Round three in dealing with venture capitalists or corporate investors. Don’t (never!) be so desperate for capital that you agree to turn over reins of company if you don’t meet specific performance milestones based on a first or second round of funding. There are too many variables in marketplace for you too control and you’re taking too much risk for not enough upside. If this is only way you can raise money from this venture firm or corporate investor then walk away, in end you will be better off.

Here are some “cliff notes” on how to write a business plan - there is no set formula other than covering basics about your company; i.e. technology, market analysis, marketing/business development, competitive analysis, management team and a five year set of (detailed by month from startup to year three) financials. The Executive Summary (first 3-5 pages) is most important, as it is a summary of entire plan and most investors read this carefully and scan rest of business plan.

Don’t get caught in trap of endless rewrites based on investor feedback – put your plan through one or two reviews by your BOD members and or seasoned execs that will give you honest feedback. Once plan has been reviewed and approved then go to market with this iteration and stick to it – investors should be investing in you ultimately, not an artificial business plan that more often than not is out of date by time you get to market.

Think about how you are going to market your company as you would any other product or service, blending traditional (fax, direct mail) with interactive processes (web site postings, e-mail, etc.). It’s a numbers game, you have to aggressively market your company and be prepared to see a return of only 1-3% versus your output – 1K in direct or opt-in email may only lead to 10-20 casual inquiries, generating 5-7 serious conversations, resulting in 1-3 term sheets (what we will invest for “x” equity) discussions.

Finally, last and most important rule of all is be tenacious, there is no substitute for absolute commitment to growing your company by raising capital or bootstrapping it! Your vision, guts and passion will very often carry day when/where others may give up!!

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing services and software company. Lee@intelective.com Reprinted with permission from Intelective Communications - this article may be reprinted freely, providing this attribution box remains intact. (c) 2001-2002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.

Authentic promotion is about leading an authentic life of meaning and purpose, which ultimately creates desire and ability to make a larger contribution to this world. Authentic promotion becomes an extension of offering to others gifts that you have been given. Nothing can top deeply satisfying experience of using our own unique gifts to improve world in some meaningful way.

Authentic promotion - matching your ability to serve with someone else's needs -- becomes an act of love as you offer your gifts, solutions, and talents to others. Wow! This way of thinking has certainly put a different spin on "marketing" for me. For more information on course Authentic Promotion visit: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=31764

When you create a bigger vision for your life work, you make a conscious choice to think beyond yourself. You become less concerned with individual gain and more concerned about how others will benefit. This does not mean that your own needs don't matter. Quite contrary! Self-care becomes vital so that your giving comes from a pure place, without attachment to what you'll get in return.

I recently came across a website for The Giraffe Project http://www.giraffe.org - a nonprofit organization that moves people to stick their necks out for common good. John Graham, executive director, notes that "people who operate with meaning in their lives don't find that meaning in their activities or their positions or their possessions. They draw it forth from themselves and put it into their activities, not other way around. And meaning they draw forth always seems to come from committing to ideals greater than themselves and their own needs. It is this commitment that generates enthusiasm, passion and power found in people who lead meaningful lives."

As USA nears our Independence Day celebration on July 4th, I feel grateful that I have freedom to choose my life work…and that work I have chosen is meaningful to me. I recently wrote down my values as they relate to my own authentic promotion plan. Here are questions I asked myself, followed by my responses:

* What do I want for people? I want people to experience peace and fulfillment in their lives.

* What do people need in order to have this? People need tools to organize their environment and manage their time well so they can focus on what's most important to them.

* How can I be of service? I can help people de-clutter their lives, teach them how to prioritize and manage their time, and provide them with support they need in order to stay focused on their priorities.

* What is my larger vision that will guide my work? My vision is to provide people with practical tools and resources they need in order to stay focused on what's most important.

Are you living an authentic life in what you do for your life work? Write down your response to these questions to help you connect with your values and your vision.

* What do I want for people?

* What do people need in order to have this?

* How can I be of service?

* What is my larger vision that will guide my work?

* What can I do to authentically promote my vision, starting today?