Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but using no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return and build a self-sustaining business. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations. Solution development and delivery.

Entrepreneur 328

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Metrics Operations 328

Up and Running

MARCH 14, 2018

I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs think, “Oh, I know my business inside and out—pitching will be a breeze!” I’ve seen many entrepreneurs crash and burn when delivering their investor pitch—and ramble on and on. Customer acquisition: Marketing and sales strategy. Your exit strategy. Don’t wing it.

Hockey Stick 164

Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Technical Review Angel Investor 164

Up and Running

MAY 12, 2020

While many traditional jobs still can’t function remotely, or have difficulty adjusting, many entrepreneurs have found success in starting a business from home. Think about an exit strategy. But establishing an exit strategy is another important piece that forces you to look toward the future of your business.

Software Review 153

Software Review Exit Strategy Technical Review Business Plan 153

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you. A passionate entrepreneur I met a while back had found that a certain algae could be grown cheaply, and could end world hunger.

Exit Strategy 406

Exit Strategy Merger Angel Investor IPO 406

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

Based on my experience as an investor and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, one of the quickest ways to kill your credibility and your startup is to offer a poorly written business plan, or none at all. An entrepreneur who can’t manage a plan, probably won’t be able to manage the new business.

Silicon Valley 257

Silicon Valley Exit Strategy Startup Business Plan 257

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but using no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return and build a self-sustaining business. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations. Solution development and delivery.

Exit Strategy 288

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 288

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

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Once you identify your ideal customer, you can tailor your marketing and sales plan to that person. Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Marketing and sales plan. Exit strategy : Needed if you’re seeking investment.

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Exit Strategy 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2021

Based on my experience as an investor and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, one of the quickest ways to kill your credibility and your startup is to offer a poorly written business plan, or none at all. An entrepreneur who can’t manage a plan, probably won’t be able to manage the new business.

Silicon Valley 342

Silicon Valley Exit Strategy Business Plan Restful 342

Up and Running

JANUARY 2, 2013

I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs think, “oh, I know my business inside and out – pitching will be a breeze!” I’ve also seen many entrepreneurs crash and burn when delivering their investor pitch – and ramble on and on. ” Good luck! Take some time to share the relevant traction you’ve had.

Hockey Stick 164

Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Technical Review Due Diligence 164

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 10, 2018

by Ryan Gould, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Services at Elevation Marketing. As an entrepreneur, when you started your business, you most likely had dreams of rocket-speed growth and a multi-million dollar exit to a huge conglomerate, like Google or Facebook or Amazon. Profile Your Customer Base. Wrapping Up.

Valuation 145

Valuation Technical Review Exit Strategy Metrics 145

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2016

What every entrepreneur is asking me these days, is “How do I get to be a unicorn?” Yet there are a common set of driving factors that every entrepreneur should know, including the following: Extraordinary marketplace traction. Credible yet flexible exit strategy. These are popularly called “unicorns.”

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Valuation Merger Exit Strategy 120

mashable.com

MARCH 20, 2014

Thats why I asked 10 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what questions they would pose for an interviewer at a startup. Whats your exit strategy? Before accepting an offer with a startup, ask what their exit strategy is, and make sure youre on board. What is the sales strategy?

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Software Review Exit Strategy San Francisco 103

Up and Running

JULY 15, 2016

While one approach is to attempt to build smart ties with China for your existing business while remaining abroad, an increasing number of foreign entrepreneurs decide to actually live in the U.S. This is clearly the best way for foreign entrepreneurs to retain control of the company and transfer money abroad. The TAS method.

China 60

China Entrepreneur Technical Review Framework 60

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Marketing and sales plan. Sometimes you can increase sales by upselling and cross-selling , or offering complementary services. Strategic partnerships or alliances. Your operations plan.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. 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.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

I’m a mom, a full-time sales manager, and recruiter. Entrepreneurs need to find a way to get traction (sales) without funding. If entrepreneurs are only pitching to angel groups, they’re only pitching to 6% of the active angels, and 0.4% Wait, you didn’t want to be a sales person? I’m not your average angel.

Angel Investor 159

Angel Investor Technical Review Software Review Accredited Investor 159

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. We want to hear frustration and embarrassment that every entrepreneur goes through. Mandi (01:59): Yeah. So can we tell about that experience? You're saying that led?

Framework 62

Framework Sales Cycle Sales Hiring 62

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. appeared first on NZ Entrepreneur Magazine.

Intellectual Property 45

Intellectual Property IP Software Review New Zealand 45

Austin Startup

OCTOBER 23, 2019

In his book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road, he explains exactly how VC’s decide where and how much to invest, and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal while making the most of their relationships with VC’s. 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

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 22, 2013

For rising and aspiring entrepreneurs alike, the BBC’s Dragon’s Den television series offers a multitude of learning experiences. Given this, here are four lessons any wannabe entrepreneur can learn from this show. by DJ Miller. Establish Company Paradigms Before Seeking Capital. Cash is an Unfeeling Master.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Tampa Venture Capital 171

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 media tends to highlight experienced entrepreneurs who succeed with early new venture funding, like Uber’s Garrett Camp , but fail to point out the more common bootstrapping successes.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Exit Strategy 120

Growthink Blog

APRIL 13, 2011

As an entrepreneur, I want you to understand just why Shutterfly paid $333 MILLION to buy Tiny Prints. The process of preparing your company for sale is called "exit strategy planning." We recently formalized our exit strategy planning consulting service. So, I went to the Tiny Prints website. read more.

Exit Strategy 69

Exit Strategy Intellectual Property Acquisition Stock 69

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. 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.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

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. Thus I was pleased and a bit surprised to see a new book, “ The Purpose Is Profit ,” by Ed “Skip” McLaughlin, an entrepreneur who has both succeeded and failed in starting multiple businesses.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy 120

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 3, 2015

The fourth is called an entrepreneur. The greatest exhilaration and reward in being an entrepreneur is clearly seeing things that others cannot see, and instinctively knowing how to accomplish your vision. This may be the most critical trait of any successful entrepreneur. Cultivate resiliency. Get used to it.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Advisory Board Equity Exit Strategy 100

Reid Hoffman

JULY 23, 2020

Recently, my fellow Greylock investor Saam Motamedi and I examined the question of how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected venture investing, and what entrepreneurs should do in response. This week, I’d like to turn to the question of how current market conditions affect the approach entrepreneurs should take towards their exit strategy.

IPO 36

IPO Exit Strategy Acquisition Technical Review 36

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Startup Valuation Acquisition 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. Potential investors love to see gross margins in the fifty percent range or greater, with recurring revenue through subscriptions, follow-on sales, or services. But it’s critical to have one.

Product 145

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Exit Strategy 145

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. Have an exit strategy. They’ll also be able to spot better deals, and can provide you with insights you might have otherwise neglected.

Exit Strategy 149

Exit Strategy Finance Cost Security 149

Up and Running

JUNE 16, 2014

Starups.co, a company founded with the intention of connecting entrepreneurs and investors, advises business owners on what will attract an investors attention. 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

AUGUST 13, 2012

Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.” It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, and then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath. Marketing, sales, and partners. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

David Teten

OCTOBER 23, 2011

On Tuesday, October 18, my colleagues John Frankel, Wei Deng , Raffi Sapire , and I attended Techstars Demo Day, followed by the Bloomberg Empowered Entrepreneur Conference. David Tisch introduced the first startup, announcing that 1200 companies applied to the program, out of which 12 were selected, comprising of 31 entrepreneurs.

Cofounder 144

Cofounder Exit Strategy Entrepreneur New York 144

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. 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. Marty Zwilling.

Exit Strategy 289

Exit Strategy Entrepreneur IPO Startup 289

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2017

If you are just starting out as an entrepreneur or you have a business idea you want to pursue, you may be wondering why you even need to think about selling your business at this stage. Plus, you’ll always be prepared in case an opportunity or desire to sell arises in the future—it’s a smart idea to have an exit strategy.

Acquisition 92

Acquisition Technical Review Revenue Exit Strategy 92

YoungUpstarts

MAY 6, 2019

These people exist and they are called ‘Serial entrepreneurs.’. Serial entrepreneurs are those who understand the complete concept of a startup lifecycle and benefit from that. What market are you targeting and how are you going to get sales? Is there an exit strategy? And, you must have wondered, ‘Man!

Startup 113

Startup Technical Cofounder Merger Early Stage 113

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. As entrepreneur and investor Steve Blank likes to say, “No business plan survives first contact with a customer.”.

Business Plan 138

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Exit Strategy 138