Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor I know the word you are thinking of. But, actually, the word is ‘exit.’ Many have tried to explain venture capital (VC). For entrepreneurs, VC is hope in a check. They hope that VCs like their idea (hence the fascination with Shark Tank) and […]
Leila Blacking is the senior strategy team leader for innovation at Publix Supermarkets, a Fortune 100 grocery retailer. She has been on the receiving end of hundreds of pitches by small businesses seeking Publix’s business, including food businesses, logistics companies and tech startups. Her advice can help a small business […]
The year 2020 kicked off like a winner for Cheeseburger Baby. The Super Bowl, the Miami International Boat Show and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival were huge for the small Miami Beach business known for its tasty classic-style burgers and accompaniments that have served celebrities, residents, workers and […]
In the challenging capital-raising environment that we are in, entrepreneurs have been increasingly tapping their own crowds. That crowdfunding appears to be trending now perhaps shouldn’t be surprising. In survey after survey – even before the coronavirus crisis – access to capital is always one of the biggest challenges cited […]
OBE Power was on a roll. In February, the energy startup had been installing its electric vehicle charging stations at a fast clip, it had just hired a CTO from Apple, and was in the middle of a capital raise. The company had enjoyed 36 straight months of revenue growth. […]
The COVID-19 crisis is just one more reminder about the importance of a succession plan. A smart succession plan is just good business, protecting your legacy, company. Customers, employees, and relatives when a family business is impacted. Most large companies have them, but many small and mid-size business owners avoid […]
In launching or growing a startup, there’s one tool every entrepreneur needs in their startup toolbox: A knowledgeable, honest and trusted advisory board. Startup expert Ricardo Weizs, a consultant at Florida SBDC at FIU that specializes in startup growth and access to capital, believes many startups lack industry expertise – […]
COVID-19 shut trade shows down, closing off one of small businesses’ largest marketing and networking channels. Even so, the shows have gone on – albeit virtually. One small business owner told me this week he was supposed to be at his industry’s largest trade show but instead he is on […]
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor Billion-Dollar Entrepreneurs (BDEs) are defined as entrepreneurs who have built ventures from startup to more than $1 billion in sales and valuation. Billion-Dollar Entrepreneurship (BDE-ship) is defined as the process used by BDEs to build these ventures. This blog explains the difference between the […]
Nearly six months ago, I interviewed Pilar Guzman Zavala, owner of Half Moon Empanadas, after she had to shut all but one of her company’s 13 locations for Argentinian style-empanadas, including the lucrative Miami International Airport sites. She and her husband and co-founder, Juan Zavala, were looking at zero sales […]