Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

Entrepreneurs tend to remain in the business niche they know best. Some of these entrepreneurs starting a new company are alumni from companies that would be a competitor to the enterprise being created or joined. Are you one of those? And some are former selling shareholders of just those businesses. Digital or analog!

Design 156

Design Writing News Email 156

socalTECH

JULY 24, 2014

The people we spoke with told us that CRM sucks, and sales people have to use this software, but don''t like to use it. When you arrive here, you have to find a house for your family, but on the next day I was sending out emails, and people started showing up on our doorstep telling us they wanted to set up a contract for PIpeliner.

Sales 229

Sales Startup Software Customer 229

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

Some companies, especially those financed by angel or VC investors, have good, formal stock option plans with properly priced options set to reward all employees and managers in the event of a corporate sale. I found myself in such a situation upon a sale of my computer software company. And a lack of plans for others.

Sales 480

Sales Venture Capital Writing Email 480

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

And because there was consideration paid to you in the sale, that clause is binding upon you and is effective almost everywhere. After the non-compete expires [Email readers, continue here…] How about after the two-year limitation in your non-compete agreement?

Patents 156

Patents Sales Product Email 156

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Too many entrepreneurs think that expert external advisors are suspect, or will slow them down.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2020

Being very visible in the startup community, I still get an amazing number of badly written emails, rambling executive summaries, and business plans with one paragraph per chapter. That context needs to be set before your sales pitch or background story makes any sense. Before you start, make sure you understand your own objective.

Writing 125

Writing Entrepreneur Summary Email 125

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Many entrepreneurs who start technology companies are product people, technologists or savvy business people who worked previously for a larger company. Most start-up entrepreneurs have little or no sales experience. But through nearly a decade of startups I learned that sales comes down to three essential elements: 1.

Sales 319

Sales Startup Platform Tips 319

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

I’d like to talk about Crocodile Salesmen in 3 scenarios: 1) when YOU are selling (or someone on your team), 2) when you are trying to recruit a sales person. But how to apply “listening&# in a sales meeting? They don’t handle Twitter feedback, emails or IM. Beware of Crocodile Sales.

Sales 314

Sales Startup Venture Capital Customer 314

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

There are many ways to project the value of a company for purposes of pricing an investment, but all rely upon the revenue and profit projections of the entrepreneur as a starting point. For those of us who’ve invested in early-stage companies, especially technology startups, we have confronted a universal problem.

Invest 156

Invest Startup Email Competition 156

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 10, 2015

I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. I also write and talk about it frequently because raising capital is a part of sales and this is important for entrepreneurs to understand.

Sales 150

Sales Startup Venture Capital Funding 150

Berkonomics

JANUARY 7, 2021

Think of startups and early stage businesses whose entrepreneurs you know. One: The entrepreneur. First, there is the entrepreneur , the visionary, and force behind the venture from start to finish. That risk deserves reward if there is a profitable sale or even an initial public offering, rare as that event is.

Startup 240

Startup Equity Statistics Entrepreneur 240

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Sales Multiple: The usual limits for use of a sales multiple for valuation are from.5 Free Cash Flow Model: [Email readers, continue here…] This method is often used to value privately held companies with a range of five to eight times the cash available to spend after operating expenses are paid.

.Net 156

.Net Pricing Technical Review Sales 156

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 31, 2023

Every entrepreneur knows that good demand generation marketing is the key to growth these days, but very few have the discipline or know-how to measure return in a world of a thousand tools and techniques. Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. Lead management performance.

Metrics 102

Metrics Demand Paramount Content 102

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

You can watch/listen to how John and Kyle turned their email newsletter into an international bestseller in the following 9-minute excerpt from John''s recent talk at UC Santa Barbara. an email) to about 35 people. If you want to be kept informed just send me an email and let me know that you''re in, and that was it.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Berkonomics

JANUARY 6, 2022

First, the marginal exit event: Sometimes the end game or sale of the company is not a happy event for the early investors, including the entrepreneur or the founders. Most sophisticated investors will take either a promissory note or preferred stock, both of which come before founder or management stock in a sale or liquidation.

Venture Capital 156

Venture Capital Sales Pricing Equity 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2020

Every entrepreneur knows that good demand generation marketing is the key to growth these days, but very few have the discipline or know-how to measure return in a world of a thousand tools and techniques. Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. Lead management performance.

Marketing 174

Marketing Invest Demand Metrics 174

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

One of the hardest things for most entrepreneurs to know is how hard to push in situations where people tell you “no.” ” But then again most entrepreneurs fail. I’d say less than 20% of of entrepreneurs fit into that bucket. But my post isn’t for the haters.

Venture Capital 389

Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

I also recall vividly one of my first investments where the entrepreneur backed out of a sale to a well-known investment company at the last second, declaring his intention not to sell “his” company. The advantage of creating an evergreen company. A personal experience that relates.

Equity 156

Equity Course Sales Invest 156

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 8, 2015

Email readers, continue here…] First there comes a sense of relief, knowing that you no longer need to worry over daily cash or threats to your net worth. But what most entrepreneurs fail dramatically at is to celebrate the moment. The do as all good entrepreneurs do. Many fail multiple times. Take a long breath.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Writing .Net Sales 120

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Email readers, continue here…] I did forget to tell you that on that day looking into the company’s books I discovered that neither the company nor its founder had filed Federal income tax returns during the three years in business, didn’t I? Our entrepreneur balked at the boldness of that statement. Recovery and success.

Sales 120

Sales Web Design Web Design 120

Berkonomics

JUNE 27, 2024

I found mine on a rock in Ensenada, Mexico years ago… But I am ahead of myself… Every entrepreneur has that moment of truth – the one that marks the decision to take the path to entrepreneurship or the path to job security with a larger employer. Have you found your special place to think strategically without interruption?

Invest 156

Invest Email Design Startup 156

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

Too many entrepreneurs don’t know what to do at this point, largely accounting for a disappointing 50 percent of startups that fail in the first five years, according to InvoiceTracker. Others do far too little, assuming the viral effect and word-of-mouth will soon kick in, and sales will suddenly grow exponentially.

Startup 134

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Those of us in the business of calculating (guessing) this mythical peak in value often make the same mistake as our entrepreneurs. He concluded that the sweet spot for valuation was in the $20–30 million sales price range, and that many, many times more deals were completed in that range than above $100 million in valuation at exit.

Pricing 156

Pricing Invest Equity Entrepreneur 156

Berkonomics

JUNE 29, 2017

If you have been following our recent insights, you’ll be up to speed knowing that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and more.

Invest 243

Invest Entrepreneur Sales Startup 243

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 19, 2009

This is part of my new series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. I started the series talking about what I consider the most important attribute of an entrepreneur : Tenacity. Many entrepreneurs struggle with their setbacks.

Entrepreneur 288

Entrepreneur Startup Slides Seed Funding 288

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Public relations at a startup is a sales process. For example, if you indicate that you will generate $1 million in sales and actually deliver $750,000, you will be viewed as having failed. Grant Exclusivity.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

However, certain questions can be tricky for an entrepreneur to answer. Below are five common questions an entrepreneur will encounter when seeking venture funding. Handled appropriately, these questions provide investors a window into an entrepreneurs’ soul, which minimizes the chances of a future misalignment.

Entrepreneur 253

Entrepreneur Google Invest RSS 253

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Most entrepreneurs and managers, when modeling their business operations using a spreadsheet, start with expected revenue by month. Then they calculate cost of sales, and then project their expenses, to find the bottom-line profit or loss each projected month. How planning is done today. One way to think for tomorrow.

.Net 156

.Net Sales Startup Equity 156

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

If you’ve got the skills to be a strong entrepreneur then it shouldn’t be too difficult to find people who know a partner at a VC firm and if you can build relationship with them you can get introduced. Most entrepreneurs (and VCs raising from LPs) think this means progress. Some people find this elitist?—?I It doesn’t.

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

Berkonomics

JANUARY 13, 2022

Email readers, continue here…] But what about the pause to celebrate? What most entrepreneurs fail dramatically at is to celebrate the moment. Not many founders or entrepreneurs do experience the success of a favorable sale of the business they dreamed would make them rich. Then do as all good entrepreneurs do.

Writing 156

Writing Entrepreneur .Net Sales 156

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

I originally conceived it as the Top 11 things that I believe “all entrepreneurs need to succeed.&# If it stuck to this theme then I would stand by my top 11. I’ll publish the final post in this series this week and then move on to my next series – sales & marketing. It will be controversial – I know.

Entrepreneur 267

Entrepreneur Startup SaaS San Diego 267

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them. In sales there are also three rules: Qualify, qualify, qualify.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

Being very visible in the startup community, I still get an amazing number of badly written emails, rambling executive summaries, and business plans with one paragraph per chapter. That context needs to be set before your sales pitch or background story makes any sense. Before you start, make sure you understand your own objective.

Writing 109

Writing Entrepreneur Summary Email 109

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

Recently a CEO friend told me her story of a dinner including her director of business development and an executive of a major company, a candidate for a large sale. I would have been thinking about the sales relationship and the sale, and would probably have let the guy drive home, acknowledging his discomfort, and ending the dinner early.

Sales 156

Sales Conference Startup Course 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2023

Being very visible in the startup community, I still get an amazing number of badly written emails, rambling executive summaries, and business plans with one paragraph per chapter. That context needs to be set before your sales pitch or background story makes any sense. Before you start, make sure you understand your own objective.

Tips 123

Tips Writing Startup Summary 123