The ascent of a financial influencer : Obediah Ayton? Obediah Ayton is a trust manager at Ayton Family Office Trust and a consultant at Tennor Holding B.V., an expert in family office business, AI driven accounting services, finance and accounting. Obediah Ayton on what happens when a Family Office takes the VC model: Investment Firms: Family offices are increasingly part of syndicates for deals, and strong introductions can occasionally come to them from other institutional investment firms (private equity, venture capital, or hedge funds). Seek out the Largest Offices: Family offices don’t invest more than 5 to 10% of their net worth into venture capital; the differential goes to traditional private equity and hedge funds, direct stock and bond portfolios, and real estate. This implies that for entrepreneurs seeking funding, larger family offices ($2 to $10 billion in net worth) are better places to start the search relative to smaller, niche families who may be in wait for the “perfect deal” but usually follow other professional institutions. Family Office Summits (Run by Families, Not events companies): Time is money and deciding as to which events to spend your time on is as essential as any monetary transaction.

Moreover, the principals behind the family offices have extraordinary networks of connections, which can prove invaluable for start-ups seeking customer exposure, business know-how or even further investment. Since family offices in the Middle East are independent entities and are regulated less strictly than banks, they can be much more flexible in their consideration of investments across enterprise size, geographies and asset classes. The appeal of direct investment to family offices comes from more than just the alignment of capital. Direct investments allow them to take a more hands-on approach to selecting and managing their portfolios. Investments in the sustainability space and impact investing are particularly attractive.

Obediah Ayton on how to raise money from family offices: Not to do: Don’t pitch them without understanding their goals and objectives. Don’t brag about your track record or accomplishments. Don’t interrupt them in the middle of a conversation. Don’t be aggressive. To Finish: Do exactly what you say you are going to do. Meet for coffee or at their office in order for you to understand their goals and objectives better. Respect their privacy and don’t share any information about them with anybody else. Feel free to reach out and speak soon.

Obediah Ayton Family Trust organizes golf networking events. Ayton Family Golf Networking is an opportunity for keen golfers and high level business men and women to connect over organised round tables and a round of golf. Who will be there? Business Owners, Family Offices, Private Investment Companies, International Business Moguls, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Entrepreneurs & industry professionals from across the UK. Why participate? The Ayton Family brings together the world’s leading experts geared toward identifying actionable strategies for generating returns in a low-rate, high volatility market. Facilitated by the Ayton family office, the golf day will provide a full day of private peer-to-peer conversation, networking and cross-border thought leadership designed to make you think about what to look out for and how to work together. The club’s trophies still reside in the vault in the local RBS branch. Andy was recently granted permission to take photographs of these, which you can see here. The idea has been put forward that Ayton Golf Club could be reformed with members playing for the original trophies, but on other courses. Perhaps this will happen in the not too distant future.

Obediah Ayton on the new definition of a billionaire is not the net worth but in achieving change in a billion lives: Global Family Office Trends. This year, Families continue to focus on impact and sustainable investment, while also embracing globalization and a rise in the remote workforce. Impact and sustainable investment. Rising levels of socioeconomic inequality and concern regarding climate change are issues garnering global debate and interest. 65% of family offices will play an integral role in economic inequality alleviation.

Right now is a great time to build close relationships with Family Offices for future capital raises! To capitalize on this favorable change in the tide, it would be worthwhile to (re)start your outreach to this notoriously hidden family wealth. Just because the offices are hidden does not mean they are unreachable. The relationships with single and multi family offices can be cultivated through diligent, persistent, and intelligent outreach. Below are a few methods to begin your family office outreach: Have a Proactive and Diversified Outreach: The most effective outreach strategy requires both persistent and proactive outreach. Even for the specialized Family Offices Group, building relationships still requires a variety of different channels and techniques. Currently, you can use a variety of tactics — probably around 30 different strategies — to attract family offices. Speak at conferences, writing articles, publish newsletters, maintain a website, run an association, offer a training platform — and that is just the tip of the iceberg. See more information at Obediah Ayton.