Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2022

Passion is great, but it must be backed by data, confirming a real problem and customers willing and able to pay for your solution. In my view, too many businesses fail, simply because founders give up too early. Starting many initiatives, and hoping that one will stick, is not a formula for success.

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Startup Competition Coach Satisfaction 143

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Due to the pervasive Internet, the scope of most successful startup teams today has become global. You need a faster and more flexible on-demand hiring strategy, based on the current gig-economy of remote freelancers, contract personnel, and specialists. By hiring contract experts, less oversight and coaching is needed.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

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.

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Customer Custom Startup Services 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2022

If you aren’t yet adapting to the market and your customers, you are falling behind. I define business agility for my consulting clients as the ability to change your business rapidly to meet customer and environmental changes, with minimal organizational disruption and cost. Demand and reward speedy analysis and execution.

Competition 148

Competition Metrics Demand Customer 148

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

In addition, today’s customers judge a company by perceived people relationships through social media, phone conversations, and sales experiences. As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional.

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Coach Organization Mentor Startup 128

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. Here are some key ideas to get you started: It all starts with the right people on your team.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who aspire to get beyond the “art of the start,” there are some proven principles to follow. Very few startups are cash-rich enough to self-finance aggressive second-stage growth. Of course, that means a new level of risk, giving up some control, and a new business plan.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2014

There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

Demand 92

Demand Entrepreneur Startup Training 92

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.

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Startup Training Metrics Examples 132

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

After many years working in business and investing in startups, I’m convinced that the primary reason for new business and career failures is NOT a lack of skill or money, but people giving up too quickly on their dreams and goals. He went on to start many successful companies, including General Electric.

Startup 122

Startup Satisfaction Summary Coach 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2019

The biggest challenge these days doesn’t seem to be in starting a new business, but sustaining it against the onslaught of market changes and new competitors that emerge every day. In my other role of business advisor, I see examples often of startups that may have taken success for granted too early. Capitalize on what already exists.

Startup 88

Startup Demand Training Customer 88

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

I’ve found that you can best start by asking for another perspective, whether of yourself or a team member. You must give them a strong sense of self-efficacy by championing autonomy, encouraging them to think big, and coaching them on areas to improve. Diversity and inclusion will get you started.

Case Study 112

Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who aspire to get beyond the “art of the start,” there are some proven principles to follow. Very few startups are cash-rich enough to self-finance aggressive second-stage growth. Of course, that means a new level of risk, giving up some control, and a new business plan.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

Training 123

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2015

There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

Startup 103

Startup Training Coach Entrepreneur 103

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. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I saw a while back, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2023

Start with ‘How are you?’ It’s all about contributing and being connected to team and company values for improving the lives of customers, or possibly a higher-level purpose, such as saving the environment. Trust is hard because it requires giving up control and being honest with ourselves, and with every team member.

Startup 113

Startup Summary Coach Metrics 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

In other words, how do you recognize the challenges that really need your leadership , versus the less critical demands that seem to always bubble to the top? Customer feedback in the form of online reviews and poor customer service is often rationalized as unreasonable expectations or one or two crazy individuals.

Coach 120

Coach Satisfaction Customer Custom 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

These leaders not only recognize team members who have high potential, but they willingly and selflessly customize their coaching to what these special protégés really need. The best business leaders never wait until a position opens up to start searching for talent to fill it. Always searching for new talent sources.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2022

We all have to communicate and collaborate with other people at work, but most of us start out instinctively trying to maintain an emotional distance from others in the work environment. So recently I started looking for some expert guidance on the pros and cons on this issue. Yet the 2019 Office Romance Survey by Vault, Inc.

Startup 119

Startup Course Competition Social Media 119

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. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I just saw today, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

Every one of you business leaders I know struggles with the competing demands of finding and keeping employees motivated and satisfied, versus building and enforcing a set of repeatable processes that work. Leaders who focus on team communication are also more successful in dealing with partners and customers.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2022

I’m sure you will agree that not all business leaders are created equal, starting from the CEO on down. Leaders with this “be bold” mindset are willing and able to take radically unique direction-setting actions in the face of today’s pace of change and customer demands. Every business leader needs good “ managing up ” skills.

Template 109

Template Demand Social Media Summary 109

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who aspire to get beyond the “art of the start,” there are some proven principles to follow. Very few startups are cash-rich enough to self-finance aggressive second-stage growth. Of course, that means a new level of risk, giving up some control, and a new business plan.

Startup 108

Startup Sales Metrics Entrepreneur 108

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 2, 2017

We caught up with Fuel50 founder and CEO Anne Fulton to learn more about the startup. Anne Fulton: Fuel50 is a career pathing startup, part of the HR technology landscape. You can find a mentor, a coach, a project, or experience, to help you prepare for the role you are looking for. How did you start the company?

Help 100

Help Southern California Startup Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2019

In addition, today’s customers judge a company by perceived people relationships through social media, phone conversations, and sales experiences. As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional.

Coach 94

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2019

For example, it may seem quicker and more effective to hand your service desk employees the store policy manual, and tell them to follow the rules, rather than spend time coaching them on how to really listen to customer feedback, and use their strengths to build customer loyalty. I also found it’s never too late to start.

Coach 95

Coach Technical Review Satisfaction Examples 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2020

This almost always starts at the top, based on a founder’s dream and passion, without the proper homework on sizing the market, or assessing product realities. Your job as the entrepreneur is to make sure that goals and objectives are uniquely assigned, with proper follow-up and measurements, to clarify accountability.

Startup 113

Startup Examples Coach Metrics 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

These leaders not only recognize team members who have high potential, but they willingly and selflessly customize their coaching to what these special protégés really need. The best business leaders never wait until a position opens up to start searching for talent to fill it. Always searching for new talent sources.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2022

Every business owner I know wishes that all team members were leaders, to proactively tackle the challenges of growth , interact effectively with customers on their needs, and eventually step into your role. Notice people who always take a customer perspective. It’s no secret today that customers are more demanding than ever.

Customer 110

Customer Custom Coach Organization 110

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. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I saw a while back, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Tips 75

Tips Marketing Technical Review Startup 75

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2013

Reliability begins with showing up – being where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there. It extends directly to your customers through dependable products and services. It isn’t a value that only benefits the employer and customers. It makes for a valued worker, who will stay in high demand.

Startup 106

Startup Guide Organization Mentor 106

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. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I saw recently, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who aspire to get beyond the “art of the start,” there are some proven principles to follow. Very few startups are cash-rich enough to self-finance aggressive second-stage growth. Of course, that means a new level of risk, giving up some control, and a new business plan.

Startup 56

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2011

If you are new to the entrepreneurial world of startups, you are likely confused by the terminology of seed-stage, lean startups, micro-VCs, and Super Angels. The good news is that he is all about helping early-stage startups, the hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. Early-stage startup.

Startup 92

Startup Funding Seed Funding Incubator 92

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2019

We are living in a new generation of business, where customers drive the experience, and highly engaged employees are required to keep up with customer expectations. True leaders are tenacious, determined, and self-starting. Benton and Kylie Wright-Ford. Tenacious: be persistent in your pursuits.

Customer 92

Customer Custom Coach Satisfaction 92