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Dear Entrepreneur:
Since you've read this far, I assume you're a strong and motivated leader who wants to take your company forward—fast—and who is willing to invest in yourself to get the best information and advice possible. You're also a person who understands that you need to explore all the options available. Without a doubt, you're experiencing many or all of the growing pains common to entrepreneurs (see Five Universal Anxieties of the Fast-Track Leader).
To bring your company to the next level, you need an accurate assessment of your situation, a complete DIAGNOSIS of where you are and where you could be heading. And you need a consultant who has been there and can understand your potentials, and your barriers.
Now, more than ever, information IS power. So if you're going to succeed, doesn't it make sense to have the clearest, most objective information about your company, and where it's positioned RIGHT NOW, at your fingertips?
You see, while all businesses and markets present their own unique challenges, strong and ambitious leaders in every industry experience many of the same problems as they build their companies. Winners know when to ask for help and recognize when they're confronted with a problem that they may not have seen before. Only the foolish suffer alone . . . and the foolish fail needlessly. Unfortunately, the leaders of entrepreneurial enterprises often don't have sufficient depth and experience among the team around them, so they're forced to face these challenges alone.
That's why the services we bring to you—whether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, or investor—are so important. As managing partner of Jonathan York & Associates, I bring to the table over 30 years of experience in recognizing the patterns of and solutions to business challenges. You're running a fast-track company, so you need fast and adaptable information. You need to work with consultants who can understand your experience. Unlike those "small business consultants," I focus on the needs of entrepreneurial companies—I don't believe in or rely on packaged approaches that guide everyone down the same path. The questions I ask you, and the answers we find together, will be the most valuable process you can undertake.
If you want to learn more, call 614-271-3500 or click here to set up a brief phone consultation (no cost, no strings, no pressure) so we can get to know each other better.
Yours in success,
| As a startup business with few customers, a nascent product, and a seemingly endless list of “to-dos,” it was often difficult for us to know where to focus. Jon’s processes and expertise helped us channel our efforts to land our first large Fortune 25 client. We then leveraged that client reference to grow our client base and prove our business model. Jon’s insight was critical. |
—Andrew Graf, Co-founder, TeamDynamix |
| Jon really gets early-stage companies, both from the perspective of the entrepreneur and of the investor. He knows that sometimes the companies who are best on paper fail to get funding because of how they present themselves, what they inadvertently convey, or simply because they just don't know what they don't know. He has the maturity, patience and insight to help start-up companies successfully cross the initial chasm from concept to funded company. |
—Josh Grotstein, Managing Partner, SAS Investors, New York, NY |
| I recommend Jonathan York to any entrepreneur who is prepared to answer the hard, but necessary, questions about his/her business in order to take the venture to the next level. He tells it like it is--I appreciated his honesty and his experience. He helped me clarify my vision, identify the best markets, and determine next steps so my big dream continues to become reality. |
—Beth Sanders, CEO, LifeBio.com |
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Five Universal Anxieties of the Fast-Track Leader
Call them anxieties, pains, trials, or tribulations, but the bottom line is: these are what keep entrepreneurs up at night—and if they aren't resolved, they'll keep companies from growing.
Do any of these traits apply to you?
- You're entirely focused on taking your business to the next level.
- You're not afraid to ask hard questions and take advice.
- You're willing to invest in your business, yourself, and your team.
- You're driven to win.
Face it, you're a fast-track leader—and, like it or not, you're susceptible to any and all of the universal anxieties that go along with the job. But don't worry, you're in good company with many successful entrepreneurs who've been smart enough to figure their way out of these tight spots. At Jonathan York & Associates, we're poised to help you diagnose your problems, identify your anxieties (even if you didn't know you had them), and work through the solutions—fast.
The five anxieties are:
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Your company has enormous opportunities, almost too many. You and your team are rightfully afraid of missing the BIG one. But . . .
- Is the issue at hand building more product or better product?
- Should you choose a vertical market?
- If so, what opportunities do you walk away from?
- Why does everyone keep telling you to focus? Don't they understand that you need to be nimble and adaptable?
You tell yourself that you'll focus later—when you have answers to all the questions that are now so open-ended.
But later may be too late. You need to focus smart . . . now. |
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Whether you're backed by venture capital or self-financed, the issues are the same. You want to grow fast; your opportunity and your market demand this. But financing your growth is more than just finding a source of capital. It's having a funding strategy and knowing if you're ready.
- Do you need outside financing now?
- How much capital do you need? Can it be financed in stages?
- What form/source of capital is most appropriate for your business?
- Are you ready to seek financing?
- Is your business model (and plan) well-defined and clearly stated?
- Can you articulate your market and sales strategy?
- Have you prepared the necessary materials to cut through the clutter?
- What are your valuation expectations? Are they realistic?
Financiers see hundreds of business plans, and they quickly determine which entrepreneurs have done their homework and know what they're doing. You need to step back for some better perspective. In other words, you've got to figure out how to quit breathing your own exhaust and learn to see yourself as others might.
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| Jon has a unique ability to quickly understand your business, determine how it needs to be presented, and help you tell your story so it resonates with your audience. This is key when you are trying to grow and finance your company. Having been both an entrepreneur and an investor, Jon can offer advice and coaching that are always on the mark. I’ve partnered with Jon as both an entrepreneur growing a business and as an executive in a larger software company trying to set corporate strategy—and, in both cases, Jon delivered. |
—Michael Morgan, Founder, ProductManage.com, and
Vice President of Marketing, Netsmart Technologies |
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No company grows without significant people issues. Are you delaying crucial human resources decisions? People don't always grow at the same rate as their company; typically, less than 25% of a company's initial leadership is able to transition through its growth stages.
- How do you ease out or transition the old team?
- How do you find and integrate the new lead players you need?
- How do you identify when management and communication skills become as important as technical abilities?
- How do you build a team that can perform at the level you need to succeed?
The manner in which you handle these issues is the single most critical factor in success vs. failure. Delayed "people" decisions equals delayed success.
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| Jon has provided significant value as a consultant, providing guidance on corporate strategy, and directly working on high profile sales and marketing initiatives as well as major financial transactions. He brings insight, experience, a network of great people, and considerable wit to bear on solving problems. |
—Alistair Deakin, CEO, CMHC Systems |
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Companies often enter a no-man's-land where everything seems to be stuck. Every sale is just about ready to close . . . with just one more step. Every product improvement is almost ready to launch . . . with just one more review.
- Is it déjà vu all over again? Your sales manager says the BIG deal is just about to close, but it never does. Your product manager tells you the sales force doesn't know how to sell, and your sales force tells you the product isn't quite ”there” yet.
- Are the methods that worked for you as a startup—be they late nights or brute-forcing the next product release—just not working as well anymore?
- Have you, the CEO, lost contact with customers, but you can't find the time to get back out in the field? Your customers love you . . . or do they? Your investors love you too . . . don't they?
- Do you really understand what your customers think and where your market position is . . . and where it should be?
Your problem may be in your information-gathering and decision-making processes. Yes, information is power—and you need an objective view.
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| Jon has the capacity to see all sides of the challenges facing an entrepreneur and how to whittle them down to what's important. In addition to being a really bright guy, he has a unique combination of executive management, business development, strategic financing, and entrepreneurial experiences that allow him to contribute in so many areas important to a CEO. In my own experience with Jon, he's been able to quickly drive to the right conclusions about our fundamental business decisions. |
| —Mark Shary, CEO, BestTransport |
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The reality is: you ARE alone at the top. Whether this is the first time you've been there or the fifth, you—and you alone—understand the challenges a CEO faces. You may have to make significant personnel changes, figure out how to better communicate with a board of directors and investors, or raise a new round of financing—all while keeping your sanity and looking strong to the people who rely on you.
- Do you need to talk to someone who will give you straight answer? Do you feel you can't lay all your concerns onto your team?
- Are you ready for an Advisory Board? Are you big enough to fully benefit from one? Are they more trouble than they're worth?
- A networking group helps, but doesn't your business need to work on YOUR schedule, not theirs? And don't you need someone to concentrate fully on YOU?
You need a coach—a confidential mentor—who understands.
| Jon has incredible energy, enthusiasm, and perspective on all things marketing, business development, and technology. Over my ten-year affiliation with Jon, I have known him as a leader, an organizer, an innovator, an evangelist, and a man of truth and wisdom. He can help any organization hurdle obstacles big and small, calling on his deep experience in marketing and management. I know many people that have worked with and for Jon in the past, and they all would do it again in a heartbeat, given the opportunity. |
| —Mike Mizesko, Principal, Mizesko & Associates |
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