Ep 233 – Breaking Down Revenue-Based Financing

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 233 of the Success in Business Podcast. We are here for you every Monday to teach you about success in business and today is no different.

Today Tom breaks down revenue-based financing for us. It is a hybrid of sorts: part loan, part credit card. It is similar to a loan because the business gets a lump sum of cash up front to use to finance the business’ growth, perhaps toward the purchase of an asset or to finance production by purchasing machinery. It is also a little bit like a credit card.

The thing that really sets it apart is how it is to be repaid. It will be repaid based on taking a percentage of ongoing revenue. As sales ebb and flow the revenue will likewise fluctuate. So, with a revenue-based financing deal the payments will fluctuate, too.

In a future episode Tom will explain how to know if a revenue-based financing deal is right for you and your business. Thanks for listening!


Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

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Ep. 232 – Startup Secret Weapon: See Execution Risk Like an Investor

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 232 of the Success in Business Podcast. We are here for you every Monday to teach you about success in business and today is no different, except that our host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles want to start off by wishing you a Happy Halloween! We hope you have a fun, safe and spooky day!

Next thing, be sure to tune in to listen to these recent episodes for a little more background to today’s episode:

Episode 218 – See Risk Like an Investor, Part 1
Episode 219 – See Risk Like an Investor, Part 2
Episode 220 – See Risk Like an Investor, Part 3

Understand that the investors are looking at 10 other deals and they will make their decision very objectively. It will come down to your ability to execute.

Thanks for listening!


Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

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Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

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Ep. 231 – 12 Questions Every Investment Pitch Deck Must Answer – Part 4 of 4

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 231 of the Success in Business Podcast. Today your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles wrap up the list of 12 questions you’ve got to be ready to answer when meeting with an investor.

10. Is your team able to get it done?

It is critical that you can prove that you have assembled an incredible team. Even if it is a small team, that’s OK. It just can’t be you alone. At this point you need to have valuable people on your team.

11. How much money can you make in the next 3 to 5 years?

Investors’ business model is typically to invest and then liquidate in 3-5 years. They want to know that you can do that for them in that short amount of time.

12. How much money are you seeking, and what will you accomplish with it?

Now you need to “read” the flow of the conversation and get ready to ask a direct or semi-direct question. Are they still sitting back with their arms folded or do you have them leaning forward in their seat? Tom reminds us that you need to have a little swagger! Be confident that you are worth the risk!

Thanks for listening!


Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

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Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

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Ep. 230 – 12 Questions Every Investment Pitch Deck Must Answer – Part 3 of 4

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 230 of the Success in Business Podcast. Today your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles continue discussing the kind of thorough preparation you must do before meeting with an investor. There are 12 questions every investment pitch deck must answer. We’ll break this into 4 parts. Today, in part three, we cover questions seven through nine:

7. What success or traction have you achieved so far?
Great idea vs. great business model = how receptive the Market is.

8. Who do you need to beat, and how beatable are they?

9. How will you scale the business?

Thanks for listening!


Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes

Ep. 229 – 12 Questions Every Investment Pitch Deck Must Answer – Part 2 of 4

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 229 of the Success in Business Podcast. Today your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles continue discussing the kind of thorough preparation you must do before meeting with an investor. There are 12 questions every investment pitch deck must answer. We’ll break this into 4 parts. Today, in part two, we cover questions four through six:

4. What’s so special about your offering? This is a unique opportunity for you to prove that you have something innovative to bring to the table.

5. How do they make money? The investor is looking to make money. This isn’t a philanthropic venture for them. Basically, you have to remove all doubt that there is a real problem here for you to remedy. How is the investor going to make money?

6. How many customers will you reach, and how can you reach them? (How big is big?) OK, show them your traction. Show them who your customers are and how you find them.

Thanks for listening!


Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes

Ep. 228 – 12 Questions Every Investment Pitch Deck Must Answer – Part 1 of 4

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 228 of the Success in Business Podcast where your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles are getting the band back together with a great discussion on preparing to answer questions from investors! There are 12 questions every investment pitch deck must answer. We’ll break this into 4 parts. Today, in part one, we cover the first three questions:

1. What’s the big thing that you do for your customers? Meaning, what is your impact on the world and do your company’s name and tagline communicate it clearly? Here’s a great terrible example of a completely imaginary company right off the top of Jason’s head: “HydraDex – Because you shouldn’t have to.” What does this mean to you? It probably means nothing! Be sure to keep right on the forefront what you do for your customers.

2. What’s not easy for your customers to do today that you can fix? This is where you tell what you can do to improve the current market conditions.

3. How will you make your customers’ lives better? And, this is where you tell HOW.

Thanks for listening!


Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes

Ep. 227 – Insights From Crowdfunding Specialist Roy Morejon, Part 2

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 227 of the Success in Business Podcast, your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles have an incredible guest for today’s show. You are in for a real treat! We welcome back Roy Morejon, founder and President of Command Partners, which is a digital marketing agency in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their specialty is helping business owners manage their crowdfunding. They have raised over 80 million for their clients so far.

Roy Morejon, was a consultation for AOL and Microsoft as a teenager! As a 12-year-old he fell in love with AOL. (This is back when people were excited about getting e-mail. It was an event to log in and check your inbox. Now email marketing is everywhere.) He taught himself to code and hack the AOL system. He started up a little group on AOL called IQ. Eventually he was found out and he started consulting with AOL to help them fix their gaps. From there, he did some contract work for Microsoft when they were launching MSN. He realized that working for a large corporation wasn’t for him and he discovered his entrepreneurial spirit. He started his first agency in 2007.

Command Partners sets themselves apart by spending more time with their clients making sure that the manufacturing is truly teed up and ready for production so that there is no loss of trust with the community.

Tom Ryan asks Command Partners they really prepare their clients for the crowdfunding process and what business owners will they need to be ready to do, sacrifice and endure. Command Partners doesn’t just do advertising or PR; they manage all of the elements of the crowdfunding for the client. They take the ball; let them handle the anxiety and the worries for you. Request a Quote and Roy will be in touch with you.

What are the markers of a successful crowdfunding campaign? It’s getting the funding, of course, but also it is building up the initial community and getting the feedback from the beta testers. The whole idea is to get momentum faster and sometimes even fail faster if that will lead you to success sooner. Get the insight from your community before your official launch that way you are learning your lessons on a smaller scale first.

Tom and Roy discuss the difference between rewards-based crowdfunding and equity-based crowdfunding. What constitutes the right fit of business for certain types for crowdfunding. There must be a working prototype and there needs to be a marketing budget and a database of people.

So, what are the differences between the two most popular crowdfunding platforms? Kickstarter is the market leader and they have higher traffic and they are in the media more, they skew toward the male demographic. Indiegogo is the global crowdfunding platform, open to anything you want to launch including charity causes.

Check out our recent episodes to learn more about crowdfunding:

The Secrets to a Successful Kickstarter Campaign – Episode 209

The Secrets to a Successful Kickstarter Campaign, Part 2 – Episode 212

The Secrets to a Successful Kickstarter Campaign, Part 3 – Episode 213

What You Need to Know About Equity Crowdfunding with Guest Leo John – Episode 214

Equity Crowdfunding in North Carolina – Episode 215

Thanks for listening!


You can hear more from Roy Morejon by checking out his podcast:The Art of the Kickstart.

Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes

Ep. 226 – Insights From Crowdfunding Specialist Roy Morejon, Part 1

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 226 of the Success in Business Podcast, your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles have an incredible guest for today’s show. You are in for a real treat! Meet Roy Morejon, founder and President of Command Partners, which is a digital marketing agency in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their specialty is helping business owners manage their crowdfunding. They have raised over 80 million for their clients so far.

Roy Morejon, was a consultation for AOL and Microsoft as a teenager! As a 12-year-old he fell in love with AOL. (This is back when people were excited about getting e-mail. It was an event to log in and check your inbox. Now email marketing is everywhere.) He taught himself to code and hack the AOL system. He started up a little group on AOL called IQ. Eventually he was found out and he started consulting with AOL to help them fix their gaps. From there, he did some contract work for Microsoft when they were launching MSN. He realized that working for a large corporation wasn’t for him and he discovered his entrepreneurial spirit. He started his first agency in 2007.

Command Partners sets themselves apart by spending more time with their clients making sure that the manufacturing is truly teed up and ready for production so that there is no loss of trust with the community.

Tom Ryan asks Command Partners they really prepare their clients for the crowdfunding process and what business owners will they need to be ready to do, sacrifice and endure. Command Partners doesn’t just do advertising or PR; they manage all of the elements of the crowdfunding for the client. They take the ball; let them handle the anxiety and the worries for you. Request a Quote and Roy will be in touch with you.

What are the markers of a successful crowdfunding campaign? It’s getting the funding, of course, but also it is building up the initial community and getting the feedback from the beta testers. The whole idea is to get momentum faster and sometimes even fail faster if that will lead you to success sooner. Get the insight from your community before your official launch that way you are learning your lessons on a smaller scale first.

Tom and Roy discuss the difference between rewards-based crowdfunding and equity-based crowdfunding. What constitutes the right fit of business for certain types for crowdfunding. There must be a working prototype and there needs to be a marketing budget and a database of people.

So, what are the differences between the two most popular crowdfunding platforms? Kickstarter is the market leader and they have higher traffic and they are in the media more, they skew toward the male demographic. Indiegogo is the global crowdfunding platform, open to anything you want to launch including charity causes.

Check out our recent episodes to learn more about crowdfunding:

The Secrets to a Successful Kickstarter Campaign – Episode 209

The Secrets to a Successful Kickstarter Campaign, Part 2 – Episode 212

The Secrets to a Successful Kickstarter Campaign, Part 3 – Episode 213

What You Need to Know About Equity Crowdfunding with Guest Leo John – Episode 214

Equity Crowdfunding in North Carolina – Episode 215

Thanks for listening!


You can hear more from Roy Morejon by checking out his podcast:The Art of the Kickstart.

Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes

Ep. 225 – Keeping Up With Your Company’s Growth With Levi Morehouse

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 225 of the Success in Business Podcast, your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles pick up where they left off with part 3 of 3 of their conversation with guest Levi Morehouse founder and CEO of Ceterus. Ceterus an Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Company. You build your business. They’ll do your books.

Levi shares how he has turned his bookkeeping company into an incredible business consultant service, too because they can advice their clients so well, knowing their industry and market on a deeper level. When they acquire and begin to specialize in a new niche it takes a little bit of time for Ceterus to ramp up and that is how they can truly claim that they are proficient in that space. When the customers are really engaged, the process can be accelerated. Smart operators in that business can provide insights into the true drivers of the business and the financial markers that matter.

Ceterus has found a few niches in working with quick service and full service restaurants; health, wellness and beauty franchises like Massage Envy. They choose to stick strictly to their niches so they can only offer services that are truly the best services available.

46% of small business failure is due to are due to mismanaged book keeping or not understanding financial reporting. The biggest mistake that business owners make is that they do not have a current understanding of their financial health.

Thanks for listening!


You can hear more from Roy Morejon by checking out his podcast:The Art of the Kickstart.

Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes

Ep. 224 – The Challenge of Letting Good Customers Go With Levi Morehouse

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 224 of the Success in Business Podcast, today your host Tom Ryan and producer Jason Pyles pick up where they left off with part 2 of 3 of their conversation with guest Levi Morehouse founder and CEO of Ceterus. Ceterus an Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Company. You build your business. They’ll do your books.

Levi shares how he has turned his bookkeeping company into an incredible business consultant service, too because they can advice their clients so well, knowing their industry and market on a deeper level. When they acquire and begin to specialize in a new niche it takes a little bit of time for Ceterus to ramp up and that is how they can truly claim that they are proficient in that space. When the customers are really engaged, the process can be accelerated. Smart operators in that business can provide insights into the true drivers of the business and the financial markers that matter.

Ceterus has found a few niches in working with quick service and full service restaurants; health, wellness and beauty franchises like Massage Envy. They choose to stick strictly to their niches so they can only offer services that are truly the best services available.

46% of small business failure is due to are due to mismanaged book keeping or not understanding financial reporting. The biggest mistake that business owners make is that they do not have a current understanding of their financial health.

Thanks for listening!


You can watch some testimonials from Ceterus customers here.

You can follow Ceterus on Facebook here.

You can follow Ceterus on Twitter here.

You can catch up with Ceterus on LinkedIn here.

Tweet Tom at: @TomRyanAVL

Do you have a question about your business? Tom would love to help you:

Leave a voicemail: (801) 228-0663

E-mail your questions: SuccessInBusinessPodcast@gmail.com

Like this podcast on Facebook

Follow this podcast on Twitter: @TomRyanSIBP

Get every episode free: Subscribe in iTunes