How Important (and Effective) is Your Company's Elevator Pitch? |
Harriet L. Donnelly, President, e5 Marketing 
How many people in your organization can describe what your company does in a few sentences? How many different descriptions do you hear and how many of them are correct? Typically, you can pick a sentence off of one and mesh it with another that you wordsmith with the third and it may still not be right. But, this may not be how you ultimately want people to think about you and your company...
Your first introduction, whether in a business meeting or in an elevator, is the most critical and sets the tone for any continuance of the business opportunity or the conversation. Within those first seconds you need to establish your credibility and evoke enough interest for a follow-on conversation.
Think about how your company's employees, whether the CEO or a project manager, responds when a someone asks the simple question, "What do you do?" or "What does your company do?" Do they respond with the canned "elevator pitch"? Most people don't fall for the "old" elevator pitch these days and the conversation, although pleasant, comes to an abrupt end.
This is where marketing comes in. .... read rest of the article |
CFO of The Year Nomination | DENVER, Colorado (April 23, 2010) - CxO To Go partner Keith McAslan received official notification today from the Denver Business Journal that he has been nominated for the 2010 CFO of the Year. Keith was the interim CFO for Western Forge, a manufacturer of hand tools located in Colorado Springs and guided the process of this distressed manufacturer from investor presentation to sale in 60 days, selling the business for a double digit multiple of EBITDA and saving over 400 jobs in Colorado. The Denver Business Journal will announce the finalists and winners of this prestigious award at a luncheon on May 20, 2010 at the Marriott City Center.
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Merger and Acquisitions Series:
Non Binding Letter of Intent
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Introduction:
One of the first steps in the merger and acquisition process after executing a confidentiality agreement or non-disclosure agreement is the non binding letter of intent. A letter of intent, commonly referred to as the LOI, is a document that is given to express the interest to take the next steps in a transaction, such as to purchase or merge a business.
 An LOI is a nonbinding agreement that not only expresses interest, but typically details the initial terms for the contemplated transaction, timing for due diligence, contingencies, and the timing to execute a final definitive agreement.
While it is not legally binding, the LOI is an important part of a purchasing process because it typically means that both parties have fundamentally agreed on a purchase price, basic terms of the deal and have agreed to negotiate exclusively with each other.
Example:
The following is a very "vanilla" example of an LOI for reference, but it is strongly recommended that legal counsel prepare the LOI to ensure the business is protected during the M&A process.
... read rest of the article. |
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Conscious Collaboration for CxO To Go
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 To provide the finest service for our customers, CxO To Go is developing relationships with best-in-class services providers and other organizations that can offer incremental expertise to help companies grow - a conscious collaboration. We strive to create alliances with the best of the best. We would like to share with you one of these companies.
Backroom Management Services Backroom Management is a unified web-based platform that carries out your business activities (from lead generation to cash in the bank) while channeling their impact into indicators that management can use to make decisions. Not only does it do more than more commercially known systems, it's based on a flat monthly fee - which gives you unlimited users, full access, and no hidden fees when you want to do more. CxO To Go is their third affiliate partner.
e5 Marketing, a national marketing organization, provides a full range of integrated marketing solutions for businesses of any size. We approach marketing differently from most other agencies because we provide every aspect of marketing, both traditional and viral, tied to an overall strategy, and scalable to the needs of clients small or large. From developing a single collateral piece to a global multi-layered annual marketing program-and everything in-between, e5 does it all. To capture the essence of CxO To Go, e5 Marketing created a powerful new logo for us. Keep checking our website, as e5 Marketing is revamping it.
Forté Human Resources is a leader in hands on, full service outsourced human resources management. Forté Human Resources protects your business through our signature SafeGuard System™. The system and structure that we put in place, continuously monitor, and reinforce through guidance and training, to ensure that your business is in complete compliance with all Federal and State employment laws.
Paragon Audit & Consulting is a provider of independent internal audit and business consulting services. We help our clients identify assess and manage operational and technology risks encountered in their business operations. We can provide your business with a full spectrum of Internal Audit Services including, full outsourcing, co-sourcing and as needed staff augmentation. Additionally, our team of skilled professionals can assist your Compliance and Governance functions with Compliance Controls Reviews, Contract Reviews and Investigative Reviews.
PMD Legal, PLLC is a woman and minority owned corporate law firm serving as a virtual general counsel for start-ups, entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profit organizations. Our focus is on you. We provide excellent client service and quality legal expertise to help you start and grow your business. What makes us unique is that we offer many legal services on a flat-fee basis, whether it is for one-project or on a monthly flat fee program.
Social Media Energy The WAY we cultivate employees, customers, and fans today. Using social media, SME has pioneered the art of Custom Fan Pages, Social Media Outsourcing, Custom Movies, and Measurement to cultivate your current and future employees as well as current and future clients. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media services are all leveraged to meet your marketing and communication needs. |
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 In this issue of our newsletter, we are highlighting a selection from our CFO portfolio. We have been listening to our customers and now provide value packages of popular CFO Services. You can choose from 9 packages to get you and your company off and running fast. Click on the links for details and prices.
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Package |
Service |
Value |
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CapStrat PlusTM |
Capital Strategy |
Leverage.
Full Support.
Actual Work. |
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StratPlusTM |
Strategic Planning |
Focus.
Clarity.
Direction. |
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PowerPlanTM |
Business Plan Improvement |
Experienced.
Professional.
Sales Focused. |
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PowerPlan2TM |
Complete Business Plan |
Experienced.
Professional.
Sales Focused.
Sophisticated. |
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PowerPuncherTM |
Executive Summaries |
High Impact.
Capital Attractive.
Tells Story. |
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Your Personal BoDTM |
Personal Board of Directors |
Sustainability.
Accountability.
Focus. |
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CFOCastTM |
Financial Projections |
Professional.
Sophisticated.
Effective.
Standardized. |
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BankSellTM |
Bank Proposal Packages |
Experience.
Leverage.
Your Story. |
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PitchingPointTM |
Pitch Presentations |
Targeted.
Impact.
Delivery Coach. | |
Business owners love the freedom of running their own company. But they don't have to love the financials, love the operations, or even love the marketing. Because that's what we do. We're a professional services company that brings C-Level expertise and best practices to your business on a part-time, flexible and affordable basis. We LOVE what we do, and you will too.
Call for the Best Way to Increase Your Profits.
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