Tag Archives: success in business podcast

Ep 243 – Downsides of Revenue Based Financing and Startup Funding Advice from Lighter Capital and Ceterus CEOs BJ Lackland and Levi Morehouse

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 243 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 has invited two guests to join the show. We proudly welcome CEO Lighter Capital, BJ Lackland and Levi Morehouse the founder and CEO of Ceterus onto the Success in Business Podcast. They are experts in Revenue Based Funding and have great insights for entrepreneurs.

Revenue Based financing can be described as a royalty agreement. It’s a way to acquire capital and pay it back on a schedule that matches the cash flow of your business.

Lighter Capital provides that kind of capital to start-ups and is more interested in helping the companies that they partner with succeed as opposed to getting their money back. Lighter is the more friendly option for start ups looking for capital. They use technology to gather the data more quickly. Additionally they factor in the individual and personal partnership much more highly than other sources of capital including banks would. They want to get to know your business. They are looking at personality and awareness of operation.

Ceterus is a SAS company that started in 2008. In any industry, developing a product is expensive. Ceterus had self-funded the development of a software product to which they were selling subscriptions and it was really taking off. They wanted to be able to keep growing as opposed to holding tight and stagnant. He was in a part of the country that didn’t have a strong angel lending scene and a bank loan wasn’t an option so he looked into revenue based financing with Lighter Capital.

So how does Revenue Based Financing compare to bank debt or equity? Well, Levi explains that Revenue Based Financing is more expensive money than bank debt, but the advantage is that there isn’t a ton of regulation around it and in his case, Lighter Capital sat junior to your bank loan as a way to facilitate businesses getting all he financing they need.

BJ and Levi share some great expertise for entrepreneurs to really do their homework before acquiring any kind of capital. Revenue Based Financing has its pros and cons. Make sure you’re choosing the best option.

Levi is a returning guest to the Success in Business Podcast. You can check out his previous episodes here:
Ep. 223 – From CPA to High-Growth CEO With Levi Morehouse
Ep. 224 – The Challenge of Letting Good Customers Go With Levi Morehouse
Ep. 225 – Keeping Up With Your Company’s Growth With Levi Morehouse

Thanks for tuning in!

Check out BJ Lackland and apply for revenue based financing at LighterCapital.com or contact him by e-mail at blackland@lighercapital.com

Check out Levi Morehouse at Ceterus.com or contact him by e-mail at levim@ceterus.com

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 239 – 80s Movies, Ugly Christmas Sweaters, and More Revenue Based Financing

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4 Welcome to Episode 239 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 and Jason celebrate the fictional anniversary of the Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso’s legendary victory over the Cobra Kia, and Tom’s sister’s birthday. And, keeping with the spirit of the holidays, Tom gives pointers on how to emerge victorious from your next “ugly sweater” party. Spoiler alert, a glue gun and a lot of sass are needed.

The guys manage to bring the conversation back to business by returning to the topic of revenue-based financing. Tom uses the go-to hypothetical start-up, Kick-Ass Cat Sweaters to step through the mechanics of a revenue-based financing deal. Tom stresses how revenue is the most significance variable to revenue-based funding and determines how many Kick-Ass Cat Sweaters must be sold per month to repay a $100,000 loan.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! We hope you have a wonderful day with your loved ones.

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. 221 – Maintaining a Strong Company Culture With Jason Diediker of Business Promotion

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-5

Welcome to Episode 221 of the Success in Business Podcast. In this two-part show, your host Tom Ryan is joined by producer Jason Pyles and the general manager of the producer’s day job, Jason Diediker of Business Promotion, an Inc. 5000 digital marketing company.

In this episode, Jason D. provides a brief history of Business Promotion, which launched during the precarious economy of 2008. Jason explains his background in business and his climb up through the ranks at Business Promotion. Tom asks Jason to describe how his company weathered the storm of the Recession during BP’s early years as a brand new startup. Jason also explains how running his own business has informed his role as the general manager of Business Promotion. Tom asks Jason to discuss some of the more challenging aspects of his day-to-day duties and striking the balance between the company’s “promise-makers” (Sales) and its “promise-keepers” (Fulfillment). You can hear part 2 of this interview next week. Thanks for listening!

Watch the Business Promotion intro video. Continue reading →

Ep. 219 – Startup Secret Weapon: See Risk Like an Investor Part 2

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-5

Welcome to Episode 219 of the Success in Business Podcast, your host Tom Ryan is joined by producer Jason Pyles. This episode is Part 2 of 3, where Tom shares his StartUp Secret Weapon: Approaching Risk Like An Investor.

There are four major risk categories that every entrepreneur needs to understand and to be able to reduce in order to be successful.

1) Team Risk
2) Product Risk
3) Market Risk
4) Execution Risk

Today Tom will be talking to us about Team Risk. The notion that people invest in people is never more appropriate than Continue reading →

Ep. 216 – Scaling a Locally Profitable Business Into a National One

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-1

In Episode 216 of the Success in Business Podcast, your host Tom Ryan is joined by co-producer Natalie Pyles. This episode is Part 1 of 2, where Tom and Natalie interview a dynamic, husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team, Tammy and Stewart Cook, founders of the App-Garden. Tammy and Stewart talk about the beginnings of their startup journey and the path they’ve taken to reach their present-day success!

Stewart and Tammy discuss how they adapted their business as they saw changes occur within their field. Stewart describes how their company was profitable but not as scalable as they wanted it to be. Stewart says that he and Tammy wanted to expand to other states until they were able to take their business nationwide. Tom asks the Cooks about transitioning from a legacy services-based business to a tech company and the creation of software. Be sure to also join us next Monday for Part 2 of our interview with Stewart and Tammy Cook. Thanks for listening! Continue reading →

Ep. 208 – Employee Stock Option Plans

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-4Continuing our discussion of non-salary employment packages, we have arrived at another option: Stock Options.

In Episode 208, your host and business coach Tom Ryan discusses with Jason Pyles the ins and outs of Stock Option Plans. An employer may offer the option for an employee to purchase stock, sometimes even before it has gone public. This can pay off big time if the company sees a future of sky rocketing success, but more often than not, the stock ends up dropping in value. The stock must be purchased, it’s not just given. So it is a risk for the employee. Tom Ryan recommends that employees considering a stock option plan consult an attorney with experience. Thanks for listening! Continue reading →

Ep. 159 – Donald Miller’s “How to Tell a Story” eBook – Part 6

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

StoryHow do the lessons of storytelling relate to creating a compelling business narrative? Learn how host and business coach Tom Ryan helped his students apply this concept a recent meeting of the Kauffman Foundation’s Entrepreneur in Residence program, and some of the misconceptions he was able to dispel along the way.

In this special episode, Tom is joined by guest producer and co-host Natalie Pyles to continue this multi-part series discussing Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story. If this sounds interesting to you, download your own copy of Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story ebook today, and be sure to keep listening to the Success in Business Podcast this week for our continuing review. Continue reading →