NBAN - NATIONAL BUSINESS ANGELS NETWORK

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Private investors who take an interest in smaller companies by investing up to £250,000 in exchange for a share in the business

Business Angels are wealthy individuals, often successful entrepreneurs or senior managers, who invest their own money in small and medium-sized businesses; mostly start-ups and during the early stages of development. Generally, they make capital investments of less than £250,000, and most commonly between £20,000 and £50,000. Business Angels offer long-term risk capital in return for a share of the rewards if the business is a success. Their involvement can also bring management expertise to the company and added credibility in efforts to raise additional finance.

What activities are eligible for assistance and funding?

Companies must have strong potential for growth, and a management team that can deliver success. Technology-based firms attract something like a third of investment by Business Angels. In return for the capital investment, Business Angels will take a share in the business and often play an active role in managing the company.

Services

• Capital investment of up to £250,000

There are several networks that are designed to help companies find sources of private finance. These are:

National Business Angels Network (NBAN)

NBAN is a new service designed to facilitate introductions between private investors and businesses seeking finance. A development of the Local Investment Networking Company (LINC) initiative, it is supported by the Small Business Service and sponsored by the major high street banks (including The Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and Barclays), together with several professional financial firms. It offers a mechanism for small and medium-sized businesses to source risk capital, which is supplied by private investors in return for shares in the business. NBAN has agents nationwide who can provide further local assistance to both businesses and investors. These agents include Business Links and Enterprise Agencies as well as private finance companies. A list of NBAN Agents can be found at www.bestmatch.co.uk/oldsite/wwwroot/

Companies seeking finance can register with the National Business Angels Network for an annual fee of £100 plus VAT. Brief details are then placed on the NBAN website and in its publication, "NBAN Bulletin". If requested, information can also be passed to other investor networks. Businesses may also have the opportunity to present to investors at meetings held locally.

For more information contact:

NBAN
40-42 Cannon Street
London
EC4N 6JJ

Tel: 020 7329 2929
Fax: 020 7329 2626

E-mail:info@BestMatch.co.uk
Web site: www.bestmatch.co.uk/oldsite/wwwroot/

EquityLink ^TM

EquityLinkTM was developed by Business Link and operates in the following parts of the south and east of England: Hertfordshire, Kent, Essex, Norfolk, Greater Peterborough, London North West, Bedfordshire/Luton, Cambridge, Suffolk, Sussex, Surrey, Thames Valley and London East.

To help small and medium-sized businesses during their quest for a suitable investor, Equity LinkTM offers advice on how to make a business plan attractive to investors, how to get introductions to a suitable investor, and how to tell if the investor is a potential partner or predator. After an initial meeting with the EquityLinkTM, to verify the strength of the candidate company's business plan, EquityLinkTM adds the company to its register. EquityLinkTM then offers help and advice to improve the business plan and eventually chooses from a selection of potential investors and introduces the company to the most suitable one. After that, it is left to the company and its potential investor to take the matter forward. There is a nominal charge to register for the EquityLinkTM service. If there is a satisfactory outcome, Business Link levies a charge equivalent to 2.5%, plus VAT, of the money received from the investor (up to £250,000) thereafter on a reducing sliding scale.

For more information contact:

Business Link Hertfordshire
45 Grosvenor Road
St Albans
Hertfordshire
AL1 3AW

Tel: 01727 813533
Fax: 01727 813403

E-mail: info@EquityLink.co.uk
Web site: www.equitylink.co.uk

Business Links

In England, many Business Link advice centres offer help with finding local private investment capital. Visit the National Business Link web site at www.businessadviceonline.org/ to find contact details of the nearest Business Link.

LINC Scotland

LINC Scotland is a not-for-profit, business introduction network or "marriage bureau" for companies and investors. Its work is supported by a wide range of public and private sector sponsors, and the advice offered is strictly independent and impartial. LINC Scotland is a facilitation service, and does not provide investment advice. In essence, it acts as a clearing house for information about investment opportunities and the requirements of investors.

For more information contact:

LINC Scotland
Queens House
19 St. Vincent Street
Glasgow
G1 2DT

Tel: 0141 221 3321
Fax: 0141 221 2909

E-mail: there is an e-mail facility on the LINC Scotlandweb site
Web site: www.lincscot.co.uk/index2.htm

Contact details

In addition to the government-supported networks described above, there are many private sector Business Angels, or "dating" services that can be used. These include:

MONEY FINDER

SOLAR COLA as an INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY?

The soft drinks market is a tough place to do business, unless you have something different to offer and the marketing muscle to match. 

For nearly 100 years Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola have dominated the marketplace with similar products.  Each company spends around $600-800 million dollars a year to maintain its market position. The advertising centers around sport and music, with a scattering of irregular television campaigns. Each company launches (or attempts to launch) new brands every year.  So far, they have not proved as successful as their regular cola brands.

Red Bull, although in a different drinks category, spends not quite as much on advertising , but has managed to acquire instant status and volume sales from sponsoring formula one, the Darpa Desert Challenge, and now the New Jersey MetroStars football team.

Solar Cola, apart from it's contemporary name, is a healthier cola based drink.  Just as refreshing, it contains a unique blend of added ingredients as an aid to good health and energy levels.  The company contributes to and sponsors alternative projects, to include this website, featuring movies, music and several thousand pages of general information, which generates in excess of 3 million visits a month already.  Recent acquisitions include the rights to the Solar Navigator World Electric Challenge, and also the new Bluebird Electric land speed record car for 2007.  The company may also sponsor the London to Brighton Solar Car Run in 2008 (dependent on the number of university entries received). 

It is thought that this marketing strategy will equal several hundred thousand dollars of conventional Ad Agency spending.  As an example of the kind of media coverage such nautical antics generate, you have only to look at the newspapers when Ellen Macarthur completed her world circumnavigation.  The same holds true for Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

The design of the Solar Cola can is copyright protected, with trademark applications in the USA, Australia and Europe pending in Class 32 and granted rights in the UK.  Introduction of the drink is held in abeyance pending official launch of one or other sponsored projects, which will be activated when the time is right, such activation to coincide with the market introduction of the drink.

Solar Cola PLC is shortly to be activated for online investment as their trading arm.  The company is forecast to produce excellent results for investors, with sustained growth to be followed by an eventual flotation on the Stock Markets of the world in the next few years.  At this point estimates suggest investors will reap substantial gains - in line with international Licensing expectations.

Solar Cola Ltd is managing the funding requirement for the trading company.  They are looking for medium term or seed investment between £4-5 million to kick start phase two of the venture.

If you are a Business Angel, or Equity House, looking for an opportunity with the potential for good returns, please contact SOLAR COLA LTD for details.  Please ask for the funding project manager: Nelson Kruschandl

+ 44 (0) 1323 831727

+44 (0) 7905 147709

This material and any views expressed herein are provided for information purposes only and should not be construed in any way as an endorsement or inducement to invest in any specific program. Before investing in any program, you must obtain, read and examine thoroughly its disclosure document or offering memorandum.

A taste for adventure capitalists

Solar Cola - a healthier alternative

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