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As an old angel investor in new businesses, I quickly learned to look for certain personality traits that constitute a mindset of perseverance and determination to get things done, versus a passionate dreamer and thinker who could talk well but not deliver a return on my investment. I offer my insi Read More

Based on the many huge success stories we all see in the media today, including Jeff Bezos with Amazon, Elon Musk with Tesla, and the Shark Tank TV show, many people I meet in my angel investing efforts are anxious to jump into the fray with an assumption of similar returns. Yet I see only a few wh Read More

After many years in business, working in large companies as well as startups, I’m no longer surprised at why mature and successful companies struggle with introducing innovative new ventures as the market and environment changes. Their track record is dire, with only twelve percent of the companies Read More

As a business consultant with experience in large companies as well as startups, I often hear about dysfunctional management hierarchies, as well as the value provided by exceptional ones. We have all heard about the successes of flattened management organizations in the last decade at Facebook, Va Read More

In their passion and excitement about a new product or service, entrepreneurs tend to continually narrow the scope of potential competitors, and often claim to have no direct competitors. This raises a big red flag with potential investors, who conclude that no competitors means no market, or you h Read More

Well over 25 years ago, Michael E. Gerber wrote a best-selling business book called The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. The E-Myth (“Entrepreneurial Myth”) is the mistaken belief that most businesses are started by people with tangible business skills, when in fact m Read More

How do you convince investors that your business model will really work, before you have a revenue stream that exceeds your expenses? Even if you are bootstrapping your business, and you are the only investor, you should be asking yourself the same question. Too many founders have learned that pass Read More

Most experts agree that the pace of business change is increasing, and all the business owners I know are struggling to keep up, much less surpass the wealth of global competitors now entering the market. Based on my own experience as a business executive, I believe it’s time to be more proactive i Read More

After many years in business, I’m convinced that none of us has the strengths and interest in all the areas needed for success, including solution changes, finance, marketing, and operations. Trying to do everything is a sure way to maximize stress, lower job satisfaction, and minimize productivity Read More

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. In addition, current investors want to see every startup go public or be acquired, as an exit event, so Read More