Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Many entrepreneurs still believe they need a traditional multi-level organization to handle growth and scaling, so they start hiring career managers to populate it. You can advertise your “greener” strategy, which today will get you greater customer loyalty and advocacy. Focus on a very flat organization, with minimal hierarchy.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2020

As a startup advisor, I see many aspiring entrepreneurs whose primary motivation seems to be to work part time, or get rich quick, or avoid anyone else telling them what to do. Yet, for those with more realistic expectations and the right motivation, the entrepreneur lifestyle can be the dream life you envisioned.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 126

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016

As a startup advisor, I see too many entrepreneurs get distracted by technology or their favorite cause, and then wonder why they can’t find an investor, attract customers, or build a long-term business. These principles include the following: Free and ultra-low cost may no longer be competitive.

Customer 101

Customer Custom Competition Netflix 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience has not improved. It’s a tough job, and inexperienced entrepreneurs just don’t know where to start, and how to do it.

Startup 154

Startup Training Customer Custom 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. In my experience, both are always required in heavy doses.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2020

As a startup advisor, I see too many entrepreneurs get distracted by technology or their favorite cause, and then wonder why they can’t find an investor, attract customers, or build a long-term business. These principles include the following: Free and ultra-low cost may no longer be competitive.

Marketing 124

Marketing Customer Custom Competition 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2010

Thanks to all of our sponsors and advertisers, who make our coverage of Southern. It's the source for keeping a pulse on the dynamic world of technology, reaching venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, social media. Thanks this week to our sponsors and advertisers, which include Clearstone. Advertisers.

SoCalTech 127

SoCalTech Advertising Rustic Canyon Glendale 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. In my experience, both are always required in heavy doses.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2022

One of the quickest ways to become an entrepreneur these days is to develop and publish a smartphone app. The price of entry can be less than $10,000, so the competition is huge and growing rapidly. We don’t hear about the remaining several million apps that are mostly free, and garnering only trivial revenue through advertising.

Develop 138

Develop Development Platform Mobile 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2019

After working in business at all levels, and consulting to entrepreneurs for years, I’m still surprised to see so many situations where things that should be easy are painful to customers, and lead to customers hating your business. Get out and meet your customers to learn what turns them on these days.

Customer 83

Customer Custom Demand Examples 83

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 29, 2014

Most businesses spend big money testing their brand logo, catchy marketing phrases, and demographics, but spend little time training and validating that their employees can and do deliver memorable experiences to their customers. They have to out-behave and outperform your competition. Keep your team happy to create engaged customers.

Customer 106

Customer Custom Training Satisfaction 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2014

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Competition Patents Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

Most businesses spend big money testing their brand logo, catchy marketing phrases, and demographics, but spend little time training and validating that their employees can and do deliver memorable experiences to their customers. They have to outbehave and outperform your competition. Keep your team happy to create engaged customers.

Customer 97

Customer Custom Training Satisfaction 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2013

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience continues to decline. It’s a tough job, and inexperienced entrepreneurs just don’t know where to start, and how to do it.

Customer 92

Customer Custom Startup Services 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2023

Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. Social-media advertising. Display advertising. Display ads on mobile devices, including video and audio, also offer a new opportunity to reach target customers. Email marketing.

Marketing 114

Marketing Invest Social Media SEM 114

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2013

For true entrepreneurs, risk is viewed as a positive, with its implied challenge to overcome the unknown and hitting the big return. One way to learn is to understand better how successful entrepreneurs approach risk, and look at actual strategies they use for success. This is the origin of the “first movers” competitive advantage.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Startup Advertising Social Media 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. You now need more than loyalty from your customers -- they need to be your best advocates. The bar is being raised, so every entrepreneur needs new initiatives just to stay in the ballgame. Culture growth follows the leader.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 29, 2021

I’m often surprised when you as an aspiring entrepreneur, looking for investors, tell me your solution is so innovative that you don’t have to worry about differentiating it from competitors, and customers will flock to it without a real marketing campaign. Focus your marketing on real customer value. I now use them exclusively.

Social Media 134

Social Media Case Study Customer Custom 134

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

Aspiring entrepreneurs ask me why their great idea hasn’t sold; they talk about it endlessly, and they expect others to do the development, finance, and marketing work for them. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Love that sustainable competitive advantage. Your solution fills a real market need.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 4, 2014

In fact, for the past 27-years, he has specialized in bringing exotic travel destinations to those of us who are healthy and active but whose competitive sporting days are long behind us. If you could share one startup lesson with a young entrepreneur, what would it be? Then we started advertising and getting media attention.

Entrepreneur 187

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Resource 187

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2022

Entrepreneurs are now measured against the “triple bottom line” (TBL or 3BL) of people, planet, and profit. How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Many young entrepreneurs seem to think that capitalism and making profit are dirty words.

Startup 110

Startup Entrepreneur Capital Examples 110

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2014

As a startup advisor, I see many aspiring entrepreneurs whose primary motivation seems to be to work part time, or get rich quick, or avoid anyone else telling them what to do. Yet, for those with more realistic expectations and the right motivation, the entrepreneur lifestyle can be the dream life you envisioned.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 102

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

He is very hands-on and helpful – especially for any company looking into customer acquisition. o Put a timeframe/money – competition in the picture. On Entrepreneurship: What makes a great entrepreneur? Passion: Have to be able to motivate people, customers, team, yourself. He told them it was now or never.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 17, 2012

It is a platform that allows anyone who offers a service to advertise it for free – we promote this profile on the most popular social networks such as Twitter , Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Stumbleupon and many more. Where does someone who is starting a hairdressers advertise their business? What is ProfileTree?

Advertising 79

Advertising Services Social Network Startup 79

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2021

As a long-time business advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs, I’ve always been impressed with the few who seem to always come out ahead, no matter what the challenge. Whether you are a professional in a team role, or an entrepreneur looking for a new startup, you never get anywhere unless you take a chance.

Education 148

Education Mentor Customer Custom 148

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2020

One of the quickest ways to become an entrepreneur these days is to develop and publish a smartphone app. The price of entry can be less than $10,000, so the competition is huge and growing rapidly. We don’t hear about the remaining several million apps that are mostly free, and garnering only trivial revenue through advertising.

Mobile 126

Mobile Develop Development Platform 126

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2016

Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. Social-media advertising. Display advertising. Display ads on mobile devices, including video and audio, also offer a new opportunity to reach target customers. Email marketing.

Customer 60

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 60

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2014

The concept of free goods and services to get you hooked, financed by deep pockets or advertising, seems marginally ethical to many. A healthy business, ready to scale, has been doing this for a year or more, with an existing customer set generating a non-trivial and growing revenue stream. High customer loyalty and high team passion.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Organization Invest Customer 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2013

Entrepreneurs are now measured against the “triple bottom line” (TBL or 3BL) of people, planet, and profit. How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Many young entrepreneurs seem to think that capitalism and making profit are dirty words.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Examples Satisfaction 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2015

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Startup 118

Startup Competition Patents Resource 118

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2017

It highlights the story of how United Airlines paid no attention to social media while Dave’s story of his crushed guitar and poor customer service went viral around the world. Customers today trust those they know and those they see others trusting. Increase customer leads and conversion. Maximize customer retention.

Social Media 59

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Platform 59

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

While the market isn't short of spritely, innovative entrepreneurs, harsh economic headwinds combined with a pullback in investor spending have made it harder than ever for budding businesses to break through. 2023 hasn't been an easy year to be a startup. Organic milk formula product Bobbie.

Startup 207

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 207

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2012

Aspiring entrepreneurs ask me why their great idea hasn’t sold; they talk about it endlessly, and they expect others to do the development, finance, and marketing work for them. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Love that sustainable competitive advantage. Your solution fills a real market need.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Many entrepreneurs I know don’t realize that the language they learned in the corporate world, or even their recent MBA class, won’t get them ahead in the startup world today. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. Startup pivot.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup Web Equity 109

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

Contact key vendors and existing customers. This will cover the technology, the current state of development, and customer satisfaction. If the product is in customer hands, expect some customers to be interviewed. This will involve an analysis of the company’s distribution channels, advertising, and pricing strategy.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

socalTECH

MARCH 20, 2015

Ross Weber: ClickTripz is an advertising platform for travel advertisers. What''s different about your platform that more general advertising platforms? I decided--why stop fighting this, because this type of advertising just works, and figure out how to do it a little better in the past. Who are your customers?

Advertising 100

Advertising Startup Software Review Platform 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

Our interview today is with Gabe Gottlieb , Co-founder and CEO at Santa Monica-based advertising analytics firm Pathmatics (www.pathmatics.com). Gabe Gottlieb: We provide competitive and market intelligence for online advertising. They have a huge customer base, and it's a great growth opportunities.

Bertelsmann 100

Bertelsmann Advertising Startup Santa Monica 100