S5E24 - VC Red Flags, Top 5 Questions to ask VCs, and Raising Money from Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio With Nathaniel Harding

What are the 5 Hot Financial Tips for Startups? Starting and scaling a business is no small feat, and financial management often poses one of the most significant challenges. Chris May, a seasoned CFO and founder of Quadrant Advisory, recently shared invaluable insights on the Payback Time Podcast hosted by Sean Tepper. Chris shared tips to help you avoid common money mistakes and succeed. Tune in to hear his best advice and learn how it can help your business. Key Timecodes (00:47) - Show intro and background history (02:02) - Deeper into his career journey (03:55) - Understanding his business model (06:46) - Deeper into his business vision and  strategies (13:53) - Some lessons learned in his journey (15:17) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (15:59) - Chris’ thoughts on AI and the current market (17:41) - How should entrepreneurs organize their financials (23:57) - Deeper into his marketing and teamwork vision (29:03) - Guest hot tips (32:12) - One more key takeaway from the guest (39:02) - Guest contacts

If you’re building a startup and want to avoid losing a lot of money, you need to hear this. Imagine pouring six years and $200K into a toy company only to face unexpected challenges. That’s exactly what happened to Ricardo Jimenez with his company, Ricardo Jiménez.  In a recent episode on the Payback Time Podcast, Ricardo who is the author of Crash Course: A Founder's Journey to Saving Your Startup and Sanity shares his thrilling yet tough journey, revealing key lessons on how to take care of yourself, stay realistic, and adapt when things don’t go as planned. This episode is packed with insights that can help you navigate your own startup adventure with confidence. Key Timecodes (00:41) - Show intro and background history (04:13) - Deeper into his career journey (12:19) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (13:00) - Deeper into his business model (19:07) - A bit about his book (24:00) - Deeper into his career challenges (29:06) - What is the trigger point for his business growth (31:04) - Guest hot tips (32:50) - Deeper into his book and guest contacts

If you're running a B2B or B2C business, getting your pricing right is essential for success. In this latest episode of Payback Time Podcast, Sean Tepper's guest, James Wilton the Managing Partner at Monevate, shares four key pricing strategies to help you achieve this. James Wilton, a pricing expert, explains why having a strong pricing structure is vital for any business, whether you're just starting or already established. He discusses how to create a pricing plan that meets different customer needs, including options like tiered pricing, extra features, and various revenue models such as subscriptions or transaction fees. The main aim is to ensure that your pricing reflects the value customers receive from your product. Key Timecodes (00:34) - Show intro and background history (08:09) - Deeper into his career journey (11:04) - Understanding his business philosophy (16:00) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (16:42) - Deeper into his pricing strategies (22:07) - How to qualify sales with the right pricing (26:45) - Deeper into his career challenges (29:38) - How to raise prices correctly (35:40) - Guest hot tips (39:20) - One more key takeaway from the guest (43:50) - Guest contacts

Are you wondering how to win large B2B contracts? Ever wondered what makes the difference between a successful enterprise sale and a missed opportunity? If you’re building an enterprise SaaS business and want to close large contracts more effectively, this episode is for you. Sean hosts Mike Lander the CEO of Piscari, a seasoned expert in procurement and sales strategy, shares five crucial tips to help you avoid wasting months on bids that don’t progress. His insights on navigating the procurement process are essential for tackling the challenges of selling to large organizations and closing more deals. Key Timecodes (00:36) - Show intro and background history (05:45) - Deeper into his career journey (12:28) - Understanding his business philosophy (17:04) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (17:46) - Deeper into his marketing strategies (18:17) - How to qualify to better sales opportunities (24:59) - Deeper into his sales strategies (29:46) - How to negotiate a more profitable deal (32:23) - Guest hot tips (37:38) - One more key takeaway from the guest (40:11) - Guest contacts

If you’re looking to start or scale a B2B SaaS, this episode is for you. Sean’s next guest shares his founder story on building a SaaS for the Yacht industry and in this episode he breaks down 7 sales and marketing tips that helped them scale their MRR to $40K in year one.  In a recent episode of the "Payback Time" podcast, Heigo Paartalu shared his remarkable journey of building a SaaS business tailored for the yacht industry. The conversation delved into various aspects of his entrepreneurial path, highlighting key strategies that contributed to his company's success.  For those looking to start or scale their own SaaS ventures, Paartalu's experience offers invaluable lessons and actionable insights.Heigo Paartalu's entrepreneurial journey began with a leap from TV journalism in Estonia to the United States with minimal resources. His diverse ventures eventually led him to co-found Yacht Weihe in 2022, driven by a vision to innovate the yacht industry's online marketplace. Key Timecodes (00:36) - Show intro and background history (02:34) - Deeper into his career journey (04:28) - Understanding his company  business model (06:19) - Deeper into his business model (13:38) - What is the size and revenue of his company today (15:59) - Understanding his marketing and sales strategies (22:32) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (23:13) - Deeper into his digital marketing strategies (27:48) - Some examples of something he tried but did not work (31:59) - One of the best decisions he made in his business journey (35:54) - Guest hot tips (37:15) - One more key takeaway from the guest (42:05) - Guest contacts

We can all agree that creating a startup is hard but there is an easier way to become an entrepreneur with a much higher probability of success. In this episode of the Payback Time Podcast, Sean's guest Andre Laplume breaks down 5 reasons why a spinout is better than a startup. Andre Laplume is a Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management and author of the bestselling book 'Spinout Ventures'. Starting a new business is undeniably challenging, requiring immense effort, dedication, and often a bit of luck. However, spin-out ventures provide an alternative path to entrepreneurship with a higher probability of success. They involve transforming an idea already developed within an existing organization into a separate, standalone business. This approach offers several advantages over traditional startups, making it a compelling option for aspiring entrepreneur Key Timecodes (00:35) - Show intro and background history (01:28) - Deeper into his career journey (04:39) - Understanding the spin-out venture definition (07:26) - Deeper into his business model (08:40) - Why spin-outs can be more successful than new startups (11:46) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (12:28) - What an entrepreneur need to know to run that type of business (15:56) - How spin-out founders can work together with other companies (19:42) - Where spin-outs can find funding (22:42) - What are the benefits for the parent companies (26:11) - Guest hot tips (28:45) - One more key takeaway from the guest (34:15) - Guest contacts

Have you ever wondered how businesses keep up with the digital age's rapid pace? In today's fast-moving world, enhancing efficiency, boosting engagement, and driving revenue are top priorities for companies. One groundbreaking solution gaining momentum is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into marketing strategies. AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of data and provide actionable insights is transforming how businesses approach content creation, lead generation, and customer engagement. In this exciting episode of the Payback Time Podcast, host Sean Tepper sits down with Gen Furukawa, Founder of SuperMarketers, to discuss strategies on how to create highly marketable blog posts, lead magnets, and email templates using ChatGPT. Key Timecodes (00:34) - Show intro and background history (03:20) - Deeper into his career journey (05:30) - Understanding his business model (07:37) - Deeper into his AI strategies (13:51) - Understanding his AI marketing tactics (21:01) - How he uses AI to optimize e-mail (23:21) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (27:41) - How AI can help business tactics (30:49) - Guest hot tips (35:45) - How AI can make our work more efficient (40:55) - Guest contacts

What are the 9 B2B Sales Tips? If you're looking to improve your B2B SaaS sales skills, this episode is a must-listen. On the Payback Time Podcast, Sean's next guest breaks down 9 sales tips aimed at enhancing your contract closures. One tip focuses on stopping discounts for your services, while another explores the impact of artificial intelligence and whether AI will replace salespeople. Richard Harris founder of The Harris Consulting Group, delves into effective B2B sales strategies that truly deliver results. Harris's approach, rooted in both experience and innovative thinking, addresses common pitfalls and provides actionable solutions. Key Timecodes (00:36) - Show intro and background history (01:29) - Deeper into his career journey (03:17) - Understanding his business strategies (07:46) - Deeper into his sales philosophy (07:52) - Deeper into his ROI conversion strategies (14:26) - Commercial break (TYKR mobile app) (15:07) - How to stop over discounting (19:54) - How to bring humanity back into sales (23:02) - Deeper into his tactical approaches (29:57) - How AI can not replace salespeople (33:42) - Guest hot tips (37:03) - A key takeaway from the guest (42:49) - Guest contacts

What are some of the VC Red Flags to look out for? Looking to raise capital for your startup? In our next episode of the Payback Time Podcast, we delve into essential insights with Nathaniel Harding, a seasoned venture capitalist and co-founder of Cortado Ventures. He breaks down crucial aspects including 5 green flags, 5 red flags, top questions you should ask, and his experiences investing alongside celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio. Key Timecodes (00:37) - Show intro and background history (01:14) - Deeper into his career journey (05:03) - Understanding his business strategies (07:05) - Deeper into his customer focus philosophy (07:52) - What are the green flags he look for from founders (09:05) - What are the red flags he look for from founders (11:16) - Examples of his big losses in the last 4 years (13:37) - Working with celebrities in this market (14:58) - Examples of his big wins in the last 4 years (19:29) - Commercial break (TYKR) (20:18) - Deeper into his tactical strategies starting a business (23:07) - What are the key actions before reaching out to a VC (25:50) - What type of questions he want to listen from a founder (28:02) - Guest hot tips (29:42) - A key takeaway from the guest (34:15) - Guest contacts

In this episode of the Payback Time podcast, host Sean sits down with Dan Jourdan, a seasoned entrepreneur renowned for his success in building and selling multiple businesses. Dan's diverse entrepreneurial journey began in Brooklyn, New York, spanning ventures from a butcher shop to a staffing company. His experiences provide a unique perspective on sales and business growth, emphasizing the critical task of acquiring new customers as the lifeblood of any successful enterprise. Key Timecodes (00:33) - Show intro and background history (03:31) - Deeper into his career journey (04:17) - Understanding his business strategies (07:05) - Deeper into his customer focus philosophy (15:32) - How to avoid entering a business comfort zone (19:44) - Commercial break (TYKR) (20:23) - Deeper into his tactical sales strategies (28:24) - The 4 reasons people buy (25:02) - A bit about his numbers (33:07) - Guest hot tips (39:13) - A key takeaway from the guest (48:34) - Guest contacts