Angel Investment Network Blog

Angel Investment News

• Israel venture-capital funding doubles. First-quarter financings for startups were most in two years: https://bit.ly/eqHh33
• Australian investors are still interested in private equity & VC investments, but are taking a cautious approach: https://bit.ly/h1Z7H6
• Angels with green wings: Investors support innovative health-care ventures: https://bit.ly/hoxt1i
• Venture Capital Funds May Get ‘Passport’ to Invest Across EU: https://bit.ly/gQ7wBG
• Three new cleantech investment funds were established in Finland in 2010: https://bit.ly/dY6v9R
• Seed Stage Investing Gets Super Bullish, But What About Exits? https://bit.ly/dOQ6jy
• Angel Investor Market Rebounds in 2010, UNH Center for Venture Research Finds: https://bit.ly/fM495b
• SEC Considers Changes That Could Hammer VCs and Angel Investors: https://bit.ly/gjQw1T
• Bets on Facebook, Twitter, Emerging Markets grew Venture Capital by 76% in Q1: https://bit.ly/gBraKh
• A capital idea for enterprising Irish start-ups: https://bit.ly/dLSoGG
• New Survey from Fenwick & West Looks at Angel Funding Landscape: https://bit.ly/ftZzLG

Business Plans & Pitching

• 6 Tips for Crafting a Winning Elevator Pitch: https://bit.ly/gN2omj
• How To Write A Startup Business Plan: https://bit.ly/dHzlZR
• A funny video of how not to pitch to investors! Ali G’s Ice Cream Glove: https://bit.ly/i8waKS
• Essential Elements of a Good Business Plan: https://bit.ly/hYsH4L

Fund Raising

• If You Need Angel Investors, Avoid These Startup Sectors: https://bit.ly/eHqaia
• The beginners’ guide to raising start-up finance: https://bit.ly/ibOzUs
• Top 10 tech investors of 2011: https://bit.ly/f6OmyX
• The MENA Private Equity Association has put together an entrepreneur’s guide to VC in MENA region: https://bit.ly/gQHoRb
• SEC may let startups use social networks to raise money: https://bit.ly/eIhWxB
• Find the Suitable Angel Investor for your Company: https://bit.ly/iidGQl
• What Is Seed Funding? https://bit.ly/fkXP48

Marketing & Social Media

• 5 Ways To Be A Social Media Authority: https://bit.ly/f5xvgb
• The Web Marketing Checklist: 37 Ways to Promote Your Website: https://bit.ly/hvkpwX
• 9 Digital Marketing Lessons From Top Social Brands: https://bit.ly/hn3itW
• Six Steps for Revving Up Your Search-Engine Marketing: https://bit.ly/gurBtm
• Social Media Marketing vs Traditional Marketing: https://bit.ly/hQQgSD
• How To Build An Effective Startup Press Kit: https://bit.ly/eXyoJN
• Survey says social media marketing boosts exposure, traffic and search: https://bit.ly/hJ4tnV
• Does social media marketing actually work? https://bit.ly/h0hpf9
• 4 Free Internet Advertising Techniques That Actually Work:https://bit.ly/fYkCsy

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship

• 10 Tax Deductions for Entrepreneurs: https://bit.ly/fFAiuk
• 17 Business Lessons I Learnt and Wouldn’t Want You to Miss: https://bit.ly/eMv174
• How To Score A Meeting With A Massive Company For Your Startup: https://bit.ly/hulK2m
• 4 Tips for Taking Your Startup International: https://bit.ly/hMW0vH
• 6 Entrepreneurs Who Built Their Fortunes From Nothing: https://bit.ly/f1oLuS
• 10 Big Steps From Idea To A Winning Startup: https://bit.ly/g7R0O7
• Why Exits Are Important As A Startup Metric: https://bit.ly/gYS5YS
• One Common Business Startup Trap to Avoid: https://bit.ly/fwbtPI
• TechCrunch Europe and The Telegraph release the Startup100: https://bit.ly/fot7Fo

To stay updated, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network

 

1. Avoid general statements, such as “We will provide excellent customer service” or “I am very hard working”.  Everyone could make these claims. 
2. Do due diligence on any investor you’re thinking of doing a deal with.
3. Try to target angel investors with experience in their industry – their expertise will be invaluable.
4. Expect the angels to want an active day-to-day role to share advice, knowledge & expertise.
5. Ask for a non-disclosure agreement to be signed if there is any information you feel uncomfortable disclosing to the investor.
6. Remember no legitimate investor will ask you to pay money.
7. Be completely open from the beginning.  If an investor finds a skeleton in your closet, the deal will be off.
8. A market with high growth potential is very attractive to investor.
9. Start your pitch with “a hook” – a statement or question that grabs the investors’ attention and makes them want to hear more.
10. Don’t write “No Competition”.  There is always competition, even if it is indirect competition.
11. Be enthusiastic – Investors expect energy and dedication from entrepreneurs.
12. Don’t use acronyms – people outside the industry won’t know what they mean.
13. Gestures, body language (e.g. nodding and smiling) and confidence are very important when you’re speaking to investors.
14. Ask family, friends and colleagues for feedback about your business plan and pitch.
15. The more you practice your pitch, the more relaxed you’ll be when you’re in front of the investors.
16. It’s really worth spending money on a good lawyer.
17. Don’t be afraid to admit your weaknesses and admit you may need help in certain areas or strengthen part of your team.
18. Use short paragraphs, bullets and lists: This makes it easier and quicker for the investors to read.
19. Don’t write “Guaranteed Return”.  No return is guaranteed!
20. Check your business plan for spelling and grammatical errors they make you look unprofessional.
21. Don’t say “My projections are conservative”.  90% of companies say the same thing.
22. Make sure you have legit market research to back up your claims about market size and competition.
23. If applicable, investors will want to see that you have the necessary patents and protection in place.
24. Don’t say “We only need a 1% marketshare to have a turnover of 1 million” – financial projections don’t work like that.
25. Last but certainly not least (here comes the sales bit), visit www.angelinvestmentnetwork.co.uk if you need any help raising funds.  In the top right corner, you’ll find a drop-down list of all our networks around the world.

Angel Investment News

• Venture capital report: financing trends continue to improve: https://bit.ly/gvfztB
• The state of early-stage funding in Australia: https://bit.ly/g3aEqB
• Both China & the US have a “good environment” for entrepreneurs, according to Kaifu Lee, founder of Innovation Works: https://bit.ly/fLD3dG
• New Zealand angels flying high, but more needed – venture fund chief: https://bit.ly/fCYYJA
• StartUp Britain was launched, a scheme offering support & resources for startups or businesses looking to grow: https://bit.ly/hN1ryp
• UK must do more to encourage start-up angels: https://bit.ly/eOdHSg
• SPRING Singapore invested S$20m in 69 startups last year: https://bit.ly/gp4fnv

Business Plans & Pitching

• Investor Pitch on a Napkin – The 7Ps of Elevator Presentations: https://bit.ly/fZN4t3
• How to write a Business Plan of Success which guarantees the anticipated positive results: https://bit.ly/h67Bgy
• Some quick tips on how to give the perfect investor pitch: https://bit.ly/hhYB5E
• The 7 Sections Of A Business Plan: https://bit.ly/fp1npK

Fund Raising

• Some key areas that can be critical for companies to receive funding: https://bit.ly/hZz3YY
• Finding Investors in your Start-Up. Tips from Richard Branson: https://bit.ly/eHQUv1
• Raising Venture Money – 10 tips for success: https://bit.ly/fXXhD7
• 50 Quick Tips on Raising Angel Funding – Part 1: https://bit.ly/i8waKS
• How to Find an Angel Investor for your Startup: https://bit.ly/h9zhe7

Marketing & Social Media

• 2011 social media statistics show huge growth: https://bit.ly/gqyNMy
• Why You Can’t Ignore Social Media: https://bit.ly/eLYJqG
• 7 Reasons Why A Blog Is The Most Valuable Investment for Startups: https://bit.ly/gVuxPt
• First Lesson in Search Engine Optimization: https://bit.ly/fG6pGR
• A Business Marketing Strategy to Increase Business Profits: https://bit.ly/fthvIz
• The 5 Step Marketing Plan for Business Success: https://bit.ly/gX4EN4
• Advertising on a Budget: https://bit.ly/fBPOoc
• 10 Easy Ways to get Amazing PR for your startup: http: //bit.ly/gI0lLi

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship

• Traits of a Modern Entrepreneur: https://bit.ly/eD5Ubo
• Sage Advice: 7 Entrepreneurs Share Their Words of Wisdom: https://bit.ly/gScN6D
• Why is it that so many good startup ideas never take off?https://bit.ly/hnS7gw

• Why Startup Companies Shouldn’t Listen to Talk About the Recession and Charge Ahead: https://bit.ly/fe24Uo
• 5 Key Bootstrapping Strategies: https://bit.ly/eauvnP

To stay updated, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network

Animal behaviour experts handed out iPads to five apes in an experiment at Port Lympne wild animal park. They quickly learned to turn the screens on and off and seem fascinated by the colours and pictures.

1. Remember to tailor your business plan. The plan you pitch to an angel should be different from the one you use to pitch to a bank.
2. Figure out the least you need to get to the next stage and raise that amount. Then you’ll have to give away less equity.
3. Always ask for feedback after pitching your company. You can learn from each investor that says no, and improve for the next time.
4. Try to invest some of your own money in the business. Angel investors like to see financial commitment from the management team.
5. Have business plans and pitches of various lengths (e.g. 50 words, 200 words, 500 words, 1,000 words, 2,000 words and the full plan).
6. Make sure you can explain exactly what your business does in under 30 seconds.
7. Remember that investors will want high returns, due to the high risk nature of angel investing.  Of every 12 companies they invest in 1 might be huge, 2 might be good, 3-4 will be marginal, and the rest will fail.
8. Never tell an angel “the product will sell itself”. It won’t! An investor wants to see a clear USP & well thought-out sales strategy.
9. Be enthusiastic – Investors expect energy and dedication from entrepreneurs.
10. Angels like to invest in deals with other Angels who have done this before and learn from them to get started
11. Make the most of social media – it’s free and a great way to get yourself known in your sector.
12. When pitching for funding, don’t get bogged down in technical details, or you’ll lose the investor’s interest.
13. The management team is one of the most important factors for angels.  Consider what skills you and your existing team have and what needs to be brought in.
14. Angels look to invest in strong markets.  You can fix a lot of things about a business, but you can’t fix a bad market.
15. Keep your pitch short and sweet, so the investors stay interested and are keen to find out more.
16. When you read your business plan, put yourself in the investors’ shoes. Ask yourself: ‘Would I invest in this business?’
17. Make sure your business plan isn’t too technical and that anyone can understand it.
18. Don’t be afraid to ask the investors questions about their background.  They should be keen to impress you and willing to answer any questions you might have.
19. To reassure investors, get someone in your team who has successful experience with start-ups and exits.
20. If possible, approach investors with a working prototype. Investors like to see, touch and test what they’re investing in.
21. Use facts and stats rather than personal opinions.  “I think this market will grow” isn’t as powerful as “This market has grown 30% annually for the last 3 years”.
22. Positive feedback, customer lists, presales and letters of intent are very useful when trying to convince investors.
23. Join an association in the field in which your business operates. This will give you great networking opportunities.
24. Decide exactly what you want from your angel: money, contacts, industry experience, entrepreneurial experience, etc.
25. Investors will expect you to have a very good understanding of your competitors.

Angel Investment News 

• Google has thrown its considerable weight against a new project aimed to give a helping hand to aspiring UK businesses: https://bit.ly/hrNI6G
• There’s a new iPhone app, Angel Trivia Daily, which tests your angel investing knowledge with a new question every day: https://bit.ly/h6qIZs
• The UK Government has detailed plans to help small businesses start up and grow in the UK: https://bit.ly/i5DHcR
• New 2 million Euro technology investment syndicate established by angel investors in Ireland: https://bit.ly/eWuPbh
• Connecticut tax credit tweak finds angel wings: https://bit.ly/ic3KU8
• Availability of seed funding for Irish companies at highest level in 30 years: https://bit.ly/ejQdzr

Business Plans & Pitching

• How one Group of Startups and Investors Traded the Elevator Pitch for the Ski Lift: https://bit.ly/ij38As
• The power of the pitch: Advice from the receiving end: https://bit.ly/fkDhPr
• Four Easy Steps to Credible Startup Financials: https://bit.ly/evzCrL
• Investor Presentation Basics – how to avoid a Trainwreck Elevator Pitch: https://bit.ly/fwFe8z

Fund Raising

• Raising capital from business angels and private investors isn’t as easy as some people think. Here are some tips: https://bit.ly/gWCMU4
• An introduction to Angel Investors and how to find them: https://bit.ly/hmOOyp
• There are plenty of options for getting money to start your business. The trick is finding the solution that suits you: https://bit.ly/igw0g
• Ever heard of Apple, Amazon.com, Facebook, Google & Twitter? They all got early funding from angel investors. https://bit.ly/e6DhnH
• How to Find the Right Investor for Your Business: https://bit.ly/eNk6vz
• Obtaining Funding from Business Angels and Private Investors: https://bit.ly/hv9Eez
• The 6 Biggest Mistakes in Raising Startup Capital. Avoid these traps to increase your chances of securing funding: https://bit.ly/fBfBiK

Marketing & Social Media

• Most FTSE 100 companies ‘fail’ at social media and risk being overtaken digitally by smaller and more agile firms: https://bit.ly/foVy8A
• Five Tips for Marketing Your Startup Business on a Shoestring: https://bit.ly/fy3shM
• 10 Social Media Tips For the Startup: https://bit.ly/eZfHyD
• Top 10 Ways to Build Your Subscriber List: https://bit.ly/e5NVro
• 5 Great New Social Media Strategies (other than Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter): https://huff.to/eo9mBY
• How to Build a Winning Brand for your Startup: https://bit.ly/gOb1mH
• 5 Simple Steps to Social Media Start Up Success: https://bit.ly/g1ktcu
• How to Harness the Power of Social Media Feedback: https://bit.ly/ic7SXD
• Facebook vs. Twitter: Which is Better for Marketing? https://yhoo.it/ijbzCO

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship

• 6 ways to make your Small Startup Business look Bigger: https://bit.ly/e8ibt9
• 5 Common Startup Money Mistakes: https://bit.ly/fQaMgl
• Ex-Googlers Penetrating Startup Hierarchy. There is a Xoogler now at pretty much every top-tier VC: https://bit.ly/eMimLu
• Ten Entrepreneurship Rules for Building Massive Companies from Linkedin co-founder Reid Hoffman: https://bit.ly/eB3QAH
• 5 awesome Small Business Tools you can use to grow your business faster: https://bit.ly/hrWHCK
• 7 Tips On Outsourcing for Early Stage Startups: https://bit.ly/i6erae
• § Secrets of Entrepreneurial Superstars: https://bit.ly/e7r0mn

 

There’s no question about it: Raising funding for a start-up from angel investors or venture capitalists is hard.  Some entrepreneurs seem to think that investors should be falling over each other to fund their project, but the unfortunate truth is that only a small percentage of entrepreneurs are successful in raising capital for their start-up. 

Unlike venture capitalists who invest other people’s money, angels invest their OWN money.  It’s important to put yourself in the investors’ shoes – how easily would you be persuaded to give £100,000 of your own hard-earned money to a complete stranger?  Angel investors may be willing to take on more risk than most, but it’s still a tough job to get them to write you a cheque.  Here are a few things to remember when approaching angels.

Business angels are in it to make money

You must be willing to give up some ownership or control of your business, and be able to show a significant return within 3-7 years, as well as a profitable exit strategy.  Angels invest for the same reason other people do: to make money. Investing in early stage companies is high risk, so investors expect to see high returns.

Don’t stop moving your business forward

Try to develop your business as much as you possibly can: build a prototype, interview potential clients to gauge their interest, prove the concept, get some letters of intent or pre-orders and possibly even start generating some revenue. The more traction your business has, the more attractive it will be to investors.

Build a team with experience in the right areas

Angels invest primarily in people, so you need to build an experienced management team that has industry expertise and a track record of growing and exiting businesses.  If your team lacks certain skills, try to plug these gaps before approaching investors.  If you can’t afford to hire staff, you may want to consider giving away sweat equity to make sure you have the right team in place to first make your company investable and then drive the business forward.

Be realistic about valuations

Although you may think your business has the potential to earn you and your investors millions, that’s all it has: potential.  Turning a good business idea into a profitable business is harder than most people think, and there are so many potential pitfalls – a new competitor, misspending your startup budget, hiring the wrong staff, the list goes on… Work with your accountant to build realistic numbers and a realistic valuation with clear assumptions that can be defended.

Take investors’ criticism on board

Entrepreneurs looking to raise capital for their start-up will be rejected by most of the investors they approach. Listen when potential funders reject your ideas – their criticism is the best feedback you’ll get about how to make your business more appealing to investors and increase your chances of getting funded.

 

Angel Investment News

• UK beats the US to a tech-friendly Startup Visa: https://bit.ly/grhGx9
  
• Angels Look for Investments as States Offer Tax Incentives: https://bit.ly/hZvBWd
• 7 Chicago angels have formed an investment network for startups in the local, sustainable food distribution system: https://bit.ly/fy3x9m
• The StartUp Visa Act will allow an entrepreneur to get a 2 year visa if a US investor wants to invest in their startup https://bit.ly/hCdWfd
• Angel Investing – A Look from Both Perspectives: https://bit.ly/gvTjFR
• How Angel Investing is Different from Venture Capital: https://bit.ly/hdyfdZ

Business Plans & Pitching

• Top 20 Questions to ask before Submitting a Business Plan to Angel Investors: https://bit.ly/eUo3VR
• Perfecting Your Pitch: Four Steps From Good To Great: https://bit.ly/gh1goH
• 10 Tips to an Effective Investor Pitch: https://bit.ly/hfU6Tg
• Implement these 8 steps in your investor pitch preparation and delivery to increase your chances of winning investment: https://bit.ly/gOyzyj

Fund Raising

• The Top 8 types of angel investors https://j.mp/eHJqSz
• Private investors: Calling on angels: https://bit.ly/i8hiQe
• 5 Tips To Hooking Yourself An Angel Investor: https://read.bi/hlaO7q
• What business angels look for in a venture: https://bit.ly/gECKR0
• Innovation Is the Top Trait Business Angels Look for When Making an Investment: https://bit.ly/gWCMU4
• Business Angels: The Solution On Where to Find Funding:https://bit.ly/fAyLUP

Marketing & Social Media

• 5 Marketing Strategies to Increase Website Traffic: https://bit.ly/dNBton
• 5 Epic Social Media Fails: https://bit.ly/ed2ipC
• The 15 most Detrimental Social Media Mistakes you’re Making:ttp://read.bi/f8l8pe
• Measuring the ROI of your social media efforts: https://usat.ly/dLNAkH
• Top 100 social brands revealed as Dell, Nike and Starbucks top the table: https://bit.ly/gGI3Gs
• 6 Tips for Entrepreneurs Looking for Press: https://bit.ly/g9cSq7
• More Tips From Social Media Pros: https://bit.ly/fyMMCx

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship

• LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman’s 10 Rules for Entrepreneurs: https://bit.ly/gko4xa
• 10 Revenue Models for Startups You Should Know: https://bit.ly/elOMmW
• Chinese Entrepreneur confidence index slightly up in Q1: https://bit.ly/fLaeyH
• Five Long-Term Challenges of Starting a Business that Entrepreneurs Forget: https://read.bi/fVCUuM
• Entrepreneur Magazine: Now is the best time to start a business:https://bit.ly/govNDW
• Government research shows TV shows such as the Dragons’ Den are helping to encourage entrepreneurialism in the UK: https://bit.ly/fh8IMn
• Small Business Help Center Supports Obama’s Startup America to stimulate economic growth through entrepreneurship: https://bit.ly/eHmzYg
• Top 10 Success Factors for Entrepreneurs: https://bit.ly/eGzRpq
• Ten ways to waste money on a start-up: https://bit.ly/i44TE5