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<title>Latest Venture Capital Articles</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/</link>
<description>Articles at Populate.NET</description>
<language>en-us</language>
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<title>Some Powerful Joint-Venture Strategies</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/some-powerful-joint-venture-strategies.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/some-powerful-joint-venture-strategies.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:56:38 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Joint Venture membership sites are sites where people go and join, either for free or paid subscription, so they can find JV partners all from one location. Asking "how can I cost-effectively sell to more customers quickly" might lead you to some powerful joint-venture strategies. With a joint venture, you only pay for results. So the best plan of action would be to restate your Joint Venture offer, indicating that you are prepared to be flexible and are open to alternative suggestions. <br />For more details go to: www.easy-jv-manager.com The brains of some of the big players in this business, my weekend in Charlotte was also spent working out new joint venture concepts with many of the other marketers who, like me, had come to hear Mike, Gary, Craig, Joel, and Robert speak. He works with other respected people in the business to share knowledge and is probably really fed up with people emailing him to ask him for a joint venture. Joint Ventures Will Eat Your Profits Most small business owners would rather struggle to get clients, and get mediocre profits at best, instead of sharing the profits with a joint venture partner that sends clients their way. Ideas on how to joint venture ideas are boundless. A joint venture is formed when you not only have an alliance but you come up with a strategy to find customers together. You can do this in several ways, but there are a few easy methods that you should combine: free publicity, viral marketing, joint venture deals and advertising on a large scale. #through your business associates and suppliers Introductions from people in your network is a very effective way of meeting potential joint venture partners. The way it's going to roll out is the joint venture is buying two rigs. The first thing the SALM would do is find companies with products or services that your customers would want to buy and then you negotiate a joint venture deal where you would give your endorsement to their products for a percentage of the profits. The last tip for immediate traffic is Joint Venture. In a nutshell a good JV or joint venture consists of the following.<br />For can visit to: www.jointwebventures.com these are just some ways to finance international trade ventures; you can also look into the possibility of grants, venture capital and joint ventures with local companies. The Joint Venture between the merchant and these marketers can be structured in many ways (in fact, each may be unique), but let's just play out a typical scenario for the purpose of an example. The following are ten online joint venture ideas. Exchanging links with other relevant websites is a great way to start building partnerships with other website owners and may open the door for future joint venture requests. A company might establish an RO with the aim of exceeding its legal restrictions, and thereby establish the functional equivalent of a joint venture or wholly foreign owned enterprise while avoiding much of the expense and inconvenience. Hence some introspection needs to be done regarding the digital cameras and cell phones in their joint venture together in the technological world. For any joint venture project to be successful, the partners must possess certain skills that are required to choose the right deal, the right partners, and to promote the project successfully.<br /> ]]></description>
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<title>How to stop IP ownership Issues by Joint Venture?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/how-to-stop-ip-ownership-issues-by-joint-venture.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/how-to-stop-ip-ownership-issues-by-joint-venture.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:31:19 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ When technology and R & D is involved, it must follow that IP ("intellectual property") ownership issues should loom large in the planning stage of the collaboration. However, my experience shows that the parties rarely give appropriate consideration to IP ownership in the agreements that are supposed to fully set out the rights and responsibilities of the parties.<br />I can say with authority that IP issues are not usually given proper consideration in collaborative agreements because my expertise in this area results primarily from helping clients after their collaborations have failed. like as www.joint-venture-guide.com. My clients typically sought my help after their collaborations went sour and they sought to exit the relationship with at least some valuable IP rights intact. In each of these situations, it was apparent that if my client had come to me for advice while they were executing the general business and financial parameters of the collaboration agreement, they may not have needed me to fix things on the back-end. Put simply, if I had been brought in on the front-end to put a fine point on IP ownership issues resulting from the collaboration, I would have been able to prevent questions regarding IP rights from even being a question.<br />My perspective about the preventable nature of IP ownership issues was confirmed when I recently attended a meeting of professionals who focus primarily on strategic alliances and other types of collaborative ventures. In this meeting of just over an hour, I counted at least 5 instances where someone commented something along the lines of "when the relationship goes sour, the IP issues cause problems." From the sighs that accompanied the mention of IP ownership issues, I obtained the clear sense from these seasoned professionals that IP was not only a big problem, but also a common occurrence in their collaborations.<br />Smart business professionals should realize that when a significant problem occurs on a frequent basis, there likely is a failure in an associated business process. This is the case for IP ownership issues: most of the problems I have addressed on the back-end of a failed collaboration were fully predictable and the resulting problems could have been reduced or eliminated by proper planning. But if common IP ownership issues are not difficult for an Intellectual Property and Patent Business Strategist such as myself to predict and prevent, why do such issues still occur with such frequency in the collaboration space?<br />The answer is fairly easy from my vantage point: patent experts are typically not considered as possessing essential business knowledge and, as such, people like me are not seen as necessary participants in a collaboration deal. This is true even when the primary reason for the parties getting together in the first place is to pool existing technology and to create R & D synergies that will result in acceleration of innovation to the benefit both participants.<br />Admittedly, we patent experts have facilitated our not being involved on the front-end of business matters by traditionally focusing our practices on obtaining patents and litigating them for clients. We have left business matters to business professionals and transactional lawyers because, as a highly specialized profession, we felt more comfortable in the area of our own expertise. Also, we have not generally reached out to educate others about our somewhat "arcane" area of legal expertise.for more details www.joint-ventures-secret.com.Our knowledge has remained closely held within the confines of patent practice and, as a result, we have been problem fixers. as opposed to preventing problems before they occur.<br />Business and legal experts reside today in functional silos that effectively prevent communication and education. Unless these silos are broken down, it is inevitable that business professionals will continue to destroy corporate value by not sufficiently including IP ownership in their collaboration agreements. Patent experts can continue to create value for ourselves by expending efforts to preserve our client's IP rights when the collaboration fails.<br />The definition of insanity was said by Albert Einstein to be "doing the same thing again and expecting a different result". To this end, it is insane for business professionals who deal in the collaboration space to continue to struggle with IP ownership issues over and over again because there is no doubt that complications and disappointment will inevitably arise. While not all of these issues can prevented by up-front analysis, I can virtually guarantee that the cost and effort of resolving IP ownership after a collaboration failure will be considerably less when a business-focused patent professional such as myself is brought in at the collaboration planning and agreement preparation stage.<br /> ]]></description>
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<title>Some important steps for forming a Joint Venture Company</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/some-important-steps-for-forming-a-joint-venture-company.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/some-important-steps-for-forming-a-joint-venture-company.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:19:56 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ A joint venture is not to be taken lightly. For a businessperson to embark on a joint venture, he or she needs to be committed and willing to work cooperatively with the other party involved. For more detail visit www.joint-venture-guide.com a person involved in a joint venture can no longer make all of the decisions for the business alone. For it to be truly a â€œjoint venture,â€ there has to be 100% commitment from both sides. India is witnessing a revolution both in the context of liberalization and globalization of the Indian economy and transacting business through Joint ventures set up with foreign partners across various industry sectors. This article sets forth some important steps for forming a Joint Venture Company in India.<br /><br />When determining whether or not to embark on a joint venture, it is important to ensure both parties are a match with the projected client base. In a joint venture, each party must compliment the other in business. Sometimes, for more detail visit www.jointwebventures.com a misunderstanding or a lack of communication can destroy a joint venture. Therefore, it is necessary for both parties to be capable of communicating what they are able to offer to the project and what their expectations are. Prepare the Memorandum and Articles of Association in consultation with the joint venture partners, get them printed and suitably stamped, and submitting the same with required documents like statutory declaration u/s 33 of the Companies Act 1956 {Act} and Form no.18 u/s 146 of the Act regarding address of the registered office, to ROC along with fees payable.<br /><br />Since money is involved in a joint venture, it is necessary to have a strategic plan in place. In short, both parties must be committed to focusing on the future of the partnership, rather than just the immediate returns. Ultimately, short term and long term successes are both important. In order to achieve this success, honesty, integrity, and communication within the joint venture are necessary.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
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<title>The Benefits Of A Joint Venture</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/the-benefits-of-a-joint-venture.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/the-benefits-of-a-joint-venture.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ A joint venture is a great way to get a unique business opportunity that is valuable for both the investor and the entrepreneurs who have solid business ideas. There are limited drawbacks to the partnerships, and usually there is a plethora of potential benefits from the partnership. It is an investment strategy with a win-win potential that can created wealth and success for all who are involved in the partnership. 

Joint venture capital is not hard to get, if you have a great idea to present to your potential investors. They are looking for a business that will be successful, yes, but they are also looking for a business that has original ideas. The more creative you are, the better chance you will get the joint venture capital that you need to create a new business or expand your existing business in a new direction. 

If you need to find business partners for a Washington, D.C. joint venture, there are many online resources that can point you to the right investors for your business. And once you find the right partner for your joint venture, you will be able to start reaping a number of benefits for yourself and your business partner. A joint venture will allow a company to get the opportunity to explore branching out of the business into related areas, expanding to new locations, or to obtain a different kind of marketing knowledge or technology that will increase profits. This is important for businesses to take into consideration as the market for their business changes. They do not want to be left behind because of a lack of technological advancement or ability to expand to other markets. 

And the best part about a joint venture for both parties involved is that joint ventures are usually short-term investments. This means that you will get the funds that you need and have the ability to quickly pay back the investment to the partner, who will be pleased that they do not have to risk the potential effects of a long-term commitment with the same company. 

Even if you are choosing to stay safe with your joint venture investment, being provided with the resources to increase the capacity of the business and add expertise to your team is an important step in moving up past your competition. And even if you still have more work to do after the first joint venture has been completed, your success with your first joint venture will put you into contact with others who will notice your success and feel confident in investing in you company through another joint venture. 

And while compromises have to be made on both sides, a joint venture is usually a good move for any business that is looking to break out from the ordinary and move past the same old daily routine. There is a risk to any joint venture, but there is also a great upside to the benefits you will receive in the end, both for the company and for the return on your investment. ]]></description>
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<title>Where to Get Capital Funding for Startup Companies</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/where-to-get-capital-funding-for-startup-companies.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/where-to-get-capital-funding-for-startup-companies.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ America is called the land of opportunity.  The country was built on the dreams of men and women who arrived in a brave new world looking for a better life.  They resurrected businesses on the foundation of big ideas, hard work and determination.  

In a lot of ways, it must seem as though we're living in unfamiliar territory as well.  America is adjusting as a superpower in a new economic environment.  Funding to start new businesses is getting harder to come by.  But just like our forefathers, the ideas are bright and we'll need hard work to realize our dreams as well.

When people start new businesses, they usually invest their own money until it runs out.  They drain their credit cards and personal savings; they acquire mortgages and second mortgages.  They might also borrow from family and friends.  If they are lucky, the new business can turn a profit in which they can then reinvest in the company.  But the reality is, sometimes there is a time element involved in starting up a business.  You want the competitive advantage of being the first to put out a product or a service.  Hence, sometimes a quick and large infusion of capital is needed.

A startup business can apply for a bank loan but they are hard to come by if the requested loan is considerable with little or no collateral to offset the risk.  At this time, the eager entrepreneur might look to funding from angel investors or venture capitalists.

So what exactly is the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists?  The answer is that angel investors choose which company they want to invest in.  Venture capitalists, on the other hand, invest on the behalf of private investors in a professionally managed fund.  The fund is usually considerably larger than that of angel investors and therefore divided amongst several startup companies.  In return for the capital funding, startups give the venture capitalist firm or the angel investors shares in the company.  In addition, the VC firm and angel investors become more involved in the decision making process in order to protect their investment.  This usually translates into a seat on the board of directors.

Having less autonomy does not necessarily mean a bad thing for the company founder.  In fact, experienced VC firms and angel investors might have connections which can help the startup business.  At the end of the day, it's about making the business successful and profitable.  

Business owners dream of the day where they can strike it rich.  This might happen by bringing their company to its initial public offering or by being acquired by another larger company.  Like our forefathers who built America, we can all dream.  It just takes a bright idea and hard work to make it into a reality. ]]></description>
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<title>Private Equity May Be Your Best Business Exit Strategy</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/private-equity-may-be-your-best-business-exit-strategy.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/private-equity-may-be-your-best-business-exit-strategy.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I must admit that I have had a bias against my clients selling their businesses to private equity firms until I discovered that there are some situations where it might be the best exit strategy. Our firm represents business sellers primarily in the information technology and healthcare industries. Because the valuation multiples in these industries can get a little rich, they do not normally fit the more conservative EBITDA models of the private equity industry. 

We normally achieve a better initial valuation from industry strategic buyers that build other synergy factors into their purchase valuation models. In this article we will present some situations where the private equity model is a superior solution for the business seller. We will also present, as one of my colleagues calls it, the "mathamagic" of a good private equity acquisition. Below are four scenarios where private equity may be the best solution.

1. A company in need of growth capital

2. A company where one partner wants to retire and sell and the other partner wants to continue to run the business for several more years

3. A business owner that has 85% or more of his net worth tied up in the business and is "business poor"

4. The business owner that is nearing retirement and wants to take some chips off the table from a position of strength

Before we explore these in greater detail, below are the general investment criteria for most private equity buyers:

1. Strong Management

2. Leading market share or  Rapidly Growing Market 

3. Established brands and/or strong customer   relationships 

4. Strong sales and distribution capabilities 

5. Platforms with potential for expansion into new products, services and technologies 

6. A minimum EBITDA level (private equity firm specific) - Small $2 million to $5 million, Medium $5 million to $10 million, and Large greater than $10 million

7. A minimum transaction size and equity investment level (private equity firm specific)

8. Management teams interested in retaining an ownership stake

A hypothetical transaction:

The business owner is 50 years old and has reached a crossroads point in his company. The business is doing $25 million in revenue and producing an EBITDA of $3 million. The owner is considering taking the company to the next level with either a major capital expenditure or a major expansion of his sales effort. However, he is at the point where he should be diversifying his assets and not plowing an even greater percentage of his net worth back into his business. He loves his business and is not ready to retire.

If he sells to a strategic buyer, for example, he may get a higher initial price. For this example, let's say that he can get $25 million from an industry strategic buyer. A private equity firm that specializes in his industry offers him a company valuation of $21 million and wants him to invest some of that equity back into the company and have he and his team remain on board to run the company. The "mathamagic" is as follows:

Sale price $21 million
Total debt used to fund the transaction(65%)$13.65 mil
Total equity investment required $7.35 million
Private equit firm portion (70%) $5.145 million
Owner reinvestment portion (30%)$2.205 million

The beauty of this model for the owner is that the private equity firm welcomes the equity reinvestment by the seller at the same leverage that the PE firm employs. You might think that if the owner invested $2.205 million into a company valued at $21 million that his ownership percentage would be 10.5% ($2.205 million divided by $21 million). 

Because the PE firm relies on debt leverage, the owner gets to reinvest with his ownership equity on a par with the PE firm. Therefore, his $2.205 million represents 30% of the equity in this company and he now owns 30% of a $21 million company. One could argue that he really owns 30% of a $25 million company based on the strategic company valuation. The economics of the initial transaction are:

Company selling price	     $21 million
Owner equity reinvestment    $2.205 million
Owner pre tax cash proceeds  $18.795 million

Owner value creation
Value of 30% interest in $25 mil company $7.5 mil
Add cash proceeds from the sale		 $18.795 mil

Total post sale value			 $26.295 mil

Now let's look at how this can get really exciting. First, the owner has secured his family's financial future by taking the majority of his company value in cash allowing him to greatly diversify his asset portfolio. He still gets to run his company. He receives an industry standard compensation package with bonuses as an employee CEO. He gets to retire in another five years, which was his original schedule, when the PE firm exits from their investment.

He now has a deep pockets partner to actively pursue his growth strategy. With a private equity firm that specializes in his industry, this is very smart money. They leverage their industry contacts and industry expertise to expand markets and distribution.

They actively pursue tuck in acquisitions to add to the organic growth that they help orchestrate. For purposes of this example, we will assume that the PE group invites the previous owner to invest in these tuck in acquisitions at the same leverage so that his ownership is not diluted. Over the next 3 years they make several small acquisitions totaling $12 million and they employ the same 65% debt.  The total equity requirement is $4.2 million. The previous owner reinvests $1.26 million to retain his 30% position.

Fast forward 2 more years (typically 5 year holding period) and the company is now at $100 million in revenue and is a valued target of a big strategic industry player. The PE firm sells the company for $225 million. Our owner's final cash out is valued at $67.5 million. Not a bad outcome for our business owner. Below is a more in depth look at the situations that this strategy can be successfully employed:

A company in need of growth capital - This is a cross roads decision for an owner. He recognizes the potential in his market, but in order to capture it, he must make a substantial investment back into the business either in the form of debt or his own capital. He determines that having a deep pockets partner with industry presence and momentum provides him a superior risk reward profile.

A company where one partner wants to retire and sell and the other partner wants to continue to run the business for several more years - often a successful business is run by two partners with a meaningful difference in age. One may be 65 years old and is a 70% owner in the business and the junior partner is 50 years old and a 30% owner. The senior partner decides that he wants to retire and wants the junior partner to buy him out. 

The junior partner does not have access to the capital required. Now he is faced with the company being sold to an industry buyer and he looses his desired management control and his normal retirement timeframe. This is an ideal situation for a PE group to acquire the senior partner's equity and retain the rest of the management to run and grow the business.

A business owner that has 85% or more of his net worth tied up in the business and is "business poor" - This is a fairly common situation and sometimes for marital harmony, the business owner decides to unlock the liquid wealth in his business. The spouse is often in competition for her mate's time with the mistress - translation the business that occupies 60 plus hours of his time per week and much of his thought outside of business hours. 

That is bad enough, but when every spare dollar is plowed back into the business to support his growth goals, that can be the breaking point. The conversation might be something like, "You keep telling me we are wealthy, so where is the vacation, the new house, the spending money we should have?"  It just might be the right time to recognize your life's priorities.

The business owner that is nearing retirement and wants to take some chips off the table from a position of strength - I can not stress enough how important this can be to your family's financial future. You are 60 years old and you want to retire in five years. Your company is doing great and you still have the energy and desire to run your business. Why would you sell now? There are several compelling reasons. 

This strategy requires the business owner to view the business sale and their retirement as separate, contingent events. One answer is to move up your sale timeframe, but not necessarily your exit timeframe.  While this scenario may be difficult to envision at first, it can be very advantageous. 

Too many owners wait too long and end up selling because of a negative event like a health issue, loss of a major account, a shift in the competitive landscape, or family demands. So, the best decision is to sell your company to a PE group 5 years before you plan to retire, put the bulk of your net worth into a diversified portfolio of financial assets, and agree to run the company for the PE firm for five years.

An additional, unsettling factor for business owners contemplating retirement are potential changes to the tax code. Democratic party leaders, including the major presidential contenders, have put forward proposals to change the current tax structure. Business owners and other wealthy citizens should pay close attention. Most of the proposals would increase personal income tax rates and other forms of taxation. 

For example, the current 15% tax rate on capital gains, previously scheduled to expire in 2008, has been extended through 2010 as a result of the Tax Reconciliation Act signed into law by President Bush in 2006. However, in 2011 this lower rate will revert to the rates in effect before 2003, which were generally 20%. It could potentially go higher, if the federal budget deficit worsens and Congress adopts a tax the wealthy philosophy. The 2 democratic candidates are in favor of a 25% or higher capital gains tax rate.

Finally, the baby boomer retirement issue presents another compelling reason to sell now and retire later. Experts project a doubling in the number of  businesses that will hit the market looking for a buyer by 2009. According to the Federal Reserve, in 2001 50,000 businesses changed hands. That number rose to 350,000 in 2005 and is projected to increase to 750,000 by 2009. 

As the overall population ages and sellers outnumber buyers, the laws of supply and demand point to an erosion in valuations for business sellers. At this point, the trend looks to be gradual. However, as we have seen recently in the prices of certain stocks and debt obligations, a rush to the exits can precipitate a sudden, calamitous drop in prices. 

As I said at the beginning, I had a somewhat narrow view on selling businesses to private equity groups based strictly on the initial company valuation compared to potential strategic buyers. I am now enlightened and can more objectively view the potential outcomes for the business owner that encompass the owner's retirement timeframes and risk reward profile. A private equity firm can provide an initial - secure your family's future - cash out. An industry specialized PE firm with a track record can provide, not just the first bite, but often a very exciting second bite of the apple when you exit together in five years. ]]></description>
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<title>Where to Look for Business Loans</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/where-to-look-for-business-loans.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/where-to-look-for-business-loans.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ There are several ways to obtain funding for your small business; the most common loans come from: the traditional bank loans, credit unions, private loan companies or capital companies. Through these types of lenders, business loans must be secured. This means using your personal assets as guarantee (collateral). Business loans are very risky because there are fixed monthly payments that don't change, even if your sales go down, besides the application process is very complicated and it takes a long time until funding occurs, that's assuming you even qualify, as the lender will require credit scores of over 750.Banks may also ask that a business have a co-signer or guarantor. This means finding a financial partner or even checking into the various types of small business loans that the government offers as help to small business owners. Minorities and women certainly have a wider selection of companies willing to loan them working capital. The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is the only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America. This agency helps minorities with the personalized assistance and financial planning to secure the most adequate funding for businesses.

One type of investor that can loan money to a small business is typically called an "Angel Investor." An angel investor is an affluent person or group of people who provides capital for start-up businesses, typically in exchange for ownership equity. An increasing number of angel investors commonly organize into what's called "angel groups" to share research and pool their investment capital.

Venture capital is the type of private capital usually provided by professional, investors to new and growth businesses. These types of investments are generally made as cash in exchange for shares in the funded company. A venture capitalist professional is the person who makes such investments. Mostly, venture capital comes from a group of wealthy investors, private investment banks and other financial institutions. This form of achieving funding is most popular among new ventures, with limited operating history; these ventures may not be able to raise the needed funds through a debt issue. The most obvious downside for entrepreneurs is that the funding company usually gets a say in company decisions, of course in addition to the portion of the equity.

Another increasingly popular way to achieve business funding is trough unsecured loans. These types of loans don't require you to risk any of your personal assets as collateral. These types of loans are a great option for small business owners how may need funding fast, and at the same time don't want to get into complicated application processes. The most common type of unsecured loan is the business cash advance; this means that the lender will fund a small business in exchange of a small percentage of their future credit card sales until the agreed payback is completed. Because of this, there are no fixed monthly payments, as it goes with the flow of your business. ]]></description>
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<title>Venture Capital In Arkansas - What You Should Know</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/venture-capital-in-arkansas-what-you-should-know.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/venture-capital-in-arkansas-what-you-should-know.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ It's a risky business, but still, somebody decided to do it. Venture capital is a sort of financing scheme that funds businesses that have been found to have some growth potential. 

Venture capital is also called risk capital. For businesses that have very limited start-up capital, they could go find a venture capital investor. But for the venture capitalist, they still need to weigh the various risks involve. 

A venture capital is an investment that is basically provided by third-party investors. This investment is usually used for enterprises that were deemed to be too risky that even the standard market investors or banks avoid putting a single cent on them. 

Although this kind of investment would be very advantageous for entrepreneurs that cannot find funding through regular means, some people still avoid venture capital due to the fact that venture capital investors usually have the power to intervene and run the company itself aside from being part owners of the company. 

For the venture capitalist, Arkansas might just be the place to look for businesses to invest in. Cities like Charlotte and Fox offers more than what you think. Venture capitalists' expected high rate of return might be present in such small, sleepy towns. Likewise, for a small business in Charlotte having some venture capitalists will give them a couple of benefits like funding, management assistance and lower costs over the short term. 

The local government has been grooming Charlotte to become a great city. Some even dubbed the city as the next Atlanta. The government has been building infrastructures, setting up a better environment for businesses or entrepreneurs. And just like the state of Arkansas, Charlotte is as diverse. 

People of all ages and socio economic backgrounds converge in a city where they decided to call home. The city has some huge potential locked away. It's just up to people like risk taking, business minded individuals and venture capitalist to unearth this huge potential, harness it, and develop it into a full blow and lucrative investment opportunity. 

But venture capital also needs some push from local business and entrepreneurs. Venture capitalists tend to act more aggressively if sound proposals are being presented to them. It is therefore important that people in Charlotte start believing in their capabilities and potential and begin reaching out to the wealthy investors across the country. They need to come out and declare that people in Charlotte are ready to play with the big boys of business investments.

The history and development of the state of Arkansas colorful like other American states, a varying mixture of some European cultures.  High-peaked settlements along the Mississippi River were intervened by the Spaniards in 1541 by the explorer Hernando de Sotto; however though, the first European settlements near the lower banks of the Mississippi River were the Frenchmen in 1686.  

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 sealed this settlement along the famous river to be part of the American soil; now, Arkansas State.  A divided Arkansas after the American civil war in 1861 and its seceding from the Union has been a target subject of interest between the North and the South for its vital role being a gateway to the Southwest.  

Since that settlements and the succeeding progress of the state and its future promise in economic advancement, Arkansas has proven its' worth, owning credits in producing the twice elected Arkansas-born Bill Clinton to the U.S Presidency by the turn of the last quarter of the Millennium. 

Today, Arkansas is a target of several venture capital studies in all fields of its phases of development.  With the assistance of the Arkansas Economic Development one could start or expand business.  The present days front the best time for several capital light ventures, when there are options to select from small or minor businesses?  A team that caters to specialize on the development and growth of minority businesses gives priority to assist in marketing strategies, product development, and most especially to invite light venture capitalists.  

The ADED (Arkansas Department of Economic Development) with its subsidiary body the Department's Small and Minority Business Staff takes initiatives to look for would-be partners, and seek additional information on all aspects surrounding the Arkansas businesses. 

Little Rock, Arkansas Eyed to be A Conference Center Regarding Fostering Innovation Capital

A national venture capital event that will be fostered in 2007 by the NASVF (National Association of Seed and Venture Capital Funds) is heading conference at Little Rock in Arkansas for the purpose of enlightening Venture Capitalists, profit and non-profit organization leaders, technology-based and economic development leaders, representative from venture capitals and seed funds, legal and financial firms, and many others who will take interest in looking into the natural resources of Arkansas.  They will be pulled together in one conference, and taking into considerations on innovation capitals that will easily facilitate investment process to local entrepreneurs.   

Also, it will open funding, and get better knowledge of the relationships and influential factors in the commercialization of innovative and venture products.  The event will be sponsored by the biggest molders of the economy of Arkansas; namely, Arkansas Department of Economic Development, Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, and Arkansas Capital Corporation. 

 A glance into the future wealth of Arkansas' Economy thru investments is gagged upon general criteria, from heavy or light ventures; and, or, government or private collaborated ventures. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Business Tips for the Entrepreneur</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/business-tips-for-the-entrepreneur.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/business-tips-for-the-entrepreneur.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Entrepreneurship is the profession of the twenty-first century.  Technology and globalization has made it possible for anybody with a good business idea to start multimillion dollar companies with nothing more than a computer and an internet connection.  Many of the barriers to entry are facilitated with business loans, international suppliers, affiliate marketing, and cheap communication thanks to the internet.

What many entrepreneurs fail to do correctly is choose their market before they get too excited about their product.  The graveyard of failed businesses is overloaded with ideas for incredible products that nobody wanted.  The best tip an entrepreneur can take to heart is to do market research first and choose the demographics for your business before you invest time and money into a product or service.

Another important tip is how to land joint venture partners.  Venture capitalists look at deals every single day from aspiring entrepreneurs, so you got to do your homework before you go begging for money.  You want to have real numbers and real results to justify your projections.  

No venture capitalist got rich by diving into projects that had no facts to back up the numbers.  Another thing to keep in mind is that venture capitalists do not really care about how cool, new, or unique your product is.  What will impress your joint venture partners are your marketing plan and your numbers.  Good venture capitalists admire enthusiasm and will bring some of their own resources beyond cash into the deal. 
 
Be prepared to fail.  Do not fear failure, learn from it and try again.  Persistence in the face of failure is a sure formula for success.  You will never be beaten until you give up because no matter what you lack, somebody else has what you need and you can get it somehow. 
 
Focus your energies on building systems to protect your legal status and be sure to take careful care of accounting.  Many booming businesses have been busted by poor accounting or by lawsuits due to ignorance.  Do not become a victim, do everything right. 

The most expensive advice is bad advice, so hire only qualified professionals to counsel you.  It costs less to hire a lawyer or a certified public accountant to get you set up than to hire them later to try and fix your mess.  The most important aspect is to build a business you can resell.  Do not become the business.  

Outsource whatever you can because your most precious asset should be your time.  Make sure you use your time building the system and not doing the business yourself.  Many small businesses succeed but are unable to cash out of their business because they do it all themselves.  

Seek the benefits of a small business with the power of a big business by keeping your resources and expenses low but your profit margin high.  Never outsource your managing, however, since nobody will ever manage your business as well as you will.  Maintain the power for all business decisions, especially the ability to write checks for the company ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>What is a Private Equity Firm</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/what-is-a-private-equity-firm.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Financing/venture-capital/what-is-a-private-equity-firm.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Has your company been considering expanding?  Not sure traditional funding is for you?   If you have a viable business model why not consider a private equity firm to help your company?

What is a private equity firm you ask?  A private equity firm will work with you to find venture capital from private sources.  Small business can raise capital to expand and grow their business by using a private equity firm.  

In fact, private equity firms are a significant source of funding even for start up funds.  They invest in a business solely on the strength of the business plan and an early trust that builds between the two parties.

What exactly is private equity you ask?  Private equity funds invest in small to mid size companies who they believe can grow their revenues.  They invest for the long term and are looking for both cash flow and dividends.  They will buy up the equity from any other shareholders allowing the founders and early investors to recoup some of their original investments from the company.

A private equity firm requires some specific criteria before providing the equity to your business.  Here are just a few of the criteria they require.

1.	Security - they want collateral or assets against the capital, which gives them a sense of security towards their investment.  They generally also want a seat on the board of directors, which gives them a sense of control.

2.	High Rate Of Return - they look for a high rate of return on their investment.  Sometimes it's in the form of a cash return, other times they are looking for perks like being the director plus cash.  It lets the investor feel as if they have some control over how their capital investment earns money.

3.	The Risk - the investor will want to know what the risk is and although investors are willing to take some risk, they are also looking for a realistic business plan that has realistic profit goals.

4.	Exit Route - the investor will want a plan called an exit route to which he/she will retrieve their investment.  This builds confidence that you have thought through how the repayment will occur.

5.	Trust - all the business plans in the world won't make up for trust and trust will be built on a few things such as your credit rating being good, your business skills, and just how enthusiastic you are about your business.

6.	Realistic - an investor will want realism attached to the optimism and he/she will want your goals and your projections for profit to be realistic.  That includes paying yourself a realistic wage.

A private equity firm is like the middleman.  The company solicits investors that are willing to put up capital and venture capital.  They have a host of resources on hand at any given time.  You approach them with your business plan and the request for venture capital.  They will then decide if they feel your proposal is viable.  If they feel it is they will match investor to project and then details will begin to get hammered out.  

Now that you know what a private equity firm is, if you are ready to expand your business you might consider soliciting their services. ]]></description>
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