This fourth and final in a series of
Flight School workshops focuses on
building a business that has lasting value and can be continued beyond the
founder.
This intense 1-day workshop is presented by the Northern Colorado High Tech
Network’s
Flight School and
The Business Catapult, and is designed to help:
- Entrepreneurs that are in business, are starting a business, or are thinking
about
starting a business, and
- Existing companies that want to become more entrepreneurial or want to spin
off
a business.
The workshop focuses on the following questions:
- Why should I think about exit strategy during the startup and growth phases
of my business?
- What determines the valuation of my business at any particular time, and how
can
I improve this valuation?
- How should I decide between further investing in my business and selling
out?
- How should I structure my business so that it can continue in the case of
accident
to the founder or a key contributor?
- How should I organize my business so that I can continue to own it while
someone
else runs it?
- How do I bring a "partner" or co-owner into the business in a way that is
fair,
affordable, and creates the right incentives?
- What mechanics and resources are available to help me build my business so I
can
leave it in style?
- What are some examples of successful and failed exit strategies?
- How do I decide among exit strategy alternatives?
The workshop includes:
- A comparison of businesses that have had successful and unsuccessful
exits
- A review of the tools and techniques that can help the entrepreneur
maximize success
in exiting a business
- Shared best practices and references that have been developed
by:
- Bert Vermeulen;
- Other successful consultants and entrepreneurs;
- The Business
Catapult, a
Denver-based network of consultants and entrepreneurs; and
- The Entrepreneurial
Standards Forum;
an open non-profit Colorado-based organization that is developing standards for
entrepreneurial
processes
- Case study materials presented by a successful Colorado
entrepreneur
- Discussion of the participants’ specific situations and
questions.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own questions, problems, and
success
stories to share and work on with others.
Expected Outcomes:
Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to build a business
that they
can sell in its entirety, sell shares of to investors, or restructure in a way
that allows
the entrepreneur to step away from full-time involvement.
EVENT: Building a Successful Exit Into Your Business Trajectory
INSTRUCTORS: Bert Vermeulen and Walter Eberspacher
COST: $99 for registrations on or before March 19, 2006; $119 starting
March 20, 2006.
$49 for students of accredited academic institutions showing a valid student id
at the door.
REGISTRATION: Register on-line below, or register at the door.
Note: registration will close after 30 participants have signed up,
so sign up early!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS:
Bert Vermeulen grew up in Boulder County; lived in Fort Collins while working
for HP;
managed, grew, and helped sell a manufacturing business in Longmont; and now is
in the business
of helping entrepreneurs. His experience includes:
- A strong background in engineering and business.
- Building a manufacturing business, selling it, and then buying and funding
other similar
businesses in Mexico, Ireland, and Hungary.
- Working with over 30 entrepreneurial companies since 2002. Some of these
have since gone
out of business, some have not gone anywhere, some have muddled through, and
some have been
spectacularly successful.
- Co-leading an open, non-profit organization that is developing standards for
entrepreneurial
processes, the Entrepreneurial Standards Forum.
Walter Eberspacher immigrated from Germany in the early 1960s with less than
$200 in his pocket. In 1979 he bought a struggling manufacturing business in
Loveland called Plasco, for $25,000. During the next 18 years, he moved the
business to Longmont, built it to annual revenues of over $25M/year, and
developed a superior reputation for providing high customer satisfaction. He
sold this business in 1997. Bert and Walter worked together from 1993 to 1997.
Walter will be presenting some of the experiences and philosophies that helped
him along the way.
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