Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. The wealth of online education offerings is a great start, but is not enough.

Entrepreneur 137

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Education 137

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

Zingle, a startup whose software is used by hospitality, travel, and retail industries to more easily and quickly connect with their customers via messaging, has been acquired for about $42 million in cash by Medallia, a publicly traded software company in San Francisco. Read more » Reprints | Share: UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS.

Software 95

Software Startup Satisfaction Customer 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Formalize the use of tools and information technology.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. That might start with the CEO giving the investor pitch to the whole organization, and distributing the current business plan document to everyone.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Each of these will help you in achieving success and satisfaction while tackling your toughest business issues: Stop attacking symptoms – dig first for the root cause. A broken process or a subtle quality issue can generate a flood of customer satisfaction problems, cost overruns, and loss of market share. Then pick the best one.

Satisfaction 152

Satisfaction Mentor Study Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Risks to the business drift off their radar screen, resulting in poor business decisions, as well as less job satisfaction and declining professional success.

Satisfaction 147

Satisfaction Organization Customer Custom 147

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. Measure to see if you have an increase in revenue, a lowering of costs, and improvement in customer satisfaction. Start now to look at where social media will be in two to ten years, and prepare for it.

Social Media 127

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Every new entrepreneur has to initiate the right actions to be perceived as a leader in their chosen business domain by their team and by their customers, or the road to success and satisfaction will be lost along the way. Authentic leaders are willing to open up and establish a connection with everyone around them.

Startup 127

Startup Training Entrepreneur Resource 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2020

Examples cited include biometrics, tool productivity, environmental control, social visibility, relationship data, and brand insight. This shrinking group is willing to share location, brand history, and tool productivity data, but is still reticent to share social, biometric, and environmental data. Reluctant consumers – 44 percent.

Social Media 131

Social Media Startup Tool Google 131

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 30, 2021

Based on my own long experience in business, team satisfaction, engagement, and productivity continues to be a challenge. Most people don’t recognize their own strengths, and need your help, as well as strength assessment tools, to capitalize on them. Getting peers to help others also is a great source of satisfaction and engagement.

Satisfaction 168

Satisfaction Coach Resource Tool 168

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Always use multiple methods, including verbal and written, for defining an assignment, including accountability, with checkpoints and follow-up from you along the way. Make sure that metrics and goals are set up front, and not modified as the project progresses. Provide assessments based wholly on facts.

Startup 132

Startup Training Metrics Examples 132

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 29, 2013

ProProfs started life as a simple online quiz maker that was easy to use. Fast forward two and a half years later and ProProfs is one of the leading online tools that lets the public and private sectors to create online quizzes, polls, surveys, flashcards, and classes with an extensive list of options.

Tool 77

Tool Class HTML Course 77

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2023

Either they are never really ready to commit, study an opportunity until it has passed, or fail with tools and techniques from a bygone business era. The challenge is to find the time and initiative to keep up with the information wave, and be able to curate the data into knowledge that must be learned, unlearned, or relearned.

Social Media 120

Social Media Startup Entrepreneur Education 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2023

In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses. Your startup’s survival, as well as people performance, is at stake. Make sure required data, resources, and tools are provided early.

Coach 93

Coach Satisfaction Resource Entrepreneur 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Formalize the use of tools and information technology.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2016

In 2006 I started using Facebook and most of my friends & colleagues thought I was strange. In 2007 I started using Twitter and most of my friends & colleagues wondered why people would care what I ate for lunch. In 2008 I started VC blogging. In 2011 I started using Instagram. I already have Facebook.”.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Product Startup AMA 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2015

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. That might start with the CEO giving the investor pitch to the whole organization, and distributing the current business plan document to everyone.

Technical Review 108

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 108

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 16, 2019

When Arianna Huffington stepped down from her role at the Huffington Post to start Thrive Global, she said the goal of her new business was to help a generation “avoid the burnout that all too often comes with success today.”

Artificial Inteligence 226

Artificial Inteligence Seed Funding Startup Screening 226

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2015

Social media is so pervasive in today’s world that every entrepreneur believes instinctively that they know how to use it for their startup. Many soon find that what you do in a personal context doesn’t necessarily translate to your business, and measuring business value is quite different from measuring personal satisfaction.

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Startup Tips 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2021

In some cases it may be fear of retribution by the boss, but more often they just hate to disappoint others, and end up instead with high stress and low credibility in a crisis to deliver. Be sure to follow-up as promised, to maintain your credibility. Green, a noted executive coach, speaker, and CEO of Brilliance, Inc. Drop the guilt.

Startup 172

Startup Tool Coach Satisfaction 172

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2022

It’s been happening for some time, but business changes, accelerated by the recent pandemic, have highlighted the need for all of us to review our positions, image, and satisfaction at work. Ramp up face-to-face time with key contacts. You need to be proactive in seeking new roles, using new tools, and tackling new challenges.

Social Media 125

Social Media Summary Startup Mentor 125

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2022

In today’s fast moving world of business startups, learning trumps knowing every time. With my focus on startups, I can translate very easily how her points lead to more innovation even in the entrepreneurial environment: Maintain an unencumbered mind. They assume that new tools and structures will have to be built along the way.

Competition 102

Competition Company Companies Startup 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2019

With the cost of starting an online business today at an all-time low, I can’t imagine why everyone doesn’t have a web site and an LLC to mitigate liability and minimize taxes. Keep up with modern business tools and online processes. New tools make it easy create your own web site, and manage accounting.

Startup 73

Startup Tool Study Web 73

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2010

You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. Whatever the reasons for the change, and there are many, it represents a big opportunity to the small businesses and startups who recognize it. Customers say it takes ten good experiences to make up for one bad one.

Satisfaction 49

Satisfaction Customer Custom Startup 49

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Most business professionals I know have been conditioned to think of inflation as highly negative, driving up their costs, and reducing customer buying. Look for functions that may be performing poorly in your business due to lack of skills or necessary tools. We all need a shock from time to time, to get us thinking ahead again.

Outsource 95

Outsource Customer Custom Sample 95

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

In any business, accountability ideally starts at the top. Accountability requires that you manage your own efforts, as well as keep others up to speed. None of us can be accountable if we don’t know what is expected, or don’t have the required tools or training. Lack of accountability can permeate an entire organization.

Activity 109

Activity Organization Mentor Training 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2021

It started a few years ago with the advent of email satisfaction surveys after an online purchase, but now includes interactive Internet ads, as well as custom requests for input on the design of future products and influencers on social media. Are your costs going up, and the returns going down?

Customer 168

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 168

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Risks to the business drift off their radar screen, resulting in poor business decisions, as well as less job satisfaction and declining professional success.

Satisfaction 124

Satisfaction Organization Customer Custom 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2022

An effective tool I see used more and more, as a prelude to a more detailed business plan, is the Business Model Canvas , first introduced by Alexander Osterwalder back in 2008. Channels have to be identified through which a startup creates awareness, induces evaluation, enables purchase, and executes the delivery of the value proposition.

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Funding Activity Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2023

Seek customer feedback on ways to improve value and satisfaction. These start with your brand image, search visibility and process, and extend to the actual sales transaction. Now is the time to learn and adopt these new ways of thinking, whether your business today is a startup or a corporate conglomerate.

Customer 91

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 91

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2020

In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses. Your startup’s survival, as well as people performance, is at stake. Make sure required data, resources, and tools are provided early.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

The cost of entry has never been lower, with new tools to create your own website , and free social media to get your message out everywhere. Based on my own experience as a mentor and angel investor, I find that as many as ninety percent of startups fail in the first five years, despite their best efforts.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

It seems that most of you entrepreneurs I meet in my role as business advisor are convinced that starting a new business requires equity investors, exponential growth, and a plan to go public via IPO. This can be a key source of personal satisfaction, as well as the ultimate success factor and legacy.

Statistics 124

Statistics Equity Satisfaction Entrepreneur 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2012

You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. Herein lies an opportunity for startups to beat the big guys. Whatever the reasons for the change, and there are many, it represents a big opportunity to the small businesses and startups who recognize it.

Customer 104

Customer Custom Startup Competition 104

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

Your goal must be to make every aspect of a customer interaction a joy to both you and them, starting from the shopping experience, to the sales close, to delivery and service. At every Ritz-Carlton , for example, employees are authorized to spend up to $2,000 per guest to solve any guest issue and make the stay positively memorable.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2019

Image via Pixabay After a frustrating meeting with a small business client recently who didn’t “have time” for social media, I was surprised to find evidence on the Internet that up to one quarter of small business owners are still hesitant to invest time, money, and effort into a social media strategy.

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Social Media Media Tool Startup 99