Sep - British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic

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After HoursDo you have a thirst for adventure? Do youwant to experience fresh air, beautifulcountryside and tree-mendous fun?Then why not head for Adrenalin Park –Malevil? The newest aerial assault courseto appear in Czech Republic, and the thirdadventure facility to be launched by Chambermember New Day Activity Marketing, openedearlier this year on the edge of RanchMalevil, a superb hotel, country club andconference centre near Liberec in NorthernBohemia.Adrenalin Park offers a unique opportunityto test your limits, in a moderately demandingyet safe environment. The course consistsof a network of white knuckle challenges,such as the High Traverse, Jacob’sHigh Timefor an Adventure?Ladder, Cat Walks and Tarzan Jump, allsuspended at 16 metres above the ground,and is designed so that adventurers canprogress around the majority of the circuitindependently, with instructor assistance,while wearing full body safety harness andhelmet.The final stage and the climax of thewhole experience is the unforgettableGiant Swing: this is truly a leap of faith, butonce you take that heart stopping step it isa 100% thrill and fantastic fun!New Day have teamed up with RanchMalevil to be able to provide a much fullerservice compared to many other outdoorevent companies. At this rural location, clientscan also benefit from an 18-hole golf course,swimming pool, bowling alley, horse ridingand mini- zoo, as well as squash and tennisfacilities. Those who desire an Outdoor Adventureexperience, but who also wish tobe in close proximity to conference facilities,accommodation and restaurants, have foundthat instead of losing valuable time travellingto remote locations, all their needs canbe met on one site.Meanwhile for a different kind of ‘adventure’you might consider heading furtherwest, into České Švýcarsko National Park,where Adrenalin Park Janská offers the highestropes course and giant swing in Europe(20 metres high), in a unique, natural environmentof narrow gorges, rocks and undergroundtunnel systems. For companiesand organised groups, it is also possible toparticipate in one of New Day’s speciallydesigned adventure programmes in whichparticipants get the chance to venture intothe tunnels, abseil down a 40 metre cliff faceand ford rivers. This is a fascinating areafor its historical significance adding furtherthrill potential to the whole adventure.New Day’s Adrenalin Parks are becomingincreasingly popular with individuals, familiesand groups seeking a memorable andfun day out, as well as with the growingnumber of companies who choose to takeadvantage of adventure experiences as ameans to develop leadership and team workingskills, or simply require action-packedevents to reward and incentivise staff.For more details visit www.newday.cz, orcall Vladimír Pešek on +420 608 817 220.
Events Round-upAs the Chamber’s membership includes many small sized successfulcompanies, we brought the theme of financing small and middlesizedbusiness to the attention of the Chamber members at thefirst September breakfast meeting organised after the summerbreak. The speakers for the event were Ladislav Dvořák, ČeskáSpořitelna, (Head of the Special Program Dept.) and Daniel Lynch,3TS Venture Partners (Senior Investment Director).Ladislav Dvořák gave an overview on how to access bank financingin the CR, and what the financial institutions in general requireHow to finance a smalland middle-sized businessfrom a small and a middle-sized company to grant them a loan.Daniel Lynch unveiled other ways of financing a small or a middlesizedbusiness, including: qualifying for financial investment, assessingthe differences between investment funds, pluses and minusesof taking on a financial partner and working towards a commonexit (detailed presentation below).Seed stage – angel capitalWhen a company is founded, it has a core team of founder-managersand a set of products or product plans. “Seed Capital” investors,such as friends and family are usually available to provideintroductory financial support to get the business started. This ofteninvolves funding dedicated to the early tasks of researching andassessing the initial product concept. Business people with capitalto invest personally (i.e., “business angels”) may provide the seedcapital and some financial or business know-how. Amounts investedat this stage range up to about €200,000. Apart from a few experiencedindividual “angel investors,” most seed investors are privateindividuals. As such, they are less likely to get involved in the dailyoperations of the company but can offer advice on strategy, businessdevelopment, staffing and other issues.Early stage – venture capitalVenture capital investors targetcompanies that are in the processof developing a business conceptLadislav Dvořák, Česká Spořitelna,Daniel Lynch, 3TS Venture PartnersHead of the Special Program Dept.Senior Investment DirectorE: ladislav.dvorak@csas.cz E: dlynch@3tsvp.comBuilding successful companies with venture capitalIf you are managing a small or medium-sized company you alreadyknow that in order to realise the full growth potential of your business,your company may need external financing at some stage.There are specific phases that have been defined and are well understoodin terms of the types of management/capital sizes thatare required. The principal phases may be characterised as follows:• Seed Stage (prior to product launch, business plan in development)• Early Stage (start of revenues, typically not yet profitable)• Expansion Stage (profitable and expanding based on strategicobjectives)• Late Stage (stable consistent cash profits).Most Seed Stage companies need funding to cover their operationallosses during the product development phase. Others will turnprofitable within a short period of time but will eventually needEarly Stage and Expansion capital in order to enter new markets. Itis important to realise that the sources of funding available dependvery much on the stage of development the company has achievedwhen it is seeking external funding.and need further funding to finalise development and take theirproduct to market but, most importantly, the product already exists.At this stage, most companies can demonstrate some interest frompotential or actual customers and show revenue growth, whichhelps the company obtain further private funding from venture capitalinvestors. They do this via a seat on the board of directors aspart of their acquisition of anequity stake in the SME, as well as theiron-going dialogue with management. Their involvement usuallymeans a higher degree of control over the business, which servesthe goal of preparing the company for potential further rounds offunding, creates more transparency and performance monitoring.A seat on the board usually means that the company may also beable to access the investor’s additional resources in terms of businessdevelopment, legal or financial advice.Expansion stage – venture capital and private equityWhile the business is growing in revenues, it may need all its cashflowto be invested in product development and without additionalfinancing the company will have difficulty hiring new sales andmarketing staff, making an acquisition or entering a new marketby setting up a sales office. If a company’s annual revenues areCont’d on page 2420 FOCUS SEPTEMBER 2004
Page 1 and 2: Do not neglect the Czech Republic /
Page 3 and 4: InterviewRené Samek is the Directo
Page 6 and 7: Introducing New MembersCont’d fro
Page 8 and 9: Chamber People NewsForeign Affairs
Page 10 and 11: Embassy LatestTrading places at the
Page 14 and 15: Health and Safety Training? Try E-l
Page 16 and 17: Member ProfileAlice Punch has a MS.
Page 18 and 19: Q & A(ii)Depending on the type of m
Page 20 and 21: In BriefCelebrating in friendlySwis
Page 22: Bubble? What Bubble?However the aim

Sep - British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic

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