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Looking
for business capital? Don’t write a novel
–
enter an investment contest
The reason that most new business ventures fail
to get new capital is that they regularly do not address the issues that
are most important to investors.
“They think that writing a business plan
is all they need, but often such plans are more like a novel and about as
relevant as ‘Wind in the Willows,’” says Michael O’Neill,
coordinator of the Pitchfest Best Investment Ready Competition for small
businesses. “The real key to success is in ensuring your business is
truly ‘investment ready’ and being able to succinctly describe the
critical issues,” he
advises.
In PitchFest 2002 entrepreneurial businesses can
make themselves more attractive to investors, possibly win some $45,000 of
services, and have the chance to pitch their business ideas to some of
Australia’s leading angel and venture capital investors. “And they can
have a lot of fun doing it,” O’Neill adds.
Any company in Australia can now enter by
answering 25 questions on www.pitchfest.com.au.
In doing so, they will discover if they are ‘investment ready’. Entries
close 22 October 2002.
The showdown of the PitchFest contest will be
held at the Australian Stock Exchange from 7.30am on November 13 with
finalists pitching to a panel of angel and venture capital specialists.
All are welcome to the free event. Director General of the NSW Department
of State and Regional Development, Loftus Harris, and Chief Executive of
the State Chamber of Commerce (NSW), Margy Osmond, will officiate, while
General Manager Commercial of the CSIRO, Peter Lewis, will be the keynote
speaker discussing the “major issues to consider when expanding
offshore”. Austrade
managers from USA, Europe and South East Asia will then give short
overviews of conditions in their countries.
CONTACT: For more information or comment, please phone the coordinators of
PitchFest, Michael O’Neill or
Peter Thomson, at angel advisory group Pacific Capital on (02) 9247 7126. You can register to attend at www.pitchfest.com.au
Pitchfest
judges are: Dr Mark Bradley – Australian Technology Park;
Alan Campbell - A J Lucas Limited; Ian Neal - Nanyang Management Pty Ltd;
Michael Quinn - Innovation Capital Limited; Rob Sauer – Dibbs Barker
Gosling
Pitchfest sponsors are:
Austrade;
State Chamber of Commerce (NSW); Australian Technology Park Innovations
Pty Ltd; AusBiotech Ltd; CAPstart Private Equity Market; Creative
Thinking; Dibbs Barker Gosling; Financial
and Corporate Relations (FCR); Internet Depot; MPR Group; NSW Department
of State and Regional Development; NSW Enterprise Workshop; Pacific
Capital Corporation Ltd; Robert Walters, incorporating Dunhill Management
Services; Spruson & Ferguson; Stewarts Chartered Accountants; Walmac
Interactive Media Pty Ltd; The Warren
Centre.
If you think PitchFest would be of interest to any clients or SMEs
who you work with please pass this on.
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