What Does An Investor Look For In A Prospective Investment?
Most entrepreneurs in search of funding have a solid idea and focus. They’re passionate about their business, and they see a direct need for their product or service in the market. However, in some cases, these entrepreneurs don’t catch an investor’s eye right away. In other cases, perhaps an investor has expressed interest, but after
Understanding Due Diligence
So, you’ve found an interested investor. They’ve read your executive summary and heard your pitch. Just when it seems like being funded is in your future, the potential investor begins asking more in-depth questions. Perhaps they ask for a list of references, or more specific details on how you determined your financial projections. Welcome to
Becoming A Better Salesperson
As an entrepreneur, it’s natural to wear many hats within the company: managing the business, handling the hiring, and perhaps even overseeing the finances. And yet, when it comes to selling their product or service to a customer or an investor, many entrepreneurs feel that “sales” is a skill they just don’t have. The truth
So, You Want To Be A Business Mentor?
You’ve decided to take the plunge into mentoring. Perhaps a trusted business advisor helped you early in your career and you’d like to “pay it forward.” Or, maybe you just wish you’d had someone there for you when you needed a little guidance. Whatever the reason, your experience and lessons learned certainly could be very valuable
Fine Tuning The Investor Pitch
If you’ve ever tried to tweet something witty in 140 characters or text your friend some great pithy insights, you know that being “short and sweet” isn’t simple. Crafting and delivering a compelling story limited by word count or time is a challenge for anyone. Now imagine the future of your business is on the
How To Bring Your Invention To Market
Many people are looking to raise capital, connect with a mentor, or find other resources that will help them advance their businesses. Most of the time their ideas have been formalized in some way and they already have a business plan or maybe even a prototype. But lately, we’ve received several calls from serial inventors
Do Startups Need Employee Handbooks?
When you started out, you and the management team were like family. But you’re growing now and adding new people every week it seems. Naturally, you need a central document that sets out policies and procedures on how new employees should conduct themselves, right? Besides, isn’t having a handbook a legal requirement? Though not required,
Why Investors EVADE Non-Disclosure Agreements
Entrepreneurs always have questions about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) as a means of protecting their business ideas. A consultation with a number of investors and of the blogosphere provides insight into the use of NDAs and the reasons entrepreneurs shouldn’t expect investors to sign them. So, what exactly is an NDA? An NDA, also called a confidential