So you have a great business idea that you will know will rake in a lot of profits if you are able to implement it. You have thought of this very unique thing in the real estate world of business or in any other realm that you know others might think of soon and you will lose out if you don’t start early. But the problem is that starting such a venture will require you to invest some funds, and at the moment you don’t have the capital that is required. So, what do you do? Do you let your superlative idea fizzle out? Do you wait and watch till someone else thinks about the same thing and forms a successful business out of it, and then fume and fret that you could not do it? No, that’s not necessary. If you are in the UK, a European business angel network could easily help you out with your problem.

Money is absolutely needed for starting any business, but once you put the money in and operate in the right way, the gains can be immense. That’s the whole concept that businesses are run on. And that’s what some people known as business angels see and would like to benefit from. These business angels are people who have a lot of money and want to invest it in something that can give them good returns. In other words, they are business investors. These people are always on the lookout for someone with a lucrative business plan but with no initial money to start out. They don’t mind putting their money on such an idea and then waiting a while till the returns begin to come in.

For an entrepreneur who has just a concept and no money, a business angel could be a real angel. The business plan is able to see the light of the day and fortunes could really begin to change.

Think about it; these are mutually benefiting propositions. The entrepreneur is definitely happy because he or she gets the funds from an investor, which is free from interest (in most cases), does not require collateral and in most cases does not require much documentation and paperwork. The angel is happy because he or she knows that the money has been invested in an idea that’s convincing, is safe and is on the verge of bringing in some rich dividends. Every business angel is aware that money invested in a business that becomes successful can bring in many times more returns than money that is invested in conventionally safe ways.

That is the reason angels invest. And that is how if you have a business idea but no money to bring it to realization, you needn’t nip the idea in the bud. Just go ahead and look at what business angel network operates in your area and you would be surprised to find them and see what they can do for you.

But, does that mean European business angel networks are all that simple? No, we cannot say that so easily. The fact is that these angels work in the form of a network most of the time and not individually. This has its benefits. Firstly, since these people are in a network, they have a sense of security. It makes them feel more relaxed and they can even think about pooling in larger sums of money if the entrepreneur’s highly promising idea requires more funds. It makes it easier for them to move through the official processes and secure their investment as well.

Now, to get in through such a network is not easy. You have to first submit an application with any European business angel network and wait for your submission to be accepted. Not all angels in the network will like every business idea that comes their way. But, when you are dealing with a network, there is the possibility that at least someone or the other in the network will like the idea and become willing to invest. In any case, you have to wait till someone finds the idea promising and becomes ready to put in the money.

When that happens, that investor gets in touch with you. You will have to go highly prepared for your initial meeting with them. They will want to see a perfectly etched out business plan with the right projections—nothing too depressing and nothing too fantastical. They want real projections and more than that they want to see the spark of sincerity in you. When they are pleased with the way you conduct yourself and with your business plan, they will think about the investment.

Even after this meeting, there will be a lot of hemming and hawing and a lot of deliberations with the other angels in the network and then a decision whether or not to invest will be made. This period could be a period of nail-biting suspense for the entrepreneur who won’t know at all which way things will swing.

But, if the angel from the European business angel network decides to invest in the idea, then things are really made for the entrepreneur. For, it will not only be the monetary investment that the angel will get, but it will also be the moral and business guidance from the angel, who is definitely a highly experienced person in the business world. If the entrepreneur is raw and uneducated in the ways of business, there is definitely no telling how helpful this could be, probably even more helpful than the investment itself.

Things don’t stop there either. All European business angel network members make sure that the ventures they have invested in are working genuinely and will bring in the profits. In any case, no angel expects returns to come in for at least 2-3 years of the venture commencing, but then they have annual meetings and scrutiny to ensure that everything is in order. But, come to think about it, for an entrepreneur, this is definitely a blessing from an angel in disguise.