Category: Business Financing & Funding

My Co-Owners Are Best Part of Investing

July 4th, 2014

The best part of Greybull Stewardship for me is working with the people at the portfolio companies once the investment is done.  The initial discovery process is fun — meeting the management for the first time, understanding what has made the company successful, and exploring… Continue reading →

Business Brokerage: Greybull Stewardship Makes Growth Investment in Murphy

May 15th, 2014

My investment fund, Greybull Stewardship, has made a growth investment in Murphy Business Brokerage, the #1 business brokerage company in North America.  The press release about this investment can be found here at the Greybull Stewardship blog.  I am very enthusiastic about this investment for… Continue reading →

We’re In Seed-Stage Boom, Not a Series A Crunch

April 6th, 2014

Two related trends in venture capital investing have been getting attention for the last few years. The first is the growth in angel investing, particularly after the crowd-funding provisions of the JOBS Act. The second is the “Series A crunch” where many companies that receive… Continue reading →

Nine Secrets for Avoiding Failed Business Acquisitions

March 30th, 2014

Failed businesses always have both myth and logic around the reasons for their failure.  This is even more true for a failed business acquisition because there are the elements of the transaction added onto the elements of the business itself.  The reality is always complicated,… Continue reading →

6 Pitfalls Between Letter of Intent and Closing the Deal

March 23rd, 2014

When selling your business, it is so much work to find the right buyer and to get to a letter of intent.  That may feel like the hard part.  It is not.  It is just as hard to manage everything that comes next and get… Continue reading →

Evergreen venture fund structure offers new strategy

February 27th, 2014

Heartening to read a blog at Axial about the Evergreen Venture Fund Structure that we use at my Greybull Stewardship:  http://www.axial.net/blog/evergreen-fund-structure/ Thanks to Billy Fink and his M&A blog, I’m excited to have the conversation about how the traditional fund protocols are changing with new… Continue reading →

Perfect Business Financing — Maybe No Outside Equity

February 20th, 2014

Many of the businesses that I end up working with in my investment fund, Greybull Stewardship, do not need outside equity capital — of the traditional sort.  They are growing and profitable and creating real value already. I learn about perfect business financing from them.… Continue reading →

New $20 Million Investment Fund Looking for Profitable, Fast-growing Businesses

February 5th, 2014

Greybull Stewardship, L.P., an investment fund, completed in January 2014 its $20 million round two capital commitments. Since the fund’s January 2010 inception, annual returns have realized 23 percent after fees. As a result, existing Limited Partners (LPs) increased their commitments and new LPs were… Continue reading →

Align Your “Loss Ratio” Expectations with Your Investors

January 30th, 2014

In early stage venture capital, the best investors expect that 40% of their investments will become worthless.  Thus, they focus on companies that could be worth billions because the winners have to make up for all their losses.  They want every company to shoot for… Continue reading →

Ideal business financing for growing, profitable companies in 100 posts or less?

January 12th, 2014

“Teach what you want to learn” is the theme with which I started this blog in April 2012.  Since then, I have written 100 posts — which means I’ve learned for myself and shared what I’ve learned under several themes: Business financing and venture capital… Continue reading →