Its initial sales proposition was to offer unit-linked bonds, which could be sold door-to-door (unlike unit trusts at the time), and including property investment, when property unit trusts were not then authorised. Although nominally single-premium life policies, these offered only nominal life cover, and incidentally neatly avoided the liability to ad valorem stamp duty on life policies. Equity exposure was obtained by investing via a range of feeder funds into Allied Unit Trusts, whose manager was owned by Hambros; and property via Berkeley Hambro.