An interesting question came up the other day which warrants attention. The question was whether entrepreneurs should hire entrepreneurs. In thinking about how to answer this question, I started thinking about a book written by Michael Gerber entitled The...

When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues. Valuation. Valuation is the most prominent negotiating issues. Valuation is the...

The most important function of a business plan is to create interest among investors so that they write a check. In achieving this goal, business plan writers are often challenged by determining the proper level of optimism in their plan. That is, they mu...

Investors, like the rest of us, have different tastes. One investor may love a concept and/or business plan while the next may hate both. It is important to understand this as business plans are working documents and are always undergoing iterations. M...

Venture capital firms are comprised of individual partners. These partners make investment decisions and typically take a seat on each portfolio company's Board. Partners tend to invest in what they know, so finding a partner that has past work experience...

Corner computer desks are ideal for a corner space in the house or office. They give allow a worker to focus, giving the feel of an exclusive space. They optimize the space within a room and give a cozy look when decorated in tune with the rest of the ro...

Costs of fleet maintenance software can vary widely. It is generally expected that the fleet manager will look at the needs of the company to determine what software package is best suited for their particular needs. Depending upon the size of the company...

Ergonomic office chairs are extremely popular in today's office environment. Many employees find that they are sitting for more than eight hours per day while at work. It is important that ergonomic office chairs be used to reduce shoulder, back, and ne...

Any company that relies on selling a product or service needs strong sales lead generation. A sales lead is a prospective customer. Businesses try to get as much information about their sales leads as possible. They need to find out what makes this per...

Precision metal stamping is the process of making 3-dimensional metal parts, lettering and other embossing. This is a kind of metal stamping used mostly for decorative purposes. It is similar to normal metal stamping, which is the process of molding metal...

Products for sale need to be displayed in a manner which best presents them in the customers' eyes. For example, clothing needs to be folded on shelves, hung from racks or displayed on mannequins. Books need to be displayed in shelves, spinning racks and ...

A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all of the features of a human face. Mannequin heads can be used in several different situations. They can be used to model hats, wigs, makeup, or be used as practice dummies by people learning to cut hai...

Forging partnerships to improve market penetration has become commonplace, particularly for "new economy" businesses. And, most companies proudly mention their many partnerships in their business plans. The fact is that, regardless of whom the partners...

While most companies seeking venture capital initially think about angel investors and venture capitalists, a large alternative source of financing is federal grants and loans. The two largest federal grant programs are run by the Small Business Administr...

The Marketing Plan section of the business plan demonstrates how a company will penetrate the market with its products and services. The Marketing Plan should include "the four P's" – Product, Promotions, Price, and Place. Products and/or Services The...