Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. Due diligence always involves on-site visits, informal discussions with any or all members of the team, vendors, and good customers as well as bad.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. The customer experience is more than the service.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2020

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business which builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. Many of the major business successes started this way. Many of the major business successes started this way.

Startup 157

Startup Social Media Study Research 157

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2019

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 exceptional experiences to their customers. Keep your team happy to create engaged customers. Walking the talk is the place to start.

Customer 84

Customer Custom Training Satisfaction 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Customer receivables collection and vendor payments. Solution development and delivery.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2023

The Internet is the problem, by facilitating constant change, and it’s the solution, by providing an absolutely current view of customers, trends, and best practices. With this principle, real entrepreneurs start with a conviction that new learning will reveal flaws in existing models, leading to new opportunities.

Social Media 120

Social Media Startup Entrepreneur Education 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. The customer experience is more than the service.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

This is part of my ongoing posts on Startup Advice. The world has changed much since I started my first company in 1999. As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. Tim started to change our processes. Back then it seemed foreign.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2015

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. Due diligence always involves on-site visits, informal discussions with any or all members of the team, vendors, and good customers as well as bad.

Technical Review 108

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 108

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. Keep your team happy to create engaged customers. An unhappy team member can’t create an engaged customer.

Customer 106

Customer Custom Training Satisfaction 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2017

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. Keep your team happy to create engaged customers. An unhappy team member can’t create an engaged customer.

Customer 69

Customer Custom Training Satisfaction 69

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2023

In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses. New team members in a new startup, coming from different backgrounds, may have quite different benchmarks of excellent performance.

Coach 93

Coach Satisfaction Resource Entrepreneur 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2021

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. You don’t have enough control over your time, investors, the market, or your startup. Each must be documented clearly and refined regularly.

Entrepreneur 174

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Social Media 174

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

The result is fewer and fewer new ideas are volunteered by prospective leaders and key team members, and the business suffers from poor customer satisfaction or loss of market share. Here I recommend that you narrow your focus, if possible, and document specifics of impact, cost, and value.

Ideas 116

Ideas Netflix Resource Customer 116

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 30, 2023

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business which builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. Many of the major business successes started this way. Many of the major business successes started this way.

Social Media 92

Social Media Study Research Satisfaction 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2013

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. This is the last step of the process, where surprises in the evaluation of the management team, documentation, and personnel problems can derail the investment.

Technical Review 97

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2020

The Internet is the problem, by facilitating constant change, and it’s the solution, by providing an absolutely current view of customers, trends, and best practices. With this principle, real entrepreneurs start with a conviction that new learning will reveal flaws in existing models, leading to new opportunities.

Social Media 127

Social Media Startup Education Entrepreneur 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2020

Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business. Startup and development stage. Business owners get their satisfaction from happy customers and happy stakeholders.

Ideas 127

Ideas Entrepreneur Satisfaction Summary 127

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. Keep your team happy to create engaged customers. An unhappy team member can’t create an engaged customer.

Customer 97

Customer Custom Training Satisfaction 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2012

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. This is the last step of the process, where surprises in the evaluation of the management team, documentation, and personnel problems can derail the investment.

Technical Review 98

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Training 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2021

For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. Although the authors focus has been on large organizations, I believe concepts are even more relevant to entrepreneurs and startups. That’s productivity. Why is this so hard?

Framework 153

Framework Product Entrepreneur Social Media 153

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. The customer experience is more than the service.

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2020

In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses. New team members in a new startup, coming from different backgrounds, may have quite different benchmarks of excellent performance.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business which builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. Many of the major business successes started this way. Many of the major business successes started this way.

Startup 65

Startup Social Media Study Research 65

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

The real entrepreneurs I know are good at overcoming both people problems and business obstacles, and get satisfaction from the challenge. It’s a key skill for success in every business role, from accountant to customer support. This reaffirms your commitment to the process, their satisfaction, and avoids any secondary problems.

Startup 101

Startup Satisfaction Training Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Customer receivables collection and vendor payments. Solution development and delivery.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

As a long-time business advisor, and an investor in startups along the way, I’m always on the lookout for an entrepreneur who is responding first to a problem in the marketplace , rather than bringing a new technology to the market, assuming it will find a problem to solve. A recurring expense was turned into a recurring revenue.

Activity 132

Activity Entrepreneur Social Media Satisfaction 132

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. The customer experience is more than the service.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2023

Here is my list of eight key strategies and tactics, gleaned from my own observations and feedback, which I believe will define you as a trusted leader, and will result in loyal teams to amplify your business initiatives into long-term success and satisfaction: Share your values and expectations to everyone.

Satisfaction 108

Satisfaction Social Media Coach Training 108

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

As a small business and startup advisor, I find that entrepreneurs often love to talk about their latest idea, but not their execution. Good implementers document and communicate long-term goals, and translate them into daily action items. Focus all initiatives around value to your customers. Investors like happy teams.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics Ideas 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2016

Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business. Startup and development stage. Business owners get their satisfaction from happy customers and happy stakeholders.

Startup 66

Startup Ideas Satisfaction Entrepreneur 66

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 1, 2021

To get you started on the right foot, here are the key principles that I see most often working: Make the resolution a part of a larger process. It’s up to you as a leader to understand and be able to explain all sides of an issue. Before you get too deep into an issue, make sure all parties understand the total process.

Activity 145

Activity Organization Examples Satisfaction 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Customer receivables collection and vendor payments. Solution development and delivery.

Ideas 62

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Competition 62

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2020

It allows investors to come into alignment with customers. Focus relentlessly and passionately on the customer. Bezos asserts that the advantage of being customer focused is that customers are always dissatisfied. Bezos asserts that the advantage of being customer focused is that customers are always dissatisfied.

Slides 137

Slides Customer Custom Satisfaction 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. The customer experience is more than the service.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2019

Unfortunately, work and satisfaction have become an oxymoron in many businesses. Attempting to make a job more challenging, as well as to improve productivity, managers may sometimes ask for higher outputs, such as 15 customer support calls per hour rather than 10. Ask for help in eliminating useless tasks. No one likes useless work.

Tips 96

Tips Satisfaction Training Mentor 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2016

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business which builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. Many of the major business successes started this way. Many of the major business successes started this way.

Technology 57

Technology Startup Study Research 57