As this mini-series is a more practical ‘how to’ I wanted to speak to an experienced investor to help understand not only the jargon surrounding this area but key points to consider when seeking investment as a startup. 

In this episode we hear from Costas Kalisperas, founder of In Tune Executive Coaching.  Costas is well placed to talk on this given his extensive and diverse advisory experience across law, investment banking, private equity as well as angel investing.  He now helps executives reach their next set of goals and ambitions through his executive coaching company.  Please don't hesitate to contact Coastas: [email protected]

Costas’ advice: 

• When looking for investors, a starting point can be friends/family or crowdfunding
• There are ‘angel’ lists and associations of individuals with capital too
• A unicorn is a privately-owned startup valued at £1 billion or more
• Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) offers tax incentives to high net worth individuals to invest in smaller businesses
• When looking for investment, if you are a product-based enterprise you need a minimum viable product (MVP) or prototype to show what you can do.  If you are a service-based enterprise, you will need a website and evidence of experience in the field.  Either way, assess the minimum amount you need to be able to show an investor what you can do.
  • Be clear about your proposition and why your experience qualifies you
  • Pre-empt the obvious questions and demonstrate how you are better than your competitors
• The main thing when looking for an investor is finding someone you can trust: focus on the individual, not the company. Look for accreditation in your advisors as much as in your investors
• Try to assess where you’ll rank in their portfolio; better to be part of a smaller portfolio because you will benefit from more attention
• Think hard about what fees you will be charged / how much equity in your company they will want / how much control they will want
• Concentrate on the immediate steps while keeping faith with your long-term vision, prioritise customer acquisition above all
• Always learn from your experience and be humble enough to pivot in order to build
• Bear in mind the reason most startups fail is not because they are a bad idea, but simply because they have run out of capital.  Think ahead about funding
• Start building networks and relationships with people who take an interest in your business long before you may need to raise capital
• Remember accepting investment is a moral responsibility

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.For contracts check out Law Depot.

Hosted by Juliet Fallowfield, founder of PR for startups advisory Fallow, Field & Mason
Edited by Emma Dewhurst and recorded, edited

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