As an entrepreneur, we think that the market needs our solution now and can’t understand why it is taking so long to […]

When you establish your operating plan, you must tie the objectives you set […]

A vision statement almost sounds mystical. But it’s not supernatural, far from it. Rather, a vision statement is a foundational business […]

Stories about companies failing to do market research are all too common. For instance, the 1990s saw the introduction of a soft drink with […]

Eight affordable ways to do market research - from customer interviews to competitor analysis - for founders who need real answers without a research budget.

It’s widely understood that social media marketing is critical to the success of a growing business these days. However, it’s important to make a distinction between […]

There is no shortage of tools to help you manage social media. Many of these tools allow you to publish across multiple platforms and sites and […]

Each of the major social networks have expanded their capabilities when it comes to advertising and promoting your product or service. The following are […]

How to Select Your Business Entity Type

Selecting your type of business entity is one of the most crucial early decisions for all small business owners.

The business entity is the legal structure of your business. This […]

How to Obtain an EIN from the IRS

An EIN is your Employer Identification Number, it’s also commonly known as a tax ID. Your EIN is like the social security number for your business. All […]

Behaving like an Entity for Protection

In the case of some founders, the task of forming an entity for their company is undertaken early enough that they need not worry about making changes to a […]

Get Partner/Founder Agreements in Place

What if someone wants out of the business a year later, becomes disabled, or dies? If someone leaves for any reason, how will the remaining partners value the company at […]

Establish a Standard Investment Process

This lecture is designed to help you understand how to make the investment process efficient by creating a standard process that can be used for all investment opportunities. While the […]

Creating a Compelling Executive Summary

Your executive summary gives you the opportunity to provide more detail about your business. The key is to do so in a way that is compelling to a potential investor. […]

Business and Finance Terms to Know

From accounting, to business loans, to general business financial operations, here’s the ultimate list to all the business finance terms and definitions you need to know:

Setting Your Sales Goals

Setting your sales goals is a fundamental step in being able to set up day to day efforts – whether it is just you or a team of people – to […]

The hunter and farmer sales model - hunters win new accounts, farmers grow existing ones. Why a sales team needs both, and how to hire for each role.

SIVA replaces the 4 P's with Solution, Information, Value and Access - the marketing mix rewritten from the customer's point of view, and what each term means.

Negotiating with Investors

For most investors, the process is second nature. They have “been there, done that.” They have experience at the different elements that lead to an investment they are excited about. For you, […]

Top Things to Avoid That Hurt Your Odds at Raising Money

Closing an investment is not just a function of the things that you do well, but also of the things you should avoid. Just […]

When to hire a banker, broker or advisor to raise capital, what they actually do, how they get paid, and when you are better off running the process yourself.

Investor Terminology For Each Stage of Business: Series B and Beyond

Funding rounds proceed alphabetically, so after Series A, startups can move on to Series B, Series C, and so on to as many rounds […]

Series A funding explained - the first large round for startups with a product and real traction, who funds it, and the equity and terms involved.

Investor Terminology For Each Stage of Business: Pre-Seed Stage

Startup fundraising occurs in several rounds. The pre-seed stage occurs early on when the startup is just beginning to take off. Since there are little data […]

Investor Terminology For Each Stage of Business: Seed Funding Round

A seed funding round is the first official equity funding stage. Startups usually go through a seed funding round if they’re still ironing out the […]