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How Smart Startups Survive Investor Due Diligence

Startup Professionals Musings

This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. Some entrepreneurs do very little to prepare for due diligence, assuming all the talking has already been done, and the business plan and results to-date tell the right story. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors.

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4 Strategies That Must Be Part of Customer Marketing

Startup Professionals Musings

With the advent of social media and the pervasive move to smartphones, even customers who still prefer to purchase in brick-and-mortar stores have dramatically changed their shopping habits. If you refuse to play by their rules, they have the power to easily find alternatives, and actively pull other potential customers away.

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8 Myths Technologists Believe That Sink Businesses

Startup Professionals Musings

I usually envision a 50-50 ownership split for their efforts, but every engineer believes the technology side deserves the majority share. If you consider yourself a technologist, you probably believe and may be propagating one of the following myths: The first priority for funding should be to develop the technology.

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Smart Startups Don’t Try To Satisfy Every Customer

Startup Professionals Musings

In business, this means an entrepreneur who never says no to any customer is doomed to a hard life and some expensive mistakes. Many people will argue that total customer satisfaction is paramount, but I’m a pragmatist who believes that treating everyone the same really means treating all of them poorly.

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Don't Fall for These 6 Deadly Myths of Startups

Startup Professionals Musings

Gerber memorialized this concept many years ago in his classic book E-Myth , which postulates that most startups are initiated by entrepreneurs with technical skills, rather than business skills, resulting in a high failure rate. In fact, both customers and investors often avoid the perceived high risk of innovative technology pitches.

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10 Ways An Entrepreneur Can Build A Winning Culture

Startup Professionals Musings

That’s why they insist on spending a day with your team as part of the due diligence process. Customize your organizational structure based on individuals' strengths. Technology can be used to facilitate customer support and sales, as well as enhance your product. Every investor knows this.

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10 Business Elements Required to Rise Above the Crowd

Startup Professionals Musings

Too many entrepreneurs look for that one magic bullet -- an exciting new technology, perhaps, or their own determination to make the world a better place -- to override any shortcomings in their startup model. A near-term customer value proposition. In all cases, you need customer support, formal processes and training in place.

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