Pub investor funds up for grabs in East Anglia

Paul Thompson, managing director at Acorn Commercial Finance, has claimed to have received substantial interest from an investor with “a pot of money” to invest in the trade.

PMA sparks interest​

The interest arose after the investor read details of the crowd-funding initiative in the Publican’s Morning Advertiser​. Thompson said that the crowd-funding model, which enables investors to minimise risk by spreading small amounts of money across a wide number of businesses, was of particular appeal to the former licensee.

He explained: “He’s seen the article in the Publican’s Morning Advertiser​ and thought ‘this is fantastic, I can invest in an industry I understand’ — being a former licensee himself.”

Small investment​

Thompson cautioned that the level of investment to start with would be relatively small. “But he told me how much he would be prepared to invest over time, and it’s quite a lot of money.”

According to Thompson, pubs keen on receiving funding will need to submit a brief business plan, and an overview of why they need the money. Within this, they should be able to provide a strong case for why they are a safe investment.

Business plan​

However, pubs do not have to provide two years’ trading history, “which really helps newcomers to the trade”, Thompson said. “As long as the business plan stands up to our usual due diligence checks, we will be able to list them on the site.”

Crowd-funding can really have a strong community benefit as well, Thompson added. “If you can get your locals to each invest, say £50, into your business, they are far more likely to come out and support your pub.”

Visit the Acorn Finance website​ for more information.