In this latest article from NZBusiness Magazine Steve
Anderson, Marquis
Advisory Group's Managing Partner offers a US viewpoint on what
business entrepreneurs must do to succeed in the next decade.
Recalibrating
entrepreneurship FOR THE NEW DECADE
May, 2010 | By Steve Anderson
What are Kiwi
entrepreneurs and their global competition going to have to do to
recalibrate in order to succeed in this new decade where change is more
rapid and little remains of the conditions of the decade that started in
the year 2000?
The good news is that technology has democratized the
opportunities for entrepreneurs, so that location is much less important
and many businesses can start and grow with less capital.
From gaming to
manufacturing, technology has reduced the financial and asset deployment
requirements, making entry easier and product changes much faster and
less expensive.
Recalibration for seasoned entrepreneurs as well as
newcomers starts with recognizing that the pieces of the past are not
shaped to match today's puzzle.
Other articles by Stephen N Anderson - Managing Partner, Marquis Advisory Group
Sequencing Investments: A Lego block approach to funding
October 2, 2009 | By Steve Anderson
The Lego
story began in 1916 in Denmark with a carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen. Today,
an estimated 50 million children play all over the world with the locking Lego
blocks. How is it relevant to today?
It makes
sense to build a company's investment plan that has the interlocking qualities
of Lego pieces, tightly fit, all supporting and connected to each other.
Preparing for US venture capital: Due diligence is a two-way
street
September 14, 2009 | By Steve Anderson
In part five of our series on the capital raising cultures
in Australia and the US, San Francisco-based Steve Anderson explores how
Australian entrepreneurs can best prepare for securing US venture capital.
The US venture community - worth approximately US$2 billion
- is very small compared to private equity and miniscule when compared to the
trillion dollar hedge fund industry. But it is a very important capital source
for new businesses, which create new taxable revenue and new jobs.
When seeking investment, preparation is everything
September
7, 2009 | By Steve Anderson
In part four of our series on the capital raising cultures
in Australia and the US, San Francisco-based Steve Anderson explores how
Australian and New Zealand entrepreneurs can best prepare for securing local
investors.
There is no better place to begin capital raising for
Australian and New Zealand entrepreneurs than in their home country.
Seed capital for venture capitalists in Australia has
historically consisted of government money that attracted funding from the
private sector.
In part three of our series on the capital raising cultures
in Australia and the US, San Francisco-based Steve Anderson explores the five
things Australian and US venture capitalist must see before they will invest in
an early-stage company.
If the corporate vision is to grow a business beyond a 'lifestyle' size, and the founder is not independently wealthy, seeking capital
from investors outside of family and friends is unavoidable.
In a downturn like this one, the amount of capital invested
and the frequency at which it is invested is substantially reduced.
August is Venture Capital Month at
Anthill and last week we launched a new series
written by San Francisco-based Steve Anderson focusing on the capital raising
cultures in Australia and the US. Today, Anderson discusses the comparative
advantages and disadvantages of pursuing funding from Australian VCs or US VCs.
The decision of whether to pursue
funding from Australian VCs or US VCs is not necessarily an either/or
proposition. Both VC groups service the interests of Australian entrepreneurs.
You just need to appreciate them for their benefits.
August is Venture Capital Month at
Anthill and today we’re launching a new series written by San Francisco-based
Steve Anderson focusing on the capital raising cultures in Australia and the
US. Today, Anderson discusses the pros, cons, illusion and reality of raising
capital in the US.
Holy Grail
In 2008, US venture capitalists
invested $28.3 billion in 3,800 deals - a down year for the first time since "post-bubble" 2003, but still a lot of capital looking for potentially great
companies.
