Category: Uncategorized

SETTING UP FOREIGN OFFICES is almost always invaluable if you plan to do business or raise capital abroad. Most CEOs make the fatal mistake in thinking that this is costly (rent, phone, a secretary at least), heavy ear an tear on key staff (travel back and firth), and complex (wholly owned subsidiaries). None of these common objections are true. Done properly, with the right help, this can be a few hundred dollars a month. Done properly, they will greatly assist your foreign business activities. View in LinkedIn

GOOD BOARDS ARE KEY FOR GOOD COMPANIES. This excellent article summarizes key elements on both sides of the table. Memorable reading, and a MUST READ for all young companies thinking a out a board for the first time. http://lnkd.in/iE5EqQ View in LinkedIn

DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS RELATIONS CAN BE DAUNTING. You know that you must either raise capital overseas, or try and book foreign sales. You do not perhaps have perfect language skills (English for most places is the business language), or you know that the cultural issues will be hard to learn (Asia). Having international advisors is CRITICAL to guide you in this challenging task. They can setup the logistics, help interpret, give cultural guidance, and open doors. Failure to use them risks blowing your one and only chance to get your message to your future foreign partner. View in LinkedIn

BIOLOGICAL DRUGS ARE BECOMING HALF OF DRUG APPROVALS and the face of future medicine. These enormous numbers illustrate the value generation from a single big hit in pharmaceuticals. http://lnkd.in/QVRs6k View in LinkedIn

MBOs CAN BE VERY VALUABLE. Some business gurus feel these may be archaic. I happen to like them a lot, when constructed thoughtfully. Corporate goals and personal goals must be clear and measurable. According to what percentage of your goal you meet, you will be rewarded at year-end with stock/cash bonuses. You can develop these with your whole organization so that they aim to achieve your corporate strategy. At year-end, the management will give the Comp Committee of the board their data summaries and recommendations. This is a great metric to focus and reward achievements, not effort. View in LinkedIn

STAR TRECK ARRIVES in our offices with the many occasions of news like this. The most important entrepreneurial question is to stand on the shoulders of giants and ask: "what else can this be applied to?" http://lnkd.in/FDAkP6 View in LinkedIn

STRATEGIC PLANNING SHOULD BE ONGOING. Most companies give lip-service to strategic planning, and fail to grasp that this is Make-Or-Break for all companies. If you have any competition, or even just fickle customers, by definition you must do it. That effectively means everybody. Properly done, this creates a living RoadMap, that must be updated at least annually. Done well, it creates a corporate mission that is about being clearly differentiated in your space, and thus more likely to gain market share, even if you are a tech company years from the market. Be clearly differentiated! View in LinkedIn

EUROPE IS STILL A KNOWLEDGE SUPERPOWER, as these awards show, and their intent is to close the gap with the US. These two very significant awards are bound to generate numerous collaborations, IP, and Tech spinouts. A very innovative and bold step in the right direction of supporting Tech research. http://lnkd.in/paX4Fs View in LinkedIn

HIGH TECH COMPANIES NEED AN ORTHODOX CAPITAL STRUCTURE. This translates as meaning that the founder must give away enough stock to create a Stock Option Pool (SOP) of about 20% post-Series A funding for future stock awards and stock for new hires. Some EC countries (Spain for instance) have odd laws that give a heavy tax penalty for this structure. There are work-arounds that solve this, such as Phantom Stock. If you do not have this, it will almost certainly cause problems with foreign investors who are used to seeing this capital structure. Fixing this early is vital. View in LinkedIn

DILUTION IS ALWAYS A TOUGH ISSUE FIRST TIME AROUND for most entrepreneurs and Angel investors. Remember, all of nothing is nothing, and less of a bigger pie is more valuable. Founders should take care (do the sums and argue your position) to ensure that they and key staff have enough stock to keep them motivated going forward. Try and avoid at all costs any anti-dilution clauses (for anyone), as they will almost certainly cause problems in later rounds. View in LinkedIn