Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2023

In my view, this focus on the wrong skill set is the primary reason why over half of new businesses fail in the first five years, and only one out of a hundred startups get their requested funding from professional investors. His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. Consensus and change are hard.

Startup 154

Startup Sales Entrepreneur Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

More entrepreneurs want to be socially responsible these days, but fear a negative impact on profits, growth, and the ability to find an investor. Some customers and stakeholders don’t just prefer that an organization is socially responsible, but insist on dealing only with these startups.

Startup 149

Startup Organization Customer Custom 149

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. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them?

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2012

Every startup needs to understand that the customer paradigm has dramatically shifted over the past two years with pervasive social networks and smartphones. If your business doesn’t connect with your customers, individually and as a community, demanding customers will not only ignore you, but will actively keep other customers away.

Customer 93

Customer Custom Networking Entrepreneur 93

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Thus, financial projections for up to five years are a necessary element in every business plan. Marty Zwilling

Startup 116

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 116

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2022

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices. Doing business is a human process.

Organization 143

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

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. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them?

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2022

Entrepreneurs and startups are big believers in innovation, but sometimes they forget that innovation must be continual to assure long-term success, rather than the one big-bang idea that initiated their journey. Recognize that customers care about the whole experience. Recognize that customers care about the whole experience.

Metrics 102

Metrics Startup Organization Demand 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2016

In my view, this focus on the wrong skill set is the primary reason why over half of new businesses fail in the first five years, and only one out of a hundred startups get their requested funding from professional investors. His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. Consensus and change are hard.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Sales Startup Customer 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2022

Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle move, and should be part of a long-term strategic plan. From my experience, and the experience of other entrepreneurs, here are the key elements you should think about as part of the process: Personal interests and aspirations. Assess customer demand. Visualize the future.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Training Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2015

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices. Doing business is a human process.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Organization Startup Pricing 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Customer 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2020

According to studies , the alternative of acquiring new customers still costs you five to seven times more than retaining existing ones. But customers today are fickle, instantly aware of every new alternative, due to the Internet and social media, and not afraid to change. Appeal to all your customer senses all of the time.

Customer 136

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 136

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

The logic in this is simple: once a company has market share, other issues can be sorted out to monetize the market, make the company profitable, scoop up wavering competitors, or even sell the company to a larger firm looking for a large customer base. And it’s a contemporary problem. Angel investors are more tolerant of this than VCs.

Venture Capital 156

Venture Capital Social Media Invest Marketing 156

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. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them?

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2020

Entrepreneurs and startups are big believers in innovation, but sometimes they forget that innovation must be continual to assure long-term success, rather than the one big-bang idea that initiated their journey. Recognize that customers care about the whole experience. Recognize that customers care about the whole experience.

Startup 138

Startup Organization Demand Customer 138

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

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2021

Examples include the Conscious Capitalism® movement, founded by John Mackey of Whole Foods, the B Team , founded by serial entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, and the Benefit Corporation (B Corp) form of business now available in 35 states. Selling too early triggers customer defenses and drives them away.

Education 151

Education Customer Custom Sales 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2015

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Thus, financial projections for up to five years are a necessary element in every business plan.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Pricing Sales 102

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Thus, financial projections for up to five years are a necessary element in every business plan. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 147

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” This is the exit stage for the entrepreneur, and for all earlier investors.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2022

It seems like every entrepreneur and business owner I meet is highly focused on fast growth to a large business, and becoming the next unicorn. Most of you entrepreneurs have a passion for your solution, and some only see the business as a necessary burden. No one else can do the solution delivery like you can.

Satisfaction 92

Satisfaction Training Customer Custom 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Steve Blank via Flickr by jdlasica I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2013

Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle move, and should be part of a long-term strategic plan. From my experience, and the experience of other entrepreneurs, here are the key elements you should think about as part of the process: Personal interests and aspirations. Assess customer demand. Visualize the future.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Training 97

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices. Doing business is a human process.

Organization 128

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 128

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2010

Marketing to Reach Your Customers First ,” here are the five key components to watch: Micro-blogging. Real time on-demand collaboration. Many software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications now allow on-demand collaboration. Virtual trade shows, GoToMeeting, and WebEx are attracting new customers like crazy. business.

Web 88

Web Web 2.0 Doc Examples 88

TechCrunch LA

MAY 19, 2020

That bid was enough to convince Davita and Martin Macauley, a couple who own a home in Los Angeles’ Gramercy Park neighborhood and are two of United Dwelling’s first customers. When you can match that latent supply with latent demand. The term sheets for the round came in at the end of February, and then the pandemic hit.

Los Angeles 191

Los Angeles Startup Culver City .Net 191

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle move, and should be part of a long-term strategic plan. From my experience, and the experience of other entrepreneurs, here are the key elements you should think about as part of the process: Personal interests and aspirations. Assess customer demand. Visualize the future.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Training 106

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

In fact, Here's the post in its entirety: We have signed an agreement to be acquired by Amazon and are looking forward to working with them as we continue to build easy-to-use tools for entrepreneurs. Nothing is changing for our customers at this time, and we’ll be in touch with customers as and when we have further updates.

News 137

News Acquisition Platform Sales 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2013

Entrepreneurs often get the advice from their lawyers and friends to always get a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA or CDA) signed before disclosing anything about their new venture. You won’t last long as an entrepreneur in this category, since a startup is all about taking risks. Typically NDAs have terms of two to five years.

Ideas 92

Ideas Demand Patents Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2011

The instigators are all well-intentioned – executives talk to potential customers who “must have” a few more things; or the technical team edicts some “technically elegant” options that they can’t resist adding before release. Here are five basic rules to live by: Document the requirements. Implement and enforce a change process.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Startup Software Review High Tech 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2011

Every startup needs to understand that the customer paradigm has dramatically shifted over the past two years with pervasive social networks and smartphones. If your business doesn’t connect with your customers, individually and as a community, demanding customers will not only ignore you, but will actively keep other customers away.

Customer 91

Customer Custom Startup Networking 91

InfoChachkie

JULY 4, 2011

Note: This is part II of a five part series. The story begins with the unwitting, future customer relaxing and reading the paper. However, typical of an Optimistically Pessimistic entrepreneur, Sam never loses hope, and does gives up. Each package contained five pieces. This is Sam’s cold call. I was no exception.

Sales 219

Sales Entrepreneur Startup Product 219

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle move, and should be part of a long-term strategic plan. From my experience, and the experience of other entrepreneurs, here are the key elements you should think about as part of the process: Personal interests and aspirations. Assess customer demand. Visualize the future.

Startup 94

Startup Resource Training Ideas 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2011

I suspect the real challenge is not the semantic web technology , but new attractive business models from smart entrepreneurs. Marketing to Reach Your Customers First ,” here are the five key components to watch: Micro-blogging. Marketing to Reach Your Customers First ,” here are the five key components to watch: Micro-blogging.

Web 95

Web Entrepreneur Doc Examples 95