Our Testimonials
Since our founding in 1998, we’ve helped entrepreneurs raise more than $100 million! Our entrepreneurs have created businesses that are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars! Following our mission, we have helped prepare the business plans, strategic plans, and financing strategies for thousands of entrepreneurs on their road to success! Here are some examples of entrepreneurs we have helped along the way and real-world success stories! We want to help you join them in your success too!
Testimonials
“Roadmap To Entrepreneurial Success is a good checklist of checklists and advice for entrepreneurs.”
- Alfred R. Berkeley, III, Former President and Vice Chairman of The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.
“Roadmap To Entrepreneurial Success provides smart, practical and forward looking ideas for addressing the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in today’s ever more complicated business environment.”
- Robert Hormats, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Goldman Sachs & Company
“Roadmap To Entrepreneurial Success promotes entrepreneurship and provides the necessary tools for both the new and experienced entrepreneur to stay on course and succeed.”
- Mark Heesen, President, National Venture Capital Association (NVCA)
“Written in an amiable style, the book also delivers concise reviews and examples of the entrepreneurial spirit in major companies such as IBM, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart. The author blends it all into a worthy discussion of how-to’s for entrepreneurs just starting out.”
- Harvard Business School
“Robert W. Price has successfully interwoven relevant business history, strategy, and tactics using a very practical and thought provoking style. This is an entrepreneurial MBA between two covers.”
- Warren Packard, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
“As a venture capitalist, I listen to hundreds of pitches each year from entrepreneurs seeking advice or capital. Virtually all of them would be better prepared by following Robert’s Roadmap. Filled with powerful insights and real world examples.”
- Ken Deemer Co-Founder, Tech Coast Angels
“I would say the #1 benefit was that I used it to cross-check that my investor presentation hit all of the topics and major points within topics that you had called out. From that perspective, it was a very useful reference.”
- Jeff Hilbert President and CEO, WiSpry Inc.
Jeff raised over $13.5 million from Blueprint Ventures, American River Ventures, Sid R. Bass Associates, Shepherd Ventures, and the Tech Coast Angels.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, and we are very impressed with your book. The very best of luck to you too. You have a wonderful and engaging positive attitude which is contagious!”
- France Dixon Helfer, President and CEO, Pegasus Biologics, Inc
France raised about $32 million from ONSET Ventures, Three Arch Partners, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, Affinity Capital Management, and Life Science Angel Investors.
“Success is always some combination of luck and skill. Price’s roadmap helps minimize our reliance on luck and maximize the part that we can control. It is a must read for anyone venturing out on their own and a valuable refresher for those already there.”
- Diane C. Swonk, Former Director of Economics, Chief Economist, Bank One Corp.
“Robert Price’s exciting book gives stunning insights into the venture world and entrepreneurial process.”
- Randy Lunn, Palomar Ventures
“One of the absolutely best business plan outlines I have seen to date. This book tells you how to make that happen…I feel it is an absolutely necessary read. I give this book 5 stars. (Only the Bible and the Constitution receive 6 stars.)”
- Paul Tulenko, National Small Business Columnist
“This is a great book to read for the real world examples of what it really takes to start and grow a successful business. Read it, learn it, use it.”
- Russell P. Reeder, CEO, Chairman and Founder, Rightsline.com
“Filled with key steps and strategies, it’s a start to finish guide to maximizing growth for new start-ups.”
- American Venture Magazine
“Roadmap is a practical, reality-based book that carefully outlines the entrepreneurial life cycle from ‘opportunity recognition’ to market entry to selling the business.”
- Wells Fargo Bank, Small Business Advisor
“Whether you’re a new business owner or a seasoned veteran, anyone can benefit from Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success. Start to finish, this guide can teach you ways to maximize profitability in your business. Using examples from successful entrepreneurs at the beginning of each chapter, author Robert W. Price walks you through the steps to success.”
- National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
“Entrepreneurial capitalism expert Robert W. Price explores six phases of development he says are essential to every startup or spinoff. Price sweeps aside outdated concepts and provides a thoroughly contemporary toolkit for sustainable growth. Two hypotheses pervade this book. The first is that entrepreneurs must learn to finance and operate their ventures in a highly unpredictable environment. The second is, there is always a bull market for innovative, well-executed ideas.”
- Dallas Forth Worth News
“This road map is written for those seeking to travel on the high road; that is, not with a pushcart, kiosk or work-at-home venture. Robert Price does an extremely thorough job of presenting his material in a provocative and thoughtful manner. It would make a fine text for an entrepreneurial course at the university level. The author presents a very compelling glimpse of the Promised Land, and a tempting vision to which self-starters can aspire.”
- Miami Herald
“I bought your book today and I think that it is nothing short of…Brilliant. It is an invaluable tool to anyone who is seeking to start a business and raise capital. Well done, Robert.”
- Robert M. Caldwell, Managing Partner, Caldwell Business and Legal Services
“As a prolific reader of business, venture capital and entrepreneurial books, I would have to say that you will be hard pressed to find a better, more helpful book on the subject of building a business. The insightful interviews in the book with some of the heavy hitters of the VC and Investment Banking world were worth the price of the book alone! I wish I would have had this book fifteen years ago when I was starting my first company.”
- Derek Johnson
“The title of this book, ‘Roadmap,’ does a nice job in capturing what the reader interested in entrepreneurial ventures can expect to get by reading it. Like a city map, Roadmap describes the significant landmarks that are encountered in the entrepreneurial process and how to deal with them from a practical standpoint. I highly recommend Roadmap to anyone serious about starting a business, especially someone going out for the first time.”
- Tom Webster
“I think that this book is and will be instrumental in the development of my business. I bought the book under the pretense that it would help me develop a plan of attack, to give me the seeds to grow from. If I had wanted a magic pill, I am sure the price would have been a little higher. The book helps me establish a trajectory and where I get off is up to me. A must have, a must read.”
- Peter Doesburg
“As a Corporate Entrepreneur, I found the information discussed in this book to be extremely valuable for strengthening my career success. I also appreciated the insights into the VC world that were discussed. Further, I appreciated the additional references cited so that I can conduct more in-depth research on particular areas discussed throughout the book. This book is highly recommended, no matter what your Entrepreneurial Type.”
- Barbara Shaw
“This book was given to me by a Venture Capitalist, as a checklist of what to do to raise money successfully for our startup. He strongly advised me to keep it on my desk as a reference. He was right. I rewrote totally my fast pitch, executive summary, business plan, and PowerPoint presentation after reading the book. I have raised $175,000 so far (in four weeks) from six investors and I am getting ready to meet the VC who gave me the book.”
- Olivier Taupin, Co-founder, DigitalBouquet.com
“Your book is fabulous and validates that we are indeed on the right path. “
- Donna C. Billera, Principal, AcuFlight, Inc.
“I have started reading different sections of your book and I have found it to be OUTSTANDING! I think it should be a must-read in every business school!
- Feyzi Fatehi, Former Global Director of Strategic Alliances, Hewlett-Packard
“Good to see you last evening at the Knapp Venture Competition at UCLA. I just ordered your book from Amazon — I look forward to reading it.”
- Betsy Wood Knapp , Co-Founder and Judge, Knapp Venture Competition, UCLA
“Thank you for allowing us to feature your article in the Business Coach section of our journal Asia Pacific Tech Monitor. Your article would surely enrich the contents of our journal in a significant way.”
- Dr. S. Sahu, Tech Monitor Group
“I loved your web site of global entrepreneurship and your book Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success. I am currently assisting entrepreneurs through the Tate Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Charleston. I would love to join your linked in network and connect with other researchers and practitioners in global entrepreneurship.”
- Lancie Affonso, Tate Center for Entrepreneurship, College of Charleston
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Real-World Success Stories
- Smart Online, Inc. is a pioneer of Software-as-Services (SAS) for emerging growth companies. The Company successfully completed their initial public offering in 2005, achieved a marketing capitalization of $150 million, and was listed on the NASDAQ stock market in April 2006. Now with more than four million customers, the Company’s solutions sold through private label syndication on Fortune 2000 corporate Web sites, including JPMorgan Chase, Union Bank of California, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, and Inc. magazines, and through OEM distribution deals with Dell and Gateway Computers. Investors include Compaq, IBM, and Apollo Management.
- Bolton & Company is well known for its leading-edge insurance products. Assignment was to develop key strategies for the new online financial service called InsurePoint.com, an innovative joint Internet venture with Atlantic Mutual Insurance Companies. InsurePoint was a joint venture between Bolton & Company and Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company. This venture was established to provide insurance coverage to high tech firms. On this web-site, a technology firm applied for insurance coverage on-line. In 1997, Atlantic Mutual was the first major insurer to offer full-service insurance products over the Internet when it introduced Insure Point.com, an online electronic insurance “storefront” for high-technology companies. InsurePoint was named Risk & Insurance magazine’s “Top of the Line” choice for best new risk management products and services in 1997. In addition, Insurance & Technology magazine identified InsurePoint as one of the “Most Innovative Insurance Websites” of 1998. This project became part of the Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, as one of the most significant technology advances in the insurance arena. Also, in their selection of the top 100 e-business sites on the Net, InfoWorld Magazine recognized InsurePoint as one of the top ten.
- Pictage, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of online wedding photography solutions to professional photographers, received an investment of $29 million from Apax Partners to provide the company with growth capital. Apax Partners, an original investor in Apple Computer and America Online (AOL) is one of the world’s leading private equity investment groups. It operates across the United States, Europe and Israel and has more than 30 years of investing experience. Funds under the management or advice of Apax Partners total $20 billion around the world.
- Jack Roush is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world of motorsports today. Working as a key strategic partner with Ford Motorsports, Roush is the owner of one of the most successful NASCAR teams with more championships than any other race teams. Long-time Roush driver Mark Martin entered his 19th season in 2006 as a true legend with the sport. Roush Racing Performance utilized advanced composite materials and know-how resources from military and aerospace industries to create new products. The Company created innovative accessories and helped Ford launch customized versions of the Mustang and the F150 pickup truck. The Ford F150 is now the most popular motor vehicle in the U.S.
- TOUGHLOVE has the resources, strategic partners, and affiliate groups all over the world and needed a complete organizational audit to get started with its new strategic initiatives. The Founders of this world-famous 25-year-old organization knew that they were getting old and needed an entirely new leadership team to take their Company into the 21st century. With the new venture team in place, the Company has raised more than $3 million, and released a brand new book published by McGraw-Hill in Spring 2006.
- Tech Coast Angels network of over 270 angel investors with a mission to fund early stage technology ventures in Southern California. Group operates three regional networks in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Provides seed and early-stage capital in the range of $250K-$2M, an investment range not generally served by VCs. Since 1997 TCA members have invested over $65 million in more than 100 Southern California companies, together with $650 million from co-investors. Their Web site is used to screen all their deals and help investors in the angel community stay connected.
- McGraw-Hill’s Higher Education division is the world’s largest publisher of graduate level textbooks and publications. Working with McGraw-Hill created the world’s first online series of textbooks and educational materials called PowerWeb. A password-protected Web site that offers professors a turnkey solution for adding the Internet to a course. With over more than 125,00 subscribers, the PowerWeb site provides students with current articles from Annual Editions, curriculum-based materials, weekly updates with assessment, informative and timely world news, refereed Web links, research tools, student study tools, interactive exercises, and much more. PowerWeb was chosen to receive The McGraw-Hill Companies Corporate Achievement Award in Innovation from Terry McGraw, Chairman, Vice President, and CEO. This is one of the highest honors within the corporation.
- Roland Sands Design (RSD) Spin Off from Performance Machine. While working with Performance Machine on creating the new product line, it was recommended that the lead designer spin-off from the company and establish an independently operated design center to break free from the existing corporate barriers to innovation at Performance Machine. RSD became the newly-formed Design, Research and Development Center for Performance Machine. This new organization quickly needed a business plan, finance plan, and organizational structuring plan to present for the strategic investors that included Performance Machine and other industry leaders. The newly formed company went on to become the winner of Discovery Channel’s Motorcycle “Biker Build-Off.” The company’s showcase motorcycle called “No Regrets” featured many innovative new products that will be developed for the motorcycle industry.
- Rockwell International was one of the largest military/defense suppliers to the United States. Consulting assignment for technology transfer and commercialization of technologies that were originally created for military applications. Utilizing plasma-arc technology that used for destroying nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) warheads left over from the collapse of the Soviet Union, Robert created the world’s first “medical waste appliance” for destroying medical waste found in hospitals and medical clinics. For his work he was honored by the Appliance Manufacturer Magazine, and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
- Performance Machine is one of the most successful manufacturers of motorcycle accessories in the industry today. With more than 300 employees, $40 million in topline sales, and manufacturing operations in Southern California, China, and Europe, this Company is the industry leader for high-performance parts and accessories in the motorcycle industry. The Company needed to quickly assess the financial health of the organization and allocate resources to optimize the organization’s performance for development of a new product line. Responsibilities for this assignment included conducting business performance reviews of all the Company’s activities, focusing on business process improvement and quality control and management of its Chinese manufacturing capabilities, creating a roadmap for allocating critical capital resources based on the market potential of the new product line, alignment of working capital management with the new product development thrust, and optimizing supply chain processes and management across three continents, thus achieving high asset productivity. Analytical tools used included financial decision support models, cost analysis, forecasting, generic benchmarking, and productivity measurement. >>Read More
- PlanetPlans Inc. is fast-growing global Company needed to quickly integrate a newly acquired Indian Development Center within its existing business operations. The Company provides IT solutions for huge multi-billion enterprises around the world. Clients include IBM, The Walt Disney Company, Genentech, First American Mortgage, and Farmer’s Insurance. Responsibilities for this assignment included implementation and execution of strategic plans; managing the Company’s portfolio of current business assignments; performing cross-functional reviews and coordination of operating strategies; ensuring strategic alignment of global business plan with organizational objectives; alignment of current business unit tactics, infrastructure, and processes to strategic imperatives with Indian Development Center; creating a strategic roadmap that assisted in stakeholder relationships to the Company’s changing strategic priorities; and creating best practices outline for scalable growth.
- DRB Innovations was an early-stage company that needed a strategic plan that focused on creating the value proposition as a driver of sustainable competitive advantage. The Company needed to quickly address a tremendous new business opportunity it faced. The Company imports, warehouses, and distributes custom automotive rims to retailers and jobbers in the Southern California marketplace. A major chain of automotive retail stores approached this Company and proposed a strategic alliance to supply a new line of wheelsets. Responsibilities include translating key emerging trends into new dynamic business opportunities; exploring strategic challenges of global expansion, reaching into the supply chain of Chinese manufacturers; analyzing the opportunities and constrains posed by regulatory change; examining competitor intelligence; conducting scenario planning/planning for multiple futures; maximizing core business value that the Company was creating; differentiating the value proposition among the industry’s direct competitors; analyzing distribution channel development and integration; tailoring the value chain to the business strategy; building a successful strategic alliance with the automotive chain; and exploring offshoring models and approaches for cost reduction with the suppliers of wheelsets.
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Testimonials about our workshops and seminars
“Thank you so very much for your stimulating presentation to my entrepreneurship class yesterday evening - and for your efforts in putting together the presentation slides which I have forwarded to the students enrolled in the course.”
- Hans Schollhammer, Professor, Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation, UCLA Anderson School of Business
“We are very pleased to have Robert join our distinguished Executive Community. Since our Executive Summit series is designed for high-level executives with similar backgrounds and interests, I feel that having Robert’s perspective and active participation in our interactive sessions would benefit many of our regular attendees.”
- Gabriel Manzano, Senior Manager, Thought Leadership Program at Frost & Sullivan
“On behalf of the student organizers and the Harold Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, we would like to thank you for making the 2004 UCLA Anderson Entrepreneurs Conference such a success. We hope to continue our strong relationship with you in years to come.”
- Emmy Huang, UCLA Anderson Entrepreneurs Conference
“I really enjoyed your presentation and enthusiasm. Thanks for coming aboard and being so accommodative. One attendee mentioned to me after class that he already bought your book. That was great to hear and I look forward to working with you again.”
- Joe Escamilla, Programs Associate, LARTA Institute
“It was a pleasure to talk with you at last night’s seminar. As always, you have very good comments to make.”
- Robert L. Reis, Bristol Capital
“I just wanted to write you briefly to thank you for your inspiring and thought provoking boot camp yesterday. I’ve never been so glad that I didn’t spend my Saturday surfing and catching up on busywork. I purchased your book from you as we were leaving, and I can’t remember being this excited to dive into some extracurricular reading. Anyway, thank you for giving a graduating structural engineering and management science student an entirely new outlook on business ventures and on the possibilities of not having to work the rest of my life for someone else, overworked and underpaid. If I’m going to put in 110 hour weeks, it’s gonna be my pie! Dreaming, Planning, and soon Doing…”
- Brandon Mills
“I enjoyed your presentation last night. Your background and accolades are certainly impressive.”
- Robert Whittle, President, All Hands Technology
“It was great speaking with you last night. You really got me pumped up about this whole VC/Angel thing.”
- Roel Zylstra, VP, WinnerZone.com
“Last night’s TCVN was awesome. Thanks once again for sharing your insightful remarks! I love my new knowledge about working with angels.”
- Nancy Fisher Wilhelms, WestGroup, Inc.
“Your presentation, ‘Placing Your Business Plan with Angels’ at the recent TCVN was absolutely informative!!!”
- Frieda F. Heh
“It was great to meet you too. I really enjoyed your presentation!”
- Roger Dawson, Author of Secrets of Power Negotiating
“It was great meeting you and being on the same panel of speakers. Yes, I will of course refer your book to others.”
- John De Puy, Oaktree Ventures, Inc.
“I liked hearing your systematic way of walking someone through the entrepreneurial process. I am sure that many people will benefit from your fine work.”
- Penelope S. Tzougros, Financial Planner, Author, National Speaker, Radio Show host
“I thought the presentation was top drawer. Anytime someone can both produce and stick to an agenda, I’m happy! Again, nice meeting you and thanks for a great, succinct job.”
- Tim Mournian, Project Development, Gekko Engineering
” I wanted to THANK YOU again for your assistance and the information you gave me to help me. I could not have done it without your help. Thank You again :)”
- Rosey
“I really enjoyed your class. You bring so much energy and vast knowledge into the classroom. Your style of teaching is participative and makes us learn more. I would recommend you for the best teacher!”
- Bernadette Mayers
“I would like to thank you for a wonderful experience. I thoroughly enjoyed your class.”
- Sandi Mejia
“I really enjoyed the experience in your class and I have to say that I also managed to learn a lot! I think you did a great job in making to class fun and interactive, while teaching us a little something along the way. Thanks again for everything and I wish you the best moving forward.”
- DeAndre Lane
“Thank you for being such a positive influence in my life. I hope I have the good fortune of attending another class taught by you in the future. Once again thank you. “
- Almira Afshari
“You are an inspiring individual and I appreciate everything learned in our class.”
- Stephanie Riddle
“I wanted to drop a quick note to you and mention what a joy it was to have a teacher as skilled and as talented as Robert. I was impressed with Robert’s energy and enthusiasm for the course material. Robert was dynamic in class giving us real life examples of how to evaluate businesses, not for what they are but how they could be. He was able to motivate student involvement and always keep us on track when we strayed.”
- John Heier
“Thank you so much Robert. I really enjoyed your class, you really know how to motivate and challenge students at the same time. I am glad I had the experience of taking this class with you. Again, thank you, and please keep up the good work.”
- Rose Megian
“Thanks again for your course instruction. I learned a great deal about what’s required to achieve entrepreneurial success.”
- Tim O’Connor
“As a student, thank you for being an excellent facilitator and for challenging me in the class. Thank you for a dynamic class.”
- Angela Sidney
“In summary, Mr. Price is unquestionably a very gifted and skillful instructor, who is able to convey the materials he teaches in a meaningful and understandable way, while encouraging and facilitating student participation on a highly professional and unique approach. He has managed to rekindle my own enthusiasm again regarding my own endeavors and goals.”
- Rainey Grenier
“Dear Robert, You have my word that I will spread the word. Great site! It has so many interesting articles. Best Regards.
- Peter Gower