Earl R. Smith II's Blog, page 71
November 13, 2014
Red-Teaming: Improve Your Chances of Getting Funded
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com This is a proven method for improving the chances of success. Not rocket science – nothing very difficult – just a straightforward and logical approach to a recurring challenge. If you are out to win – this has to be one of the tools in your toolbox. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [...]
Financial Strategies – Some Basic Rules
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com In this article I would like to discuss ways to meet the financing needs of a growing company. Let’s start from this point: The CEOs principal contribution to the process is to make sure that the correct financing strategies are in place and well focused. As CEO, you [...]
November 11, 2014
Gap Analysis
By Dr. Earl R. Smith II & Marty Secada Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com Learn how to improve your chances of getting funded from two experts in the field. You don’t have to come up short. There are things you can do to shift the odds in your favor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Between us we [...]
The Money Chase: What Does Investment Grade Mean? Part 4
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the first three parts of this series I discussed major areas of focus for investors considering funding a company. Briefly, they were: Implementation – Are the founders implementing or just talking about implementing once they get the funding? The Value Proposition – How scalable is the [...]
The Money Chase: What Does Investment Grade Mean? Part 3
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the first article in this series I offered a general definition of ‘investment grade’ and discussed the first issue that most investors look at. They generally start by asking are the entrepreneurs implementers or discusers? Most investors have had bad experiences with founders who are ‘all [...]
The Money Chase: One Way to Avoid Being ‘Avoided’
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are many ‘types’ that investors routinely avoid. Angel investors and venture capitalists sit through a lot of presentations in the course of a year and see almost every kind of founder that they want to avoid. Of course, there is a complication. Sometimes the presenters unwittingly [...]
The Money Chase: Who They Do Not Invest In
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Money Chase is the graveyard of many a start-up. It can drain the energy and resources out of a new company and leave the founders frustrated and bitter. For many, seeking angel or venture capital investment is the most complex and subtle effort they have ever [...]
Funding Strategies for New Businesses
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the rush of figuring out a new idea for your business and pulling together a team to run it, one challenge faces all entrepreneurs. They must find the necessary financial resources. For some, the ‘money hunt’ can come to dominate their activities. Others find solutions that [...]
Angel Investors to Avoid
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I want to state at the very beginning that most angel investors I have worked with do not fall into the categories that follow. For the most part, they are honest, professional and dedicated to helping their portfolio companies thrive. To the extent that they have foibles, [...]
Angel Investors – The Good, Bad and Very Ugly
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is a tendency among entrepreneurs to chase money wherever they find it. The pressure to find the financial resources so necessary to build a business can be over-mastering. Most of the time the partnerships which form between founders and angel investors are productive but, in a [...]
