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Tag: startups

The Importance of Investing in Technology and Automation

By Matt Barbieri The pandemic turned the working world on its head, forever changing how businesses operate. When working from home became the norm, companies were suddenly faced with managing remote staff. As a result, technology and automation solutions that previously seemed visible over the distant horizon became the daily office tools that made business continuity possible. Now that the dust has mostly settled, it’s a great time to reflect on what we’ve learned from...

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The Investor’s Perspective: How Pitch Decks Often Miss the Point

Over the years, we’ve seen thousands of pitch decks and had countless conversations with both investors and early-stage startup founders about investment opportunities.  As a result, we’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of both the solicitor and the solicitee’s perspective. Generally speaking, pitch decks tend to be too long and not comprehensive enough in addressing the financials; but this article focuses on one particular slide: the use-of-funds slide.  We explain the purpose...

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What did I do wrong? (Common traps small business owners can avoid)

If you’re like most founders, when you first begin the process of starting a company, you’re focused on being compliant in every way. You aim to build a business people want to invest in. But even with the best of intentions, you could overlook some rules that have big implications. Taxes are an area in which new small business owners make frequent mistakes. It’s not intentional, they’re usually just unaware.  Let’s talk about two specific tax-related errors many of our clients make...

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How Do I Exercise the Stock Options I Was Granted?

If you’ve been offered stock options as part of a compensation package at a startup, it may seem like a no-brainer to accept. And that’s usually true — as long as you clearly understand how to turn the initial piece of paper that grants you those options into a tangible investment on which you don’t have to pay income tax rates.  It’s common to assume you should hang onto that paper and let it grow for as long as possible. But if you do, you could be in for a rude awakening when...

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Storytelling is Serious Business for Businesses Serious About Reaching Goals

Serious business people often think they have to stick to serious business facts to make their points. But introducing storytelling to presentations and meetings is an effective way to deliver a message to an audience rather than lecturing them. Think about your business goals and choose stories that support what you want to do right now. They have to be true, though. As with any other business skill, you can learn to tell stories. There are eight questions to ask yourself to help...

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Welcome to Silicon Alley

Tech start-ups meet funding in the Big Apple By Ryan S. Silva, CPA, CFE, CVA  Start-up technology entrepreneurs and investors need to take a close look at New York City’s Silicon Alley, if they haven’t already. There’s a reason the name is so similar to Silicon Valley on the opposite coast. Both are geographic centers of tech innovation, but in addition to the young brainpower in early-stage technology development, this tech hub is as much about access to the nearby capital markets. It’s...

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