How To

September 13By Comments OffRead more...

Startup Capital Series: Angel Investors vs. Venture Capital

All startup companies require capital of some kind. In the initial stages of a company, funding can be hard to find. Most founders get started by using personal funds, bootstrapping money from personal savings, loans and credit cards, or using revenue from the company's profit to reinvest back into the company (known as sales-led growth strategy). When businesses need to scale at a faster pace than these methods provide, they will often turn to outside investors to fuel the growth of their company.  It is important to note that less than 1% of all companies raise angel or venture capital. The companies that do are typically launching a hot new technology and they need a...

September 8By 0 CommentsRead more...

Is a Nonprofit the right road for you? 

Are you considering starting a nonprofit? Pam Cannell from BoardBuild breaks down the road map for deciding if a nonprofit is the best road for you to take.   You see a problem, you think you have a solution, so you say to yourself, “I think we should start a new nonprofit.”  Do you have a unique solution? First you should verify that your ideas are different from the more than 7000(!!!) nonprofit organizations already operating in Tarrant County and, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the 1.5 million nonprofits registered in the United States. Surely the mission and services...

July 21By 0 CommentsRead more...

Accelerator vs. Incubator: Which One is Right for You?

An entrepreneur has several different options to choose from when it comes to getting help with their scalable startup. Sometimes they need a mentor. Other times they need a developer, an accountant, a lawyer, or funding. In the end, entrepreneurs will almost always need some kind of help to either get their business off the ground or to grow and scale it. Two commonly used options are an accelerator and incubator. You may have heard these two terms thrown around before, but what are they, and what are the main differences between them? Accelerator The goal of this program is to “accelerate” the growth of these companies by preparing them to be attractive to early-stage investors in a short amount of time. An accelerator is a program that...

April 27By Comments OffRead more...

Making the Most of Your Clubhouse Experience

In our Clubhouse 101 post we shared some of the terminology used in Clubhouse, how to set up your profile and begin getting connected and how to join a room. If you are new to Clubhouse and you didn’t see our previous blog, please check that one out first. Now that you have listened in on a few rooms...let’s get you talking!    Getting started Let’s start with just being in a room. In the hallway, you can see rooms that are actively happening when you open the map. You can jump into any room instantly. Be sure to join a topic that interests you. You are in the audience (I suggest sitting in on a few rooms before you start moderating any rooms...

April 22By Comments OffRead more...

Clubhouse 101

So... what is Clubhouse?   If you have heard of it but are not sure exactly what it is, we are here to help. Through trial and error, we compiled the “need to know” tips for you. Essentially, Clubhouse is a free audio social media application where you can converse in rooms based on interests, while other people can tune into the room and listen. In a COVID world, the app that lets you hear another person’s voice and network with people you typically would not have the opportunity to. No wonder it took off in the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial communities, and eventually, piquing the interest of big-name celebrities, like Oprah, Elon Musk, and Chris Rock. But first, a warning. Currently, the app is still in beta stages,...

March 4By Comments OffRead more...

5 Things You Need to Know About Accessing Start-up Capital

Looking for funding to start or grow your start-up business? As a Start-up, a business with less than two years of operation, you face unique funding challenges. The good news is that there is a community of resources available to help [Thank you Sparkyard]!  Knowledge is power. By increasing your understanding about how to prepare for accessing capital that power is yours.  I like to think of preparation in terms of those little, stackable children’s toys: Legos.  When new entrepreneurs talk about the ideas they have for a business, those ideas are often scattered, like a box of spilled Legos. The little colorful...

August 5By Comments OffRead more...

10 Things You Should Know About Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship. It's a big, scary word that's impossible to spell correctly. What does it mean? According to the Oxford dictionary, it means “ the activity of setting up a business”, but entrepreneurship, and being an entrepreneur means a lot more than that. Read more to learn about 10 things you should know about entrepreneurship. 1. You need to pursue something you are passionate about. Being an entrepreneur is a lot of hard work. And some days, you’ll want to quit, throw in the towel. That is why it is so important to find something you are passionate about. It will keep you motivated...

May 4By Comments OffRead more...

Company Grand Reopening: Things to Consider

Is your business ready for post conronvirus economy? The coronavirus pandemic will have a lasting impact on how business is conducted moving forward. Have you addressed all of the adjustments, shifts and pivots needed to re-open in the near future? If you are in a time of slow growth, or your business is currently shut down, NOW is the time to prepare for the influx of sales when the country re-opens. The demand for your product or service is still there – it may just be “paused” due to government regulations or a shift in consumer spending habits/priorities. Below is a list...