Berkonomics

JULY 10, 2014

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked away from deals where the entrepreneur insists on a start-up premoney valuation that is so high, no angel could expect to make a return upon the investment, even with a reasonable sales price for the company down the road. Email readers, continue here.] Starting up Raising money'

Startup 179

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Venture Capital 179

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 5, 2010

The conversations bleed into the sales messages the next time, they wend their way into software designs and form the plan of attach against competition. The best companies are built on common beliefs and culture – a common sense of purpose. I prefer the first sales hires to be in the home office.

Technical Advisors 335

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Offshore Startup 335

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2014

With the appearance of do-it-yourself services on the Internet, entrepreneur curriculums at every university, and a wealth of new books on the subject, the need for expensive consultants and business advisors has also been mitigated. You can now skip the mandatory office space rental, with secretary and bookkeeping staff, or outsourcing.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Commerce 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales.

Software Review 154

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 154

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. Customers won’t pay to see your new employees learning on the job, and outsourcing the real work to a cheap labor source is a recipe for disaster.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

Yet every entrepreneur I meet wants to talk about the idea, and rarely mentions the team. Thus I was happily surprised when I found the classic book, “ The Tech Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide ,” by Bernd Schoner, PhD, and cofounder of ThingMagic, which leans heavily on the people side of the equation. The sales professional.

Technical Advisors 123

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Startup High Tech 123

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

In my experience as an advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often encounter the myth that an initial startup requires investors. The media tends to highlight experienced entrepreneurs who succeed with early new venture funding, like Uber’s Garrett Camp , but fail to point out the more common bootstrapping successes.

Entrepreneur 67

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Outsource Development 67

InfoChachkie

MAY 5, 2016

Given TimeHop’s failed experiment, I was especially intrigued when I learned that a team of a dozen remote entrepreneurs hack the typical corporate structure and creates a company that generated nearly $100 million in revenue. Some companies allow employees to work remotely one day a week or on an ad hoc basis. FastSpring.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Santa Barbara Email Outsource Development 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2014

Too many entrepreneurs confuse actions with momentum and results. For example, a result is not forty hours of work, but a prototype complete, partner contract signed, or first customer sale. During the early start-up phase, most of the momentum in a new company derives from the entrepreneur''s own commitment and self-sacrifice.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Research 113

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 13, 2009

Surely a savvy, modern-day entrepreneur can utilize online tools to leverage young peoples’ collective energy and fervor. . Sales – Many publishers, including Grit, encouraged newspaper boys to create new routes and expand existing ones by aggressively selling subscriptions to non-subscribers. free weekly Infochachkie articles!

Web 2.0 222

Web 2.0 Web Sales Outsource Development 222

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. Customers won’t pay to see your new employees learning on the job, and outsourcing the real work to a cheap labor source is a recipe for disaster.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

There is a mythology amongst some LPs (funds that invest in VCs) and some VCs that “entry price doesn’t matter – only investing in the absolute best entrepreneurs.” We also are going to talk a lot about startups getting exits and ultimately: Companies are bought, not sold. Outsourcing can be cheap.

Startup 323

Startup Technology Venture Capital Santa Barbara 323

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. How the leaders of your company handle adherence to the spirit as well as the letter of the law will be seen by all employees, customers, and investors. Compatible work styles.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2020

I’m sure you have all seen entrepreneurs and startups with great ideas that never seem to live up to their potential, while others with more mundane solutions seem to take off quickly and never slow down. As you move from development to rollout, a team effort is required, including marketing, sales, funding, and customers.

Startup 123

Startup Outsource Development Entrepreneur Outsource 123

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2013

In fact, we are all media companies now, with our cell phones, computers, and professional-looking publishing tools. I’ve focused these more towards startups and entrepreneurs: Show a personal face. Sell yourself as the expert, and business sales will follow. People buy from people, and in a startup, you are the brand.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Content Media 111

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. But the “no sales people” mantra isn’t what I’m here to take on. I believe it’s flawed.

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2012

Executives from large companies have sometimes long forgotten how to do this (“My people will contact your people to work out the details.”). Others hire consultants, or outsource much of the real work. I’ve taken the liberty of extending these for entrepreneurs, based on my own experience: Showcase your creativity on the front lines.

Entrepreneur 94

Entrepreneur Startup Template Mentor 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

A business plan is an “outward facing” document for external investors, or for C-level executives within your own company. Enough detail is required so that someone else can build it without you (outsourcing). Business model, executive team, marketing & sales, financials, and funding. Market research.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

As an entrepreneur and startup investor, I have helped create companies which achieved two IPOs which collectively raised over $100 million, as well as two acquisitions which totaled $385 million. 1) Expect Independent Channel Sales Reps To Perform Missionary Sales. Rationale: I cannot afford to hire a direct sales force.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2011

In fact, we are all media companies now, with our cell phones, computers, and professional-looking publishing tools. I’ve focused these more towards startups and entrepreneurs: Show a personal face. Sell yourself as the expert, and business sales will follow. People buy from people, and in a startup, you are the brand.

Media 91

Media Startup Company Companies 91

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

We talked about how business school historically hasn’t positioned entrepreneurs well for success. I wrote about that before in a post about “ whether MBAs are necessary for entrepreneurs. His class reading lists could be a primer for any entrepreneur, not just MBAs.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2014

We caught up with founder and CEO Grant Kirkwood --a serial entrepreneur and veteran of providing infrastructure to the enterprise markets--on the vision behind the company. My last company was a global communications company with network points of presence around the world. Explain to us what Unitas Global does?

Cloud Computing 217

Cloud Computing Outsource Development Outsource Startup 217

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2011

Too many entrepreneurs confuse motion with momentum and results. For example, a result is not forty hours of work, but a prototype complete, partner contract signed, or first customer sale. During the early start-up phase, most of the momentum in a new company derives from the entrepreneur's own commitment and self-sacrifice.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Research 100

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2018

Ahead of the conference, we sat down and spoke with Kevin Anderson , co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Appetize (www.appetizeapp.com), a rapidly growing developer of point-of-sale software, on the topic of customer service. That's a huge different, and we've prioritized that as we've grown the company. We're continuing to grow.

Customer 113

Customer Custom Services Conference 113

InfoChachkie

MAY 19, 2011

As noted in parts I and II of this series, agreements with Big Dumb Companies (BDCs) can be alluring and potentially fatal. This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions. Unmitigated exclusivity can be the death knell of a small company.

Outsource Development 193

Outsource Development IP Technical Review Entrepreneur 193

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

It’s nearly impossible to get a services company financed by VCs. And stop effing around trying to create a product company.&#. It is advice I give entrepreneurs often as I have written here on why most businesses should never raise VC. You’re a small fish. Why Shouldn’t Most Services Businesses Raise VC?

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

Yet every entrepreneur I meet wants to talk about the idea, and rarely mentions the team. Thus I was happy to see a recent book, “ The Tech Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide ,” by Bernd Schoner, PhD, and cofounder of ThingMagic, which leans heavily on the people side of the equation. Outsourcing your core competency does not work.

Technical Advisors 105

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Startup High Tech 105

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

The part of the movement that resonates the most with me (in my words) is that entrepreneurs should keep their capital expenditures really low while they’re experimenting with their product and determining whether there is a large market for what they do. This benefits you, the entrepreneur. It takes options off of the table.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2014

Yet every entrepreneur I meet wants to talk about the idea, and rarely mentions the team. Thus I was happy to see a new book, “ The Tech Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide ,” by Bernd Schoner, PhD, and cofounder of ThingMagic, which leans heavily on the people side of the equation. Outsourcing your core competency does not work.

Technical Advisors 98

Technical Advisors Startup Outsource Development High Tech 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2018

Yet every entrepreneur I meet wants to talk about the idea, and rarely mentions the team. Thus I was happily surprised when I found the classic book, “ The Tech Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide ,” by Bernd Schoner, PhD, and cofounder of ThingMagic, which leans heavily on the people side of the equation. The sales professional.

Technical Advisors 57

Technical Advisors Startup Outsource Development High Tech 57

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 13, 2013

Lack of understanding about your business costs is one of the biggest rookie mistakes—and, if you are a new entrepreneur, heading up a new venture, or attacking a new marketplace, you are indeed a rookie. Your sales forecast is an essential variable for cash and profit planning. Create a Marketing Plan. Don’t let that happen to you.

Outsource Development 91

Outsource Development Outsource Startup Marketing 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2016

But in my experience as a startup advisor, too many entrepreneurs get stuck there, and always find excuses for not really exploring mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and alliance alternatives. For example, at any given moment in your business, you may be limited by development, marketing, or sales.

Startup 56

Startup Outsource Development Organization Outsource 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Sales/Marketing.

Sales 97

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2014

In fact, we are all media companies now, with our cell phones, computers, and professional-looking publishing tools. I’ve focused these more towards startups and entrepreneurs: Show a personal face. Sell yourself as the expert, and business sales will follow. branding business David Rogers engagement entrepreneur startup'

Customer 99

Customer Custom Startup Content 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2017

In my role as an advisor to you as an entrepreneur, I always recommend that you move to a more proactive customer service strategy, to include interactive social media campaigns, self-service options on your website, and personalized handling of unique requests. Staff all customer interactions with experienced people.

Customer 95

Customer Custom Services Technical Review 95

socalTECH

MAY 7, 2012

more--or you can go online and use Fine Art America (www.fineartamerica.com), a Santa Monica company which is doing. Fine Art America handles all of the details of fulfilling sales for images. The company's founder and CEO is Sean Broihier , who told us all about the site--and also how. from photographers and artists.

Santa Monica 258

Santa Monica Pricing Sites Sales 258