Unchained Entrepreneur – Business Advice

I have received a number of questions from entrepreneurs (and would-be entrepreneurs) lately that are related primarily “corporate finance.” For those unfamiliar with the term, it broadly addresses the area of finance that deals with the financial decisions made by business enterprises, including tools and analyses, in order to maximize value. A related component references [...]

Paul Spinrad, Jenny Kassan and the folks at the Sustainable Economies Law Center have done something that every entrepreneur should know about. They’ve initiated a process to help make crowdfunding startups and small businesses a reality from a legal perspective. As it stands now, most forms of crowdfunding are ILLEGAL. You can read more details [...]

In order to advance in business or life, the old aphorism holds true: Know Thyself. We’ve examined the process of goal setting before – but can you set goals without a comprehensive level of self-knowledge? Identifying your core personal values and, by extension, those values that underpin your business is of critical importance in the [...]

In the marketing field, particularly copywriting, there’s a key lesson drummed into the heads of all beginners – sell customers by articulating the benefits of a product, not by explicating it’s features. This is a key lesson for entrepreneurs as well. When building a Go-To-Market plan, it’s key to differentiate features from benefits and use [...]

I was invited to sit-in on a financing meeting the other day, which proved quite interesting for our purposes here at the Unchained Entrepreneur. An eager entrepreneur was busily pitching a venture capitalist on the solution he offered. Our intrepid entrepreneur was seeking $2,000,000, primarily for sales & marketing purposes – though he also needed [...]

One of the best ways to develop your company’s strategic plan, summary and especially elevator pitch is by asking yourself (and your team) a series of core questions. A great approach is to pose these questions and engage in an intensive brainstorming session for each to determine answers. In each case, you want to develop [...]

DSWS8QF8XU4B Today it’s easier and cheaper to start a business than ever before in history. The technological advancements of the last ten years, particular in the internet and telecommunications, have brought the capital needed for core business formation to unheard of levels. However, growing your business is a different story. Many businesses do require a [...]

An unsurprising business axiom: a company lives or dies by its sales. No customers, no revenues. No revenues, no business. As a result, ask almost any business owner her primary concern and you’ll almost always hear some variant of identifying prospects and securing new clients. Collateral Materials One disturbing trend that has developed as a [...]

Many would-be entrepreneurs are uncertain how to get started. Perhaps you have a strong desire to work for yourself, but you’re not sure what the next step should be. While the subject of entrepreneurship is extensive, it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Here is an Entrepreneurial Quick Start Guide for those of you considering [...]

I sent an email to a client last week detailing several innovative strategies that one of his competitors is deploying in their go-to-market plan. I had discovered some information suggesting that the competitor was reaping significant benefits from this approach. Naturally, I wanted my client to be fully briefed on this subject, in the hopes [...]