TV Dragon and serial entrepreneur, Theo Paphitis will open doorways to his personal mini Dragon’s Den this summer season, with the relaunch of his funding competitors for UK small companies.
Now in its second yr, #SBS Make investments is a free competitors that provides members of Paphitis’ small enterprise community, #SBS Small Enterprise Sunday the possibility to pitch their enterprise.
In response to the community’s web site, the founders with essentially the most persuasive pitches might win between £50,000 and £250,000 from an investor, in trade for a share of fairness.
What’s #SBS Make investments?
#SBS is Theo Paphitis’ on-line group of small companies. Every Sunday, Paphitis asks SMEs to tag him in a submit on X and argue why their enterprise deserves to be highlighted.
Paphitis then handpicks six successful SMEs to win the #SBS Small Enterprise Sunday award. Every winner is given a profile on his web site and joins the #SBS community. At present, the group is house to round 4,000 small enterprise house owners.
#SBS Make investments is a specialist funding competitors that’s solely run for the #SBS members. In addition to being a SBS winner, the eligibility standards states you should additionally:
- Be at the least 18 years previous
- Personal a enterprise based mostly within the UK
- Have been buying and selling for no less than two years
How do I apply?
Entries will open for #SBS Make investments subsequent Tuesday 30 July. SMEs will then have one month to submit a filled-in software type, with entries closing on Monday 2 September.
The applying course of is being run throughout a number of levels:
- Stage 1: entrants submit an entry type and a filmed, five-minute lengthy enterprise pitch
- Stage 2: profitable candidates submit a marketing strategy and an funding plan
- Stage 3: profitable candidates attend a reside pitch with the panel in London
SMEs ought to e-mail sbs@tpretailgroup.com to request an up-to-date entry type. Becoming a member of Paphitis behind the boardroom desk might be fellow #SBS investor and F1 Celebrity, Mark Blundell in addition to the CEO of Tiny Field Firm, Rachel Watkyn.
Paphitis: “I wish to turbocharge small enterprise development”
Paphitis is among the most well-known faces from the favored BBC One collection Dragons’ Den. Throughout his time within the famend black chairs, he invested £1.5m in over 20 companies.
On relaunching #SBS Make investments and supporting small companies, Theo Paphitis stated: “Small companies are the lifeblood of our financial system, and that’s why I’m so proud to convey again this free alternative that provides them an opportunity to turbocharge their development.
“Final yr’s #SBS Make investments was a powerful success, and it allowed me to additional perceive some cracking companies within the community. I’m trying ahead to seeing this yr’s entries.”
What does Theo Paphitis need from a pitch?
Forward of the #SBS Make investments launch, we requested Paphitis to share his high suggestions for pitching success. Right here’s what he solely informed Startups.
1. Do your homework: “I realized rapidly throughout my time on the Den that I’d a lot slightly spend money on an awesome particular person with a mean enterprise than in a mean particular person with an awesome thought. The individuals who impressed me essentially the most had been those that had ready beforehand, knew who they wished funding from, and will reply any questions we threw at them”, he advises.
2. Have faith: “With the ability to confidently promote your self and what you are promoting is a elementary part of a profitable pitch,” Paphitis provides. “If it comes throughout that you just’re not assured in your self, an investor received’t be assured in what you are promoting.”
3. Be clear: “Don’t overcomplicate issues,” Paphitis tells Startups. “Protecting it easy is the important thing to getting your concepts throughout in a really brief period of time.” We couldn’t have put it higher ourselves.
#SBS Make investments has been going since 2023. Not eligible to use this yr? Why not tweet Theo Paphitis this Sunday, to be in with a shot at becoming a member of #SBS and the £250,000 prize.
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