Blog


Recent trends, advice, and resources for business plans and early stage business development.

Masterplans named Top 5 Business Plan Writer & an interview with William Dean, VP of Immigration

5 min read

Masterplans Named 'Top 5 Business Plan Writer' (for the 5th Time!)

For the fifth time, EB-5 Investors Magazine named Masterplans a “Top 5 Business Plan Writer.”

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Resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs (and Veteran-Owned Businesses)

4 min read

20+ Resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs

Did you know that FedEx, GoDaddy, Nike, and Enterprise-Rent-A-Car were all founded by veterans? According to the Small Business Administration,...

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Do better things really come to those who wait?

7 min read

4 Factors for Timing When To Launch Your Business

Whenever I’m out in the real world, I tend to shy away from talking about what I do. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. But it can be...

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Visualize Your Future Business! Create a Fake Ad!

3 min read

Unsure if Your Business Idea is Any Good? Try Making a Fake Ad

A great business idea sometimes strikes you. Then, it may consume your thoughts when you can’t sleep. Later, it can full-on haunt you.

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Investors won't commit if they can't see a clear opportunity

7 min read

A ‘Scientific’ Approach to Understanding Opportunity Analysis

I was on a Zoom with a client when he posed a tricky question: “What’s the most important part of the investor presentation?” I had to pause and...

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What to do while you're NOT writing your business plan

3 min read

How Will You Spend the Time You Save by Hiring Masterplans?

A quick internet search might leave you with the sense that you can create a business plan in “less than an hour" and in "four easy steps!” Wow, you...

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What Qualifies Someone for the EB2-NIW (There are No Right Answers but Many Wrong Ones)

6 min read

Strategies for Securing the Elusive EB-2 National Interest Waiver

Here's an embarrassing confession: the first time a client approached me about their NIW petition, I’d never even heard of EB-2. E-2 I knew by heart;...

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Why do your customers buy? Jobs-to-be-done & your business plan

5 min read

Jobs-To-Be-Done Will Make You Rethink Competitive Advantage

Writing or updating a business plan for an existing business can be rewarding and eye-opening, but you might consider taking a different approach...

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Art of the Pitch: The Marketplace Slide

5 min read

5 Ways To Demonstrate Market Potential in Your Pitch Deck

Anyone who has been on an online date (the latest data says one in every five of you have!) is familiar with the concept of the modern coffee date:...

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5 Topics Your Investor Materials (& Business Plan) MUST address

8 min read

What Do Investors Look for in a Business Plan?

This is the first in a series of posts that will elaborate on the specific answer to the question: What do investors look for in a business plan?

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What is a business plan?

5 min read

What Is A Business Plan (& Do I Really Need One?)

The term "business plan" is a familiar one, often bandied about in entrepreneurial circles. Yet, despite its ubiquity, it's remarkable how much...

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The Masterplans Guide to Creating the Best Damn Pitch Deck Ever

11 min read

A Guide To Creating the Perfect Pitch Deck

Masterplans has created thousands of pitch decks to help our clients obtain equity investors. Learn our secrets to the best pitch deck ever.

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How to build a funnel to raise investment capital with Foundersuite

4 min read

How To Build An Investor Funnel For Your Startup

By partnering with Foundersuite, Masterplans clients get their pitch materials in front of potential investors

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How to Show At-Risk Investment in Your Immigration Visa Business Plan

2 min read

How to Demonstrate At-Risk Investment in Your Business Plan

What is “at-risk investment”? If you said, “It’s money I’m at risk of spending on fun things like a new Tesla,” well, keep reading (because that...

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How to to understand a business plan's cash flow statement

1 min read

What is the cash flow statement (and why it matters)

If your home-grown business plan financial model is super tripped out with tons of drivers and interlocking financial statements, you can pat...

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What is Mezzanine Funding & Startups Use It

3 min read

What is Mezzanine Financing (And Is It Right for Your Business?)

Most entrepreneurs know about the traditional types of funding: debt or equity. But did you know there’s something that combines the two? It’s...

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