Does anyone know Terry Matthews of Mitel fame?

Mark is correct that the best advisors should have skin in the game but that advice is applicable only when you and your business are obviously investable. I've engaged advisors at times when I knew I wasn't ready to ask for their money and I've often begun advisory relationships in the earliest of stages where I like in and believe in the entrepreneur and the idea but they don't yet meet my investment criteria. Also, the old adage is true: Ask for advice, and you might just end-up with the person offering or even asking to invest. This has happened to me again on both sides of the table. In terms of compensation, I have a chart that spells out specific advisor expectations and stage-appropriate equity based compensation that I can email anyone who DM's me here through Clarity. Mark's answer is lower than I would accept for a start-up that isn't well funded. But anything above 1% would be really unusual and would have to be a really, really hands-on advisor or partial contributor as a team member. It should never be money on a retainer basis. I now have several people who call me regularly through Clarity to talk through specific things but other than that, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect cash compensation in a formal advisory role. And I would personally be vary of that because if they're not taking equity, then they really, much to Mark's point, have any skin in the game. I have a standard template that I use as an advisor (it was originally given to me by a company I advise) and I know use it with my own advisors, so happy to pass a stripped version of that agreement as it's the best one I've seen and is clearest for both parties. Just DM here via Clarity if you want it.

Here's a quick rundown on how to get your first client; First: Conduct Target Market and Prospect Analysis. This is the most important part. Most people never spend enough time on this. You need to have a clear understanding of your target market and who your prospects are. All that work doesn't sound fun or sexy, but fuckin do it. Second: Run A Competitor Analysis relevant to your niche. The internet is full of trash so make sure you research the winners and not losers. Third: After collecting all that data from the last 2 steps. Create a minimum viable offer based on the research you just did. Then ... Fourth: Get your ass out there and start getting as many people to and to hear about you. Start off doing Discovery or Strategy call's Post on Social Media channels, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Alignable offering your sessions In-Person Events Answer answer questions and help people here Keep at it consistently, then you'll get more than one client. It's going to take some effort, but be consistent and you'll be surprised at how many client you can land within 1-2 Months. Lastly, DON'T be like the 95% of people on facebook, instagram and just the internet who sells and gets a client but KNOWS THEY CAN'T provide what that client needs. Separate yourself from the losers, be honest and have some integrity. Which will work overall better for you and gets you more clients because your legit and can be trusted. TLDR: 1) Conduct Target Market and Prospect Analysis 2) Competitor Analysis 3) Get Your Ass Out There and Prospect (Assuming your not a marketing badass like yours truly) 4) Offer As Many Free Sessions You Can (Except Here) 5) Be Consistent and Don't Waver 6) DON'T BE A DOUCHEBAG Call or Don't Call. Just hope that helped s you out!!

Hi, this is Ann, a business coach for small entrepreneurs. Your situation is no longer related to "small business". Instead, you are in the phase of "extension". Hence, I would recommend you contact some outstanding performance coaches. Again, OUTSTANDING performance coaches! If you expect to be outstanding, get around outstanding people :) From my own experience in the coaching network, I would suggest you take a look at the coaches from Evercoach. They are all amazing coaches. Rich Litvin, Ajit Nawalkha or Christina Berkley are among the best coaches right now. They are pioneers in the coaching trend. They have created an extremely strong and high postion for Evercoach, one of the most professional coaching tribes so far. I am not advertising their brand names. In fact, I am one of their clients, who have been fully convinced by the real quality of their services. If you want more information on this, please feel free to contact me. Best regards, Ann

Having been in the position as an advisor, this is what I think an advisor expects: a. Equity Ownership. This depends upon how much involved an advisor into the start-up. b. A flat fee and a percentage pie on every transaction the stat-up makes(Not the profit margin) c. At my early stage, all I want is a testimonial from start-up n how I helped this business. In my early stages of adviosrship, I want good customer testimonials. This is a win-win situation for both of us. I get to learn from him many things which I couldn't have done myself. d. It is strategic importance to my own idea and I would love this company to scale and raise the funding and in this case I would expect a contract from the company which I helped.

Approach it as if you were applying for a position in an organization. You will want to find the right industry, the right management team, the right opening on the board [either governance or advisory], the right person to help you. Next create a statement that says why you on this board. Then sell it.