Blog


Recent trends, advice, and resources for business plans and early stage business development.

Why the Management Summary Might be the Most Important Part of Your Business Plan

8 min read

How to Write a Management Summary for Your Business Plan

Entrepreneurs are often celebrated for their uncanny ability to understand others – their customers, the market, and the ever-evolving global landscape. However, sometimes the most crucial insight an entrepreneur can have is introspection. ...

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Slower & Steadier: The Popularity of Venture Debt

4 min read

Understanding Venture Debt vs Venture Capital

Despite growth in sectors like artificial intelligence, venture capital funding has seen better days. After peaking at $347.5 billion in 2021, there...

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Anchors Away! How the Cruise Industry Mitigated Risk to Rebound from the Pandemic

5 min read

How an Entrepreneur Can Decrease Risk

It's often said that it's not easy to turn a big ship, especially when it's in motion. After all, changing its course is a slow and deliberate...

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A look inside the topsy turvy world of financial modeling (it's not all smoke & mirrors)

7 min read

How To Forecast Revenue for a Startup

Every business owner knows that a business plan or investor pitch would be incomplete without a comprehensive financial projection. This tool is used...

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How To Implement Your Business Plan

7 min read

Implementing Your Business Plan: A Marathon AND a Sprint

As a runner, I know the feeling of lacing up my shoes, stepping out the door, and hitting the pavement. It's not always easy. Some days, I'm full of...

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Igniting Success: How Your Business Plan Can Fuel Growth & Innovation

7 min read

Understanding The Distinction Between a Business Plan & Business Planning

In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, our choice of words matters. Our vocabulary can often become a veritable alphabet soup of jargon, acronyms,...

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Navigating the Storm: How Startups Pivot

6 min read

Top 5 Proven Business Strategies to Pivot During a Recession & Beyond

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article discussing how the current economic climate and the possibility of a recession hasn’t deterred recent Masterplans...

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Groupthink & the Pendulum Effect: Why the Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

5 min read

Why “Recession-Proof” Isn’t in the Entrepreneur’s Mindset

In recent months, the headlines have been dominated by concerning economic developments.

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Art of the Pitch Deck: Products & Services

7 min read

How To Effectively Showcase Your Product or Service in Your Pitch Deck

Convincing potential investors to support your vision is no easy feat, especially if they don’t fully grasp the nature of your business. The...

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Frame Your First Dollar by Focusing on These Early-Stage Marketing Tactics

12 min read

Marketing for Startups: How to Make Your First Sale and Build Your Business

I may be showing my age in this era of tap-to-pay, but I remember when many businesses displayed a framed one-dollar bill on the wall. Perhaps you’ve...

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How to Make Your Side Hustle Your Main Hustle

4 min read

Making the Leap from Side Hustle to Full-Time Entrepreneur

2022 was the year of the side hustle. Recent data from Zippia show that 45% of working Americans have a side job, and that percentage rises to 70%...

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What is an SBA Loan (& is it Right for You?)

5 min read

Is an SBA Loan the Best Way to Fund Your Business?

A business loan, particularly one backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), is an excellent way for entrepreneurs to launch a new venture....

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The Art of the Pitch Deck: Timelines & Objectives

4 min read

How to Clearly Communicate Your Goals & Objectives in a Pitch Deck

Note: This is the second post in our "Art of the Pitch Deck" series, in which we examine the various slides of a typical pitch deck and discuss...

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Take the first bite of an elephant

10 min read

From Idea to Action: A Quick Guide to Starting Your Business Plan

We’ve all been there. You're lying in bed trying to sleep when inspiration strikes: you have a million-dollar business idea!

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Resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs (and Veteran-Owned Businesses)

4 min read

20+ Resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs

Did you know that FedEx, GoDaddy, Nike, and Enterprise-Rent-A-Car were all founded by veterans? According to the Small Business Administration,...

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Art of the Pitch: The Marketplace Slide

5 min read

5 Ways To Demonstrate Market Potential in Your Pitch Deck

Anyone who has been on an online date (the latest data says one in every five of you have!) is familiar with the concept of the modern coffee date:...

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