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The Resource Center has all the info you'll need From content to user feedback, the resource center has the information you need for every level of the entrepreneurial process.
Finding venture capital is a matter of securing the right fit between founder and funder, writes the author. Affinity with a investor helps, such as pursuing groups that finance the type of company that yours is, such as a minority- or female-led firm; also necessary is a plan outlining your company's financial prospects and a pitch for convincing investors that you can execute, the author notes.
Entrepreneurs seeking venture capital - a major source of funding for growth - need to approach these investors as both sellers of their company's future and buyers of financing services, writes a venture capitalist and former entrepreneur, who provides a targeted plan for addressing each.
Valuation negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors are often contentious. Such valuations rarely stray from the $1 million to $3 million range for seed/startup companies that angels expect to grow to $50 million to $100 million over five to eight years. Angels are most concerned about the management team's ability to rapidly grow the company and about helping the entrepreneur achieve these growth objectives.
Communication is the vital link in building a relationship with a business partner, in this case a mentor (angel) capitalist. Learn where and when to use the right presentation for the right audience whether it be an angel or venture capitalist.
For small- and mid-size companies, offering stock directly to the public without an underwriter can be a successful way to raise public money. This article provides an introduction to what is involved in a direct public offering, and describes the pros and cons of this approach.
Collecting payment from clients is a matter of negotiating terms in advance, separating collection and business functions, and keeping internal accounting systems in order, according to this straightforward article. Advising business owners to "walk the walk and talk the talk" of accounts receivables, the author lays out a comprehensive plan for the daunting task of getting bills paid without alienating clients.
Billing and collecting your accounts receivable (A/R) in a timely manner is key to optimizing cash flow and you need to have a way to monitor A/R at least on a weekly basis.
Looking at ways to do a public offering, the founders of a biotech company chose a reverse merger, an alternative public offering that ultimately provided the company with access to more funding sources and higher valuation.
Entrepreneurs could give their budding companies a powerful financial boost by using a source of funding usually considered off limits--the retirement kitty. The author, a certified financial planner, does, however, caution company builders to leave a portion of those funds intact, using more accessible sources first. Thereafter, he argues, tax-deferred assets in a 401(k), SEP, or IRA comprise a personal venture capital fund that can do as much for an individual's business as for his or her golden years.
Angel financing - or funding from individuals with the time and money to invest in early-stage companies - is more accessible thanks to the gathering of such investors into networks, writes an erstwhile entrepreneur turned angel investor. The process is still arduous, but the author offers tips for easing the way.
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