I have been writing a series of articles recently entitled “The Price of Money” that grew out of my unease that people neither understood how great the cost of capital is nor the enormous difficulty involved in pricing capital. I was further dis-enchanted by the rhetoric amongst government ministers reciting mantras of entrepreneurship and access to capital as though their wholesale theft of the language of the Schumpterian community absolved them from actually doing anything effective in support of small...
Monthly Archives: October 2009
What Angel Investing & 1 Night Stands Have In Common
I am supposed to be the investor not the CEO. If I’m solving the problems before the investment, what’s going to happen afterwards?
The Price of Money (At Least You Can Eat Catfish)
If you are a startup you must realize that if it’s too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true. People will want your money, what little you have, and will say or do anything to get it.
Sex, Lies and the Bottom Feeders of the Angel Community
Not all angel investors are created equal. Some are real, some are actually corporate finance houses and should be judged on their track record and some are snake oil salesmen who are taking your money for no good reason. You need to be able to tell them apart.
The Dirty Secret of Credit For Small Business: the Failure of the EFG Scheme
Small businesses do not benefit from the government schemes like the Enterprise Finance Scheme because the banks subvert the schemes to reduce their own risk rather than extending the scope of lending. The incoming government should beware.
University of Essex & School for Startups to Jump Start UK Small Business in Colchester
Oct 20, 2009 – Doug Richard, Dragons' Den investor, serial entrepreneur and founder of School for Startups (S4S), will lecture small businesses and startups on 13 November 2009 at a free one day "Six Rules for Startups" event in Colchester. The course, a £95 value, will be delivered free through the University of Essex with funding from the Government’s Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF). Entrepreneurs can reserve a seat at www.schoolforstartups.co.uk.
UK Startups Get Accelerated Training in How to Find Investors from Doug Richard at The Royal Institution of Great Britain
Doug Richard's School for Startups, working together with O2, will be delivering "Find, Pitch & Close: The Art of Securing Investment" at the Royal Institution on 18 November. Registration open now at www.schoolforstartups.co.uk.
