Angel Investing Tips From Entrepreneurship and Startup Expert Bob Norton

Author, Speaker and Serial Entrepreneur Bob Norton trains CEOs and Entrepreneurs to optimize businesses and develop into world-class executives at seminars and the premier CEO & Entrepreneur Boot Camp.



Big Company Disease is Most Often Fatal For Startup Companies

The Top Ten Signs A Company Has "Big Company Disease"
By Bob Norton

Definition: A startup is a company without any revenue and 50 or fewer people, which must deliver a product to market shortly.

Some early-stage companies act like this

Easy access to capital and not adjusting to the new world after leaving a big company or another industry are some major reasons for "big company disease". This was very common in the bubble when huge Series A and B venture capital rounds were easy to get without a real business plan or vision that showed how a company would make a profit. Many companies would have survived easily on so much capital if they did not contract this disease.

Unfortunately it was common to see a large company CEO placed in startups and look like fish out of water. It was also common to see recent college grads acting as CEO. Some investors made quick money this way flipping the "companies" to IPO that had no real or sustainable revenue stream before anyone realized there was no path to profitability. Some knew this and therefore were acting unethically others got sucked in by all the hype.

Well it is time to "get real" again - We are really just back to "normal" in many ways.
Early stage companies need to act like this!
Or Like This

Early-stage companies need to generate 70% to 80% targeted solutions which cost a small fraction of "complete" solutions -- Never 100%, or perfect solutions (if there is such a thing). In the early days everything is way too dynamic to invest in "ideal" products, documents, plans or anything.

Top 10 Signs Your Startup Has Big Company Disease

  1. You have a service to water your plants.

  2. You actually think someone's job is just management and anyone spends time not actually doing stuff.

  3. It takes more than 24 hours for a decision that might hold people up.

  4. You and everyone else does not perform at least 2-3 different job functions as compared to a large company. (see Job Scope and our Skills Set Matrix tools)

  5. Anyone has extra time on their hands or is trying to look busy.

  6. There are multiple layers of decision making, instead of everyone in the same room.

  7. The CEO does NOT sign ALL checks (figuratively speaking, though literally is preferred).

  8. You have a COO, separate President (not the CEO) or a "Chief Strategy" Officer or any other "Chief" not involved in doing sales or product development)

  9. Your employees do not think of the customer as the number one priority and are more concerned with internal politics.

  10. Everyone does not know each other on a first name basis, or is afraid talk to anyone, including the CEO.

Bob Norton is the author of four books on growing companies and CEO of C-Level Enterprises, Inc.  which helps companies grow more rapidly with products, training and consulting.

Entrepreneur Business and Vision Development Tools Catalog For Entrepreneurs, CEOs and Senior Executives

Small Business Startup Guide For CEOs, Entrepreneurs and Senior Executives
This is A Sample From The "Secrets of a Serial EntrepreneurTM Series

Click Here For Complete
Information

Or Click Here For Our Complete Catalog
of Products for CEOs and Entrepreneurs

 We provide training, coaching and consulting and run the premier CEO Boot Camp in the U.S. Today
Visit: www.CLevelEnterprises.com and www.CLevelBootCamp.com for more information.