Very few businesses are lucky enough to be able to bootstrap their way to success, most rely on securing business growth funding. Getting funding at the right time is critical to surviving yet alone thriving and growing. Without funding it is much harder and slower to grow and expand into new territories or markets. Here are my top four tips for successfully securing business growth funding. Know where to look and what type of funding is the best match There are numerous sources of funding from Bank Loans to Crowdfunding and Equity investment to Trade Finance, Grants and R&D Incentives for innovative companies. Often a growing business will need to draw on a mix of sources. Depending on the stage of growth and type of business some will be more suitable than others. Each type comes with its own positive and negative aspects for example if you’re seeking a bank loan, you will probably have to give a personal guarantee and of course pay back the loan with interest. If it’s equity … [Read more...]
Fundraising success stories for early stage companies
We looked at London based companies that have recently successfully raised seed funding! The good news is that there is a constant flow of funding into very young companies - albeit with a technology bias. Companies with innovative ideas, strong management teams and good business plans position themselves for better funding success. We wanted to get a flavour of what's happening in the world of funding for seed level companies that are based in London. We found five recent funding success stories - we have summarised what they got, what they do and how long they have been going. Labrador (internet of things) We’d all like to sure we are getting the cheapest energy bill on the market, but even with the help of price comparison sites it can be a chore working out which supplier to go with and then sorting all the paperwork to change supplier. Labrador aims to solve this problem by paring with your smart meter and analysing your energy consumption … [Read more...]
