Up and Running

MAY 28, 2015

We recently had Tim Berry, Palo Alto Software founder and business planning expert, present our Bplans audience with his latest advice on lean business planning. It’s all about making your business life easier, doing what works best, getting the best results by tracking what works and always improving.

Lean 60

Lean Business Plan Video Software Review 60

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Similarly, customers are more knowledgeable, aware, and conscious to choose from the variety out there, which slows down the company’s revenue and growth. In a conventional business perspective, there are significantly lesser areas to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Technical Review 153

Technical Review Forecast Analytics Social Media 153

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2022

One of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of success is to have a business plan. From attracting potential investors to keeping your business on track—a business plan helps you to achieve important milestones and grow in the right direction. And it’s not just for startups.

Business Plan 150

Business Plan Balance Sheet Revenue Metrics 150

ConversionXL

JUNE 16, 2022

Stacked Marketer turned a free newsletter into a six-figure revenue generator by staying actionable, convenient, and entertaining. It should include primary and secondary KPIs and metrics related to marketing goals , as well as the platforms (e.g., In a business plan, key questions are answered in an executive summary.

Campaign 149

Campaign CTO Marketing Social Media 149

Up and Running

MARCH 17, 2022

Many business owners know and understand the value of a business plan. The business plan is a key component of the startup and fundraising process and serves as a foundation for your organization. What is a business plan? It lays out who is running the business and what the business does.

Business Plan 145

Business Plan Operations Lean Forecast 145

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

Most people think of the business plan as a one-time event, something used to accomplish a specific goal—getting funded, usually. The business plan, in its many different formats, can be used for a variety of purposes, including validating an idea, getting funded, and managing a business successfully.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Lean Forecast Balance Sheet 60

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Tech IPO prices exploded and subsequent trading prices rose to dizzying heights as the stock prices became disconnected from the traditional metrics of revenue and profits. Startups wrote business plans, generated expansive 5-year forecasts and executed (hired, spent and built) to the plan.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Up and Running

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Do you have a plan? When Corcoran suggests you need to “…have a complete understanding of your company’s…prospects,” she’s alluding to a business plan and the potential your business has for future growth. What’s more, a formal plan doesn’t necessarily mean cumbersome. Do you regularly review your plan?

Metrics 128

Metrics Software Review Forecast Small Business 128

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Over the past 20+ years, as an angel investor, former venture capitalist and private equity investor, and serial entrepreneur, I have seen and written, a wide variety of pitch decks and business plans. Beyond discussing facing adversity and overcoming obstacles, many of them have shared their business plans with me.

Business Plan 124

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Equity Private Equity 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2023

Every business owner and entrepreneur like you I work with wishes they could better predict product demand and sales, for managing inventory and long-term business planning. We all have our favorite metric and our passion, but keeping up with real-world changes and trends seems to be always just out of reach.

Metrics 204

Metrics Demand Analytics Leadership 204

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Great marketing is required to generate revenue and grow every business, especially new businesses which have no brand recognition nor loyal customer base. Yet, as a business consultant, I still find many of you business leaders relying primarily on your technology, word-of-mouth , or location to attract necessary customers.

Marketing 333

Marketing Revenue Matching Viral 333

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. Explain the business model. Financial forecast and metrics.

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. Explain the business model. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Up and Running

MAY 10, 2021

Your app may cost you money, but the revenue it generates may justify the budget. You can start by researching your competitors to gain an understanding of cost structure, revenue generation, and the business model for your app. What has your revenue been for the last 1-3 years? What metrics are you tracking?

Artificial Inteligence 150

Artificial Inteligence Developer Development Team Review United Kingdom 150

Gust

APRIL 27, 2014

I’m continually amazed at the number of entrepreneurs who go for months into a new business without really keeping a formal record of money spent or assets acquired. Use a simple accounting tool like QuickBooks, get away from co-mingled funds, and you have the first business process you need. Develop your business plan.

Startup 187

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 187

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2012

What I’m talking about here is a level of discipline and skill necessary to collect and analyze the relevant business data, known as metrics. Here is my selection of ten key metrics that every six-sigma joint like GE tracks without thinking, but too many small businesses only monitor haphazardly, if at all: Sales revenue.

Metrics 266

Metrics Retention Acquisition Salary 266

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Learn why the traditional way of writing a five-year business plan is often a waste of time and how to use a Lean Plan instead for smarter, easier strategic planning to establish your long-term vision. But, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan for the long term. What is a long-term plan?

Business Plan 83

Business Plan Lean Forecast Exit Strategy 83

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Do a written business plan to validate your thinking. Even if your plan seems simple and intuitively obvious to you, writing it down and having it reviewed by experienced friends will moderate your passion and assure you that all key elements are addressed. Define key metrics to measure progress and success.

Intellectual Property 245

Intellectual Property Social Media Angel Investor Metrics 245

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

By definition, second-stage ventures generally have 10 to 99 employees and/or $750,000 to $50 million in revenue, and see that as just the beginning. According to one study a decade ago, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company.

Mezzanine 368

Mezzanine Private Equity Bandwidth Metrics 368

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. Explain the business model. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2012

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. You need to show your summary revenue and expense projections for three to five years. Marty Zwilling.

Business Plan 244

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Viral Lead Generation 244

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Just be sure that you have a backup plan if your business idea fails to gain traction. This could be something simple like being prepared to seek out short-term employment or reexamining your business structure and trying again. Prepare a business plan. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Business Plan in 7 Steps.

Forecast 154

Forecast Software Review Bootstrapping Finance 154

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2013

Many startups see initial revenue from customers, and love the fast growth, but fail to anticipate the cost of early vendor payments, monthly overhead costs, and later taxes. A required metric is average days to payment compared to expectations. Considering the job done once a client has been invoiced. Not having a budget.

Technical Review 251

Technical Review Entrepreneur Salary Finance 251

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

There is no point incubating an innovative new venture if you don’t have the funds to launch and expect quick self-sustaining revenue. A documented business plan for the new venture is critical here. Scaling any new initiative globally these days takes a large ongoing investment, and a carefully thought-out plan and execution.

Advisory Board 359

Advisory Board Incubator Dilution Agile 359

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

Even if you are not requesting outside funding, I would expect a clear process for sourcing and managing the investment you plan to apply. External investors expect a documented business plan, with clear targets on funding needed, use of funds, revenue projections, return potential, and exit strategy.

Exit Strategy 288

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 288

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2016

He nails the current key startup parameters, including the following: Crafting a lean business plan as your road map. The days of lengthy, text-heavy, business plan documents prepared by expensive experts are behind us. Incorporating a business entity early through online services.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2012

Many startups see initial revenue from customers, and love the fast growth, but fail to anticipate the cost of early vendor payments, monthly overhead costs, and later taxes. A required metric is average days to payment compared to expected. Considering the job done once a client has been invoiced. Not having a budget.

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Startup Finance Cost 273

Up and Running

AUGUST 24, 2020

While AI helps businesses make sense of their data, the Internet of Things (IoT) helps capture and deliver data from a plethora of interconnected devices. Simply put, IoT is a combination of sensor and data analytics systems, helping businesses aggregate metrics to make more accurate decisions. Invest in analytics.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Analytics Forecast Artificial Inteligence 131

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. Explain the business model. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

You may have a thoughtful business plan, a proven team, and a great product, but if the market isn’t big enough to present them with an outsized opportunity to make money, they’ll pass. You may be able to generate revenue, but VCs want exponential growth. Like you, they’re looking for opportunity. Be ready when it counts.

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Differentiation 140

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 24, 2015

3 One-page business plan. Develop a one-page business plan. This should include what you will sell, who your customers will be, how much you will charge, how you’ll market your business, what determines success, and how objections will be managed. This spanned the following areas: #1 Generate Higher Revenue.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Software Review South Carolina Startup 100

Up and Running

JANUARY 16, 2013

Our thanks to Small Business Trends and the Young Entrepreneur Council 10 Reasons Why You Should Write A Business Plan. the fact is that a business plan — even just a one-pager with a few financial projections — can be a valuable internal tool. This is a very good list. The top-level summary: . Organization.

Business Plan 96

Business Plan LLC Forecast Early Stage 96

Up and Running

APRIL 10, 2013

Then once they learn what the market responds to (and what moves the needle on revenue, site traffic, clicks or another important performance metric), you can invest in fully building out the concept. The company wanted to grow revenue, which meant they needed more rental listings and more people renting.

Lean 71

Lean Analytics Technical Review Social Media 71

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Even if you are not requesting outside funding, I would expect a clear process for sourcing and managing the investment you plan to apply. External investors expect a documented business plan, with clear targets on funding needed, use of funds, revenue projections, return potential, and exit strategy.

Entrepreneur 328

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Metrics Operations 328

Steve Blank

MARCH 4, 2014

But now, as the business model is repeatable and scalable, most employees take the business model as a given, and instead focus on the execution of the model – what is it they are supposed to do every day when they come to work. They measure their success on metrics that reflect success in execution, and they reward execution.

IRR 335

IRR Startup Business Model Agile 335

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2007

Then, I Review existing materials Business Plan Marketing Plan Marketing Materials Product Plan / Roadmap Current and Projected Financials Business Pipeline Team Member Bios / Resumes Current Metrics Roadmap Normally there are crude documents for each of these areas that can be quickly read / scanned.

Fractional CTO 231

Fractional CTO CTO Hire Technical Review Early Stage 231