Startup One Stop

Good morning, All,

They’re called angels for a reason: there you are, more or less unproven as an entrepreneur, attempting to get your company off the ground and all you seem to hit are brick walls. Suddenly, an early stage investor appears, as if from above, and your whole world changes: you’re enterprise now has a fighting chance. But how do you get to them?

There’s the angel list, of course, and the New York Angels and the Arc Angels. Angels tend to show up at events, too – especially pitch events, if you know who they are and how to approach them. Another idea? Bring on an advisor or two who are subject matter experts, and if you can, find ones who have been successful entrepreneurs. Keep them involved and updated. Prove yourself and one of them might well turn into your angel. A bit of history: contrary to popular misconception, Tony Hsieh did not found Zappos. It was Nick Swinmurn, who was not having an easy time of it getting his venture going, and was introduced to Hsieh, who’d just sold his company, LinkExchange, to Microsoft. Hsieh came on as an investor and eventually, the two became co-CEOs. By the time Amazon acquired the company in 2009 for $1.2 billion, Hsieh was CEO and Swinmurn Founder, and doubt that he’s complaining. Read More...

Good morning, All,

Yes, there are three categories:

Entrepreneurs build businesses Read More...

Good morning, All,

So said Kelley Boyd, who spoke at our first SOS speaker event of the year (The Lean Movement: What You Need to Do – And Why You Probably Won’t Do It.) It really was a great presentation (sorry we didn’t record it – but we will try to have a video available for our next event, for those of you in far-off places). It was only one of the many points she covered, and although she didn’t cover this one until the end, we’re glad it was there, her point being that people talk the talk, because they can’t walk the walk. Try to be better coordinated: you learned how to walk and talk by the time you were, what, two? Apply those principles to your business and maybe, just maybe, you won't fall down.

We work in an industry rife with people who fake it till they make it. In fact, it’s a mantra for many - and it detracts from us all. In any other industry they were be marked as scammers or grifters. Or people who don’t fully understand their space and the possible repercussions of what they’re building (privacy? That’s sooo 90s. NOT). Trust me: I’ve learned a lot since founding bonniefoods. A lot of our products are gluten free – a very popular buzz word these days and a category that has made many a johnny-come-lately wealthy. All well and good, but gluten-free bakers have replaced wheat flour with rice flour and potato starch and consider: would you sit down to snack on a bowl of mashed potatoes and rice topped with sugar, chocolate and nuts? We don’t use rice flour and potato starch as a wheat replacement BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT A HEALTHY COMBINATION, not to mention that they’re higher in carbohydrates than is wheat – and a type 2 epidemic waiting to happen. Read More...

Good morning, All,

We will not be attending SxSW this year. Unless you have a reason to be there, save your money and your energy. Last year we had lunch with Brian Cohen (New York Angels) upon his return and he asked why we hadn’t attended. “Why did I need to be there?” I asked. “Because we were all there,” he answered, meaning investors.

It’s true. They are all there. So, if you do decide to go, how do you make the most of it? And this is more or less a general checklist for any conference that goes over several days, like Social Media Week, which is coming up this month in ten cities around the world, and which we will attend. Remember: neither is a sprint. Both are marathons: Read More...