Great Inc. Article - Breaking Through

[BillR]

I actually have this thing bookmarked and I've read it about a dozen times.

It's still a fantastic read I think. And no, I get no kickbacks from this

Breaking Through -- Small Business Growth -- Keith R. McFarland

[KristineS]

That's an interesting article. I like what it says about the founders being able to get out of the way and not have a lot of ego about the company. The companies that survive are the ones that can accept good ideas from anywhere.

[vangogh]

Great article Bill. What I found most interesting was how the businesses cited as breakthroughs gave a lot of responsibility to employees and not only listened to employee ideas, but encouraged those ideas.

Though they weren't mentioned, Google might fall into that sort of company. They allow employees 20% of their time to work on their own projects and many of those employee projects have eventually found their way to the public.

[kns]

Yes thats a great article Bill!.... inspiring. Its definitely something that most biz owners, presidents or ..... need to read.

On a second note, I was looking at another related article on Inc.com
Angel Investor Directory, Angel Investors Article - Inc. Article

Do you think the angel investor companies listed provide fundings to start-up individuals or just to companies? Thanks.

[vangogh]

A bit of a guess on my part, but I would think Angel Investors would provide funding to individual. I would think their investment is based more on whether or not they think they can realize a return on their investment than anything else. That might mean a multi-person company is seen as the better risk since more people likely covers more of the necessary know how to make the business a success, but the right person with the right product or service can still be a good risk and a solid investment.

[kns]

Thanks vangogh. Well i guess that means I should wait for sometime until even I think about this and my business starts to grow. I was actually considering this only as a backup plan if the good wholesalers I plan to contact ask for a minimum order purchase from them (my first venture is an online retail store).

[vangogh]

Definitely look into them more. I'm really only guessing about how angel investors work. They are investors so I'd think they expect a return, but they're angels also which kind of implies they want to help.

I think if you do a search for "angel investors" you should be able to find a good deal of information about how they work and what they invest in.

A lot of us here have mostly financed things ourselves I think. A few may have had investors at startup, but I think the majority of us self financed or pulled ourselves up from our bootstraps.

[kns]

Appreciate your honest tip vangogh. Just the kind of advice I need when I keep burning my head hot thinking day & night of things to get done and where to go for help. Just wont have peace of mind until I see this thing through. But I am loving every moment of it.
Nice to meet some good people on the net once in a blue moon

[vangogh]

But I am loving every moment of it

I think you'll find most of us here feel the same way. We've all struggled through our businesses at times, but I think most of us would agree it's worth every minute of that struggle.

[Aaron Hats]

It's a good article. It's not the first time I've heard that you should have a solid board of directors or advisors. The problem is finding these people. Do you think I could get the CEO's of Walmart, Sears and Macy's to be on my board?