Feedback for Entrepreneurs

A good business plan is no guarantee of success. But, like chicken soup, it doesn’t hurt, especially if you’re an entrepreneur trying to win venture capital dollars.

Venture Point, a 3-year-old small-business development program run by the Orange County Business Council, helps aspiring Bill Gateses make their plans sparkle. Entrepreneurs with ideas for high-tech, high-growth companies can get free feedback on such matters as the quality of their plan, the effectiveness of their presentations and their marketing and financing strategies.

“We coach, critique and mentor the entrepreneur to help their plan become crisper and more focused before they go the the financial community,” said Karen Gifford, Venture Point director of consulting.

Entrepreneurs give a 15-minute presentation before a panel of investors, consultants and/or business executives. Within two weeks, they receive a two-page written evaluation.

Plans are selected by Venture Point staffers based on the viability of the proposed business.

Eric Holmgren, president of DDSNet Inc. in Costa Mesa, an online provider of dental services and products, submitted his business plan for review in August. After making some changes based on the critique, he received about $500,000 from an investor about one month later. “Certainly, the feedback, consulting and coaching has helped me to present my plan to investors in a better way,” he said. Information: (949) 476-2242