When growth is the goal

Lancashire businesses often know they need funding and have heard of equity investment. But they don’t necessarily know what it is or how to secure it, says Robert Sheffrin, investment director at UCLan Ventures.

Robert is part of a team at the university looking to raise awareness, working with growth businesses in the county to prepare them for venture capital and business angel investment.

And the amount of funding they are looking at typically varies between £50,000 to several millions.

Robert, who has 25 years’ venture capital investment experience in the UK and abroad, says: “A lot of it is about understanding the investment process, what investors want and what they don’t.”

“Many don’t even have a business plan,” he explains, and he adds: “Without that, how can they even begin to present their story to would-be investors?”

The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is free for eligible Lancashire businesses. It is early days but so far 50 businesses have registered, with three funding offers received. The project is working with businesses from a range of sectors including tech start-ups. For more details about the programme click here. The project’s next Introduction to Equity Finance” workshop will take place on June 19. To book a place at the workshop visit: www.uclan.ac.uk/investmentreadiness