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We believe entrepreneurs have the power to change the world

Who I am

Tyler is a serial entrepreneur, startup coach, early stage PT CFO and trusted advisor to numerous founders. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs start companies that matter. Tyler has helped launch over 200 companies, non-profits and social enterprises.
The first company he started and sold is VAVi Sport & Social Club which grew to over 25,000 members in six years, and was recognized as San Diego’s 30th & 32nd fastest growing private company in 2006-2007 by the San Diego Business Journal and sold for over 25 times the capital investment.

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What I do

Fractional CFO Services

  • Provide Month End Reporting
  • Manage Cash Flow
  • Strengthen Expense Controls
  • Capital Raising Services
  • Develop Projections 
  • Create KPI’s & Dashboards
  • Support Strategic Planning 
  • Develop Internal Communications Plan
  • Oversee Legal Management
  • Oversee HR Management
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What I Have done

I have worked with over 200 companies over the last 15 years

The Startup Garage knocked our business plan & complex financial model out of the park. We then deepened our work to the financial department as a whole. Tyler quickly became a key member of the exec team and I now have more confidence in our systems and data than ever before.

-Ash Robinson, CEO

The Startup Garage has been with us since the very beginning- over 3 years. Tyler has held a number of critical roles. We initially engaged The Startup Garage to create our investor documents and then we’ve continued with them as our CFO. Through this tenure the company has been able to raise over 2.5 million in funding.

-Jonathan Budd, CEO

Sample Work

Sample Business Plan

Business Plans are written to answer all of the questions investors typically have.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Sample Investor Pitch Deck

Pitch Decks are a great way to present your idea in a presentation Presentation Deck or email to investors as a teaser to your business Stand Alone Deck…

DOWNLOAD HERE

FAQs

QUESTIONS ABOUT CAPITAL RAISING

From friends and family, you might get away with something as little as your plan on a napkin. For most investors, you will want to be prepared with a well-developed and researched plan. The standard presentation is done with a pitch deck, though this varies depending on the stage of capital that you are raising.

There are certain expectations of accomplishments, most often based on a combination of how much money is being raised and the values of the investor. The investors you bring on will be a part of your business, so be thoughtful on who you approach.

The milestones to achieve can be categorized into the following:

  • Business Planning
  • Team Building
  • Market Traction
  • Legal
  • Operations
  • Product Development
  • Founder Leadership

For every stage of investment, a new set of milestones needs to be achieved. To better understand the milestones at each stage of investment based on these categories, click here.

A well thought out business plan increases your odds of succeeding. It shows the approached investor that you have taken the time to research, plan and develop a strategy to be successful.

The right business plan does the following:

  • Outlines the current problem in the market and the need for your product/service solution.
  • Demonstrates the current trends in the industry.
  • Evaluates the market opportunity and why the company is positioned to take advantage of the opportunity.
  • Portrays the competitive layout and how the company is differentiated from the competitors and poised to acquire a significant market share.
  • Demonstrates a believable revenue model that is backed by sound assumptions.
  • Identifies the marketing, personnel, and operating expenses needed to drive this revenue model.
  • Evaluates the potential return on the investment and a likely exit for the investors.

Every investor will be slightly different. However, these are some general guidlines for milestones to achieve in order to attract seed investment from Angel Investors:
Business Plan

You will need a comprehensive plan complete with extensive market research and a detailed financial model.

Product Development

Depending on the complexity of your product you may or may not be able to complete a working prototype or beta version with just your pre-seed, FFF capital. If not, at the bare minimum you will need an intractable wireframe or mockup that demonstrates the product’s features and functionality.

Founding Team, Key Hires, Advisory Board

The right team in place, means the company can overcome the adversity, fix the issues, and adapt the plan.

Legal

Work with a lawyer to ensure that you are setting up the business according to what’s best given your goals and capitalization strategy. Common types of IP rights include copyright, trademarks, patents, design rights, and trade secrets.

Market Validation

Obtain customer feedback and demonstrate that your product is fulfilling a real market need.

Startup funding for high growth businesses is acquired in multiple rounds throughout the business lifecycle. This funding cycle applies for most high growth businesses — including mobile, web, manufacturing and other tech industries, as well as consumer brands. Typically, this lifecycle is different for small businesses that only need enough funding to get the business off the ground.

High-growth startup funding is typically split into three rounds:

  • Family, Friends and Founder (FFF) capital – ranging from $10,000 to $100,000
  • Seed Capital from Angel Investors – ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000
  • Series A and Series B capital from Venture Capitalists – from $2,000,000+

Traditional Networking and Events are a great place to start. There are several angel organizations of people looking for a viable investment.

QUESTIONS ABOUT BUSINESS PLANNING

Whether or not you need a business plan depends on the business you’re starting. However, creating one will help to compile all the information needed for informed decision making and provide a roadmap to keep you on course — and hold you accountable.

If you will need to raise capital to launch or grow your startup, you will need a business plan to present to outside investors. Typically in the form of angel investment or crowdfunding, raising capital will require a detailed business plan complete with market research and financial projections.

 

The business plan will be your guide and roadmap for the first few years of business. It will provide a means of self-evaluation and way of holding yourself accountable. The research, writing, and financial modeling — in addition to getting credible feedback up front — will benefit you greatly down the road.

The business plan will:

  • Develop a cohesive plan that syncs all aspects and strategies of your business.
  • Vet the viability of your business model and overcome any otherwise unforeseen hurdles
  • Create efficient strategies to prioritize and conserve your most valuable resources — money and time.
  • Realistically set and achieve your goals for sales, revenue and profit.
  • Develop tools to enroll investors, business partners and employees.
  • Satisfy requirements of investors, banks and authorities.
  • Support your vision with an evolving guide to evaluate your progress and plan for the future.

Be wary of consultants claiming to bring on investors. While the business plan is an important tool in the capital raising process, investors ultimately make their investment decision based on the founder, team, product, market opportunity, competition and ultimately profitability. This makes it difficult for any third-party to make such a claim.

Do your due diligence to steer clear of frauds. Ask to see sample work and testimonials. Find out how many companies they’ve worked with and how much capital they’ve helped raise. If you still are not fully convinced, ask to speak with past clients.

It is important that your business plan writer has the expertise to help you get the funding your startup needs. The best business plan writer will evaluate your vision, goals, resources available and personal strengths to develop a strategy custom to your business. They will have experience approaching investors and be able to prepare you for presenting your startup in the most effective format for communicating your potential for profit.

Finally, you get what you pay for in this industry. That doesn’t mean you need to hire the most expensive solution available. However, it is important to align your business with a service provider that can truly help accomplish your goals.

It is important that your business plan writer has the expertise to help you get the funding your startup needs. The best business plan writer will evaluate your vision, goals, resources available and personal strengths to develop a strategy custom to your business. They will have experience approaching investors and be able to prepare you for presenting your startup in the most effective format for communicating your potential for profit.

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Tyler Jensen

Prior to launching VAVi, Tyler served as the Deputy Campaign Manager for Tim Kane for Congress, where he crafted and managed all aspects of launching and managing a United States Congressional Campaign. He was responsible for the fundraising plan creation & execution, staff volunteer recruitment & management, as well as marketing plan design & implementation. The design and production of campaign promotional materials and other creative marketing initiatives led to substantially increased name recognition and voter support.

Tyler has served as a trusted advisor on numerous Non-Profit and Corporate Board of Directors. He was born in Virginia and spends his free time stand up paddle boarding and building furniture.