Why Is VC Hot About Underwear?
Premium underwear retailer Flint and Tinder just raised $850,000 of venture funding. Find out why venture capitalists are dropping their drawers over this st... Read story
HERDING GAZELLES 
Karl Stark and Bill Stewart
Why Private Equity Is Not All Bad
Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has turned a negative spotlight on private equity. But PE is a much needed solution to a void in the marketplace. Read story
3 Questions to Ask Before You Go Global
You've built a strong U.S. business and are considering overseas expansion. How should you approach that decision? Here's how one company did it. Read story
3 Ways Your Friends Can Help Your Business
It takes a leap of faith, but you can do more for your business by spending time with your friends than meeting strangers. Read story
Double Your Salary & Double Company Growth
When compensation is based on pure profit sharing, every team member's pay is directly proportional to the compensation of the group as a whole. Read story
3 Surefire Ways to Grow Your Business
These three avenues will help you focus on the core while capturing new growth opportunities. Read story
Build a Path to Your Customers
Your start-up needs customers to succeed. Which channels will you use to reach them? Read story
Business Lessons From Arnold Schwarzenegger
A Schwarzenegger level of clarity in vision can provide a motivating force for you and your team. Read story
Be Worthy of Your Customers' Attention
Make sure that your product or service is worthy of receiving your customers' attention. Here's how to do it. Read story
Grab Your Customer's Attention (& Keep It)
Before you can help customers solve their problems, you have to prove that you deserve their attention. Here's how to craft a compelling unique value proposi... Read story
Private Equity 101: New Platforms vs. Add-Ons
Understanding the difference between a new "platform" and "add-on" investments is key to any business owners talking to private equity groups (PEGs). Read story
The Best Place to Find Venture Investment
Inc. 5000 companies are better suited than VCs or angel investors to provide money and the skill necessary for establishing your start-up. Read story
Create a Scalable Brand
Your brand is the core of your marketing strategy. Jackie Yeaney of Red Hat shares her thoughts on how the brand fuels marketing investments that drive reven... Read story
We All Scream for Customer Insights
Nothing drives home the importance of customer feedback like standing on a street corner handing out ice cream samples. Here are the lessons we learned. Read story
When to Grow and When to Cut
Companies need to be strategic about growth investments as well as strategic expense reductions. The timing of each is not always obvious. Read story
Why Good Products Don't Equal Success
Andrew Strube, inventor of Strube Stink Bug Traps, is an example of why you need a sound business model, not just a well-designed product, to create growth. Read story
3 Rules of a Compelling Value Proposition
To create a compelling value proposition, you have to know your three C's: competencies, customers, and competitors. Read story
3 Habits of Highly Unsuccessful Businesses
We mostly hear about what great businesses do well. But there are lessons to be learned from the traits that keep many businesses from reaching their potential. Read story
How to Find and Leverage an Investment Banker
A good investment banker is more than just a deal-maker; they can also provide important insights about your business and industry. Read story
How to Identify Your Target Customers
The clock is ticking on our 20-minute business model. Today's task: Describing potential customers for the new business - in five minutes or less. Read story
The 20-Minute Business Model
Can you put your entire business model down on paper in 20 minutes? Author Ash Maurya shows us how. Read story
4 Things to Consider Before Selling to a Private Equity Group
Private equity groups have money to spend. But would they be a good buyer for your business? Here are four things to consider if a PEG comes knocking. Read story
Why You're Not Entitled to Your Idea
These tips will help you convince an investor that you're the one unique individual or team to turn your idea into a full-fledged business. Read story
What's the ROI on Your Company?
Before you approach an investor to fund your growth strategy, make sure you are able to articulate what they will receive in return. Read story
2 Reasons to Avoid Venture Capital
Many growth company CEOs believe they need to raise venture capital to achieve success. Here are two reasons to reconsider. Read story
Choosing the Right VC is More Important Than Any Hire You'll Ever Make
Puretech Ventures' David Steinberg talks about building a successful partnership with a VC firm. Read story
Keep Your Friends Close & Your Customers Closer
Letting customer relationships stagnate is dangerous for your long-term health. Here are three ways to let your customers know you care. Read story
6 Steps to Getting More Stuff Done
Technology's great, but it can distract us to the point where productivity suffers. Here's how to minimize the disruptions. Read story
How Do You Create an Entrepreneurial Mind-set?
Creating a nimble culture begins with good communication about your core values and encouraging entrepreneurialism at every turn. Read story
Financing Tricks from Inc. 500 Companies
Most of the rapidly growing private companies in this year's Inc. 500 funded their growth through personal savings and cash flow. Here's how. Read story
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Why Your Idea Isn't Worth Anything
Seasoned investors say that nine times out of 10, an entrepreneur is too busy focusing on the "idea" to think through the business model. Read story
5 Ways to Become an Invaluable Business Partner
Building strong business relationships is vital to the success of your business. Here's how to become the person your customers or partners can't do without. Read story
Global Expansion Do's & Don'ts
Global expansion is not for the faint of heart. But there's a way to improve your chances of building successful international operations. Read story
How We Made the Inc. 500 List - Again
Avondale Strategic Partners was named to the Inc. 500 list for the second year in a row. Here's the story of how we managed our growth. Read story
6 Signs Your Market is Maturing
Every growth market must eventually mature. When that happens, will you know how to evolve your strategy to succeed? Read story
5 Steps to a Successful Start-up
David Klein, CEO of CommonBond, is building his new company with an eye for value creation and growth. Here are five things he's doing that others should emu... Read story
3 Ways to Win the RFP Rat Race
If your sales force is spending a lot of time on RFPs, but not bringing in a lot of new business, then you might need to consider new investments in your bus... Read story
5 Steps for Building an Innovation Pipeline
If your business has problems turning ideas into business growth, you may need to create an internal team charged with bringing new products to new markets. Read story
Don't Make That Investment Yet. Here's Why
About to enter a new market or make a major investment in an existing one? A mistake could be costly. You may need to adopt a test-and-learn strategy first. Read story
3 Steps to More Insightful Thinking
It's easy to fall back on 'group think' to address business challenges. But if you really want to generate game-changing ideas, you need a different approach. Read story
