Rob Wheeler published a solid piece about Groupon in the Harvard Business Review. Basic contention is that they grew before they figured out how to be profitable, so they are just losing money faster than ever.
In last week’s blog post, we discussed the difference between strategy and tactics. This week, we dive deeper, discussing ways in which you can put your tactics and strategic planning to work for you. The following chart helps differentiate the two concepts even further: Opportunities, threats, and changes in the Read more…
Trends in Mergers & Acquisitions 2011 In the past few years, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) activity has been badly hit by the economic crisis. The uncertain economy and lack of credit forced many businesses to abandon their M&A strategies and focus on alliances and joint ventures as a means to Read more…
If you are a business owner, CEO, C-level exec or manager, you’re likely to hear something about strategic planning versus tactical planning on an almost daily basis. Both are important, yet many business owners and founders tend to focus on the tactical, forgetting all about strategy – and thus, losing Read more…
Business plan financial projections are designed to give an investor or banker a feeling for how well your company can perform, typically over a period of either three or five years. Bankers considering whether to extend a line of credit or grant a loan to a new business will typically Read more…
In June, 2011, Fenwick & West LLP, one of the nation’s premier law firms providing comprehensive legal services to high technology and life science clients, published the results of its First Quarter 2011 Silicon Valley Venture Capital Survey. The survey/barometer analyzed the valuations and terms of venture financings for 122 Read more…
Due diligence is a procedure where an investor considering making an investment is provided with an opportunity to examine the asset concerned in some detail prior to providing funds in exchange for shares. Investors need to be provided with a level of comfort that material information accurately reflects the assets Read more…
Along with an income statement showing that you have a plan to build a large and profitable business, for financing purposes cash flow projections are generally the most crucial aspect of business planing. Investors will almost always look for a cash flow analysis in preference to any other financial statement, Read more…
If you are an entrepreneur, you are probably wrong about how much money your startup will need, and you are almost certainly underestimating your capital requirements. The stuff you want to do will likely take more money, and more time, than you estimate. Products will launch late (they always do), Read more…
Your financial models are extremely important to the future of your company. If you are a public company, errors can be devastating—just think about how analysts punish a company for missing earnings estimates. Private companies also need to establish clear, realistic and sound financial models. A financial model is an Read more…
