The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business
- 4h 37m
- David S. Rose
- John Wiley & Sons (US)
- 2016
25 Steps to Found and Scale a High-Growth Business
The Startup Checklist is the entrepreneur's essential companion. While most entrepreneurship books focus on strategy, this invaluable guide provides the concrete steps that will get your new business off to a strong start. You'll learn the ins and outs of startup execution, management, legal issues, and practical processes throughout the launch and growth phases, and how to avoid the critical missteps that threaten the foundation of your business. Instead of simply referring you to experts, this discussion shows you exactly which experts you need, what exactly you need them to do, and which tools you will use to support them—and you'll gain enough insight to ask smart questions that help you get your money's worth. If you're ready to do big things, this book has you covered from the first business card to the eventual exit.
Over two thirds of startups are built on creaky foundations, and over two thirds of startup costs go directly toward cleaning up legal and practical problems caused by an incomplete or improper start. This book helps you sidestep the messy and expensive clean up process by giving you the specific actions you need to take right from the very beginning.
- Understand the critical intricacies of legally incorporating and running a startup
- Learn which experts you need, and what exactly you need from them
- Make more intelligent decisions independent of your advisors
- Avoid the challenges that threaten to derail great young companies
The typical American startup costs over $30,000 and requires working with over two dozen professionals and service providers before it even opens for business—and the process is so complex that few founders do it correctly. Their startups errors often go unnoticed until the founder tries to seek outside capital, at which point they can cost thousands of dollars to fix. . . or even completely derail an investment. The Startup Checklist helps you avoid these problems and lay a strong foundation, so you can focus on building your business.
About the Author
DAVID S. ROSE is the New York Times bestselling author of Angel Investing; founder and CEO of Gust; and founder of New York Angels. He is an Inc. 500 CEO, serial entrepreneur, and early stage investor who has founded or funded over 100 companies. Named a "world conquering entrepreneur" by BusinessWeek, and "New York's Archangel" by Forbes, he was the Founding Track Chair for Finance and Entrepreneurship at Singularity University.
In this Book
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Foreword
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Introduction—25 Key Action Steps (Plus One) for Every Entrepreneur
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Translate Your Idea into a Compelling Business Model
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Craft a Lean Business Plan to Serve as Your Venture's Road Map
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Find and Know Your Competitors
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Build Your Dream Team
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Allocate the Equity in Your Startup
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Build a Minimum Viable Product and Validate Your Plan with Customers
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Establish Your Brand with Online Public Profiles
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Network Effectively within the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
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Incorporate Your Company for Protection and Investment
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“Lawyer up” the Right Way
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Recruit Your Boards of Directors and Advisors
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Select an Accountant and an Accounting System
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Establish and Manage Your Credit Profile
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Open Bank, Credit Card, and Merchant Accounts
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Choosing Your Key Technologies, Platforms, and Vendors
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Measure Your Business with Data Analytics
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Round out Your Team with Employees and Freelancers
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Establish a Stock Option Plan to Incentivize Your Team
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Understand the Funding Process and What Investors Want to See
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Nurture Your Investor Pipeline
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Crowdfunding and Online Platforms
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Survive the Term Sheet Negotiation and Investor Due Diligence
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Get the Most from Your Investors, Now and in the Future
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Understand Your Company's Valuation
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Keep Your Eye on the Exit and Reap the Benefits of Success
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The Startup Checklist Online gust.com/checklist
