Monthly Archives: July 2012

Want Some Financing With That Seasonal Brew?

 

Jim Koch, who started the Boston Beer Co. in 1984, found that banks did not want to lend money to his or other start-ups. The inherent aversion to risk in the banker DNA means that they prefer to deal with businesses that have positive cash flows today rather than the promise of rosy returns in the future. Koch decided to start his own program, Brewing the American Dream, to help food, beverage, and hospitality entrepreneurs in the Boston area launch their businesses.

Koch comes form a long line of brew masters–six generations and counting–but is not what one may think of as a beer drinker with little training for running a company that features such a powerful brand as Sam Adams. With a bachelor’s degree, a law degree, and an MBA from Harvard, he has been groomed for this moment. He now wants to make sure that others get the right combination of instruction, mentoring, and capital to be successful in their own rights.

An article on businessweek.com last spring by Nick Leiber tells the story. Launched in 2008, the initiative aims to go beyond traditional corporate philanthropy to “leverage” Boston Beer employees’ expertise, “rather than just giving away money or time or beer,” says Koch. “I wish I could’ve had some loan money instead of having to raise equity, and I would’ve loved to have advice about the nuts and bolts of growing a business.”

Now the program, Brewing the American Dream, which has advised nearly 3,000 business owners and financed more than $1 million in small loans for about 150 businesses, is going national. Boston Beer, the largest craft brewer in the U.S., plans to lend at least $1 million this year, hold monthly speed-coaching events in major cities across the country, and curate an online-networking and education site for participants. The coaching events, at which beer flows freely, are meant to be informal and are open to any business owner, not just loan recipients. 

Lieber continues on to write,

Koch isn’t seeking a financial return from Boston Beer’s investment in the program—a tiny fraction of the $157 million the company says it spent in 2011 on advertising, promotions, and selling expenses. “There is a huge amount of coaching, hand-holding, advice to get the repayment [rate] up to 95 percent,” says Koch. “I know from the economics of our program; you lose money on it. It has to be philanthropic.”

Supporting small businesses through donations to nonprofit lenders has been catching on among prominent companies, which have created programs such as Goldman Sachs’s (GS) 10,000 Small Businesses andStarbucks’s (SBUX) Create Jobs for USA. “But [Boston Beer’s] combination of employee engagement, capital resources, and mentoring feels new to me—and very much a response driven by what’s been happening in the economy in the U.S. over the last several years,” says Harman. “It was a right time in the economy because lending had all but come to a halt and small businesses were really struggling.”

Notice the elements that are mentioned as hallmarks and critical success factors of the program.

  • Access to capital at reasonable rates
  • Coaching/mentoring
  • Networking

Every entrepreneur would benefit from this favorable combination. Unfortunately, many incubators and accelerators make capital expensive by taking an equity position in the companies they “help.” Non-profit organizations established to provide the coaching and mentoring often put a cap on the number of hours an entrepreneur can access assistance. The networking component is equally important. Instead of events where the beer flows and superficial conversations seldom lead to business plan execution, what is needed is more one-on-one opportunities. When start-up companies are housed in settings where the participants can pass one another in the halls, serve as peer counsel, and make key introductions for one another, success is far more likely.

 

Need Outside Investors? Choose Wisely

Is private equity in your future? Many closely held businesses reach a point where their capital structure is not supportive of their cash and other financing needs.  When internal resources and bank money is no longer enough, the business owner and/or CFO has to find outside sources. Seeking outside investment is not, however, an easy process. The search needs to resemble a courting relationship that used to be so common in interpersonal relationships. You are, after all, seeking to build a long-term partnership.

Inc. online has a column entitled Herding Gazelles. In a post today, Karl Stark & Bill Stewart point out what to look for in private equity investors:

1. Find the right investor.

Angel investors, venture capital funds and large corporations all have different investment profiles. Each has a specific motivation and a process they typically use to create value.  Partnering with the wrong investor often means that your business will be asked to meet investor goals that may not align with your goals for the business. Find an investor whose objectives are in sync with the business you are building. 

2. Agree to a common view on how to maximize value.

At the outset of your partnership, spend time to align on the facts around the business and its markets, then discuss your strategy and how it will maximize value for the business.   Make sure both parties are clear on the roles they will play and the expectations for how the investors will participate and add value to the business. A successful relationship is all about setting and communicating the right expectations and engaging in open communication when events necessitate a change in those expectations.

3. Align on the right incentives and desired outcomes for both parties.

Clearly lay out the personal, professional, and financial goals for both you and your investor. Identify areas where you can work together to help each other reach his or her individual goals. The investor will likely have a specific timeline in mind for an exit and may have expectations about an exit price. This will have a large impact on their view of various strategic decisions. As a CEO and management team, you may also have specific expectations about how to grow the business. Put these all on the table, especially if they may be in conflict, so you can manage expectations upfront and amicably.

4. Leverage your investor’s experience, not just their money.

Brainstorm with your investor about ways in which he or she might help push the business forward. In some instances this may be obvious, such as a partnership with a corporate entity, but you may be surprised at other things the investor can offer beyond financial support. Investors typically have seen successes and failures and can share their advice.  They may have a wealth of contacts, even potential customer relationships, that could provide value to the business. Don’t overlook these intangibles.

A private equity investor will be a key member of your management team, so you need to build a strong, lasting relationship with them-just as you would with any of your key team members. Using your investor to the fullest will be critical to fueling the growth of your business.

Following these guidelines is just good common sense. We would add to the suggestions that it is important to identify “fit” before anything is on the line. Discussing how decisions will be made, what outside professional services firms will be used, and how the composition of boards of directors and advisors ahead of time is a good way to learn about the investor’s priorities and values. While agreeing on how to maximize value is important, it is even more important to identify what metrics represent value.  Great advice on leveraging an investor’s experience–ask what they plan to bring to the partnership beyond money. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

 

Business Plan Primer

 

Not all business plans are the same; the type plan that is needed in start-up mode should be quite different than what would be used in a later stage. Early stage businesses should document milestones the team plans to accomplish, with mini-plans for describing how the milestones will be accomplished. Mature businesses have the luxury of using broader brush strokes to describe processes, personnel, and performance metrics. Regardless the stage, plans are required by lenders or investors to whet their appetites.

Dave Lavinsky, in a recent newsletter article  for GrowThink entitled The Ammunition Every Business Needs, writes:

When you think about it, this is really intuitive. Here’s why. Business plans are read by investors and lenders for risk management reasons. These money sources realize they are taking a risk with every check they write, and want to mitigate this risk. The business plan explains to them how the business will use their funding, and paints a picture as to the likelihood that they will get an adequate return on investment.

For mature businesses, the business plan is just one of severable variables the investor or lender can assess in their decision-making. For example, if you have a mature company, the investor or lender can speak to your customers, analyze your financial history, assess your team members’ backgrounds, compare your product to competitive offerings, and so on. As a result, if your business plan is weak but the other factors are really strong, your mature company may still receive funding.

On the other hand, for a new company, particularly one that doesn’t yet have revenues, the quality of your business plan is critical; because it is one of very few variables that the investor or lender can review. The investor or lender can consider your business plan, the bios or you and your team, and maybe a product or service prototype if you have one. That’s pretty much it.

General tips Lavinsky recommends for business plans include:

1. Always remember that your business plan is a marketing document

2. Write with confidence, but be careful of superlatives

3. Answer the key questions, but not all the questions

It is up to you, through the power of your written words, to be winsome. Convincing. Persuasive. You are trying to demonstrate that what you are offering addresses a real problem with a viable solution that your organization can provide in a uniquely satisfying way.

Succinctly discuss your process, document the metrics you plan to use to measure success, and share how your team has experience in performing the responsibilities  required to execute the plan. Don’t use ambiguous phrases that make it sound like you are inexperienced. Overstating your hand, however, by using words like “most,” best,” etc will only undermine your credibility.

Make sure you demonstrate your knowledge of  the competitive environment and a winning strategy to secure target market share. Write about your customer profile and how your offering will be appealing. Discuss marketplace trends and how they impact the strategy you are pursuing. Finally, tell the reader how the money you seek will be used, when, and why.

 

Entrepreneurs Have Not Because They Ask Not

The world of entrepreneurship is becoming more divided almost daily between the “haves” and the “have nots.” In this context, we would be referring to technology. Whether a start-up is seen as a technology company or not is determining not only valuations, but access to resources. One of the more common resources available to tech companies that “have” what others presume it takes to cash out somewhere in their trajectory for a very favorable multiple is an incubator, increasingly referred to synonymously as an accelerator.

Until very recently, these accelerators extract an equity position in the start-up company’s cap table in order to justify the risk of helping them for very little compensation up front. Most tech entrepreneurs learn to play the game this way and progress through the angel–Series A–Series B–etc process if they hit their milestones. But…the “have nots” bristle at the model and try to create worthwhile businesses without giving up equity. Unfortunately, they also try to go without mentoring and systematic instruction–to their detriment.

There is an emerging trend toward fee-based offerings that is on the horizon. Organizations like EntreDot, with a fashion innovation center and an industry agnostic innovation center in downtown Cary, NC, prefer the fee-based “pay to play” model. The premise is that a Main Street entrepreneur (otherwise known as “have not”) needs access to resources just like a tech start-up. In order for the innovation centers to provide services like instruction, mentoring, and space, they charge the entrepreneur on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. While this may be an affront to the typical “have” start-up mentality, it meets with less resistance among “have nots.”

Leaders of accelerators around the country who are trying to convert to more of the fee-based services model point to the fact that competition is stiffer than ever to get into the top  accelerators and too many entrepreneurs are being left by the wayside, just as the “have nots” have been for a longer period of time. What the newly disenfranchised and ignored sectors of entrepreneurship have in common is that they are trying to figure out how to commercialize an idea.  They each need help to do so!

Alexander Taub, the director of business development at the Des Moines, Iowa-based mobile-payment network Dwolla, spoke recently with Lauren Cannon for an article on the topic for Young Entrepreneur. Really young companies that aren’t necessarily ready for the big time may not benefit from accelerators, he says. Still, Taub does use General Assembly’s offices, which serve as Dwolla’s NYC home base. The value from using the co-working space stems from connecting with other companies that are also being incubated there, he says. “That’s definitely worth it… We’re part of the community.”

Plus, the experience might be worth paying a little extra for. At the Cary Innovation Center, less than six months of involvement has lead to strong growth for its initial two residents, Shelten Media and the CaryCitizen. Shelten saw an increase in billings of over 60% in her first 60 days and is now looking for larger space at the Center. CaryCitizen has seen their staff grow from two to five people as advertising revenues have increased. Both companies appreciate the value of the mentoring, but are committed to the program due to the cross pollination occurring among the residents. While it is definitely a significant and personal choice to decide to become a part of an accelerator (or innovation center as EntreDot calls theirs), the proof is in the results. As long as those serving the participants help them achieve desirable results, they will enjoy helping both the “have nots” and some who would otherwise be in the “have” category.

 

It’s the Emotions, Stupid!

 

Have you ever seen a scenario like the following play out? Someone new joins the company. After the newness wears off, the new hire finds someone with whom he can identify and begins “sharing” concerns about the workplace. The things he brings up, purportedly, are meant to help. After a while, the observations being offered shift from seemingly inane to almost accusatory about other members of the team. Eventually, the newbie may feel emboldened to make suggestions about hiring, firing, and everything in between as though having the authority and credibility to make such changes.

Over time, the positive culture in your department or broader category begins to turn negative at times. Other staff members come to you as a manager and let you know that they, too, have been approached by the newbie with complaints.  At this point, it is not uncommon for us to feel embarrassed, frustrated, or angry about what’s happening. We can become justifiably fearful that one person is poisoning many others. Like a contagious disease, negativity can soon permeate an organization if unchecked.

Even when organizational performance is sky high, a pervasive negative attitude can sap your group of the energy needed to sustain success. Emotions are an important part of the workplace–on both good and bad ways. Many of us have been victims of horrid customer service from employees of organizations who clearly do not enjoy what they do for a living. Contrastingly, we all hopefully have had the experience of a “Ritz Carlton” type experience where the employee loves serving customers.

Tony Schwartz, writing for the Harvard Business Review Blog Network, decided to let go of (just such a) negative executive, “both because he’d lost the trust of our team, and because I didn’t believe he was capable of changing. The day I made the move, it was as if a cloud had lifted and the sun came back out.”

Lessons Schwartz took away from this experience:

  • The emotions people bring to work are as important as their cognitive skills, and especially so for leaders.
  • Because it’s not possible to check our emotions at the door when we get to work — even when that’s expected — it pays to be aware of what we’re feeling in any given moment. You can’t change what you don’t notice.
  • Negative emotions spread fast and they’re highly toxic. The problem with the executive we let go was not that he was critical, but rather that he was so singularly focused on what was wrong that he lost sight of the bigger picture, including his own negative impact on others.
  • Authenticity matters because you can’t fake positivity for long. It is possible to put on a “game face” — to say you’re feeling one way when you’re actually feeling another — but the truth will ultimately reveal itself in your facial, vocal, and postural cues. We must learn to monitor and manage our moods.
  • The key to balancing realism and optimism is to embrace the paradox of realistic optimism. Practically, that means having the faith to tell the most hopeful and empowering story possible in any given situation, but also the willingness to confront difficult facts as they arise and deal with them directly.

In working with organizations on development issues and advising them on strategy, I have found that emotions are often the elephant in the room, undiscussed but omnipresent. For this reason, I often lead workshops on the topic of emotional intelligence (EQ).  When it comes to high potential leaders, EQ mentoring can help change behaviors and create a more healthy environment in which better decisions are likely to be made.