Posts Tagged Business Angels

Private Investors and Equity Finance

Private investors provide equity finance for business opportunity. They invest money into new and up-and-coming businesses; they have no preference in the industry sector that they invest in as they have a wide range of interests.

Private investors bring money to a business that is needed to move the business forward. As well as bringing in the required funding to get a business off the ground, a private investor will also provide your business with the skills and contacts that are needed to help your business progress.

2008 has, so far, not been extremely rewarding for private investors, which is why it is so important that you explore investments which are well positioned for a longer term favourable theme rather than those dependent on a highly unpredictable economic cycle.

With private investors some investors will invest passively, which means that after providing a company with the finance needed they will play a limited role within the company. In cases such as these the investors are usually professionals in medicine, law, real estate etc. Other investors however will want to be increasingly involved and will use their network and experience to drive your business. They will also want some type of control with business decisions.

When it comes to getting the help of an investor it is important to know that private investors have more confidence investing with people that they know so the fewer degrees of separation equals a greater chance of a deal being done. Before any deal is made it is important that you decide on the amount of capital needed as investors won’t be interested in guess work; they will want specific numbers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Business Finance with Equity Finance

It has been said that nearly 61% of businesses are launched with either private capital or capital that is invested into their business by family and friends but investment doesn’t have to stop with merely just your family and friends, which is why equity finance exists.

Equity finance is cash that is invested into your business in return for a share of your business. These investments of cash never have to be repaid and don’t have interest attached to them. Equity finance is true risk capital as there is no guarantee that the investor will get their money back at all and these investments are not tied to assets that can be removed from your business should it fail.

The way in which investors get a profit from their investment is the fact they have a share in your business. This share means that investors either get money that is generated either through a sale of the shares once the company has grown or through dividends, a discretionary payout to shareholders if the business does well.

There are several types of equity finance such as business angels and venture capitalists. Each type of equity finance varies in the amount of money that is available for investment and the process of completing the deal.

If your business can support a growth rate of a least 20% you are more likely to be able to get equity finance. If you can’t generate a growth rate of at least 20% in your business then you are unlikely to be able to gain equity finance. It is the idea of control and the prospect of higher returns if your business is successful that attracts people to invest in your business

Sadly however many people are still highly reluctant to seek the help of equity finance as they see the idea of it as ‘relinquishing control’ of their business. Many small businesses are especially reluctant if their business is growing fast. As a business owner you should ask yourself the following questions below making any decisions about choosing to use equity finance:

• Are you prepared to give up a share of your business as well as some of its control?

• Are you and your management team confident in the business and the products and services that are on offer?

• Does your business have a unique selling point?

• Do you have drive to grow your business?

• What industry experience and knowledge does your management team have?

You should also consider the following when it comes to obtaining equity finance:

• How much funding do you need?

• How much control are you hoping to retain?

• How long do you need your funds for?

Each business should investigate the options that are open to them when it comes to finance. Equity finance is medium to long term finance and is the perfect type of finance that is open to small businesses, especially if you are an entrepreneurial business. Entrepreneurial businesses are what private equity investors are mainly interested in. This is because they have aspirations and a high potential for growth.

If you are interested in the use of equity finance it is important that you speak to a financial team who can put you in touch with people who will be able to put you in touch with the right investors.


By: Helen Cox

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Private Investors and Equity Finance

Private investors provide equity finance for business opportunity. They invest money into new and up-and-coming businesses; they have no preference in the industry sector that they invest in as they have a wide range of interests.

Private investors bring money to a business that is needed to move the business forward. As well as bringing in the required funding to get a business off the ground, a private investor will also provide your business with the skills and contacts that are needed to help your business progress.

2008 has, so far, not been extremely rewarding for private investors, which is why it is so important that you explore investments which are well positioned for a longer term favourable theme rather than those dependent on a highly unpredictable economic cycle.

With private investors some investors will invest passively, which means that after providing a company with the finance needed they will play a limited role within the company. In cases such as these the investors are usually professionals in medicine, law, real estate etc. Other investors however will want to be increasingly involved and will use their network and experience to drive your business. They will also want some type of control with business decisions.

When it comes to getting the help of an investor it is important to know that private investors have more confidence investing with people that they know so the fewer degrees of separation equals a greater chance of a deal being done. Before any deal is made it is important that you decide on the amount of capital needed as investors won’t be interested in guess work; they will want specific numbers.

The most common type of private investors are angel investors, otherwise known as business angels. These angel investors hold extremely high risk and require a very high return on investment. Due to the fact that a large percentage of angel investments are lost completely when early stage companies fail, private investors seek investments that have the potential to return at least 10 or more times their original investment within 5 years, through a defined exit strategy, such as plans for an initial public offering or an acquisition.

There are many different ways to describe private investors; they have many names attached to them such as venture capitalists and business angels. These private investors are often retired entrepreneurs or executives. They can provide your business with valuable management advice and important contacts. Private investors are wealthy individuals who invest in high growth business.

Private investors are growing to be one of the most popular ways of gaining business finance. This is making equity finance overtake debt funding as the best way of funding your business. Private investors are really worth looking into if you are hoping to start your own business. You do however have to ensure that you have your business plan wrote to the highest standard if you want to attract the help of private investor as they will use your business plan to see if your business has a high chance of being successful.


By: Helen Cox

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