Cape Town is cementing its number one position, as a top tourist destination worldwide. After its successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the city has showed growth in tourism, despite the impact of a worldwide recession . Recently the city was awarded two other international awards.

One being, Table Mountain, Cape Towns pride and joy,  was awarded the honor of being one of the “Seven Wonders of the Nature” and  the city was also recently awarded the ‘Design Capital of the World 2014’. So to have a hotel named trendiest in the world and receive the world design capital in a matter of months, shows Cape Towns progressive design culture.

The Villa Zest Boutique Hotel was rewarded for its stylish interior, 70’s inspired art collection, superior services and beautiful surroundings by the TripAdvisor community with the ‘Trendiest Hotel Worldwide 2012’ award.

Other hotels to feature on the trendiest list include: The ICON Hotel & Lounge in Prague, Czech Republic, citizenM in Amsterdam City  Amsterdam, The Netherlands and the Smyth Hotel – A Thompson Hotel  New York City, New York was awarded best in the United States.

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels-cTrendy-g1

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations

www.villazest.co.za/

Villa Zest Boutique Hotel About:

An oasis of calm centrally located in Cape Town, the Villa Zest luxury accommodation in the suburb of Green Point, is perfectly placed to bring you everything the city has to offer; palm-lined beaches, the vibrant business district, Table Mountain, and a variety of up market restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs ensuring guests an unforgettable experience. V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, Camps Bay and Robben Island are all a short distance away.

Source: www.equityallianceintl.com

The annual TripAdvisor  awards cover many categories some including,  the Top 25 Hotels worldwide, best bargain hotels, all inclusive hotels, B&B’s, most luxurious and trendiest.

What makes the award even more special for the Villa Zest is the fact that the awards are generated by TripAdvisor users for TripAdvisor users. The website is the web’s biggest and most popular travel website. TripAdvisor takes factors such as good vs. bad comments, stars awarded and service into consideration for the awards.

Villa Zests owner,  Kevin Gerlach, commented after receiving confirmation of the award that, “ (I) would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Trip Advisor community, especially  all of the guests we have had the pleasure of hosting and the Villa Zest Team as without them this would not have been possible.”

Worlldtraveller (sic), on TripAdvisor commented, “This small boutique hotel is a true gem of a find. With only 7 or 8 rooms, they great you as a person, not the person in room number 347. Attention to detail, immaculate rooms, AMAZING location.”

Mr Gerlach attributes his success at Villa Zest, to its Bauhaus-inspired architecture, fused with a modern twist on a 70s theme, personalized services and attention to details.

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels-cTrendy-g1

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations

http://www.villazest.co.za/

Villa Zest Boutique Hotel About:

An oasis of calm centrally located in Cape Town, the Villa Zest luxury accommodation in the suburb of Green Point, is perfectly placed to bring you everything the city has to offer; palm-lined beaches, the vibrant business district, Table Mountain, and a variety of up market restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs ensuring guests an unforgettable experience. V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, Camps Bay and Robben Island are all a short distance away.

Source: www.equityallianceintl.com

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a four-part series analyzing the outlook for small businesses in the year ahead.

The credit crunch for small businesses is expected to ease this year, but entrepreneurs may still need to be creative in their search for financing.

“The lending market for small business in 2012 is going to be much better — the best year after the recession,” according to Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit, an online credit marketplace in New York that connects small and midsize businesses with lenders.

Securing loans with a good rate won’t be easy, however. “It is going to continue to be a fight and a struggle to get small-business owners capital at fair prices,” says Ami Kassar, CEO of MultiFunding, a small-business lending consulting firm in Broad Axe, Pa. “It is going to take a long time for us to work our way through this situation.”

Many entrepreneurs will have to do what they do best: Be resourceful and find new solutions to their funding problems. Already, a few alternative funding sources are becoming increasingly popular and likely will gain more traction in 2012.

For example, more business owners may turn to crowdfunding sites, such Kickstarter, IndieGoGo and RocketHub, to raise small amounts of money from large pools of investors–especially if the Securities and Exchange Commission eases rules on such transactions. Kickstarter alone has seen more than $125 million in pledges since its inception in April 2009, according to Justin Kazmark, spokesman for the New York company. One business raised almost a $1 million from more than 13,500 backers in December 2010, setting a record.

At the same time, such companies as SDCooper, Benetrends and Guidant Financial have gained momentum. For a fee, the firms help entrepreneurs roll over their retirement savings into new businesses or franchises, avoiding early-withdrawal fees. Guidant, in Bellevue, Wash., says its revenue grew over 25 percent in 2011 and is expected to increase 17 percent in 2012 as more people try this approach. Of course, raiding retirement funds is risky because entrepreneurs could lose their nest eggs.

Linda Jamerson and her husband, Ken McDonald, bought the Aluminum Case Company in Chicago.

Jay Seawell, photographer, Chicago, IL

But for new business owners Linda Jamerson and husband Ken McDonald, the risk was worth it. Unable to acquire sufficient loans from banks, the couple used Guidant’s help to set up a new retirement plan through which they were able to buy Aluminum Case Co., a small manufacturer of aluminum metal cases in Chicago, in April 2010. The company’s sales grew 60 percent the first year after the couple took over, and it has hired a part-time and two full-time employees.

Jamerson says she is willing to tap retirement savings after watching her IRA lose 40 percent of its value during the financial crisis. “To run your own business, you have to believe in yourself and we did,” she says. But, “nobody was going to give us the money so that we could get in.”

Not all small businesses can—or want to—use such alternative financing approaches. Here’s a look at more traditional sources of capital and what may lie ahead in 2012:

Bank loans: The collective bank loan balances of small businesses have fallen more than 10 percent over the past four years to $610 billion in June of 2011 from $681 billion in June of 2007, according to FDIC data compiled by Kassar of Multifunding.

While large banks sharply cut lending to small businesses, community banks are actually providing more loans. Since 2007, small-business loan volume at small banks grew by $17 billion to $302 billion, as of June 2011.

“The disparity is not going away any time soon,” Kassar says. Community banks are better equipped to handle the nuances small-business loan underwriting, he says, whereas bigger banks have a more “rigid” process and generally work only with the most creditworthy borrowers. At a smaller bank, loan officers work on site with business owners to help clarify any questionable parts of an application.

Related: The Home-Equity Credit Crunch (Opinion)

Small Business Administration loans: SBA lending reached the highest level ever in its fiscal year 2011, which ended Sept. 30. The SBA backed 61,689 loans totaling $30.5 billion, a big jump from the 50,830 loans totaling $17.9 billion two years earlier. Risk-averse banks may prefer making SBA loans because the government guarantees as much as 85 percent of the loan in the event of default.

But there are still areas of weakness, particularly smaller loans. While the number of SBA loans greater than $250,000 increased by 52 percent over the past two years, loans of less than $250,000 rose just 13 percent.

Venture capital: Venture-capital firms, which invest in early-stage, high-growth small firms in exchange for a portion of the company, have started to loosen their purse strings. In the first three quarters of 2011, the venture-capital industry made 2,725 investments worth $21.2 billion, compared with only 3,056 deals worth $19.7 billion in all of 2009, according to an industry report from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the National Venture Capital Association and MoneyTree.

In the year ahead, the venture-capital industry will likely be roughly in line with 2011, says Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association. But uncertainty abounds. “There continues to be concerns about what happens in Europe, the budget crisis in the U.S., the Arab Spring, all of these things coming together,” Heesen says.

Even if the number of dollars invested is flat, he says, the number of new companies receiving funding may decline. When venture capital firms have to make a choice, they are more likely to invest in their existing companies than take on new risks.

Angel investing: Angel investors are becoming a bit less cautious, too. These investors—high net worth individuals who help fund startups in exchange for a percentage of the company down the road—provided $8.9 billion in the first half of 2011, up nearly 5 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the University of New Hampshire Center for Venture Research. The $8.9 billion went to 26,300 startups, for an average investment of $338,400.

“I don’t see any big run-up in dollars in 2012. If we see a flat market or a 5 percent growth rate, that would be reasonable,” says Jeffrey Sohl, director of the Center for Venture Research. Angel investors “are still doing deals, they are just doing deals at a smaller amount.”

Related: Need Cash Fast? Pawngo Can Help

Asset-backed lending: Asset-backed loans, which are based on the value of collateral, have become more popular. Although they are often more expensive than a regular bank loan, businesses often turn to asset-backed lenders when they don’t have the track record to qualify for a traditional line of credit. In the third quarter of 2011, businesses were making greater use of their asset-backed credit lines, with 40.5 percent in use compared with 37.2 percent a year earlier, according to a survey of members of the industry group Commercial Finance Association. That marked the third consecutive quarter of increased utilization of the credit lines.

“Typically, you have seen that when the economy is a little bit shaky, you see more activity of asset-backed lending,” says Andrej Suskavcevic, CEO of the CFA. Next year, he says, the volume of asset-back lending is expected to be flat with 2011.

Catherine Clifford is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222540

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To discuss business funding solutions contact Equity Alliance International:

ceo@equityallianceintl.com

http://equityallianceintl.com/

About Equity Alliance International

Equity Alliance International offers business funding solutions for emerging growth companies.

Public and private companies work with Equity Alliance to raise awareness and communicate their company’s investment potential.  Equity Alliance has over 25 years of combined experience helping companies navigate and utilize the international equity markets.

Equity Alliance specializes in the areas of Initial Public Offerings (I.P.O), Investor Relations, Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Angel Investing.

Making an effective pitch is more important than ever, as venture capital remains relatively scarce. In 2007, venture-capital firms raised more than $31 million to invest, according to data from Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association. But they raised only slightly more than $18 million last year. “Our cottage industry is indeed getting smaller still and that will impact the startup ecosystem over time,” Mark Heesen, president of the association, said in a statement.

To take your best shot with venture capitalists, avoid these six common blunders:

1. Don’t contact every VC in Silicon Valley. Blindly reaching out to VCs with a generalized pitch is not going to improve your chances of getting funded, according to Brian O’Malley of Battery Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif. Not all investors are interested in the same kinds of companies, nor do will they all invest the same amount of money or at the same time in a company’s life cycle.

Research the VC you plan to pitch, figuring out the kind of companies it has invested in and at what stage in a company’s growth. This basic, yet useful, information can often be found on the investor’s website. “If people don’t display the most basic sales characteristics, then I worry about their ability to be successful as an entrepreneur,” O’Malley says.

2. Don’t overdo the PowerPoint presentation. Some entrepreneurs create lengthy PowerPoints that leave investors bored and with little time for questions and answers. John Backus, founder and managing partner at New Atlantic Venture Partners in the Washington, D.C., area, recommends a maximum of 15 slides for a one-hour meeting. That number of slides will take up about half the meeting, he says, leaving 30 minutes for questions. Also, make the slides as visual as possible. “We are not going to remember a list of data,” Backus says.

3. Don’t disregard questions that come up. VCs will likely have questions that interrupt your presentation, and you may be tempted to hurry through them to get back to your rehearsed pitch. Instead, always answer questions as completely as possible. After all, if you secure funding with a VC, it’s likely going to be a long-term relationship – and communication is key. “When I invest in your company, we are going to be married for five to seven years,” says Johnathan Ebinger, investment partner of BlueRun Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif. Sometimes “it is like they are playing whack-a-mole with my questions,” he says. “Let’s try to have a conversation.”

4. Don’t exaggerate. While VCs are hunting for the next Google, Facebook or Twitter, they don’t want to hear unrealistic pitches. “There are probably five companies out there in the world that have gotten to $10 billion, $20 billion, $30 billion,” Backus says. “Be realistic and tell me how you are going to win.” One way to make your pitch credible: Identify your potential rivals and explain your competitive strategy. “There is always competition,” Ebinger says. “You have to be open to the fact that the world is going to get by without you.”

5. Don’t try to raise money just for the short term. O’Malley often hears entrepreneurs say they’re trying to raise cash to cover expenses for a period of time, usually 12 to 24 months. But he discourages short-term thinking. Instead, he urges entrepreneurs to raise money to hit milestones, such as reaching 500,000 downloads of your software or application, hiring a vice president of marketing or signing a distribution deal. Also, raising a bit more money than you’ll need is better than too little. “Of my seed investments I have made, half of them wished they had raised more money,” O’Malley says. “None of the others that raised more than they needed ever regretted it.”

6. Don’t rush to disclose what you think your company is worth. You will need to discuss how much money you are seeking, but don’t immediately share what percentage of your company’s value that represents. “I have talked to a lot of my venture friends, and it turns them off when they see the value of the company” declared too soon, says Lori Hoberman, chairwoman of law firm Chadbourne & Parke LLP’s emerging companies/venture capital practice in New York.

Instead of putting your estimated valuation in the presentation, allow it to come up naturally in conversation. The valuation will be “a very hotly negotiated point between you and the investor,” Hoberman says. The issue usually surfaces at the end of the first meeting, she adds, when you discuss what percentage of the company you are selling for the investment.

Catherine Clifford is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

—————————————————————————————————————————————

To discuss business funding solutions contact Equity Alliance International:
ceo@equityallianceintl.com

http://equityallianceintl.com/

About Equity Alliance International

Equity Alliance International offers business funding solutions for emerging growth companies.

Public and private companies work with Equity Alliance to raise awareness and communicate their company’s investment potential.  Equity Alliance has over 25 years of combined experience helping companies navigate and utilize the international equity markets.

Equity Alliance specializes in the areas of Initial Public Offerings (I.P.O), Investor Relations, Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Angel Investing.

The company’s new website is inline with EAI’s growth plan and direction, with which the company will follow in the future. Keeping abreast of trends in the industry and in the financial sector has a whole is a key point in Equity Alliance’s strategy.

The company’s current region of expertise, that of investor relations and online financial marketing, will now be incorporated into fields of growth that the company has targeted.

The targets for growth that Equity Alliance has identified are relating to venture capital, angel investing, I.P.O. services and private equity, with strong growth plans in place. These targets also compliment the company’s current offerings and is being seen as a beneficial progression.

Equity Alliance continues to seek new avenues and projects that it can apply its combined 25 years of experience.

For further information:

http://www.equityallianceir.com
ceo@equityallianceintl.com

About Equity Alliance International

Equity Alliance International offers services for investor relations, venture capital, I.P.O, angel investing, private equity and online marketing. Visit our website today for further information on investor relations, venture capital, I.P.O, angel investing, private equity and online marketing. Speak to us today.

Article

13 Oct 2011 – San Diego, Ca – Equity Alliance International (EAI), the growing equity services company is pleased to announce 3rd quarter news and overhaul to its corporate website.

The company has had a productive year to date and is seeing advancements on a number of investment fronts and increases in offerings. The new website is inline with EAI’s growth plan and direction, with which the company will follow in the future.

The company’s current region of expertise, that of investor relations and online financial marketing, will now be incorporated into fields of growth that the company has targeted.

The targets for growth that Equity Alliance has identified are relating to venture capital, angel investing, I.P.O. services and private equity, with strong growth plans in place.

Equity Alliance feels despite a shaky economy, there are strong growth opportunities available to those who have their ear to the ground and remain positive.

For further information:

www.equityallianceir.com

ceo@equityallianceintl.com

http://emailwire.com/clients/newsRoom.php?prID=71840

Companies working with Equity Alliance International look to us to tell their story to the international investment community. By increasing awareness of their innovative ideas, products, services and managers we close the gap between their intrinsic value and their market valuation. Our programs are geared to increase liquidity, trading volume, shareholder value and stock price. Retail investors, accredited investors, investment clubs, stock brokers, analysts and hedge fund managers look to us for breaking news, research reports, CEO interviews and critical company announcements—information that signals the opportunity for significant financial gain.

Our seasoned team knows how to get results. And we deliver unparalleled integrity, experience, expertise, innovation and passion to every company and investor we serve. We have achieved success working with a range of small cap companies from market sectors including oil and gas, pharmaceutical, high tech, gold, and homeland security. We develop and execute targeted, hands-on investor relations programs that work.