Starting a Small Business/Post Question

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E. Shane Widner

Expertise

I have overseen the start-up and operation of 11-companies in the past 20-years. I can answer questions on identifying business opportunities; preliminary research; writing business plans; preparing financial projections; determining the most advantageous type of business structure (sole proprietor, partnerships, joint ventures, corporations and/or limited liability companies); determining capitalization structure; formation of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures; preparation of private placement offerings, offering memoranda, operating agreements and subscription agreements; fundraising via private placement equities, private debt instruments and retirement accounts such as IRA's, ROTH, SEP, 401k, 401(b) amongst others; packaging commercial bank loan proposals for SBA loans and private and institutional jumbo commercial property loans; commercial property leases and acquisitions; marketing and branding; sales force management; operations & employee training manuals; print, radio and television advertising; internet marketing using adword accounts with Yahoo! and Google.

Experience

I am a businessman and investor with experience in all aspects of business start-ups including planning, formation, financing, management and operation of a number of different businesses including hotels, restaurants & nightclubs, commercial real estate ventures, industrial chemical companies and independent film projects. I currently serve as Executive Vice President of ERNEST HEMINGWAY HOTELS & RESORTS and HEMINGWAY RESTAURANT GROUP (New York, NY), and as President of SPUR VENTURES, INC. (Austin, Texas) since 1993.

Organizations
Downtown Austin Alliance, East 6th Street Community Association, Full Circle Services (a 501c3 non-profit organization), Southwest CarWash Association, and Who's Who of Business Professionals & Executives

Education/Credentials
University of Texas at Austin, Philosophy Major ('89 - '93); Land Use and Planning (Graves, Dougherty, Hearon and Moody); Advanced Dispute Resolution (Graves, Dougherty, Hearon and Moody).

Awards and Honors
Austin CrimeStoppers Platinum Contributor Member Award

Past/Present Clients
Ernest Hemingway Hotels & Resorts (NYC) Ernest Hemingway Restaurants & Bars (NYC) Hang 'Em High Saloon, LLC (Austin, Texas) Antone's Nightclub (Austin, Texas) LaZona Rosa (Austin, Texas) Dei-zinz Silk Floral (Scottsdale, AZ) Your Event Florals (Scottsdale, AZ) Galaxy Chemicals, LLC (Austin, TX) Austin BioTech, LLC (Austin, TX) Three on a Match Productions (Austin, TX) Sixth Street Music Publishing (Austin, TX)

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