Growthink Blog

DECEMBER 27, 2017

You need a good idea – and an excellent business plan. Business planning and raising venture capital go hand-in-hand. A business plan is required for attracting venture capital. But how exactly will your business plan persuade investors to sign a check? Define your customers precisely.

Venture Capital 129

Venture Capital Business Plan Technical Review Private Placement 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2013

In reality, you need to set these projections as goals for your own use, to convince employees as well as investors that you have a business which is challenging, but achievable. Unless your volumes are in the millions or higher, the difference between manufacturing cost and customer price better be 50% or greater. Cash flow is king.

Forecast 238

Forecast Business Plan Burn Rate .Net 238

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

Writing a business plan is an important step for any entrepreneur. But, if you’re starting a SaaS busines s, the business plan plays an outsized role because the money required to fuel growth can be much more than you would guess. marketing) and the financial plan. . Customer acquisition plan.

Business Plan 87

Business Plan Forecast Churn Rate Acquisition 87

Up and Running

OCTOBER 3, 2017

This article is part of our “Business Planning Guide” —a curated list of our articles that will help you with the planning process! Start from the very beginning understanding that your business plan ought to be specific to your business needs and objectives. Build your plan, then organize it.

Business Plan 134

Business Plan Balance Sheet Forecast Lean 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Google reached $1B in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $1 trillion. A business only achieved critical mass by becoming cash-flow positive. Both have worked.

Revenue 434

Revenue Valuation Viral Retention 434

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the business model.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Up and Running

MAY 1, 2014

You’ve reviewed what a business plan is , and why you need one to start and grow your business. It’s time to dig into the process of actually writing a business plan. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll take you through every stage of writing a business plan that will actually help you achieve your goals.

Business Plan 163

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Distribution 163

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan. Just for clarification, I characterize a product plan as a formal description of your product or service, with a quick business description at the end for effect.

Business Plan 280

Business Plan Product Architecture Business Model 280

Up and Running

OCTOBER 16, 2019

Do you really need a business plan? Can’t you just wing it and skip the whole planning process? If you’re asking a bank, angel investor, or venture capitalist for funding, they’re going to want to know that you have a good handle on your small business’s trajectory. . The process of writing your plan is what’s important.

Business Plan 108

Business Plan Small Business Forecast Balance Sheet 108

Up and Running

OCTOBER 16, 2019

Do you really need a business plan? Can’t you just wing it and skip the whole planning process? If you’re asking a bank, angel investor, or venture capitalist for funding, they’re going to want to know that you have a good handle on your small business’s trajectory. . The process of writing your plan is what’s important.

Business Plan 108

Business Plan Small Business Forecast Balance Sheet 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2016

Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan. Just for clarification, I characterize a product plan as a formal description of your product or service, with a quick business description at the end for effect.

Business Plan 120

Business Plan Product Architecture Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2022

That means it solves a real problem for real customers who are ready and able to spend real money. The number of current potential customers is large and growing. MySpace, for example, boomed after launch for five years without a revenue model. Build a business plan for profitability in your lifetime.

Revenue 297

Revenue Widget Angel Investor Early Stage 297

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

The subscription box industry is growing rapidly thanks to a steady revenue model and tapping into people’s love for surprises. But with so many people trying to get their share of the growth, many subscription box businesses fold within a year or two. There are several different types of business plans that can help you stay on track.

Business Plan 63

Business Plan Curation Balance Sheet Intellectual Property 63

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

He nails the current key startup parameters, including the following: Crafting a lean business plan as your road map. The days of lengthy, text-heavy, business plan documents prepared by expensive experts are behind us. Building a minimum viable product, with customer validation.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Angel Groups Social Media 261

Up and Running

AUGUST 8, 2018

This article, which originally appeared on our LivePlan Blog , is part of our “Business Planning Guide” —a curated list of our articles that will help you with the planning process! For us, business planning isn’t just a one-time or annual event. Most people think that meetings are a waste of time. They’re right.

Software Review 65

Software Review Business Plan Product Forecast 65

Up and Running

JANUARY 29, 2019

Though you may be tempted to immediately throw yourself into your new small business, don’t forget a crucial element: creating a business plan. Yes, the words “business plan” might trigger some dread about epic documents that take a ton of time to produce—but that’s not necessarily what a business plan needs to be.

Lean 64

Lean Business Plan Revenue Forecast 64

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

They don’t realize that business projections with no third-party validation have no credibility with investors, and smart potential investors will walk away. Every good business plan needs an early section which sizes the total market opportunity, and then breaks down that total into the most relevant segments for your focus.

Business Plan 393

Business Plan Marketing SBA Venture Capital 393

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

If you’re thinking about starting an outpatient medical practice, one of the first things you should do is write a business plan. There are a few different types of business plans , depending on how you intend to use it. There are a few different types of business plans , depending on how you intend to use it.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

YoungUpstarts

MAY 12, 2020

Additionally, you’re not expected to excel at every single vertical of successfully managing the business. But it’s a lot harder to prepare a proper business plan unless you’re planning ahead of time and considering the additional resources, you will need help you with this endeavor. Or maybe with sales?

Vertical 264

Vertical Distribution Business Plan Software Development 264

Up and Running

AUGUST 30, 2017

Working out a business plan for your daycare center can be a challenge. As someone who owns eight successful daycares in the Chicago area, I know the strategies and approaches that work when it comes to developing a sound business plan for a daycare center. What is your business model?

Business Plan 93

Business Plan SBA Software Review Advisory Board 93

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

He nails the current key startup parameters, including the following: Crafting a lean business plan as your road map. The days of lengthy, text-heavy, business plan documents prepared by expensive experts are behind us. Building a minimum viable product, with customer validation.

Intellectual Property 404

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 404

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 4, 2023

This will allow you to identify opportunities, challenges, customer preferences, and emerging trends. Market research involves gathering information about potential customers in your target area, competitor strategies, pricing scales, and demand patterns amongst other things.

Balance Sheet 107

Balance Sheet Technical Review Business Model Business Plan 107

Up and Running

MAY 9, 2022

One of the best uses for a business plan is as an internal management tool to help you run your business. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to write a full business plan that you’d traditionally use to pursue funding or pitch to investors. . What is an internal business plan?

Business Plan 160

Business Plan Forecast Lean Channel 160

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 13, 2024

. #3 Plan Your Finances and Raise Money It’s a no-brainer that you’ll need money to turn your vision into reality, so start planning for finances. Create a detailed business plan where you must outline your financial goals, expenses, and revenue projections. Next, evaluate your funding options.

United States 99

United States Bootstrapping Social Media Angel Investor 99

Up and Running

OCTOBER 3, 2018

What they don’t usually show on screen on shows like Flip or Flop is that writing a business plan is a must. If you’re thinking about starting a business that buys up homes, fixes them up and then re-sells them at a profit, the first step is to write a business plan. It serves as a mini version of your entire plan.

El Paso 61

El Paso Business Plan Technical Review Forecast 61

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Are there customers for what you are building? Is there a profitable business model?

Customer Development 270

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 270

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 7, 2024

Companies are turning to AI to streamline their operations, notably in areas like customer service, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention. However, the utility of AI goes beyond that; it proves beneficial even in the pre-launch phase of a business. Nowadays, they can leverage AI solutions to create a business plan.

Artificial Inteligence 119

Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Algorithm Cofounder 119

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

Others will work hard on a business plan, and then mail it indiscriminately to every potential investor they can find on the Internet. Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 310

Technical Review Angel Investor Business Plan Social Media 310

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2021

Don’t forget to add all pesky “overhead” costs, with fixed elements, like rent, insurance, and administration, and variable elements, like delivery, customer support, and commissions. If you expect payment in 30 days, many customers will stretch this period to 45 days or even 90. This difference will kill your profit margin.

Technical Review 379

Technical Review Finance Startup Salary 379

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Steve Blank via Flickr by jdlasica I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

Up and Running

MAY 28, 2015

We recently had Tim Berry, Palo Alto Software founder and business planning expert, present our Bplans audience with his latest advice on lean business planning. It’s all about making your business life easier, doing what works best, getting the best results by tracking what works and always improving.

Lean 60

Lean Business Plan Video Software Review 60

Up and Running

APRIL 11, 2012

Bill Payne had a nice post on gust.com late last month titled Using your business plan , in which he lists the different forms or outputs people confuse with a business plan and sets each one into the proper use context. Talk about solving customer problems. Which customers will buy how much of your product.

Business Plan 85

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Technical Review Due Diligence 85

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

Most people think of the business plan as a one-time event, something used to accomplish a specific goal—getting funded, usually. The business plan, in its many different formats, can be used for a variety of purposes, including validating an idea, getting funded, and managing a business successfully.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Lean Forecast Balance Sheet 60

Up and Running

MARCH 4, 2022

The number fluctuates from year to year with businesses coming and going. If you want to remain profitable and thrive, you must have a plan to move forward. . A business plan does far more than help secure venture capital when you’re starting out. You’ll use a strong business plan throughout the life of a company.

Business Plan 117

Business Plan Revenue Small Business Administration United States 117

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

We all want the best for our babies—and our business plans! Nearly all businesses, whether they are small or large, are comprised of intellectual property (IP) and trade secrets, which can serve as the foundation for commercial success. Examples of IP and trade secrets include but are not limited to: Business plans.

Intellectual Property 60

Intellectual Property Business Plan IP Early Stage 60

Up and Running

MARCH 17, 2022

Many business owners know and understand the value of a business plan. The business plan is a key component of the startup and fundraising process and serves as a foundation for your organization. What is a business plan? It lays out who is running the business and what the business does.

Business Plan 145

Business Plan Operations Lean Forecast 145