Entrepreneurs have numerous options for obtaining funding to explore and validate their startup concept.

Seed funding has become the ‘participation award’ of startups.  While getting started is easier than ever, ultimate success is tougher than ever.

As Angels and VCs are tightening their fists, entrepreneurs are less likely to get next stage funding. Having a great team, pitch and front man are simply not enough.

There are many motives to start a business. In a market system at its simplest form, the purpose of a business is to make money. However, you must never forget your “raison d’être,” your company’s real reason for being.

We often think of business as a special function. In reality, it operates in much the same way normal things around us do. In fact, the concepts behind Newton’s Three Laws of Motion are as applicable to business tips as they are to physics.

I can confirm that not only will you increase your network with more successful individuals, you’ll form great relationships, learn from others about what it takes to become a great investor, and (maybe) get an early entry into the exciting and inspiring world of venture investing. You’ll also get a better sense of the big picture of the whole investment cycle.

Every company is composed of individuals with different skill sets and has different roles that must be filled in order to succeed.

One dark rainy night on a muddy hillside in Germany, I learned what it meant to be a great organization.

If this research were to uncover the ‘secret sauce’, entrepreneurs could prepare accordingly and drastically increase their probability of successfully acquiring the funding.

A simple business plan template to follow is to develop a “sniff test.” Hold up the fish (project) – if it doesn’t smell right, throw it away. This is simply a short-hand way to tell if a project is worth a more detailed look.