Transforming businesses for investment success: The Regionally Way
Founded by a team of industry veterans— Jim Odell, Justin Urquhart Stewart, Paul Newsham, Martin Taylor, Michael Mcdowell, and Tony Backhouse—Regionally Ventures is committed to bridging the funding gap for high-growth regional businesses across the UK. With 70p of every £1 traditionally invested in London, regional businesses represent a valuable, yet often overlooked, segment of the market.
At Regionally Ventures, we understand that securing investment is a major milestone for any business looking to grow. But it's not just about finding the cash—it's about making sure your business is prepared to thrive long after the investment has been secured. That’s where The Regionally Way comes in.
Led by Tony Backhouse, our end-to-end process is designed to guide businesses through each stage of the investment journey, ensuring they’re not only ready to attract investment but are also set up for long-term success.
Gate 1: The Initial Assessment
The Regionally Way begins with an understanding of where you are and where you want to go. In this first stage, we take a close look at your business. We’re not just asking if you’re investment-ready; we’re assessing whether your business fits within our preferred sectors of expertise and whether we can match you with the right investors.
Sector and Size Fit: Is your business operating in a sector we specialise in? Do you meet the size requirements that align with the investors in our network?
Initial Review: Does your business have potential? If the answer is Yes, then we move to the next stage—a more detailed readiness assessment.
If we think there’s a better route for you, we’ll always give you our honest feedback and help you explore other options for growth.
The Readiness Assessment
Once we’ve identified a good fit, we take a deeper look at your business. Think of this as a business health check. We’ll assess your strengths and any areas that we feel need improvement. Whether it's a desktop review or an onsite assessment, we’ll provide clear feedback on what you need to get investment-ready.
Detailed Review:
We’ll look at your vision, purpose and goals to understand your ambitions and where you are heading
We will look at your board experience and management style
We will review key people in the business, their experience and drive and the gaps you have and what the plan is to fix them
We will assess your chosen markets and competition and what your preferred channels are to market
We will look at how you differentiate your approach and what narratives you use
We will review the metrics you track and your dashboard for doing so
We’ll look at your financial projections, your pitch materials, and other key documents. We will seek to understand how detailed your plans are for when you get your investment
Feedback and Support: After this review, we’ll talk through our findings and suggest what needs to be fine-tuned to give you the best chance of success.
Gate 2: Focused Refinement
Now it’s time to hone and refine. Whether it’s improving your financial models or helping you fine-tune your pitch, this stage is all about making sure everything is polished and ready for the scrutiny of investors.
Consultancy and Coaching: We’ll provide tailored advice and consultancy, addressing any weaknesses that came up during the assessment.
Outcome Decision: Once we’ve worked through these areas, we’ll assess if you’re ready to move forward or if there’s more work to be done before we introduce you to our network of trusted investors.
Gate 3: Investor Engagement
When we’re confident everything is in place, we get you ready to meet potential investors. This might include creating the perfect pitch deck, investment memorandum or simply connecting you with the right people.
Pitch Deck and Preparation: If needs be, we’ll work with you to create a professional pitch deck and Investment Memorandum that speaks directly to investors.
Matching You with Investors: Using our vast network, we’ll introduce you to investors who align perfectly with your business and your growth plans.
Practice Makes Perfect: To help you feel confident, we can run mock investor meetings, giving you the chance to practice your pitch and get valuable feedback.
Post-Investment Support
Securing investment is only the beginning. Once the deal is done, we stay with you, offering ongoing support to help you make the most of the funding. We’ll help you monitor progress, address any issues that come up, and plan for the future.
Programme Management: We’ll track your progress and help you stay on course with your growth strategy.
Exit Strategy: We also help you plan for the future, whether it’s a sale, an acquisition or another round of investment.
The Regionally Way: Preparing Your Business for Lasting Success
We’re committed to leaving your business in a stronger position than when we started. The Regionally Way isn’t just about securing investment; it’s about setting you up for long-term success. From initial assessment through to securing funding and beyond, we’re here to help you navigate the entire journey.
If you’re ready to take the next step, get in touch with Tony Backhouse, Head of Advisory—we’re here to help you get investment-ready and scale your business for success.