stanners's newest posts Atom Feed from Searchles Fri Jul 25 04:38:36 -0400 2008 en-us Business Exit Planning: Preparing to Sell Your Business stanners As every entrepreneur knows, a great business plan is essential for effectively launching a business. As the business grows, an effective strategic plan is required to successfully reach the business’s full potential. But what about planning your exit strategy? How to Write a Business Plan That Will Raise Venture Capital stanners Want to raise venture capital? Learn how to tailor your business plan to an investor audience. 20 Reasons Why You Need a Business Plan stanners Not sure if you really need a business plan? In fact, nearly every business can benefit from the business plan creation process. Reasons to write a business plan include: 1) To reduce the risk of pursuing the wrong opportunity, 2) To establish meaningful business milestones, 3) To judge the success of your business. Read on to learn why you need a business plan. The 10 Funniest Treadmill Falls stanners (Video Camera + Treadmill) x Idiots / Face-Plants = Hilarity The Secrets to Their Success? 25 Quotes From Famous Entrepreneurs | Growthink stanners There is no simple formula for creating a successful business. But you can improve your chances by listening to the wisdom of those who have done it already. The 6 Untold Reasons Why Businesses Fail stanners Inadequate funding, bad location, poor execution – these are common reasons for business failure, but they don’t tell the whole story. Many times, the reason for a business’s failure is not so obvious. Why are these reasons untold? Simple. Most of the time, the business owner doesn’t realize what caused their failure. 7 Entrepreneurs Whose Perseverance Will Inspire You stanners Broke, unemployed, declared "stupid" or "unteachable" -- these 7 entrepreneurs exemplified perseverance. Maybe one of them will inspire you to overcome whatever obstacle is currently standing in your way. Business Planning 101: How to Prepare the Perfect Business Plan stanners We're told that every successful business starts with a great idea. That's a half-truth. Great companies start with great ideas — and a great business plan. Top 7 Myths About Starting A Business stanners It's not all dependent on hard work. A compelling product won't guarantee you customers and investors. You don't need a charismatic leader. The government is both your friend and your enemy. And don't plan on becoming the "next Google"... Southern California Passes Boston in Venture Capital Funding stanners In 2007, for the first time Southern California passed the Boston area as the 2nd largest venture capital market in the country. Southern California saw a 12 percent increase in amount of funded deals - to $3.8 billion. Startups Have Bigger Things to Worry About Than MicroHoo! stanners Start-ups should be careful not to focus too much on building their companies to be snatched up by larger companies. As the Microsoft/Yahoo merger talks confirm, the landscape can change quickly. It's better to NOT build it with acquisition in mind, and simply focus on building a great company. Why Is It So Difficult To Raise Capital? stanners Raising capital for a startup or small business is without question one of the most challenging aspects of growing a business. Two difficult aspects are the stress and frustration of "maybe" and the lack of urgency on the investors' part. This article provides some advice and perspective on the process. Four Steps to Entrepreneurship stanners As more and more people start or consider starting their own business, it is important that they understand the core steps that are required to launch successful ventures. These steps include spotting, assessing, selecting and executing upon opportunities. 6 Keys To Finding A Venture Capital Firm stanners When seeking a venture capital firm, there are six key variables to consider: location, sector preference, stage preference, partners, portfolio and assets. Raising Capital for Your Business - How Long Does It Take? stanners Most companies vastly underestimate the time commitment necessary to successfully complete a financing. In actuality, a company seeking financing needs to budget between 500 to 1000 work-hours to the capital-raising process, spread out over a 6-9 month time period. Angel Investors: Who They Are & When Are They Appropriate stanners Definition of "angel" investor -- bridge between friends/family and venture capital. Angel Investing: Key Challenges and Opportunities stanners Individual, or "angel" investors are the largest source of seed and startup capital. However, many of these investors’ experiences are frustrating. The three main challenges for angel investment are diversification, valuation, and monitoring of portfolio company growth. This article explains opportunities as well as challenges for "angel" investing. Top 9 Business Planning Pitfalls stanners If you're looking to raise venture capital, be sure to avoid these common mistakes