YABA gives entrepreneurs enterprise boost
THE Yorkshire Association of Business Angels (YABA) is to increase its activities in the region after agreeing a new three year contract and recruting three ‘ambassadors’.
The deal with Yorkshire Forward will enable an expansion of the services YABA offers to entrepreneurs and its business angel and associate membership.
YABA helps to puts entrepreneurs and companies seeking finance in touch with private investors, known as business angels, looking to invest in start-up, growth stage and turnaround opportunities.
YABA’s manager Barbara Greaves said the contract was “great news” for the region.
YABA will be increasing its visibility right across the region with the appointment of three ‘ambassadors’ who will build links in with the business community, seek investment opportunities, recruit new angel and associate members and work to raise the profile of YABA and the benefits of angel investment.
Alex McWhirter, Yorkshire Forward’s assistant director of business, said: “Now more than ever there’s a crucial role for business angels to play in the region’s economy.
“Working with YABA will help to maximise the impact business angels have in our region’s businesses for early stage and growth finance.”
The ambassadors are Anne Salisbury, who will cover West Yorkshire; Catherine Kennedy, who will cover South Yorkshire; and Susanne Gilbert, who will work across North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, & North & North East Lincolnshire.
As well as delivering a new programme of events, such as a ‘master class’ series of educational workshops aimed at investors, YABA is also planning some sector specific investment forums in areas important to the Yorkshire region.
The first of these is planned for March 2010 and will provide an opportunity for businesses in the renewable energy and environmental sector to present their companies to investors.
Meanwhile, internal changes at YABA see former administrator Charlotte Atkinson, promoted to communications and events manager with a new administrator joining the Association in October.
Ms Greaves said: “This is an era of enormous change for the Association, and one which we’ve been looking forward to for several years.
“The expansion of activities puts us in strong position to deliver even greater benefits to the region’s business community. The angel investment market remains buoyant and it’s good to be able to announce activities that will further boost support for the region.”
YABA has also undergone a rebranding.
YABA’s business angels can invest sums of up to £250,000 but more usually keep within a range of £10,000 to £100,000.
