Sometimes, the obvious things to do might not be the best ideas. And in some cases, can be more of a hindrance than a help. So what can you do that will genuinely help Ukraine?

Money in many forms

The top priority – and something we can do easily from home – is donate money. The Red Cross and the UNHCR Refugee Agency are two obvious choices. Here is a link from the Ukrainian Institute London that includes a long list of reputable charities to choose from, all of which make sure your money will go where it is really needed. The aid workers on the ground in Ukraine and its borders are well placed to ensure this happens.

For cryptocurrency users, the Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Federov has posted crypto wallet addresses where people can securely donate, such as Uniswap, DMarket and Solana Foundation. Federov has called on all crypto exchanges to block the addresses of all Russian users and praised those who have stepped up. Binance has not joined in, with the CEO citing “financial freedom” and “libertarian” reasons, so that might be one to avoid.

Getting money there directly

A clever way to help out is to pay for stays in Airbnbs in Ukraine where people are being housed for free by generous hosts. Here is some information from Airbnb about how you can donate this way.

Also, Etsy is waiving all fees for Ukrainian sellers, so you can buy digital products direct. Obviously it’s not a great time for people to be making extra things. But you can pay for downloadable stuff like crochet patterns, art, colouring pages, posters, and so on. Search ‘digital files’ on Etsy.com, click ‘All filters’, then under the location section, add Ukraine in the custom box, and voila.

What kind of stuff can you actually donate?

The crisis in Ukraine is not an excuse to clear out your wardrobe. Or offload the bag of stuff you were going to give to the charity shop that has been sitting in the boot of the car for months. In most cases, you are better off giving old clothes, toys and household items to a local charity.

The refugees are streaming into developed countries such as Poland and Hungary where they are being provided with clothes and blankets as well as places to stay.

The things that are really needed are medical supplies and sanitary products. It can be hard for people who don’t work in medical procurement to obtain medical supplies in the quantities needed. So it is often better to donate money to charities and organisations that are equipped to do this.

When you’ve left everything you know behind because of war, keeping in touch with friends and family becomes critical

Sanitary products, such as pads, tampons, nappies and wet wipes, are always welcome when people are crossing borders en masse often with just the clothes on their backs and whatever they can carry. If you are keen to donate things rather than money, these are the sort of items you can drop off to local donation points. And be safe in the knowledge that they should get to people who need them.

Some organisations are also collecting foodstuffs, such as tinned goods, rice, pulses etc, but check. Not everyone is taking the same stuff.

Cheap burner phones with pre-loaded SIM cards are another way to help out. When you’ve left everything you know behind because of war, keeping in touch with friends and family becomes critical. A lot of European telcos have stepped up to offer free data, minutes and phones to refugees. Check your own provider to see what they’re doing to help and whether you can get involved.

Make your voice heard

If you’re less than impressed with the government’s response to the growing humanitarian crisis, write to your MP. They are obliged to reply to every letter from their constituents. And it has never been easier to send off a strongly worded missive. WriteToThem is a simple way to make sure your email lands in your MP’s inbox.

And of course it is important to stay informed. On Twitter, it is easy to follow the UK journalists who are doing some fine reporting from the frontline. But also seek out Ukrainian journalists who are giving a voice to people who are quite literally under fire. Reporters Without Borders is a great place to find out about the heroic reporting that is coming from locations. Locations far more dangerous than Silver’s cushy offices. As we write in safety and comfort, our hats are off to these brave reporters who are doing amazing work to keep us all informed.

Ukrainian Institute London
Red Cross Ukraine campaigns

Georgia Lewis

In a career that has spanned Australia, the Middle East and the UK, Georgia has written about all sorts of things, including sex, cars, food, oil and gas, insurance, fashion, travel, workplace safety, health, religious affairs, glass and glazing… When she’s not writing words for fun and profit, she can usually be found with a glass of something French and red in her hand.

The post How to genuinely help the people of Ukraine appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Planning on the back of a napkin is a time-honoured way to get started with your idea – and empires have been kickstarted this way. But ultimately, some kind of funding is a good way to get things off the ground, and for that you’re going to need a bit more planning. If you’re thinking about raising some money for your new enterprise, money guru Clive Hyman has some tips.

1: Decide on equity or debt – or a combination
Equity has massive implications for dilution – so don’t ignore the debt option. This doesn’t affect equity and can be a quicker and easier source of funds. There are now plenty of debt providers lending money, depending on the age of your business – but don’t expect money from the traditional banks. For example, if your business is already two years old, try Funding Circle.

A combination of debt and equity is often the ideal solution; this enables a cheaper cost of capital for the company, as it requires interest rather than a dividend.

30% equity and 70% debt is good ratio and can make the company easier to manage. This is generally the accepted ratio which tax authorities and capital providers like to see. This usually makes the company more likely to attract further equity investment, as the potential shareholders can see that the management has understood that debt needs to be part of the company’s financing strategy.

2: Test your financial model – it must be robust
Put your figures into a spreadsheet and test them. Try out different scenarios – see what happens to the numbers. This demonstrates that you are prepared for different outcomes. You must also show the different types of returns from the different sources of capital, cashflow for at least the next 12-18 months, and any dependencies. This will show that you are being sensible and serious.

3: Be realistic about your valuation
To get a sensible, realistic idea of the value of your company, compare the most recent valuations for transactions in the space. Don’t pick an outlier valuation, instead choose something in the middle. This will show potential investors that you are being reasonable and make them more likely to invest.

4: Decide on the appropriate people to approach
For example, Sola Bank and Baldetton Capital work in the £100million arena. In the £1–5million area, try EIS/SEIS funds and VCT funds. (If you don’t know what this means, this is where an introducer like me can be helpful in providing introductions and knowledge, so drop me a line for a bit of guidance).

For smaller amounts contact Angel Investors. A Google search will deliver a list of Angel networks, or some research on LinkedIn. Then dig into each one to see if you meet their criteria. But do also ask your network for recommendations and introductions, and approach your family and friends for help if they’re a good fit. These small amounts add up – and can help give you seed that will attract a bigger fish later.

Fundraising is an art, not a science; you can be lucky or unlucky

5: Make contact and ensure you follow up
Target your funders carefully, do some background research on them so that you know you are contacting the right people, check that your business is in their sphere of interest and at the right stage for them, and that the amount of money you are looking for is appropriate for them.

Fundraising is an art, not a science; you can be lucky or unlucky. So, make sure you contact enough funders to manage your own luck and tap into as many people as possible.

Once you have drawn up your list of people to contact – work through it systematically and methodically – and always follow up!

6: Prepare the right information for the right stage in the process
It is essential to prepare a one-page summary of the opportunity. Too much information is not helpful. This document should include a summary of the opportunity; what investment is being sought and what kind of business is going to be generated as a result, including a potential return if it’s possible to identify that. It must be an accurate summary of the business, be clear, concise and easy to read and understand.

Once a potential funder is interested they will then want more information. Approach this as a sales document/pitch. It must be able to work on its own – and not require you to be standing there explaining it.

It needs to answer the following:
• What is the business?
• Who are the management team?
• What is the market size?
• What is the opportunity within the market?
• How much money is needed?
• What is the money going to be spent on?
• What kind of business will be created post investment?

7. Take your team with you
Yes, the people at the top are important, but investors like to see the team as it is team they will be backing – not an individual. Don’t go on your own to a meeting with a funder – this can use up valuable time when a team approach would be more successful and efficient.

With the team at the first meeting, the funder’s questions can be answered. If they aren’t there, then you’re down to an inefficient and long-winded process of following up – and a chance for the funder to go ‘off the boil’.

By following the steps above, you are more likely to be successful at raising the money you need for your business. Preparation, putting in the necessary time, and perseverance are all key aspects of the funding raising process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clive Hyman FCA is founder of Hyman Capital Services offering expertise in due diligence and managing change in business including raising equity and debt capital, mergers and acquisitions, interim management, board management and governance, deal structuring, and company turnaround.
www.hymancapital.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/clivehyman

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The post 7 tips on raising investment for your new business appeared first on Silver Magazine.