Start-up funding expert Hatty Fawcett is Adviser of the Year

Start-up funding adviser, Hatty Fawcett, wins Enterprise Nation Adviser of the Year 2022/23

Over the last few months, start-up founders and small business owners across the UK have been voting for the best and brightest business advisers.

Never before has the role of an adviser been so important. The last few years have been some of the most challenging in history for start-ups and small businesses. But thanks to the work done by the amazing individuals recognised by these awards, many startups and small businesses have been able to weather the storm – and even raise investment to grow their businesses.

Enterprise Nation, who exist to support start-ups and small businesses find trusted business support, crowned the best of the best business advisers across 10 categories.

Hatty Fawcett, start-up funding adviser and founder of Focused For Business, was awarded Adviser of the Year 2022 in the Finance and Funding category, against strong competition. Hatty works with start-ups and small business owners to give them the clarity, connections and confidence to attract (and choose) the right investors for their business – and has helped raise over £7 million for her clients over the last 12 months.

Hatty Fawcett start-up funding expert wins Enterprise Nation's Adviser of the Year 2022

One start-up that worked with Hatty commented

“Hatty has been a guiding light in helping us prepare our investment pack. Not only is her knowledge and advice excellent, she has an amazing network of experts to tap into too.”

Another start-up founder said

“Before meeting Hatty I didn’t understand my business potential – or my financials. Now I do!”

Start-up Funding for all

Commenting on the award, Hatty said

“I’m really chuffed and very humbled to have won this award. I love what I do. Seeing the difference start-up funding makes to all the hard working, vision-led founders who want to make a difference in the world – and who often don’t think they can access funding – is reward enough for me.”

“I want to level the playing field when it comes to raising equity investment. There is so much that gets in the way. When you look at how little investment goes to female start-up founders or to founders from ethnically diverse backgrounds it is shocking. The statistics for investment in businesses based outside of London and the South-East do not make for happy reading either.

For many start-up founders, raising start-up funding looks scary, complicated, full of jargon and just plain ‘hard’. It can feel like something that is only open to you if have a wealthy network or you if you are brave enough to pitch on Dragon’s Den. I’m doing my bit to demystify the “game of smoke and mirrors”, to de-bunk the jargon that gets used and to provide a clear roadmap for running a successful equity funding round. I want all start-up founders – especially those raising equity investment for the first or second time – to realise that it is possible to raise investment to grow their start-up.”

Asked where someone thinking of raising start-up funding should start, Hatty recommended taking the Startup Investment Scorecard – 20 short questions that generate a personalised report that shows how investable a business is and where to focus in order to raise investment.

Latest Blog & News

How an advisory board makes it easier to raise investment

Julia Elliott Brown, one of our trusted and expert Funding Accelerator mentors, recently led a workshop which introduced the concepts of formal and advisory

Market research for pitch decks and how to evidence your market size

Gideon Barker, founder of Customer IQ and one of our trusted Funding Accelerator mentors, recently led a workshop about how to use market research

Why having a co-founder in your startup can make you more appealing to investors

The journey to securing investment is often a challenging one. But, there’s a strategic move that might just tilt the scales in your favour:

How to show the problem and solution slides in your pitch deck with a customer journey

Framing the issue – or societal/customer problem – that your startup is tackling, and how it solves that issue, acts as a hook to

Funding for startups: A guide to bridge funding

Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A are all terms that are probably familiar to you if you have, or are looking to, raise funding for

Female Founders: Redefining angel investment to inspire inclusion

Friday (8th March) marks International Women’s Day (IWD) with this year’s campaign theme being ‘InspireInclusion’. I can’t help but feel despondent though, last year

What angel investors look for in start-ups

Angel investors play an important role in the growth and expansion of startups. According to the 2021 Scale-Up Institute Annual Review on the State

Pitch deck: How to include your go-to-market strategy

A ‘Go-to-market’ (GTM) strategy is a must-have in any pitch deck. It’s where founders showcase their approach for entering their market successfully, and the

How to build confidence before pitching for investment

Presenting is often cited as most peoples’ “greatest fear”. It’s unsurprising then that founders often lack confidence when pitching, especially if pitching is new

Master engagement marketing: and you’ll future-proof your startup

Investors expect a clear, well-targeted startup marketing strategy if you are going to attract their investment. But, pre-funding when you are still in “hustle

Networking with startup investors: 5 tips to network successfully

Raising equity investment becomes easier when you pitch to startup investors you have previously engaged with or spoken to, or have been introduced to.

Looking for funding? Here’s your step-by-step guide to finding startup investors

Starting a business is exhilarating, but finding the startup funding to fuel your dreams can be a daunting task. Not only will you have

Startup funding: A guide to navigating the funding journey

One of the most frequent questions we are asked is “What’s the best way to fund my startup?” Startup funding doesn’t have to mean

What being a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards has taught me

My weak spot is I don’t like talking about my achievements. I think it dates back to my childhood when I was told not

Choose your startup co-founder wisely

So you’ve had a light-bulb moment, a world-changing idea – you’re excited and want to share it with the world. But where do you

“What’s the best way to fund my business?”: Ten founders give the lowdown on the best way to fund your business

One of the fundamental questions, and perhaps the most frequently asked when it comes to business growth, is “What’s the best way to fund

3 Things Investors Look for in a Financial Forecast: The Perfect Blend

Much like brewing a delicious cup of coffee, a compelling financial forecast for investors requires a complex blend of data, strategy, and storytelling. It’s

How equity investors can better support underrepresented founders

Raising equity investment is a challenge for any startup, but especially for underrepresented founders. They don’t just face “the usual” questions about their business,

Raising investment in difficult economic times

It’s tough raising investment right now. There are fewer investors and the amounts being invested are smaller. How should startups respond if they still

How to weave storytelling into your pitch deck to keep investors’ attention

As founders we’re told to weave storytelling into our pitch deck, but we are not always told why. Luckily Pitch Coach and Funding Accelerator

Is equity funding the best option for your startup?

Equity funding isn’t for everyone. When you sell shares in your business you are, effectively, entering into a long-term relationship with your investors. Investors

3 things angel investors look for in your startup valuation

Funding Accelerator mentor, Tracey Rob Perera, shares 3 things angel investors look for in your startup valuation. Tracey Rob Perera is not only a

How to build productive relationships with investors

You might think closing a funding round is the end of a journey. In fact, its just the start! Now comes the hard work

How to expand your startup team without it costing more

Funding Accelerator expert mentor Chris Booth of Findrs explains how to expand your startup team (and extend your headcount budget) by using AI. When

How startup accelerators increase your chance of funding

While I’ve written before about the benefits of joining startup Accelerators (find out more here), now seems like the perfect time to revisit the

3 unit metrics that attract startup investors and build a compelling story of growth

Did the conversation with potential investors fizzle out at the financial stage? It’s not just the vision, but the focus on detail that secures

How to find investors, and impress them

Have you ever wondered what it takes to find and impress investors? Well, who better to ask than leading VCs and angels themselves! Earlier

Investing your time where it counts – the numbers

How the right financial forecast is crucial to unlocking startup investment If you’re looking to secure startup investment, it’s inevitable that at some point

How to find investors for a startup…quickly!

A recent report from Beauhurst and SFC Capital* reveals that it takes, on average, 15 months to find investors for a startup and close

Should you raise startup funding from friends and family?

So you think you need to raise funding for your startup? You may be right, but before you begin to raise startup funding from

7 Essentials that unlock Start-up equity investment

Start-up equity investment: Investors look for 7 Essential ingrediants when deciding whether to back a start-up – or not! Be succinct to get attention

Traction makes it quicker to raise funding for a startup

So you want to raise funding for a startup? To succeed, you’ll need to speak the language of investors. Investors will ask “how much

7 Mistakes that stop you raising investment for your startup

Startup founders are resourceful and move quickly but sometimes that haste can work against them. They make mistakes. When it comes to raising investment

Why your executive summary is your most important investment document

When seeking investment for your business it pays to think like an investor, giving an investor the information they want rather than telling them