Enterprise Ireland supports Irish businesses in manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors to start-up, innovate, and achieve global success. George Kiely reviews about 1,500 business proposals and plans annually. He discusses the types of start-up businesses Enterprise Ireland supports, the importance of an investor-ready business plan with clear value proposition and customer identification, common mistakes made in plans, and sources of funding available for Irish start-ups.
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Enterprise Ireland- 3rdApril2013
1. Entrepreneurship
How and when to approach Investors.
George Kiely
Enterprise Ireland
UCD - Innovation Academy
3rd April 2013
2. Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is the Government agency in Ireland
responsible for supporting Irish businesses in the
manufacturing and internationally traded service sectors.
Specifically, Enterprise Ireland helps businesses to start-
up, innovate and ultimately, to achieve global success.
4. Introduction
Working with entrepreneurs, EI and national programmes for
entrepreneurship.
View circa 1500 business propositions and business plans each year
Meet with circa 500 entrepreneurs/ teams each year to evaluate,
challenge and advise new start-up companies
Design, deliver and manage Start-up programmes for High Potential
Start-Ups
Review wide range of business ideas of all shapes and sizes to make
investor ready.
5. What I will cover
Enterprise Ireland and the types of Start-up businesses EI
supports
The importance of a Robust Investor Ready Business Plan
Indicators for Success (what we are looking for)
Common mistakes
Raising Funding Sources of Funding for Start-Ups
6. Projects EI invests in
Eligibility Criteria
Manufacturing or internationally traded services
Likely to achieve significant growth within 3 years
Sales of 1m per annum
Employment of at least 10 people
Export orientated
Involving industry experienced team
Irish owned or strategically controlled and located in Ireland
High level of technical innovation
7. Projects EI cannot invest in
NOT Eligible
No export potential i.e. customers will be based in Ireland
No growth potential
The main promoters / strategic decision making is not based in Ireland
IP is not registered with an Irish company
Importing products to sell in Ireland
Not innovative many competitors
8. Graduated EI assistance
1)Starting a Business: Enterprise Start 1(ES1)
2)Validating the Business Idea: ES2 or EI one to ones.
3) Incubation and Interim Funding
IOTs / New Frontiers Programme
4) Raising Substantial Investment :
EI High Potential Start Up HPSU.
9. HPSU High Performance Start - up
High Performance Start Up (HPSU). Competitive.
Three part finance. Promoter/VC/EI.
10 employees/1 million euros.
Full assistance
- Overseas Office
- Industry Experts
- Mentors
- Personalised Expert Advice
10. New Frontiers Programme
Entrepreneurship Development in Incubation Centres IOTs
Candidates and projects must have potential to grow in
international scale.
Three phases / competitive. Phase1 - 8 weeks. Phase 2 - 6
months
Scholarship of 15K
11. Sources of Finance
Entrepreneurs, Relatives Private Investors
and Friends 損 Wealthy individuals
損 Seed Capital Scheme/BES 損 Cashed out entrepreneurs
損 Business angels
損 BES
Debt
損 Bank loans, overdrafts, invoice
discounting
Development Agencies
損 Feasibility Study grants
損 R&D grants
Venture Capital 損 Employment grants
損 Preference shares
13. Innovation Voucher
If you own or manage a small limited company with a
company registration number and you have a business
opportunity or problem that you want to explore - apply for an
Innovation Voucher.
14. What is a Business Plan ?
Detailed roadmap with companys offer, plans and strategy/costs for
implementation
Necessary to raise funding from a 3rd party - bank, government agency,
private investor, VC funds
Clear, well researched document that answers all the common
questions that you should know and that an investor will want to
know
It is not a creative writing exercise, a graphic design showcase or
exhibition on excel sheet modelling
15. Who is the Business Plan For?
You the entrepreneur plan the work and work the plan
For potential investors (Public and Private)
For your bank manager
For your staff new members joining to company
:
Note All different Audiences may need different versions, may
need NDA.
16. Investor Ready Business Plan
A Business Plan but not an Investor Ready Business Plan
We encourage entrepreneurs to think more about getting Investor
ready i.e. what information/evidence do I need to
convince investors to part with their money
If you can do this - finance will follow
17. Investor Ready Business Plan Content?
Plans should give information and detail about the entrepreneur and the
business that de-risks the business in the view of potential investors
or
more simply put - adds credible evidence as to the likely success of the
business
18. Common mistakes
Value proposition is not clearly defined. Technically brilliant product
but does it deliver VALUE to the customer?
Inability to identify and qualify the customer.
Our product has no competitors !
Unbelievable numbers (revenue projections and costs).
Unrealistic expectations on raising cash (time needed and valuations).
It will take 3-6 months. Plan conservatively.
Verbiage / inelegance
19. Common mistakes
Inability to identify clear and achievable milestones.
Unbalanced Management team dominance
commercially/technically?
Inability to plan for contingencies (they will happen !!).
20. Important considerations
1. Competition. Where are you in relation to your competition?
2. What is different about your product or service? Uniqueness?
3. Elevator pitch. 10 seconds. Brutal assessment.
4. Brand. Competitive matrix.
5. Who is selling it? Emotional intelligence supported by research.
6. Technology is a given unless.what is does for whom and better/
cheaper/ more effectively.
7. Innovation is not just technology but business model for example.
21. Commercial Environment - Interdisciplinary
Best creative business people - classicists, natural scientists,
philosophers.
Most successful ICT entrepreneurs non technical.
Successful businesses projects have valuable combinations of skills.
Interdependence
- the project itself
- the promoter.
23. County Enterprise Boards
Throughout REGIONS and DUBLIN
Businesses employing less than ten
Transition to EI HPSU
Close collaboration with EI incorporated within EI
EI on boards
Organic rather than scale growth
24. The Future
Recessions
Extraordinary talent.
Non - economic factors
Commercial significance of International Good Will.