All established private and public companies have a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is a legal entity created to protect the interests of the shareholders. The Board votes on important decisions concerning the company’s future such as merger & acquisitions, divestitures, changes in senior management, etc. The Board’s directors often represent interests of large investors and use the Board to influence the company’s strategy for economic as well as political reasons.
A Board of Advisors is a little different. It is created in order to help the company’s executives make better decisions and execute the company’s strategy faster and more efficiently – in short, it supports the company and the vision of the company executives, and is not beholden to the whims of the shareholders.
Because it is a not a legal entity, I recommend that a company signs an Advisor agreement which will outline Advisors’ responsibilities and compensation. Responsibilities typically include several hours of calls a month, introductions to potential partners and investors, and strategic advice. Advisors are usually compensated in stock vested over 1-2 years. Sometimes there is also a trial period to make sure that an Advisor can work efficiently with company executives and other Advisors.
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Here are six important areas where a Board of Advisors can help a Startup:
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Expertise.
It is a well-known fact that, in order to succeed, a startup founder must wear many hats. In reality, startup founders are generally experts in one or two fields, usually related to their industry or product, and typically lack business expertise such as strategy, finance, marketing, and sales – all of which are essential to a company’s success. The Board of Advisors can fill this gap and provide any expertise the company does not have in-house. -
Outside opinion.
Growing a business is difficult. Operating in a world of uncertainty is stressful. Mistakes are costly, and it is hard to know in the midst of it all what the correct course of action is. Entrepreneurs live and breathe their ventures, but their passion and focus can backfire as it may allow tunnel-vision and emotional attachment to cloud their perspective and judgement. That is why getting an outside unbiased opinion from a trusted industry expert or a business professional is so valuable. It can often save the company from its downfall, or at the very least allow it to make more informed decisions which will accelerate its growth. -
Structure.
Formulating a company strategy and translating it into a strategic roadmap is crucial for long-term success. Having periodic board meetings gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to take a step back from the day-to-date activities and evaluate the company’s progress on a bigger scale. -
Credibility.
Gaining customers’ trust and industry recognition are common challenges that startups face. A carefully selected Board of Advisors can help mitigate this problem especially when it is includes subject matter experts whose opinions are widely respected. Their association with the company may help across a number of initiatives from fundraising, to strategic partnerships, to marketing & PR. By being able to convince a subject matter expert to join the board, entrepreneurs prove the legitimacy of their idea. -
Networks.
Board Members typically have deep networks in their area of expertise. Leveraging those networks can significantly accelerate the company’s growth. When it is clear that certain Board members can generate a lot of business for a company, I recommend negotiating a separate agreement to properly incentivize them. -
Cost.
Finally, a Board of Advisors is a relatively inexpensive way to get access to highly qualified individuals and their networks, as opposed to what it would cost to hire them full-time. In return for their time and expertise, they receive equity in a company which, with their assistance, can become incredibly valuable. It is a win-win with limited risk for both sides.
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About Victoria Yampolsky
Victoria Yampolsky, CFA: Victoria Yampolsky, CFA, is the President of The Startup Station, a finance & strategy consultancy for early stage startups. She evaluates financial feasibility of business models and specializes in the financial modeling and valuation of pre-revenue companies. She has also created a finance curriculum for early stage founders and launched the educational arm of The Startup Station in 2015. Since then more than 1,000 founders have attended online and in-person finance classes and learned the basics of financial modeling, valuation, and startup financing.
Previously, Victoria worked in Deutsche Bank Research and did IT consulting for CapGemini’s Financial Services Division. Victoria holds a Bachelor’s Degree, Cum Laude, in Computer Science, with minor in Mathematics, from Cornell University and an MBA, with honors, from Columbia Business School. Victoria is also on the Advisory Board of the CIS Department of Cornell University.
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“Victoria is one of the smartest, and most talented financial analysts out there. She has created the financial models for 2 of my companies, to which we have raised over $20M using her financials and valuation reports. She is very professional and always makes you prove the assumptions:) She will always be a vital part to my businesses.”
“Victoria truly helped “break me in” as a CEO and startup founder. With her guidance, we’ve discovered the best routes to forming a business model according to the specific needs of my company. From monetization avenues to acquisition strategies and everything in between, Victoria patiently guided me and diligently crafted a meticulously laid-out plan and financial model I feel confident, even proud, to present to prospective investors, as it points to the breadth & scope of work we’ve accomplished together. Victoria is also extremely generous with advice, resources, and introductions. I currently work with a marketing team she introduced to me and I am very happy with them, as well.”
“Victoria really distilled down the financial model to the inputs that need to be discovered in order to determine business viability. Her attention to detail and experience show in taking those inputs and filling out the rest of the model. These are the real numbers that you need for investors.”
“Victoria provided me with great knowledge for the financial projection and reviewed my pitch deck where she provided me with great pointers. She definitely is somebody I count as my inner circle of advisors and recommend her as the go to person for any start up.”
“We are a couple of engineers going through lot’s of trials and errors trying to launch our startup so meeting with Victoria was priceless in terms of getting a fresh unbiased perspective on our business model and getting advice on how to move forward.
“I have the greatest appreciation for Victoria’s contribution in analyzing financial trends and developing the monetization strategies for my business. She is not only an experienced financial analyst, but she is also very creative and gave my business many important suggestions. I felt comfortable and willing to reveal information easily, which helped make the valuation process easier. Victoria can see the big picture almost immediately, and at the same time she is a stickler for details. These attributes make her a perfect financial advisor and mentor for entrepreneurs. Further, Victoria, once given a task, is completely dedicated to it. She has a keen ability to process and synthesize information and make the right decisions, and she comes with the highest recommendation.”
“Victoria is an amazing resource that every start-up should have. She is whip smart and diligent. We worked with her on the valuation of our company and she’s been an invaluable resource in refining our assumptions, revenue and expenditure models. If you think you understand the fundamentals of your own business model, talk to Victoria and get ready to learn so much more!”
“I had the pleasure of working with Victoria for building a working financial model for my business. Her expertise and acumen are not only impressive, but her personable nature made her a joy to work with as well. She was able to offer valuable insights and direction as we strategically built out a financial model, utilizing reliable data assumptions that translate to a usable document for my business. The result and end-product proved the value of both the time and monetary investment. I couldn’t recommend her enough as a resource for any entrepreneur looking to build out a financial model, financial roadmap and/or valuation of their enterprise.”
“Victoria Yampolsky came highly recommended by a colleague of mine and I’ve been fortunate to work with her! She completed the valuation and the financial model for our startup, EnergyPoints. Her unique framework for modeling early-stage ventures allowed us to refine our business plan and use strategy and industry standards to credibly formulate assumptions. Victoria is a Columbia Business School grad and CFA, and her company, The Startup Station, has done 100s of valuations and has an impressive track record. She presented her valuation to two national banks with our accountant, and in both scenarios, she was praised by the level of detail that went into her extensive valuation. I can’t recommend her highly enough!”
“Victoria was a key advisor for Predictive People – as an early stage startup we had tons of questions and we needed professional guidance to sort them out. I am really glad we had her by our side to solve them all, ending with a solid business plan and financial projections. I can’t recommend her more, she’s professional, fast, empathetic, and incredibly smart, a true partner for any startup.”
“Victoria is trustworthy, knowledgeable and customer-focused startup strategic CFO. I’ve been impressed since day 1 with the responsiveness, thoroughness and overall professionalism of Victoria. According to the traditional scenario of almost all early stage startups, the founders are involved in all processes of the company formation. So I am no exception without having a financial education, without professional Excel skills – I nevertheless decided to build a financial model on our own. Honestly, it seemed impossible. But in the end, we did it in a total of 3 weeks. I want to express my deepest gratitude for professionalism and incredible talent to motivate all of our team members. Victoria has a unique ability to get into the essence of the business very quickly, to think very flexibly and innovatively – which is very important for our startup.
“I was a student and client of Victoria through The Startup Station and cannot highlight enough how helpful the process was for our company in reaching our first funding milestone and personally for me. Victoria is a fantastic teacher and recommend her financial modelling courses to anyone. We also worked one to one to refine our company model/financial roadmap and Im proud of my newly developed, ninja-level Excel skills. Paraphrasing from someone famous “Clarity trumps confidence any day of the week” and it’s what I feel from working with Victoria.”
“Building a financial model with Victoria and The Start Up Station for a mutual client was an illuminating experience!
“Victoria is a rare find in the startup world. She’s brilliant with startup financial strategies and has this no-nonsense work ethic that proves to deliver results. Victoria worked with a participant of 2020 Startups, a startup founder, and within a couple of months the founder raised capital. Victoria has done several workshops and speaking engagements at 2020 Startups and is always insightful and held in the highest regard by the audience.”
“Victoria and The Startup Station Team were absolute game-changers for Ovaterra. Victoria served as my right-hand CFO through fundraising, M&A, liquidity crises and more — always guiding the ship with calm, detail-oriented and strategic advice. I would recommend her and her team to any Founder or executive who needs a strategic, fractional CFO to guide your business to the next level.”
“Victoria, we raised $1.4M! It’s finally 
“In business, and especially with startups, getting to a place of clarity around the business and financial models can be challenging even for the most experienced professional. Victoria brings the right mix of business and financial know-how and quickly understands the moving pieces. As such, she’s able to provide an excellent product, a deeper sense of understanding about the project based on its’ needs, and a sense of calm and assurance that the challenges faced will be dealt with in a way that drives growth.”
“I had the pleasure of working closely with Victoria as fractional CFO of our startup. Her expertise in business and financial modeling is truly exceptional. Victoria played a pivotal role in helping our company think through every aspect of our business, and her ability to create a comprehensive model was nothing short of impressive. She not only provided a clear plan for our future but also identified areas where we could improve and grow.
“If you’re raising capital and want to shine when pitching to investors, I highly recommend you choose Victoria Yampolsky and the Startup Station as your resource for high performance results. Victoria is extremely well versed in all aspects of raising capital and the startup landscape. She provides clients with outstanding tools, applicable advice and thoughtful insights to support their fundraising efforts.