Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

Would you be comfortable buying a house from a builder, or building one yourself, with no plan on timeframes, costs, and features? In fact, the process of organizing and documenting these elements is the best way to make sure you understand the answers yourself. I hope not.

Silicon Valley 257

Silicon Valley Exit Strategy Startup Business Plan 257

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2021

You should plan an exit strategy, and optimize your activities and timing to get top dollar. What you don’t need is a buyer dealing directly with your landlord to get your key asset, leaving you with no leverage and minimum value for the sale. Neither perspective is good for credibility or a fair result from your sale.

Due Diligence 410

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Bankruptcy Exit Strategy 410

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

Financial summary: Explain your business model, startup costs, revenues, and liabilities to the company. Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Marketing and sales plan. Do they self-pay or use insurance? Be specific. Financial plan.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Up and Running

JANUARY 2, 2013

Impress the investors with what you and your team have accomplished to date (sales, contracts, key hires, product launches, etc.). How much will it cost? Your financials should easily allow you to calculate your customer acquisition costs. Take some time to share the relevant traction you’ve had.

Hockey Stick 164

Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Technical Review Due Diligence 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations. Solution development and delivery. Team building status and plan.

Entrepreneur 328

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Metrics Operations 328

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2021

Would you be comfortable buying a house from a builder, or building one yourself, with no plan on timeframes, costs, and features? In fact, the process of organizing and documenting these elements is the best way to make sure you understand the answers yourself. I hope not.

Silicon Valley 342

Silicon Valley Exit Strategy Business Plan Restful 342

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Listed below are three crucial things to remember that will enable you to maximize your profits from the sale. . Prepare an Exit Strategy. As well as cleaning up the books, you should also create and prepare an exit strategy in order to smooth the transition to new ownership. Clean-Up Your Financials and Books.

Due Diligence 127

Due Diligence Exit Strategy Valuation Sales 127

NZ Entrepreneur

NOVEMBER 14, 2019

For example, startups often do not register their trade marks because they have an exit strategy in mind—an exit strategy that will see their business absorbed into a large organisation with its own trade mark protected house brands already in place. Sometimes IP is the only asset a startup has. Types of IP protection.

Intellectual Property 45

Intellectual Property IP Software Review New Zealand 45

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event. Investors know that the fun of a startup turns into managing production processes, sales processes, and personnel in a few years.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 18, 2024

As a former business exit advisor, she crafts exit strategies, adding up to five figures to clients’ net profit monthly so they can focus on growth. But that comes at a cost. So you hire these people now you're like, okay, wow, we've got this big payroll, we've got to be able to make some more sales.

Framework 62

Framework Sales Cycle Sales Hiring 62

Austin Startup

OCTOBER 23, 2019

As the cost of starting a company goes down over time, VC’s have become more than just money providers— they also help entrepreneurs gain customers and grow their teams. The unit cost fell and this idea of pay as you go. Scott advises that when you pick investors, you have to have compatible alignments and incentives.

Fractional VPE 49

Fractional VPE Austin Artificial Inteligence Fractional CTO 49

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event. Investors know that the fun of a startup turns into managing production processes, sales processes, and personnel in a few years.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Real estate agents are much more familiar with the property sale dynamics in your location, and they’ll probably have access to far more properties than you could find on your own. How much will it cost? Have an exit strategy. This will help you make better decisions in the moment.

Exit Strategy 149

Exit Strategy Finance Cost Security 149

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

It is going to cost a lot of money just to get the initial batch of products to test the market and would definitely require external funding. Instead of funding, you pay the investors a structured royalty, which is a portion of the sales. Both of which are expensive and time-consuming. Royalty based investment.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

Explain in analogies your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe marketing strategy, sales plan, licensing, and partnership plans. Exit strategy. What is the planned exit strategy (IPO, merger, sale, including likely candidates)?

Elevator Pitch 247

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 247

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

How easy is it to acquire a customer, and how much will it cost? How much money and effort will it cost to deliver value? Estimate your basic expenses and forecast sales to ensure that you can make a profit with your business. Create a marketing and sales plan. Estimate your startup costs. Sales forecast.

Elevator Pitch 60

Elevator Pitch Startup Balance Sheet Forecast 60

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Exit strategy. For a family business, don’t project an exit.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

Business model showing costs, pricing, and margins. Potential investors love to see gross margins in the fifty percent range or greater, with recurring revenue through subscriptions, follow-on sales, or services. Customized marketing strategy and realistic sales plans. “If

Product 145

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Exit Strategy 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations. Solution development and delivery. Team building status and plan.

Exit Strategy 155

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 155

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

Explain in analogies your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe marketing strategy, sales plan, licensing, and partnership plans. Exit strategy. What is the planned exit strategy (IPO, merger, sale, including likely candidates)?

Elevator Pitch 234

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Exit strategy. For a family business, don’t project an exit.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2010

Explain in analogies your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe marketing strategy, sales plan, licensing, and partnership plans. Exit strategy. What is the planned exit strategy (IPO, merger, sale, including likely candidates)?

Elevator Pitch 235

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 235

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

By profit, I simply mean offering a product or service to customers for a price that exceeds the total costs associated with the solution, thus providing some basis for recovering sunk costs and generating a return for stakeholders. Customers typically won’t switch to a new vendor for less than a twenty percent cost advantage.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2016

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to decrease, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. There are real ongoing costs of maintaining a public company. million in annual recurring costs as a result of being public.

IPO 120

IPO Initial Public Offering SEC Stock Options 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations. Solution development and delivery. Team building status and plan.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 120

Gust

AUGUST 19, 2012

Explain in analogies your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe marketing strategy, sales plan, licensing, and partnership plans. Exit strategy. What is the planned exit strategy (IPO, merger, sale, including likely candidates)?

Elevator Pitch 146

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 146

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

For example, “We just patented a new battery technology that will cut your smartphone charge time and cost in half.” If possible, quantify these in non-technical business terms, such as dollars saved or replacement costs over time. Include marketing, sales, and customer rollout plans.

Business Plan 423

Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2011

It has been at least a decade since going public via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) has been considered a credible exit strategy for startups. Rightly or wrongly, public ownership often lends prestige and credibility to the company in its sales efforts, general public relations, and the execution of its future strategies.

IPO 223

IPO Social Media Media Exit Strategy 223

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Exit strategy. For a family business, don’t project an exit.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Exit strategy. For a family business, don’t project an exit.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2015

Every customer understands that your solution has to generate more revenue than cost, but you should not put that data in a customer pitch. Specific elements of your marketing and sales plans. Of course, these should never be in a customer pitch, but investors expect an overall strategy with specific budgets, milestones and metrics.

Product 120

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Burn Rate 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

The business model has to clearly define who is your customer, market penetration expected, how much customers pay versus total costs and the investment required to sustain cash flow. What are your specific marketing and sales plans? Find a comparable company to show potential sale value and return on investment (ROI).

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Advisory Board Liquidity Event Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Every startup I know has pivoted at least once, so learning from your mistakes should be a positive experience, rather than a painful error that will cost you credibility. Keep your exit strategy options open as you learn. Thus they will insist on a sale or public offering at every opportunity, which will likely force you out.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2015

Would you be comfortable buying a house from a builder, or building one yourself, with no plan on timeframes, costs, and features? In fact, the process of organizing and documenting these elements is the best way to make sure you understand the answers yourself. I hope not.

Business Plan 120

Business Plan Silicon Valley Startup Exit Strategy 120

Up and Running

JULY 15, 2016

Despite the fact that production costs for certain products are now cheaper in some Southeast Asian countries, China remains the factory of the world. Setting up and scaling a successful business for an eventual sale is quite different from running a small operation and essentially being self-employed but not truly an entrepreneur.

China 60

China Entrepreneur Technical Review Framework 60

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

Sources like Crunchbase , Angel List , and Seed Invest even give this data away for free or very low cost. I previously posted a detailed presentation with sales technology tools useful for B2B sales. is an AI bot which helps companies refine their sales pitch to VCs. Pitchbot.vc 3) Originate investments.

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 60

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event. Investors know that the fun of a startup turns into managing production processes, sales processes, and personnel in a few years.

Exit Strategy 289

Exit Strategy Entrepreneur IPO Startup 289