By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Do you want to launch your own business, but just don’t know where to start? You are not alone. I had made a written promise to myself that I would start a business, but I couldn’t settle on the idea. I kept [...]
By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Investors often claim that they invest in people – not ideas. They bet on the jockey, not the horse. But what makes a funder choose the jockey he or she wants to fund? Investors can look at track records, character, and/or credentials. When an entrepreneur can demonstrate a proven [...]
By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Coworking space – the antithesis of working alone in your garage or basement home office – has redefined the workplace for startups. This new kind of work structure, the 2005 brainchild of Brad Neuberg, has changed the way entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, and employees in established businesses go to work. [...]
By Frances McLaughlin Although it seems that the world is constantly filled with dissension, I think there are two things on which we all can agree: 1. The world has problems. 2. The world is changing. Who do you think is the best candidate for taking on the crucial responsibility of facing and solving these [...]
By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker News from a recent 2015 Kauffman Report suggests that the best time for you to start your own business – at any age – could be right now. The report said we showed the greatest surge in U.S. entrepreneurial activity that we’ve had in the last 20 years. In [...]
By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Entrepreneurs don’t need to use a formal business plan when pitching to investors. As we said in our previous blog on business plans (“When Do You Need a Business Plan?”), a brief one page summary or a slide show is really all you need to make a great first [...]
Previously Published on LinkedIn By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker In the startup world, failure can be viewed as valuable feedback. As Bill Gates said, “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Gates, of course, is the richest man in the [...]
By Frances McLaughlin Let’s talk about unicorns. Not the mythical creature, of course, but something just as special – a privately held technology company that has a valuation of $1 billion or more. A company that Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures and the term itself, describes as the “winner of all winners”. Examples of [...]
Previously Published on LinkedIn By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Corporations that continue to flex the same muscles and refuse to depart from old ways are likely to find themselves no longer able to keep up with the flow of fresh ideas and innovation that fuel future growth. A recent study by KPMG revealed that [...]
By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker A life of success and achievement is a direct result of utilizing the power of positive thinking. Positive thinking is a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results. It is one of the most important assets you can have once [...]