103. Julie Barber / Getting 'Investor Ready'

When it comes to winning over and locking in new investors, the process can be fierce. It's essential that companies put their best foot forward when approaching new investor opportunities and this requires a strong degree of preparation, including an understanding of the market and identifying investors that will align with your business goals.

There's plenty of mistakes to be made during the process, especially when it comes to new start-ups looking to hit the ground running and make a strong impression within the market. Julie Barber joins Glen in this episode to discuss how companies of any scale can navigate the pathway to finding new investors, raise capital and access more funds to grow their business.

On The Dent Podcast, we interview key people of influence in all walks of life. We delve deep to unearth how these successful people got to where they are, their trials and tribulations, as well as their successes, and what their experiences can teach us all.

Julie Barber is the CEO of Spark! Consulting and has over 20 years experience in business innovation, transformation and winning funding from corporate boards. Julie's background is working with large financial corporations such as KPMG and HSBC.

Julie has developed and led Global Innovation Programmes involving Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. She is also the author of the No.1 bestselling book 'Investor Ready', which guides companies through the fundraising process.

Here's a taste of Julie Barber and Glen Carlson's conversation –

• Exploring the 3 key components of the Spark! Consulting business model – Strategy, Fundraising and Governance

• The big mistakes start-ups are making when it come to building relationships with investors and raising funds

• Why investors tend to steer clear of opportunist start-ups looking to solve problems in industries without having hands on experience

• Julie talks about the 6 step process for showcasing a company to investors from her book 'Investor Ready'

• Julie shares her experience of writing her first book and how it has helped to open up new doors and further her success

• Understanding the types of investors available to start-ups and deciding which type aligns best with your companies goals

• Julie talks about the relationships that have been built through the Spark! ecosystem and the benefits of having such a network

• Julie's advice to businesses that are just starting out and what the road may look like over the first 18 months

• The work that Julie is doing through Spark! Consulting to support the UN Global Goals when it comes to helping women and children to escape domestic violence