Need the perfect keynote or workshop speaker for your upcoming entrepreneurship or startup event? Entrepreneur, angel investor, and business coach, Mike Ballard, will bring your event to life with his extensive experience and unique perspective on growing businesses.
Mike has been speaking to corporations, trade associations and at public seminars for more than two decades. He has been both a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for hundreds of audiences in a wide variety of industries throughout the United States and Mexico. His most popular keynotes during annual meetings and conferences on topics range from entrepreneurship, leadership and business valuation to financing and marketing communications.
Six Secrets to Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Business owners often struggle with developing and a true and sustainable competitive advantage. In this keynote, Mike discusses the common mistakes business owners make in running their business and how changing six things can greatly enhance their competitiveness.
Execution: Getting Things Done and Growing Your Business
You know what needs to be done. But quarter after quarter, year after year, key initiatives aren’t completed. Big things don’t happen unless we get the small things done. Execution is about getting things done efficiently and effectively to help you convert revenue to profit.
Leadership Foundations for Entrepreneurs
This workshop prepares leaders to take on the significant roles and responsibilities in leading a growth company. Participants gain skills to improve trust and influence with peers and superiors, link their work to a clear and compelling purpose, implement a system for executing on critical priorities, and leverage the talents of peers and co-workers to achieve unprecedented results.
The Role of Intangibles in Enhancing Business Valuation
Two businesses with the same revenue and the same profit margin can sell for very different amounts. Why is that? Increasingly, the value of a business is not in physical and financial assets that are on the balance sheet, but in intangibles: brands, patents, franchises, software, research, ideas, or expertise.
Raising Capital for Your Startup
You have a great idea. Now you need capital to grow and turn it into something. Raising capital can be a daunting adventure. There are many types of investors: angel investors, private equity, venture capital firms, economic development groups, customers, family. Where do you turn? This session discusses the pros and cons of each type of investor.
Closing The Deal Without Screwing It Up
One or two seemingly little mistakes can derail financing for a company with a lot of promise. Learn the common mistakes entrepreneurs make when raising capital and how to avoid them.
Exit Planning and Preparing Your Business For Sale
Why do some business owners get great prices/multiples when they sell and other business owners struggle to sell? Learn several key factors to enhancing a business’ valuation.
Biography
As a sought-after strategic thinker with extensive experience in financial management, marketing and corporate strategy, Mike has been instrumental in building strong corporate gov- ernance, effective communications systems and successful business cultures at highly successful western U.S. companies. Mike brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, professional services, technology, telecommunications, real estate and construction.
Mike has served as CEO, COO and CFO of angel- and venture-funded companies. He has also served on the boards of several start-up companies, a bank and many community groups. He completed the Xerox sales training program and subsequently taught within the Dale Carnegie© training system for several years.
Mike is considered a leading authority for counseling entrepreneurs seeking accelerated sustainable growth. Mike has helped secure more than $100 million in financing for dozens of companies in the last decade and has also personally invested in more than 15 early stage companies.