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 days of pushing new and marginal performers into customer service are gone. Every job on your team drives your customer experience.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Great marketing is required to generate revenue and grow every business, especially new businesses which have no brand recognition nor loyal customer base. Yet, as a business consultant, I still find many of you business leaders relying primarily on your technology, word-of-mouth , or location to attract necessary customers.

Marketing 133

Marketing Customer Custom Outsource Development 133

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

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. These are necessary to attract customers, investors, and give you a line of defense with competitors. Test your plan to get feedback from real customers.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. Talking to real customers is the best way to keep your inspiration alive, as well as the best way keep on track with changing trends and future innovation ideas. Increasing customer focus and loyalty.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. With information overload due to the Internet, you need to find your customers, rather than assume they will find you.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. Take full advantage of every mentoring and coaching opportunity, and network with peers both inside and outside the company.

Tips 121

Tips Social Media Mentor Technical Review 121

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Maybe it’s that first customer testimonial, or that first congratulations from someone you respect, or seeing your story in the newspaper. Your solution fills a real market need.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

LaunchpadLA, which is among a number of startup accelerators which have emerged over the past few years and turned Los Angeles into one of the hottest startup markets in the nation, offers up $100,000 in an investment, free office space for four months, and access to mentors. READ MORE>>.

Class 168

Class Startup Web Design Mentor 168

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

In my role as advisor and mentor to many new entrepreneurs, I often find myself suggesting that they think bigger. Major innovation, with major payback, requires real change, addresses a major pain point, and hits a large customer segment who can pay. The value of “word of mouth” advertising is largely overrated.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2018

Most of our mentors are people who have been successful entrepreneurs and investors, who have been there, and understand how to get a company to the next sage. Matt Stodder: The most important thing is to understand their customers, and who they are going after. Blake Caldwell: We believe heavily in customer in customer development.

Startup 172

Startup Seed Funding Mentor Ideas 172

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. Deliver value to your customer, to accrue value in you. Value to a customer means you are solving their problem, not highlighting yours.

Education 148

Education Mentor Customer Custom 148

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2021

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Marketing and advertising are business realties. With 200,000 new websites per day, customers won’t find you by accident.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2020

Others pivoted quickly based on customer need changes, rather than just spending more money on advertising and charging ahead. As a mentor to business owners, I still see many praying for the day when things stabilize, their processes are working, and they can relax and enjoy business growth.

Startup 124

Startup Customer Custom Statistics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Freelancers and consultants have to demonstrate results, without training and mentoring, so they can help you more quickly and probably at a lower total cost. You can advertise your “greener” strategy, which today will get you greater customer loyalty and advocacy. Prioritize demonstrated execution versus potential.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In the short term you need customers to find you at any price, and in the longer term you need revenue, profit, and return loyalty. Even a million users on your social media site won’t pay the bills until you sell some advertising or a premium service. Attract, train, and reward only the best leaders.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2019

Image via Pixabay As a mentor to many small business owners, I always caution them that you can never relax completely, just because your initial solution or product set appears to be getting traction, and the market buzz is positive. Suddenly you face new overhead, with hiring, office space, benefits, and new advertising campaigns.

Metrics 86

Metrics Startup Training Customer 86

socalTECH

OCTOBER 30, 2009

As we go into Halloween this weekend, we want to thank all of our sponsors, advertisers, and members, who make it possible for us to exist. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. Advertisers. Cadence, Intel, IBM, Freescale, Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, LSI, X-Fab, and many other leading-edge. Think Glendale.

Southern California 140

Southern California IP Orange County Glendale 140

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 10, 2013

Monahan will be in charge of managing Science’s social customer acquisition companies like EverySignal and Madrigold. Prior to joining Science, Monahan was co-founder and CEO AlphaBoost, a Facebook advertising reporting software builder. LA-based Science Inc.,

Social Media 82

Social Media Media Marketing Startup 82

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2012

We were also about to build a really solid mentor network in a short period of time, pulling in about 250 CEO's and CTOs, from all backgrounds and locations. I'd say the biggest lesson I learned is that entrepreneurs need to have more contact with their customers and consumers upfront to build a better assessment of needs and priorities.

Southern California 168

Southern California High Tech SaaS Social Media 168

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.

Pricing 66

Pricing Customer Custom Advertising 66

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2019

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Marketing and advertising are business realties. With 200,000 new websites per day, customers won’t find you by accident.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2015

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. Talking to real customers is the best way to keep your inspiration alive, as well as the best way keep on track with changing trends and future innovation ideas. Increasing customer focus and loyalty.

Satisfaction 101

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer Custom 101

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

He shared tons of information about how how they were using marketing to quantitatively make marketing decisions at HauteLook and acquire customers for prices that were far cheaper than similar companies. He was also the first one to challenge my conventional wisdom that it made no sense for tech companies to advertise on television.

Venture Capital 360

Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup Invest 360

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.

Social Media 58

Social Media Customer Custom Entrepreneur 58

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2016

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. Talking to real customers is the best way to keep your inspiration alive, as well as the best way keep on track with changing trends and future innovation ideas. Increasing customer focus and loyalty.

Satisfaction 61

Satisfaction Startup Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2012

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Marketing and advertising are business realties. With 150,000 new websites per day, customers won’t find you by accident.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Guide 110

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I admit that I haven’t yet read it but I’ve had numerous discussions with Brad over the years about board structure & conduct and consider him a mentor on the topic. As we’ve ramped up direct sales over the last few years our need to have relationships with the major media & advertising companies has become critical.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Tech.Co

MARCH 1, 2018

The event is open to tech enthusiasts who want to join an event filled with some of the top leaders, investors and mentors from tech industry to network, find mentors and build their companies. Advertisers upload their 30 second ads and each time a user watches the ad, they receive $.50. Targeted mobile advertising.

Startup 79

Startup Mentor Platform Help 79

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She focused on her customer. Tracy is knowledgeable enough to talk tech and swap design & product stories with other founders, but she realized early that networking amongst this group and reading and writing in their journals would not bring her more customers. Once off the ground she could attract mentors from her industry.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 10, 2015

Advertiser Optimization. Decisive is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that uses real time data to enable advertisers to optimize mobile ad creative and targeting based on user engagement. HYP3R enables businesses and brands to identify influential customers at their locations and engage them in real time, when it matters most.

Class 40

Class Artificial Inteligence AMA Platform 40

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2017

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Marketing and advertising are business realties. With 200,000 new websites per day, customers won’t find you by accident.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 64

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2013

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Maybe it’s that first customer testimonial, or that first congratulations from someone you respect, or seeing your story in the newspaper. Your solution fills a real market need.

Startup 100

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2013

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Marketing and advertising are business realties. With 150,000 new websites per day, customers won’t find you by accident.

Startup 106

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Guide 106

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

We have about 8500 customers there, but only a small percentage have built great communities that took off, and the rest floundered. That's why we built FanMix, to solve our own problem, and help our SocialEngine customers to promote their own sites. We have some great mentors now. After TechStars, how did you end up in LA?

Startup 242

Startup CTO Coach Blogging Social Media 242

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

A few years ago, before the Internet was pervasive, before everyone carried a smartphone and before do-it-yourself software tools were available for free, it was difficult to reach a critical mass of new customers without spending a million dollars on a website, custom software and television advertising.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Outsource Development 108

socalTECH

JANUARY 20, 2015

When we first started talking about using location as one of the key targeting parameters for mobile advertising budgets, we were really mocked. It''s amazing to see how the market has taken to that, and how big location is now used in the advertising market. It wasn''t something most people thought would happen.

Startup 100

Startup Platform Mobile Advertising 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2012

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Maybe it’s that first customer testimonial, or that first congratulations from someone you respect, or seeing your story in the newspaper. Your solution fills a real market need.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Ideas 102