Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2017

I was mentoring some graduate students at a local university recently, and I sensed again that profit seems to be a dirty word these days to many aspiring entrepreneurs. I’m certainly not a fan of customer rip-offs, but even non-profits have to be cash-flow positive, or have deep pockets, to help anyone for long.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2017

Based on my current role as a mentor to entrepreneurs, I will paraphrase and recommend Whiddon’s top techniques in business terms: Build an image of likability and rapport. In today’s customer context, you can foster rapport by dressing like them, making every effort to look attractive, offering compliments, and listening intensely.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2017

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I often get asked for next sure-fire idea. Work to anticipate a future market change and get there first. They will also amplify your inspiration to your customers, and keep it growing in your own mind. Be inspired by customer value rather than solution features.

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Ideas Study Entrepreneur Customer 54

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist. Providing your product or service free to customers may sound attractive in marketing materials, but you need revenue sources to survive.

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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.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2017

If team members and customers can’t relate to your purpose, or don’t agree with it, your business will not thrive. It’s important to involve your team in the definition of purpose, and agree it is consistent with a viable business model, including opportunity, customer need, and a positive return.

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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. Your character, as a business leader, will determine your perceived reputation by peers in business, team members, and customers. Marty Zwilling First published on Huffington Post on 11/10/2017.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2017

That means that you need to overtly market yourself, rather than wait and hope that the right people or customers will find you. In my long-time role as a mentor and business advisor, I still see too many people who are waiting to be found as a candidate for their dream role, or waiting for investors to find their startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Most often, these roles revolve around a company’s major assets, including intellectual property, leading brands, key production assets, and unique routes to market. It also means setting up a personalized coaching and mentoring system, and accelerated rotations for top talent. Place difference makers only in business-critical roles.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2017

Based on my years of experience mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, you need to attack problems and challenges with a mindset of success, or it is unlikely that you or your business will survive. Don’t try to be the lone hero – it pays to listen to other members of your team, who may be closer to the customer, and have better insights.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2017

I can certainly attest that my own efforts to coach and mentor aspiring entrepreneurs have taught me much about business and people. The key to success as a startup is finding like-minded people, and it can work on the front-end with sponsors, before you have back-end customers for revenue. You learn as much as a coach as the student.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2017

In the same way, you may think that people assessment is all about skills and experience, but as a mentor to business owners, I have learned to look more for the right attitude, persistence, and determination, as success factors. They see customer support as positive lessons to improve quality and processes.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2017

After the hire comes mentoring and continuous training as the key to engagement. Your company’s success is dependent on your customer’s happiness, which is set primarily by engaged employees. Today, every company needs a value-driven culture that is shared by employees, customers, and shareholders.

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