#7 MFS - Why we Chose Uber for Art - Money for a Startup

Let's explore why we chose Uber for Art as our fundraising project.

In article #2, I gave you our checklist for evaluating companies.  Let's walk through the list.

- Scalable and Profitable - Yes, because we don't pay for all the costs associated with managing a gallery

- Produce cash flow relatively quickly - Possibly, it depends on how fast we can start hanging art.

​- Helps another one of our companies - No

- Interesting and/or fun business - Yes, I think most people like art.

- Strong likelihood of success - Yes, if funded

- Can we add value - Yes, capital will help it scale

- Compatibility with their team - Yes

- We like the business - Yes

- Defendable IP - Possibly because of the technology being developed

Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ 

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton

#6 MFS - Uber for Art - Fundraising Project - Money for a Startup

We have chosen our first fundraising project and we are calling it "Uber for Art".

Uber for Art will display artwork for resale at non-traditional, high foot traffic areas, including office buildings, malls, and restaurants.

The idea is to bring the art to potential customers instead of making customers search for art.  

People can actually see the art in person, which gives them a competitive advantage over online retailers.

The Art will be hanging in locations that have space and staff, so Uber for Art can avoid most gallery costs, giving the company a cost advantage over traditional galleries.

As most people know, Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles

Uber for Art is trying to be the world’s largest art company without owning a gallery.

Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ 

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton

#5 MFS - RYman2017 Interview - Money for a Startup

Today is our 5th article anniversary, so to celebrate I invited 10 year old RYman2017 to talk about his YouTube channel startup.  He already has over 100 subscribers after only 2 weeks.  You can visit his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/RYman2017 .

- Why did you start doing videos? - Because his friends were doing it.

- Who taught you how to do videos? - Self-taught by watching other YouTube videos.

- What are your goals for the channel? - 1,000 subscribers

- Do you have any tips for first-time YouTubers? - Experiment and play with making videos until you find something you like.

Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ 

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton

#4 MFS - Investors and Busines Partners - Raising Money for a Business Startup

When you are raising money, you are essentially taking on a business partner.  Possibly multiple business partners.

Not all partners are created equal

Some will be active, some will be passive, meaning some will just give you money while some will want an active role in the company

Who will do what?

It's a good idea to know what want so you know find what you are looking for

You may not have the luxury of getting your ideal partner, in those situations you need to be prepared for what you are getting yourself into.

Remember those team projects in school where one kid does 99% of the work and one does almost nothing.  Which one are you going to be?  

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you get everything in writing.  If things go wrong, as they often do, you can refer back to the agreements.

I also insist on establishing core values in order to define the principles the business will follow.  The core values of most of my businesses are:

- Honest - We do what we say we are going to do


- Excellent - We over-perform and exceed expectations


- Creative - We find better ways of doing things


- Innovative - We leverage technology


- Generous - We support people, organizations, and causes that we believe in 


Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ 

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton

#3 MFS - Why You Should Raise Money - Raising Money for a Business Startup

Why should you raise money for your startup instead of bootstrapping?

First, raising money addresses 2 of my 3 critical success factors for a business startup

- Not running out of cash

- Having at least one partner or co-founder

Raising capital forces you to put your plan in writing and clarify your thoughts so you can pitch someone else.  Most people will require some form of business plan.

When you find an investor, it also validates the business... There is s big difference between someone 

saying that you a have a good startup and someone actually investing.

Is your business good enough for outsiders to put their money in it?

Investors can also be a great resource for introductions, advice, and assistance.

Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ 

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton

#1 MFS - Raising Money for a Business Startup - Introduction

I have decided to document my journey of trying to raise money for a business startup.

The goal is to give you an unfiltered look at what it is really like to raise money for a new business

This is going to be 100% real, so there is a possibility that this it will not be successful

I have raised startup money in the past, but normally the process is not done in public, so I am not sure if broadcasting this journey will help or hurt the fundraising process.

I plan on publishing at least once per week.  Feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas, or comments.  I also ask that you share this with anyone you know that is interested in raising money for a business startup.

Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton

#2 - How to Pick a Startup Business - Raising Money for a Business Startup

In order to raise money for a startup business, we need to select a business.

According to the SBA, there are approximately 28 Million Small U.S. Businesses.  That is a large field!

In order to narrow down the field, we created a checklist.  This is our wish list...

- Scalable

- Profitable

- Produce cash flow relatively quickly

- Helps another one of our portfolio companies

- Interesting and/or fun business

- Strong likelihood of success

- Can we add value

- Compatibility with their team - matches our core values

- We like the business

- Defendable IP

- Our vested interest

Want more?

You can watch the videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ

Questions or comments?

​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Twitter: @RenCarlton

IG: rencarlton