starting plants

Starting Vs. Growing a Business

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Most company founders are good at the first stages of entrepreneurship. But in the phases that follow, they may only be average. Just because you have a knack for starting companies, doesn’t necessarily mean that those skills translate well…
Nashville

Ownership Has Its Privileges

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Walk down Nashville’s Lower Broadway any night of the week, and you can hear aspiring artists belting out cover tunes from Elton John to Garth Brooks.   In many cases, these musicians come to Nashville to be discovered but pay…
private

Run Your Private Company Like It’s Public

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Small businesses often operate as if their sole purpose is to fund the owner’s lifestyle, but the most valuable companies are run with financial rigor. You may be years from wanting to sell, but starting to formalize your operations now will…
Man cars

Being Stingy With Your Equity

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It can be tempting to offer shares in your company to finance its growth. These days, there are plenty of investors chasing promising new companies and, in today’s tight labour market, employees are getting more brazen in their demands for…
package

5 Ways To Package Your Service

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If you’re a service provider, it can be difficult to separate the service from the provider. Your customers might demand you, which means you can’t scale your business beyond the number of hours you’re willing to work. In the absence…
dependence

5 Reasons Why Your Business Is Too Dependent On You

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If you were to draw a picture that visually represents your role in your business, what would it look like? Are you at the top of an organizational chart, or stuck in the middle of your business like a hub in a bicycle wheel? The Hub &…
Buyer type

Which Is Better, a Financial Buyer or a Strategic Buyer?

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If you decide to sell your business to an outside acquirer, you’re going to have to decide between a financial and a strategic buyer—understanding the different motivations of these two buyers can be the key to getting a good price for…
This is the Sign

The Surprising Way Companies Like Netflix and Amazon Conduct Market Research

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Companies like Netflix, UrthBox, and Amazon are leveraging the subscription business model to discover what their customers want next. In a traditional business, the customer buys your product or service once, and it is up to you to try…
lego ferrari

The Build vs. Buy Equation

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If you’re wondering what your business might be worth to an acquirer, there is a simple calculation you can use. Let’s call it “The Build vs. Buy Equation”. At some point, every acquirer does the math and calculates how much it…
Only one

The Biggest Mistake Owners Make When Selling

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One of the biggest mistake owners make in selling their company is being lured into a proprietary deal. The Definition Of A Proprietary Deal Acquirers land a proprietary deal (or “prop deal”) when they convince owners to sell their…