STARTING YOUR NEW MEDIA COMPANY WITH A FRIEND

Starting up a business with a close friend seemed like a fool-proof plan. It's hard to imagine, "What could possibly go wrong?"

You’ll get along (obviously), and you’ll get to share the exciting, fantastic, scary experience of starting up when someone you care about. It’s not a bad idea, but there are a few caveats that you should be aware of before you proceed1.

When I started my first company with one of my closest friends, I expected things would go very well between us. We understood each other in ways that would take years to build up (it took ten years).

MOST IMPORTANTLY: we knew each other well, and we knew we could rely on each other. We were prepared to have many surprises along the way.

READ MORE - http://danieltenner.com/posts/0005-starting-up-with-a-friend.html

Kevin Geiger on indie film business plans

Excerpt 1 of 4 from Kevin Geiger's informal presentation on independent film business planning, delivered at the Griffith University Film School in Brisbane, May 2008. Kevin discusses the distinctions and relationships between production companies, development companies and producing companies.

Things Investors want to know before investing

Investors don’t give a damn about your screenplay. They also do not care if you are talented or if you have written the Great American Novel.

They do want to see your Business Plan and learn about their Return on Investment (ROI). They are interested in learning how you plan distribution of your completed film and they also want to know who’s running your company. And ultimately, the largest concern is how long will it take and when can they expect to see profits.

Filmmaking is a business and if you're in this business you have to speak their language.

© 2008 Stanley Lozowski, All Rights Reserved.