Tag Archives: Pitch Deck

2019 Major Startup Events

2019 Major Startup Events

The Events Every Startup Should Know About in 2019

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best conferences in the coming year to keep an eye out for. Don’t have these on your calendar yet? We’d recommend you do !

Startup Grind Conference

The Startup Grind Global Conference provides an environment unlike anything else – where our community of startups, partners, investors, thought leaders, and worldwide directors come together for 2+ days of invaluable education, connection, and inspiration.

Where: Palo Alto, CA

When: February 12 – 13, 2019

SXSW Conference

Featuring a variety of tracks that allow attendees to explore what’s next in the worlds of film, culture, music, and technology, SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.

Where: Austin, TX

When: March 8 – 16, 2019

Ceres Conference

The Ceres Conference 2019 will convene more than 600 influential investors, senior corporate executives, policy makers and capital market leaders to reaffirm the business case for sustainability and share best practices to empower leadership, build solutions, and drive change.

Where: San Francisco, CA

When: April 29 – May 1, 2019

Collision Conference

Collision is the fastest growing tech conference in North America. Now in its fifth year, Collision has grown to over 25,000 attendees and is in for a big change in 2019.

Where: Toronto, Canada

When: May 20 – 23, 2019

Launch Festival

LAUNCH Festival is the largest startup event in the world. For the past 10 years we’ve hosted Festival in San Francisco, featuring fireside chats with Silicon Valley technologists and pioneers, demonstrations of cutting-edge future technology, and exciting startup competitions with founders and teams from all around the world.

Where: Sydney, Australia

When: June 18 – 19, 2019

Industry: The Product Conference

Over 3 days, 1,200 attendees from over 30 countries will learn from renowned product leaders and share the latest methods, tools, and frameworks that they use to build, launch and scale world-class software products.

Where: Cleveland, OH

When: September 23 – 25, 2019

Disrupt SF

If you’re serious about startups, we’re still keeping it as real as ever. At Disrupt, everyone is a startupper – no matter if you’re a founder, investor, hacker or tech leader. So much more than just on-stage interviews, Disrupt is where you’ll find the renowned Startup Battlefield competition, a virtual Hackathon, hundreds of startups in Startup Alley, Workshops and legendary networking at our After Parties… and we’re in San Francisco, right where startup dreams began.

Where: San Francisco, CA

When: October 2 – 4, 2019

**This will be an ongoing post as new dates/conferences become available.

For more information on fundraising, our Founder/CEO, Tyler Jensen has created several eBooks on the topic.  We invite you to browse our website to request free downloads.

Ready to win over $10,000 in Prizes for your Brilliant Business Idea?

Ready to win over $10,000 in Prizes for your Brilliant Business Idea?

The Startup Garage is excited to co-sponsor in “The Ideator December Challenge.”
A challenge designed to bring your business idea into conception.

Submissions currently open now until Dec 13, 2015 at 5pm (PST) entering is easy and done completely virtually.

Enter here today >>>December Challenge Idea Competition

The winner will be walking with $10,00 plus advisor board access, key mentorships, investor relationships, and specialized tools and resources from challenge sponsors:

SalesForce.Org
box.Org
Google
Pledge 1%
Crunchbase
Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
BandofAngels
LegalZoom
Perkinscoie
Listhunt
SplashU

All ideas at any stage are welcome, this challenge is designed to bring your idea to life!
Judges are looking for the biggest idea with the best-defined roadmap to success.

The Top 5 idea will be notified on December 14th and selected to pitch in the finals on December 15th at 5pm PST.

5 questions to answer when entering to optimize your pitch are:

How big of a problem does the product solve?
How well does the product solve the problem?
How well do the docs, if any, support the idea?
How has collaboration helped the idea?
Do the goals and tasks adequately outline a roadmap to success?

Remember to structure your pitch in a colorful story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Let your personality shine through without being too salesy, vague, or abstract.

Ideator was created to foster global innovation and entrepreneurship, while also making them easier.
The Startup Garage Team, know’s it’s ideas like yours that continue to shift the landscape of business innovation.

We look forward to hearing your ideas and helping launch them to the world!

Business Plan Writer vs. Business Plan Strategic Consultant

Business Plan Writer vs. Business Plan Strategic Consultant

People often ask me, “What are my options for writing a business plan?”

At the highest level, there are two options, writing it yourself or hiring someone else to do it for you.

The benefits of writing the business plan yourself are that you will save money and you will learn a lot about your business by going through the research and financial modeling processes.

However, this can be a risky option if you haven’t written a business plan before and/or if you haven’t raised capital before.

It is important to have a solid understanding of the way investors see value in a company as well as the milestones they care about if you are going to be successful writing the business plan yourself.

Furthermore, even if you have a good grasp on the investors’ perspective, you often miss out on objective, third-party pushback that can elevate your business plan to the next level. Lastly, as a time-strapped entrepreneur, spending several hundred hours writing your plan probably isn’t the best use of your time as you should be focusing on developing your product, expanding your team, and establishing
awareness with your customers.

While hiring someone to write your business plan for you will save you a lot of time, the capital outlay may or may not be worth the time savings – who you hire to write your business plan will make all the difference.

Hiring a Business Plan Strategic Consultant that can elevate your plan and strategy to help increase your chance of nailing the first impression with investors is money well spent. However, hiring a Business Plan Writer that merely saves you time but doesn’t add value to your pitch is a waste.

Below we’ve provided the differences between a Business Plan Writer and a Business Plan Strategic Consultant.

Business Plan Writer

A Business Plan Writer can be half the cost, or more, of a Business Plan Strategic Consultant. Typically, these savings come at the expense of the quality of the final product (you get what you pay for type of thing).

A Business Plan Writer typically completes a business plan in far less time simply because they can only put a limited amount of time into the plan in order for their business model to be profitable.

The problem with this model is that a business plan isn’t complete once a certain amount of time has passed; a business plan is complete once all red flags and issues have been identified, addressed, and overcome.

At the end of the day, a Business Plan Writer will require you to present the content, solutions, and answers that they will plug into a cookie-cutter template. While a Business Plan Writer can certainly save you time, the plan will ultimately only be as good as the information and strategies you provide them.

Business Plan Strategic Consultant

Hiring a Business Plan Strategic Consultant is certainly more expensive than hiring a Business Plan Writer or writing the plan yourself. However, the result will pay off in the long run when it comes to providing yourself with the best chance possible of successfully raising capital.

First a foremost, a Business Plan Strategic Consultant brings specific experience and education in the startup sector beyond expertise in broad business writing.

Second, a Business Plan Strategic Consultant understands what it takes to attract capital. They have an intimate knowledge of the capitalization timeline, who invests at the various stages, and what investors need to see at each stage. They will be able to coach you on the milestones and accomplishments you should be focusing on while crafting the investment story.

Third, a Business Plan Strategic Consultant takes a holistic approach to assessing your business including monetization strategies and business models, target markets and competitive differentiation, management team and personnel plan, sales and marketing communication strategies, and more.

Fourth, a Business Plan Strategic Consultant identifies red flags and gaps in your model by asking tough questions and challenging your assumptions in a way that is constructive and educational.

Finally, a Business Plan Strategic Consultant will compile all of this information in investor friendly documentation (business plan, executive summary, pitch deck, financial projections, one-page business plan, etc) based on your specific needs and audience.

The Startup Garage is a recognized Business Plan Strategic Consultancy that helps founders raise capital and get out of the garage through proven business plan writing and startup strategy consulting services. Feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

The White House Challenges Inequity In Startup Tech

The White House Challenges Inequity In Startup Tech

On Tuesday August 4, 2015 President Obama hosted the first-ever White House Demo Day.

The Demo Day was a chance for 90 entrepreneurs from over 30 diverse companies across the country to share their entrepreneurial journey.

Conversations centered around empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs and encouraging venture capital firms and Tech Giants to invest women and minority groups. As it currently stands The White House says about 3 percent of U.S. startups backed by venture capital are led by women, and about 1 percent are headed by African-Americans.

“We’ve got to make sure that everybody is getting a fair shot— the next Steve Jobs might be named Stephanie or Esteban,” Obama said. “We’ve got to unleash the full potential of every American— not leave more than half the team on the bench.”

The event opened the doors for communication, while inspiring diversity in America’s startup culture and economy. It also included strong calls to action to both the public and private sectors.

On the public side of things, the administration has been working with over 40 venture capital firms (including but not limited to A16Z, Intel Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, and Scale Venture Partners) that collectively have more than $100 billion under management, and are committing to new hiring practices that advance opportunities for minorities.

“You actually can make better-informed and more profitable investment decisions with a diverse team,” he said. “This isn’t about social justice alone. This is about social justice and making more money.” said said Ray Leach, chief executive of JumpStart

Tech giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook also pledged to foster inclusion in the tech space, announcing new plans to boost hiring of women and minorities, as well as additional innovative approaches.

For example; Google announced it will be hosting it’s first ever Women’s Demo Day later this year. The event will feature women-led startups from around the country pitching to a group of judges at the Googleplex. Meanwhile, IBM is committing to expanding its partnership with Girls Who Code to empower the next generation of female software developers.

The United States has always been a melting pot of opportunity, attracting and highlighting diverse talent and entrepreneurial skill-sets. In the 21st century a successful “marriage” between the U.S. government, Startup tech industries , VC firms, and entrepreneurs has the power to bring the American Dream to life in ways previously unprecedented.

If you have a question about your Startup business idea or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

University of San Diego Hosts Competition to Fuel Entrepreneurship

University of San Diego Hosts Competition to Fuel Entrepreneurship

On Thursday April 23rd 2015 the University of San Diego School of Business will hold an exciting campus-wide competition in a “Shark Tank” like setting.

The V2 Pitch Competition is a free event with a diverse and action packed agenda including:

Networking Reception, Keynote Speaker James Brennen Co-Founder of Suja Juices, USD Student Entrepreneur Pitches, Bi-National Student Pitches.

Networking Reception 5- 6pm:

The opportunity to mix and mingle with Entrepreneurs, Investors, Mentors, and Academia in a unique setting.

Key Note Speaker James Brennan 6pm- 6:50pm:

James Brennan is the co-founder of Suja a San Diego based juice company, named #2 on Forbes Most Promising Companies in 2015. James is a hospitality innovator in award winning restaurateur, a successful social entrepreneur.

USD Student Entepreneur Pitches 6:55pm- 7:32 pm:

4 Teams of Startup Entreprenurs from University of San Diego will pitch live to a panel of angel investors for a cash and price package worth up to $100,000.

2015 USD Startup finalists include:

  • EquityEats a premier equity crowdfunding platform, dedicated to exclusively to restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.
  • Yes Man Watches a unique patent-pending watch manufacture, that redefines watch buckle sizing.
  • PhotoSurvey simplifies the sharing photo process from capture to collection sharing, a popular product used by Engineers and Architects alike.
  • myHerbPharm an online alternative pharmacy, that provides medicinal solutions based on traditional Chinese herbs.

    • Bi-National Entrepreneur Pitches 7:32- 8:15pm:

    4 Teams of Startup Entrepreneurs from Mexican Universities will bring their entrepreneurial ideas across the border, in efforts to increase economic development internationally.

    2015 Bi-National Finalist include:

  • Giftcar: A trending mobile application that provides sales and personalized gift delivery services
  • Stella: A wearable device measures UV sun exposure in real time, and notifies your smartphone when the wear should seek sun protection.
  • Brecher: Using rapid prototyping techniques, Brecher helps inventors and startup entrepreneurs manufacture ideas into products.
  • Mocket: A mobile application that rewards consumers for shopping with certain merchants, while helping businesses gain brand ambassadors.

    • Entrepreneur/Investor Individual Meetings 8:15-9:30pm:

    One on one meeting between Startup finalists teams and the angel investor panel to help deliberate the winners.

    Grand Finale and Award Ceremony 9:30pm:

    Cash prizes and awards that will help winning startup pitches turn business ideas into reality.

    The Startup Garage is please to be a part of the V2 Competition in look forward to helping evolve the Startup landscape both locally and globally.

    Register Today

    V2 Competition Event

    If you have a question about your Startup business idea or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

    How To Raise Startup Capital In 120 Seconds

    How To Raise Startup Capital In 120 Seconds

    7 key takeaways from the Tech Coast Angels Quick Pitch Finals 2014.

    Think of a quick pitch as you would a movie trailer.

    1) A quick pitch should serve as a teaser of what’s exciting and noteworthy to come next. The intention of a 2 minute pitch is to deliver a heavy dose of substance, content, and sizzle regarding your Startup’s investment potential.

    A simple outline when delivering a quick pitch is:

    • Your name and title
    • Your business name
    • What problem inspired your business?
    • What is your solution?
    • What does your business need to achieve the next level of success?

    In this specific instance, a panel of 7 judges, scored the 10 startup finalist in 2 separate categories: Content and Style. Each judge held up a scorecard with 10 being the best and 1 being the worst, for each category.

    2)Decide who on your Startup Team best delivers your company’s message.

    Not all founders or co-founders were meant to step on stage (in this case in front of an audience of 500 people) and “perform.” Explore who on your team accelerates in public speaking and leverage that ability.

    For AstroPrint this person is CEO Drew Taylor, his ability to remain relaxed and assured during their pitch, made a “high-tech” complex process simple to comprehend.

    3) Practice. Practice. Practice.
    There is only way to become a Quick Pitch Master, the answer is practice, practice, and more practice. Practice not only your pitch with different people, but also in different environments.

    Perhaps this was the winning ingredient for nPruv CEO Summer Rogers. The panel of judges applauded her for repeatedly practicing nPruv’s pitch in the auditorium where the event was taking place that night.

    There’s an unquestionable value and confidence that comes with practicing on the specific stage you’re presenting on.

    4) Engage with your audience.
    Quick Pitches are designed to create a level of curiosity and interest in the Startup. As the presenter, talk to NOT at your audience, help make them to feel they’re a vital part of a conversation.

    *It’s fair to note your audience includes not only the panel of judges, but onlookers as well.

    Doctible CEO, Ajit Viswanathan brilliantly highlighted this point. With in his presentation he included a slide with the judge’s pictures, which the crowd and judges went wild over. Making his pitch point both relevant and relatable to all.

    5)Enthusiasm.
    Remember enthusiasm is contagious. A Startup pitch with out enthusiasm can leave the listener feeling you’re not invested or inspired by your company, why should they be…

    GetTAGit.com CEO & Founder Ana Bermudez, oozed enthusiasm, from her walk, to smile, to tone of voice, it was clear she’s created a Startup she’s excited to share with the world.

    6)Timing.
    2 minutes or 60 seconds can seem like an eternity for some or race to beat the clock for others.

    In this instance a clock illuminated the back wall below the presenter’s slideshow. Regardless, of their feeling toward the ticking seconds, there was no avoiding it.

    Interesting enough, those Startups that concluded their pitch prior to time running out (5 of them to be exact) were not in the event’s winners circle.

    CleverPet Co-Founder, Dan Kundsen along with Companion Medical’s CEO, Sean Saint were the 2 out of 10 Startups with perfectly timed out pitches.

    7) The Pitch Close and Following up.
    At the end of a perfect pitch lies 2 key ingredients:

    • Summarizing your entire pitch in 1 sentence. Think about it like this, if your audience were to walk away with one message regarding your Startup what would you want that to be? Often times the close is also the tagline for your Startup.

    • Invite the opportunity for people to follow up with you, and find out in greater detail what about your Startup and the investment opportunity. All those finer details that a 2 minute quick pitch couldn’t cover.

    Congratulations to all 130 Startup Companies courageous enough to enter the Quick Pitch Competition, especially the top 10 finalist we had the pleasure of watching at the event.

    Special congrats to nPruv for winning the grand prize, Companion Medical for winning the content category, and GetTAGit.com for winning the style category.

    It’s Startup companies like yours that continue to shift the landscape of business innovation. Thank you!

     

    Whether you have a question about your Startup or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

    Expert Communication Workshops Gets You ‘Shark Tank’ Ready

    Communication Workshop from The Startup Garage

    Expert Communication Workshops Gets You ‘Shark Tank’ Ready

    The Startup Garage is pleased to be partner with Deborah Linggi, Principal of Linggi Communications.

    With close to 20 years of experience working in senior-level, global communications roles for such industry leaders as Apple, HP, Illumina, Motorola and others, including startups, she provides invaluable communications counsel to The Startup Garage clients.

    The Startup Garage provides the Pitch Deck and Linggi Communcations provides the language and optimal communciatoin methods.

    Get your startup ready for the ‘Shark Tank’

    Clear and effective communication is critical to building (and maintaining) positive brand perception, as well as achieving long-term financial success. Missing the mark in how you communicate limits your ability to:

    Secure capital
    Attract and retain customers
    Create a high-performing workplace
    Drive long-term growth and revenue

    As an entrepreneur, you’ll be encountering many types of “sharks” as your business grows. Potential investors, existing or potential clients, partners and members of the media are just an example.

    “Are YOU ‘Shark Tank’ Ready” is a hands-on, high energy workshop.

    You’ll learn how to effectively communicate with any shark.

    You’ll learn how to create targeted messaging and then deliver them in a clear, confident and professional manner, particularly under pressure.

    Industry best practices and proven communication techniques used by seasoned executives working in the Fortune 500 will be shared.

    Not only will you learn valuable concepts and ideas, you’ll walk away with completed messaging templates and tools which you can immediately incorporate into your business!

    Whether you have a question about your pitchdeck or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

    Shark Tank Hosts Open Casting Call In San Diego

    The Shark Tank San Diego From The Startup Garage

    Shark Tank Hosts Open Casting Call In San Diego

    Critically acclaimed business reality show, Shark Tank, attacks the shores of San Diego,
    Saturday June 7th for an open casting call.

    Do you think your startup has what it takes to swim with the Sharks?

     
     

    Attend this rare casting call:
    SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH – SAN DIEGO
    COLEMAN UNIVERSITY
    8888 Balboa Ave.
    San Diego, CA 92123
    9:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Numbered Wristbands Distributed
    10:00 AM – Interviews Begin

    Shark Tank Casting Details

     
    Come prepared, entrepreneurs will only be given 1-minute to pitch of your business/product/idea to a member of the Casting Team.

    Make sure your pitch is concise, clever, and screams there’s money to be made!

    How To Get Your Startup Ready For The Shark Tank

     
    The Startup Garage Team wishes you continued success in your business.

    Please let us know if you attended the casting call, and the results.

    Remember exposure and funding are unlimited for those startups, who are properly prepared, and are ready to attract investment.

     

    Whether you have a question about your pitch or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

    How Does the VC Funding Process Work?

    How Does The Venture Capital Process Work from The Startup Garage

    How Does the VC Funding Process Work?

    Venture capital is ideal for early-stage tech companies that have already acquired some seed capital, but are too small for a public offering. By the time you approach venture capitalists, you will have a working product and business model, a user base and market validation, all of your patents and legal requirements in place, as well as past revenue, if not profit. The goal at this level of funding is scalability.

    A venture capital firm is comprised of investors, analysts and industry experts with the purpose of operating on behalf of many individual investors. While each situation is different, the general pattern for approaching VCs is as follows:

     

    The Introduction

    An introduction is always the first step. This can happen in a variety of ways: by phone, email or in person. This depends on where and how you make contact with the VC.

     

    The Pre-Meeting Workup

    Once you have a meeting scheduled, you should send the VC firm your pitch deck, an executive summary or one-page business plan. You will be expected to show evidence of a model ready for rapid scaling. It’s not necessary to send your full business plan at this point.

     

    What to Expect at the First Meeting

    This will most likely take place with several representatives from the firm. The firm is responsible for the collective capital of all of its investors. The recipients of your pitch will be far more critical of your business model and past operations than at any of the rounds up to this point.

     

    The Partners

    Following your presentation, the VC firm will have a partners’ meeting. The firm’s board will meet to review new companies up for consideration.

     

    Additional Information

    If your project goes further than the first partner meeting, more detailed information will be requested. If you have not done so yet, this is the opportunity to send your full business plan and supporting financial information. You will want to demonstrate your competency, so keep it tidy and professional.

     

    The Face to Face

    Once the firm reviews your project, the other partners will want to meet you to feel comfortable about the investment. There are numerous factors in evaluation, however it will come down to your potential to provide them a profitable exit. Know the numbers they expect and demonstrate your confidence in achieving them.

     

    Additional Firm Meetings and Validation

    The partners of the VC firm will want to hold a closed meeting again to decide on how they want to proceed with your project. The VC firm will look seriously into your company, investigate your data and study the technology. At this point they may draw up a term sheet with their general guidelines.

     

    Term Sheet

    It’s in your best interest to have an attorney to look over your legal documents. Understand all of your obligations — VC is not only expensive in terms of equity. These negotiations may make or break your deal. Stay flexible, and be wary of dealings that don’t feel right. VCs end up owning about 15% — 20% of each portfolio company.1 So, make sure your buying the right new boss for your business.

     

    Signing the Deal

    While this IS an accomplishment, your work has only begun.

     

    Bottom Line

    These are very busy people, handling lots of money. Be as prepared and concise in your dealings as possible and try not to get down if your business is not chosen. Learn as much as possible in the process.

     

    1 AVC.com
     

    Whether you have a question about Venture Capital, or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!

    Questions You Can Expect From Investors

    Questions to Expect from Investors from The Startup Garage

    Questions You Can Expect From Investors

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    The Most Common Questions Asked by Investors

    Statics show that investor receive thousands of plans a year and will only proceed to the next round with 10% of those at best.  Regardless of the type of investor you are targeting (sophisticated individuals, angel groups or VC firms), it is important to be fully prepared to answer every question that they may come up with.  Some of the most common questions that you can expect to hear are the following:

    • Why should I/we invest in you?
    • What are your competitive advantages?
    • What is your current market traction?
    • Is this business scalable?
    • At what point do you break-even?
    • What is your exit strategy?
    • What are some comparable exits of other companies in your industry?
    • Do you have intellectual property such as a patent?
    • What is your valuation and how did you derive it?

    Time and time again unseasoned entrepreneurs’ presentations fall flat when they are not prepared to answer these types of questions.  Take the time to make sure that your business planning is complete, that your business plan is dialed in and that you are prepared to answer these and related questions.

    Whether you have a question about Investor Presentations or you’d like to discuss our business plan writing services, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!