Finance, new lakes.

DIOBAS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Capital & Finance Options.

Q How difficult is it to raise unsecured finance for a lake project ?

A I guess the key is preparation. Banks are notoriously difficult to deal with when it comes to unsecured projects especially when it involves a partial investment being made via fish stocks, which they tend to disregard as assets. Fish after all can catch all manner of diseases and frankly your average business manager, especially if the contact is via a call centre in Delhi, becomes decidedly nervous when faced with mortal assets !

It can be done however but be warned, it won't be easy. You will need a full 5 year business plan prepared with as much expertise as you can muster. This becomes especially difficult if your figures are based on anglers attending, expected day ticket revenue etc which is very hard to predict. In general your best bet is to go for the syndicate or membership option as the annual net figure is easier to calculate and will be available on a given date rather than the constant hassle of walking around each day in the hope that you can grab the odd few pennies from visiting anglers who are generally, at best, seasonal and at worst doing all they can to avoid payment !

Make sure you prepare well, this is really important, things such as catchment area and projected membership fees, why anglers will prefer your venue, what facilities will you have and so on................... the list is endless. Your manager will need to know everything from every conceivable angle from promotion to day to day operational costs as well as your own ability and experience. Sound daunting ? Well I'm afraid it is. But, it can be done.

A well prepared and glossy presentation stuffed full of info and research is an absolute must. We have recently spent 8 months in negotiation with the hardest group of board members we have ever met but eventually pulled of an investment offer of well over a million pounds based purely on a project that did not even have a site !

If you have all the expertise to prepare the above then give it your best shot. If you have the serious commitment that is essential and you can afford to use a professional outfit then for obvious reasons this is a far better option.

Occasionally we do take on the preparation of such proposals, glossy portfolios and all the trimmings, but we are very careful about who we take on as clients. a) Because whilst we love a challenge, we will not waste our time with a project or proposal that we feel will be impossible to bring to fruition and b) To be frank we just do not need the work as it involves the time and energy of our senior staff over what could be a substantial period of time.

Without any need for humility I can honestly say that we are probably the best there is at getting a project together as our expertise is unique but we are not cheap. You have to decide just how serious you are about the project and whether you really feel it can work. If you wish you can talk it over with us you may even find that there is more money in rare plants and lilies than fish themselves or maybe a combined income proposal is the sensible way forward. It is a difficult and complicated subject that could easily end in disaster if you are not very careful.

Then there is the other option of private funding ..........................

If you decide to go ahead, with or without our help, we genuinely wish you well because if you pull it off and you get everything right it is a wonderful way of earning a living. SM

More pages added regularly.

RESTORATION CONTINUED

ANGLING

CARP