Making An Application
Applications to The South West Ventures Fund are accepted in the form of a Business Plan or a web application. For a potential investor, it is vitally important to know that the management team have the knowledge and ability to operate the business successfully and the Business Plan is therefore an essential document in assessing the proposal. Click here for more information on Business Plans.
Getting this plan right at the earliest possible stage of the business will improve your chances of obtaining finance, and can also help to minimise the time taken to complete an investment. However, it is vitally important that your plan is a realistic and accurate description of the business and its future, and does not "add gloss" for the sole purpose of obtaining funding.
There are several sources of help in preparing your business plan including Training and Enterprise Councils, local accounting advisors, Business Links and Chambers of Commerce. We strongly advise you to make contact with one of these bodies at the earliest possible stage. Please remember that our decision to take your application further will be made largely on the strength of your Business Plan, and whilst it is beneficial to get expert advice, you (or a member of your management team) must be able to answer any questions we have about the plan.
For guidance on contents, click here.
To make an application please click here.
Fundamentals
The Fund Managers are interested in all of the information contained within your Business Plan however there are three fundamental areas which will be focused on:
- Management
Demonstrate that your team has the management skills needed to run the business, capitalise on identified opportunities, and a clear goal. Include a comprehensive CV for each of the key members of your team. If there are gaps in the team state how these are to be overcome. - Market
Prove that there is a real market for your products or services and that you can meet its requirements. Market research, past sales figures and letters of interest from prospective customers are all valuable evidence. - Finance
Show how much money you will need (cash flow projections), the profit you expect to make (profit & loss projections) and the assets held by the business (current and projected balance sheets). Past accounts are essential for established businesses and there should be no significant gap between these and the start of the projections.