Tech Cocktail is happy to share three keys to building a great financial model by guest author Taylor Davidson, creator of Excel template financial models for startups. Financial models are always wrong, but it’s important to create one anyway. Creating a financial model forces you to outline very specifically how your business “works”: how a company creates…
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Investors seek familiar investments that are analogous to companies that they admire. They would like to believe that you can be successful because you are like another company that has been successful. Therefore, when you create your business plan, base it on a successful, public company that is similar to yours. (Public is preferable, because…
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There will come a time when you need to know the REAL value of your company. Not the balance sheet value, but the bona fide, intrinsic, captures-everything-possibly-monetizable value. For some entrepreneurs, this need arises when the time and the money are ripe for an exit. For others, the need will come sooner, like when you’re raising…
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Raising money will rarely proceed on schedule. It is like building or remodeling a house or developing a new version of software. Complex stuff just doesn’t go as planned and is rarely completed on time or on budget. So when you finally get that fish hooked, and you land a term sheet, it may feel…
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I have the good fortune of listening to a couple of hundred investment pitches a year. I get to witness a number of awkward and sometimes comical situations (albeit more comical to the audience than the presenter). The interesting thing is that these faux pas are constantly repeated, and with just a little preparation, they…
Read More I have the good fortune of listening to a couple of hundred investment pitches a year. I get to witness a number of awkward and sometimes comical situations (albeit more comical to the audience than the presenter). The interesting thing is that these faux pas are constantly repeated, and with just a little preparation, they…
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This post was written by guest blogger Frank Denbow. General Assembly, an “urban campus” for startups in NYC’s Flatiron neighborhood, put together a full day course in Venture Capital on July 16th in an event called “Assembled Capital.” Through a series of presentations, panels and discussions, event listeners learned from venture capitalists, angel investors, and…
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Staying on top of your finances is absolutely crucial when running your startup. Michelle Hoffman, Founder and CEO of Hoffman CFO Consulting, an outsourcing accounting support for emerging technology companies, shared 4 tips on how to better manage and track your financials with the Startup Mixology audience on Thursday: Tip 1: Use an accrual-based accounting…
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This is the second part of a two part post focused on using licensing to grow your business, by guest contributors Blaire Jones and Aaron Horn. Read the first part here. And now the big question… Should I license? It may be a good idea if your IP is original and can satisfy a need, or…
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This is the first part of a two part series focused on using licensing to grow your business, by guest contributors Blaire Jones and Aaron Horn. Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I will move the world. – Archimedes There are a variety of reasons an emerging…
Read MoreThis is the third part of our three part series that looks at the private equity market and what it means for your startup. In part I, we looked at the private equity market prior to and during 2009. In part II, we analyzed the expected behavior of private equity markets in 2011. 2009 v. 2011…
Read MoreThis is part two of a three part series that looks at the private equity market and what it means for your startup. In the first post, we looked at the state of the equity market prior to and in 2009 and the impact it had on startups. What does the market look like in 2011? The…
Read MoreThis is part one of a three part series that looks at the private equity market and what it means for your startup. The equity capital market is a space that exists between companies and financial institutions that works to provide capital for those companies. The financial crisis has had significant effects on the market and…
Read MoreOn Friday we published part 1 of this article, focusing on various ways to leverage your own cash and credit for your new venture. In today’s post, guest author Michelle Hoffman covers opportunities to fund your business with other people’s money. Other People’s Money – Background Basics Before seeking the money of others, it’s important…
Read MoreStartup businesses need cash to operate. At the very least, an entrepreneur needs sufficient cash to pay bills, and buy some equipment or server space while things get up and running. For entrepreneurs, available capital, aka money, can be broken into two broad categories: Your money and other people’s money. In today’s post, we’ll explore…
Read MoreStartups need to make money (unless you’re Twitter) and to make money you need to accept payments. Your head may already be hurting at the flurry of possibilities out there, but don’t worry. Use this quick guide to help you figure out what you need to get started accepting payments at your startup. 1. Is…
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There are a number of startup accelerator and incubator programs in the United States. We are fans of these programs (not to be confused with... Read More
Two months after the iPad 2 debuted in March, around 40% of users surveyed said their iPad was their primary computer, up from around 30%... Read More
With our Startup Mixology Conference coming up next week followed by our classic Tech Cocktail DC Summer mixer which will showcase a handful of early-stage... Read More
Coming off of one of our biggest Tech Cocktail mixer events in Chicago this past week, which showcased 14 early-stage start-ups, we thought it would... Read More