Q&A
Help! I Keep Losing Money In My Business
I have a small owner/operator business where I offer five different services to my customer base: retail, rental, repair, onsite service work and storage. It is very difficult to manage my business month-to-month because it seems like its feast or famine with more “famine” months than •••
- July 15, 2010
Hiring the Right Team for a Startup
I have a very early-stage software company and I am meeting with a venture capital investor and he will likely ask about my management team, which is not completely in place yet. What kind of questions should I anticipate and how should I best present the team I have? •••
- July 9, 2010
Looking for an Intern
I am an experienced entrepreneur that is looking to hire a tech-savvy intern that would like to help me launch a new venture. Can you please help me find one? •••
- April 7, 2010
Need Advice on Buying a Retail Store
I am negotiating to buy a retail business and would like your advice. I’ve listened to your “Before You Launch Your Business” presentation -- which was very good -- but I’d like some help thinking through buying this business. The business is a boutique in an upscale part •••
- March 31, 2010
Growth Strategy for a Veterinary Practice
When it comes to growth strategies, what advice do you give to medical professionals (I am a veterinarian) who tend to not only be the "CEO" but also the main revenue generator? It seems that my business structure is more of a diamond shape, if you will, with myself being the top and •••
- March 15, 2010
Venture Academy Pricing
There are a number of men at my church who are interested in taking a group of young men through your Venture Academy in Tennessee in September. I see the price is variable. What would the approximate cost be for students in the 16 to 17 year old range? •••
- March 9, 2010
Connecting with NVL Members
I have a service that I would like to alert NVL members about. What is the best way to do that? •••
- March 9, 2010
Making Opportunistic Decisions
Thanks for all you do! During the CMR case study discussion in Venture Academy DVD Training Series one of the points you had mentioned was making "strategic" rather than "opportunistic" business decisions. Yesterday I heard something interesting along those lines, so I'll describe the •••
- March 5, 2010
Trying to Create a New Brand of Personal Care Products
I have developed several formulations for natural personal care products from skin creams to toothpastes and balms, etc. I have a relationship with one contract manufacturer that can produce some of the products and I’ve been working with two large consumer packaged goods companies in hopes •••
- March 3, 2010
How to Buy an Email List
We are trying to grow our customer base and we would like to buy email lists. Do you have any good sources that you recommend? •••
- January 12, 2010
How to Choose An Attorney
I am looking for an attorney in my area. Specialty does not matter. Do you have any recommendations? •••
- January 12, 2010
Ordering the Harvard Business School Cases for the Venture Academy
How do I order the Harvard Business School case studies that are taught in the Venture Academy DVD Training Series? Also, how much do the cases cost? •••
- December 30, 2009
Looking for an Intellectual Property Attorney
I have some intellectual property that I'd like to copyright or patent. Can you send me some names and numbers? I'd like for them to be close, but if they're out of state I guess we could work by phone. Thank you so much and thanks for creating this website! •••
- November 24, 2009
How to Launch a New Branch Office
I have a PC service business that I have operated in a small community for ten years, and two of my children are now old enough to work with me. I have a process oriented, TQM background, and I've developed effective methods for handling large volumes of repair with high •••
- November 24, 2009
Raising Capital for an Alpaca Farm
We are interesting in starting an Alpaca farm. Do you think this is something investors might be interested in investing in? •••
- November 4, 2009
Venture Academy DVD Set vs. Entrepreneurial Bootcamp DVD Set
Are there any differences between your new Venture Academy DVD set and the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp DVD set? If so, what are the differences? Is there added information, is it more applicable? What advantages are there purchasing your DVD set? This •••
- November 4, 2009
How to Raise Early-Stage Capital While Minimizing Dilution
I need to raise capital for my software startup and I have investors ready, willing and able to invest in the range of $1m - $2m, but my dilemma is that I have a couple of significant events that are likely to happen in the next several months (major initial customer commitment and a major channel •••
- August 11, 2009
How to Negotiate a Licensing/Royalty Deal
I am about to enter into a licensing/royalty negotiation with a company that is interested in taking my idea to market. I've read your Q&A post on Taking an Invention to Market and it was very helpful, but I am looking for more specifics on the actual agreement itself. Any •••
- July 22, 2009
How to Invest for the Near Term
I am trying to realize the investing potential with the $20,000 I end up with at the end of each summer that I work between school years. Throughout the rest of the year I usually spend most of this slowly on rent, daily necessities and other costs, but I believe there should be some options •••
- June 30, 2009
Out-of-Work IT Director Looking for Ideas
I am an out-of-work IT director that cannot seem to land another job and I'm planning ahead for the worst while looking for ways to avoid that eventuality, however likely it may be. I'm in my fifties and I know from experience that finding more work anywhere near my own field will probably •••
- June 24, 2009
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