Posts

5 Things Investors Need to Know in the First Moment You Meet Them

Get ready for presenting to investors. Get ready for Venture Madness. For this opportunity, the elevator pitch is a key to introducing your company and grabbing attention at the start.

Embracing the Startup Journey

—Brandon Clarke of StartupAZ Foundation and CRADL I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years.  Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.  ~ Steve Martin, Born Standing Up Where are you in your journey? I started my first company with no preconceived notion of being an […]

Invest Southwest sponsorship

5 Things Investors Are Interested In Knowing About Your Business

—by Chuck McLane at CBIZ MHM, LLC As you grow your business, new opportunities and risks may emerge. You need to be aware of key areas that any investor will want to examine before they put money into your organization. An experienced business advisor can help you maximize your benefits and minimize the liabilities. They can […]

I Asked, Dave Bittner Answered on Serving on the Board of Directors for Invest Southwest

Invest Southwest Executive Director, Karen Katzorke, talks with Invest Southwest Board Treasurer, Dave Bittner. Dave played volleyball at Penn State University, so he brings that energy and teamwork to the floor to rally support for Invest Southwest and to set many plays in motion. When he is not counting beans, Dave coaches and serves on […]

MODEL SOMETHING. 5 KEYS FOR DEFINING YOUR STARTUP BUSINESS MODEL.

Whatever your startup business, it is critical that you determine a revenue model to support it. Your business model is the plan your startup will implement to generate revenue and make a profit from operations. While there is room for creativity and customization, there are core areas that must be clear. Every model requires these […]

BE A CLOSER. 3 Key Components To A Presentation That Rocks

Your speech is great. You opened with a hook and hit all your main points. Now, you’re about out of time, and you need to wrap it up. So what do you say? Don’t blow your close. Don’t end with Q&A. The problem: you leave your audience remembering someone’s question instead of giving them a […]

What’s the Single Most Important Driver of the Phoenix Startup Scene?

Greater Phoenix—and all of Arizona—has more happening in its startup scene now more than ever. Ask anyone in the community and they’ll demonstrate their excitement and general bullishness for our ecosystem’s continued growth. I am often asked what has been “the biggest change” that occurred to improve our startup community over the last few years. […]

15 Great Resources for Phoenix Startups

It is often called the Silicon Desert. Phoenix is ripe with entrepreneurial activity and resources to support it. With an innovation ecosystem, Arizona attracts forward-thinking start ups. Here is a compilation of supportive sites for your bourgeoning business. EVENTS & SUPPORT: Arizona Commerce Authority—The Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC) awards the most money in the country […]

The 5, make that 7, most toxic personalities that can poison your startup

Building a startup team is critical because you are bringing on and managing employees with minimal resources. Entrepreneurs need to find exceptional people to help their companies accelerate. And, they need to avoid bad hires that can poison morale. Here are the most toxic personalities and how to look out for them. “Nay” sayer. We […]

Venture Madness Competitor Spotlight: Picmonic

Picmonic is the visual learning platform that improves memory retention by turning dry facts into unforgettable images. As co-founder and CEO, I’ve devoted much of my life to this entrepreneurial mission. When I heard about Venture Madness, I made the decision to enter our company into the competition. Like the name implies, it’s been quite […]