If you're used to reviewing the balance sheets of an established business, a startup won't look like anything you've seen before. Avoid basing your investment solely on what you are told by management. Before committing capital, a potential investor should look for these specific elements in the financials of a startup.

What do you want...

As an investor searching for the next big thing, business accelerators and incubators offer an opportunity to put money into startup companies that have a better than average chance of ultimately becoming profitable businesses.
Both accelerators and incubators pick fledgling companies -- some of which are no more than an idea -- to work with, in...

By Harriette Halepis

Rumor has it that Facebook will go public in 2012. Should you jump on this initial stock offering? Here are some things to consider before buying up Facebook. 

Originally reported by the Wall Street Journal, Facebook will be going public during the second quarter of 2012. Forbes analysts expect the company to...

By Linda Doell

After a sluggish start of the year, venture capital funding gained ground in the third quarter and some investment leaders anticipate more  monies to become available in the new year.

More venture capital money flowing in to startups means a potential boon of choices to an investor looking to place money in the fledgling...

Awhile ago we talked about two fairly nebulous things a startup generally has when it is successful. We talked about how you need the startup to have a killer story and a fantastic team.

These factors, while not the only keys to success, help lay the groundwork for a startup that is going to go the distance and be successful. There will be...

By Linda Doell

As an investor, you have to carefully pick where to put your money. Depending on when you decide to jump into an investing, you could be investing more in a startup's team instead of the business itself.

Invest in a seed round -- the first finance round where startups look for outside investors -- and you're putting money more into...

Here's a large number, $1.25 Billion.

Consider the size of that number for a moment. Now consider this: American consumers spent that much money in a single day, on Cyber Monday, via online shopping.

E-Commerce as an industry is continuing to mature. Maturing to the tune of $2.39 Billion dollars invested by Venture Capital firms this year, double...

By Harriette Halepis

Does business have to be personal? Not if you want to select the right person to invest with.

The old adage: “it’s not personal, it’s just business” holds very true when searching for an investment partner. Some people you can work with while others you are better off just being friends with. 

Looking...

When it comes to investing in startups, the chances are high that you'll hear there two terms fairly frequently. "Fast" and "Easy" and every time you hear them, a warning bell goes off in your head letting you know that the opportunity will be neither.

If the ideal world existed, we would want every investment be both those things, but as everyone...