Where
are you from originally?
I
was born in San Angelo Texas.
What
university did you go to?
I
have an undergrad from Austin Graduate School of Theology and a MBA from Baylor
University.
What
brought you to Austin?
My
family moved here in 1984 so I have witnessed some of the tremendous change the
Austin area has seen in the last 30 years.
What
is your group’s mission?
Best
Fit Capital seeks to help entrepreneurs know which type of investment capital,
investor, and process is the best fit for their goals. I want entrepreneurs to understand what the
implications of investment capital are and to be comfortable with the
expectations of the investors.
What
need does it fulfill?
There
are many potholes on the entrepreneurship road and I want to help entrepreneurs
avoid the ones related to funding their venture. No entrepreneur would launch a venture
without strategies for development/marketing/sales but many do so without a
proper capital strategy.
What
exactly does it bring to startups?
BFC
helps start-ups to align investment types with their personal goals and to keep
it aligned through their end game.
What
type of startup would benefit from your group?
BFC
wants to help all entrepreneurs in this area.
We offer seminars to allow those with very little capital to get the
proper educational information to avoid some of the major issues. We also offer dedicated consulting to those
who are ready for an objective viewpoint during the venture. BFC wants to be a long term partner with the
entrepreneur to help them protect and grow their venture to see their dreams
come true.
What
was the most challenging aspect of starting up the initiative?
It
is entrepreneurial just like any other start-up. I have left the comfort and stability of a
job to pursue my own goals. I want to
see entrepreneurs achieve their goals and get the funding they need but not
take capital they don’t need.
What
advice do you have for entrepreneurs?
Boot-strap
your venture as long as you are able and it is strategically wise to do
so. Once you know you are going to need
to raise money then prepare, execute and close your raise. “Maybe” is the worst thing you can hear from
investors as it strings you along. Make
it easy for investors to be able to make a quick, quality yes or no decision so
everyone can keep moving.
What
Austin-based resource have you found to be the most helpful and why?
The
entrepreneurial ecosystem itself. There
are so many resources in Austin: Capital
Factory, Tech Ranch, CTAN, Texas Entrepreneur Network, SKU, professional
services, other entrepreneurs and mentors.
Each serves a different entrepreneur in a different circumstance. It is the accumulation of all of it which
makes Austin exciting!
