All Articles

• Understanding Valuation
  Raising capital is an art; and understanding how to set a value on your new company is even more subtle. Here’s a look from an expert.
• Increasing Revenue
  Spartina's interest in Internet Business Models is a hot topic, as the videos from this recent Revenue BootCamp show.
• Raising Money from Angel Investors
  It’s important for entrepreneurs seeking angel investments to understand the different types of angel investors, the nature of angel investment groups, and what it takes to approach them …
• 10 Tips for Google AdWords
  Improve your AdWords PPC management by following these ten important tips from an SEM expert.
• Incubators and Funding for New Businesses
  The Founder's Institute offers incubators for new businesses with protection for the founders through their F-class stock.
• How to Hook an Angel
  Even in a tumultuous economic environment, there are still tried and true methods to selling your business idea to a potential investor.
• Putting Yourself Out There: Raising Money
  One way to get investment money for your company is to be sure that investors can find you. Here are a few Internet sites to know about.
• Finding Seed Money
  Several big players now offer significant packages to start-ups that are just in the incubation stage. Spartina summarizes your options and how to apply.
• Term Sheets: Understanding Valuation
  Term Sheets are a complex subject. Here’s a starting point to help you attract investors by considering appropriate valuation for the company.
• Promote your Product or Service for Free on Spartina.com
  If you are serving Internet small businesses, consider reaching them through Spartina.com content articles. It’s free publicity.
• Learn, Do, and Grow
  If you are starting or growing your Internet business, save time and money, accessing the best of the web information all in one place.
• Outsourcing Mail Services for Your Small Business
  Outsourcing essential services to companies with an on-line interface is a cost effective to handle common tasks. Here’s a look at a mail service.
• Get to Know Marc Andreessen
  Among the people to know in Silicon Valley and the tech world, Marc Andreessen leads others.
• Convertible Note: Early Sale
  Early Sale, Change of Control and other terms important to a Convertible Note
• Convertible Note: Note Round
  Important facts to consider about the note round include size and closing date
• Convertible Note: Cap
  Questions to consider for the Cap in a Convertible Note:
• Convertible Note: Warrants
  Understanding warrants as part of a convertible note variable for financing your startup.
• Convertible Note: Conversions
  Explanations of conversion, automatic conversion and conversion discount as it applies to convertible notes.
• Convertible Note: Interest Rate; Duration & Maturity Date
  Explanation of Interest Rate, Duration and Maturity Date as it applies to convertible notes used for financing your startup
• Raising Money using a Convertible Note
  In-depth look at the questions to consider when looking at a convertible note to raise money for your internet business.
• Business Execution
  Getting to the goal is what good management is all about, and you either do it, or you don’t.
• Stock As Deferred Compensation: Regulatory compliance
  The first in a series of three articles on the complexity of 409a compliance by leading valuation firm Arcstone Partners
• Any Port in a Storm? 409A: Safe Harbors
  The second in the series of articles about 409A compliance, this article explores the way to put the burden of proof of compliance back to the IRS.
• Who’s on First? Finding a Qualified Appraiser for 409A.
  The last but not least of the three articles on 409A compliance, this one addresses the key: Finding qualified appraisers.
• Legal Advice for Start-ups
  What better service can you get than legal videos at your fingertips?
• Maintaining a Cap Table
  The moment you move beyond sole proprietor, and gather investors, is the moment that you must have cap tables under your belt. Don’t wait to start learning.
• Management Basics
  What does it take to really run a business? Ethics is a good starting point,
• Monetize
  New models for monetizing your web business
• Building an Angel Investment Portfolio
  As an entrepreneur, it’s good to know how the minds of the angel investors work, and why they give you pressure on valuation. Here’s a talk given by Spartina Chairman David Hehman …
• Managing Your Internet Business During Recession Years
  Here are some key principles for taking care of business during a recession.
• New Internet Business: OnLine Scheduling for Small Businesses
  Here’s a new Internet business that smooths operations in service businesses with a web presence: an on-line appointment scheduling system.
• Tax Time: Prepare for your Accountant Meeting
  Review your small Internet Business expenses and income before you meet with your accountant to prepare taxes.
• Small Business Taxes: How to File For An Extension
  If you are a small business not expecting to pay taxes, you may want to file an extension for the paperwork.
• Make Your Tax Simpler
  What can you do to simplify the paperwork and accounting for taxes on your small business?
• Involuntary Termination Practices for Small Businesses
  If your small business doesn’t have an HR department, it falls to you to take care of details for terminating an employee.
• Making Content Search Engine Friendly
  Make sure that people can find your site by keeping Search Engine Optimization in mind.
• Venture 360 Report: An Objective Analysis of Your Business
  Getting an objective business analysis attracts investors and helps you steer your business.
• Optimism was Winning at Affiliate Summit West 2009 in Vegas
  A report from Spartina Founder David Hehman about the 2009 Affiliate Summit.
• The Art of the Quarterly Investor Update
  Keep the investors informed, so they can keep their money and good will in your company.
• Making Good Use of Google Tools
  To create a more focused understanding about the market for your new business, take advantage of some web tools by Google.
• More on 409A Compliance
  Understanding 409A compliance will save tax dollars for you and your employees.
• Road to Recovery
  
• Become a Spartina Sponsor/Advertiser
  Become part of a great content site and increase your exposure to technology entrepreneurs.
• It's Tax Time: Select an Accounting Firm
  Tax filing is just around the corner. Whether you need accounting, tax or general business knowledge, Accountants, and CPAs in particular, have a skill set that you need to succeed with your new …
• Google Analytics Tips
  Use the reports on Google Analytics to make smarter marketing decisions based on real traffic.
• Going Paperless
  Spartina believes that the time is now to get rid of paper, but keep the ability to find it. Here’s a web service that has read our minds!
• Big Payoffs from your Board of Directors
  If you are still uncertain as to why you need a board, even for a small start-up, read this personal experience article.
• Inside Out
  If you are chained to your desk, you may be missing the most important ways to grow your business … connections.
• Beware the Sirens Song
  Keeping your eye on the goal, and doing what you do best, is a sure way to grow your business, internet or otherwise.
• Outsourcing HR Services
  A great money saving and time saving idea is to outsource your HR department to an on-line company. Here’s how it works:
• The Right Choice: What Kind of Entity to Create
  Making the right choice about the kind of legal entity you create for your company has an impact on taxes and liability.
• Product Review: Email Marketing with Vertical Response
  Features and benefits of Vertical Response email marketing.
• Companies Need to Love Customer Service
  Good customer service is a great marketing tool, and makes you feel great too.
• Merger and Acquisition Advice For Startups
  When your startup is ready to sell, consider strong negotiations in a merger situation.
• Managing A Virtual Staff
  Sara Fell, CEO of Flexjobs, offers four key principles for managing a virtual staff.
• It's Time to Go Online - Here's How
  If you are a retailer and don’t yet have an Internet presence, it’s well worth checking the facts: this is the time to do it.
• Entrepreneur Pitch
  A great slideshow about pitching your business.
• Effective Internet Business Models
  Create an effective Internet Business Model by asking yourself the right questions.
• Startup Strategies in a Recession
  Here’s how to steer your ship through shallow waters.
• Designing Incentive Compensation
  Here’s a way to get you excited about paying out bonuses…tie them to exciting goals.
• The Value of Design
  Some interesting points to consider when designing your website.
• Favorite Quotes
  Let the words of other successful entrepreneurs inspire you.
• VC Advice to a Portfolio Company
  When economic times are tough, you need good advice and strategy to stay the course.
• Writing an Executive Summary
  Don’t waste words in an Executive Summary: brief, to the point, and visual goes a long way.
• Writing for Spartina.com: Editorial Guidelines
  Do you have expertise that you’d like to share with Internet entrepreneurs? We’d love to work with you.
• Website Analytics Dashboard
  Internet businesses are all about traffic, and the way to know your traffic is to build a website analytics dashboard.
• Investment Policies
  Now that you have some money, what do you do with it, before you spend it?
• Usability Testing
  A major part of product development is to get the website in front of users in a cost efffective way. Here’s a solution.
• How to File Bills
  Bill paying is endless, yet it doesn’t end with paying the bill. You need to find the bill later one.
• Ask and You Shall Receive: Getting Vendor Discounts
  No matter who you are dealing with, it always pays to ask for a discount, and, you may just get it!
• Negotiating Payment Terms
  Keeping your cash in your own bank account for as long as possible is the name of the game, so pay bills in terms that are favorable to you, the buyer.
• Should I Use On-line Bill Paying?
  Whether it is fear or inertia that keeps you from paying bills on-line, here are some convincing reasons to get over it.
• Best Practices for Paying Vendors
  Paying bills can be done on auto-pilot, or you can consider the way you go about it, and save your company’s money.
• Negotiating Office Space
  Getting good deals on office space is a combination of market timing, and good tenant planning.
• Pre-emptive Layoffs
  When the economy is struggling, timing is everything in keeping your business afloat, or as Jason points out, you can’t be too early, but you can be too late.
• Will a Virtual Office Work for My Company?
  Here’s a look at managing a virtual office with telecommuting employees, from someone with direct successful personal experience doing so.
• Bootstrapping Your Business
  There are times when it makes sense to get outside investors, and times when you are better off going it alone.
• Preparing for an Investor Presentation
  You may not have much time in front of an angel investor group…make each minute count.
• A Piece of the Action: Phantom Stock
  Is there another way to encourage and compensate employees besides giving up a piece of the company? Here’s what our “growth guru” Russ has to say.
• Solve Problems, Not Symptoms
  A good entrepreneur doesn’t waste time on the symptoms, but digs to the root of problems, and makes the changes where they make the most difference.
• Build a Self-Managing Team
  A key to good leadership is to know how to involve everyone in the success you want to achieve.
• Decision maker or consensus builder?
  What leadership style do you have as the CEO, and, which one works best?
• Begin With the End In Mind
  Creating a strategy to take you somewhere is not useful, unless it is taking you where you actually want to go.
• The Keys to Effective Delegation
  If you have a hard time delegating, relax…so do most other entrepreneurs, but, it is a skill you can learn, if you are willing.
• Finding Top Employees Using Employment Agencies
  While it is obviously easy to find people using the Internet, and we highly support that, there is also satisfaction in working with good recruiters.
• Planning to Plan?
  If you keep putting off the task of creating a strategic business plan, perhaps it’s time to just do it.
• Reactive Management – Not!
  There does come a time when you might need to relinquish being the CEO and just start a new company. Here’s why:
• Why Aren’t We Billionaires Too?
  What stands between you and a billion dollars?
• Writing an Offer Letter
  Putting everything in writing is not just paranoia, but good common sense, and the offer letter is no exception. Handshakes must be followed by documentation.
• Big Profits
  Don’t forget…the name of the game is to make money in all this. How do you manage your business to make cash flow positive?
• Liquidation Calculator
  Here’s a useful tool to have while you are getting investors lined up.
• Weathering the Storm
  What are you doing as the world swirls in fear? Here are some tips to keeping sane and healthy, both personally and for your business, during the economic downturn.
• Dave McClure on Metrics
  Metrics can be complicated or simple; here’s one way to simplify it.
• Articulate Your Vision
  One of Spartina’s principles for emerging technology businesses is: take a step back and articulate a vision before you launch into strategy and marketing.
• How to Work with the Board of Directors
  After selecting a great board, now learn how to get the most out of their talent.
• Spartina's Selection of People to Know
  Contrary to the old adage, it’s not who you know, but who you know about, that will help you make the most of your business.
• The Practice of Giving
  To give to others who are in need is part of being alive. Even animals know how to be generous. Learning to overcome our fears around giving is not that hard.
• Perseverance Through Adversity Leads to Success
  This is our number one entrepreneur rule… can you stick it out when the going gets tough?
• Selecting a Board of Directors
  Working successfully with a board of directors begins by making the correct choice for board members.
• Marketing Overview
  Good marketing decisions depend on knowing how to get the most revenue for your marketing dollar.
• Legal
  Getting expert legal help to guide you through the early stages of formation and funding, and then helping you create a perfect exit, is part of a great business strategy.
• Finance
  Good financial decisions are the heartbeat of your new business. Without them you can neither survive nor thrive.
• Human Resources
  Great people build great products. Hire great people and you’ll have a great exit.
• Management
  Even if you are new to managing a business, you can make smart decisions by following in the footsteps of others who have succeeded.
• Lean and Clean Staffing
  Whether you are launching a new business or growing an existing one, the biggest run on money is often the HR costs. Spartina’s philosophy, echoed by successful entrepreneurs, is: Keep it small.
• Affiliate Marketing: Advertisers and Publishers
  A good revenue stream is the world of affiliate programs, which are definitely worth the investment of time.
• Make Friends, Make Money
  Here’s another good reason not to hole up in your office… meeting people creates support you can’t do without.
• Writing a Welcome Letter
  Be sure to take time to welcome a new employee and start them out on the right foot.
• Note Taking Basics
  Combine note-taking skills with technology aids and you win all around.
• New Business Formation Checklist
  It can seem overwhelming when you start a new company, trying to track all the steps. Here they are in a list.
• Successful Board Meetings
  Here are a few principles from Spartina to create a successful board meeting, besides the obvious: hold them regularly.
• Worker's Compensation Insurance Opt-Out
  There are some interesting options for dealing with owners and shareholders, where you can actually opt out of the insurance, which has an impact on your expenses.
• Out of the Gate Product Development
  Do you spend time planning on paper, or deploy and modify as you go along?
• Setting Product Goals
  After you read the overview article on setting goals, you are ready to set the goals for your product. In this article we fine tune the goal-setting process by looking at the questions you need to …
• Compliance Primer
  Human Resources is one of the biggest expenses a new or growing company might have. It can also be one of the biggest ‘headaches’ if you have not done your homework in the area of compliance.
• Goal Setting: The Big Picture
  As part of your management strategy, you want to set a vision, mission, and achievable goals. We start by understanding goals in general, with Spartina’s principles.
• Employee Theft & Financial Controls
  If you think you are always safe from employee financial theft, think again.
• Independent Contractor or Employee?
  Leveraging contractor services can help your cash flow as your start your company, if you know the rules.
• Finding and Working with a Mentor
  Being a successful entrepreneur is all about learning, and finding a mentor who can teach you the ropes is a real gift. From my own experience of finding a great mentor, and later, becoming a …
• Separation Pay & Agreement
  Offering severance pay is a way of professionally terminating an agreement where everyone feels okay about a situation that could be distressing.
• Selecting a Business Law Firm
  From years of working with start-ups, and starting our own business, we have created a few principles to help in the process of selecting the right law firm to work with you.
• Entrepreneurship is a Lifestyle
  There are upsides and downsides to being an entrepreneur. Hopefully they all balance out, and lean towards the up.
• Terminating an Employee
  If termination becomes necessary, always follow HR best practices in order to reduce the company’s risk around the termination and to demonstrate compassion towards the employee.
• Positioning Your Product
  Positioning is more of an art than a science, and is usually an iterative process, as you refine your positioning based on market feedback. Here are some basics:
• Entrepreneur Finances
  Here are some of our personal observations on being a successful entrepreneur, and staying solvent.
• On-Line Payroll Services
  Setting up payroll via an outsourced, on-line company is a great timesaver.
• Press Release Basics
  Never underestimate the power of a great press release to drive traffic and build brand recognition.
• Leadership Principles
  Can you define leadership? Do you know how to embody it and find others who do as well? This is critical in starting or growing a business.
• Compensation: Cash or Equity?
  You have lots of equity, but little cash. When should you use the equity for your employee compensation?
• Holding a Company Retreat
  At key points in the life cycle of a company, it is essential to build cohesion among team members.
• Outsourcing Accounting Services
  What does it look like to outsource your accounting services? Here’s Spartina’s experience:
• How to Pick a Bank For Your Internet Startup
  Learn the basic principles for evaluating and selecting the right bank for your new Internet startup business