Up and Running

JANUARY 29, 2019

Though you may be tempted to immediately throw yourself into your new small business, don’t forget a crucial element: creating a business plan. Yes, the words “business plan” might trigger some dread about epic documents that take a ton of time to produce—but that’s not necessarily what a business plan needs to be.

Lean 64

Lean Business Plan Revenue Forecast 64

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Yet every business requires revenue and volumes, as certainly as it requires a product to sell. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Forecast 369

Forecast Burn Rate Startup Widget 369

Up and Running

JUNE 25, 2020

And while generating new business and growing your customer base is necessary to succeed, it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes effective planning, strategy, and the willingness to get creative. If your sales have recently hit a plateau, check out these 10 proven methods to continue growing your business.

Small Business 180

Small Business Hosting Social Media Community 180

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

A version of this article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. Given the stock market was buying “the story and vision” of anything internet, inflated expectations were more important than traditional metrics like customers, growth, revenue, or heaven forbid, profits. ” Fire, Ready, Aim.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Up and Running

MAY 12, 2020

Develop a Business Plan. It’s been proven that planning makes you more successful. Beyond writing a business plan to acquire funding (if that’s what you need), a business plan can help keep you on track to meet your milestones and goals. Determine what type of business plan is right for you .

Software Review 153

Software Review Exit Strategy Technical Review Business Plan 153

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

To create this first year in business checklist, I turned to our in-house experts here at Palo Alto Software: Sabrina Parsons, CEO; Noah Parsons, COO; Josh Cochrane, Vice President of Product Development; and Josh Fegles, Academic and Government Channel Sales Director, and founder of gluten-free cookie company Jude’s Foods.

Forecast 60

Forecast Software Review Lean Finance 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2022

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media. Long-term sales.

Marketing 319

Marketing Framework Social Media Metrics 319

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2015

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Yet every business requires revenue and volumes, as certainly as it requires a product to sell. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Forecast 120

Forecast Entrepreneur Burn Rate Widget 120

Gust

JUNE 19, 2012

One of my earliest excursions into market research was working for a research firm doing a 1979 forecast on ATMs. 10 Things I Look for When Reading a Business Plan. This seems like a good point to summarize here what I look for in a business plan. . Often this is part of a good forecast. Power Pitches.

Startup 180

Startup Forecast Angel Investor Software 180

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

People ask me if they really need ANY business plan, unless they are looking for an outside investor. In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Solution and benefits. Skip the technical jargon and hyperbole.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

People ask me if they really need ANY business plan, unless they are looking for an outside investor. In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Solution and benefits. Skip the technical jargon and hyperbole.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Up and Running

MAY 1, 2014

You’ve reviewed what a business plan is , and why you need one to start and grow your business. It’s time to dig into the process of actually writing a business plan. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll take you through every stage of writing a business plan that will actually help you achieve your goals.

Business Plan 163

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Distribution 163

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 12, 2010

Listening to first-time entrepreneurs talk about their competitive advantages is as predictably invalid as the local weatherman's 10-day forecast. Trouble is, customers don't want more features, they want the right features. It should be part of your business plan that other people will copy you.

Intellectual Property 319

Intellectual Property Bootstrapping Software Review Open Source 319

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Before you jump into starting your own vacation rental business, you’ll need a business plan. This article will cover the steps to create your Airbnb business plan, along with some tips to run it successfully. How to write an Airbnb business plan. Why are you starting your Airbnb business?

Business Plan 110

Business Plan Software Review Technical Review Forecast 110

Gust

MAY 29, 2012

It’s the end of May as I write this so I’ve just finished my annual April-May business plan marathon reading more than 100 business plans for my angel investment group and four different business plan contests. This seems like a good point to summarize here what I look for in a business plan. .

Business Plan 174

Business Plan Forecast Channel Cost 174

Up and Running

JANUARY 15, 2018

Once you’ve decided that you’re ready to start a small web design firm, you’ll need to develop a host of skills to help you run a successful business, including time management, sales and promotional strategies, and client acquisition. Create a Lean Business Plan. Be part of your local community.

Web 86

Web Design Software Review Elevator Pitch 86

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2012

It’s the end of May as I write this so I’ve just finished my annual April-May business plan marathon reading more than 100 business plans for my angel investment group and four different business plan contests. This seems like a good point to summarize here what I look for in a business plan.

Business Plan 145

Business Plan Forecast Channel Cost 145

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 24, 2022

These are just some of the things you must consider when you are intending to start a new business. . Your business is more likely to be successful if you are providing your clients or customers with services or products that are unique to the market. This is an essential step before you start writing your business plan. .

Forecast 135

Forecast Business Plan Finance Government 135

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

People ask me if they really need ANY business plan, unless they are looking for an outside investor. In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Solution and benefits. Skip the technical jargon and hyperbole.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Business Plan. With a game plan in mind, you will need to figure out how you intend to set your company apart from the rest of the players in the market. With a proper business plan, you can forecast development, allocate your resources properly, focus more on key points, and also know what to do in case any problems arise.

Advertising 264

Advertising Forecast Social Media Business Plan 264

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2013

Unless your volumes are in the millions or higher, the difference between manufacturing cost and customer price better be 50% or greater. That should be true even if your customer is really a distributor. Next comes sales volume by channel. This forecast is really their commitment.

Business Plan 215

Business Plan Venture Capital Demand Forecast 215

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2019

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media. Long-term sales.

Media 238

Media Cost Framework Social Media 238

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2013

Projecting the financials should be the last step of your business plan preparation, since it assumes you already know the opportunity size, customer buying habits, pricing, costs, and competition. That should be true even if your customer is really a distributor. Next comes sales volume by channel.

Forecast 238

Forecast Business Plan Burn Rate .Net 238

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

People ask me if they really need ANY business plan, unless they are looking for an outside investor. In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Solution and benefits. Skip the technical jargon and hyperbole.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

Steve Blank

MARCH 5, 2012

One of the confusing things to entrepreneurs, investors and educators is the relationship between customer development and business model design and business planning and execution. When does a new venture focus on customer development and business models ? Here’s an attempt to put this all in context.

Search 324

Search Business Model Customer Development Agile 324

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2017

Founders point to the great number of financial unknowns in any new business, and are reluctant to “commit” to any numbers which may come back to haunt them later. As a rule of thumb, most new businesses need a margin above 50 percent, even on wholesale prices, to cover operational expenses and survive long-term as a business.

Burn Rate 144

Burn Rate Forecast Angel Investor Revenue 144

OnlyOnce

JULY 9, 2013

Chapter 2: Defining and Testing the Story…Start Out By Admitting You’re Wrong, A Lean Business Plan Template, Problem, Solution, Key Metrics, Unique Value Proposition and Unfair Advantages, Channels, Customer Segments, Cost Structure and Revenue Streams.

Startup 95

Startup Advisory Board Elevator Pitch Forecast 95

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 10, 2015

Our LivePlan customers are entrepreneurs, our founder and staff have run and sold companies, the Bplans readers are aspiring entrepreneurs (or actual entrepreneurs), and as I sell my own handmade jewelry, I like to think I have a very small claim to the title. Your customer. Your business model (or how you will make money).

Curation 60

Curation Lean Software Review Finder 60

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media. Long-term sales.

Advertising 166

Advertising Marketing Startup Framework 166

YoungUpstarts

MAY 26, 2017

Your pitch deck is the most important assets your business will have, arguably more than the business plan itself. Based off the “Pitch then Plan” template originated by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, I believe in creating a strong pitch first and then building a business plan based on it.

Cofounder 185

Cofounder Silicon Valley Forecast Business Plan 185

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2013

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media. Long-term sales.

Media 252

Media Marketing Startup Framework 252

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I recommend a pitch deck with about 10 slides backed up with a written business plan of approximately 20 pages, both containing quantified answers to the following key questions. What is the business problem you are solving? What are your specific marketing and sales plans?

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Advisory Board Liquidity Event Startup 120

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 7, 2010

(Or more accurately, startups are a temporary organization designed to search for a scalable and repeatable business model.) There are few courses which teach aspiring entrepreneurs the skills (business models, customer and agile development, design thinking, etc.) Their objective is to get users, orders, customers, etc.

Wiki 316

Wiki Lean Management Business Model 316

Business Plan Blog

OCTOBER 8, 2013

Ten Deadly Business Plan Writing Sins for Raising Capital. Another key factor is how these business concepts are portrayed in the startup’s business plan. All good business plans put considerable attention on the competition for several reasons. Focusing on Technology. Ignoring the Competition.

Business Plan 67

Business Plan NDA Exit Strategy Valuation 67

Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

Most investors will assume that if the business plan is solid and a large market opportunity exists, there will be vigorous competition from other players. Here are just a few examples: Creating and revising a business plan (copyright, trade secret). Creating product mock-ups , wireframes, etc. trade secret).

Intellectual Property 143

Intellectual Property IP Startup United States 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2015

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media. Long-term sales.

Cost 120

Cost Social Media Marketing Framework 120

Up and Running

MARCH 27, 2017

Find ways to create off-season demand through partnerships with other businesses, by offering deals to local customers, or by moving sales online. Nurture forecasting. Seasonality makes forecasting more important than ever. A good cash flow forecast will help with analysis of funds available and costs throughout the year.

Forecast 60

Forecast Small Business Administration SBA Curation 60