SHOWREEL
TESTIMONIALS
Susan Benjamin:
This is an excellent programme for startups who face so many challenges and limited budgets
Matt Robinson:
Excellent Day, Interesting Anecdotes, Energetic Delivery
John Hynes:
It’s nice to hear from a man who has done the walk and is able to talk the talk
Clare Brynley-Jones:
Great day – great setting, really interesting and reassuring
Ross Wallin, Pitcher and Piano:
Great Venue, charismatic presenter and good time slots
Phillip Gibbs, Synergy Linx Ltd:
Doug Richard is great, open and has a great sense of humour. Phil Wilkinson was a very valuable addition
Vanessa Knight, 100 Percent Art:
Brilliant, loved the interactive approach with audience to give real on-the-spot examples
Joanna Anthony:
A positive day which I can highly recommend to others
Posts tagged "investment ready"
Growing a Successful Social Enterprise
Date: 19 January 2010
Time: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: The Royal Institution, London
Following the huge success of our seminars around the UK, Doug and the School for Startups team are returning to The Royal Institution. This must-attend event is for aspiring social/ethical entrepreneurs as well as existing small social/ethical businesses wishing to grow and become more successful and sustainable.
Thursday 24 December 2009
The Startup & The Scammer: A Real Story
Tell me what you think of this story. Last week I wrote about the unethical behaviour of so-called professionals involved in charging companies to help them obtain funding, get investment ready, or write their business plans. I closed by saying if you had head of anyone engaged in such practices to let me know.
This week [...]
Monday 2 November 2009
UK Startups are Prey for Rip Off Artists Disguised as Angel Groups & Financiers, says Doug Richard
“Just to be clear . . . start-ups should not be charged to pitch their businesses to angel investors. . . . Corporate financiers do not make their money on [upfront] fees but by taking a percentage of the money raised.”
Sunday 1 November 2009
The Price of Money Part 4: Say No, No, No, No Till Your Tongue Bleeds
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 [...]
Saturday 31 October 2009
The Price of Money Part 2: At Least You Can Eat Catfish
When Angel Networks are actually providing a corporate finance function they should be able to show their past funding success. If the cannot, one should be suspicious. If they insist on charging for investment readiness training beforehand then they should un-tie that obligation from presenting.
Friday 30 October 2009
The Price of Money Part 1: Sex, Lies & 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.
Tuesday 27 October 2009
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.
Monday 26 October 2009
Living Without Air: How to Need Very Little Capital (Part 1)
In Part 1 of our Living without Capital series I explore how startup companies should focus on creating a small feature set that is completely integrated with the world. Marketing is woven into the code. API’s real or metaphorical should be part of version 1. It’s more important to do a few things well and interoperable with the rest of the world than it is so do alot…
Thursday 22 October 2009