What business questions concern a venture capital firm most when evaluating a potential investment?
Law & Taxation mentor Richard S. Morse Jr. responds: The venture capital firm will conduct reference checks on the management team, ... Read more
Start-up
Recent Start-up Articles
Five Key Ways to Improve Your Customers' Experience
Have you ever been to a Web site and had an all-around excellent experience? The site was easy to use, the checkout was flawless, and when you had to call... Read more
How do I reach a niche business market?
Marketing & Advertising mentor Jay Conrad Levinson responds to the following question from an inc.com user: We have a small, s... Read more
Business for Sale: South Central Airport
Are your entrepreneurial dreams ready to take flight? Consider buying this state-of-the-art airport. Read more
How-to Benefit from R&D
Small businesses may see as much as a three percent increase in market value for every 10 percent hike in investment in research and development (R&D), ac... Read more
Does the Internet help small businesses compete -- or help large corporations dominate?
Jennifer Lawton, an Internet in Business mentor at inc.com, responds: I think it does both of those things. It's an inexpensive pl... Read more
Business Plan Outline
This is an outline of a complete business plan: Summary Business concept Current situati... Read more
Pointers on Putting Together Your Business Plan
Getting started The hardest part of creating a business plan is getting started. It seems like a daunting task at first. But once ... Read more
I'll be the sole owner of a party production company. Which form should my business take?
Law & Taxation mentor Barbara Weltman responds: As the sole owner, your choices are limited to sole proprietorship, S corporation,... Read more
Why Sell Goods in Online Auctions?
From Beanie Babies to large pieces of industrial equipment, if there is a product that can be bought and sold, there is probably an auction site selling i... Read more
I'm not seeking outside investors. Should I bother with a business plan if a bank doesn't demand it?
Offices & Operations mentor Charles J. Bodenstab responds: Every small business should make a business plan, although a plan that ... Read more
Rich Ideas
Reviews of five new business books -- two about creating wealth and giving it away; two on the importance of differentiation; and a basic guide to writing a ... Read more
Where to Start for Business Plan Smarts
Anatomy of a Business Plan, 4th edition, by Linda Pinson and Jerry Jinnett (Dearborn, 1999) The first edition of Linda Pinson and Jerry J... Read more
Managing by the Web
Inc. asks 34 CEOs to test drive small-business Web sites. Editor's note: inc.com, chosen #1 for entrepreneurs by Forbes , w... Read more
Where Has All the Money Gone?
With an unprecedented amount of capital flowing through the equity and debt markets, you'd think anyone can raise money for just about anything. But unless y... Read more
Seven Entrepreneurs in Search of a Deal
From new twists on time-honed tactics to the brave new world of Internet financing, here are strategies that can help land your business in the money. Read more
The Quotable Entrepreneur: Rob Wood
"Private equity is like dating -- they're not permanent relationships. With a VC you get married -- either you're with them for a long time, or there's a ... Read more
Living Business Plans Help Businesses Flow with Future
Sudden, unanticipated changes in your market can have a drastic impact on your business. But you can thwart catastrophe by building flexibility into your bu... Read more
Entrepreneur Profile: Terminalmarkets.com
From Wall Street stockbroker to vegetable importer to Internet entrepreneur, Sinan Talgat has trusted where his serendipitous career would lead. ... Read more
Is the Price Right? Ask Jay Walker
Like every other network before it, the Internetwill eventually become as routine as the highway system,electric grids, and telephone networks. And when i... Read more
How do I protect my ideas when meeting with people who could help me?
Finance & Capital mentor Guy Kawasaki responds: When you are presenting information to potential investors, you have to be careful... Read more
Give Your Marketing Plan a Sure Shot at Success
Writing it down is a good start. But what you do next will make all the difference. Read more
Read moreA New Chapter for E-Books
After falling flat in the early 1990s, are digital books ready to fly? Entrepreneurs are betting that new technology is creating a legitimate market. Read more
The Thing That Would Not Die
Toy maker Playing Mantis had a devout online community. So why did they almost kill it? Read more
A Simple Approach to Sales Forecasting
How do you forecast sales accurately? The trick is to break the sales down into manageable parts. Read more
Bring New Life to Your Vision Statement
There is noeasy recipe that guarantees a successful vision-in-action. It's an organic process, not a once-a-yearevent. You can only be willing to try vari... Read more
What legal questions most concern venture capital firms considering an investment?
Law & Taxation mentor Richard S. Morse Jr. responds: Venture capital firms will look at the scope and duration of any existing non... Read more
What questions should I ask venture capitalists before accepting their money?
Law & Taxation mentor Richard S. Morse Jr. responds: Too often, in my experience, entrepreneurs are looking for money from any ... Read more
I'm starting a business but have no market research budget. What are some inexpensive techniques?
Marketing & Advertising mentor Jay Conrad Levinson responds: The least expensive marketing technique of all is to create a question... Read more
Simply Stupendous Press Kits
Now that you've hissed your way through that sibilant headline, let me just say I feel your migraine. But that's nothing compared to the ... Read more
Creation Theory
Why is Haystack Toys cofounder Dan Lauer traveling the country and meeting with inventors? To test his theory that consolidation in the toy industry has sque... Read more
The Road Not Taken
CEO Norm Brodsky discusses why, of all the challenges people face when they decide to start a business, one of the most difficult is learning to say no. Read more
