The chart below highlights the schedule for a 6 month deal process.

The post Timeline chart appeared first on Stern Ventures.

Connect directly with Stern Ventures today!

I want to start getting sound guidance and answers

The post who-we-are below blue section appeared first on Stern Ventures.

With an over $​500 million track-record of success,​ here’s exactly why Stern Ventures is a trusted advisor in the investment banking industry.

The post Transaction Experience appeared first on Stern Ventures.

• Because only when we deliver multiple term sheets can you be confident you’ve selected the best terms from the most reliable investment partner who share your strategic vision. That’s how we align our incentives with yours. That’s how we establish trust.
• What we expect from our clients in return is a 12-month active engagement with a 1 year tail based on transactions resulting from our collaborative efforts.
• Our transparent standard is designed with your best interest at heart to provide you the most favorable terms and to deliver peace of mind.

Connect directly with Stern Ventures today!

I want to start getting sound guidance and answers

The post Why a 50% refund? appeared first on Stern Ventures.

And so does every business.

For some of us, that’s a good thing. Our past is …

For most of us, it’s not. In fact, the biggest barriers to your future success — especially if you’re trying to raise capital — are your past financial failures.

Is there a way to overcome your company’s past financial negatives and still attract potential investors?

Absolutely.

And it all starts with these four steps:

1. Get Honest
2. Get Detailed
3. Get Learning
4. Get Back Out There

[This is only the outline for the article. Please check again for the full content. We intend to publish 1 article every month.]

Resources:

Inc.com – Answering the Tough
HBR – The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer
YFS – Help I’ve Failed and Can’t Get up
Inc.com – How to Overcome a Fear of Failure

The post Overcoming Your Company’s Past Financial Negatives: A 4-Step Process appeared first on Stern Ventures.

At least, that’s what the title of his best-selling book claims.

And, thankfully, he’s got the track-record to prove it. As a pitch man for the likes of Marriott, Hershey’s, Citigroup, and others, Klaff has raised a combined total of over $400 million … at a current rate of about $2 million per week.

And here’s the best part … having worked in the investment banking industry for X year myself, there’s nothing “secret” about Klaff’s “secret formula.”

In fact, the ingredients of a perfect pitch are nearly universal:

“For [target customers]
Who are dissatisfied with [the current offerings in the market].
My idea/product is a [new idea or product category].
Unlike [the competing product].
My idea/product is [describe key features].”

Today, I want to break that formula down into three key ingredients you can apply directly to your capital raising efforts:

1. Pitch Yourself
2. Pitch Your Idea
3. Pitch to Your Ideal Investor

[This is only the outline for the article. Please check again for the full content. We intend to publish 1 article every month.]

The post The Perfect-Pitch Formula: 3 Ingredients appeared first on Stern Ventures.

No growth is negative growth.

Why?

Because stagnation occurs when companies fail to adapt to competitive forces.

Smart executives are constantly reinventing themselves to capture an unfair share of channel attention and key strategic relationships.

So, how do ensure your business is growing?

By focusing on what experts call downstream development: consumer-focused growth models aimed at increasing your company’s reach, products, and ultimately sales.

Strategic downstream development essentially follows five paths:

1. Entering New Markets
2. Up Selling Your Current Customers
3. Expanding Your Distribution Channels
4. Creating Complementary Products
5. Licensing Your Products and Services

[This is only the outline for the article. Please check again for the full content. We intend to publish 1 article every month.]

Resources:

HBR – Go Downstream – The New Profit Imperative
HBR – A More Rational Approach to New Product Development
HBR – Creating New Market Space

The post The 5 Keys to Strategic Downstream Business Development appeared first on Stern Ventures.

What is “shareholder fatigue?”

Previously enthused investors may have been strong supporters of your company, however their time horizon has reached its limit. Such shareholders are looking for an expedient exit that may not be in the best interest of long-term shareholder and the company as a whole.

What’s worse is being forced to hold onto your illiquid assets waiting around for an IPO or M&A event … on someone else’s timeline.

Is there a way to monetize your illiquid assets now … on your own 6-9 month timetable?

Thankfully, the answer is yes. And that’s exactly what I’m going to walk you through in today’s post … the six stages of liquidity.

in fact, this is precisely the process we use in all our engagements, but the stages are universal so you can easily apply them to your own strategic plan or liquidity advisor.

(1) Consultation & Engagement

• Define and assess your strategic objectives
• Execute engagement agreement

(2) Pre-Underwriting Preparation

• Conduct advisor due diligence
• Develop and present strategic plan
• Meet with stakeholders
• Perform valuation analysis

(3) Deal Packaging & Underwriting

• Prepare targeted marketing material:
• Confidential Information Memorandums (CIM)
• Complete Business Plan
• Targeted Teasers & Pitches
• Organize financial statements & pro forma documents
• Set up supporting documents in a digital data room

(4) Deal Placement & Distribution

• Identify 150 to 300 strategic targets for investment partnership
• Focus distribution on qualified institutional investors
• Identify and pitch to select investors

(5) Negotiation & Due Diligence

• Secure letter of intent and indication of interest
• Evaluate term sheets from investors
• Conduct comprehensive investor due diligence
• Control and monitor access to an exhaustive digital data room
• Foster “competitive tension” among multiple bidders

(6) Closing

• Draft closing documents
• Obtain final approvals
• Coordinate legal advising
• Close transaction
• Distribute funds

[This is only the outline for the article. Please check again for the full content. We intend to publish 1 article every month.]

The post Liquidity … Without Waiting for an IPO or M&A Event appeared first on Stern Ventures.