Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth

William A. Sahlman; Thomas R. Eisenmann; Joseph B.  Fuller; Shikhar  Ghosh

Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2014

Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth

by William A. Sahlman, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Joseph B. Fuller and Shikhar Ghosh

Abstract

The founders of Maricopa, Inc., a startup that sold proprietary hair-care products directly to salons, were preparing a board presentation to address the young company's inability to meet financial projections. While the products had caught on with customers, the financial shortcomings raised some questions about the company's business plan. The company had gone through much of its cash and needed additional funding to continue operating.

At the same time, two VC investors were deciding how to proceed with their investments in Maricopa. The larger VC firm questioned Maricopa's management's decisions and was hesitant to further fund the company. However the Maricopa investment was much more important to the smaller VC firm, and its representative on Maricopa's board worked hard to convince her counterpart from the larger firm that while the firm had struggled, it was a young startup with strong potential. Without the larger firm investing again in Maricopa, the business was at risk of going under.

Keywords: Business Startups; Financial Condition; Venture Capital; Financial Strategy; Financing and Loans; Expansion; Planning; Fashion Industry; Iowa;

Language: English

Format: Print

16 pages

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Citation:

Sahlman, William A., Thomas R. Eisenmann, Joseph B. Fuller, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth." Harvard Business School Case 314-065, January 2014.

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Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth

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