SmartUps.org » fundraising http://www.smartups.org Improving the climate for Oregon's Willamette Valley emerging growth-oriented companies Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:24:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 The New Rules of Angel Investing http://www.smartups.org/2009/11/08/the-new-rules-of-angel-investing/ http://www.smartups.org/2009/11/08/the-new-rules-of-angel-investing/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:17:17 +0000 admin http://www.smartups.org/?p=673 I found this great article in the Small Business section of the New York Times website; “The New Rules of Angel Investing.” If your start-up is currently looking for capital I highly recommend this article! Even though times are tough, angel investing is still increasing. However, investors are “…picky and less tolerant of risk,” thus contributing less money. Get to reading so you learn how to secure some funding for your company!

Here are some quick tips from the article:

“Bootstrap as long as you can. Finding early ways to get revenue.”

“Get to break even quickly and remember that VC financing has gotten harder to obtain.”

“Be realistic about valuations. Be coachable.”

“Practice pitching and be prepared to make your case to dozens or hundreds of angels.”

“Look for angels who complement your strengths and can help you with more than money.”

 

 

]]> http://www.smartups.org/2009/11/08/the-new-rules-of-angel-investing/feed/ 0 The Art of the Executive Summary http://www.smartups.org/2009/04/20/the-art-of-the-executive-summary/ http://www.smartups.org/2009/04/20/the-art-of-the-executive-summary/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:08:24 +0000 admin http://www.smartups.org/?p=282 Many entrepreneurs turn to Guy kawasaki for advice on developinging their business plan and pitching it to investors. This is a great resource for entrepreneurs looking to determine what’s important to include in your executive summary, including how to present the data so it’s enticing to the reader.

 

Guy’s says the 9 components of your executive summary should include:

  1. The Grab
  2. The Problem
  3. The Solution
  4. The Opportunity
  5. The Competitive Advantage
  6. The Model
  7. The Team
  8. The Promise ($)
  9. The Ask

Here’s the link to his site to read more about it.

]]> http://www.smartups.org/2009/04/20/the-art-of-the-executive-summary/feed/ 0