http://www.womensarticles.com en-us editorial@womensarticles.com An interesting question came up the other day which warrants attention. The question was whether entrepreneurs should hire entrepreneurs. In thinking about how to answer this question, I started thinking about a book written by Michael Gerber entitled The... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_31774_15.html 24th February 2006 When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues. Valuation. Valuation is the most prominent negotiating issues. Valuation is the... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6388_15.html 25th August 2005 The most important function of a business plan is to create interest among investors so that they write a check. In achieving this goal, business plan writers are often challenged by determining the proper level of optimism in their plan. That is, they mu... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6387_15.html 25th August 2005 Investors, like the rest of us, have different tastes. One investor may love a concept and/or business plan while the next may hate both. It is important to understand this as business plans are working documents and are always undergoing iterations. M... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6386_15.html 25th August 2005 Venture capital firms are comprised of individual partners. These partners make investment decisions and typically take a seat on each portfolio company's Board. Partners tend to invest in what they know, so finding a partner that has past work experience... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6385_15.html 25th August 2005 Corner computer desks are ideal for a corner space in the house or office. They give allow a worker to focus, giving the feel of an exclusive space. They optimize the space within a room and give a cozy look when decorated in tune with the rest of the ro... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6276_15.html 24th August 2005 Costs of fleet maintenance software can vary widely. It is generally expected that the fleet manager will look at the needs of the company to determine what software package is best suited for their particular needs. Depending upon the size of the company... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6275_15.html 24th August 2005 Ergonomic office chairs are extremely popular in today's office environment. Many employees find that they are sitting for more than eight hours per day while at work. It is important that ergonomic office chairs be used to reduce shoulder, back, and ne... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6273_15.html 24th August 2005 Any company that relies on selling a product or service needs strong sales lead generation. A sales lead is a prospective customer. Businesses try to get as much information about their sales leads as possible. They need to find out what makes this per... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6272_15.html 24th August 2005 Precision metal stamping is the process of making 3-dimensional metal parts, lettering and other embossing. This is a kind of metal stamping used mostly for decorative purposes. It is similar to normal metal stamping, which is the process of molding metal... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6271_15.html 24th August 2005 Products for sale need to be displayed in a manner which best presents them in the customers' eyes. For example, clothing needs to be folded on shelves, hung from racks or displayed on mannequins. Books need to be displayed in shelves, spinning racks and ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6268_15.html 24th August 2005 A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all of the features of a human face. Mannequin heads can be used in several different situations. They can be used to model hats, wigs, makeup, or be used as practice dummies by people learning to cut hai... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6266_15.html 24th August 2005 Forging partnerships to improve market penetration has become commonplace, particularly for "new economy" businesses. And, most companies proudly mention their many partnerships in their business plans. The fact is that, regardless of whom the partners... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6260_15.html 24th August 2005 The Marketing Plan section of the business plan demonstrates how a company will penetrate the market with its products and services. The Marketing Plan should include "the four P's" – Product, Promotions, Price, and Place. Products and/or Services The... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6256_15.html 24th August 2005 Entrepreneurs and companies who are seeking venture capital often negotiate with one or more venture capital firms on a number of important issues. These issues include the amount of capital to be raised, the investment terms, etc. The document which summ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6251_15.html 24th August 2005 Companies seeking capital often ask how long the Executive Summary of their business plan should be. The answer depends upon the use of the summary, mainly determining if 1) it precedes the full business plan, or 2) it will be used as a stand-alone docume... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6186_15.html 23rd August 2005 Many people ask how many graphs or charts they should have in their business plans. As with most other business planning questions, the answer is "it depends." This article discusses the key factors influencing the number of graphs and charts to include i... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6183_15.html 23rd August 2005 In developing their business plans, companies of all sizes face the challenge of determining the size of their markets. To begin, companies must present the size of their "relevant market" in their plans. The relevant market equals the company's sales if ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6182_15.html 23rd August 2005 All investors greatly desire and are motivated by a clear picture of a company's exit strategy, or the timing and method through which they can "cash in" on their investment. This picture best comes into focus when the key valuation and liquidity drivers ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6181_15.html 23rd August 2005 Many investors skip straight to the financial section of the business plan. It is critical that the assumptions and projections in this section be realistic. Plans that show penetration, operating margin and revenues per employee figures that are poorly r... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6180_15.html 23rd August 2005 Most companies that are worthy of raising venture capital have proprietary Intellectual Property (IP). In fact, the quality of the IP and the management team are often the two most important aspects of a venture capitalist's investment decision. The chall... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6179_15.html 23rd August 2005 Business plans continue to be an essential element of the capital-raising process. They must convince investors to take notice - investors that are shrewder today due to the ups-and-downs they have experienced over the past few years. Adding to the fin... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6178_15.html 23rd August 2005 Most companies vastly underestimate the time commitment necessary to successfully complete a financing. In actuality, a company seeking financing needs to budget between 500 to 1000 work-hours to the capital-raising process, spread out over a 6-9 month t... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6177_15.html 23rd August 2005 The Operations Plan is a critical component of any business plan as it presents the Company's action plan for executing its vision. The Operations Plan must detail 1) the processes that are performed to serve customers every day (short-term processes) and... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6176_15.html 23rd August 2005 Lake Tahoe is a pristine recreational lake area. With high-stake casino gambling and Las Vegas-style entertainment on one side and spiritual retreats and horseback riding on the other, you can't go wrong. Everything you could possibly want is available fo... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6102_29.html 23rd August 2005 Steamboat Springs, Colorado, or "Ski Town" as it is affectionately known, is one of the most charming and unique vacation destinations in the United States. The town prides itself as a place that offers world class service and amenities without the high p... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6101_29.html 23rd August 2005 A Bahamas vacation is something that most travelers will never forget. The 700 islands of the Bahamas make up a 100,000-square-mile archipelago, extending over 500 miles. Including uninhabited cays and large rocks, it has a total estimated land area of 5... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6100_33.html 23rd August 2005 There are a number of beautiful mountain ranges across the United States that provide wonderful vacation destinations. A mountain vacation can be an adventurous, fun-filled trip for the entire family, or it can be a secluded and relaxing romantic getaway... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6099_29.html 23rd August 2005 Cozumel an island paradise visited and adored by travelers from around the globe. It's not just the beautiful white sandy beaches that circle the island or the almost perfect year round vacation weather, nor is it the plentiful supply of lodging, interna... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6098_29.html 23rd August 2005 When Christopher Columbus called the Dominican Republic "the most beautiful land on earth," he did not realize that it would one day be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Columbus could well have been referring to Punta Cana! ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6097_29.html 23rd August 2005 Populated by Native-American Indians, the name Pocono means "stream between two mountains," and rightly so, since the Delaware River runs between two mountains. The history of the Poconos dates back to the 1800s where the first tourists stayed at boarding... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6096_29.html 23rd August 2005 More and more students, both in undergraduate and graduate institutions, are deciding to launch their own ventures upon graduation rather than taking the traditional route of working for another firm. Likewise, more and more individuals are leaving their ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6095_15.html 23rd August 2005 Wire Electrical Discharge Machining, Wire EDM, is a machining process that utilizes a wire filament that carries an electrical charge through the wire and is used to cut away the hard metal elements. There are two major components required for the wir... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6093_15.html 23rd August 2005 While several preventive maintenance software manufacturers offer free trials for their products before charging a fee, some companies offer their products for free. Free preventive maintenance software is rare, and is sometimes less thorough than softwa... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_6092_15.html 23rd August 2005 Although liposuction is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries in the U.S., prospective patients need to be aware that their individual results may vary. Many who are considering the surgery begin with false hopes that the surgery can trans... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3702_23.html 02nd August 2005 Humidors, in the broadest terms, refers to any room or container that is used to maintain constant humidity and can also refer to a room in which priceless art such as paintings or even the United States Declaration of Independence is preserved. However, ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3678_26.html 02nd August 2005 There are numerous microdermabrasion benefits. One of the most noteworthy advantages is that there is no downtime after treatment. Microdermabrasion evolved from a technique called dermabrasion. Dermabrasion has been around for decades and was used to tre... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3636_23.html 01st August 2005 What is a mini tummy tuck? Officially called a partial abdominoplasty, a mini tummy tuck simply removes unwanted skin and fat from the area below the navel. This type of procedure has substantially increased in popularity. A full tummy tuck, by contrast... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3635_23.html 01st August 2005 In a recent survey on pain conducted by the Stanford University Medical Center, arthritis pain was cited as the chief complaint among America's seniors, with thirty-two percent of the senior population listing arthritis as the specific cause of their suff... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3634_23.html 01st August 2005 Unlike most cigarettes, cigars are available in a wide variety of prices, and a wide variety of qualities. While the most discerning cigar aficionado can purchase brands costing upwards of several hundred dollars for just a small set, one can also choose... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3506_26.html 29th July 2005 When humidors where first created by Zino Davidoff in the early 20th century, they were large cellar humidors which certainly made for restricted travel. One now had the ability to strive for the perfect cigar, but only from home. Most people would agree ... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3505_26.html 29th July 2005 Acid reflux disease, also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD, afflicts millions of people. Many suffer from an occasional bout with heartburn, but acid reflux disease, as a diagnosis, should only be made if the heartburn causes impediments t... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3504_23.html 29th July 2005 Although most teenagers get some form of acne, adults in their twenties, thirties, forties, or even older, can develop acne. Men and women alike experience acne, but men get it more severely. There are many adult acne treatments to choose from. All acn... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3503_23.html 29th July 2005 Most bariatric surgeries can be performed using a minimally invasive technique called laparoscopic bariatric surgery. During this type of procedure, the surgeons make five or six tiny incisions instead of one large incision to perform the operation. The s... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3502_23.html 29th July 2005 Obesity, once seen as akin to laziness and overeating, is now understood as a complex disorder having to do with genetics and hormonal as well as lifestyle factors. People seem to have very different energy requirements; some can eat half as much as othe... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3501_23.html 29th July 2005 There are many styles of humidors that range from the smaller traveling humidor to the large cabinet and even walk-in room humidors. By far, the most popular humidor is the glass top humidor also referred to as the desktop humidor. While many people wi... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3494_26.html 28th July 2005 Acid reflux symptoms vary in degrees of discomfort, from person to person, and within different age groups. The most common and persistent symptom is a burning sensation centered in the middle of the chest and/or throat, brought on by stomach acid that ch... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3493_23.html 28th July 2005 Acne treatment for black skin is the same as that for white skin, with some exceptions. Some treatments for acne scars may cause temporary lightening of dark skin. Very dark or black skin may be less well-moisturized than lighter skin, so topicals like be... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3492_23.html 28th July 2005 Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery need to be aware of the ramifications. Although significant weight loss can be achieved with the procedure, patients need to have realistic weight loss expectations. Even after the surgery, most patients... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3491_23.html 28th July 2005 Gastric bypass surgery has many forms and can involve stapling and banding of the stomach as well as bypassing a portion of the small intestine. The most popular method today is a combination-approach that staples the stomach into a small pouch while rea... http://www.womensarticles.com/article_3490_23.html 28th July 2005