VC Adventure

AUGUST 31, 2017

If you read my blog regularly you know I love (LOVE) metrics. They took the 92 public SaaS companies and analyzed their key operating metrics. The valuation metrics show this clearly. Not surprisingly companies raised well above their revenue level in the earlier stages as they built product and sales and marketing.

IPO 113

IPO Vertical Balance Sheet Valuation 113

Steve Blank

MARCH 26, 2019

Product/Market Fit Versus The Business Model Canvas. And instead of the traditional income statement, balance sheet and cash flow, discover the key “metrics that matter” for their business model. As you look at this year’s presentations, you can see the presentations still tend to focus on product/market fit.

Lean 254

Lean Business Model Balance Sheet Video 254

Up and Running

MAY 1, 2014

What are you actually selling and how are you solving a problem (or “need”) for your market? Target Market. If there are multiple market segments for your business, this is where you flesh out the details. Marketing and Sales Plan. How are you going to reach your target market? Milestones and Metrics.

Business Plan 163

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Distribution 163

Up and Running

AUGUST 20, 2018

Your marketing plan. Existing businesses should have business plans that they maintain and update as market conditions change and as new opportunities arise. Existing businesses use business plans to strategically manage and steer the business, not just to address changes in their markets and to take advantage of new opportunities.

Business Plan 119

Business Plan Technical Review Lean Forecast 119

Up and Running

OCTOBER 23, 2020

The illustration below shows a view of the sales forecast for a bicycle store. She forecasts sales by forecasting units, the average price per unit, and sales as the product of unit times price. In this sample case, which is about sales, more is good: more units, higher price, or higher sales. Start with your plan.

Management 117

Management Forecast Software Review Balance Sheet 117

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

Target market (intended customers). Marketing and sales plan. Target market : What groups of people will want your box? Opportunity: Proving there’s a market for your subscription box. Target market. If you’re writing a Lean Plan, keep it shorter and think about making it easy to revisit and revise often.

Business Plan 63

Business Plan Curation Balance Sheet Intellectual Property 63

Up and Running

JUNE 9, 2020

It’s crucial that you have a firm understanding regarding the state of the following metrics: Invoices issued to clients ( accounts receivable ) Invoices paid by clients Invoices received ( accounts payable ) Invoices paid Taxes withheld. That might simply be sales, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, or Inventory, or whatever.

Forecast 114

Forecast Software Review Campaign Cash Position 114

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 11, 2020

Look at the Opportunity chapter of your business plan as a place where plans meet market needs. What market needs your product or service fills? . What is your target market? Also, the Execution chapter will cover your marketing and sales plan, marketing operations, milestones and metrics. .

Business Plan 264

Business Plan Balance Sheet Lean Forecast 264

Up and Running

OCTOBER 3, 2018

PARE specializes in fixing and flipping residential properties by buying homes in need of repair, renovating them, and then putting them back on the market. Target market: Who is your ideal buyer? What is missing from the market, something that your competitors don’t provide or don’t provide enough of? Target market.

El Paso 61

El Paso Business Plan Technical Review Forecast 61

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

Target market: Who is your ideal patient? Target market. A formal market analysis can help verify that there’s a need for your particular practice in your intended location. . Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Milestones and metrics that you’ll need to hit to be viable.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

Explain who your target market is and how large it is. Describe what marketing activities you will use to attract customers. What marketing tactics will work? Set your sales goals and create a budget for your expenses. Build a sales forecast. Write the market analysis summary. Projected Balance Sheet.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Lean Forecast Balance Sheet 60

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

One of the ways our VC’s kept track of our progress was by taking a monthly look at three financial documents: Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. To be clear – Income Statements, Balance Sheets and Cash Flow Statements are really important at two points in your startup. Startup Metrics.

Balance Sheet 303

Balance Sheet Startup Burn Rate Metrics 303

Up and Running

APRIL 2, 2015

Nowadays it can be short—perhaps even a lean business plan —but banks still want that standard summary of company, product, market, team, and financials. That includes aging, account-by-account information (for checking their credit), and sales and payment history. See Also Small Business Owners, Start Tracking Your Financial Metrics.

Balance Sheet 60

Balance Sheet SBA Covenant Technical Review 60

David Teten

AUGUST 6, 2015

A model that shows X% growth over time with no embedded correlation to sales/marketing is a huge red flag. More reasonable: a company with a direct sales model may drive revenue growth based on the number of productive sales reps and a quota, with a target that is higher over time. 17) Include a sensitivity analysis.

Balance Sheet 60

Balance Sheet Software Review Forecast Acquisition 60

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 11, 2014

If you like this, go see his Shockwave Innovations blog ) Anyone that has taken an accounting class or learned basic business financials knows the interaction between key elements of a P&L (revenue, cost, expense) and a balance sheet (assets, liabilities, equity). Now let’s cover those nuances I mentioned.

Churn Rate 288

Churn Rate .Net Metrics Hosting 288

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

A financial plan with a Sales Forecast, Profit & Loss , Cash Flow Forecast , and Balance Sheet. Performance tracking to compare ACTUAL financial results with your planned financials and other key metrics. You also want to think about some other metrics to forecast, and then measure against actual results.

Lean 83

Lean Small Business Forecast Technical Review 83

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

When you put together a business plan, you have to spend time thinking about things like your target market , your sales, and marketing strategy , the problem you solve for your customers, and who your key competitors are. Product/market fit and traction. Investors want more than just an idea. Financial forecasts.

Business Plan 138

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Exit Strategy 138

Steve Blank

MARCH 4, 2014

They measure their success on metrics that reflect success in execution, and they reward execution. For example, the Boston Consulting Group 2 x 2 growth-share matrix was an easy to understand strategy tool – a market selection matrix for companies looking for growth opportunities. Strategy Maps. StageGate Process. What Does this Mean?

IRR 335

IRR Startup Business Model Agile 335

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2022

It keeps them on track, even when the global market rapidly shifts as we’ve seen in recent years. You need to verify: If there is a market for your product or service Who your target audience is How you will gain an edge over the current competition. How can you identify your target market? Documents your marketing plan.

Business Plan 150

Business Plan Balance Sheet Revenue Metrics 150

Steve Blank

MAY 14, 2012

Traditionally, engineering, sales, and marketing have all focused on the immovable launch date. Marketing tries to pick an “event” (trade show, conference, blog, etc.) Financial progress is tracked using metrics like income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow. Executing on a sales and marketing plan.

Balance Sheet 335

Balance Sheet Business Model Customer Development Metrics 335

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

It’s one that’s a good fit for you personally, for your target market, and for your location. Test your business idea and do market research*. Define your target market. What’s your market size? Estimate your basic expenses and forecast sales to ensure that you can make a profit with your business.

Elevator Pitch 60

Elevator Pitch Startup Balance Sheet Forecast 60

ConversionXL

OCTOBER 7, 2022

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is an important metric for any ecommerce business. This calculation goes beyond marketing costs and advertising dollars to include product costs, labor costs, shipping costs, and any other expenses that contribute to attracting and securing customers. What is ecommerce customer acquisition cost?

Acquisition 22

Acquisition eCommerce Cost Customer 22

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

When you raise money from investors you produce information that you are told they want and care about: A fund-raising deck that articulates your company strategy, plans, team, market, competitors and so forth. For starters you have to realize that fund-raising is a sales process. and then asking to take a brochure home with you.

Cap Table 336

Cap Table Due Diligence Forecast Churn Rate 336

Up and Running

MARCH 9, 2022

Everyday business events such as expansion projects, acquisitions, low cash on hand, increased fixed expenses, increased borrowing, and even an increase in sales can be signs that it’s time to reevaluate your business risk. Contribution margin ratio = contribution margin / sales.

Equity 136

Equity .Net Balance Sheet Operations 136

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Let me start by saying that Clayton is one of the most influential people on my thoughts about markets that led to both the concept behind my first startup and my main theses in investing. We spoke about what succeeds early in technology market evolutions. As markets grow, the more open and modular systems win.

Bankruptcy 403

Bankruptcy Offshore Liquidation Preference Balance Sheet 403

VC Adventure

MARCH 19, 2020

I had a few things on my mind related to the startup environment right now as it relates to Covid-19 and the massive market disruption that we’re in the middle of. With that, here are some general observations on the market as well as a few things specific to startup companies (relevant across stages).

Balance Sheet 69

Balance Sheet Portfolio Stock Early Stage 69

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

In such a crowded market, making good beer and opening the doors isn’t enough anymore. What local favorites will you need on tap to appeal to the market, and where can you innovate to stand out? Now we are growing based on the projections our wholesale partners give us annually in sales. Relationships.

Oregon 60

Oregon Jordan SBA Cofounder 60

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 10, 2015

The 5 Types of Metrics Every Small Business Must Track written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. I guess I should add you can grow a business without metrics a lot like you can win at roulette from time to time. Below are the five types of metrics every small business must rely on to navigate growth and profit.

Metrics 28

Metrics Small Business Analytics SEM 28

Up and Running

MARCH 17, 2020

Target market : Who is your customer and how many of them are there. This also gives investors a clear picture of your thought process and understanding of the greater consumer market. Financial summary : Key financial metrics including profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, and your sales forecast.

Business Plan 86

Business Plan Balance Sheet Lean Forecast 86

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

You should have a good solid executive summary, you should have full financials, and that means a projected balance sheet, P&L and cash flow. When you are addressing the problem in the market, you want to tell that in the format of a compelling story. That’s because most people say, “Everybody in X or Y is my market.”

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Exit Strategy 60

Up and Running

MAY 15, 2019

In such a crowded market, making good beer and opening the doors isn’t enough anymore. The ColdFire Brewing team meets to plan marketing. These products will be distributed to remote yet extremely viable areas, where the market is appreciative of readily-available, good-quality brew. Watch your finances.

Oregon 24

Oregon Jordan Software Review Distribution 24

Up and Running

OCTOBER 29, 2015

With historical financials, corporate organization charts, and general industry and customer information, a business plan (especially a current plan) will help in the preparation of an investment banker’s pitchbook or other confidential marketing materials. The best time to prepare for the sale of a business is from the beginning.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Due Diligence Intellectual Property Valuation 60

Ben's Blog

APRIL 1, 2011

Organizational design, process design, metrics, hiring and firing were all relatively straightforward skills to master compared to keeping my mind in check. Things go wrong, because building a multi-faceted human organization to compete and win in a dynamic, highly competitive market turns out to be really hard. You are all alone.

Management 78

Management Cap Table Balance Sheet Bankruptcy 78

Reid Hoffman

JUNE 8, 2021

The company had a wild year, from the initial crisis management that came in the form of restructuring the company and refunding millions of dollars off their own balance sheet, to lobbying Congress, to provide support to hosts, [and] launching initiatives to provide housing for frontline healthcare workers. It’s a market.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Hosting Rhode Island Design 69

Small Business Force

AUGUST 10, 2013

Did you really understand how much you needed to know about marketing, sales, operations, finance and customer support, just to name a few. sales and marketing). Preferably find someone who understands your market space and can help you with contacts and direction. Get a mentor you can relate to�and then listen!

Entrepreneur 37

Entrepreneur Balance Sheet Finance Sales 37

Small Business Force

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

This doesn't mean you have to become a CPA or go take a boatload of accounting courses, but, at least, learn to understand what's in a basic income statement and balance sheet and what they mean. Learn to understand basic accounting and formalize sooner rather than later. Seek discounts and drag out payments to the limit.

Finance 37

Finance Management Forecast Entrepreneur 37

Reid Hoffman

JUNE 8, 2021

The company had a wild year, from the initial crisis management that came in the form of restructuring the company and refunding millions of dollars off their own balance sheet, to lobbying Congress, to provide support to hosts, [and] launching initiatives to provide housing for frontline healthcare workers. It’s a market.

Silicon Valley 36

Silicon Valley Hosting Rhode Island Design 36