Organically Grown, Professionally Managed Entrepreneurial Companies
Businesses are usually started because of the founder’s belief in the “product”. The founders are innovators in a technology, a physical product, a service, or a process. These entrepreneurs know their “product”. They may or may not know how to do business. Some of...
On-shoring – Keeping Business in US
The impact of jobs moving overseas (off-shoring) cannot be fully quantified. It includes the impact on employees, the community, tax revenues, and other intangibles. Keeping business in the US isn't an entitlement. It is and will continue to be a function of ability...
Non-dilutive Funding An Important Chapter in A Start-up Story
Every venture begins with an idea and the resources of the founder(s). Then come other sources, including MCDV (the credit card companies) and our friends, family, and acquaintances. Once we’ve tapped into all those we know well and not so well, we begin to expand...
Making Sense of Saving Dollars and Cents – Evaluating Expenditures in Terms of “Investment”
One of the recurring discussions in evaluating whether or not to make an expenditure is the “cost” of the product or service. Sometimes it is referred to as the “value” or the “price”. The more meaningful perspective for anyone – individual or organization, for profit...
Investor Pitches – Get Ready
More Than The PowerPoint Many companies and their leadership teams believe that raising funds is all about the presentation to potential investors. It is that and much more. The first step in raising funds is to understand the process – including what constitutes a...
Economic Stimulus Fund to Flow to Businesses: Grant and Research Programs Open Taps
The government is utilizing existing agency structures and federal funding assistance programs to award stimulus funding for research and innovation projects. From the Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services and others, projects are in the...
$100 Billion Savings Target for DOD Spending:
If you’ve ever spent the day working on compliance with government grant and contract awards from the recipient side, you will understand the following statement: The biggest cost reductions opportunities are in reducing the complexity and variation of requirements on...
Do You Own Your Business?
You may be the owner of a business, but do you OWN the business? Are you taking on the roles and responsibilities of making things happen? Are you stepping up to understand what’s happening, what’s supposed to happen, and most—if not all—the requirements of running,...
Distinguish between Your Role as an Owner and an Employee
When a business has two or more owners taking an active role in running the business (acting as employees), it is necessary to distinguish between decisions made as owners and those made when in the employee role. Significant conflicts can arise and contribute to...
Commercialization Components: Technology/Product and Business Model
Commercialization always involves two components – the technology or product AND the business model. The road to commercialization, however, differs for each business due to many factors: Type or nature of the product/technology/service (the “product”) Experience of...