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National Technical Systems Gets $14M In PIPE

socalTECH

Calabasas-based National Technical Systems , which provides testing and engineering services, said today that it has raised $14M in a private placement. The firm said it raised the debt and equity with Mill Road Capital. The firm said it was advised by B. Riley & Co. in the financing. READ MORE>>.

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If You Don’t Define Your Personal Brand the Market Will

Both Sides of the Table

I have long advised startup companies that if you don’t control your messaging somebody else will and your potential customers will form impressions of you shaped by somebody else or by nobody at all. It will affect your ability to get the right jobs and promotions as well as your ability to attract talent and capital.

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How to Handle a VC Presentation with No Deck

Both Sides of the Table

I recently filmed a show for This Week in Venture Capital in which I talked about how to prepare for a VC meeting: whom you’ll meet, who should attend from your side, what materials you should bring and how you should run the meeting. The “Triple Play&# of VC Presentations. But take prompts from the VC.

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What is the Right Burn Rate at a Startup Company?

Both Sides of the Table

There are many times when being overly capitalized before you’re ready is a negative. Plus, most early-stage M&A fails so this isn’t likely a good use of capital for a young company). Availability of Capital. In these kinds of businesses I’m on the record as advising “ Ring the Freakin Cash Register.”

Startup 383
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Time is the Enemy of All Deals

Both Sides of the Table

It quickly became impossible to raise venture capital. Many deals – VC or otherwise – didn’t close. It isn’t even a story about raising venture capital or M&A. VC, sales, biz dev, M&A or otherwise. Especially in VC. Anybody who didn’t close was dead. Any deal. Things change. You never know.

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Interview with Erik Rannala, MuckerLab

socalTECH

If you're familiar with YCombinator or TechStars, you know that companies also get access to a deep network of top tier mentors and advisors, who help them with a variety of things, such as product marketing, go-to-market, and funding. We're providing seed funding, office space, and put them through a three month, structured program.

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Some Career Advice for Aspiring Tech CEOs

Both Sides of the Table

” It was meant both as a call to those writing angel checks into other people’s companies that they ought to think about putting that capital toward themselves either by becoming a startup founder or (and this was my real point) by taking an under-market salary in a company where they can learn the right skills to do it in the future.