Business Plan Help

Securing Venture Capital Funding

If you are in the process of securing venture capital funding then here are some tips and suggestions to help you along the way. Click here to read them.

Advice on Funding Your Business Plan

Finance South East can help you with access to finance and impartial advice on the variety of funding options you have. They have expertise in a wide variety of finance options: bank loans, non-bank finance, venture capital, business angels and even those elusive grants! If you’re looking to raise money and you or your business is based in the South East of England visit their website for more details on how they can help you to fund your business plan.

Looking for Help to Raise Funding for Your Business?

axiom-e - the Cambridge-based strategic financial management consultants - can help you to prepare a business plan if you’re planning on – (1) raising money via a loan or equity finance, (2) funding the buying or selling of a business or (3) raising finance for a major capital expenditure project. By working closely with you on your business plan they aim to ensure your plan is realistic, clear and concise and that your financial projections make sense.

Raising Finance: How to Write a Good Business Plan

The University of Greenwich’s Centre for Entrepreneurship provides a thorough and detailed 16-page guide to writing a business plan to raise money. The accurately-titled Raising Finance: How to Write a Good Business Plan is written by a former bank manager and is packed with good advice and practical tips to help you write a business plan that will raise finance. A 'must-download' if you want to raise money with your business plan.

7 Tips to Help You Raise Funding with Your Business Plan

MyBusiness.co.uk has a very useful article that can help you to Make Your Financier Take You Seriously. The article suggests that raising money from a bank or financier boils down to two main things – a solid business plan and human relationships. The 7 tips could help you to fine-tune your business plan so it's music to the ears of a potential investor.

Professional Help to Raise Finance Over £10,000

Advantage Business Angels could help you to raise the funding you need if it’s more than £10,000 and less than £3 million. Once you’ve registered on their website they promise that you’ll receive free initial advice within 48 hours. There’s an initial fee of £1,425 plus VAT but if your business is based in the West Midlands, Government subsidies reduce the fees to £475 plus VAT. If they are successful in raising the money a fee of 5% is also payable.

No-Win, No-Fee Fundraising from Maxtian

If you’re looking to raise funding with your business plan and would like professional advice but don’t want to take the risk of failing and being left with a big bill for professional fees, Maxtian may be able to help you. They offer a No-Win No-Fee 'Investment Support Service' that can help to raise funding and hold your hand through the entire fund-raising process. If you only want to pay fees (5%) on a success basis Maxtian could be the answer.

The UK’s Biggest Single Source of Early-Stage Funding

NESTA (The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) was formed by an Act of Parliament in 1998 and is funded by the national lottery. They can provide funding and support for innovative businesses and their Invention and Innovation programme is the UK’s biggest single source of early-stage funding. The website gives you information to help you evaluate whether your business could qualify for funding and also provides useful advice on planning and funding your project.

64-Page Guide to Private Equity

The website of the British Venture Capital Association is worth a visit if you're producing a business plan with a view to raising money through private equity. There is a comprehensive 64-page guide to private equity that you can download for free and will answer almost every question you can come up with on the subject.

Two Free Funding Services for London Businesses

If you’re looking for finance to start or grow your business in London, Business Link for London has two free services to help you choose the right options for your needs. The Finance Diagnostic is an online tool that assesses the information you enter about your business and funding requirements, and provides you with a report on the best financing options for your business. Or you can complete the Finance Needs Assessment questionnaire and they will contact you to discuss your financing options in greater detail.

6 Golden Rules of Funding Your Business

The business planning guidelines Scottish Enterprise offer are particularly suitable if you are looking to raise money for your business. They give you their 6 golden rules when you are applying for extra finance. If you live in Scotland you can contact the Business Gateway on 0845 609 6611 to speak to a free business adviser on how to write a business plan to fund expansion.

Apply for a Subsidised Business Support Plan

Writing-a-business-plan.co.uk is backed by the Institute for Independent Business (IIB), a not-for-profit research and accreditation organisation. The site gives you the opportunity to complete an online registration form to apply for a subsidised business support plan to help you with funding and planning. Alternatively contact the IIB on 01932 210 357 to make an appointment with one of their accredited consultants in your area.

The Best Source of Finance for Your Business Stage

If you’re looking to raise money with your business plan, Innovateur’s run-down of your funding options is an essential stop. A handy chart, which plots the stage of your business against the amount of funding you’re looking to raise, tells you whether you should be writing your business plan for banks, business angels, venture capitalists or any of the other possible sources of finance.

Innovateur is a free resource for innovators and entrepreneurs. The guidance on writing a business plan is also particularly pertinent if you’re producing a business plan to raise significant funding.

Business Plan Tips from a Venture Capitalist

Advent Venture Partners – a UK venture capital company that invests up to £20 million - provide a business plan guide on their site. They advise that your business plan should not be any longer than 25-30 pages and that by following a few simple rules (eight DON’TS are listed) your business plan will get noticed and you’ll receive a quick response. You can also download a sample business plan that fits their criteria from the site.

Only 2% of Start-Ups Receive Funding

According to Manchester-based BestBusinessPlanning.com only 2% of business plans were described as ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ in a survey of Business Angel Investor Groups. Can it be a coincidence that only 2% of new business start-ups receive funding from investors?