Startup

You are ready to start a business. You have a great idea and a great team. You’ve thought through your plan. Everything is primed. You’re ready to form an official legal entity and are faced with the question: What business entity type makes the most sense for my new company? Choosing between the different options is one of the most common questions (and frustrations) entrepreneurs face. In this article, Toptal Finance Expert Scott Hoover lays out a useful guide to help entrepreneurs think through the menu of options they face.

Over the last few years, crowdfunding has imposed itself as a viable alternative financing route for small and medium-sized businesses globally. In this article, Toptal Finance Expert Bechara Kara runs through the market’s recent milestones, highlighting some of the shortcomings that can potentially threaten crowdfunding as a tool for democratizing finance, concluding with suggestions for a balanced approach in promoting its evolution.

We often hear about business plans in the context of early-stage companies; however, constructing excellent business plans is difficult and time-consuming, so many entrepreneurs avoid them. But, is this a mistake? While most people may be aware of the “soft” arguments for and against writing a business plan, in this article, a Toptal Finance Expert takes a data-driven approach to addressing the debate. In it, he finds strong evidence to support the notion that writing an excellent business plan is time well spent.

Between 2013 and 2015, the number of Unicorns exploded to 140 members, marking an incredible growth spurt in valuations and positive sentiment toward the venture industry. But after a rocky 2016, in which scandals, funding downrounds, and more cautious investor commentary emerged, many have questioned the validity of the sector’s valuations. With this backdrop, 2017 is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for the Unicorn Club. Is the party over?