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10 Key Business Plan Elements Not In A Product Spec

Startup Professionals Musings

As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. You may have heard that venture capitalists in Silicon Valley no longer read business plans. Description of the business entity you plan to form.

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7 Scenarios Where A Business Plan Is Still An Asset

Startup Professionals Musings

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. They cite sources like Profitable Venture Magazine, “ Why Business Plans are a Waste of Time ” and this Forbes article.

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5 Keys To Negotiating Your Fair Share Of Any Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. You need to find the skills or experience you don’t have in business, technology, or money. The value in a startup is all about tangible results, so I see no equity value in the idea alone.

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10 Quotes You Should Never Use Around A Business Plan

Startup Professionals Musings

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Others will work hard on a business plan, and then mail it indiscriminately to every potential investor they can find on the Internet.

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8 Tips For Getting Your Startup Right The First Time

Startup Professionals Musings

In my view, starting a new business has never been easier, and according to reports from the Kauffman Foundation , the numbers are here to show it. The rate of new entrepreneurs increased between 2013 and 2019, from 280 out of 100,000 to 310 out of 100,000 of the adult population. Fundraising through online platforms and crowdfunding.

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7 Key Startup Activities Where Follow-Up Is Critical

Startup Professionals Musings

Great entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates, are great at both. I can think of several related aspects of starting and running a business where follow-up, or lack of it, can make or break your startup. Here are a few: Business networking. Too many entrepreneurs try to talk their way through all of these. Time management.

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5 Challenges No Entrepreneur Anticipates In A Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

Every entrepreneur I know finds it a challenge to balance the joys of entrepreneurship against a set of frustrations they never anticipated. The startup world is all about causing change and reacting to unknowns, so set your expectations early to deal with it. In a startup, this can be a team member, investor, or even a vendor.