WHAT: Financing Training Camp

WHEN: Tuesday, March 30, 2010

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre 24 Maple Avenue, Suite 202, Barrie

Organized by the Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre in partnership with the ISCM Investment Network and Georgian Angel Network, the event will review the types of financing available to growth companies, the best time to approach investors, what investors are looking for, and how to make a successful business pitch.

Participants will have the chance to practice their pitches, get feedback and coaching from experienced advisors who have helped other companies accelerate growth and secure funding, and win the opportunity to present to a panel – made up of Angel investors from the Georgian Angel Network as well as a “serial entrepreneur,” who has successfully secured financing both in Canada and the U.S.

“It’s challenging for small companies looking for first rounds of financing,” said Catarina von Maydell, Director of the Markham-based ISCM Investment Network.  “Once companies have exhausted the ‘love money’ – money from friends and family – they have a very difficult time finding and securing the next sources of investment, which are often Angel investors.”

Companies that would benefit most from the Financing Training Camp, organizers say, are those that have a technology, product or service that has completed the R&D stage and achieved proof of concept, and have a unique value proposition with a sustainable competitive advantage. Businesses that have a clearly-identified target market and comprehensive business plan with a go-to-market commercialization strategy are prime candidates as well.

“The Financing Training Camp is focused on helping entrepreneurs raise serious capital,” said Sandy Robertson, Managing Director of the Georgian Angel Network. “Most entrepreneurs face the challenge of commercializing their innovations and this event aims to provide them with the tools to take their ideas to market successfully.”

According to Terri Plaxton Smith, Manager of the Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre: “Business is booming in Simcoe County, and despite the recent global economic downturn, many entrepreneurs are ready to launch some exciting businesses in the area. The one piece of the puzzle that is often missing, however, is where to find second-stage funding and it’s commonly known that lack of sufficient capital investment in the early stages of business development is a main reason businesses fail. This opportunity for local entrepreneurs to not only discover those available sources of funding, but also to learn how to access them, is both priceless and timely.”

The Financing Training Camp is open to 20 qualifying entrepreneurs on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to register, please visit www.barriebusinesscentre.ca or call (705) 720-2445.

About the Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre (www.barriebusinesscentre.ca)

The Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre is part of a network of 47 Enterprise Centres

operating throughout Ontario with support from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the municipality. Its mandate is to provide assistance and support to small and medium-sized businesses in both their start-up and early growth stages by providing information, education and qualified referrals.

About the ISCM Investment Network (www.iscm.ca)

The ISCM Investment Network, a division of the ISCM, helps entrepreneurs – at no charge – to build successful companies that are attractive to the financing community. Since its inception, it has worked with several businesses that have gone on to secure multimillion-dollar sales contracts, and has helped 29 companies obtain roughly $7.9 million in first rounds of equity and debt financing.

Georgian Angel Network (www.georgianangelnet.ca)

The Georgian Angel Network facilitates the private equity investment process through linking early-stage entrepreneurs seeking private equity capital to commercialize their technologies, with high net worth investors who are prepared to invest their financial, intellectual and experiential capital into qualifying start-up companies.

Read the flyer

Media information:

Gail Bergman or Indira Tarachandra

Gail Bergman PR

(905) 886-1340 or (905) 886-4091

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