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Designing Sales Incentives: Key Considerations for Success

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The Point: In today’s highly competitive business landscape, sales performance plays a critical role in determining the success of an organization. Sales incentives are powerful tools that can motivate sales teams, drive performance, and boost revenue. However, designing effective sales incentives requires careful consideration and strategic planning. This article explores the key considerations for success when designing sales incentives, helping organizations create programs that inspire and reward their salesforce…Enjoy!

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Key Considerations in Designing Sales Incentives

I. Aligning Incentives with Organizational Goals

Effective sales incentive programs start with a clear understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives. It is essential to align the incentives with these broader objectives to ensure that the sales team’s efforts contribute directly to the overall success of the company. By linking incentives to strategic priorities, organizations can focus their sales force on the most critical areas and drive desired behaviors.

II. Defining Clear and Measurable Metrics

To design meaningful sales incentives, it is crucial to establish clear and measurable metrics. Ambiguous or vague metrics can lead to confusion and demotivation among sales professionals. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be specific, easily understood, and tied directly to the desired outcomes. Whether it is revenue targets, market share, customer acquisition, or product penetration, the metrics should be quantifiable and aligned with the organization’s goals.

III. Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Incentives

Sales incentives should strike a balance between short-term and long-term objectives. While short-term incentives provide immediate motivation and drive quick results, long-term incentives focus on sustained performance and build loyalty among the sales team. A well-designed sales incentive program encompasses both, leveraging short-term rewards for immediate impact and long-term rewards for consistent achievement and growth.

IV. Tailoring Incentives to Different Roles

Not all sales roles are the same, and a one-size-fits-all approach to incentives may not yield the desired results. Organizations should consider tailoring incentives to different sales roles based on the responsibilities, challenges, and strategic importance of each role. For instance, a hunter-type salesperson focused on new customer acquisition may have different incentive structures compared to an account manager responsible for nurturing and growing existing accounts. By customizing incentives, organizations can better align rewards with the unique goals and objectives of each sales role.

V. Ensuring Achievability and Stretch

Sales incentives should strike a delicate balance between achievability and stretch. Setting unrealistic targets can lead to demotivation, while easily attainable goals may not inspire the sales team to push beyond their comfort zones. It is crucial to establish targets that are challenging yet realistic, stretching the sales team’s capabilities and fostering a sense of achievement when goals are met. Regular monitoring and adjustment of targets are necessary to ensure ongoing motivation and continuous improvement.

VI. Encouraging Collaboration and Teamwork

While individual incentives are important, it is equally crucial to foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork within the sales organization. Sales professionals often rely on each other’s expertise and support to close deals and achieve targets. Incentives that encourage teamwork and collaboration can enhance cooperation, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving. This can be accomplished through team-based incentives, shared rewards for achieving group goals, or recognition programs that celebrate collective achievements.

VII. Offering a Mix of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives

Sales incentives are not limited to monetary rewards alone. While financial incentives are effective motivators, non-monetary rewards can also play a significant role in driving sales performance. Recognition, career advancement opportunities, flexible work arrangements, training and development programs, and experiential rewards can all serve as powerful incentives. By offering a mix of both monetary and non-monetary incentives, organizations can cater to the diverse motivations and preferences of their sales team.

IX. Ensuring Transparency and Fairness

Transparency and fairness are crucial elements of a successful sales incentive program. Sales professionals need to understand how the incentives are structured, what they need to achieve to earn rewards, and how their performance will be evaluated. Clear communication about the incentive program, its objectives, and the criteria for earning incentives is essential to build trust and maintain motivation among the sales team. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the incentive program is perceived as fair, with consistent and equitable treatment of all sales professionals. Any perception of favoritism or bias can quickly erode morale and undermine the effectiveness of the program.

X. Continuous Evaluation and Adaptation

Designing sales incentives is not a one-time task; it requires ongoing evaluation and adaptation. Regularly reviewing the program’s effectiveness, analyzing performance data, and gathering feedback from the sales team can provide valuable insights for improvement. Flexibility and agility in adjusting the incentives based on market conditions, organizational priorities, and changing sales dynamics are key to maintaining a relevant and impactful program. By continuously evaluating and refining the sales incentive program, organizations can ensure that it remains aligned with their evolving goals and optimally motivates their salesforce.

SUMMARY

Designing effective sales incentives requires careful consideration of several key factors. Organizations can create powerful incentive programs that drive sales performance and contribute to overall business success. A well-designed sales incentive program can inspire and motivate sales professionals, align their efforts with organizational objectives, and foster a culture of high-performance. Organizations that invest time and effort in designing sales incentives that consider these key considerations will be well-positioned to achieve their sales targets, drive revenue growth, and gain a competitive advantage in today’s challenging business environment. Organizations can unlock the full potential of their salesforce and maximize their sales effectiveness by recognizing the importance of strategic planning and thoughtful design.

Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

Why Your Startup Won’t Raise Capital – Top 5 Reasons

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The Point: We’ve been thinking a lot about why your startup won’t raise capital and identified the top 5 reasons. At Tip of the Spear, we’ve seen a lot of startups achieve success, and unfortunately even more failure when it comes to raising capital. While raising capital isn’t the only strategy entrepreneurs should pursue for their venture funding (See our post on Customer Funding), there are certain do’s and specifically don’ts associated with raising capital. So in this post, we’ll explore the top 5 reasons why your startup won’t raise capital… Enjoy!

do you really need venture capital

What’s so Special about Raising Capital as an Entrepreneur?

Raising capital is an important step for many entrepreneurs because it provides the funds needed to start and grow a business. Some of the key benefits of raising capital include:

  • Funding Business Operations: Capital is needed to cover the costs of starting and operating a business, such as purchasing equipment, hiring employees, and marketing the business.
  • Facilitating Growth: Capital can be used to invest in new initiatives and expand the business, such as by entering new markets or launching new products or services.
  • Improving Financial Stability: Raising capital can help a business weather financial storms and become more financially stable over the long term.
  • Increasing Valuation: By raising capital, a business can increase its valuation, which can be beneficial when the business is eventually sold or goes public.
  • Attracting Talent: Having access to capital can make it easier for a business to attract top talent, as employees may be more likely to join a financially stable company with a bright future.

Overall, raising capital is an important step for entrepreneurs who want to build and grow a successful business. So if raising capital is so important, why is it so hard to do so successfully?

The Top 5 Reasons Your Startup Won’t Raise Capital

There are many reasons why startups might not be able to raise capital. Here are five of the most common reasons:

Reason #5 – Lack of a Clear Value Proposition: Investors want to see a clear and compelling reason why a startup’s product or service is valuable and how it will generate a return on their investment. Without a strong value proposition, it can be difficult for a startup to convince investors to provide funding.

Reason #4 – Lack of Traction: Investors want to see that a startup has a viable business model and is making progress towards becoming profitable. Without strong traction in the form of revenue or user growth, it can be difficult for a startup to attract funding.

Reason #3 – Poor Market Fit: If a startup’s product or service is not well-suited to the needs of its target market, it can be difficult to generate enough demand to sustain the business. This can make it difficult to convince investors to provide funding.

Reason #2 – Weak Team: A startup’s team is critical to its success. If a startup does not have a strong and experienced team in place, it may struggle to execute on its business plan and attract funding.

Reason #1 – Competition: If a startup is entering a crowded market with many well-established competitors, it may struggle to differentiate itself and attract funding. This can be especially true if the startup does not have a unique value proposition or a clear advantage over its rivals.

SUMMARY

In this post, we explored the top 5 reasons why your startup won’t raise capital. Be it because of your lack of a clear value proposition, lack of traction, poor market fit, weak team, and/or competition the odds of successfully raising capital for your entrepreneurial startup venture may never achieve success because of the lack of funding. If you/your entrepreneurial dream of success hangs in the balance due to venture funding, Contact Us to explore how we can align/work together.

Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

Scaling Sales Entrepreneur-Style!

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The Point: Wouldn’t it be nice to experience scaling sales entrepreneur-style? I mean think of it… Cruising along at 30,000 feet without a worry in the world! Seriously, entrepreneurs that scale a business from $0MM to $50MM achieve no small feet. So, are there lessons we can learn from entrepreneurs as we attempt to scale sales, regardless of the size of our business today? In this post we’ll explore scaling sales entrepreneur-style… Enjoy!

Scaling Sales Entrepreneur-style!

When starting a business, how do you succeed? You must be willing to face your shortcomings and learn to be a leader needed by your startup company. Learning to scale is not an easy task. You need to have the right mindset, strategic capacity, and grit to make your dream a reality. You also must create meaningful value for potential clients. Fortunately, there are many tools that can help you grow your organization.

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Scaling Sales by Listening

First, learn to listen to others and learn from them. If you are not willing to take the time to learn from others, you can’t become a successful leader. You need to take other’s perspectives into consideration. Todd started his own company to develop software applications for wireless devices. He was confident in his concept, but he also listened to the opinions of his team. He publicly acknowledged their contributions and stressed the importance of making them feel valued.

Scale Sales by Leading the Team

As you scale your business, you must become the leader that your team needs and want. Ultimately, you must focus on your organizations top priorities, but it’s the implementation/execution of these priorities through input from your team members that will count. It seems essential to make sure that you’re making the most of your time in doing so. This means stepping away from the details of your business and focusing on the core of your business. You can also automate certain processes to increase your time. As a leader, you should be comfortable letting go of some of — if not all your business activities.

Scale Sales by Eliminating Bottlenecks (i.e., YOU!)

Learning to scale your business means letting go of your role as a bottleneck. Instead of being a bottleneck, you must build structures, processes, and rhythms that won’t rely on you. This is where you’ll be more productive. By creating a culture that supports the growth of your business, you’ll create a company that can grow without you. In theory, the more people you have the faster you’ll be able to scale.

Scale Sales like Eating an Elephant

The first step in scaling your business is to focus on one thing at a time. If we were going to attempt to eat an elephant, we’d do so one bite at a time. The more things you can focus on, the more ineffective you’ll be. By focusing on a single task, you’ll get more done and improve your company’s overall efficiency. You’ll be able to direct your team’s efforts towards the work that will truly make your company successful. It will also be easier to scale.

SUMMARY

A successful company has a clear vision and a strategy for scaling during it’s business transformation. Its vision will help it grow. It will need technology capabilities to enable growth. It will also need to integrate AI and IoT into its business. Developing a business transformation business model is a vital step in scaling. It can be difficult to grow a business without it, but it can be done. It can be a huge help for your business though if you are looking to transform your business.

Sam Palazzolo

30 Days to ETA | Day #30 – SUMMARY

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If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #29 post I shared congratulations — You made it to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)! But before you start popping those champagne bottles, you’d better have a plan for the next day of running your business. As an Acquisition Entrepreneur you should have the first 100 days lined out — Something I call The ETA First 100 Days (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Now that we’re officially at Day #30, Congratulations are truly in order! As an Acquisition Entrepreneur you should relish the accomplishment. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to review the last 30 days with a Summary… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA Summary

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is a journey to buy a business, and it seems like everyone I know that goes through ETA has a slightly different experience. At Tip of the Spear Ventures Mergers & Acquisitions practice, I see some who move through the process fast, stumbling into success in a matter of weeks after executing a brilliant ETA Strategy. Others move slowly, spending years of their lives perfecting the art of Acquisition Entrepreneurship. Some go back to college for years getting a master’s level education in business, and others get started before they even finish high school.

Yes, I’m here to tell you that there is no one 30 Days to ETA road that leads to success for everyone. Acquisition Entrepreneurship is a diverse and rewarding journey, but even so, there are certain hallmarks of the entrepreneurship experience that almost everyone goes through at one point or another. What follows is a summary of where we visited along this 30 Days to ETA journey.

30 Days to ETA | Day #1 – Startup or Acquisition?

My goal for this 30 Days to ETA Series is simply to walk you through the journey of sourcing, searching, and ultimately buying a business. However, make no mistake about this whole world of Mergers & Acquisitions… There is nothing “simple” about it! And in this Day #1 post we’ll explore whether as an Entrepreneur you should Startup or Acquisition — That is, should you start your own business from scratch (i.e., Startup) or buy a business that’s already in existence (i.e., Acquisition).

30 Days to ETA | Day #2 – Leading Your Business

In this 30 Days to ETA post, we’ll explore the topic of leading your business. Sounds pretty simple/straightforward, but there is a twist to consider! Specifically, if in Day #1 we tackled the decision of Startup or Acquisition (You can read the post by CLICKING HERE), in this post we’ll look at leading your business so as to create value or increase business valuation. Why? It’s keeping in line with our identification of the desired endpoint of the business. A business that you lead effectively should increase in value, and therefore be worth more to prospective buyers when you ultimately determine to exit. Understanding business valuations will help you as you start out on your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition journey!

30 Days to ETA | Day #3 – The ETA Business Plan

In my most recent post in this 30 Days to ETA series, Leading Your Business, I explained that you can’t begin a business if you don’t know how it’s going to end. You have to identify where you want to go and why you are going there before you can figure out what type of business to acquire (You can read the post by CLICKING HERE). You must think strategically about the value of your business and then work to increase, or accelerate that value tactfully. And one of the best ways to start that process is by building a plan… The ETA Business Plan!

30 Days to ETA | Day #4 – Your ETA Competitive Advantage

In my most recent post in this 30 Days to ETA series, The ETA Business Plan, I shared that you can go anywhere you want with your business, but you’ll get there faster if you establish a Business Plan. The adage “A goal without a plan is just a dream” has never been more true (You can read the post by CLICKING HERE). Part of that plan, and foundational to the process, is identifying your ETA Competitive Advantage. Thinking strategically about the value your business brings to the market and the benefits it provides should be advantages you look to capitalize on. And your ETA Competitive Advantage should be identified/contingency planned while looking at businesses to acquire!

30 Days to ETA | Day #5 – Enduring Profitability

If you’ve been reading this 30 Days to ETA blog series, you’ve learned that having a business plan is essential for end results for success and that you should have that “end state” mentality in mind as you look to acquire a business. We’ve also explored your ETA Competitive Advantage that should allow you to be strategic in your direction and tactful in your actions to execute that business plan (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). But there’s a key organizational attribute that you should screen for while conducting your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) process, that being Enduring Profitability. So in this 30 Days to ETA post, we’ll explore the concept of Enduring Profitability and how it should form the cornerstone of your search criteria… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #6 – The ETA Team

If you’re following my 30 Days to ETA series, you know that my goal is to help you find a business to either merge with or acquire. In our last post, we explored how to add value to your company so that when it comes time to sell it, you maximize the sales price as much as possible (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). In this article, we’re going to focus on what it really takes to be an Entrepreneur Through Acquisition, namely you don’t need to do it alone. Instead, you’re going to need to bring a team with you (Your ETA Team). Think of Your ETA Team as a group of specialists you hire to help you in your Mergers & Acquisitions endeavor, and you’ll want the best people on this team! We’ll also look at your organization team (Who will help you in running your business)… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #7 – ETA Financials & Cash Flow

No matter how strong your 30 Days to ETA business plan is or how well you grow your team (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE), if your business does not have enough in its cash reserve to survive the ups and downs of the economy, black swan events, or minor financial storms selling your soon to be acquired business in the future will be a non-issue. In order to secure outside funding or know how much money you need to personally bring to the closing table, you must know how to calculate how much of a cash reserve your business needs to have on hand to withstand hard times. So in this post we’ll explore ETA Financials & Cash Flow and how they fit in with your 30 Days to ETA execution… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #8 – Leading Yourself

Most recently in our 30 Days to ETA series, I’ve been dissecting the business characteristics that maximize or multiply your future company’s resale value. I’ve shared how to master competitive advantage, make your business scalable, hire a great staff, and build a cash reserve to weather the business storms (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Before leaping from our business’s acquisition to its growth phase further, I want to talk to you about leading yourself — the personal side of your business’s sustainability — Your personal sustainability: your physical well-being and how it affects your business’s value. Why? A strong mind requires a strong body to achieve the final destination of success… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #9 – ETA Mission, Vision, & Values

If you are following this 30 Days to ETA series, you have built your business plan and hired the team to drive your long-term goals. In our last post, I stressed the importance of leading yourself (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). One of the aspects of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition that I find most rewarding is finding/aligning with a culture that resonates. The foundation for that culture is the ETA Mission, Vision, & Values that you profess to and the business you’re looking to acquire says they already have/stand for. So in this post, we’ll explore exactly that… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #10 – ETA Culture

In our last post in this 30 Days to ETA series, we discussed your ETA Mission, Vision, & Values (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Having clarity in the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition strategy is paramount, and nothing signals that more than your identification of where you want to go with your future business. In this post, we’re going to explore the backbone of how you will get to that future destination via ETA Culture. ETA Culture is your business’ values and culture that will shape owner-employee relations. The business that has outstanding values and inviting culture can help bring top dollar at the time you want to eventually sell… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #11 – ETA Entity Formation

If you’ve been reading this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #10 post I stressed the importance of creating an ETA Culture (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to discuss how choosing the right type of business entity at a company’s creation can effect its liability and its ability to sell when it comes time (i.e., ETA Entity Formation). Many people believe that in business exit planning, the idea of preparing a business to sell, occurs just prior to the owner’s desired exit time. This couldn’t be further from the reality of what should happen. Acquisition Entrepreneurs know that in their Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition journey that the time to prepare their future company for sale is at the onset, not as you’re contemplating your exit. Some of the planning we business owners need to do should be done five to ten years before the sale ever occurs, so starting at the beginning with the end in mind should make sense… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #12 – ETA Metrics/KPIs

If you’ve been reading this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #11 post I discussed how your ETA Entity Formation is an important structural item on your journey to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, as an Accountant I want to look at two of my favorite things in the business world – facts and figures in the form of ETA Metrics/KPIs. We’re going to deal with the financial reports your future business needs to provide to not only lead the organization successfully, but allow interested buyers to see how great a business you have. Remember our end-game when it comes to Acquisition Entrepreneurship, that in order to make a business sellable we have to provide buyers with accurate financial reports that show our historical growth, our current financial status, and our business’s potential growth in the future…. Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #13 – ETA Risk Mitigation

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #12 post I discussed how your ETA Metrics/KPIs allow you to establish a scoreboard for your journey to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, a wise person once told me, “Somebody else’s experience is a far better teacher than your own.” I wish I had listened to that advice. If I had understood the vital role of a business risk assessment in the purchase of a business, I might have avoided making the single biggest mistake of my business career… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #14 – ETA Engagement

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #13 post I discussed how your ETA Risk Mitigation — if done properly — will allow you to avoid big and costly mistakes in your journey to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). I know that you know the saying, “No risk, no reward!” I also know that strategic risks take into account lead to your motivation. Some of us are motivated by fame, others by money, etc. In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore what drives ETA Engagement, or the motivations associated with owning/running a business with a team… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #15 – The ETA Business Team

30 Days to ETA | Day #15 – The ETA Business Team

June 15, 2021 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director (Edit)

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #14 post I discussed how to achieve ETA Engagement amongst your future employees. Why? It’s awfully difficult — Impossible! — to achieve happy customers if you have unhappy team members, and happy team members are engaged team members in your journey to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). But what if there was a way to build the company of your dreams with an ETA Business Team? An awesome ETA Business Team that pulls just as hard as you do towards the business goal of not only acquiring, but building a company in order to sell it for maximum profit. In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore how we can assemble our dream ETA Business Team of employees and executives, and in doing so how we can cultivate company culture and add employee incentive programs to ensure our ETA Engagement adds to company success… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #16 – ETA Deal Flow

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #15 post I discussed how to achieve The ETA Business Team. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, people are the most important ingredient in your journey to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). So, even though so far in this series we’ve spent a lot of time talking about strategic initiatives within the business, it’s time we pull up to explore ways in which you can find that business. In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore how we can create a system where business owners, and those that have a business for sale — Brokers, Attorneys, CPAs, Bankers, etc. — can find you to present the business… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #17 – The ETA Exit Plan

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #16 post I discussed how to maximize ETA Deal Flow. You need to analyze a lot of businesses in order to get one to purchase in your journey to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). But even though you’ve found the perfect business and were fortunate to purchase it, I’m going to encourage you to focus on the end. In today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore how that end-game focus — The ETA Exit Plan — can provide you with all kinds of benefits, especially financial benefits if you do things right… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #18 – The ETA Conglomerate

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #17 post I discussed how as Acquisition Entrepreneurs we need to have focus on the end with The ETA Exit Plan. While you need to buy your business via Mergers & Acquisitions at the right strike-price, it’s equally important as a part of due diligence to sell the business right as well as a part of your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition journey (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). But what if you get into this as an entrepreneur and you find out you really enjoy owning a business? I mean, what’s better than owning a single business? Two or more businesses! So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore how you can expand/create an empire by owning multiple companies — The ETA Conglomerate… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #19 – The ETA Business Valuation

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #18 post I discussed how as Acquisition Entrepreneurs one of the paths forward for you could be The ETA Conglomerate. If you love what you do, and in doing so want more love, then it’s natural to want to explore owning more than one business as a part of your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition journey (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Part of the ETA difficulty as an entrepreneur is identifying the value you should be willing to pay for a business. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore how you can create and justify the price you should pay based off of objective versus subjective criteria — The ETA Business Valuation… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #20 – ETA Business Law

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #19 post I discussed how as Acquisition Entrepreneurs you can create and justify the price you should pay based off of objective versus subjective criteria — The ETA Business Valuation. Part of the ETA difficulty as an entrepreneur is identifying the value you should be willing to pay for a business as a part of your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition journey (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Another ETA difficulty is knowing who you can trust. No matter how many jokes you’ve heard about lawyers, good attorneys can save you hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of dollars when it comes time for you to acquire a business. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore how you can identify and hire this vital part of your Professional ETA Team — ETA Business Law… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #21 – ETA Mistakes

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #20 post I discussed how as Acquisition Entrepreneurs you can identify and hire the most vital part of your Professional ETA Team — ETA Business Law. No matter how many jokes you’ve heard about lawyers, good attorneys can save you hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of dollars when it comes time for you to acquire a business (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Another ETA difficulty is the opportunity to make mistakes. You are going to make mistakes, but how you recover from them will make a massive difference. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore ETA Mistakes… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #22 – ETA Deal Flow | Brokers

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #21 post I discussed how as Acquisition Entrepreneurs you can bet that there will be mistakes made, something I call ETA Mistakes. You can make one mistake, or you can make one million! Regardless of how many mistakes you make, how you recover from them will make a massive difference (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). One mistake that I see time and again made by Entrepreneurs Through Acquisition (ETA) is not having enough opportunities in the Mergers & Acquisitions pipeline. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore ETA Deal Flow | Brokers… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #23 – ETA Industry / Business ID

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #22 post I discussed how as Acquisition Entrepreneurs there is one mistake that I see time and again made by Entrepreneurs Through Acquisition (ETA), that being not having enough opportunities in the Mergers & Acquisitions pipeline. So, in yesterday’s 30 Days to ETA post, we explored ETA Deal Flow | Brokers (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). I believe that if you fill your Mergers & Acquisitions pipeline with qualified companies to explore acquiring, life will become easier for you. But how will you know which businesses are right and which businesses are wrong to begin the filtering process on? So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore ETA Industry / Business ID… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #24 – The ETA Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM)

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #23 post I believe that as an Acquisition Entrepreneur if you fill your Mergers & Acquisitions pipeline with qualified companies to explore acquiring, Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition life will become easier for you. But how will you know which businesses are right and which businesses are wrong to begin the filtering process on? So, in yesterday’s 30 Days to ETA post, we explored ETA Industry / Business ID (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). But identifying seller personas and industry specifics are not enough. You’ll want to know how to rip apart the information you receive as a part of due diligence. The center piece of this information is the Confidential Information Memorandum, or CIM. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore The ETA Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM)… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #25 – The ETA Owner Interview

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #24 post I identified as an Acquisition Entrepreneur that seller personas and industry specifics are not enough in your Mergers & Acquisitions journey. You’ll want to know how to rip apart all of the information you receive as a part of due diligence. The center piece of this information is the Confidential Information Memorandum, or CIM as an Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition professional (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). But your ability to analyze reports, or the CIM is not enough. You’re going to have to conduct interviews with key parties on the seller’s side of the equation successfully. These interviews need to be done so that you gather all of the missing pieces of information you need to proceed — if justified. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore The ETA Owner Interview… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #26 – The ETA Letter of Intent (LOI)

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #25 post I shared that your ability to analyze reports, or the CIM will not be enough as an Entrepreneur Through Acquisition (ETA). You’re going to have to conduct interviews with key parties on the seller’s side of the equation successfully. The ETA Owner Interview needs to be done so that you gather all of the missing pieces of information you need to proceed — if justified (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Finding, researching, conducting preliminary due diligence — as well as interviews — are all precursor to what is considered by most to be the first step in the formal business sale, the Letter of Intent (LOI). So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore The ETA Letter of Intent (LOI)… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #27 – ETA Capital

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #26 post I shared as an Entrepreneur Through Acquisition (ETA), finding, researching, conducting preliminary due diligence — as well as interviews — are all precursor to what is considered by most to be the first step in the formal business sale, the ETA Letter of Intent – LOI (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Now that you have the found the business and the ownership vision is in sight, how are you going to fund it to make it a reality? So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore ETA Capital… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #28 – The ETA Purchase Agreement (PA)

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #27 post I shared that finding a business is good, but being able to fund what you find is even better, something I referred to as ETA Capital (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). So, by this time in your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) journey you have found a business, determined how you are going to fund it, and successfully conducted due diligence under Letter of Intent (LOI)… Now all you need to do is purchase the business. Ok, that’s not all, but that is what’s next. So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore the ETA Purchase Agreement (PA)… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA | Day #29 – Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days

If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #28 post I shared that by this time in your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) journey you have found a business, determined how you are going to fund it, and successfully conducted due diligence under Letter of Intent (LOI)… Now all you need to do is purchase the business with the ETA Purchase Agreement (PA) (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Congratulations, you made it to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)! Before you start popping those champagne bottles, you’d better have a plan for the next day of running your business. As an Acquisition Entrepreneur you should have the first 100 days lined out! So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days… Enjoy!

SUMMARY

So there you have it… 30 days up, 30 days down! You are well on your way to becoming an Acquisition Entrepreneur or Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. But wait, you probably know just enough to be dangerous! If I, or my Tip of the Spear Ventures Team can help you reach your ETA goal please reach out (acquisitions@tipofthespearventures.com). Better yet, we’re launching our Entrepreneur In Residence program specifically for leaders who want to become owner-operators of a business (You can read more about the program by CLICKING HERE). I hope you’ve enjoyed this 30 Days to ETA series as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Sam Palazzolo

30 Days to ETA | Day #29 – Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days

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If you’ve been reading along in this 30 Days to ETA series, you know that in the Day #28 post I shared that by this time in your Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) journey you have found a business, determined how you are going to fund it, and successfully conducted due diligence under Letter of Intent (LOI)… Now all you need to do is purchase the business with the ETA Purchase Agreement (PA) (You can read the previous post by CLICKING HERE). Congratulations, you made it to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)! Before you start popping those champagne bottles, you’d better have a plan for the next day of running your business. As an Acquisition Entrepreneur you should have the first 100 days lined out! So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days… Enjoy!

30 Days to ETA - Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days

Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days

After the formalities of document signings at the closing table, the business broker or M&A Advisor will often arrange and sometimes pay for a celebratory dinner. If your transition expert sets up a dinner, they will usually schedule closing in the late afternoon so that everyone can leave the closing table and go directly to a nice dinner. I’ve been to many of these celebrations where the ETA Professional Team members, employee team members, friends, and family members attend to commemorate the moment of success… Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition has arrived!

Many times, these particular events aren’t that dissimilar from a wedding celebration except you’re the best man, and the bride is your business. Most likely, you’ll get up and give a speech. Maybe you’ll tell funny stories about highs and lows you experienced in your search for a business. You’ll even recognize key people who helped you along your way. You may even receive gifts from certain employees, advisors, and others.

But don’t get drunk on too much champagne or feelings of goodwill… You have a business to run that is now owned by you — So you should probably get going!

Leading Your Business

I remember my first business acquisition. I signed the documents, and I went out with some friends to celebrate the accomplishment. It wasn’t until I got home and laid down for the night that it hit me… “What did I just do?” You know, I just bought a business. Did I make the right move? What do I do now? Worries and questions ran through my head all night long. And honestly, a minor panic attack ensued.

You’re probably going to be in the same boat I was. At the end of the day you acquire a business, you’re going to experience a myriad of emotions. Everything you’ve worked for has now come to fruition. Your friends, family members, advisors, planners, and employees will probably be there throughout the day to celebrate with you. By the time you get to the end of the day, the adrenaline will wear off. Things will settle down, and anxiety may creep in.

Obviously, you’re going to experience excitement and happiness. I mean, you’ve planned this day for months/years and isn’t it great that the day finally arrived? However, you’ll probably second guess your decision, too. So whenever you reach this point in ETA, remember that it’s just the start. There is so much more to life! No matter how old or young you are, there is so much more to live for, and now you have a business to run in addition.

The ETA First 100 Days

On July 24, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a radio address in which he coined the term “first 100 days.” For our recent acquisition, it’s an important perspective to take into account. On that day, Roosevelt famously said “We all wanted the opportunity of a little quiet thought to examine and assimilate in a mental picture the crowding events of the hundred days which had been devoted to the starting of the wheels of the New Deal.” Congratulations… Your new business is your New Deal!

Over the past months, you should have been compiling the pages to make your ETA First 100 Days playbook. Within this playbook, you should have four main components:

  • Strategy
  • Execution
  • Cash (Revenue Drive!)
  • People

Unfortunately, at Tip of the Spear Ventures’ Mergers & Acquisitions practice I see leaders all the time that take over a business and have no plan. Perhaps the plan is to run it the same way the previous owner had. Perhaps they plan on “winging” it. But both of these “perhaps” will lead you nowhere fast!

When you first identified the business that you just acquired, you should have developed a list of potential levers — areas of improvement that if you bought the company you could flip to dramatically increase the revenue of the business. What are those levers?

The ETA First 100 Days is a time when you should have these levers and components pre-developed for an action plan. When you take over the business, while late, is not a good position to be in to start to assemble the plan. What are you going to do? Who will you need to do it with you? Why will what you’re doing align with your new organizations mission, vision, and values? These are but a few of the ETA First 100 Days you’ll want to identify well in advance of the first day of ownership.

At Tip of the Spear Ventures, we’re famous for aggressively setting out to accomplish goals during The ETA First 100 Days. However, and this is a nod of respect to the previous owners, we spend the first week (7 Days) attempting to seek first to understand, then to be understood. In other words, even though we’re default – aggressive in this time, we want to understand why things have been running the way they have. With a firm understanding, we then set to implement/execute our plans for ETA First 100 Days.

SUMMARY

Congratulations are in order… You made it to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)! As I previously cautioned, before you start popping those champagne bottles you’d better have a plan for the next day of running your business — You should have the first 100 days lined out! So, in today’s 30 Days to ETA post, we’re going to explore Leading Your Business | The ETA First 100 Days… Enjoy! Ultimately, a closing isn’t the end, but your new beginning.

Sam Palazzolo