Category Archive : INSIGHTS

Joint Venture – Share Your Financial Burden With Partners

Being in a business means that you have to keep generating the money all time to manage finances and to operate the business smoothly. However, one thing that needs to be mentioned is that every business owner wants to expand his/her business for which a partner may be needed – be it for capital infusion or a specific skill-set. Joint ventures have become an increasingly popular choice for businesses as it allows them to leverage on the benefits brought in by the Joint Venture partner, thus enabling the business to grow exponentially.

A Joint Venture is a kind of business agreement wherein both the parties make a Joint Venture agreement (JV Agreement) so as to develop a new entity and new assets by contributing equity for a fix period of time. Both parties control the enterprise and share the revenues, expenses and assets when it comes to carrying out the project and the parties are known as ‘co-ventures’. Joint Ventures are appropriate for all kinds of businesses, both big and small or a start up or established business house. As the cost of initiating a project is quite high, both parties with the help of JV agreement can share the burden equally on shoulders.

A Joint Venture agreement can involve a lot of money so there is a necessity to have a proper plan on paper before starting out. Before selecting a partner for such venture, the screening of prospective partners comes into being. One has to short list the partner after thoroughly checking his credentials.

There are lots of online website, which offer space for businessmen to invite other businessmen to jointly collaborate on a project. These websites also offer a myriad of services to such interested parties to ensure that they are going in right direction and can keep faith in each other. Both the parties need to register on the website and then they can start working on mutual commitment. A JV is a good solution to handle the financial burden with ease. Thus, it becomes essential that both the parties sign a JV agreement so that managing everything becomes easy.

These types of ventures make it possible for businessmen to allow new technology and new methods of running the business. The business opens up for new opportunities and since there is more work, employment opportunities also increase and that means Joint Ventures prove beneficial for a country’s economy as a whole.

Joint Ventures can happen in nearly every type of industry be it food to clothing or housing development. The sectors covered under such ventures can be anything from private sector to public sector. Everyday newspaper pages cover these ventures happening throughout the country and such stories encourage other businessmen to indulge in such joint venture agreements as well.

If you are looking for more information on Joint Ventures or are on the lookout of a JV partner, Contact our client center.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sumit_Kumar_Dass/1036240

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Angel Investors, Startups, Founders And Dilution

I see it happen a lot lately in Jakarta. Startups with 4-5 founders who are pretty much equal shareholders will look for very early Angel funding, which (if they get it) brings another shareholder on board.

Now you’ve got a situation with 5-6 shareholders in a company that still has to land its first serious funding. This is in my opinion a situation far from desirable, for some obvious and some less obvious reasons.

In general, when a startup approaches an (angel) investor for a pitch and shares that the company has 4 or 5 shareholders with pretty much similar voting rights, my first question would be “Who wants to give up his or her shares?”. It’s just too early to have so many shareholders. Startups succeed for a large part because they can make decisions instantly, and react faster than competitors, who are often more “corporate”. With having 4 or 5 voting shareholders on board, chances are your company won’t be that flexible and dynamic anymore. Also, any investor would prefer to just talk to 1 or 2 persons, which for them is just more clear and manageable.

But let’s look ahead a bit. Let’s say your startup has 4 founders with equal shares and voting rights and you land an angel investment who “after-money-in” gets 20%. So now your startup has 5 shareholders and a capital to last a year. I’m making this assumption because I’m mostly talking about digital startups that will need a longer period to become bootstrapped and even when bootstrapped will require more (growth) capital in the future.

In my experience (and I was one of them as well), startup entrepreneurs tend to ignore looking into the future. This is often because startup entrepreneurs have a very positive outlook on life in general, and specifically on their business. But in most cases it’s clear as day that at some point you will need extra capital, whether it’s for compensating losses, solving cash-flow issues or growth capital. This is where investors will strike, a (most of the time) non-profitable company in need of quick cash is an easy target. The result is the existing investor or a new investor will take a large part of the shares resulting in the founders diluting to a questionable percentage while still very much in startup phase.

Needless to say that as a founder you won’t be too happy diluting to let’s say 10-15% after just 1-2 years. But also from investor point of view this is not really the ideal situation. Many shareholders who are all less incentivized doesn’t strike me as a perfect situation. The simple solution of buying out some of the shareholders often fails because there’s simply no value yet so why would they sell?

My tips to anyone planning to start a digital business would be:

    1. Start with just two founders;
    2. Don’t give people shares because you can’t pay salaries (!);
    3. Hold of any (angel) investment as long as possible, create as much value first. If needed borrow money from family or friends or find alternative income sources;
    4. Plan ahead! Talk to people who have been there and be realistic in your expectations. In any case avoid a situation in which you need money urgently, this will put you in an unnecessary weak position in any negotiations;

To anyone saying “That’s easy when you have money!” True, so be creative and work hard. Many digital startup entrepreneurs have alternative income sources. In the early days of Tokobagus we were selling e-commerce development services which allowed us to pay the bills and work on building Tokobagus.

Are you involved in a really early phase (digital) startup and considering to get (angel) funding to make life a bit easier? Wanna pay some of your key staff with shares instead of salary? Though money is both a problem as well as a necessity, you might want to read this first. Contact Alliance Group Capital

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Remco_Lupker/1648102

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The Importance Of Knowing Your Investor Before The Pitch

Business pitches to investors are essential to the success of any business idea and its transition from concept to reality. Pitching to investors is often the inevitable first step to gathering support and funding for any business idea. Even the most original and innovative business idea and opportunity can be missed if potential investors are not convinced and do not choose to fund the idea. This is why it is essential to understand potential investors before any business pitch and to change and adapt the business pitch accordingly.

Every Investor is Different

In today’s day and age, having a great idea for a business is simply not enough. It is essential for prospective entrepreneurs and business owners to not only have a direction and a clear goal for where they would like to see their business go, but also be flexible and adaptable in their dealings with investors. After all, investors control the funding behind the business, and their satisfaction is key to generating the money needed to start a business. That being said, it is essential to understand the fundamental fact that investors can vary widely in the things they are looking for in a business. Some investors may have greater risk tolerance, while others want safer investments. Some investors may want a sustainable, long-term business, while others prefer short-term profitability. The bottom line is that the presentation to investors needs to at least take their preferences into consideration. It is obviously very important to preserve the integrity of the business concept, but that doesn’t mean that the pitch to investors must be inflexible and unchangeable.

Be Aware of Limitations

However, because of the fact that each investor and business idea have differing levels of compatibility, it is also important for the presentation to investors to understand that there are limits to satisfying investors. There are times when investor preferences are simply incompatible with the business idea or mode of operation. In these cases, it may be worth it to simply present the business idea as is without trying to yield to investor preferences. This can save a lot of trouble down the road, as investors eventually find out that the business idea is fundamentally incompatible with their preferences. Nevertheless, this caveat is mainly to remind individuals that business pitches should not go overboard in satisfying investors, and should not lose sight of the goal of having a successful and functional business idea.

We take the most important pieces of your story and turn it in to a winning pitch. Our process creates a pitch with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Visit Our Client Center to build your winning pitch deck today.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Deb_Gabor/1640174

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4 Tips To Become Successful In The Hospitality Business

If you are venturing into the hospitality industry, you have to account for certain factors that can increase the chances of your success. Four such simple, yet important, things that you should always remember include-

    • Be Smart With Your Finances: As with any other business, the smarter you are with your finances, the more likely you are to taste success in the hospitality industry. And this starts right from your investments. Do not make all your investments from your own funds. Instead, use a healthy mix of capital, loans, and other financing options. For example, for acquiring all equipment, you can opt for a hospitality equipment lease from reputed leasing companies. This will allow you to change the equipment whenever you want by just canceling the lease and taking a new lease on the new equipment. As such, wasting capital on purchasing the equipment makes too little sense. In the same way, be very careful with your expenses. Cut down any expense that you feel is unnecessary. But remember to apply discretion here and do a thorough research to ensure that the expense you are cutting off is truly non-productive.
    • Develop Strong Business Relationships: Build beneficial relationships with other businesses and develop your network. But remember that the arrangements should be mutually beneficial. Else, those business relationships won’t last long. For example, you can contact a local store and arrange for them to distribute a 10% discount at your restaurant coupon when customers purchase anything from their store. In this case, both you and the store owner benefit in some way. Such types of marketing and business relationships are far likelier to last than any deal in which only you end up benefiting.
    • Always Be Ready For Emergencies: Unfortunate events can happen anytime. And in the hospitality business, if you are unable to handle such events with minimal damage, you not only risk suffering, loss but may even have to shut down your operations. For example, if there is a fire in your restaurant, then you must ensure that all customers are properly rescued from the place. For this, you must have already taken precautions against fire hazards, preparing strategic exit points at all important locations. This would ensure that people can quickly get out of the place without any mad rush. Not foreseeing such potential hazards can end up costing you dearly, both financially and in terms of reputation.
    • Hire The Most Pleasant Customer Relationship Staff: Always hire the most pleasant person to handle the customers. The more they are able to make the customer feel comfortable and happy, the more your business will grow. As simple as that. As such, if you have to pay a higher salary for getting the right person for the job, don’t hesitate to do it.

If you keep the above in mind, whether it be getting the hospitality equipment by lease, foreseeing emergencies or any of the other things, you will surely taste more success in the industry.

Our hospitality equipment team has over 10 years of experience with helping well-known brands finance their renovation and equipment needs. We’ve provided financing for franchisor-mandated upgrades such as guest room and lobby furniture, TV’s, A/C units, mattresses, and computer reservation systems. Apply for Hospitality equipment lease from Alliance Group Capital

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Paul_Kendall/2377746

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Commercial Financing Advice – Commercial Lenders to Avoid

This commercial financing article will describe the importance of avoiding “problem commercial lenders”. The article will NOT name specific lenders to avoid, but key examples will be provided to illustrate why prudent commercial borrowers should be prepared to avoid a wide variety of existing commercial lenders in their search for viable commercial financing.

I have been advising business owners for over 25 years, and I have encountered many commercial financing situations which have involved commercial lenders that I would not recommend as a result. These problematic situations have especially involved commercial mortgage loans, credit card factoring and unsecured business loans. As a direct result of these experiences and daily conversations with other commercial financing professionals, I do in fact believe that there are a number of commercial lenders that should be avoided. This conclusion is typically based on more than one negative experience or an obvious pattern of lending abuses.

I have published many articles which are designed to assist commercial borrowers in avoiding commercial financing problems. One of the most serious commercial financing situations is a commercial lender that causes problems for their commercial borrowers on a recurring basis. It is particularly this type of commercial lender which prudent commercial borrowers should be prepared to avoid unless viable alternative commercial financing options do not realistically exist.

Here are a few examples of why certain commercial lenders should be avoided.

COMMERCIAL FINANCING AND COMMERCIAL LENDERS TO AVOID EXAMPLE NUMBER 1 – Yes or No?

I have published an article which discusses the tendency of many banks to say “YES” when they mean “NO”. Such banks will typically attach onerous commercial financing conditions to business loans instead of simply declining the loan. Business owners should explore other business loan alternatives before accepting commercial financing terms that put them at a competitive disadvantage.

COMMERCIAL FINANCING AND COMMERCIAL LENDERS TO AVOID EXAMPLE NUMBER 2 – The Commercial Appraisal Process

For commercial real estate loans, commercial appraisals are an unavoidable part of the commercial loan underwriting process. The commercial appraisal process is lengthy and expensive, so avoiding commercial lenders which have displayed a pattern of problems and abuses in this area will benefit the commercial borrower by saving them both time and money.

COMMERCIAL FINANCING AND COMMERCIAL LENDERS TO AVOID EXAMPLE NUMBER 3 – Think Outside the Bank

In smaller metropolitan markets, it is not unusual for a dominant commercial lender to impose harsher commercial financing terms than would typically be seen in a more competitive commercial loan market. Such commercial lenders routinely take advantage of a relative lack of other commercial lenders in their local market. An appropriate response by commercial borrowers is to seek out non-bank commercial financing options. It is neither necessary nor wise for commercial borrowers to depend only upon local traditional banks for commercial financing solutions. For most commercial loan situations, a non-local and non-bank commercial lender is likely to provide improved commercial financing terms because they are accustomed to competing aggressively with other commercial lenders.

Alliance Group Capital

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stephen_Bush/56547

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/414265

Why Using A Direct Lender Is Better Than Using A Traditional Bank

A direct lender is an independent financial institution that makes loans to individuals and small businesses, rather than banks or credit unions. They offer low interest rates and flexible terms, which means you can get the loan you need without paying any fees. There are more than 3 million direct lenders in America alone, and they provide over $1 trillion in financing each year.

The best part about direct lending? It’s fast! If you apply for a loan with a direct lender, it could be approved within 24 hours. And if your application isn’t approved, you won’t have to wait weeks for your money.

With direct lenders, you can also take out multiple loans at once, so you don’t have to pay anything extra. For example, if you want to buy a business car, you might qualify for two loans: one for the down payment, and another for the rest of the purchase price. You’ll pay less interest on both loans, and you can still afford to make all payments on time.

Another great thing about using a direct lender is that you can save even more money by refinancing your existing loan. Refinancing means taking out a new loan with a different term (usually between five and ten years) or a lower rate. This way, you can stretch your original loan while saving on interest payments.

For example, let’s say you already have a $10,000 auto loan from a bank. Then you decide to refinance into a $15,000 loan from a direct lender. By doing this, you’ll save $5,000 on interest charges, which will put more money in your pocket.

You might not think it’s worth the hassle of applying for a second loan, but there are many reasons why it’s beneficial to do so. Here are just a few:

– You’re able to keep your business instead of having to sell it.

– You can buy a bigger property, or more effective business equipment, with less cash upfront.

– You can use the money you would’ve paid in fees to invest elsewhere.

– You can give your employees raises and bonuses.

– You can save money on taxes.

– You can start investing in yourself.

– You can pay off your debt faster.

– You can consolidate multiple loans into one.

– You can pay for home improvements, vacations, and other expenses.

– You can build equity in your house.

The benefits to using a Direct Lender are numerous. For More Information Alliance Group Capital

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Steven_Lanier/87803

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10546415

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Here’s Why More Women In Venture Capital Doesn’t Mean More Funding For Female-Led Businesses

More women in venture capital doesn’t mean more funding for female-led businesses, new research suggests − here’s why

Venture capital plays an important role in helping new businesses get off the ground. The field also has a stubborn gender gap.

More than 4 in 5 partners at U.S.-based venture capital firms are men, surveys and research show. Perhaps relatedly, VC firms overwhelmingly direct their funds to man-led businesses: In 2023, only about 1 in 4 VC funds were allocated to woman-led companies, according to Crunchbase data.

Advocates for gender equity have long called for firms to have more female senior venture capitalists on their teams. The idea is that having more women making investment decisions will translate into more funding for woman-led businesses.

As a professor of entrepreneurship, I wondered whether the facts supported this idea. So my co-authors and I analyzed funding decisions from more than 150 mid- and large-sized U.S.-based VC firms over eight years.

When women don’t support women

What we found surprised us: Firms whose decision-making groups included more female senior venture capitalists offered less funding to woman-led businesses. Every additional senior female venture capitalist in a firm’s decision-making group was linked to a 0.46% decline in the proportion of newly funded woman-led businesses in its investment portfolio.

Since the average funding round in our sample was $5.4 million, that suggests adding one extra female senior venture capitalist into a VC decision-making group translates into woman-led businesses receiving about $25,000 less funding.

To be clear, my team isn’t saying that individual female venture capitalists are to blame for this state of affairs. Our work was not aimed at assigning personal responsibility. We simply found that having more women in VC decision-making circles was associated with less funding of woman-led businesses.

On its face, this may seem like a paradox. But it’s consistent with previous research that shows male dominance is entrenched in the U.S. entrepreneurial finance market. According to our interviews with female entrepreneurs and senior venture capitalists, this fosters a culture where women tend to defer to their male counterparts.

Research also suggests that women in male-dominated spaces have incentives to distance themselves from less-powerful women to improve their status. That might help explain why female senior venture capitalists would hesitate to fund woman-led startups.

The value of trust and neutrality

My team also found, however, that two key factors can mitigate this effect.

First, when senior venture capitalists in a decision-making group had worked together previously, we didn’t see the same negative impact. That suggests trust matters.

And when a group includes politically neutral senior venture capitalists, which we judged by looking at public political donation records, it reduces the negative effects on funding for woman-led businesses. This is because politically impartial decision-makers improve and facilitate group communication and consensus building.

Our findings suggest that VC firms might want to explore innovative approaches to fighting gender bias. For example, they could invite outside female investment professionals who have connections with many incumbent senior venture capitalists to work as consultants. These professionals could then independently assess investment proposals and offer advice to VC firms’ decision-making groups.

In some cases, efforts to elevate women in the workplace may pay off. For example, an analysis of all companies listed on the S&P Composite 1500 index from 2004 to 2015 found that calls for greater gender diversity in the boardroom were linked to the inclusion of more female directors.

But as our research suggests, efforts to promote diversity aren’t always so successful, especially in those male-dominated contexts such as the U.S. entrepreneurial finance market. Indeed, they can backfire if they fail to address underlying cultural biases and power dynamics.

To be clear, our study isn’t a call to abandon the pursuit of diversity among venture capitalists. Instead, it underscores the importance of persisting until women achieve equal status in business and society at large.The Conversation

Lei (Jeremy) Xu, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Lei (Jeremy) Xu, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Missouri-St. Louis

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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