SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 6, 2017

Wednesday, April 12, 2017 -- Funding your Innovation. This course is about selling your innovation to investors, grant proposal reviewers, potential strategic partners, and to your intended customers. The following questions that plague entrepreneurs will be answered: 1. Do you need to build better market traction?

Funding 100

Funding Course Customer Custom 100

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2019

In an age of ever increasing marketing spend to attract customers, how do you make sure you aren't spending more acquiring a company than they are worth? Los Angeles-based Retina is using machine learning and artificial intelligence to figure out customer lifetime value (CLV) for such businesses as Dollar Shave Club.

Dollar Shave Club 113

Dollar Shave Club Artificial Inteligence Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2017

With the advent of the Internet, social media, and instant communication via texting, customer expectations for service, as part of their entire customer experience, have changed. They expect you to be there, to know their history as a customer, and to treat them with priority and respect.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Services Social Media 57

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2017

In addition, today’s customers judge a company by perceived people relationships through social media, phone conversations, and sales experiences. Thus I believe that business leaders and entrepreneurs need to focus first on people leadership, rather than process leadership. Customers demand more engagement and flexibility.

Entrepreneur 78

Entrepreneur Coach Organization Mentor 78

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2017

In my role as a mentor to entrepreneurs and an angel investor, I find that too many are stuck in this myth that a good pitch, and good marketing content, should consist of more product features, and more hype on customer benefits. Customers buy from people they trust, respect, and admire.

Marketing 69

Marketing Startup Social Media Guide 69

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

We are bridging the gap between casual, self service dating apps, and traditional matchmaking, and doing it for business professionals in the dating market. Right now, there are no real efficient products in the dating market. Constance Curtis: I have been a successful entrepreneur for the past thirteen years.

Startup 203

Startup Entrepreneur Southern California Netflix 203

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2022

exabytes per month at the end of 2017, of which more than half was video. This gives rise to the personalization and customization that we all want. Analytics will soon drive nearly all business decisions for any company that wants to remain relevant to its customers. Crowdsource: putting your audience to work beyond customers.

Startup 126

Startup Social Media Entertainment Metrics 126

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

From its start in 2015, the number of registered users has “suddenly” climbed from 45 million in 2017 to a reported 300 million by the end of 2020. It was as much in reaction to my getting blank stares from entrepreneurs when I asked the above question as it was for me to better understand the problem itself. Here is my list.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Press 156

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Yet I find that few of today’s workers realize that succeeding as a freelancer requires a whole new focus on “marketing” yourself. In addition, like an entrepreneur with a new business, you have to factor in all the indirect costs previously covered by employers, including training, health care, and time off for vacations.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

The best entrepreneurs in our industry focus on it year-round as opposed to just once every 18 months. Let’s say you have built a SaaS company where a large part of the early revenue comes from a few big customers or a large part of the revenue is services based vs. software based. Let me give you an example.

Funding 236

Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2017

Very few people are experts in all facets of a new business, including finance, sales, marketing, and operations. Focus on products and customers, and trust your accountant. The strength of every new business is that it has no legacy, and being small, can adapt quickly and easily to new information and new customers.

Entrepreneur 72

Entrepreneur Competition Customer Custom 72

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2017

As an angel investor, I get approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who can talk endlessly about their latest great idea, and little else. The challenge is to correctly sense the market, and match the product to the customer need, rather than celebrate the technology or assume that everyone will buy.

Ideas 83

Ideas Customer Custom Entrepreneur 83

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 14, 2019

in a funding led by Orange County's Okapi Venture Capitalis looking to help direct to consumer brands use better data to direct their marketing and other efforts. founded in summer of 2017. That makes it difficult to figure out what it costs to acquire a customer, and what a customer is worth. What does your startup do?

Startup 113

Startup Platform Commerce San Diego 113

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 21, 2019

During the summer of 2017, the rumor of a popup store in LA generated a crowd of 500. In-store customers are limited to purchasing one unit of each product. Some online customers utilize bots, at about $100 per use, to ensure they will have a legitimate shot at fulfilling at least part of their wish list.

Demand 160

Demand Pricing Product Equity 160

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

Now we're in over 100 cities and have over 10,000 clients, 10,000 tutors, and a platform which is working very efficiently, and gives the customer what they want. In terms of where we offer to our customers, we have 250 different areas, from early childhood to studying for an MCAT or the bar. The second thing, is tools.

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Beverly Hills Acquisition 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Yet, in my experience as a mentor to entrepreneurs, the majority of failures I see are related to starting and growing the business, not developing the solution. Then assume the customers will change over time, so never stop listening.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews. Don’t start from how you want to sell.

Search Engine Optimization 58

Search Engine Optimization Startup SEO Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2017

They flocked to businesses like Apple, when influencer Steve Jobs was at the helm, and anxiously await the next moves from visible entrepreneurs, including Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Customers need to believe that you are one of them. Going out of your way to help a customer or help a good cause pays big dividends these days.

Social Media 58

Social Media Customer Custom Entrepreneur 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2017

Even though I love technology, I always cringe when an entrepreneur starts an angel investor pitch to me by touting his new technology. They have forgotten that new technologies are perceived by most customers as causing more pain than the problems they eliminate. Is your product tempered with actual market and customer feedback?

Technology 53

Technology Customer Custom Marketing 53

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2017

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I often get asked for next sure-fire idea. Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and other famous entrepreneurs are examples of dedicated people who looked for inspiration, rather than ideas for their next business. Great entrepreneurs identify something larger than money to provide purpose and meaning.

Ideas 54

Ideas Study Entrepreneur Customer 54

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2019

exabytes per month at the end of 2017, of which more than half was video. This gives rise to the personalization and customization that we all want. Analytics will soon drive nearly all business decisions for any company that wants to remain relevant to its customers. Crowdsource: putting your audience to work beyond customers.

Technology 97

Technology Social Media Startup Entertainment 97

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2016

We have made a big push this year to bolster our team with healthcare industry expertise to help provide our customers with exceptional outcomes. Finally, what do you think will have the biggest impact on the technology industry in 2017?

Southern California 113

Southern California Social Media News Entertainment 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2017

New entrepreneurs are always looking for a shortcut in getting their venture story and plan across to investors, and closing on the funding they need. The canvas is a visual chart with elements describing your value proposition, structure, finances, and customers, to help companies identify and align business activities.

Funding 57

Funding Startup Activity Customer 57

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2017

This technology is not only spawning a new generation of entrepreneurs, but is also changing the educational landscape, all the way down to early grade school. In my view as an advisor to new ventures, the Maker Movement is an integral part of a new age of the entrepreneur. Meeting the new consumer demand for customization.

Ideas 61

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Education 61

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Unless you are a serial entrepreneur with a string of successes behind you, you need a business plan to convince investors that you can build a business out of the dream that has been driving your passion to change the world. Marketing, sales, and customer experience. Skip the acronyms and jargon.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 3, 2022

“We want to inspire, but we also want to be realistic and show beauty in real life,” Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss said in a 2017 interview with Inc, just as the brand had reached what Weiss herself described as “cult status.” Even Chrissy Teigen and Reese Witherspoon wore Glossier’s signature Cloud Paint blush to the Oscars. .

Startup 280

Startup Netflix Los Angeles Innocal 280

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 8, 2016

I thought it would be interesting to understand the challenges and concerns of entrepreneurs who began selling online for the first time in 2016, so I sat down with Heidi Muther, COO at Z S upply , LLC. Founded in 2011, Z Supply, LLC has created five women’s fashion brands with a sixth brand and extension into Men’s, launching Spring 2017.

Sites 100

Sites Sales Santa Barbara Design 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2017

As an advisor to many new businesses, I see a host of advantages for every new business by being socially responsible today: Expands the potential customer target market size. Social contribution and sustainability are features that appeal to a whole new class of customers for any solution. The opportunities are endless.

Customer 64

Customer Custom Statistics Pricing 64

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2017

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” Values are your most valuable assets.

Coach 59

Coach Satisfaction Ideas Entrepreneur 59

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2017

As an advisor to startups and entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that all new businesses must start with a great idea. I believe the best entrepreneurs start by finding a large opportunity, and only then use good ideas to capitalize on that opportunity. I just finished a new book, “ The Entrepreneur’s Playbook ,” by Leonard C.

Ideas 59

Ideas Startup Examples Entrepreneur 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2017

A good entrepreneur is not necessarily born a good salesman. Yet, in today’s world of information overload, marketing and selling skills are critical to the success of every startup. Julie is known as the entrepreneur’s selling mentor, for both men and women. Be willing to go the extra mile to engage your customers.

Social Media 56

Social Media Sales Mentor Customer 56

socalTECH

APRIL 2, 2018

As part of our sponsor relationship with the conference, we're running a series of interviews with speakers from the conference about their experience in the area of recurring revenue, customer service, and similar topics. We have an incredibly passionate and dedicated team, and they are great advocates for the customer. That's key.

SaaS 100

SaaS Conference Customer Custom 100

socalTECH

APRIL 5, 2017

We focus on digital transformation and customer experience. When you start doing that, you create an offering that can be purchased by more customers, and that becomes easier to maintain for us. 2017 will be a great year for us. It's about the customer life cycle, and taking a single view of your customer.

Diamond Bar 169

Diamond Bar Customer Custom Organization 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2017

As an active business advisor and angel investor, I’m convinced that we are rapidly entering a new age of the entrepreneur, and those who are best prepared will be the first to reap some big rewards. I continue to see stories of really young entrepreneurs, and I just met a really impressive one, Neva Lee Recla, at a recent Fast Inc.

Coach 80

Coach Entrepreneur Ideas Class 80

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2017

In the entrepreneur world, most of the energy I see is focused on the current opportunity bubbles, now including anything mobile, the new sharing economy (Uber, Airbnb), or yet another social media app (Snapchat, WhatsApp). Subtle differences don’t usually attract investors or customers. Put the reins on overconfidence and large egos.

Ideas 55

Ideas Snapchat Social Media Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2017

Here are some key ones that I recommend, based on my experience in business, and my many years as an advisor to entrepreneurs: Choose a name that works across the Internet and the world. Having a website won’t help if customers can’t find it. Expect to spend your limited budget on marketing.

Social Media 57

Social Media Search Engine Optimization Startup Customer 57

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Most of the guidance you see for entrepreneurs is aimed at those who are selling a product (Apple, Tesla, Xiaomi), or selling a service (Uber, Airbnb, Snapchat). The “product” value is difficult to quantify, the costs are nebulous, and entrepreneurs have to clone themselves to scale the business.

Social Media 56

Social Media Pricing Technical Review Demand 56