Kristin Johnson

Region Director
Northern California SBDC Network

  

Background

  • Started first company at 19, 1997 Start-Up of the Year for Sacramento Metro Chamber, international press coverage, grew to 1.2 million in sales.
  • Attended year-long Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy (while a student at UC Davis)
  • Worked in several start-up high-growth companies in the sporting goods industry
  • Worked at Nike in sales and marketing
  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Center Director in Eureka 2003-2005
  • Northern CA SBDC Region Director 2006 – present. Region includes 10 SBDCs, territory = Monterey to the OR border.

Experience/Expertise

  • Have written/assisted others in writing dozens of business plans.
  • Have reviewed/critiqued hundreds of business plans.
  • Have secured angel capital and venture capital for my own businesses and others’.

What I look for in a business plan

Realistic financial plan… what are growth projections based upon? Is growth financing adequate? Are start-up costs realistic? Are capital infusions well-timed?

Adequate assessment of risks… is the entrepreneur being realistic?

Is the entrepreneur invested… either personal money, length of time working for very little money, willing to sign a personal guarantee? In my opinion, the entrepreneur HAS TO be personally invested.

Is there a realistic view of ownership as the company grows? In other words, is the entrepreneur willing to give up some of the ownership in exchange for capital? If not, don’t waste investors’ time.