-
Search this blog
Archives
-
Recent Posts
Categories
Category Archives: Protecting the business
How much information do you give to investors?
There is a natural fear of giving too much information to investors after the initial investment is received. CEO’s worry that investors will not keep the information confidential and that financial data will find its way into competitors’ hands. Others … Continue reading
Posted in Protecting the business, Raising money
2 Comments
Think ahead, if you will need more money later.
Some businesses just can’t fit within the angel capital or friends and family model for raising funds. Sooner or later these businesses will have to seek venture capital and accommodate the needs of the venture community in negotiating the terms … Continue reading
Posted in Protecting the business, Raising money
Leave a comment
Personal Guarantees are a fact of life for many entrepreneurs.
Starting and running a small or growing business can be a challenge to the most confident and optimistic entrepreneur. And the process of borrowing money or financing asset purchases can be an eye-opener for those who are not used to … Continue reading
Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business
4 Comments
Watch out for the gray areas in non-competes.
What if you are the seller of a previous business or shares amounting to more than an insignificant percentage of a previous business? Certainly the buyer’s asset purchase documents included a non-compete clause, usually valid for two years from … Continue reading
What about previous company non-competes?
Entrepreneurs tend to remain in the business arena they came from. Some are alumni from companies that would be a competitor to the enterprise being created or joined. And some are former selling shareholders of just those businesses. What is … Continue reading
The Eighty Percent Acquisition Rule
Eighty percent of all businesses purchased by another company or by a new investor-operator fail to meet the stated expectations of the buyer after one year. As with the fifty percent rule, this rule is hard to find an author … Continue reading
Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business
Leave a comment
Develop the “What if” question chain method.
One of the most valuable tools in an executive’s arsenal is the use of the question chain in planning meetings or to analyze scenarios that might result from an action. The powerful words are “What if…” followed by an ever-deeper … Continue reading
Stay current or the market will drift away.
Markets and competitors change. Are you being left behind? Over the years, I have often heard the complaint from CEO friends that they have become so swamped by the demands of their growing businesses that they feel themselves further and … Continue reading
Posted in Growth!, Positioning, Protecting the business
Leave a comment
Plan for your ‘every three million dollar crisis.’
Here is a phenomenon I discovered over time when dealing with many small start-ups in their early revenue period. A very predictable series of rotating crises seemed to befall most every one of these young companies. These became so predictable … Continue reading
Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business
3 Comments
Bet the farm only when the crops are on fire!
This insight addresses the amount of risk you and your company are willing and able to tolerate over time. Most people believe that early stage companies should take risks aggressively because there is less to lose and much more to … Continue reading
Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business
Leave a comment
