News, opinions and advice on capital raising and finance strategy.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, just one-tenth of one percent of business pitches secure venture capital investment. Yet despite the odds, many entrepreneurs remain fixated on this Holy Grail. In Anthill’s July 2004 cover story, Paul Ryan explored the divergent expectations that colour the entrepreneur/VC relationship in Australia. Three years on, he returns…
If business is selling products or services and buying labour and parts at the right price, why do so many go bust? Cash is often the reason businesses fail. Obviously it’s important to sell at the right price and create maximum profit. A keen focus on collecting payment is vital, as cash is the lifeblood…
When will large corporations understand that stinging customers for every cent through gotcha technicalities is commercial idiocy? Ray Beatty wants to know. Now. Last week my FlyBuys statement arrived. Casually browsing it, earned 613 points – wait a minute – expired 1540 points?! I lost twice as many points as I earned? In…
Sponsored column GUIDELINES TO SQUEEZE YOUR FINANCE COSTS While equity, loans from shareholders, bank overdrafts and bank loans are the staple for day to-day company financing, take a closer look at your overall mix of debt and equity and you can lower your overall costs of financing and gain new financial muscle. CHOOSE THE TYPE…
If there is one word that scares entrepreneurs and businesspeople alike, it’s the “B” word – bankruptcy. For the individual concerned, it means the loss of assets and a significant impact on their ability to obtain credit, travel overseas or manage a corporation during the bankruptcy period, which normally lasts three years. For a creditor,…
Banks are in the game of lending money, so why do we often get hit for six when seeking finance and how can you give yourself the best chance of being selected for approval? STUMPED At some point many of us have suffered the disappointment of rejection when making a loan application…
Life is rarely predictable. So why would business be any different? Paul Ryan and Jodie O’Keeffe square up to a meteor shower of corporate Kryptonite and figure out how to dodge commercial doom. Cyber-attack, idea theft, competitor outsourcing, cash-flow crises, disruptive innovation and fraud. Take a deep breath, assess risk, consider your options…and never turn your back on a clear blue sky.
“I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL!” It was once the apogee of commercial success. But now, many Australian business owners are challenging the notion that a public stock exchange listing is the most suitable course for their companies. Andrew Pegler explores the emerging trend towards securing private equity investment over the once mighty IPO. Around…
At the age of 81, Dr Bill Miller has spent much of his career inside the ever-evolving success story that is Silicon Valley. He has been Provost and Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, specialising in fields as various as engineering, computer science, international studies, neuroscience and nanotechnology. He has also founded prominent venture funds and…
Pointers for maximising value when selling your business Getting the best price when selling your company is a little like selling a property or vehicle – you should groom your business before you exit and consider who will make the best potential buyer. With forethought and planning you can attract more purchasers and maximise the…
James Tuckerman reviews THE GOOGLE STORY and HOW TO TURN YOUR MILLION-DOLLAR IDEA INTO A REALITY
For Anne-Marie Birkill, CEO of i.lab technology incubator, life has been rather serendipitous. Graduating with a science degree, she fell into plant biotechnology, where a short-term secondment to Brisbane transformed her into General Manager and 25 percent shareholder within two years. So began a twenty year career spanning management, consulting, lecturing and new technology incubation.
The Packer deal took everybody by surprise. It coincided perfectly with the media reform announcements, but in fact had more to do with maximising shareholder value than with media reforms.
Everyone knows that business is all about cycles. What goes down must go up, and vice versa. With my dot-com scars so recently healed, I am loathe to be trumpeting another technology boom. But things are certainly afoot.
The similarities between start-ups and film projects are even greater in the US, where venture investors are likely to install their own people into a business for a short period of time to help get it moving.
‘Going Public’ means different things to different people. For the entrepreneur it’s the capital injection to take the business to dizzy heights. To investors it’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. While the big players strut their stuff on the ASX, the alternative investments markets offer middle market businesses big oppotunities…
Some companies are built to be sold. The intellectual property and business processes are bedded down and bundled into a transferable package. Find a market gap, identify potential buyers, build it, drive home the value and make the trade sale. And then, if you enjoyed the ride, do it again.
For small-to-medium sized enterprises, it takes more than just a well-rehearsed sales pitch to catch and keep the eye of a cashed-up suitor.
For small-to-medium sized enterprises, it takes more than just a well-rehearsed sales pitch to catch and keep the eye of a cashed-up suitor.
It’s not news that the number of eyeballs searching for products and services online is growing rapidly. But you’re possibly not aware of just how rapidly growth in internet commerce is occurring.
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