Funding for Fast Growth one-day workshop April 2, 2009

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FUNDING FOR FAST GROWTH

An exclusive workshop invitation

Event overview

The Funding for Fast Growth one-day workshop will provide you with the tools to secure the capital your company needs to launch and develop a high growth enterprise - and ensure you retain a large equity stake of your own company.

Who's it for?

The Funding for Fast Growth workshop is ideal for entrepreneurs who have:

Already created a company and are looking for growth capital, or are in the start-up phase with a clear business plan
Aready-to-go product/service and founders who are passionate and committed to making it happen within the next 3-6 months

This workshop is NOT suitable for businesses looking for steady growth of less than 25% per annum, or for entrepreneurs who are in the preliminary stage of developing ideas and products without any plan to take action in the immediate future.

Event outline
The Funding for Fast Growth workshop addresses three key themes:

Discovering and assessing opportunities for raising capital
Overcoming barriers that have been preventing your business from getting successfully funded
Being rewarded as a founder in a successful business by retaining high levels of equity at exit

The workshop draws on real-world experiences to illustrate the key lessons for successfully funding a fast-growing company.

How you will benefit
The Funding for Fast Growth workshop packs two-days worth of valuable content into one informative day. At the end of the workshop you will leave with:

Clear ideas on how to create a compelling executive summary
A formula for realistic valuation of your company ahead of investment
Ways in which to develop credible and attractive business forecasts for growth and investment
An insight into the latest low cost marketing initiatives that can be implemented instantly and help reduce your capital spend
An insiders list of recommended, small-business-friendly VCs, bankers, angel networks, lawyers, accountants, intellectual property professionals and more
Methods for dramatically increasing the credibility of your team with potential investors
Guidance on the feasibility of applying for the "Small Loans Guarantee Scheme" (SLGS) or other bank debt to support your business; what you need to do and who to go to
Invaluable tips on how to pitch your business to an angel investor
Advice on how to assess the true value of an offer from an angel investor
Direction on how to give away the least amount of equity stake for the capital you require for your next stage of business development
A clear understanding of how to play the funding game

For a reduced rate of 65, a one-hour follow-up consultation over the phone is also offered exclusively to delegates of the Funding for Fast Growth workshop. This offer must be used within six months of attendance. See below for more details.

Expert speakers
Paul Grant founder of The Funding Game
Paul knows what its like to be on both sides of the funding fence. As an entrepreneur he raised funds for his own business, securing capital from business angels, bankers, family and friends, and even a government grant.
After seven years of trading he exited his business in 2003 and was invited to join a private equity company, Capital Partners, eventually heading up the business angel division. Here he had access to nearly 5,000 angel investors and reviewed more than 1,000 business plans every year.
During this time Paul learnt a lot about why so many businesses fail to secure the funding they need in the start-up and growth phases. Paul has met with many investors, bankers, and venture capitalists over the years and in the course of his work has uncovered what they are really looking for.
More importantly, Paul has developed an approach to raising capital that works. He is keen to share with you what he has learnt as an entrepreneur and as an industry insider.
Paul is currently an associate director of BA Capital and Bergstrom Capital and is a regular speaker at events on the subject of raising capital.

Christopher Jenkins co-founder of Wingrave Yeats
Christophers speciality is strategic advice to owner-managers of growing businesses: how to manage growth and how change affects financial reporting systems and controls, people management, profitability and cash flow. He has had extensive experience in dealing with banks on behalf of his clients and also in 'turnarounds.'
After qualifying with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells (a predecessor Firm of PwC) in 1979, Christopher became a founder member of the firm's small business unit and then spent two years in their Paris office working in audit and investigations. He left to work for the Vestey Family, where he tidied up a portfolio of small trading companies. He then joined a wholesale international bookseller as managing director where he managed 40 people and a turnover of 10m. Over the course of five years, on sales trips, he had the dubious privilege of visiting nearly every university in the US and Canada.
Christopher writes extensively for the business press and is a regular contributor to Real Business and Growing Business. He was voted Best Business Adviser of the Year by the CBI in their awards for Growing Businesses for 2001/2002.

Why the traditional approach to raising funding does not work
If you search the web, speak to business advisors and buy small business books youll find that common wisdom says: write your full business plan, go out and find funding, then start your business or take it to the next growth phase.
Yet the majority of successful early-stage companies did not get started using this approach. It may have worked during the internet boom of the 1990s, when everyone with a dot.com plan needed 1m to launch. Today things are very different. There are a new set of rules, and todays entrepreneur needs to do more than write a business plan and expect investors to line up.
In today's economic climate the funding game is all about learning how to reduce the risk to investors and making it easier for them to invest. Investors and bankers are savvy and expect realistic business valuations and forecasts. More importantly, they are looking for a team that is focused, knows their market and has a plan for raising and using their capital wisely. At The Funding Game we show you where the bad plays are and give you the skills to win at funding your company - all the way from start up to exit. These skills will be invaluable to you as you build your current business and perhaps your next one!

What is this event worth to you?

Ultimately this one-day workshop is all about saving your valuable time as you seek the finance you need to fund your business. For some entrepreneurs this can take years of mistakes and trips down many blind alleys. We aim to fast-track your learning and deliver practical resources you can use to get a head start quickly. How much is your time worth?
Once you find the funding you need we provide you with the strategies to make sure you hold on to as much equity stake in your business as possible. When it comes to an exit this advice alone could save you hundreds of thousands of pounds.
All delegates of the Funding for Fast Growth workshop are exclusively offered a one-hour personal phone consultation at a reduced rate to be used within six months of attendance. These sessions normally cost 149 but those who attend the event will pay just 65. This offer alone makes the attendance fee worthwhile.
We have known some entrepreneurs spend up to 100k in professional and marketing fees. More commonly small-business owners spend 2-3k. We aim to ensure you spend much, much less - ideally nothing outside of this event.

What other entrepreneurs say

This is a great resource for new businesses Extremely insightful and informative
Nice to hear from somebody who has achieved what they are talking about
Ill recommend this event to others "Inspiring and kick-started me into action"
"Clear, concise,basically excellent" "Really worthwhile attending this event"
Youve given me a completely new perspective on funding



Organized by The Funding Game
Sponsored byWingrave Yeats, Business Angel Capital Ltd and Cmypitch. The Funding Game seminars provide an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn how to fund an early stage business and to network with professionals who have succeeded at the funding game.Seminars are held several times a year and places tend to go quickly. To register your interest in future events please contact us here or visit www.thefundinggame.co.uk

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Ticket Info:  

• Early Bird, £99.43
• Standard, £132.23

Official Website: http://fundinggame020409-upcoming.eventbrite.com