After taking an idea to building a team and developing a product, you ‘the Entrepreneur’ needs to begin thinking about what type of company you would like to start out with.  Here is a guide on the different types of incorporations:

Getting an idea off the ground and turning it into a business is no easy task; whether or not it’s successful is a whole different topic. Follow the” Idea to Venture Roadmap” and turn that 3am realization of a product or service into a start-up venture.

Through my experience with IDEA – Northeastern Venture Accelerator, working at a Venture Capital firm, and starting my own companies; I have heard countless times from my peers the dreadful questions of “When to raise money for a Venture?”

The investment world is changing and for the better. Large venture capital firms have to find ‘attractive’ investments (large exits) that will yield them high enough returns to make it worthwhile which are extremely difficult to find or predict. Incubators and milestone driven micro-funds are leading the charge in helping ventures build track record and prove their concept.

For all the early companies, the stages of development are crucial to plan out. This week’s post will highlight a concept called Ready, Set, and GO! A phrased coined to help Entrepreneurial leaders understand where they are and what should be their next step.

Every Entrepreneur you speak to has the vision of raising capital; but for what? Through my experience of working at a VC firm and leading Northeastern’s Venture Accelerator Program: IDEA, I have seen countless times a line item for Engineering, Product Development, etc… and based on my experience every Entrepeneur can get a lot further without a real need for money.

Here are three reasons why?

By now you have realized that raising money for any venture isn’t as easy as tying your shoe laces. Here are 3 suggestions to keep you on the right path as you get your startup off the ground.

As you all know, Massachusetts is putting their best foot forward in an attempt to help Entrepreneurs launch successful businesses. Programs such as Stay in MA, Mass it’s all here, and MassChallenge are working on jump starting the startup eco-system in the common wealth.

So as an Entrepreneur, you have gathered your team, built your prototype, and now hungry for that instant growth substance called “Cash”.

In my previous post, “The Next Generation of Launching Your Company” I explained a roadmap that got you ready for Venture Capital investments. This week, let’s look at a few alternatives:

Traditionally, every Entrepreneur ran from one Venture Capital firm to the next with their pitch book, power point presentation, and objective of raising between $1 to $2 million to get their company off the ground. Their plan was to hit all the milestones and objectives, raise another $5 million, ramp sales and waited a few years to get acquired or go public.

So you’ve got the introduction to that VC you don’t know, made that awesome presentation, and now you have to choose who to take funding from.