8 Keys to Positive Media Attention for Your Startup

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. Now, even the earliest stage startup can rise to visibility or be forever lost by their first media spotlight, so it behooves us all to know the rules early. Most entrepreneurs I know admit…

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How Important is Trusting Your Gut When Starting Up?

Going with gut instinct has plenty of famous adherents—Steve Jobs was famous at Apple for making key decisions without referring to marketing data, one of which is said to have been the genesis of the iPad—a device that sold 42 million devices in 2016. Jobs said that intuition “more powerful than intellect”, while serial entrepreneur and…

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The “Leading” Issue with Starting a Business

A lot of people dream of owning their own business, and as a young man I was no different. However, the reality of a weekly rent payment meant my entrepreneurial spirit was put on temporary hold while I followed in the footsteps of my father, earning a trade and a wage to pay for life’s…

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What Most Frustrates Me About Startups!

One of the services my firm offers is assistance in Entity Selection for startups. This is usually when we talk about various options available for the incorporator and what type of entity would be the best fit for the start-up in terms of liability exposure, record-keeping, and tax filing. This meeting usually results in setting…

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Top 5 Reasons Small Businesses Fail in the First 5 Years

Sadly, 55 percent of new businesses fail within the first five years. At times this can be due to unexpected causes such as radical technology, market shifts, or changing regulations. But even in these cases, failure could have been prevented by careful planning. Here are five common reasons that businesses fail. 1. Lack of Knowledge…

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Searching 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…

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Startup Vision: Paradox of Consistency vs. Opportunity

The world is full of paradox, like this one. Here’s research on startup vision that shows “The tech landscape is lush with entrepreneurs whose success blossomed only after the founders had modified or even abandoned their original vision.” That makes sense when you see examples and details. But wait – what about the idea that the…

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Startups: What Are Your Odds for Success?

Well, the numbers don’t lie, even if there are several sources of these statistics. Starting a company is HARD—in so many ways. And risky too. I read several years ago, that the average startup restaurant lasts only about a year. Ouch! Here I am a professional investor in early stage companies, and I attempt to…

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