2. Continuous funding

Due to the changing size and nature of investments from angel investors, a more recent trend is to have an open-ended funding round rather than big "raise events" such as seed stage, early stage, series A and B rounds etc. 

SeedLegals, the UK's largest legal platform for startups, is one of the pioneers of “agile funding”. This article by CEO and co-founder Anthony Rose explains why agile funding is likely to be the future of startup investment, and how it’s already transforming the way startups are building and growing their businesses.

In the year ahead it may be a good idea to make investor relations an ongoing priority for your business so that you're able to nurture your existing investor community, but can also establish a continuous pipeline of new investors which you can tap into for support as your business develops.
​
3. The rise of equity crowdfunding

Equity crowdfunding has been growing over the past several years. Many thought it was a fad or just a short-term trend, but it continues to surge in popularity. The World Bank predicts that investment crowdfunding may be worth up to US$96 billion a year by the year 2025.

Importantly, an estimated 50% of current crowdfunding investments come from professional investors and institutional investors who trust equity crowdfunding platforms such as Crowdcube and Seedrs. So when looking to raise investment for the year ahead, it's worth utilising these powerful crowdfunding platforms for your own business.

There are other emerging trends that will make it much easier to finance your next stage of growth. Join us this month to learn the latest approaches to attracting the right investors.

​You can fight the tide and swim upstream, or ride the wave of these new techniques for raising capital and enjoy a prosperous New Year!
 
Paul & The Funding Game team.

P.S. If you'd like to create some real momentum for your startup or scaleup business in 2020, join me and angel investor Colin Coghlan at the British Library’s Business & IP Centre on Friday, 24th January for 'How to Attract the Right Investors' – our popular half-day workshop that will put you on the fast track to funding. Other dates available.

​If you’ve decided to launch or grow your business and need investment, but don't know where to start, this month's workshop is for you.
 
We'll help you come to a quick decision about the right options for your business and explore how to secure investment through: Crowdfunding, Angel Investors or Venture Capital.
 
This engaging workshop, run in partnership with the British Library Business & IP Centre, packs a massive amount of valuable content into less than half a day to equip you with a simple-to-follow, step-by-step approach to securing investment.
 
The event also includes an interactive session with Angel Investor Colin Coghlan, who will share some insider information on the way he makes investments. You’ll also be given access to proven pitching templates and strategies. ​

Next date: 21st July 2016, 2pm-4pm
Other dates available.

I had the opportunity to give a talk on the Psychology of Pitching to Secure Investment at the first ever Business Funding Show in London this month.
 
The Business Funding Show, held at Old Billingsgate this year, is the only exhibition focused exclusively on business funding and growth support. The show brought together two key groups in the UK economy – entrepreneurs looking for funding and leading finance and service providers.
 
There was a massive amount of value packed under one roof during the two days, with many providers offering investment and loans, crowdfunding support, business guidance, legal advice and much more.
 
Celebrated entrepreneurs and investors such as Richard Reed (Innocent), Charlie Mullins (Pimlico Plumbers), and Lord Bilimoria (Cobra Beer) were present to offer guidance to businesses seeking direction.
 
The show also included workshops, training sessions and one-to-one support, alongside mentoring clinics and lively networking zones.
 
Thanks to an enthusiastic and engaged audience, my talk on the psychology of pitching for investment went well and it was great to meet so many entrepreneurs and hear stories about the different stages of their journey.
 
Afterwards, I got a chance to visit the pitching stage and was really impressed with two business founders who were giving a live pitch to a panel of investors.
 
It was one of the slickest pitches I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a lot)! Without going into too much detail, I noticed that the pitching team did five things that many entrepreneurs neglect to do:

• They kept their pitch short – under 10 minutes
• They clearly defined their USP
• They demonstrated traction
• They knew their numbers
• They understood their market

 
Oh, and they used many of the triggers of influence I mentioned in my earlier talk. (To find out more about these see my short video course here.)
 
It’s worth keeping an eye on what’s next for the Business Funding Show.  I spoke to the managing director and founder of the event, Arina Osiannaya, while I was there and she and her team are planning many more support events around the topic of funding in the year ahead.

Arina is a real entrepreneur having created the show from just an idea. By building their knowledge of the funding landscape as they planned the show, and engaging an impressive network of contacts, Arina and her team have created a high-value event that will benefit many thousands of entrepreneurs, now and into the future. In the end entrepreneurship comes down to courage and consistent action.

I'll be joining, entrepreneurs, investors and finance providers at the UK’s FIRST ever Business Funding Show on 2nd & 3rd February 2016. Celebrated entrepreneurs like Richard Reed (Innocent), Charlie Mullins (Pimlico Plumbers) and Lord Bilimoria (Cobra Beer) will be on hand to share their expertise and address your questions. Learn more

The Crowd ’Zine, edited and produced by The Ideas People, is a new innovation magazine for "dreamers, thinkers and doers to learn, connect and grow".

In the latest issue I've contributed a piece called 'How to Hotwire your Kickstarter Campaign' which you can read on pages 40/41 here - and while you're there, do take a look at the other fantastic content in this free, independent production. With information crowdsourced from start-ups, innovators and small businesses, The Crowd ’Zine features articles about people, their ideas and what they’re doing with them, as well as practical tools to enable you to become more innovative in your business, work and life.