Attract Investors and Key EmployeesWritten by Bob Decker
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WHY ARE THESE THINGS IMPORTANT? Why do investors cringe when a company suffers from shortcomings listed in case study above? It’s very simple. Each of these things portrays company as immature, sloppy, and unfocused. These traits do not speak well for a company’s future success. Investors like a company that has been well thought out and is professionally presented because these things speak volumes about a company’s professionalism, and thoroughness; both traits that will enhance a young company’s chance for success. WHAT DO YOU DO ONCE YOU’VE CREATED THE “PACKAGE”? Once you have built your plan and packaged your business so that you look smart and professional, you’ll need to find right investor(s) to help you expand your business to meet your goals. Finding right investor requires that you become noticed. The following are a few of ways you can get noticed by right people: Put out well-written press releases announcing new products, customer wins, changes in business direction, or that you are looking to expand in near future. Attend investor showcase events and present wherever possible. Practice, practice, practice telling your company story. Finding right investor is much like finding your marriage partner: it takes a great deal of dating and courting to find just right partner. Get yourself into business publications; either write your own articles or get someone to write one about your business. Network with advisors, and be willing to share in a successful placement on a fee paid basis. Screen potential investors wisely. Find right partner that is aligned with your management style, goals, and vision. HOW TO GET STARTED In real world, Plaid Software and Consulting turned to Sales and Marketing Pros to better position company to attract investors and key employees. Sales and Marketing Pros guided them through process of revising their overall business plan and helped them build their sales organization, allowing them to win investor support. SMP’s Opportunity Maximizer Workshop performs a full-scale assessment of your business plan, including your sales and marketing infrastructure. The workshop provides you with a gap analysis and steps to close identified gaps. If requested, SMP can develop a customized statement of work to help you execute your ultimate exit strategy. SMP also offers part or full time Advisory Services, such as seasoned business writers, design experts, or marketing and public relations resources; allowing you to just pick up phone and request help as you need it. SMP is ready to work with you and your team to package your business so that it embraces future. With creative planning and packaging, you will win in marketplace, at both investor and customer levels. Contact Bob Decker at 952-955-1200 or visit www.salesandmarketingpros.com for more information.
Mr. Decker is the Principal of Sales and Marketing Pros (SMP), LLC, founded in 2003 to foster venture incubation, market entry, and growth services to technology and services companies. Prior to founding Sales and Marketing Pros, Mr. Decker was a Senior Sales and Marketing Executive with IBM Corporation. He holds a Bachelor in Business Administration Degree with a marketing major from the University of Notre Dame.
| | Credit Damage: Getting Compensated for Your Loss Written by Georg Finder
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Measuring Loss of Creditworthiness Assuring authenticity has been a sticky situation when it concerns measuring out-of-pocket loss for victims of credit damage — until now. Attorneys who represent victims of credit damage are now utilizing Credit Damage Measurement method to recover out-of-pocket losses for their clients. “CDM measures actual out-of-pocket dollars reasonably expected from loss of creditworthiness, which includes higher down payments, higher points and costs on loans, higher interest rates, higher monthly payments, or outright denial of credit,” says Key. “In addition, CDM method also calculates rates, costs and other terms applicable to resulting credit rating by lenders and projects results over relevant number of years for types of loans client is likely to seek.” Key continues, “For example, if a client’s credit was near perfect before a triggering event, and is subsequently damaged by event, CDM procedure can illustrate before and after analyses, calculating cost of same loans with two different credit reports, Pre- injury credit compared to Post-injury credit.” In many cases, CDM clients have already realized significant compensation. In one such case CDM was instrumental in recovering $56,000 for damaged credit reputation. “That calculation is difference between what refinancing a $140,000 loan would have cost my client with their prior rating, and what it will cost them out-of-pocket with their damaged credit rating —measured over a seven-year period.” Isolated Compensation vs. Repeatable Compensation The CDM method of measuring intangible credit loss is increasingly becoming basis of recovery for victims of credit damage. It’s changing way judges and juries measure recoverable out-of-pocket loss, and then can compensate for loss of credit expectancy. Certainly there are still some skeptics, mostly defendants. Technically, credit damage measurement is intangible. However, CDM has proven an objective and practical procedure to calculate out-of-pocket damage for companies or families to compensate for their credit damage. “To have this kind of measurement is an exciting complexity in our society,” says Key. “CDM is very understandable and a rather simple way to come to a conclusion of loss for victim. If you understand math and are an expert at reading credit reports, calculations and recovery are undeniable. It’s a method of turning isolated compensation into repeatable compensation. It’s changing way jurors rule on these damaging cases. Because of this method, victims of credit damage can be more fairly and more completely compensated for out-of-pocket damage.”
Georg Finder, president of CM Financial Services of Fullerton, California, wrote and presents the first State Bar accepted continuing legal education seminar on credit reports and credit damage. He can be reached at gfinder@creditdamage.com (714) 441-0900 or at www.creditdamage.com
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