Business Black Belt®

Securities attorney on investors, investing and term sheets -- Jim Burk of Burk & Reedy, a Washington, DC-based law-firm who specializes in business law and financing. Jim has 40 years(!) experience in business law and business financing! He assists emerging companies in their initial stages of organization and then growing with the companies through the public offering stage. Jim assists domestic and international clients with business matters including corporate issues, contracts, mergers, acquisitions, venture capital financings, tax, asset protection, securities and franchise law. He has also assisted companies in securing seed and mezzanine funding for emerging companies.

Highlights:

Usual term-sheet gotchas that few people talk about?

Top 3 legal considerations => financing?

What often goes wrong with financings? What top 3 success factors were in place for your most successful financings?

Angel Investor, Rob Kramatz, Shares His Thinking on Investing in Companies, and Some New Ideas for Structuring the Deal Terms I‘m talking with Rob Kramarz, a serial entrepreneur and investor with interests in life sciences and technology. He’s been active in San Diego Venture Group, OCTANe (an accelerator in Orange County), Tech Coast Angels, Connect and the Biocom Capital Committee . With a background in technology management, Mr. Kramarz is currently managing director of 22nd Century Ventures, which is raising a fund and is a partner with Vantera Partners, which advises mid-market companies on financing, mergers and exits. Mr. Kramarz is considered an expert in new financing methods like revenue-based finance, crowdfunding, and public solicitations of private offerings. He founded non-profit Intelliversity – “a leadership academy for entrepreneurs led by investors,” that does research on successful leadership and financing strategies. He’s also author of the Successful-Entrepreneur.com blog and soon-to-be published book Put the Fun Back in Funding. Highlights: What do you look for in entrepreneurs? What inspires you to write a check sooner than later? What kinds of deal structures are investors looking for? How important is a business plan to you? Success cases and lessons learned? Disasters and lessons learned… Click here to learn more about my guest today: Rob Kramarz

Greg Writer, founder and CEO of the Angel Network. Greg has over 31 years experience in corporate finance, capital formation. At 21, he was the youngest owner / operator of a full service investment banking firm in the history of the US -- directly involved in over $100 million in financings, IPO's and acquisitions for early stage companies. In this interview we discuss how he responds to entrepreneurs, business plans and investor presentations -- how entrepreneurs demonstrate commitment to their business ("I'm committed�� isn't enough!)

Highlights:

What he sees as the priorities for financing a business these days

What are the first 3 things you want to know about a business?

What is it about the entrepreneur him/herself that is important?

How do I grab your interest with my "elevator" pitch?

What do you look for in a business plan? What kind of returns can I/should I provide/offer an investors?

What type of investors do I need or should I look for?

Where can I find investors?

Valuation what is and what is an easy way to understand how investors look at this.

What is the most common mistake Entrepreneur makes, that is like shooting themselves in the head with potential check writers. Real deal killers!

Biggest causes of failure and what to do about them.

What are we missing success-wise, that we should be including?

Tony Dohrmann is an expert on raising capital. In this podcast, he shares financing and business-building lessons from creating 6 companies, raising $50+ million from 390 investors, defending against a hostile take-over, and the realities of getting a complex product manufactured and onto the shelves at Home Depot, Costco, and on QVC.

Tony is also the founder of LifeSupport Medical, The Electronic Caregiver Company, and LaserShield Systems, Inc. His companies provide innovative electronic health management, medical emergency response, intrusion and environmental sensing.

Dohrmann's products have been featured on Good Morning America, The View, Montel Williams, Flip That House, Fox News, CNN, ABC news, CBS news, NBC news, Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, Art Bell, Steve Harvey, NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Wired Magazine, PC Magazine, and numerous others.

Highlights

No VC => Private money, PPM?

Equity Trust - enable investment thru retirement plans

Offer warrants @ price schedule that increases at intervals

How to structure the return

Valuation changes for up / down rounds Completing the financing round

I'm Burke Franklin, and after 35 years in business helping new and established businesses raise capital and gain higher success, I wanted to engage others to share their insights as well.

I hate it when good products, companies or people fail! Building a successful business and being a mindful and responsive entrepreneur is an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual bootcamp. Yet, few things are more rewarding and gratifying than succeeding with your own ideas and making a difference in the world.

In the Business Black Belt podcast, I interview successful investors, experts in business development, financing, marketing or management,and entrepreneurs who offer some enlightened insights into building your business... Ideas you can implement immediately.

I think you'll learn a lot from these interviews with these innovative thought leaders. So... if you have a vision and are inspired to do something... And if you want to build a profitable business doing what needs doing in our world... I think you'll enjoy listening to what these people can teach you! Welcome to the Business Black Belt podcast!