How a business acquires funding can make all the difference.
What do businesses need to consider when they are raising funding?
First, the need for funding is crucial to ensure that products can be developed at a pace so that they can be relevant to their target market. The world moves fast, and delays in R&D can result in obsolescence before a product has even gone to market.
Equity investment is a clear opportunity as well as providing the all-important funds, VCs will have networks of helpful individuals who will be able to advise and accelerate growth of the business. They will be able to spot and correct weaknesses in the journey from idea to market, suggest fruitful collaborations and see the bigger picture when it comes to new opportunities and novel applications.
Swoop provides an equity support package where they act as an introducer and matchmaker to their large investor network of around 250+ active contacts within VC funds, angel syndicates, individual angels, and family offices.
Where do grants fit into the picture?
Grant funding can make a big difference not just to the bottom line, but also to the viability of new innovative products or services.
While the offer of grant funding is attractive, business owners should be aware that funds often come with strings attached: you as a business may be limited in how you can use the money, it is often paid in arrears (so you may have to borrow to cover costs in advance) and you will need to ensure that your business and project are eligible under each competition.
You may decide that the upsides of a successful application for the right kind of funding outweigh the downsides. Apart from having the money in your bank, a successful grant application can make your business more attractive to investors.
How Swoop can help: the Grant Finder tool on the Swoop platform makes it easy to check which grants you may be eligible to apply for based on your sector and location.
Swoop can help you at every stage of the funding journey, from acquiring start-up capital to making the business investible and connecting with the right people to see your idea thrive in the market.
To learn more about our partnership with Swoop and what it means for you and your business, book in a meeting with us. We look forward to discussing your growth plans and goals for the coming year.
Set up an account on our portal here to compare and select the right funding options for your business, covering loans, grants, equity and to see how your business can make savings.