Should You Start A Company

(more…)

What dragons are stopping you from taking the next step with your start up or emerging company? Are you stuck at a fork in the road on your way to success with your vision?

While individually working with over 2,000 entrepreneurs and start up company CEOs, I’ve noticed that, in many cases, one or more of a particular half-dozen deadly dragons can often stop a company in its tracks.

Which ones are blocking your personal path for your start up company right now?

1. The Indecision Dragon – Closely related to the Overchoice Dragon, this brute keeps whispering “What if this and what if that…” which keeps you from making key decisions and making progress. Yogi Berra, the New York Yankee philosopher, said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” What are the top dozen genuine pivot points for your company right this minute? What do you need to know today to make a decision on each - and cross each one off the list as completed? What do you finally need to know to get past that fork in the road? Remember: No decision IS a decision – one that can affect all future decisions, choices, direction and timetables. Don’t lose by default.

(more…)

As an entrepreneur with your business plan in hand, what are the two top priorities you have on every day’s action list as you start up your start up company?

Starting and running a company can be overwhelming. Endless new action items seem to appear magically on your To Do List as you day develops - with all of them either whispering or screaming to be your top priority. And, when the day is done, it often seems that one or more of those unanticipated priorities won - and the most important action items you originally had on your list when you walked into your office this morning did not get done - again.

So, how is an entrepreneur to decide on their priorities - especially when there is so much that needs to be done? The answer is surprisingly easy. (more…)

This one mistake is so critical that it jeopardizes the immediate survivability of your start up company - even before you get started.

What is the second biggest mistake?

Many cost-sensitive entrepreneurs depend on number crunchers, bean counters and newly minted MBAs for their projections - just to save a few dollars.

New start up CEOs doom their new company by pinching pennies in the wrong place. Instead, what they need are pivotal insights from experienced consultants who can provide the guidance the entrepreneur needs for producing a realistic, genuinely implementable business plan.

Your business plan is not some academic document - instead, it is your crucial road map to successful implementation of your vision for your new company.

The most important part of any business plan is the detailed financial projections that are the basis for the entire business model of every new start up company. There are four sets of underlying assumptions that drive all the projections: (more…)

When you want to raise investment funding from private or angel investors, you have GOT to do it the right way - or you could end up with both the federal SEC and 50 state securities boards coming after you - like what happened last month in Pennsylvania.

The risk of major penalties to you and your company are just too great to do this wrong. Look at what happened in this one case: (more…)

I’ve just added two new widgets here at my blog that will let you immediately download both a Sample Comprehensive Business Plan and a Reg D 506 Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) - for free. The PPM also includes a Prospective Investor Questionnaire and Investor Subscription Agreement.

These two free downloads are very basic, and are not the business plan or PPM that are included and analyzed in detail in Funding Foreplay - but they will show you the fundamental components of what you need for two of the twelve total documents you are required for successfully raising investment capital from venture capital and angel investors. Each document is about 40 pages long and can be immediately downloaded.

For a much more comprehensive business plan and PPM, including samples of all dozen necessary documents you will need, check out Funding Foreplay at www.FundingForeplay.com.

If you need help with financial projections and your business plan or business planning, check out my services and prices at www.ChiefDragonSlayer.com.

If you need personal, one on one coaching and mentoring, please check out my services at www.StartUpCompanyMentoring.com for details and pricing.

Wishing you STELLAR success with YOUR start up,

Robert Lee Goodman

This post will give you some idea of the very extensive range of start up industries in which I have consulted and provided business plans, business planning, consulting and mentoring.

One of the many great things about my profession is working with so many bright entrepreneurs and CEOs in so many interesting businesses - and providing them with pivotal help to accelerate the success of their vision. (more…)

As a serial entrepreneur, I find reality TV a complete, contrived waste of time. I’ve never watched American Idol, Survivor, Amazing Race, The Apprentice, etc. Even the commercials showed me more than I ever wanted to know.

However…

There is finally one reality show that I not only watch - but one that I strongly recommend every entrepreneur and start up company CEO should watch religiously.

The show, Start-Up Junkies, on the MOJO Network really does show what it is like to run a new company.

Frank Lloyd Wright once said TV is chewing gum for the mind. He must have been talking about reality TV. However, Start-Up Junkies is a feast for anyone even thinking about starting a company. (more…)