Take A Step Back To Take A Leap Forward
The introduction of a disruptive technology leads to the collapse of sales of recorded music. Does this refer to the impact of legal and illegal digital music downloads on CD sales? Certainly.
How to Use an Advisory Board
Advisory boards are powerful tools used by companies at all stages of development. Advisory boards are generally comprised of business leaders, scientists, professionals or other persons of influence. Advisory boards can have general duties, such as providing critical advice and introductions, or they can be more issue-focused, such as advising on specific industry sectors or particular products, transactions or other critical strategic decisions.
Startup Lessons from Bob Dylan
Entrepreneurs think big, with visions of iconoclastic products and services that transcend markets. To help these lofty goals, entrepreneurs must learn lessons from innovators in other industries. Today, we turn to the freewheelin’ Bob Dylan for some unconventional startup advice.
Back to Basics: Consider the Number of Shares to be Issued When You Form Your Startup
There is no required minimum or maximum number of shares by law that must be issued to founders or reserved in the equity incentive (stock option) pool in a startup. Of course, what does matter is the percentage of the company each individual stockholding represents. A startup may issue 100 shares or 100 million shares at formation, and 50 shares in the former or 50 million shares in the latter still represents 50% of the equity of the startup. A typical equity pool is between 10% and 20% of the total number of shares issued and reserved for issuance.
Changing Roles: From Founding CEO to “Employee”
Perhaps few times for an emerging growth company present more risk than the transition of a founder/CEO to “employee” status. This often happens later in the startup life cycle, when a company has funding and/or sales traction. The difference between a smooth and rocky transition can represent the difference between success and failure of the company.
Founders Equity Vesting
If there are two or more founders in a startup, an important consideration regarding the initial issuance of equity to the team is vesting of the founders’ equity.
Write on Paper, Not “Parchment”
When writing your business plan, stay clear, concise and succinct. Follow these three simple guidelines to better make your point to your intended audience.
1. Cut pretense – and acronyms.
2. State your point in the first sentence.
3. Use easy to read formatting.
Benefit as a Benefit Corporation
Is your business making the world a better place but struggling to communicate its public benefit to consumers and investors? Consider filing as a Benefit Corporation or pursuing B Corp Certification to differentiate your company from the crowd.
Selecting a Name for Your Startup
There is one thing people will always associate with your business – its name. Apple, Patagonia, Facebook, Ford – tech, non-tech, it does not matter. A memorable name can be integral to your brand. And today that brand lives both offline and online, so you should choose a name that is not only evocative of your brand but also is useable online, because the internet drives or touches so much of modern commerce.
Find Top Talent for Your Startup
Finding top talent is a challenge for any company, but for a startup it is crucial for success. Traditional methods of finding employees have been replaced, unsurprisingly, with online networking and target marketing.