Posts Tagged ‘Investors’
Prepping for an Investor Pitch? Don’t Get Blinded by Tunnel Vision
Don’t let your drive steer you down a dead end. For a startup founder, enthusiasm is a necessary piece of the personality puzzle. You took the leap and started your business because you believe in it. Whether you’re solving a major technology problem, disrupting a stagnant industry or providing a service that will make life…
Read MoreHacking Shark Investors: The Ultimate Pitch Guide
What’s the difference between a shark and any other fish in the sea? Ever think about that? Sharks come in all sizes and shapes with over 450 different species on the earth. The smallest is 8”. The longest 60 feet long. Sharks can only swim forward, sharks keep the ecosystem healthy since they eat diseased…
Read MoreSearching for Stephs: Identifying the Greats in Early-Stage Startups
At my investment firm, we look for “Stephs” — as in NBA player Steph Curry for the Golden State Warriors. Why? He’s the underdog that no one expected to be great. As the skinny, baby-faced son of Dell Curry, every major Division 1 school in his home state of North Carolina passed on him. We’ve…
Read More3 Strategies That Helped Me Raise $500,000 in Less Than Three Weeks
It takes money to make money, and finding people willing to invest their hard-earned dollars into your startup or venture isn’t always easy. Raising money can be challenging and often downright dejecting, but it can also be inspiring and lead to significant progress within your company. Whether you are a “garage” startup or a fully-funded…
Read MoreAngel Investment Red Flags
Last week at an angel investment meeting one of our group members asked whether anybody had a list of red flag problems that would immediately eliminate a startup from consideration by angel investors. That seemed like a good idea to me then. And over the weekend somebody asked a similar question in Quora: what are some…
Read More7 Work Ethic Elements Will Get You Investor Funding
Starting and running a business is hard. Don’t believe the old myth that with a few hours of work a day and a great web site, you can get rich while you sleep. I have found that the most successful entrepreneurs and business executives have an impressive work ethic, and they surround themselves with a…
Read MoreAvoid the Race to Zero
When do you sell your company? Obviously we all want to sell at the top. And there is the problem. How do you know when you are at or near that right point to sell for maximum value? Those of us in the business of calculating (guessing) this mythical peak in value often make the…
Read MoreHow to Handle 5 Common Sales Scenarios
The most successful entrepreneurs are great salespeople. Have you ever seen Steve Jobs, Elon Musk or Mark Benioff presenting in front of thousands of people, all eagerly listening and buying into their vision? If Jobs, Musk or Benioff weren’t true masters of sales and fantastic storytellers, there would be no Apple, Tesla or Salesforce. Here’s…
Read MoreDo We All Undervalue Bootstrapping?
In business schools, in popular blogs, in business publications, and in general discussion of starting a business, we undervalue bootstrapping. We teach starting a business as if every new business requires sophisticated venture capital. I understand how this can be educational. It means teaching business planning, which is the ultimate business teaching tool, and investment…
Read More5 Simple Ways to Raise Capital for Your Small Business
Small businesses don’t necessarily need to grow quickly (though they should certainly want to grow, as stagnation is one very small step away from contraction). They often operate in less competitive markets and don’t have the explicit goal of becoming a huge company. Without the brutality of highly-funded competitors trying to eat your lunch day after day,…
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