Category: Perfect Financial Structure of a Business (a series)
Evergreen Investment Capital Gains More Traction
This idea should be obvious: Most companies will not do their best work if forced to grow artificially fast (think growth hormones). If you aim everything toward fattening up for an exit time; if you force-feed unnatural energy like corn or capital, binge on antibiotics, and then… Continue reading
The Mirage and False Hope of an “Exit Strategy”
At best, an exit strategy becomes overrated and a waste of breath. At worst, an exit strategy becomes a destructive mirage of certainty and false hope. I realize that it is conventional wisdom for every entrepreneur to specify their exit strategy. I have even heard… Continue reading
Private Equity Trending Toward Longer Term Models Like Greybull Stewardship
Momentum is growing toward private equity structures with longer term time horizons and movement toward more “permanent capital” — structures that are more similar to Berkshire Hathaway and Greybull Stewardship (my private equity fund focused on companies with $1-3 million in profit). Blackstone private equity… Continue reading
Disparate Data Points: Entrepreneurship Exploding or Dying?
An explosion of young companies that are bootstrapped, or financed outside of traditional venture capital (i.e., Silicon Valley) or traditional bank financing, is what I see every day. I see many companies finding their way to a point of lift-off, stability, and medium-sized revenue and profit… Continue reading
Companies and Founders Deserve Better Financing Options
Business financing and capital raising are full of contradictions. The world is awash in capital, but the availability of capital to businesses is often binary. For some, too much capital is stalking them. For others, the switch to turn on capital flow remains hidden. Size… Continue reading
We’re In Seed-Stage Boom, Not a Series A Crunch
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
Align Your “Loss Ratio” Expectations with Your Investors
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
Best Financing Source for a Business: Its Customers
Financing growth for your business with cash from customers, rather than more expensive debt or equity, makes your ownership even more powerful. In most of the investments made into operating companies by Greybull Stewardship, my investment fund, our operating companies get paid by customers before… Continue reading
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