Product Prospects and Revenue Track Record

If start-up is in development stage and has yet to sell products, venture lessors generally look for products capable of establishing a strong market position. If start-up’s product is already in distribution, lessors look for strong monthly or quarterly revenue growth. A poor reception of product in early stages, when measured against business plan, can often signal a faulty product launch or faulty product concept.

Valuation History

A valuation history records share prices of stock sold to investors by start-up. Unless there is a good explanation, most lessors look for significant share price appreciation over successive offering rounds. The assumption is that start-up is making steady and significant progress in its development, which will be reflected in rising share values.

Balance Sheet Strength

Venture lessors usually evaluate a start-up’s working capital to ensure that start-up can make payments when due. Along with an analysis of start-up’s burn rate, lessors use traditional working capital measures like current and quick ratios. Lessors also look for other signs of balance sheet strength, such as: low to moderate leverage; positive tangible net worth (inclusive of subordinated debt); and minimum paid-in capital of $7 - $10 million.

Outside Professional Involvement

Most venture lessors view involvement of reputable and successful outside board members as a positive factor for start-ups. A reputable CPA firm, law firm, institutional partners and/or service providers are also viewed by lessors as positive. These professionals can bring valuable expertise and contacts that can help new venture to succeed. Payment Performance

As with more traditional lessees, venture-leasing companies frown upon poor lessee payment histories. Most venture lessors expect lessees to have satisfactory payment histories, unless good explanations can be offered. As expected by other vendors, satisfactory payment of bills by customers is where rubber meets road. Whether lessee is a start-up or a Fortune 500 company, most lessors view prompt payment as sacrosanct.

While venture lessors use additional factors to make their credit decisions, these ten factors seem to be used universally. Though most of these factors are subjective, they have stood test of time for venture lessors in making informed and reasonable credit decisions.

If you find yourself in a familiar struggle either with money or abundance in general, spend some time remembering all times in your past when this same situation occured. Carefully, in your mind, reconstruct situation. Go through reporter's list -- who, what, why, when, where and how, with your memories, and learn everything you can about that past situation. THEN, look at your current circumstances. How are they same or different? Are you getting idea? When we deconstruct all events and traumas that lead us into difficulties, we can learn and grow from circumstances and perhaps never have to re-live those bad times again. By learning, you are nourishing your soul. By learning, you are gaining wisdom. By learning, you are changing. By changing, you are learning... a beautiful and complete circle!

When difficult times show up in your life, remember that your soul is intact, but it is ego "weather"that is changing and it may be showing you a familiar old pattern. Learn what you can from storm. Let it wash out old beliefs, old patterns, old fears, and then wait for sun to come back. It always will, unless you stay in a low pressure system forever. Fortunately, this is something you can do about that!

Your low pressure system can become a high pressure system when you stop giving energy to trauma and begin giving energy to perfect condition you wish to experience. Instead of feeling bad that you don"t have enough money, or that your relationships are not working, remember how good it feels to have plenty. Remember how good it feels to walk taller and breathe easier. Re- member means to put those memories into your body. Let your body FEEL life as you want it. Feel sun on your face, feel your ease with money, feel your sense of safety. Feel what it is like to experience changes with confidence of knowing that this current weather pattern shall pass and another one will take its place. Above all, be ready to turn, learn and grow with each and every storm. This is truest state of grace you will ever know, as you walk tall and smile through storm. You can do it because you know that you are part of universal flow of life and God?s love.

Shara Gardner, author, teacher and spiritual practitioner, is a creative muse and intuitive teacher. She specializes in helping others identify their passion and tap into energy grid that connects us to all sentient beings. As a strong supporter of world peace through personal empowerment and spiritual awakening, Shara helps reveal inner muse who will guide and motivate you to achieve life you desire. Working with principles of financial abundance, gratitude, generosity and self-love, Shara teaches how to "romance your life" by fostering passion, creativity, spontaneity and personal strength.

Click here to find out more about Shara Gardner