Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

For those of you who fit that description, nice work. It might be useful to list some of the ways in which you can raise money for growth with and without outside investors. You will realize much more from the ultimate sale of your business even if at a considerably lower price than if splitting the proceeds with investors.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

When you seek professional investors, whether organized angels or venture capitalists, one of the early questions you are asked is “How have you financed the business so far?” Investors love to see entrepreneurs who have used their own money to ignite their businesses. Does issuing a PPM insulate the company?

Company 156

Company Companies Invest Entrepreneur 156

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 8, 2020

Where did you get the data to drive your assumptions of market size or market share? Most entrepreneurs quote a resource for market size but fail to then take the next step to eliminate all parts of that market unreachable by the company or product. You could be fooling yourself with market data. Sources for your data.

Company 156

Company Companies Metrics Resource 156

Berkonomics

JUNE 22, 2023

Test yourself as to whether you can identify the size of your market niche, and whether you can overcome the many barriers to access customers within your niche. If the market is ten times that size, there is probably room for competitors to fight for dominance and still succeed if you are not number one.

Patents 286

Patents Pricing Ideas Marketing 286

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 8, 2020

Nearly eight years ago, Hamet Watt and Stacy Spikes launched MoviePass , the subscription-based movie ticketing service that captured the minds and dollars of investors and brought thousands of cinephiles a too-good-to-be-true deal for all-you-can watch movie passes. “I love solving problems with design and entrepreneurship.

Company 249

Company Companies Idealab Tool 249

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

In fact, only 100 of the 10,000 multimillion-dollar consumer companies around the world can claim to be an “apostle brand” – one that inspires enduring trust, loyalty, and endorsement. You have to excite their imagination, then show them the new world. Shame on you if you offer any product or service that is dull or unattractive.

Company 152

Company Companies Startup Customer 152

Berkonomics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Entrepreneurs tend to remain in the business niche they know best. Usually that means one they once or recently spent time in as an employee or manager within a company where they had little or no ownership. Are you one of those? And some are former selling shareholders of just those businesses. The obvious admonition.

Company 120

Company Companies News Startup 120

Berkonomics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Entrepreneurs tend to remain in the business niche they know best. Usually that means one they once or recently spent time in as an employee or manager within a company where they had little or no ownership. Are you one of those? And some are former selling shareholders of just those businesses. The obvious admonition.

Company 120

Company Companies News Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2021

Based on my experience with startups, trust is the most valuable asset you can have, especially when asking people to step into the unknown by funding your innovation, by joining your team, or just buying your new product as an early customer. Demonstrating passion, intelligence, skills, and an innovative solution is not a substitute.

Company 165

Company Companies Metrics Entrepreneur 165

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2022

Dave’s note: This is a reprint of a 2015 insight that seems to have struck a chord with investors and entrepreneurs. None of this advice has changed… Let me tell you a few short hair–raising stories of entrepreneurs who have raised money and regretted it later. The problem, of course, comes if the business fails.

Startup 317

Startup Entrepreneur Invest Course 317

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Thursday, October 15, 2020 -- Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies Showcase 2020. Now in its third year, the Most Fundable Companies competition has grown to over 4,500 companies, and for the first time attracted startups from all 50 U.S. Thank you to our Sponsors, Advisory Council, and the Graziadio Board.

Pepperdine 100

Pepperdine Company Companies Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 1, 2021

For most entrepreneurs, their current business is not where they intend to stay until they die. The challenge is how to know and exit gracefully when the right time has come, without trauma to either the company or themselves. What matters most to you? Know where you stand, and don’t wait for the annual review.

Company 164

Company Companies Tips .Net 164

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that many of you have your most creative ideas for your company’s first big bang , but often get bogged down with details as the company grows. You rely on your team for the continuing creativity required to thrive in a today’s rapidly changing business landscape.

Company 148

Company Companies Ideas Mentor 148

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2023

I know that dates me a good bit, but it also shows that I have been hanging around startups and big companies for a long time. In retrospect, however, Bill Gates did a lot of things right as a startup that I still look for today in aspiring entrepreneurs and their companies: Build a strong team. Enlist community of support.

IBM 82

IBM IBM Company Companies 82

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2010

I continue to see stories of really young entrepreneurs, like this article on Business Fastlane , with kids as young as 9 years old who have successful businesses. Another one is The Little Entrepreneur by Michael H. You better start your business now, and have fun while you can, before we all branded as ancient relics.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Commerce Blogging Training 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2021

“Intrapreneurs” are entrepreneurs inside big companies, who do corporate spin-offs. A spin-off is merely a startup spawned by a mature parent (company), and conventional logic would dictate that it has a survival advantage over the lowly startup. Foreign companies in the US like to use spin-offs to find expansion opportunities.

Company 125

Company Companies Startup Examples 125

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2022

One of the realities of being an entrepreneur is that you have to keep learning and changing to survive. Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Minimizing risk will eventually cause any company to fail.

Satisfaction 147

Satisfaction Organization Customer Custom 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

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. Running a mature company is totally different from running a startup. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2023

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Nothing is more discouraging to aspiring entrepreneurs than the high failure rate. Try bartering services you have for something you need.

Startup 135

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 135

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2022

One alternative is to become an entrepreneur. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to get satisfaction from this lifestyle. In fact, Mehta focuses on a special class of entrepreneurs that he calls disruptors. Put it behind you by setting your own realistic metrics for success and happiness.

Satisfaction 153

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Writing Startup 153

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2023

Soon you won’t be able to name a business as one of your favorites if you can’t personally visualize and relate to company leadership. In the same way, great entrepreneurs and company leaders should no longer rely on faceless and nameless processes to drive business strategy and innovation to stay competitive.

Customer 140

Customer Custom Social Media Metrics 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2023

His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. His top eight required skill set elements for sales don’t even mention product skills, and match my view of the right skill set for successful entrepreneurs, with only a few priority changes: Creating and sharing a vision. It’s up to you to clear the way.

Startup 154

Startup Sales Entrepreneur Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that the strength of their initial idea somehow defines them as a leader, as well as the success potential of their derivative business. It takes leadership ability, as well as a good idea, to make a successful entrepreneur, and great leaders evolve from key leadership decisions along the way.

Startup 141

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Framework 141

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). How can you make this a win-win opportunity? The same is true for people who may approach you at networking events or industry conferences. Build trust first.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Ideas Sample 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

As a business advisor, I have too often seen technical entrepreneurs get a product or service off the ground with ease, but then struggle mightily when their business reaches a couple of million in annual sales, or the employee count grows beyond a handful. True entrepreneurs love the tactical and problem solving challenges.

Startup 137

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

He is regarded by many as the number-one authority on virtual staffing and personal outsourcing, and is himself a successful entrepreneur based in the Philippines. I was impressed with his summary of the top ten outsourcing mistakes made by entrepreneurs, followed by real guidance on how they can and should be avoided.

Outsource Development 138

Outsource Development Outsource Summary Training 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2023

As an advisor to early-stage entrepreneurs, I see a lot of dreams, but not so many business results. I’ve always wished I had a magic metaphor to motivate the best dreamers to become the best entrepreneurs. There is no cookie-cutter route to success as an entrepreneur. Venture where no business has gone before.

Ideas 105

Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2022

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. The company's market is the same. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs.

Ideas 155

Ideas Entrepreneur Research Demand 155

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. They have equipment and smart students that would otherwise cost you a fortune through an outside contract.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Entrepreneurs that are not listening, not engaging, and not changing are destined to be left behind even in the best of times. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground. They don’t realize that business as usual is gone forever.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Organization Social Media Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs have no idea how dramatically your own role has to evolve as you develop a solution, start a business, and expect it to scale into a successful self-managed company. Thus my job as a small business advisor really is really more about getting you developed than perfecting the business.

Company 99

Company Companies Technical Review Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

According to most definitions, an entrepreneur is one who envisions a new and different business, meaning one that is not a copy of an existing business model. Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Funding and rollout stage.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

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. Running a mature company is totally different from running a startup. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2022

Some people are not cut out to be entrepreneurs. So what about you? How do you know if you should be running your own company, or concentrating on that queue of work that someone else has built for you? I’ve hit this before, but I still hear from too many unhappy entrepreneurs. That’s not my job.”

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Organization Ideas 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2023

As a business advisor and advocate for entrepreneurs, I find myself almost always talking and writing about change. With a bit of humor, he provides some serious guidelines for struggling career professionals looking to move up, and new entrepreneurs looking to build a company. Anything less makes you non-competitive.

Startup 106

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 106