5. Government Agencies

As the Richards Review highlighted it can easily end up feeling like you're chasing your tail when you deal with these agencies and sometimes the time and effort you put in can feel wasted when you don't get anywhere. Business Link, which provides somewhat of a hub, has a variable reputation depending on your local region. Some of the Enterprise Hubs are more supportive and operations like Finance South East have built a good reputation for clear and relevant advice.

6. Corporate Finance Firms

There are many companies competing in the market to help you raise money for your company. These are businesses in their own right who are seeking to make a profit but that shouldn't put you off. It means they are incentivised to help you succeed. Generally these firms do charge an upfront fee but most of them earn more of their fees from a back-end success component (a percentage of whatever is raised). Charges will range from £2k to £15k upfront and success fees are generally in the region of 5%, although they can go up to 20%. Beware of companies that either offer the service for free (on the basis that you generally get what you pay for) or that charge a very high upfront fee. There are also some who appear to guarantee an investment providing you pay for Due Diligence (DD). You end up paying £40k in advance and they find something in DD that prevents them investing (which they never really intended to do anyway). Make sure you understand and agreements before you enter into them.

7. Your Friends and Family

In reality, this is where many people go for initial advice. Now unless your friends and family happen to fall into any of the previous 6 categories, it's likely that their advice may be somewhat questionable. If they've had actual experience of the same issues and they've resolved it then by all means listen to them. However, you should always think about the source of your advice. Where has their knowledge and experience come from?

The key lessons here are to consider where the information is coming from, whether that information is based on real world experience and training and how relevant it is to your particular business.

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