FOUNDERS
Daryl Starr
Mikel Berger
Latest Blog Posts
Allen County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2
We enjoy researching private companies and figured we might help other owners make higher quality decisions more quickly. Little Engine Info is a standardized “About Us” page without the marketing fluff. We strive to be roughly right instead of precisely wrong. We’ve achieved this by blending automation with locally informed authorship. We are beginning a conversation. Read more about Allen County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2[…]
Hamilton County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2
We enjoy researching private companies and figured we might help other owners make higher quality decisions more quickly. Little Engine Info is a standardized “About Us” page without the marketing fluff. We strive to be roughly right instead of precisely wrong. We’ve achieved this by blending automation with locally informed authorship. We are beginning a conversation. Read more about Hamilton County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2[…]
Marion County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2
We enjoy researching private companies and figured we might help other owners make higher quality decisions more quickly. Little Engine Info is a standardized “About Us” page without the marketing fluff. We strive to be roughly right instead of precisely wrong. We’ve achieved this by blending automation with locally informed authorship. We are beginning a conversation. Read more about Marion County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2[…]
Tippecanoe County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2
We enjoy researching private companies and figured we might help other owners make higher quality decisions more quickly. Little Engine Info is a standardized “About Us” page without the marketing fluff. We strive to be roughly right instead of precisely wrong. We’ve achieved this by blending automation with locally informed authorship. We are beginning a Read more about Tippecanoe County, Indiana Volume 1, Edition 2[…]
When Owners Design Management Incentives
Following my Q3-2020 report a partner inquired on management incentives. He indicated some internal debates in his own business. I shared some rules of thumbs I’ve picked up over the last few years. I wanted to try and bulletpoint my thinking such that it helps my future self, and possibly other business owners. Here are Read more about When Owners Design Management Incentives[…]
Nice shirt. Are you invested?
I wear our company gear a lot. I estimate that about 90% of my daily wear clothing has a logo of a company I have ownership in or a non-profit where I serve on the board of directors. It’s the nearest thing I have to a uniform. But I don’t just wear the gear to Read more about Nice shirt. Are you invested?[…]
Don’t Constrict Your Pipeline
Last week I had a referral source ask for a meeting. He wanted to give me some friendly advice: “Don’t constrict your pipeline.” He thought I might be nickel and dime-ing him on a potential referral fee. And, being a good friend, also wanted to give me some advice about how that might slow future Read more about Don’t Constrict Your Pipeline[…]
Savage to Sage
Daniel Fuller, a friend of mine, started a new podcast and invited me to be the first guest. We get into a lot of my personal journey that lead me to business ownership and Little Engine Ventures.
Common Practice Too Often Replaces Common Sense
This week a prospective business seller said he didn’t run his business according to traditional cost accounting methods. (I had asked about gross margins to get a sense of gross profit. This is an important indicator to me because it often reveals intellectual property and annual growth ceiling.) He gently said, “that’s just not how Read more about Common Practice Too Often Replaces Common Sense[…]
I want to die a business owner
Our hometown, Lafayette, Indiana, closed some downtown streets for restaurants to offer more outdoor seating this weekend. Our family decided to go out for a nice Sunday evening dinner. Walking along we saw a couple of businesses on Main Street that caught my eye. It’s not too often that you see an actual for-sale sign Read more about I want to die a business owner[…]