Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I find that more and more entrepreneurs avoid using the term “profit” in pitching their new venture. My view is that the purpose of every business is to make a profit, as fuel for growth, sustainability, and social impact. Without profit there is no business.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy 120

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

I’ve seen hundreds of startups pitch to angel investors and venture capitalists, and most of them—at best— are just okay. Outline your business model. Your business model tells an investor how your idea will (or does) convert into being economically viable. How much do they pay? And, h ow do they pay you?

Sweat Equity 122

Sweat Equity Churn Rate Elevator Pitch Forecast 122

David Teten

AUGUST 6, 2015

Michael also observes, “One other comment I think would be worth mentioning, even though it seems ridiculously obvious, is the importance of speaking with model users about what is and isn’t important to them when analyzing a model….So 10) Create an area for assumptions and main drivers at the beginning (top or left) of the model.

Balance Sheet 60

Balance Sheet Software Review Forecast Acquisition 60

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. I’m not going to go into background, benefits, principles, what’s lean and how lean started in the 1930s and 40s and lean startup and all that.

Lean 60

Lean Business Plan Video Software Review 60

YoungUpstarts

MAY 26, 2017

Your pitch deck is the most important assets your business will have, arguably more than the business plan itself. After several years of creating my own pitch decks and helping teach other startups how to build their own, I’ve seen what works and gets results. Use a Bottom-Up Model. Observe the 10/20/30 Rule.

Cofounder 185

Cofounder Silicon Valley Forecast Business Plan 185

Up and Running

JANUARY 24, 2014

Outline your business model. Your business model tells an investor how your idea will (or does) convert into being economically viable. The best way to show you how to communicate your business model is to show you an example of a good one. Your business model should answer the questions: What do you sell?

Sweat Equity 138

Sweat Equity Churn Rate Forecast Business Model 138

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2022

In fact, one of the top reasons why new businesses fail is due to bad business planning. And it’s not just for startups. Established businesses benefit greatly from revisiting their business plan. This includes financial statements such as your profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, and sales forecast.

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Business Plan Balance Sheet Revenue Metrics 150

Up and Running

MAY 16, 2016

If any of this speaks to you, you could be an excellent candidate to start a home health care business. See Also: Business Startup Checklist. Step 1: Formulate your business plan. Unless you have an unorthodox business model, Medicare and Medicaid will be your primary source of revenue.

North America 95

North America United States Technical Review America 95

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

To give you a better idea of what entrepreneurs in this industry are thinking about during each phase of the startup process, I interviewed SaaS entrepreneurs from all over the world, including our own COO Noah Parsons. The one-page pitch format is also more suitable for SaaS businesses that are constantly testing new ideas.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

A Crowded Space

JUNE 2, 2016

There is frequent talk about data analysts and data-driven decision making as key differentiators for VC firms. The metrics around SaaS and marketplace businesses are increasingly well understood. They keep a log of all the data about hundreds of startups that they’ve seen. I don’t like those odds.

Forecast 60

Forecast Metrics Revenue Venture Capital 60

Up and Running

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Lean Planning is a set of tools for discovering a business model that works, building an action plan to test your assumptions, creating financial models and a plan for a viable business, and tracking your performance so you can adjust your plan on the fly, quickly and easily. Do startups have a manual?

Lean 147

Lean Silicon Valley Forecast Technical Review 147

Up and Running

MAY 1, 2014

Your business plan isn’t complete without a financial forecast. If your business model (i.e., “how If you are raising money to start or grow your business, you need to include the details of what you need in the executive summary. The simple fact is that all businesses have competition. Read more ».

Business Plan 163

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Distribution 163

Ben's Blog

AUGUST 17, 2020

OH in South Park, San Francisco (or on Zoom from Big Sky, Montana): “OMG, crazy – that firm just paid 100x revenue to invest in [insert hot startup here] – what could they be thinking?” cash flows beyond that forecast period). It starts with the complexity involved in valuing companies in general.

Valuation 36

Valuation Balance Sheet Cofounder Forecast 36

Up and Running

OCTOBER 8, 2015

The amount of research you do really depends on the type of business you are starting, how risky your business model is, and who might be reading your business plan. Detailed market research isn’t necessary for all businesses. Does your business need market research? What Is a Market Forecast?

Marketing 60

Marketing Forecast CTO Hire Finder 60

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

‘Starting a business’ really only comes down to figuring out your business idea ; doing your paperwork; and sorting out the money. Given the number of funding resources available today, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting that initial start-up cash, especially if you focus on a lean business model or MVP route to market.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Business Plan 166

abovethecrowd.com

JULY 7, 2015

Efficiently communicating your strategy, business model, and competitive differentiation is required for many critical things you will do as a company. But if you are one of the thousands and thousands of startups that merely want to have an optimal fund raising process, I highly recommend that you develop a killer presentation.

Warrant 40

Warrant Later Stage Forecast IPO 40

Transformify

JUNE 6, 2019

How to apply it to your business? Running a technology startup is always a challenge, especially in the early days when the brand is unknown and it is hard to attract top talent. If your startup or small business is still short of written processes, it is time to have at least the basics in place. Where to start?

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Lean Management Technical Review Software Review 56