Hot off the press:

I've just returned from the opening of the 4th NGEF, which is being held in Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel, Monaco, today, tomorrow and Saturday morning. The delegates were welcomed with a speech from Dr Maxime Crener, Dean and President of IUM, and the conference is being chaired by Alan Barrell of Cambridge University in the UK. Alan Barrell shared with us a great quote from Schumpeter that "entrepreneurs blow gales of creative destruction", after which he introduced us to our first speaker, John McLean, entrepreneur and illustrious alumnus of IUM. John introduced the Investors Forum Ltd, which was set up in 2006 to provide finance for potential entrepreneurs who take part in the NGEF business plan competition. He also shared with us 5 "don'ts" and 5 "dos" for those seeking investment, and I've reproduced them for you all here:

Don't

• Hold back information.
• Pretend you know something that you don't.
• Over-exaggerate sales and profit forecasts.
• Argue with investors.
• Over-value your business to investors.

Do

• Prepare thoroughly.
• Be open and honest.
• Understand the market place.
• Prepare a SWOT analysis, especially having a thorough understanding of the weaknesses and threats.
• If you can't be the first into your market, then be the best in your market.

I'll be posting some more thoughts from the forum tomorrow.