Venture Capital Ins and Outs: 7 Things Entrepreneurs Should Remember Venture capital is one of many ways entrepreneurs can obtain funding for their business ideas; among one of the most popular, in fact. Venture capitalists can be found anywhere, especially in the fastest-growing cities for entrepreneurs today. How does venture capital work? What do you
10 Startup Mistakes to Avoid in 2021 Startup mistakes, although common, is avoidable. So you have decided to start a business. You have an idea. Let’s say you want to be a carpenter. You print some brochures, some business cards, and take out an ad in your local community newspaper. You pay R15,000 for a
Your Investor Pitch and 8 Dumb Things you Should Never Say Your Investor Pitch can be one of the most daunting things you have to endure as an entrepreneur. Investors are much better at negotiations than you are; after all, this is what they do, and they do it daily. You on the other hand,
Your Guide to Finding the Right Business Plan Writer. Writing a business plan is time-consuming, but it’s essential if you want to have a successful business that’s going to survive the startup phase. If your business doesn’t have one, maybe it’s time to start writing it. The process of writing a business plan can do
Your Pitch Deck is Ignored by Investors… Why? Pitch Decks are not that easy to design, especially if you are presenting to investors that see hundreds of Pitch Decks every year! Not everyone is going to pitch their Business Plan to investors. There are many great businesses that start without ever raising a Rand from
Business Plan Copycats have been around since we started JTB Consulting in 2006. In a world full of fake news, half-truths, scam artists, snake oil salesmen, the question that I often get is “How do you deal with people who copy your work?” How do you deal with people who steal your idea? How do you
Product and service ideas ideally morph into profitable business ideas. Creating great new business ideas is not a very difficult task to overcome, but what if you do not have a creative bone in your body? The next time you are struggling to come up with a new idea, try the following: 1.) Shopping: Next
Funding a new business is part and parcel of an entrepreneur’s journey. You have a great business venture idea (or at least you’ve been told by family and friends that you have a great idea) and you are now raising startup capital but why, oh why is it that nobody wants to invest in your
Startup funding is perhaps the greatest challenge to new companies. Startup companies are faced with many challenges, and one of these are securing funding. Securing and managing funding can be one of the most exciting – and nerve-wracking – parts of being an entrepreneur. Often, the financial and legal implications may seem overwhelming. But don’t
Customer service is a term that most companies reflect in their mission statements, yet, exceptional customer service is arguably one of the concepts that are seldom experienced by customers. Customer service – to thousands of employees and employers in South Africa – is as foreign a term as trying to read and understand hieroglyphics. From receiving
Investor questions are dreadful to new startups. Entrepreneurs need to be prepared when pitching their start-up companies to investors by anticipating the questions they will receive. Presenting to potential investors will involve as little as 10 questions and as much as 100 questions. We have focused on the Top 10 Most Common and Most Difficult
The economic slump is affecting businesses at all levels, spurring companies to get creative about retaining customers. You need actionable tips on how to increase sales at a time when people are looking to save rather than spend. No one understands this struggle more than small business owners. If I asked you the question, “What’s