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Understanding Financial Fraud

Understanding Financial Fraud

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    The Last-Mile Delivery Space

    1 min read Players in the last-mile delivery space fulfill the ‘last mile’ of the transfer of goods from producer or retailer to the final consumer and growing consumer demands have caused this industry to boom. Industry Evolution The age of instant gratification has led to the growing consumer demand for increased home delivery, faster delivery turnaround times, and cheaper services. This is driving the need for change. Companies are now outsourcing the logistics to a third-party organization that is better equipped to fulfill the last leg of delivery at a lower cost to the consumer. This is called white-label logistics and is recognized as the next level for companies. Delivery used to be the most expensive part of the selling process. Now, evolutions in the last-mile space make it possible to obtain items locally and deliver them to the customer at a much lower cost. Should You Invest? What do you need to look for as an investor to be sure a company is worth your down payment? The major question to ask yourself is: How does this company compete with some of the major brands already out there? It is important to know if the company is going to be able to keep up with the major player technologies. Those that can keep up with the larger companies are the ones that are going to succeed therefore worth investing in. Read more in our most recent eGuide: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/investing-in-niche-markets/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    TEN Capital 2020: Year in Review

    2 min read As we take a look at the 2020 year in review, we see a year of change, uncertainty, and challenges. It was a transformational year when business shifted online, everyone spent more time with their family, commuting to work became a thing of the past, and much more. At TEN Capital Network, we overcame the challenges through the strength of our team working together. Here are a few highlights from our 2020: TEN Capital in 2020 Since January of this year, we gained 71 new Clients out of 560 Startup pitches. We started the year with 9,700 investors and are heading into 2021 with over 12,000. Our investor network includes VCs, Angels, and Family Offices, each investing in the Tech, Healthcare, CPG, Energy, and a variety of other spaces. Events Moving Online We started 2020 with 7 successful in-person events but shifted quickly online to round out the year with a total of 53 events, hosting 447 total attendees. We also began a brand new series called “Why I Invested.” In each virtually recorded interview, we speak to investors who have previously invested in one or more of our client’s deals. We hear their perspective on what they like about the deal and why they decided to invest. To date, we have had 23 episodes recorded with 27 participating investors and counting. NEW! TEN Capital Partner Program In 2020, we launched theTEN Capital Partner Program. Our Partners have become a big part of our startups’ success through Alternative Funding, Crowdfunding, Accounting, Back Office Services, and so many more.   Inaugural partners include Arora Project, Investable Mastermind, Kickfurther, Title3Funds, INNP Consulting, CrowdVision Advisors, LLC, and Wiss Early Stage. NEW! Podcast Series From Investor Connect In May of 2020, TEN Capital’s Podcast series Investor Connect introduced a brand new show: Investor Perspectives. In each episode of this informative series, Host Hall Martin discusses a chosen, relevant topic with experienced investors from the TEN Capital network. This year we have published a total of 240 Investor Connect episodes and 270 Startup Funding Espressos. In the fall, our Startup Funding Espresso podcast program became a #DailyShot newsletter, delivered daily, directly to your inbox. Each weekday we send out tips and advice for investors and startups alike, each based on our popular podcast series (you can sign up for the #DailyShot newsletter here). Top 10 Investor Connect Episodes of 2020: 10. Episode 319 – Jyri Engestrom of Yes VC 9. Episode 341 – Manuk Hergnyan of Granatus Ventures 8. Episode 442 – Sarah Jennings of Beyond Angels Network Yellow Jacket Fund 7. Episode 367 – Xavier Segura of Tessera Venture Partners 6. Episode 358 – Samy Eissa of Hit Ventures 5. Episode 373 – Charles Sidman of ECS Capital Partners 4. Episode 347 – Maggie Sprenger of Green Cow Venture Capital 3. Episode 388 – David Wadler of Vendorful, Inc. 2. Episode 383 – Randy Myer of Carolina Angel Network 1. Episode 404 – Chelsea Burns of Escaladora Ventures From the TEN Marketing Department While we had a lot of great content in 2020, there were a few standouts based on feedback from the network: Top 10 Blog Posts for 2020: 10. Team Due Diligence 9. The Importance of Non-Financial Factors in Setting Valuation 8.  The Due Diligence Process 7. Technical Due Diilgence 6. Building Investor Engagement 5. Fundraising Metrics That Matter 4. Your Fundraising Growth Story Pt. 1 3.  A Note on Convertible Notes 2. What is the Real Due Diligence Process? 1. How to Close an Investor Top 5 eGuides of 2020: 5. How to Build a Pitch Deck 4. The Impact of Covid on Cannabis Market 3. The Types of Raises 2.  Term Sheets 1. Investor Perspectives on Healthcare Trends post-COVID From all of us at TEN Capital (Sam, Ashley, Lilia, Caitlin, and Hall), we hope you have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2021. Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    COVID-Resistant Businesses

    1 min read What are the COVID-resistant businesses? As businesses continue to close and others face uncertainty many startups find themselves wondering how they will stay afloat. One of the biggest steps a company can take to ensure they are among the COVID-resistant businesses is to reassess their financial projections. For many startups, this should be the first step in ensuring the company stays alive. It’s essential to look at expenses from the bottom up to see what waste you can get rid of and how you can do things more efficiently. While many startups are already running lean, it is important to look at ways to run even leaner. Startups also need tight control on their timelines and roadmaps during these times. When people are remote, it’s a less transparent work environment. Less transparency means that companies need to make people accountable. Employees need to have a clear understanding of the company’s goals to be responsible. It is now more important than ever to keep the lines of communication open. We no longer have the luxury of seeing someone in an office setting where it is easier to measure how employees are doing personally and professionally. It’s essential to be as transparent and open as possible to make it through these uncertain times. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/education/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    The Future of Vaccines

    1 min read As the world works toward a vaccine, COVID has the potential to shape what the future of vaccines looks like. It’s not so far-fetched to say that, in terms of medicine, things will never be the same. Of the many emerging trends we see in terms of medicine and the future of vaccines, is the belief that AI-enabled technologies will allow for more rapid drug development. These tools will likely aid in shortened timelines and lower costs for developing drugs and vaccines alike. Another exciting development we see as a result of COVID is the trend of conducting clinical trials remotely. Remote tests have traditionally been a challenge because centers have had to enroll patients, and then for every check-in or check up the patient has had to physically enter the center. However, if you can recruit and screen patients remotely, you can have quicker, more efficient, and more convenient trials.The ability to change how clinical trials are done will dramatically affect how drugs and vaccines conduct their trials. New developments will speed up the clinical trial process. The quicker tests become, the faster humanity can find solutions to health-related challenges. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/education/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    Best Practices for Hosting Online Meetings

    1 min read In the time of working remotely, more and more organizations are moving entirely to online meetings. Not only are online meetings convenient, but an excellent opportunity to engage more of your members that may not have been available to travel to meetings previously. Inform your members ahead of time. In preparation for moving your meetings to an online format, you must inform your members ahead of time of the move. Virtual meetings may be a new experience for some, so it’s essential to provide information on how the session will work so that the transition is seamless for all members. Consider various formats. Online meetings can be a combination of previously recorded content and live-action engagement. In general, any pre-recorded content should be a shorter form of communication. For example, ahead of each pitch, you can have an introduction from a member that reviewed the deal. These introductions can also be live or previously recorded. Or consider having prospective entrepreneurs pitch in real-time, and then use the Q&A box to field questions during and after presentations. In other words, you have less time to say what you want to say, so you need to make it count. Update your processes. Update your deal flow process to include asking for 1-minute recorded pitches from those you are screening ahead of the session. Adding this to your checklist ahead of each meeting is an excellent way to get pre-recorded content you can use for this and other online events. The more you can record in advance, the more efficient you can make the entire process. We’ve created a checklist that you can use to help you keep organized in these new processes: Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/ten-capital-network-for-angel-groups/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    The Importance of Non-Financial Factors in Setting Valuation

    1 min read There are financial factors in setting valuation for a startup, and then there are non-financial factors. Often, startups prefer to focus more of their attention on the financial side of things, and that’s okay. However, it’s just as essential to understand that other areas deserve attention. The non-financial factors can be just as important as the financial factors. Some non-financial factors include: Current market conditions As the market heats up, specific sectors turn hot. If a market turns hot, then it will command a higher valuation than the numbers indicate. Pay attention to the needs because they can determine your valuation. Predictability Companies with recurring revenue streams and long term contracts command a higher valuation because their revenue is much more predictable. If possible, try to aim for predictability to receive a higher valuation. Customer concentration Startups with a broader list of customers will survive longer. If a customer accounts for over half of the business, you should reflect that in the valuation. Take a look at your business and figure out how you can appeal to the broadest base. Pre-profitability For early-stage companies, those with profitability should command a higher valuation. If at all possible, aim for profitability. Pre-revenue For early-stage businesses without revenue, intellectual property and customer forecasts are essential. If you are in a pre-revenue stage, try to focus heavily on IP and customer forecasts for the best valuation. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/eguide/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    How to Move Your Angel Investor Network Online

    1 min read As businesses are becoming increasingly more virtual, you should consider moving your angel investor network online as well. In this COVID-19 world, making it challenging to meet in person, meeting online is now the standard. Moving your angel investor network online provides added benefits: More engagement from those who are busy or live/work too far from the meeting place Better fit for today’s angel investor whose primary work centers around a computer rather than in-person meetings Efficiency to the process as online meetings are typically half the time of physical ones Improved research as the investor can look up stats on Crunchbase, search online for competitors, and generally make use of online tools Expanded network range to include investors outside your geographic area Increased member participation through presentation availability anytime and from anywhere More contact with members through various online meetings, screenings, education, and diligence sessions Improved decision making as the investor can access online resources such as deal documents while seeing the pitches TEN Capital Can Help. Online meetings will augment your group rather than replace the physical sessions entirely. Social and networking events can continue for members to meet each other. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/ten-capital-network-for-angel-groups/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    A Note on Convertible Notes

    1 min read When launching a raise, you should always be in a position to take funding, and you are likely to meet investors who want to join the deal. However, many investors will not be interested in taking on a lead investor role because of the work and time involved in doing so. Many investors want to take on a more passive position in the deal. For this reason, a convertible note works well during this stage of the raise because it is a debt instrument that converts to equity later, so there is no valuation to negotiate. Here are a few useful things to know about Convertible Notes: Startups can accept investors into the deal with relative ease, given most notes have simple terms, rights, and conditions. You can use the note over several smaller fundraises to gather investor funds. When setting up a convertible note, consider what will happen upon conversion to the cap table. Startups use convertible notes primarily for seed rounds and bridge rounds. They are lower in cost because the documents are simpler than equity terms sheets. Convertible notes avoid setting a price, so they are easier to negotiate. A convertible note keeps the cap table simple as they start in debt form and convert to equity later. The downside to convertible notes is that they have few protective provisions found in equity terms sheets, such as board seats. Valuation is not fixed, which means a later priced round will set it, and there’s little control the investor has over it. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/eguide/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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    Changes in the Wine Space

    2 min read We now live in a time when the internet has disrupted virtually every industry, from retail, to music, publishing, and travel, many agree that the internet has forever changed the way the world works. Yet there remains a relatively untouched industry. The Wine Space has yet to see the disruption that other industries have faced. Only 5% of wine in the United States is currently sold online. Considering we live in a world driven by the internet, this is a strikingly low number. That may be set to change. What we are now seeing in this industry are some massive shifts primarily driven by Millennials. Millennials tend to be at the forefront of new technologies and are responsible for driving a large number of sales. They tend to be much more digital, and their buying habits reflect that, even when it comes to alcohol. Another trend the wine space is currently seeing is due to the seismic shift we’ve experienced because of COVID-19. The pandemic has caused a massive fundamental change in buying habits across all demographics, which spells good news for the industry and points to the potential of having a tremendous social impact. Within the wine space, vineyards and wine stores are predominantly owned and run by immigrants. According to the data provided by Yahyn, a platform that brings together retailers and vineyards with a focus on Amazon-like convenience to purchasing, 60% of both wine stores and vineyards are owned and operated by immigrants. In certain cities that have a higher concentration of immigrants, that number jumps up to 90%. As the industry continues to evolve and more purchases happen online, we’re likely to see an increase in business for these shops and vineyards. While the economic impact is a positive for the industry, the potential social implications could mean great things for these immigrant operated businesses. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/eguide/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

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