The visibility of Google, Facebook and a few others continues to propagate the myth that the ultimate objective of every entrepreneur should be to take their startups public via an initial public offering at the earliest opportunity. Everyone thinks this is the route to become the next billionaire like Mark Zuckerberg. In reality, this option […]
Investors
8 Business Name Mistakes Investors Hate to See
Every new baby gets a name before it is introduced to the world, and yet some entrepreneurs continue to send me business plans with TBD (to be determined) in place of a business name on the front page. They don’t realize that the name they choose, or lack of it, sets an initial perception of […]
7 Keys to a Compelling Investor Executive Summary
Few investors these days have the time or patience to read a full business plan, so a better way to catch their eye is with a tightly written and well formatted two-page executive summary. As a model, think high-quality marketing collateral, with text and graphics in columns and sidebars, but focused on the value […]
Why VC Funding Might Not Be for You
It’s an exciting time for startups and aspiring business founders. With investors pumping so much money into the industry it’s easy to see why. We’re hearing more and more about “unicorns” valued at more than a billion dollars and companies spending enormous sums to acquire other businesses. The numbers look amazing. But not all funding […]
8 Lessons for Entrepreneurs from the Shark Tank
As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations.
Premature Scaling Kills Businesses
Venture capitalists sometimes make an error in directing their portfolio company CEOs to push resources to the limit and scale the business to immense size quickly, all to seize market share.
How to Value a Company
Debra S. just bought Accounting for the Numberphobic; A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners and here’s what she wrote:
Realistic Strategies for Funding Product Development
Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology.
8 Questions Before You Join or Invest in a Startup
Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology.
8 Questions to Help Set Expectations with Investors
One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round.
