Up and Running

AUGUST 30, 2017

Working out a business plan for your daycare center can be a challenge. As someone who owns eight successful daycares in the Chicago area, I know the strategies and approaches that work when it comes to developing a sound business plan for a daycare center. Have a plan for funding. What the money will be used for.

Business Plan 93

Business Plan SBA Software Review Advisory Board 93

SoCal CTO

MARCH 9, 2010

In my post, Technology Roles in Startups , I described some of the different ways I engage with startup companies such as CTO Founder , CTO , Part-Time CTO , Acting CTO , Consultant, Advisor and Advisory Board Member. Now, most often technical advisors are part of a broader advisory board.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Advisory Board Technology Fractional CTO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The market is changing so fast these days, and if you are not planning a solution today for tomorrow’s customers, you may be setting yourself up for failure and don’t even realize it. There are always new competitors who are planning their arrival tomorrow.

Customer 144

Customer Advisory Board Technical Review Angel Investor 144

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

A documented business plan for the new venture is critical here. Even though the funding cycle for external startups is often long and arduous, I find that big business funding processes are even longer, and more political. Assemble an engaged new venture advisory board.

Advisory Board 359

Advisory Board Incubator Dilution Agile 359

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Here are some tips which will signal traction and fundability to investors, as well as to your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. Build qualified advisory board.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Sweat Equity CTO Hire 281

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2016

In my role as an angel investor to startups, I’m struck by the broad variety of advisor strategies I see in investor presentations and business plans that cross my desk. That’s the function of a good advisory board. Keep the advisory board to a manageable size.

Advisory Board 151

Advisory Board Angel Investor Later Stage Stock 151

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. Include Advisory Board members and key industry people connections.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

David Teten

MAY 7, 2019

I finally had a brainstorm, and started writing a business plan. I’ve recruited an Advisory Board including officials from the CIA and the State Department; leaders from major family offices; and a former major party Presidential candidate. . Q: Is this civic tech? A nonprofit? Q: What have you built so far?

America 60

America Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence 60

David Teten

JULY 10, 2019

I finally had a brainstorm, and started writing a business plan. I’ve recruited an Advisory Board including officials from the CIA and the State Department; leaders from major family offices; and a former major party Presidential candidate. . Q: Is this civic tech? A nonprofit? Q: What have you built so far?

America 60

America Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence 60

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. Include Advisory Board members and key industry people connections.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

Here are some tips which will signal traction and fundability to investors, as well as to your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. Build qualified advisory board.

Intellectual Property 260

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 260

Up and Running

MAY 10, 2012

For these LivePlan users, the big break came in March when they finished in the top 5 of the 2012 Miller Coors Urban Entrepreneurs Series, a national business plan competition that has awarded over $1.7 million in grants to emerging businesses since 1999. “Since winning the competition, things have almost exploded for us.

Small Business 142

Small Business Advisory Board Employee Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

Here are some tips which will signal traction and fundability to investors, as well as to your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. Build qualified advisory board.

Intellectual Property 253

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 253

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. Include Advisory Board members and key industry people connections.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

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. Include Advisory Board members and key industry people connections.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

Here are some tips which will signal traction to investors, as well as your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. Build qualified advisory board.

Intellectual Property 222

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 222

crowdSPRING Blog

FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Here’s an 11 step complete guide on how to start a business. Write a business plan. Decide your legal business structure. Purchase business insurance. Create a sales plan. Write a business plan. Although a business plan isn’t mandatory, it can help you to crystallize your ideas.

Angel Investor 85

Angel Investor Small Business Business Plan Intellectual Property 85

Up and Running

JUNE 16, 2014

Make no mistake, you will need to have a business model or a business plan that shows just where you sit in relation to your competitors. To demonstrate traction you might recruit a good management team, start making sales, build an advisory board or secure strategic partnerships. Cash Flow and a Financial Plan.

Exit Strategy 91

Exit Strategy Advisory Board Business Plan Portfolio 91

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

A small advisory board of outside people with experience in your domain can give you the unbiased feedback you need, as well as connections for setting up distribution and sales channels. Your business model can be a better sustainable competitive advantage than your product features, or it can be your biggest risk exposure.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Advisory Board Software Review Business Model 220

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

A small advisory board of outside people with experience in your domain can give you the unbiased feedback you need, as well as connections for setting up distribution and sales channels. Your business model can be a better sustainable competitive advantage than your product features, or it can be your biggest risk exposure.

Technical Review 399

Technical Review Product Advisory Board Business Model 399

Up and Running

MAY 20, 2014

For this reason, it seems that there is an increasing number of competitions with large cash prizes, such as pitch competitions, school-sponsored hackathons, and business plan competitions. That’s why companies have advisory boards that get compensated — you usually have to pay for that kind of support and knowledge.

Entrepreneur 88

Entrepreneur Advisory Board Silicon Valley New York 88

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. Chapter 3: Telling the Story to Your Investors…The Business Plan is Dead.

Startup 95

Startup Advisory Board Elevator Pitch Forecast 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2013

Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Otherwise their feedback has no value in proving your business model. Then listen carefully to the feedback. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time.

Business Model 235

Business Model Product Advisory Board Angel Investor 235

crowdSPRING Blog

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

If you want to take the plunge and start your own photography business, there is a lot to consider. Here’s a complete, 10 step guide on how to start a photography business. Write a business plan. Decide your legal business structure. Purchase business insurance. Create a sales plan.

Business Plan 64

Business Plan Small Business Administration Hiring Social Media 64

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2012

Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Otherwise their feedback has no value in proving your business model. Then listen carefully to the feedback. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time.

Business Model 248

Business Model Advisory Board Entrepreneur Angel Investor 248

ConversionXL

AUGUST 11, 2021

This is basically a business plan—and snapshot of the benefits of your property [assets]. It contains the story of your property, mission statement, sponsor benefits, demographics, marketing plan, goals, media opportunities, advisory board, and the sponsor fees.”.

Audience 139

Audience Social Media Email Ruby 139

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? Investors invest in people more than the idea.

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Advisory Board Liquidity Event Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2014

According to a recent industry report on travel spending, small businesses buy 37% more airline tickets than big business travelers, and spend 24% more when on the road. Yet I still see business plans and funding plans for startups that have minimal or no allocation for travel. Face-to-face time is key.

Small Business 251

Small Business Advisory Board Silicon Valley Boston 251

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2011

Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Otherwise their feedback has no value in proving your business model. Then listen carefully to the feedback. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time.

Business Model 234

Business Model Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor 234

Small Business Force

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

In fact, if you can, set up an advisory board of three or four folks, who you respect, who've been to the same dance you're at right now. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, call them what you will. Fourth, create a business plan. So let Yoda help. First things first. Folks who've had to make payrolls.

Early Stage 32

Early Stage Advisory Board Technical Review Web Development 32

Up and Running

OCTOBER 20, 2010

A documented business plan. A qualified advisory board. I’m skeptical about advisory boards. Martin says “If you can convince a couple of industry experts or experienced executives to join your board, you’ll get serious traction with investors.&# Martin calls these.

Advisory Board 71

Advisory Board Intellectual Property Venture Capital Sales 71

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2010

Build a business plan first. I strongly recommend it because going through that process is amazing, and if you are looking to build an advisory board, if you are looking for investment capital you, have to have a well-prepared business plan. Then, as you heard earlier, don't give up.

Entrepreneur 208

Entrepreneur Advisory Board Social Media Washington 208

Business Plan Blog

DECEMBER 10, 2013

Below are the milestones that you will need to achieve in order to attract seed investment from Angels: Business Plan. A major piece of the business plan will be your capitalization strategy demonstrating the milestone timeline discussed above as well as the effects of accomplished milestones on the company’s future valuation.

Angel Investor 55

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Seed Capital Advisory Board 55

Business Plan Blog

NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Business Plan. You may have gotten through your FFF round without a business plan, but in order to attract seed investors you will need a comprehensive plan complete with extensive market research and a detailed financial model. Founding Team, Key Hires, Advisory Board.

Intellectual Property 55

Intellectual Property Advisory Board Startup Seed Capital 55

Small Business Force

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

In fact, if you can, set up an advisory board of three or four folks, who you respect, who've been to the same dance you're at right now. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, call them what you will. Fourth, create a business plan. So let Yoda help. First things first.

Early Stage 20

Early Stage Advisory Board Technical Review Employee 20

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 12, 2015

As a founder he got the company to the Build phase because he was able to think creatively and independently since conditions on the ground changed so rapidly that the original well-thought-out business plan became irrelevant. If he already had an advisory board (formal and/or informal), add CEO’s who have been through this phase.

Startup 120

Startup Lean Venture Capital Advisory Board 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2010

Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Otherwise their feedback has no value in proving your business model. Then listen carefully to the feedback. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time.

Business Model 120

Business Model Advisory Board Angel Investor Channel 120