Five Lessons I Learned Founding OnShift From My Cleveland Basement
More than a decade ago, I moved to Cleveland from San Francisco and started a brand new company called BAZMANsms. Today, the company I launched from my basement employs nearly 150 people, has thousands of customers across the U.S., has raised over $33 million in capital and is showing no signs of stopping. What’s that
Three Ways to Win Over An Investor’s Industry Expert
As an entrepreneur, sooner or later you will find yourself pitching an investor who brings in their own industry expert to provide an objective assessment of your business. Regardless of the amount of time and effort you have invested in the relationship up to this point, this expert’s opinion can literally make or break your
Four Ways To Bridge The Employer-Employee Divide And Create Jobs
There are so many people in our communities who want better employment and economic opportunities, yet continue to fall farther behind, either through lack of awareness of the career pathways and skills required, or a lack of connectivity to employers seeking candidates with those skills. This odd dichotomy between business owners who have good jobs,
5 Essential Legal Issues To Address Before Securing Venture Capital
According to the MoneyTree™ Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, venture capitalists invested $71.9 billion in 5,052 deals last year in the U.S., making 2017 the second year that saw dollar funding top $70B. The PwC MoneyTree Report further notes that global funding increased nearly 50% in 2017, with $164B invested across 11,042 deals. So what are these
The Fine Art Of Financial Forecasting
Forecasting is an entrepreneur’s best attempt to map the future financial performance of their business. Done well, the financials are a powerful tool; but they are as much art as science—especially when you’re raising cash from investors who are looking for “explosive and credible” growth or you’re preparing to develop operational and staffing plans that
Market Validation: Are You Doing It Wrong?
When I started my first successful company I spent a great deal of time validating my belief that I had found a big problem, in a big market, with customers willing to spend money for the solution. Still, it took me almost two years to start seeing real traction and predictability in my revenue. It
Three Reasons Talent Is Boomeranging Back To Northeast Ohio
There is certainly no shortage of talented people flocking to Silicon Valley for job opportunities. However, in recent years, the Bay Area has also begun to experience an uncharacteristic exodus. Among these migrants, you’ll find numerous individuals seeking to start fresh in the Midwest. Some are calling it home for the first time, while others are “boomeranging”
Corporations Can Use VC To Find Their Way In A Rapidly Changing Economy
Young startups versus the Fortune 100. Can you think of two cultures further apart? From size and market power to financial stability, these two groups of companies seem to exist in completely different universes. But the relationship between these two ends of the spectrum is changing fast. The reason: technology-driven market disruption. Startups are behind
Startup Scaleup—There’s An App For That
Startup Scaleup 2018 is guaranteed to provide countless learning and networking opportunities. It’s going to be a jam-packed day, and we don’t want you don’t miss a thing—that’s why we’ve once again built an app specifically designed to make your Startup Scaleup experience even better. The app offers enhanced networking opportunities, an interactive map, real-time
Guide To Navigating Startup Scaleup
Startup Scaleup is back and better than ever! We have revamped our agenda to include completely different panels, workshops, speakers and events. While the feel and the mission of the day remain the same – the content, people and experience will be different. To help you prepare, we’ve compiled a few helpful navigation tips to
Startup Scaleup Speaker Spotlight: Gerri Kahnweiler – Founding Partner, InvestHER Ventures
Raising capital is hard enough, but did you know that less than 3 percent of venture capital investment goes to female-founded businesses? It’s no secret that the tech space has been overwhelmingly male-dominated, but in recent years, countless organizations and individuals have begun working to change this. One of those individuals is Gerri Kahnweiler. As
Startup Scaleup Speaker Spotlight: Hannah Fleishman – Inbound Recruiting Manager, HubSpot
This year’s Startup Scaleup features a number of sessions focused on surrounding yourself with the right team to help your business grow and thrive. Hannah Fleishman knows a little bit about this topic. As the Inbound Recruiting Manager at Boston-based HubSpot, she is especially focused on how company culture impacts talent recruiting and retention. In