Should You Start A Company

How well branded are “YOU”?  When I say “you” I am talking about your name.

Once upon a time, I used to think I was unique.  That was until I found out just how many guys were named “Robert Goodman” in this world.  It’s even true here in relatively small Clearwater Beach, Florida.  Come to find out that there are THREE of us named “Robert Goodman” that go to my same doctor!

So, when you look at the world wide reach of the world wide web, you quickly find how difficult it can be to create a brand around your own name – especially when the best popularity metric here in the new millennium is Google.

They are very few of us who have not “googled” ourselves to see what’s out there.  Sometimes, it can be a little disturbing and embarrassing – since Internet photos, videos, blog postings, instant messages, tweets, pokes, flames, complaints, rants and raves, etc. live on forever.

So how DO you create a brand around your name?

For many of us with “common” names like mine, there is a special ingredient that improves on our individuality.  It’s called our middle name.

In my case, my middle name is Lee.   Even though that helps tremendously, trust me when I say there may be a near-infinite number of other folks with the same name – even counting the middle name. (Would you believe, one of the other two “Robert Goodmans” in the small universe of my doctor’s office has my same middle name?)

My recommendation is that you start branding your name, with your middle name, as aggressively as you can to establish your Google presence before someone else does.  This is what I call “G-Branding.”

To see how this can work for you, I invite you to check out my new online business card at: www.RobertLeeGoodman.com.

As of this writing, you’ll notice that I currently have 9 out of the top 10 first page positions for my full name (the obituary is not me).  On both page two and page three of Google, I have 5 of the 10 entries on each of those pages.

As you can see, there is room for significant improvement on my part to tweak these numbers.  Note that there is almost NO hits for me if you type “Robert Goodman” since all my “G-Branding” is focused with my middle name.  As a consequence, everything you do, say, publish and distribute needs to include your full name – so your prospects and customers know you by your full name.

Just so you know, this “G-Branding” is not ego-driven (okay, maybe just a little.)  In my case, I have several different companies and several different products and services that I offer to startup and emerging companies – along with products and services to a completely different audience for my relationship book, Efficient Love.

What gets difficult is trying to describe ALL of those companies and services on one small business card – even front and back.

At a recent seminar I attended in San Francisco, our host, Alex Mandossian, handed out his new business card which is similar to what you see at my website www.RobertLeeGoodman.com.  If you google “Alex Mandossian“, you’ll see he has even MORE products and services to sell than I do!  Alex is probably THE best expert on promotion that I have met in three decades in business.  As you can see, he completely dominates the first 10 pages on Google and is an excellent example of how to create your own “G-Branding.”

I thought that his Google Business Card was such a great idea that I decided to produce an online version of Alex’s idea with www.RobertLeeGoodman.com.

Like it or not, it really is the World According to Google when you’re in business – especially if your predominant market is found on the Internet.  If you take that statement as axiomatic – and your market is the Internet – then you have GOT to take action to improve your own “G-Branding” before someone else with your same name beats you to it.

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…)

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…)

Do you still want to start that new company or home based business?

I’m pleased to tell you about my own new company – Start Up Company University – which is a division of Ceo Resource LLC. The first product offered by Start Up Company University might make all the difference to your own company’s future.

Funding Foreplay is a four module audio training course that teaches start up company CEOs like you – how to properly prepare and present the dozen documents you must have to successfully romance and seduce angel investors and VC to invest in your company.

I’ve condensed and distilled down the techniques that have taken me three decades to acquire and fine tune with my own real companies and my own real deals. Funding Foreplay includes over five hours of audio – and over 390 pages of real life, highly confidential, documents you can use as guides for your own dozen documents.

The introductory price of Funding Foreplay will double after the sale of the first 500 courses. You can learn to speak the language of investor love and grab Funding Foreplay at half the price…if you hurry. (more…)

As I get questions from readers from my Ask The Chief Dragon Slayer Campaign, I will take some of the questions that I think might have a broad audience and post them here on the blog.

This one is filed under “Dragons – Fundraising: Can I Use Investor Money To Pay Me Back?”

Question:

Love the blog! Finally someone answering real life startup company questions! I want to raise $1.8 million for my computer business to take it to the next level. Can I use $250,000 of the $1.8 million to pay me back the money that I have already invested in getting my company started?

Thanks again!

Walt

Answer:

This is one of the most frequent questions I get from clients: Can I get back all of my money that I have invested so far in starting my company from the new investment dollars I get from angel investors or venture capital?

The short answer is almost never. (more…)

As I get questions from readers from my Ask The Chief Dragon Slayer Campaign, I will take some of the questions that I think might have a broad audience and post them here on the blog.

This one is filed under “Dragons – Fundraising: Can I Spend The Investor Money As I Get It?”

Question:

Thanks for your comments about accredited angel investors. It was very helpful. We just finished your business plan and are starting to pitch our deal to angel investors and venture capital. Since we are already spending money on buying stuff for the company, can we start spending the investor money as we get it?

Steve

Answer:

The first thing you need to buy is a big sword – so you can fight off all the dragons that are getting ready to hatch! Firstly, you didn’t say – but I hope you have a Reg D PPM for a LOT of reasons. Please see FundRaisingDocuments.com

One of the things that should be covered in your Reg D PPM is how you handle (more…)

As I get questions from readers from my Ask The Chief Dragon Slayer Campaign, I will take some of the questions that I think might have a broad audience and post them here on the blog.

This one is filed under “Dragons – Fundraising: What Are Accredited Investors And Why Should I Only Raise Money From Them For My StartUp Company?”

Question:

I’m getting ready to raise $2 million for my startup real estate company. I’ve finished my business plan but a friend of mine said I should only talk to accredited investors. I’m not exactly sure what an accredited investor is and I don’t understand why I can’t talk to anybody I want to about investing in my company? Please make this one of your questions for your teleseminar.

Thanks,

Mark

Answer:

Thank you for submitting your question at www.StartUpCompanyQuestions.com. There are several critically important implications and potential dragons I gathered from your question. Since I want to keep you from battling some very vicious dragons as a result of your upcoming actions, I am answering it now so you don’t have to wait until the next teleseminar.

The term, accredited investors, has to do with securities laws – both federal and state – and making sure you comply with the very onerous restrictions that go with the fundraising for your start up company. I’ll give you both the short and long answer to what an accredited investor is in a minute. But the first thing you need to know is that if you raising capital from angel (AKA private) investors, you will almost certainly need more than just a business plan. You need what’s known as a Reg D Private Placement Memorandum – PPM – in order to comply with federal and state securities laws. (more…)