Showing posts with label Accredited Investors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accredited Investors. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Why Competition Is Good For Entrepreneurs and How Blockbuster’s $50 Million Mistake Helped Reed Hastings and Netflix Destroy a $6 Billion Empire

Find Angel Funding & Venture Capital for Business Startups, Entrepreneurs, & First Time Founders – Episode 8



This video is part of my series - Find Angel Funding & Venture Capital for Business Startups, Entrepreneurs, & First Time Founders, learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/3hExYJX


When battling for resources or investment, early-stage entrepreneurs may believe that competition is a bad thing. On the surface, they are correct. There are a limited number of angel investors willing to provide a finite amount of venture capital to founders.  

However, is competition a good thing for business startups?

Competition is not always a bad thing for entrepreneurs. If you have a brand new startup with an innovation that nobody's heard about, you may not have any competition. However, this may cause a challenge getting customers or angel investors. Why? Because your audience will likely be confused by your solution business. 

When you sell something that is truly new, your first step will be to educate your audience. People cannot buy something before it exists. It is tough to attract startup funding when investors do not understand your solution. It is even harder if there is no proof that there is a market for what you are doing. This is often the case for innovative startups, because it is hard to prove if your target market will pay for something they never had. 

This leads us to another benefit of competition. If you need to compete with other businesses in order to win customers, at least you have proof that a market does exist for your startup.

Doing a competitive analysis is critical for your business to succeed. It will give you an opportunity to see the lay of the land. However, it will also help you to avoid a common startup trap that costs millions of entrepreneurs countless hours and dollars. Creating something that already exists.

At least 20% of the pitch decks I see are promoting a business or technology that has already been created. Competing with powerful incumbents is already tough enough. But creating a clone of something that already exists without powerful differentiators is a suicide mission. Why spend time, money, and energy building a YouTube-type business technology when YouTube already exists?

However, you can attack a powerful incumbent with technological innovation. Early in 2000 Blockbuster was a $6 billion giant that dominated the home entertainment business with almost nine thousand rental stores around the world. That year, Netflix founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph offered to sell the company to their major Blockbuster for $50 million. Blockbuster turned them down. 

In 2002, two years after that meeting, we took Netflix public. Blockbuster was still a hundred times larger $5 billion versus $50 million. 

How did Netflix compete?

“It was not obvious at the time, even to me, but we had one thing that Blockbuster did not: a culture that valued people over process, emphasized innovation over efficiency, and had very few controls. Our culture, which focused on achieving top performance with talent density and leading employees with context, not control, has allowed us to continually grow and change as the world, and our members’ needs, have likewise morphed around us.

Netflix is different. We have a culture where No Rules Rules.”

Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer, Netflix Founders



Are you looking for funding for an idea or business, send us your stuff and we will take a look, Funding@OmegaSeedFund.com

Are you interested in investing time or money into any of our businesses, info@omegaseedfund.com

Are you interested in promoting your product or service to our audience, contact Opportunities@OmegaSeedFund.com


Disclaimer: This is only for informational and discussion purposes. This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice.



Do you want more? 
 
Previous Post - Market Testing for Better Decisions and Results, How Lego’s New Business Strategy Doubled Sales Overnight - Find Angel Funding & Venture Capital for Business Startups, Entrepreneurs, & First Time Founders – Episode 7


Are you looking for investors? Use this link to send us your information. https://register.omegadestiny.com/register-business-for-funding.  

Use this link if you have a product or service that will help our early-stage businesses. https://register.omegadestiny.com/register-to-market-to-our-companies


Sources
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Friday, May 1, 2020

Angel Investors - How Much Money Does a Startup Need to Launch or Grow? - Use of Funds - Ren Carlton

I was messaging a friend of mine earlier this week about launching a new business. When I asked her how much money she thought we needed she said:

"We can each invest a max of $500 each, as partners, and make a prototype, then we can both apply for further business grants or angel investors."

A bit shocked by her response, I turned to the internet for further guidance. When I googled "how much money does a startup need", this was the first result: 

"Estimate your costs. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, most microbusinesses cost around $3,000, while most home-based franchises cost $2,000 to $5,000 to start."


How Much Money Does a Startup Need?


Most technology startups, raising outside funding is a necessary step in the process of building a viable business. Not every business needs to be a technology company, but most of the businesses we see have some component of technology.

Most companies that reach a Series A round of funding Raise between $25,000 - $500,000.

That is a pretty wide range. Let's take a deeper look.


Common Startup Costs


Here are some common startup costs they may have:
-Office space
-Equipment and supplies
-Communications
-Utilities
-Licenses and permits
-Insurance
-Lawyer and accountant
-Inventory
-Employee salaries
-Advertising and marketing
-Market research
-Printed marketing materials
-Making a website


Make sure to add any other expenses that are unique to the business.

Stage

This is probably the biggest factor. Idea and prototype stage companies may have very lower costs, where a business that is producing and growing may have to support a full team, inventory, etc.

How Are You Going to Pay Your Bills?

One of my favorite questions I ask founder is "How are you going to pay your bills?
Almost everyone gets caught off guard. I am not sure why. When evaluating an angel investment, I want to make sure the founders are thinking through everything. 



Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.  


Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com


Sources and Links
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/23/does-it-really-matter-how-much-your-startup-raises/
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/calculate-your-startup-costs#section-header-10
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.




Tuesday, April 14, 2020

How I Angel Invest - Ren Carlton Investment Criteria and Current Angel Investments

I literally receive thousands of pitches. Since I do not have unlimited time or capital, I use strategies to make the review process as efficient as possible. This includes investing and supporting companies that meet as much of my selection criteria as possible


Ren Carlton Investment Criteria

- Hot industry
- Scalable
- 10X potential return in 3-5 years
- Low downside risk
- Low regulation
- Avoid companies with legal risks, especially ones with risk of imprisonment
- Likable founders with skin in the game
- Low startup costs
- Not a lot of hard assets
- Access to capital
- Fast path to profitability and positive cash flow
- Ability to leverage technology
- Unfair advantage
- Moat to protect against competition
- Ability to compete with the FAANG companies if necessary, Facebook (FB), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Netflix (NFLX); and Alphabet (GOOG) (formerly known as Google)
- Exit plan or path for me eventually to receive my Return on Investment (ROI)



Ren Carlton Current Angel Investments* 

-Asarasi - The future of water, sourced from trees
-Avenify - Marketplace lending platform for Income Share Agreements (ISAs)
-Bounty0x - Discover, track, manage and pay Influencers for sponsored content at scale
-Buff Bake - Adding healthy and nutritious benefits to traditional snacks
-CallingDr - Connecting doctors with patients anytime, anywhere
-Choose Health - Simple, affordable, at-home health testing
-Cloudastructure - Facial Recognition, AI, Machine Learning for Cloud-based Video Surveillance
-Delee - Blood testing device for early diagnosis of cancer and treatment monitoring
-Dented Brick Distillery - High capacity distilled spirits plant
-Dynamic Advisory Solutions - Outsourced CFO services
-Elite Amateur Fight League - The multi-billion dollar MMA industry's National Amateur Platform
-Elemeno Health - Empowering staff at the point of care: Improving safety, and fighting COVID
-Fleeting - Connecting commercial drivers with on-demand trucking jobs
-Genobank.io - incognito & encrypted DNA extraction kit - see their video on Meet the Drapers vimeo.com/404737658/d472095c35 
-HelloWoofy.com - Personal social media manager driven by artificial intelligence
-Hive - Global membership community working together to solve humanity’s greatest challenges
-Horizon Aeronautics Inc - Hover bikes, hover cars and augmented reality navigation systems https://register.omegadestiny.com/legendary-nfl-and-nba-athlete-tj-wrights-hover-bike
-Michigan Physicians Society - Help physicians maximize their earnings potential 
-Nada - Buy and sell your home online, pay nada
-NanoVMs - Upending 50 years of operating system hegemony, building a new OS to run linux apps faster/safer using unikernels.
-Omega Accelerator - Accelerating Financial Freedom Through Angel Investing
-PittMoss - A revolutionary new growing media
-Rencat - Digital sales and marketing agency
-Rocket Dollar - Self-directed retirement accounts for the active alternative asset investor
-SkillSoniq - Connecting companies with freelancers using AI
-Soar Robotics Cloud-connected robotic intelligence platform for drones
-Swipeby - SaaS+ platform turning restaurant into a virtual drive-thru with curbside pickup
-Upshift - Fractional car leasing service for low mileage drivers - republic.co/upshift
-Vessel Biosciences - Portable vein illumination device 
-Vivoo - Personal wellness advice through at-home urine sample analysis
-Zephyr Aerospace - A lie-flat airline seat for Economy Class travelers

Feel free to message me if you would like to learn more about any of the above opportunities.


This is intended to be a live document which will be updated periodically as the above information changes.

Are you looking for funding for an idea or business, send us your stuff and we will take a look, Funding@OmegaSeedFund.com

Are you interested in investing time or money into any of our businesses, Invest@omegaseedfund.com

Are you interested in promoting your product or service to our audience, contact Opportunities@OmegaSeedFund.com


Sources and Links
www.investopedia.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer: This is only for informational and discussion purposes. This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice.Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. Stories shared are mostly based on true events, but may be altered to protect the identity of the parties involved. Any numbers or figures are possibly estimates based on assumptions that may be proven to be inaccurate or subject to change.



* Note: This list is incomplete, may not reflect recent trading activity, and is subject to change without notice. These angel investments may be owned by Ren Carlton directly or indirectly through trusts, separate legal entities, and/or warrants/options. 

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Covid-19 Help for Small Business - Calculate Your Stimulus Check - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - Stimulus Check Calculator

President Donald Trump has signed legislation that Congress approved this week that will allocate a massive amount in funding to support the U.S. economy and workers through the coronavirus outbreak.





Covid-19 Assistance - Stimulus Check Calculator - $2.2 trillion rescue package

The hallmark of the $2 trillion stimulus package were one-time $1,200 direct payments to adults making up to $75,000.

Click here to use the online calculator to find out how much you could get from the federal government as part of the relief package.

Covid-19 Help for Small Business

A $350 billion forgivable loan program designed to ensure that small businesses do not lay off employees

A 50% refundable payroll tax credit on worker wages will further incentivize businesses, including ones with fewer than 500 employees, to retain workers

Looser net operating loss-reduction rules that will allow businesses to offset more

A delay in employer-side payroll taxes for Social Security until 2021 and 2022

Sole proprietors and other self-employed workers could be eligible for the expanded unemployment-insurance benefits the bill provides

A portion of the $425 billion in funds appropriated for the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities will target small businesses

Click here to learn about some of the tax relief available for both businesses and individuals.

Click here to apply for disaster relief loans.



Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Click here to read F.A.Q. on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment and the Coronavirus Plan.

Click here to read the $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.




What Appears to be Missing From the Federal Disaster Package

Independent contractors and gig economy workers may not be able to delay payments on self-employment taxes.

It appears there are no benefits specifically for helping healthcare workers. There is also nothing included specifically designed to help people start new businesses.



Am I Missing Anything?

Is there other money out there designed to help small business? If so, message me so I can add it to this article.



Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.  


Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com


Click here if you would like me to personally consider investing in your business. If I do not personally invest, I will give you specific tips for finding funding. Unlimited follow-up meetings. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Why the Coronavirus May Not Be Bad for Your Investments or Business - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act





During the last 30 days, the DJIA reached it's record high of almost 30,000. It has also lost over 20% in value during some violent swings down because of all the concerns around the Coronavirus. Some claim that the recent volatility has erased over $7 trillion in wealth in the last 30 days.


Why the Coronavirus May Not Be Bad for Investments

If you look at history, epidemics are typically good for investments. The markets actually recover much quicker than you would think.

Take SARS for example. SARS resulted in a total of about 8,100 people being sickened during the 2003 outbreak, with 774 people dying, according to data from WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Separately, the S&P 500 rose 11.66% in the roughly six months following reports of the 2006 Avian flu virus — a fast-moving pathogen also known as H5N1. The market gained 18.36% in the following 12-month period.

Data are similar for equity performance across the globe based on data from Charles Schwab, tracking the MSCI All Countries World Index 892400, -3.64%. The index has gained an average 0.4% in the month after an epidemic, 3.1% in the ensuing six-month period and 8.5% a year later (see graphic below):


SARS, Avian Flu, Swine Flu, and Measels all produced significant market gains as quickly as 3 months after the initial outbreak.

My comments:

- $7 trillion in wealth in the last 30 days was erased? Nothing was erased, the stock market is a zero-sum game. Wealth is neither created nor destroyed, it is transferred.
- Punctuated by recent events, I would argue that angel investing is actually less risky than investing in publicly traded stocks. I would also argue that entrepreneurship is less risky than working for someone else. I will be hitting both of these topics hard in future videos.



Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.  


Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com


Click here if you would like me to personally consider investing in your business. If I do not personally invest, I will give you specific tips for finding funding. Unlimited follow-up meetings. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/10/dow-futures-point-to-a-loss-of-more-than-400-points-after-tuesdays-surge.html
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-how-the-stock-market-has-performed-during-past-viral-outbreaks-as-chinas-coronavirus-spreads-2020-01-22
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.





Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Why Don’t More People Make Angel Investments?

Just in case you have not heard the news, almost anyone can be an angel investor. See What Qualifications are Required to be an Angel Investor for further details. We also explored Why Angel Investors Fund Startups in another article.

What inspires people to become angel investors? I will examine some key reasons below.   


They are Looking for an Extraordinary Return on Investment (ROI)

According to Techcrunch.com, Angel Investors can expect to earn a gross multiple of 2.5X their investment in about four years. That is a 250% ROI. Investors that are comfortable with the risks of angel investing may be able to enjoy this type of return.

They Want to Become a Mentor

They relish in the idea of being a mentor to the younger generation of startups. If you have the income and you want to make this type of impact, maybe start making angel investments.

They are Business-Minded Entrepreneurs Who Want to Network

If you’ve made it far enough in your professional career to have the time and money to consider investing, then you are probably already pretty good at networking. angel investors take this to the next level. You can gain unique opportunities to network with people from a totally different perspective. When you are at a networking event, people will find you to pitch ideas.

They Care About Innovation

High-tech angels often care just as much about ROI as they do about introducing high-tech and innovative solutions into the world. These investors might even care more about the mission or impact of a company. If you want to make a difference in the world of medical tech, fintech, or any other industry that has the potential to make a huge impact, then you should consider making angel investments.

They are Looking for Something New

Angel investing is an easy way to give you access to the world of entrepreneurship. This often includes access to new ideas, events, and opportunities. Boredom was one of the reasons I quit my job as a CFO to become a full-time entrepreneur. I have not been bored a day since that decision!


But only 8% of the people that can make angel investments actually do it according to angelcapitalassociation.org. Why?


We have identified several challenges associated with angel investing, including:

-How do I select angel investments to evaluate?
-How can I screen angel investments that interest me?
-How do I monitor my angel investments?
-How can I help my angel investments succeed?
-How do I value an angel investment?
-When will we receive returns on this investment?
-When can I do if the founders you funded wants to quit?
-When can I do if the business fails?

We will address these concerns in future posts. Ultimately you will need to decide whether the benefits of being an angel investor outweigh the risks.


Are you interested in investing in startups today, but are struggling with some of the concerns listed above?  Learn how we can help, email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.



Are you looking for angel investors or accredited investors for your business? Contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com 



Sources:
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/12/why-dont-more-people-make-angel.html
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-qualifications-are-required-to-be.html
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/why-angel-investors-fund-startups18.html
www.angelcapitalassociation.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton 
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer:  This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service.  We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice.  Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties.  All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

How to find Accredited Investors and Angel Investors

Experts estimate that there are close to 4 million Angel Investors in the U.S. Angel Investors are everywhere.  Friends, family, networking connections, and coworkers are all potential Angel Investors.  Since Angel Investors need to have the money available to invest in your business, you probably want to target people with a high net worth.  There are also a number of portals that may be able to help you find investors, e.g. Gust, Angels List.

Working with a placement agent or meeting someone through a warm introduction have been the most effective tactics for me. I have also met investors through networking events, social media, and golf. Below is some additional information about Angel Investors.

Entrepreneurs Become Angels 

More than half of angels (54.8 percent) have experience as entrepreneurs and often advise the startups they invest in, informally or as board members. Angel investors with entrepreneurial experience write bigger checks, with an average of $39,000 vs. $28,000 for angels without entrepreneurial experience. They also have more companies in their angel portfolios and see better returns.

More Women are Becoming Angels 

Women comprise 22 percent of angel investors in the study – and that number is growing. Among respondents who began investing since 2015, 30 percent are women. In comparison, studies have shown 5 to 8 percent of U.S venture capitalists are women.

Women Invest Differently than Men

51 percent of women respondents consider gender of business founders to be important when making investment decisions (compared to 6 percent of men). “This indicates that women are seeking to support women entrepreneurs,” says lead researcher Laura Huang. Another gender difference: twice as many women as men reported they strongly consider social impact of a startup when making investment decisions (33 percent for women vs. 16 percent for men). Both men and women angels agree that the quality of the founding team is the most important consideration when investing.

Eyes-Open Risk Takers

Angels said an average of 11 percent of their portfolio yielded a positive return. “That number is consistent with other studies that have shown 5 to 10 percent of angel investments yield a positive return for angels,” says Huang. “A deeper dive shows that where startups have been sold or gone public, 39 percent yielded positive returns for the angel investor.”


Do you need help finding an angel investor or accredited investor for your business? Contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com 



Are you interested in working with a placement agent to find the business that is right for you?  Email us today to learn how we can help, info@OmegaAccelerator.com.



Sources:
https://www.angelcapitalassociation.org/faqs/
https://www.genglobal.org/united-states-gban/new-research-individual-angels-provides-insights-startup-ecosystem
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton 
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer:  This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service.  We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice.  Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties.  All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.