Know when to pitch. Entrepreneurs with a well-developed product and proven financial success have the best luck with the “sharks,” says David Brody, a managing partner at the venture analysis firm North. “Nothing builds momentum like demonstrating you know how to make a cash register ring,” Brody says. Krinzman cited the entrepreneurs who failed to net funding for their “fun house” in Times Square as an example, saying they sought capital in the idea phase of their business planning.
The team at Venture 360 recently dug into the data behind $16.5M in Angel-invested capital. The results are as surprising as they are insightful. Apparently Angel investors don’t always practice what they preach…
Click here to check out the report summary and get a link to the full, free, 24-page report if you want to dive a little deeper.
Worth a peek for anyone looking to become a more efficient and effective investor or entrepreneur.
The crew at Venture 360 (a North venture…) has just teamed up with Marc and Clint over at Startup Weekend to bring their throngs of ambitious entrepreneurs some valuable insight and to support Startup Weekend in their mission to foster more innovation around the globe.
Startup Weekend is a 54 hour startup event that provides networking, resources, and incentives for individuals and teams to go from idea to launch. Yep, you read it right. Attend a weekend and you’ll be able to network with like-minded local developers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Be apart of creating a company. And as they like to say about their events, they’re “No Talk. All Action”.
Attendees of upcoming Startup Weekend events will not only receive some pocket-pleasing discounts on Full Venture 360 analysis reports, each formed team will receive complimentary access to the Venture 360 analysis software to help them develop their business plans and put their weekend ventures on the right track.
A Venture 360 Report builds a communication bridge between investors and entrepreneurs. It’s pretty simple, by combining an analytical view of a business and a standardized report we enable more intelligent conversations.
To see how a Venture 360 Report can make you a more effective and efficient entrepreneur or investor, please go to www.venture360report.com.
To survive and thrive in today’s economy, it takes a lot more than just clinging to yesterday’s strategies and hoping for the best. It’s quite simple really, the future will belong to those brands that can rethink and re-imagine their core strategies. But those that fail to embrace change and take intelligent risks, will likely become another sad statistic.
But before you go reaching for the box of tissue, this presentation isn’t meant to be a downer. It’s to inspire new innovative ways for looking at your business.
North was recently quoted dropping some knowledge in the article, 5 Lifelines For You Startup on Entrepreneur.com.
Here’s an excerpt:
Evan Solida was stuck.
Solida, founder of Cerevellum, which sells digital rearview mirrors for bicycles, had posted his business plan on several websites promising to connect him with investors in exchange for a few hundred dollars.
Time passed. Investors never came.
It’s a familiar dilemma for many startup companies: Solida knew he needed help but didn’t know where to find it.
“You almost feel like you’re at a used car dealership,” Solida says “You’ve got all these people who know you’re out there looking for something–in this case, money from investors–and they prey on that.”
Solida eventually found North Venture Partners, a consulting firm that helped him streamline his product offerings, set up an advisory board and take other steps to professionalize his business plan.
North is one of many resources available to startups seeking direction and funding.
While there’s no shortage of reading about “how to pitch for funding”, from what we can tell, a lot of what’s written isn’t soaking in too well. So we thought we’d try a more unconventional approach with our latest constructive prose. Hot of the presses is FAIL: 12 Ways To Blow Your Investor Pitch.
Our team shares our collective insights and experiences we’ve accumulated over the years to point out the noteworthy wipeouts, awkward moments, and empty handshakes of new venture pitching. By first revealing what doesn’t work, this quick read hopes to activate the other side of your brain (the one that isn’t always thinking about success). Be sure to take good notes (mental ones…).
DealBase.com, an online database devoted to aggregating hotel deals and packages, has secured $1 million in Series A funding from angel investors including Russ Siegelman, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Read the rest of the good news on TechCrunch.
The entire North team would like to congratulate Sam Shank, CEO of DealBase.com, as Sam and his team went through our Venture 360 due diligence process earlier this year.
It’s time we let everyone get a glimpse of what we’ve been working so hard on for the past few months. This is the official roll-out of the new software tool used by our in-house analyst team which, due to popular demand, is now available for use by interested investment groups. If you’re looking to take a test drive, shoot a note to northventure360@dontgosouth.com, and we’d be happy to give you the keys.
North is rapidly expanding and is currently seeking smart, hard working, 1st year MBA interns as potential additions to our team of superheros. Below is a formal job description.
Early-Stage Venture Analyst – MBA Internship Position
North is seeking top MBA talent to provide support for our analyst team. Our interns will work closely with our team of analysts and will be exposed to a broad range of responsibilities in the venture analysis process. This is a highly selective role and top summer interns will potentially be brought on as full-time analysts after completion of studies. Although the position is demanding and requires the ability to work independently, our interns are giving tremendous flexibility.
Ideally, candidates will possess a keen entrepreneurial spirit they are looking to sharpen and expand upon. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must, as position requires completion of written reports. Candidates will also possess superior interpersonal skills, outstanding quantitative and organizational skills, and a proven ability to work as part of a team.
