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Invest in AHL
Unique Lao Properties is a profitable business but the profits are modest and somewhat slow to accrue. Unlike a development company that maximizes profits by buying a property and taking the entire income forever, AHL has a very different business model with different development goals. AHL divides the profits with the owners over the course of the lease, and our income stream from a property ends with the lease. Nonetheless, we can offer reasonable returns to investors who share our philosophy.
In our business model, the return on investment is calculated like an annuity. The money for each new property - generally just under $50,000 - is invested in the first year. Returns start when the renovations are finished and the unit is rented. AHL vacancy rates are low and our properties get a premium rent because potential renters like our designs and are eager to support the AHL program. A building pays for itself sometime between the fourth and fifth year. Subsequent profits depend on the rents realized over the course of the lease minus the lease price, the cost of renovations, and the time the renovations take.
AHL needs investment because we want to hurry forward. Today, new projects must wait till AHL has accumulated cash to meet the significant up front costs of taking on a new property. This cash bottleneck means that we do not have enough capital to offer the most attractive terms to the owners. We cannot complete the renovations quickly because we cannot afford to pay large construction teams. We do not have the time to invest in the kinds of public relations and advertisement that we need. As a result, more buildings are lost.
Under Lao banking law, a lease is not an asset. Even though AHL manages multiple properties and rental units, our "assets" are only the furniture we own and thus banks do not find our proposals interesting. In addition, commercial loans in Laos are very short term – sometimes only 2 years – and at 10-12% interest, they are too expensive. The international banking community is reluctant to give commercial loans in Laos because banking and investment laws are still new and the perceived risk is too high. And, as a for-profit business, AHL cannot apply for grants from most charities.
AHL needs investors to save more buildings in Laos and also to enable us to expand our proven business model to other countries. If you are interested in investing in AHL, please write to Allison Brown at the email address in the footer below to discuss possible collaboration.
Donate money to support our work
If you would like to donate money to help AHL, we would be very grateful. Please understand, though, that AHL is a for-profit business and you cannot take a tax deduction for a donation directly to us. If you know a charitable organization that might be interested in sponsoring AHL's work, please tell them about us. Linking AHL to a charity would allow people to make tax deductible donations.
If you want to help right away, you can transfer a donation directly into our Vientiane bank account. Please write to Allison Brown at the email address in the footer below for wire transfer instructions. Costs for wire transfers are around $60 so this method should only be used for larger amounts.
You can send smaller amounts of money to us through PayPal account "A Brown" using the email address in the footer below. We would appreciate if you would send us an email on the same address so we can be sure that the account is credited properly.
AHL is growing, but only slowly. Raising capital is difficult and we appreciate your support.
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