A startup doesn’t go from zero to raise capital. There are a lot of steps in between – and getting a company’s finances in order is often a major hurdle.
Most of the companies that have come to Michelle Murcia over the years are ready to raise, but need the help of someone like her and the team at Book + Street to learn how to raise capital for your business.
Murcia’s background is in corporate finance and venture capital. She came to Columbus 17 years ago to work with Battelle’s venture management group, helping with the companies spinning out of their national labs. The position evolved into managing a fund of funds portfolio and equity investments, which naturally led Murcia to the world of venture capital.
Murcia worked with Fletcher Spaght Ventures to launch a fund in Ohio, introducing her to the broader startup ecosystem across the state, and eventually landing her at Tech Columbus (now Rev1 Ventures). After three years as the CFO at Tech Columbus, Murcia had the opportunity to help launch Ohio’s Advanced Energy Economy — what would become her first consulting gig. What came next was a natural progression of referrals and connections that she kept up for five years, before realizing there was a bigger gap to be filled in the startup ecosystem. There was more need than what a solo consultant could provide.
“I was working on more of a strategic level than a tactical level, meaning that I was sort of helping with formation and big-picture types of items, but every company I worked with had the same set of needs,” Murcia says. “They all needed someone to do the bookkeeping, payroll and everything else in between.”
She knew the ins and outs of a venture raise, and where companies were falling short. A quick look at a startup’s finances – if they had them – and many VCs would expect much more. Companies needed a grip on their revenue model, expense model, profitability and more.
“Helping [companies] get to the point where they are able to raise capital is something that I think is critically missing,” Murcia says. “It’s really about helping define what KPIs and other drivers of their business we can help them isolate, identify, correct and lead to the next successful thing for their business.”
Book + Street helps close that gap through three main services.
Book + Street’s bread and butter is Fractional CFO Services. Services run from strategic to tactical – financial modeling, assisting with investor decks and other materials, helping to present the financial story of the company, all the way down to bookkeeping and payroll processing.
Services that can really be used by any business, “It’s best for us to get involved when a company is starting to raise capital,” Murcia says.
Book + Street can also help hire the individuals that will replace them through their Talent Acquisition Services. Clients have used the flat-fee service to recruit for everything from controllers, product managers and engineers, to technicians and office managers.
“We do everything from helping with the job description, all the way down to creating the offer letter, and all of the recruiting that happens in between,” Murcia says.
Book + Street rounds out their offerings with Stock Plan Design and Administration Services. Equity-based compensation plans are still gaining traction in the Columbus market, but provide individuals who participate as equity owners of a company an upside when the company sells or goes public.
It’s another service that can be a fit for any startup thinking of giving founders equity, but is especially pertinent when a company is gearing up for a funding round. Book + Street can help companies develop a strategy for their equity-based compensation plans, prepare documentation, collaborate with attorneys, and work on tracking and reporting.
Book + Street is industry agnostic – they’ve worked with Fintech and renewable energy companies, to marketing, AdTech and SaaS startups. Most of that work has been in Columbus, where they are eager to be a part of the entrepreneurial community.
Murcia says they want to be helpful in the entrepreneurial community, even outside their client base. They’ll turn to educational events to get even more involved, planning both their own events, and collaborative experiences during 2019.
For more information, visit bookandstreet.com.
