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Before you start, please read our Legal
Notices
If you are trying to raise money, write a business plan or understand
the way venture capital works these links may be a useful resource, a
starting point, even an 'agent provocateur' ...
 Raising Venture Capital
An overview of the
basic issues... (USA) On the Netpreneur Exchange
website; click on the link to "Venture Capital - An overview of the
basic issues and challenges for entreprenuers" from Andrew Sherman at
law firm McDermott,
Will and Emery. (pdf file). Also worthwhile by the same author on the
Netpreneur site is Anatomy of
a Term Sheet (another pdf file).
Buzz of the
Week (USA) the archive of weekly articles on the venture capital
industry published by the excellent VCExperts.com. Free registration
required. For example try the recent (July 2003) article on "Why
business plans don't get funded"
That thing
Venture Capitalists do (USA) From the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia's Business Review, a clear background to the venture capital
'industry' by senior economist Mitchell Berlin. (pdf file)
Private
Equity brochure - An entrepreneur's guide to private equity (UK) useful
overview published as part of law firm Taylor Wessing's London office Plain
Dealing campaign. Click on the link toward the bottom of the page for the
Private Equity brochure; also good is the "Getting your
house in Order" link (on the same page) which gives a summary
checklist for technology companies seeking investment.
20 questions you will be asked by VCs
(USA) from VCapital, online exchange for entrepreneur and investor, this
article discusses the kind of questions venture capitalists might ask when
trying to find the "fatal flaw", the "deal killer".
The
entrepreneur's guide to raising private capital (USA) from the
netrepreneur.org site, a useful slide show from Larry Robertson of
Lighthouse Consulting.
10 steps to secure
venture capital (USA) a useful checklist from East Coast US healthcare
and IT venture capital firm Euclid SR
Debt Or
Equity? (USA) from The Capital Connection -
"The Entrepreneur's Web Site For Financing Resources" looks at
which kind of capital might be appropriate for your business.
John Doerr's
Start-up Manual (USA) from Fast Company magazine, an
interview with the VC behind (among others) America Online and Netscape -
his views and advice on starting a company and raising venture capital.
A
Venture Capital Analysis (USA) a general
business resource site produced by morebusiness.com. They have a series of
articles on financing small businesses including this background piece on
venture capital by one of the partners at the Edison Venture Fund in the
US. Also on the same site is Financing
Guide - Private Equity Alternatives
Three
keys to obtaining venture capital (USA) useful
background from PWC's US private equity group.
Fund me .... Please!
(USA) from CNET's News.com site; useful background piece for raising
capital in the current climate from Californian early stage / seed VC
Robert von Goeben.
Interview with -
Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation
(USA) this interview gives more insight into the
investment processes of a relatively small US technology venture capital
firm.
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Business Plans
Perfecting
your pitch: the horse race (USA) published in Fast Company magazine,
but from Garage.coms' 'bootcamp for start-ups'. This article looks at your
business plan's executive summary. Two others complete the series - on the
"elevator
pitch" (with its great title "Assume short buildings"),
and the
presentation.
Building a
strong business plan (USA) from Inc.com, some useful resources to help
along the business plan process.
Bplans.com (USA) a
site devoted to business plans for entrepreneurs.
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UK Sites
British Venture Capital Association
includes information on the association and its
services, statistics on the UK venture capital industry, details on
publications and research.
NESTA National
Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, set up by the National
Lottery Act in 1998, makes financial awards in the £50,000 to
£150,000 range.
Business Link
main page for the Business Link network detailing all the services
available. You can access all the local Business Links.
UK Business Incubation
site from the Centre for Business Incubation Policy in the UK.
UK Science Park Association
website giving information on more than 50 UK science parks
Intellect
the organisation serving the IT software and services, telecommunications
or electronics industries in the UK.
SMART awards also from the
Business Link's site, information on SMART awards and other sources of seed
/ R&D funding
The Oxford Trust
charitable foundation which includes the Oxford Investment Opportunity
Network (another business angels network) and The Oxford Centre for
Innovation (science and technology business incubator).
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Intellectual Property
The Patent Office (UK)
summaries on patents, trademarks, copyright and more.
Patent
information on the internet (UK) from Free Pint, the
email newsletter giving you tips, tricks and articles on how and where to
search online more effectively.
UK Patent Information (UK)
click through to the Patents section for a general introduction to UK and
overseas patent information from Willaims, Powell & Associates.
Avoiding intellectual
property problems (USA) from the Franklin Pierce Law Center
Intellectual
Property - Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents (USA)
general background on IP from US law firm Bingham, Dana & Gould.
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Magazines / Resources
Fast Company "how
smart business works".
Red Herring
"the business of technology".
Wired
"crucial tech"
wsj.com Startup Journal The Wall
Street Journal's center for entrepreneurs
Tornado-Insider.Com
"Inside Europe's New Economy"
Inc. Magazine "for
the business builder who is long on work and short on time"
Business Week
Online resource for small business owners.
Forbes.com "home page for the
world's business leaders"
Darwin "business evolving
in the information age"
The Register "Biting
the hand that feeds IT"
Technology Review
Massachusetts Institute of Technology site & magazine promoting understanding
of emerging technology
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If you have time ...
The VC
(USA) a tragically short 41-part series of comic strips about VCs -
complete fantasy obviously...
Lies
to make a VC groan (USA) from Business Week online, Guy Kawasaki's
(founder of garage.com) observations on the worst faux pas.
Adventures
of a Global Venture Capitalist (USA) From Fast
Company magazine, hot money hunting for cool ideas
The Trade-off Game
(USA) from Arthur Anderson's Emerging Business Consulting
Group. Should the "idea person" (probably the company's founder)
also end up being the chief executive?
Starting your
startup (USA) from Fast Company magazine, useful advice
"nuggets" from experienced entrepreneurs.
Lies,
damned lies, and marketing lies (USA) from Network World Fusion, the
first of two articles by Howard Anderson looks at lies told to VCs by
entrepreneurs. The second article "Lies
venture capitalists tell entrepreneurs" makes a valiant attempt to
balance the books.
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If you have any any other links which you think may be worthwhile
additions please e-mail us the
details. Thank you.
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