Getting Your Venture Lease ApprovedWritten by George A. Parker
Each year venture capitalists fund more than 2,500 start-up companies in U.S. Many of these companies try to conserve their equity capital by approaching venture-leasing firms to secure equipment financing. By obtaining lease financing, these savvy firms are able to use their equity capital for high-impact activities like recruiting key personnel, product development, and expanding their marketing efforts.What are qualities that make some start-ups more attractive than others to venture lessors? Here are ten factors that most venture lessors evaluate to decide which start-ups to finance: Caliber of Management Team Most venture lessors consider start-up’s management team to be most critical success factor for venture. Though it can be challenging to quickly evaluate management talent, there are several qualities that venture lessors consider. They look for experienced managers with high integrity and a proven history of business performance. Quality of Venture Capital Sponsors Another important factor for most venture lessors is quality of start-up’s venture capital sponsors. Venture lessors look for experienced venture capitalists with successful investment performance over a number of years. The venture capitalists should also have good reputations for dealing fairly with creditors serving their portfolio companies. Before entering new lease arrangements, most venture lessors verify that start-ups’ venture capital sponsors are actively supporting them. Soundness of Business Plan Successful start-ups usually have compelling, well-articulated business plans. Lessors look for signs that start-ups have promising market opportunities, clear and credible projections, and reliable financial statements. Cash Position /Monthly Burn Rate A yardstick used by many venture lessors to measure risk is start-up’s projected cash consumption rate. The ratio of available cash to start-up’s monthly burn rate is a useful measure. It crudely determines how long start-up can last before a new equity round is needed. The lessor views a transaction as less risky if start-up can make full payments during a significant portion of lease term without raising additional equity. Most lessors look for a ratio that supports at least 9 – 12 months of start-up’s operation. Equipment Quality The quality and intended use of equipment is an important factor for most venture lessors. Most lessors look for transactions involving equipment that is essential to start-up’s operation. Additionally, equipment should have acceptable collateral value and be readily re-marketable in equipment aftermarket.
| | Abundance And The Weather Written by Shara Gardner
There are times in our lives when our hopes and dreams come to a pinnacle and we get a glimpse of life that looks and feels exceedingly good. For a surfer, this moment is ride on a perfect wave. For some, that moment is when a relationship is developing into something rewarding and beautiful. For others, a new job, a raise in pay, an achievement, a new house, car or a new friend. These moments in our lives are precious and show us how beautiful life can be. If you have experienced this phenomenon, you can recall how your body chemistry seemed different. You were able to breathe easier, walk taller and imagine yourself to be in a state of grace -- in tune with universal flow. It feels wonderful! Wouldn?t it be wonderful if we could feel this good all time? I recently honored a woman's 50th birthday by singing a song I will share with you in part because it spoke of a basic truth in life: Turning, turning, always turning Opening to change Learning, learning, always learning opening to change... I share this with you because it expresses something that we, as humans need to remember always. Change is only guarantee in life. Our lives are a free-will zone and we can make of them what we want by consciously choosing ato learn and grow from our experience. By opening and accepting changes gracefully, we have opportunity to learn about ourselves, about God and about our place in universal energy grid. Learning is what we are here to do. If we can remember to learn from past, (but not live in past) apply it to present and open ourrselves to changes that will naturally occur, we can remain in a state of grace no matter what circumstances present themselves, good or bad. It sounds easy. In fact it is one of most difficult things we humans face on earth -- opening to change. If you begin to see you your life as a huge weather map, you will understand that some areas are sunny and clear while there are thunder storms happening in south. What can we learn from watching a weather map? We learn that things are always changing. What is stormy today may be sunny tomorrow. Low pressures do rush in to fill up void when a high pressure system lifts higher, causing changing patterns. Rains come and rains go. Winds bring change and clearing. The sun shines every day, but sometimes clouds hide it. Sometimes fog obscures it. You see, weather always changes in order to NOURISH earth. Could earth sustain our population without water? Of course not. The rain falls. Can earth sustain our population with sunshine? We need warmth of sun in order to replenish energy in our bodies, in body of earth. If you begin to see your life changes as weather patterns passing through an area that needs modification or nourishment, you can breathe easier, knowing that once that area has received what it needs, pattern will change. So what about other times in our lives that do not feel so good... The times when you have lost a job, have no money to pay your bills, your relationships are not working smoothly and everything that can go wrong does go wrong! Is it possible to learn anything in these circumstances? I believe it is possible to observe these times with keen attention and learn much about yourself as you can, and when storm has passed, you are left nourished by situation just like rain re-invigorates earth Now let's apply this to principles of abundance.
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