Berkonomics

OCTOBER 13, 2016

Well, even though that acquisition is still playing itself out on the field of battle, it appears quite clear that the new parent has directed its new subsidiary to abandon the lower end of the market and focus upon the larger sales, corporate customers, and major brands. Been skewered for slow customer service?

Resource 120

Resource Competition Examples Customer 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2021

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. Selling too early triggers customer defenses and drives them away. A startup needs to find a voice relevant to its ecosystem.

Education 151

Education Customer Custom Sales 151

Berkonomics

MARCH 14, 2019

One way to mitigate this is by using early money to create a prototype, to perform market research, to complete the first generation of the product, or to deliver the service to a satisfied customer. Any new enterprise is at risk if there are not enough resources to get the company to breakeven, which is a proxy for stability.

Outsource Development 120

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

While this approach appears to cost more on the surface, it often actually costs you less, when you consider the hidden costs of rework, poor customer satisfaction, employee management, and training required. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced. Avoid employee-related expenses and management.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Berkonomics

AUGUST 16, 2018

Over the years, I have often heard the complaint from CEO friends that they have become so swamped by the demands of their growing businesses that they feel themselves further and further from the center of their industry, no longer at the forefront of information and competitive development. First, speak to your customers often.

Marketing 120

Marketing Demand Media Entrepreneur 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition. It still amazes me that some entrepreneurs seem totally at a loss on this question, or customer retention rate, or even margin expectations. Every startup demands logical changes along the way.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? Assess customer demand.

Startup 94

Startup Resource Training Ideas 94

Berkonomics

MARCH 15, 2012

One way to mitigate this is by using early money to create a prototype, to perform market research, to complete the first generation of the product, or to deliver the service to a satisfied customer. And fifth: Competitive risk. Second: Market risk. Are you ahead or behind the market with your product or service?

Outsource Development 200

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 200

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. As an example of a good resource, I enjoyed the classic book, “ Idea To Invention ,” by Patricia Nolan-Brown, that does a great job on the key steps. Now get real (cook it). Before you get too excited, it’s time to do some homework.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Based on my experience, creating a new business is at least as difficult as creating an innovative solution, and it takes a knowledge of finance, operations, customers and the marketplace. If there is no competition, there is likely not a market. Competitors arrive rapidly these days, so make sure you look often.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

Don’t be hesitant to use coaches, mentors, and other resources to test and improve your image by others, and your perceptions of business realities and biases. The business world today is very competitive, and customers are more and more demanding. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 11/10/2022.

Startup 122

Startup Satisfaction Summary Coach 122

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it. As companies get this initial customer feedback on their product they start to have to ask harder questions about unit economics: How much does it cost us to acquire a new customer?

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2010

Conventional wisdom in most companies is that “the competition is the enemy&# – it’s the rallying cry to dig deeper, get more features out the door, issue press releases citing differences and attack the competition’s weaknesses in sales presentations. A healthy respect for your competition will serve you well.

Cloud Computing 320

Cloud Computing Competition Press Startup 320

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2019

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them? You need to clearly convey what makes your startup the only choice for your customers.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

In the initial phases of any new market you’re developing a product (hopefully with a minimal set of features), getting feedback from customers, refining your product based on user feedback and then re-launching your product. Facebook, Google) to a large market opportunity then you had better have enough resources to compete.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Here are some key strategies that I recommend to every worker today: Develop and highlight your competitive differentiation. Today, customers and future managers put a higher value on relationships, and expect to know you from industry conferences, social media, or recommendations from peers. Walk away from a bad role or customer.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2014

Luckily, the digital revolution has been a great equalizer in the marketing world, if used effectively to target the audience, engage the customer, and measure results. This message is defined as the knowledge or information that will be retained by customers after they are exposed to your company.

Marketing 101

Marketing Startup Case Study Resource 101

socalTECH

AUGUST 4, 2015

Santa Barbara-based Ice Energy (www.ice-energy.com) has quietly been working away at developing energy storage systems to help smooth out the demand for energy on the nation's power grid. Our customer is not the building owner or tenant, it's the utility. Explain what that peak demand problem is for the utilities?

Southern California 100

Southern California Technical Review Demand Outsource Development 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2019

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. Selling too early triggers customer defenses and drives them away. A startup needs to find a voice relevant to its ecosystem.

Startup 97

Startup Education Customer Custom 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 1, 2015

Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? Assess customer demand.

Startup 109

Startup Resource Training Ideas 109

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2018

On the other hand, everyone is doing it, so that means more competition, and the market and technology are changing faster than ever before. Validate your solution with a prototype and real customers. You need something real that investors and customers can touch and feel. Ideas are not enough to gauge business potential.

Funding 73

Funding Social Media Slides Platform 73

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Unlike most university programs that are over architected and underfunded, the TMP evolved organically, based on the demands of its students and input from the local community. Apeel Sciences - Founded in 2012, after winning $10,000 at UCSB’s New Venture Competition, the company closed $1.25M in funding during 2013. Organic Academia.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Southern California Edison Blog

JANUARY 29, 2019

Once general tools used to manage daily operations, they’re now major sources of competitive advantage. Unlike a shared internet connection (what most residential customers and many businesses use), you’re the only organization using your network circuit. The only demands on the connection come from your business.

Networking 54

Networking Demand Competition Organization 54

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? Assess customer demand.

Startup 57

Startup Resource Training Ideas 57

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2015

Luckily, the digital revolution has been a great equalizer in the marketing world, if used effectively to target the audience, engage the customer, and measure results. This message is defined as the knowledge or information that will be retained by customers after they are exposed to your company.

Marketing 56

Marketing Case Study Resource Social Media 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2017

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them? You need to clearly convey what makes your startup the only choice for your customers.

Tips 75

Tips Marketing Technical Review Startup 75

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2013

Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? Assess customer demand.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Training 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them? You need to clearly convey what makes your startup the only choice for your customers.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? What resources do you have, skills and functions, and what do you do best? Assess customer demand.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Training 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2010

We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. pushing CEOs and business owners to innovate to outperform the competition. Funding great entrepreneurs. Binary Pulse Technology Marketing (www.binarypulse.com). The City of Glendale (www.thinkglendale.com).

SoCalTech 127

SoCalTech Advertising Rustic Canyon Glendale 127

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 13, 2011

Although Eucalyptus is still a relatively small company from a personnel standpoint, it already counts twenty one of the Fortune 100 as it customers. They have a number of mini-websites that they run for various products and campaigns and they cannot know which of those sites will need resources at any given point.

Cloud Computing 212

Cloud Computing Santa Barbara Platform Resource 212

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

Most startups are happy to find any customer, and will hang on for dear life to every one. Only later do they realize that some of these cost more than they are worth, or lead into commitments they can’t sustain, but no business wants to violate the golden rule that every customer needs to be treated as if they were the only customer.

Customer 150

Customer Custom Startup Pricing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

The simple answer is always yes, but like any other resource, finding the right one depends on your implementation stage, your own expertise, and what’s available in your geographic area. Direction, mentoring and resources required. The process is often competitive and very difficult. No surprises in this advice.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2013

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. Selling too early triggers customer defenses and drives them away. A startup needs to find a voice relevant to its ecosystem.

Startup 117

Startup Education Customer Custom 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them? You need to clearly convey what makes your startup the only choice for your customers.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103