industry – a sector that has grown in popularity over the years – including; Peter Roberts, the founder of the largest gym operator, PureGym; and founder of LA Muscle Parham Donyai.

Our phenomenal lineup of speakers also consists of success stories that would inspire any ambitious business owner. Levi Roots will be here to provide you with the insights into how he became one of the most iconic and charismatic figures in business world. James Gold, co-founder of Skinnydip, will discuss how his creation of the phone case accessory helped him develop one of the most successful privately-owned companies of this generation. Ben Towers, who has been named by Richard Branson as “one of the UK’s most exciting entrepreneurs” will share his journey to becoming a multi-award winning business owner by the age of 19.

Business Show_Olympia_Main

Your Free Ticket

Your ticket grants you access to more than just the seminars and suppliers. November’s installment of The Business Show will play host to an endless array of features including the Google Digital Garage; which offers free digital skills training to people looking to grow their business, their career or their confidence online. If you register for a free ticket, you can even book a one-to-one mentoring slot with the world’s most influential business via our website, but you need to make sure you book in advance!

Over the two days visitors will also have access to 15 masterclasses; whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge of branding, digital marketing, e-commerce, trading or franchising, we have got you covered. You will gain all the information and guidance you need to achieve the business growth you desire.

To ensure you make the most out of your visit we have split the show into six different zones; the Startup Zone; the Marketplace; the Finance Zone; the Digital Zone; Going Global Live; and for the very first time, the Legal & HR Zone. These zones have been carefully crafted to provide expertise across all sectors of the business world.

To top it all off, the show offers visitors unrivalled networking opportunities; our Speed Networking Feature located in the SME Zone allows you to make 40 new contacts in just 40 minutes! It is the quickest and most efficient way for you to add potential suppliers, clients and partners to your contact list, but seats to this free feature are first come, first serve so make sure you get there early to secure your seat!

business show tickets

If you’re looking to start, grow or expand your business then you must register for a ticket to The Business Show, and you will have an opportunity to experience an exhibition like no other. Attending this event could define the future of your business, so what have you got to lose? Register for your free ticket now!

Thanks to Shane Ransom and the team for writing this post.

Hope to see you there!

10+ Best Practices for Engaging Potential Investors

Last week, I wrote an article called ‘How to Update your Investors for best results’. The post set out the importance of updating your investors; and how you should go about it. I laid out a useful (hopefully!) formula for your updates. And gave you some real-world examples from fast-growth companies in my network like Sweatcoin and ScreenCloud.

The post proved more popular than I expected; a number of people have been kind enough to contact me with their thoughts. The response was positive except for one thing: I had only covered one aspect of a broader theme…

Investor Relations.

Last week’s post gave advice for the tail end of the fundraising process i.e. after investors have actually invested in your business.

But what about before they’ve invested? When you’re still trying to persuade them to do so?

Angel Investment Network connects angel investors with startups looking for funding, contacts, advisory board members etc. It would be remiss of me not to complete the picture and give advice on investor relations for the first half of the fundraising process…

Engaging Potential Investors

When interacting with people you hope to convince to invest in your company, there are 3 principal types of interaction you will have:

1. Reaching out
2. Responding
3. Reminding

In this post, you will learn the best practices for each type of interaction.

I’ve been helping people do this for a long time now. I’ve seen some hilarious but tragic examples of how not to do it! But more importantly, I’ve built up a picture of the best approaches. I hope this article means that you or anyone you share it with can avoid the common conversation-ending mistakes.

The aim is to help you generate more leads, and convert a higher percentage into investors.

Reaching Out

To be clear, this section does not deal with how to find investors. That’s a different question for another time. You can find some ideas here though.
reaching out to investors

But assuming you’ve identified and acquired the contact details of potential investors, how do you go about approaching them?

Reaching out to potential investors is a tricky business. People hate cold approaches. Even if your company is the next big thing, people have a strong aversion to being hailed from out of the blue. A stranger danger thing perhaps. But get the tone and hook just right though, and you can overcome this aversion.

How?

The key is to keep the email short. Value is king. People want to understand it quickly. If they see huge chunks of text in an initial email, they will be put off before even reading.

At the same time, if you shorten your email but lose the articulation of your value proposition. Then the hook is gone.

So, while moderating the length, you need keep your sights on the purpose of the message. The ability to do this ultimately comes down to being able to pitch your venture clearly and concisely.

This is crucial. The purpose of the email is not to explain the whole idea. It’s to hook the contact into wanting to know more. Once you’ve engaged them, you can dive into the detail.

One way to make potential investors more receptive to your company’s cold approach is to offer them something of value upfront. This could be a free trial of your product or service, access to exclusive content or data, or even just a personalized message that shows you have done your research and understand their interests and needs. Additionally, having a well-established online presence and social media accounts that showcase your company’s mission and values can help establish credibility and trust with potential investors. Finally, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your company’s financials and growth potential and be able to articulate this concisely and compellingly.

The question you need to ask yourself is:

“What is the most attractive thing about my business likely to be for this potential investor?”

If you can answer this, then you can frame your message around it.

What are some good hooks?

– Introductions – if you can be introduced by someone they trust and know, your chances of engagement increase dramatically

– Relevant & large market opportunity

– Trending topics e.g. AI, Blockchain, Machine learning (obviously not always applicable but check this out!)

– Impressive traction e.g. funds raised, key partnerships, big-deal advisors

– Problem/solution articulation – can work for early-stage projects but is risky because they might not see the problem as you do

Beware, there are also some “anti-hooks”!

A contact of mine was approaching a VC company in London. He made the mistake of asking for an NDA. They never replied. Annoyed, he ACTUALLY walked into their offices and asked why he never got a response. They explained the NDA turn off and sent him on his way. (More on this next week).

Summary:

Keep it short and make sure your hook is clear.

End with a call-to-action. This gives them a framework to respond. At this stage, the most likely example is:
“Can I send you some more info? I’d love to get your feedback.”

Responding

This interaction is particularly important to anyone raising via the Angel Investment Network platform. On the platform, an entrepreneur submits a pitch using the template and onscreen instructions which is listed and sent to the network of angel investors. Interested investors can then click to connect. It’s at this point only that the entrepreneur can message an investor. So, there’s a lot riding on the response!

That said, this advice goes for any time you receive a message/email from an investor whether they are reaching out or responding to you.

What should you do then?
appropriate response to investors

The advice is dead simple. But you’d be amazed how often I see people do the opposite.

– Respond promptly (24-48 hours)
Quick responses make investors feel important. They also show that you are professional and organised.

– Avoid spelling and grammar errors
Duh!

– Make sure you address every point they make
You’ll leave a bad impression if you don’t have a considered response to address every issue they raise.

– Avoid blocks of text
Blocks are boring. And not easy to digest. Address questions/points they make with bullet points or numbering.

– End with a call-to-action
This gives them a framework for responding and will increase the chances that they do.

This advice seems so trivial that it pains me to write it (the first 3 in particular). But I’ve seen it go wrong too many times through haste, laziness and even stupidity.

Last year, I watched the final night of a play written by a friend. At the party afterwards, I was talking to one of the actors. During the performance we had all remarked on his incredibly muscular physique – the man was a monstrous! I asked him ‘why’.

“Why so much gym?”

His response impressed me. And can be applied to this situation and many others.

He said;

“Control the things you can control.”

In his case, he realised that one of the reasons he didn’t get every part he auditioned for was because he was out of shape. But more importantly, he realised that this was an aspect of his life and attitude that he could directly address. And as a result, he would optimise his chances of getting great roles. (I’m afraid I can’t say who he is!)

So, to optimise your chances, ‘control the things you can control’.

Remember this interaction with investors is a bit like an audition. The reality of it is that investors don’t have much time to judge you. Their impression of you will be created over the course of a few emails, a call and perhaps a coffee.

When deciding to invest a considerable sum of money in someone, that’s not a lot to go on!

So, in the small window of opportunity you are given to make an impression, ensure that what can be polished is polished. That way, you’ve given yourself the best chance.

Reminding

So, you reached out to an investor, they responded, you exchanged a few emails discussing the venture, it all seemed to be going so well. But now they’ve gone dead. No response to your last message. Cue tumbleweed and depression…

What can you do?

The first thing to remember is that in most cases, any investor worth having is going to be very busy.

So, you should never take it personally if you don’t get a response for a while. You don’t know what’s happening at the other end. They may be taking the time to carry out proper due diligence and discussions with various people before pushing ahead.

There is no sense fretting and waiting for a response. It may never come. In which case, you’ve wasted valuable time worrying about it. Equally, it may come. In which case, you’ve also wasted time.

That said, you shouldn’t wait indefinitely. It is perfectly acceptable to nudge people to respond.

But how do you do it without royally p***ing them off?!

Time is important. DO NOT nudge anyone if they haven’t responded after 3 days. (Unless they specifically asked you to).

7-10 days is an acceptable interlude. But longer is fine too. I was helping someone raise money once: we actually met the investor face-to-face before pitching anything as we had been connected via a strong introduction. He then said he would follow up via email after he had had time to think.

We waited 29 days and had given up all hope when his email finally came through. It was a positive one too!

What about the content of a reminder?

This will vary according to time and circumstance. But there is an optimal approach.

Consider:
a)

“Hi X,

Did you have any more thoughts about our project?

Thanks,
Founder Y”

b)

“Hi X,

It’s been a good few [insert time period] since we last spoke.

We are showing strong growth across the following key metrics: [insert impressive figures].

Also, [insert Mr/Mrs Big Deal] has committed £X and joined the advisory board.

Did you have any more thoughts about our project?

Thanks,
Founder Y”

Sometimes approach a) may be appropriate. But most of the time, b) will be better.

The reason for this is momentum.

This builds on the ‘hook’ idea we looked out when discussing reaching out to investors. You have to give them some incentive to respond. Hack their desire to engage with you.

At this stage of the process, you can do this by the impression of momentum. By updating them on your good progress, you can make them feel like the opportunity is a train leaving the station. Without them.
investors missing the train

Fear of missing out is a strong psychological influence to tap into. No investor wants your business to be the one that got away. So, make them feel like it is getting away with positive updates in your reminders. You should find an uplift in engagement.

That’s all folks! Thanks for reading.

Tweet me () if you think I missed something etc…

Or get me on oliver@angelinvestmentnetwork.co.uk