Sustainable, Impact Investing Assets Surge - Study reports

This week, I am running three Sustainable Investing events with our experts from New York and Switzerland. This article on Sustainable investing and the rapid uptake of funds came across my desk today. It is written by one of my favourite editors, Tom Burroughes, Group Editor, Family Wealth Report.  The full article was posting on November 5, 2018:

The trend of ESG and impact investing continues to build momentum, according to figures from the US.

Investments that are deemed sustainable or that achieve certain impact beyond purely monetary results are now worth $12 trillion in the US, new figures show, a quarter of all the total assets managed professionally in the country, and a 38 per cent jump from just two years ago.

The data comes from the US SIF Foundation’s 2018 biennial report on such trends. Since the report was first issued in 1995, when sustainable/impact investing accounted for about $639 billion of AuM, the market has surged 18-fold.

Such ways of using investment muscle are gaining ground because, advocates say, they appeal to people who want to not just accumulate savings for the long term but to address issues such as pollution, crime, educational failure and mistreatment of women, among other concerns.

The latest report identified $11.6 trillion in ESG incorporation assets under management at the outset of 2018 held by 496 institutional investors, 365 money managers and 1,145 community investing financial institutions. The largest percentage of money managers cited client demand as their top motivation for pursuing ESG incorporation, while the largest number of institutional investors cited fulfilling mission and pursuing social benefit as their top motivations.

“Money managers and institutions are utilizing ESG criteria and shareholder engagement to address a plethora of issues including climate change, diversity, human rights, weapons and political spending,” Lisa Woll, US SIF Foundation CEO, said.

Retail and high net worth individuals are increasingly utilizing this investment approach with $3 trillion in sustainable assets, the US SIF Foundation reported.

Meet William, the youngest reader of Money Magnet

One of the fine women I mentored sent me an uplifting email and photograph featuring the latest addition to her family, sweet William.
William's mother is Farrah Ahmad Solly who is a Rotman graduate close to my heart.  I met Farrah when she was the marketing expert in her group project. The team went on to win the overall competition and Farrah contributed the lion's share to their success. I was impressed with Farrah then and now and I'm now impressed with her dedication to her family.

William Solly, son of Farrah Ahmad Solly

Wiley has a good summary about Money Magnet, It is still being used by Ivey and Ryerson. I get emails from entrepreneurs who used it as their blueprint to access private equity.

More about Money Magnet

The number-one issue for every entrepreneur is Money—getting money, raising money, convincing investors to give you money. Whether you are a start up, a family business, or a $100-million company, your biggest issue is always money.

 

Money Magnet is the solution to your money worries. It's the complete how-to guide to attracting private investors—debt and private equity—for business founders and owners. It reveals what private investment is and how it works, the benefits and pitfalls, how and where to find it, and how to be successful in attracting it.

 

Praise for Money Magnet

 

"Every ambitious private business owner should understand the role of investors and how to attract them. Money Magnet is an indispensible guide to the process."
—Austen Beutel, Chairman and CEO, Oakwest Corporation Ltd.

 

"Don't put another nickel into your business until you have read this book. Money Magnet is Financing 101 for entrepreneurs and owners who want to grow their business."
—Greig Clark, Entrepreneur (College Pro Painters and Arxx Building Products) and Venture Capitalist (Horatio Enterprise Fund)

 

"Money Magnet begins with a startling proposition: some businesses succeed more than others simply because they know how to raise money. By sharing these processes, tools and secrets, Loewen is daring Canadian entrepreneurs to dream bigger than they've ever dreamed before."
—Rick Spence, Entrepreneurship Columnist for the National Post and PROFIT Magazine

Follow on Twitter @jacolineloewen
Money Magnet, by Jacoline Loewen, published by Wiley.

Percent of PE by Deal Size

MID-MARKET PRIVATE EQUITY DEALS SURGE

In its analysis of private equity activity during the first six months of 2009, PitchBook Data, a private equity research firm, reveals that lower and middle-market companies continue to successfully attract PE investment. Through the first half of 2009, middle market deals accounted for 70% of all investments, more than at any time in the last six and half years.

The new emphasis on deals under $50M means more financing options for small and medium enterprise business owners.

Jacoline Loewen, Author of Money Magnet.

6 Reasons to Read Money Magnet: Attracting Investors to Your Business

I just finished reading Money Magnet. Thank you for writing/recommending it! The information you shared will save me a lot of time instead of reinventing the wheel. I like reading materials from people like you who can share specific industry insight (eg. when you described what VC Rick wants to see in slides). Some of my key takeaways include but are not limited to the following:

1. Targeting qualified investors based on their mathematical fit and specifically asking them to clarify their full criteria


2. How to be investor ready/the legacy investor concept.


3. An investors’ protection/clauses (ensuring that I negotiate unnecessary ones).


4. Knowing common pitfalls/key criteria investors like


5. Ensuring that I answer the 4 investor-ready questions and


6. Investor-friendly methods of structuring a presentation
   

How to Get the VC to Call

There are certain things, such as resumes, that catch the eye of seasoned pros and get them to pick up the phone and call you.
VCs don’t invest in technology or markets, they invest in people.
If the people stuff goes wrong, it’s hell. They put you through due diligence while at the same time trying to find out what kind of person you are.
When you pitch in, it’s a sociological experiment to see what makes you tick and whether you will be co-operative or will crack.
Probably the most powerful action you can take is to find a referral to a partner in the business. It’s a bit like dating. If someone they trust refers you to a VC, they will take your call. "The question I get asked the most is how to find investors," says Jacoline Loewen, author of Money Magnet. "Owners are better of having a company like Loewen & Partners find them a suitable investor."
Warning: Bad phone manners are an immediate red flag. The VC knows they are entering into a seven-year relationship and they will not waste time with someone who rankles. If they can’t see themselves married to you, it’s a quick, “thank you but no thanks.”