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. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2020

Ready to scale is when you have a proven product and a proven business model, about to expand to new geographies and markets. A software product is a classic example of a scalable solution, since it costs real money to build the first copy, but unlimited additional copies can be quickly cloned for almost no incremental cost.

Startup 154

Startup Outsource Ideas Research 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. You can now skip the mandatory office space rental, with secretary and bookkeeping staff, or outsourcing. Social media facilitates marketing and sales.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Outsource Development 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2014

The days are gone when a techie or a genius could build things in his garage and customers would find and buy the product, based purely on the “wow factor” of the technology. They want a personable brand, before they will consider the product. Thus customers and partners rely more and more on personal engagement with people.

Customer 99

Customer Custom Startup Content 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

I suggest looking for painful problems to solve, rather than “easier to use” or “nice to have” solutions, for customers with money. Customers line up to believe and buy from people who are viewed as leaders or experts relative to a specific solution. Collaborate with customers to tune your solution.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Social Media Software Review Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

In the interests of helping you work smarter and last longer, I would like to offer my top ten list of key resource drains to avoid in early businesses and startups, based on my years of advising entrepreneurs and my own business experience: Expanding your product line too quickly for scaling. Outsourcing services that could be done in-house.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Berkonomics

JUNE 25, 2015

Sometimes this is called a white label strategy, because your customers offer your product as their own product, writing in their brand name on the blank label in your underlying offering. But, more often, this is just the virtualization of what we used to call outsourcing. Do you want zoom in your camera? How much zoom?

Outsource 120

Outsource Social Media Commerce Writing 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2021

Look for real problems to solve, like losing weight, staying healthy, or gaps in a popular product line. Today it more often means a “trusted friend” who seems real, visible, and doesn’t “push” products. Provide website forums to help customers solve their own problems. Use the Internet to outsource staff.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Case Study Software Review Startup 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2016

For too many small businesses, customer service is still seen as a “burden.” Entrepreneurs don’t realize that this burden is actually costing them over $200 billion in repeat sales, according to a recent study by the W. These days, relationships and online reviews are key drivers for over 80 percent of new customers.

Customer 56

Customer Custom Startup Satisfaction 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2012

Why is it that most of the business plans I see are really product plans? I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. A business plan is a detailed description of your business, with a bit of product description thrown in near the front.

Product 92

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

Why is it that most of the business plans I see are really product plans? I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. A business plan is a detailed description of your business, with a bit of product description thrown in near the front.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2014

If you''re a brand or retailer, needing to get online, there are a lot of things to deal with to run your e-commerce business smoothly--everything from your e-commerce site itself, to taking photos of your products, packing and shipping, to digital marketing. Who are your ideal customers and market?

Commerce 203

Commerce Venture Capital Internet Brands Startup 203

socalTECH

APRIL 30, 2018

For this morning's interview, we caught up with Elizabeth Cholawsky , the new CEO of Santa Barbara-based HG Data (www.hgdata.com), which develops software which helps marketers and salespeople understand the "technology stack" of their potential customers and prospects. I've been in product, product development, marketing, and management.

Santa Barbara 113

Santa Barbara High Tech Outsource Development Startup 113

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

There’s a line of thinking in Silicon Valley that you should build product businesses rather than services businesses. They have created two internal technology “products&# and wanted to figure out how they could turn their services business into a product business that could be financed. This team is talented.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 13, 2009

Customer Service – As newspaper boys were the face of their employers, savvy carriers learned to establish healthy customer relationships to facilitate timely collections and generous tips. Make Money – Get Prizes. Boys To Men. Unfortunately, the paperboy has met the same fate as the iceman, milkman and diaper services.

Web 2.0 222

Web 2.0 Web Sales Outsource Development 222

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2017

What's the secret to creating a profitable, successful, physical subscription based business--and to do that at the scale of large, consumer product goods (CPGs) companies? For people who send things out, it's a chance to be in front of your customer. You need to understand what it means when a customer receives a product.

Startup 145

Startup Product Customer Custom 145

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

I recently did a post for startups on understanding sales people. Whenever I meet a team that had a consulting firm (even a great one) build their product it’s an immediate “pass&# from me. They care about the quality of what is build more than they care about end customers. I don’t believe that one exists.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2020

After investigating these successes, I have isolated certain strategy elements which I now offer to you as expeditors of success in starting a new business, independent of the product or service you are offering, as well as the market segment you are targeting. Look for tools to automate and simplify strategy execution.

Startup 123

Startup Outsource Development Entrepreneur Outsource 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2019

Look for real problems to solve, like losing weight, staying healthy, or gaps in a popular product line. Today it more often means a “trusted friend” who seems real, visible, and doesn’t “push” products. Provide website forums to help customers solve their own problems. Use the Internet to outsource staff.

Technical Review 97

Technical Review Case Study Software Review Startup 97

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. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2015

Ready to scale is when you have a proven product and a proven business model, about to expand to new geographies and markets. A software product is a classic example of a scalable solution, since it costs real money to build the first copy, but unlimited additional copies can be quickly cloned for almost no incremental cost.

Startup 103

Startup Outsource Invest Ideas 103

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Chris Tragos: Jetpack is an ad platform, which I would describe as the most beautiful, best engaging, and most performant ad product for desktop, mobile, and tablet. Our business is helping those guys make more money, through our better ad product. The HTML5 platform that we use is also available as a self service tool to customers.

Buzznet 100

Buzznet Outsource Development Design HTML 100

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 26, 2013

It also facilitates determining your proper product and market fit before your startup is under a white-hot media spotlight. Many entrepreneurs naively hire a PR firm to launch their nascent products in the hope of leveraging the firm''s industry contacts. Public relations at a startup is a sales process.

Marketing 247

Marketing Entrepreneur Journal Media 247

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

1) Expect Independent Channel Sales Reps To Perform Missionary Sales. Rationale: I cannot afford to hire a direct sales force. Thus, I will recruit independent distributors and they will sell my new and innovative products on my behalf. Public relations at a startup is a sales process. 7) Hire A Consultant.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

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. Rinse & repeat. It takes options off of the table. You have a hunch.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

You can’t succeed in business without an operational model that delivers value to customers at a reasonable price, with an underlying cost that allows you to make a profit. The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, and giving away the product. Sales/Marketing. Production.

Sales 97

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Look for real problems to solve, like losing weight, staying healthy, or gaps in a popular product line. Today it more often means a “trusted friend” who seems real, visible, and doesn’t “push” products. Provide website forums to help customers solve their own problems. Use the Internet to outsource staff.

Startup 107

Startup Technical Review Case Study Software Review 107

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2013

Ready to scale is when you have a proven product and a proven business model, about to expand to new geographies and markets. A software product is a classic example of a scalable solution, since it costs real money to build the first copy, but unlimited additional copies can be quickly cloned for almost no incremental cost.

Tips 111

Tips Startup Outsource Ideas 111

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

Having paying “Customers” is what makes the cash register roar. This article will cover two things; First, the top mistakes small business owners make that end with inquiries leading you to the exit door before making a sale. Using your service or owning your product isn’t why a person buys, it’s the experience your customer will have.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Marketing SEO 85

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Marty Zwilling.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 99

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. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Ready to scale is when you have a proven product and a proven business model, about to expand to new geographies and markets. A software product is a classic example of a scalable solution, since it costs real money to build the first copy, but unlimited additional copies can be quickly cloned for almost no incremental cost.

Funding 67

Funding Startup Outsource Ideas 67

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2010

Why is it that most of the business plans I see are really product plans? I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. A business plan is a detailed description of your business, with a bit of product description thrown in near the front.

Product 48

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 48

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2013

The days are gone when a techie or a genius could build things in his garage and customers would find and buy the product, based purely on the “wow factor” of the technology. They want a personable brand, before they will consider the product. Thus customers and partners rely more and more on personal engagement with people.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Content Media 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2014

It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. You can now skip the mandatory office space rental, with secretary and bookkeeping staff, or outsourcing. Social media facilitates marketing and sales.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Commerce 104