The ENTREPRENEURSHIP encyclopedia

Lead Investor is an individual or organization leading a funding round for a company. Typically, the lead investor provides the largest amount of money in a round and sets the basic terms of the deal.

A letter of intent may also be issued by a mutual fund shareholder to indicate that he/she would like to invest certain amounts of money at certain specified times. In exchange for signing a letter of intent, the shareholder would often qualify for reduced sales charges. A letter of intent is not a contract and cannot be enforced, it is just a document stating serious intent to carry out certain business activities.

Life Cycle Assessment is a way to investigate, estimate, and evaluate the environmental burdens caused by a material, product, process, or service, throughout its life span. Environmental burdens include the materials and energy resources required to create the product, as well as the wastes and emissions generated during the process. Examining the entire life cycle creates a more complete picture of a product’s environmental impact, as well as the trade-offs in impact from one period of the life cycle to another. Results of LCAs can be useful for identifying areas in the supply chain with high environmental impact, and for evaluating and improving product designs.

A business arrangement in which the day-to-day operations are controlled by one or more general partners and funded by limited or silent partners who are legally responsible for losses based on the amount of their investment.

LOHAS is an acronym that stands for Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability. This is a growing market segment that includes a variety of products and services including health, fitness, sustainable lifestyles, environmental stewardship, personal development, and social justice.

Love Money refers to seed capital that has been extended by family or friends to an entrepreneur to start a business venture. The decision to lend money and the terms of the agreement are usually based on the relationship between the two parties, instead of a formulaic risk analysis.