After observing the Tech City Media, one would think that the goal of a startup is to raise finance. Most success stories both here and in the States centre around that theme and for an early stage startup with little traction there are often no other metrics to go on. However, let’s not get distracted, […]
So, for those that have met me will know that I don’t consider myself a founder and I therefore shy away from giving in depth startup advice. Don’t get me wrong I founded a very successful dot com company which pioneered the Internet and data centre industry. However I did this within the confines of […]
So I was offered an investment in a mid cap company. They were seeking £600K for an 8% investment in their holding company. The money was going to be split, with £250K for working capital and £350K to pay outstanding debts. The working capital requirement I could understand, but I wanted to know more about […]
I got another business plan today that fails to describe what the product does and how it works. It also spends a significant amount of time giving client testimonials and potential market without explaining what investment is required, what its going to be used for. A ROI estimate would have been useful as well. So […]
I have a very selective memory, my wife will tell you I can’t remember names, not just people, but places or things. It’s kind of a handicap and causes occasional embarrassment, however it leaves room in my brain for important stuff. As an investor and businessman I remember everything, I mean everything. If you tell […]
So another funding dilemma I have been grappling with recently. Whether to invest in companies that are growing, successful but losing money? My answer is always NO, partly because I’m canny but also because I don’t have infinite money to burn. However the U.S. is especially adept at investing in loss making businesses. Amazon is […]
I’m currently about halfway through Eric Schmidt’s book: How Google Works, and I’m not really getting that much from it. It reads a little parochial and tame, while the advice it offers is unrealistic. Most companies and CEO’s have a much broader job with many more challenges and a lot harder mountain to climb. Now […]
If you’ve been following my blog on “The Secrets of Investing”, you’ll be aware of my dilemma on providing startup funding to pay founders salaries. Today I had an epiphany and I’d like to share it with you. If I am investing an amount of money in exchange for a percentage of the company, then […]
So the Internet went live in 1969 but did not go commercial until the invention of the web in 1989. The web was single handedly responsible for making the Internet the huge global phenomenon it is today. But, it is evolving and now, I consider the web the fallback option and heres why: My phone […]
The short answer is NO, here’s the long answer. Accelerators and their kind offer much needed advice to early stage businesses. These businesses are often started by novices that have little or no business acumen. Don’t get me wrong, most of the advice is sage, pertinent well intentioned and constructive. However, it is a rare […]