Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anthony Musacchio, Venture Partner at AJM Venture Group, located in New York City, New York, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I run a venture capital firm that partners with founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses. My business is less about finding "customers" and more about seeking out "partners" who fit with my firm's mission and areas of specialization. I look to support high-growth companies, primarily in the SaaS, FinTech & CleanTech spaces, that are making a significant impact on the world we live in. After investing, I look to provide value by imparting knowledge as it relates to strategic decision-making, financial analysis, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been an entrepreneurial person and enjoy being on the front lines of growing organizations from the ground up. I was the founding member of the Kappa Beta Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity during my undergraduate career, which is still active in developing young leaders at LIU. My investing career began when I was in college going through business school, majoring in accounting. I first started trading stocks, but quickly became more interested in buying and selling businesses after discovering the television show, SharkTank. After working inside the world's largest private equity funds, I left my job in NYC to form my own firm. I was gaining invaluable knowledge in my corporate positions but felt I couldn’t make an impact in the ways I would have liked. I enjoy finding passionate entrepreneurs who will stop at nothing to see their dreams become reality. Working with people that possess relentlessness determination gets me out of bed in the morning and only makes me work harder to raise the institutional capital that they need. Being a part of that evolution is one of the most rewarding experiences, and am thankful to the great founders for their tireless efforts.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My firm coming to life and having five portfolio companies is by far the largest accomplishment to date. I find the transition from a corporate position to owning my own business has taken a Herculean journey, but ultimately will be worth it as I continue on raising my first fund. I am now able to actively work with a number of great CEOs that are successfully fundraising and will be shortly earning revenue.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The forming of revenue streams is by far the hardest thing about being a business owner. The process of your first sale is typically a lengthy one and there are a variety of factors that are adding external pressures to the situation. Taking on large amounts of debt, and pitching to investors for fundraising are both long and arduous processes. There are tons of hours being poured into the business with very little tangible return, which takes an extreme amount of patience and ability to see the big picture. When times are tough, it is extremely difficult to stay fully committed & dedicated to a project that is still in its infancy.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Whatever you choose, make sure you are a subject matter expert in the field. It is difficult enough to build a competitive business in something that you know everything about. It is not wise to explore a venture you know little about, even if you are very passionate.
  2. After understanding where your subject matter expertise lies, find an intersection of something you are passionate about. Begin discovering the current ecosystem, what problem your business is solving and how is it proprietary? Who are the players? What is the history of the industry? What is the regulatory environment?
  3. After collecting all of this knowledge, you should be geared towards starting a business in something you are heavily knowledgeable about, in an area where you are passionate (and resilient enough not to give up) & tackling a problem with commercial viability.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ajmventuregroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-musacchio/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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