Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

According to my experience and a this Motley Fool article, the challenge is very real, with around half of all new businesses no longer existing after five years. My first advice for new entrepreneurs is to pick a domain that doesn’t have the sky-high up-front development costs, like online web sites and smart phone apps.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2013

What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. equity funding investor non-profit philanthropist' Marty Zwilling.

Equity 207

Equity Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy 207

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Apply for contests and business grants. Set expectations accordingly.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Apply for contests and business grants. Set expectations accordingly.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Marty Zwilling.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2014

Based on the Startup Environment Index from the Kauffman Foundation and LegalZoom a while back, personal money, or bootstrapping, continues to be the primary startup funding source. Eighty percent of new entrepreneurs use this approach, with only six percent using investor funding. Entrepreneurs need to start small and pivot quickly.

Bootstrapping 276

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Burn Rate 276

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in nonprofit good causes. What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? For a nonprofit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. That’s a higher calling.

Angel Investor 132

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 132

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea.

Equity 266

Equity Startup Small Business Administration SBA 266

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2022

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Be prepared to explain your business model. Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction.

Preferred Stock 304

Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity Angel Investor 304

ReadWriteStart

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

While funding is necessary for almost all businesses, seeking it out yourself isn’t necessarily the right path for everyone. Instead, knowing how to bootstrap your startup might be a better option. How to Bootstrap Your Startup. When you bootstrap your startup, you retain full control of the new business.

Bootstrapping 145

Bootstrapping Startup Cofounder Angel Investor 145

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in non-profits. What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Individual and institutional philanthropy.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea.

Equity 436

Equity Small Business Administration SBA Syndicate 436

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

Angel Investor 313

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 313

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. Individual and institutional donations. That’s a higher calling.

Angel Investor 218

Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 218

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2011

What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. Individual and institutional donations. That’s a higher calling.

Angel Investor 238

Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 238

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

When you accept outside money, particularly a private equity (PE) investment, however, that changes. In this article, I’ll provide some personal stories of how investors have navigated the balance between raising private equity capital and not losing control of their startup. Rule 1: Bootstrap until you have a viable product.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

Gust

DECEMBER 7, 2014

Based on the Startup Environment Index from the Kauffman Foundation and LegalZoom a while back, personal money, or bootstrapping, continues to be the primary startup funding source. Eighty percent of new entrepreneurs use this approach, with only six percent using investor funding. Entrepreneurs need to start small and pivot quickly.

Bootstrapping 191

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Burn Rate 191

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2018

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea.

Entrepreneur 240

Entrepreneur Equity Small Business Administration SBA 240

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2020

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Be prepared to explain your business model. Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction.

Startup 337

Startup Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity 337

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2016

Most first-time entrepreneurs seem to believe the myth that they need a minimum of a half a million dollars to start a business. In reality, over 80 percent of successful new businesses are self-funded for much less -- often as little as $10,000. Stick to a business domain you know and love.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Social Media Equity eCommerce 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

In fact, an entrepreneur friend of mine, who made millions on her marketing expertise, asserted recently that most inventors fail in business because they refuse to believe that any business expertise or experience is worth more than 5 percent in partner equity. Most founders bootstrap product development.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Intellectual Property Cofounder Bootstrapping 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

With the advent and popularity of crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as a winning alternative for funding your new venture, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs are confused about the need to ever seek a professional angel investor. They don’t get excited by early stage research, development, or marketing hype.

Non-disclosure Agreement 299

Non-disclosure Agreement Angel Investor Bootstrapping SEC 299

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

Angel Investor 370

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 370

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

Helping Entrepreneurs Get To Where They Want To Go Faster written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. Elizabeth Gore and Carolyn launched Hello Alice with the goal of helping entrepreneurs thrive with access to funding, resources, mentorship, and more. 9:19] Is there an equity emphasis? [11:06] We never have.

Entrepreneur 80

Entrepreneur Technical Review Networking Community 80

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

In my experience as an advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often encounter the myth that an initial startup requires investors. The reality is that over 80 percent of new businesses will never attract venture capital or Angel funding, according to experts , and there are many good reasons for skipping that painful and distracting process.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2021

In my experience as a business advisor and occasional investor, many of you won’t make it that far, succumbing to the high costs of getting those first customers, funding an initial inventory, and building an operational support process. The advisor will give you real credibility. Assess your resource potential before you start.

Dilution 404

Dilution Incubator Bootstrapping Government 404

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Small Business Administration 283

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2010

What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. Tags: entrepreneur startup angel investors business.

Angel Investor 143

Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 143

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

As I mentioned at the beginning of this series/ebook, over the years I’ve noticed that I tend to frequently share certain Lucky7 posts with entrepreneurs we’ve backed , team members at data.world, or other startup investors I know. In totality, these posts are at least as long as most business books. business model and team.

Bootstrapping 52

Bootstrapping IPO Business Model Software Review 52

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. Though RBI will displace some traditional equity VC, its much bigger impact will be to expand the pool of capital available for early-stage entrepreneurs. . So what is Revenue Based Investing?

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

This structure offers some of the benefits of traditional equity VC, without some of the negatives of equity VC. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. Our wheelhouse is bootstrapped (or lightly capitalized) SMB SaaS. Bigfoot Capital.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

Professor VC

MARCH 10, 2009

Bootstrapping 101. I moderated a panel discussion last night on one of my favorite topics, bootstrapping, as part of our Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship Eminent Speaker Series at San Jose State. They have a standard presentation on bootstrapping, which they present around the country. ProfessorVC. Steve Bennet.

Bootstrapping 28

Bootstrapping San Jose Silicon Valley Software Review 28

Tim Keane

MARCH 9, 2011

This seems like an easy topic – debt where there is appropriate cash flow, equity when there isn’t.    And, while debt is less costly than equity, it can bankrupt a company more quickly than more expensive equity might. Business success is the ultimate goal. Can you bootstrap your way to positive cash flow?

Finance 83

Finance Bootstrapping Startup Equity 83

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Bootstrap if you can, for as long as you can As a startup you’ll likely fail. Not necessarily the entire business, but at some point, something will fail and you’ll either learn from it and grow or it will be the beginning of the end. At this point, we had already developed the first phase of the platform by bootstrapping.

Strategic Investors 49

Strategic Investors Austin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 49

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

During this week's roundtable we discussed an area that deserves a serious look from entrepreneurs: Rural BPO. Today, I invited entrepreneurs to come up with ideas, apply the 1M/1M methodology to it, and come discuss with me at these roundtables. Whether it is credit or equity, funding is very, very tight.

Cloud 115

Cloud Silicon Valley Incubator Finance 115

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

A popular myth these days is that successful entrepreneurs must attract investors to get their businesses going, when the reality has been that more than 80 percent of new businesses are started and grown with no outside investment at all. Bootstrapping not only reduces cash needs, but increases commitment.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Cofounder Equity Agile 120