Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2010

You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. A satisfied customer is necessary, but not sufficient, to be a loyal customer who will come back repeatedly, refer their friends and family to you, and be faithful even when your price is not the lowest.

Satisfaction 49

Satisfaction Custom Customer Startup 49

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Most entrepreneur that fail are quick to offer a litany of constraints that caused their demise – not enough money, time, customers, or support from the right players. Every startup needs to think hard daily about what problem or challenge is holding back progress, what really matters today, and what entirely new possibilities exist.

Resource 112

Resource Ideas Competition Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

But very quickly, it is becoming obvious to startups that the value and satisfaction exceeds the costs. Even without B-Corp status, entrepreneurs are speaking out more on the positives to support business models that benefit not just shareholders, but customers, workforce, the environment, and the greater community.

Startup 149

Startup Organization Custom Customer 149

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Most business professionals I know have been conditioned to think of inflation as highly negative, driving up their costs, and reducing customer buying. I see it as an opportunity to find new ways to attract customers , make long-needed changes to improve productivity, and lower your own costs of doing business.

Outsource 95

Outsource Custom Customer Sample 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. No matter how passionate you are about your solution, it doesn’t mean that if you build it, they will come. Customer support is more than handling exceptions.

Sales 165

Sales Custom Customer Social Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2012

You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. A satisfied customer is necessary, but not sufficient, to be a loyal customer who will come back repeatedly, refer their friends and family to you, and be faithful even when your price is not the lowest.

Custom 104

Custom Customer Startup Competition 104

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Gerber wrote a best-selling business book called The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. The E-Myth (“Entrepreneurial Myth”) is the mistaken belief that most businesses are started by people with tangible business skills, when in fact most are started by “technicians” who know nothing about running a business.

Technical Review 136

Technical Review Startup Social Media Satisfaction 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2021

Most entrepreneur that fail are quick to offer a litany of constraints that caused their demise – not enough money, time, customers, or support from the right players. Every startup needs to think hard daily about what problem or challenge is holding back progress, what really matters today, and what entirely new possibilities exist.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Most of the entrepreneurs I meet as an investor and advisor have no shortage of right-brain thinking, showing vision and creativity, but often don’t realize that their potential is being limited by a balancing focus on results, metrics, and customer specifics. Listen to customer feedback and tune your vision.

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Satisfaction Metrics Startup 133

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. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Custom 92

Custom Customer Startup Services 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

Every new business I know dreams of building momentum in their business, where growth continues to increase, customers become your best advocates, and employee motivation is high. Unfortunately, with limited resources, this isn’t possible, and it frustrates customers and the team. Focus first on finding more of the right customers.

Technical Review 160

Technical Review Technical Advisors Startup Mentor 160

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2021

Investors expect a great return for their risk, so they look for people who can look beyond the technology and their own passion to see a customer need that perhaps even the rest of us haven’t yet envisioned. Some people like to talk incessantly about their idea and possibilities. Able to move smoothly from idea to execution.

Funding 152

Funding Startup Ideas Resource 152

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2017

What neither group seems to fully comprehend is that retail needs to fundamentally change to succeed, far beyond the addition of an online component, to meet the experience expectations of today’s generation, an oversupplied global marketplace, and technology for instant pricing and distribution. Look outside for benchmarks.

Custom 52

Custom Customer Technical Review Summary 52

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2020

No matter what people may proclaim, everyone in business is looking to achieve the highest possible level of satisfaction and financial success in their career. He lays out seven thinking strategies for both entrepreneurs and employees that will make them business winners: Focus on the customers at all times.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Sales Custom Customer 117

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. You need other people with skills that complement yours, are not “yes” people, and have relevant experience rather than a low price-tag. Able to maintain customer trust and team confidence.

Startup 143

Startup Competition Coach Satisfaction 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 7, 2021

I have to point out that the rest of the world looks for you online before visiting your business, finds talk about you on Yelp and social media sites, and what they see can make or break your business. Today your reputation online is more important than your price, service, or location. Be realistic about what you have control over.

Social Media 144

Social Media Media Summary Satisfaction 144

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

Both want personal satisfaction and financial success. There are some key strategies I recommend in developing that mindset, whether you are currently and employee or an aspiring entrepreneur: Keep the business customer at the top of your pyramid. Focus your role on solving the customer problem. In fact, U.S.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Custom Customer 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

I recommend a trial run with an experiment or MVP (minimum viable product), at full price and cost, before the big bang launch, risking your investment money and a major time commitment. Look for validation from your mainstream customers. It’s an amazing ride, and there is no satisfaction like creating something out of nothing.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2019

They don’t realize that they are missing out on a great opportunity for “free” promotion, as well as taking a great risk by not listening to what customers are saying, and not monitoring or responding to undeserved challenges to their reputation. Social media is not all about being social, or treating everyone casually.

Social Media 99

Social Media Media Tool Startup 99

InfoChachkie

JUNE 2, 2014

The result of her efforts is an online service that allows brides to select their bridesmaids'' gowns, within a broad range of colors, styles and price points. The gowns are then dry cleaned and readied for the next customer, in the spirit of the emerging sharing economy in which goods are communally used multiple times.

Design 208

Design Custom Customer Satisfaction 208

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 21, 2019

Before that, I wrote about Stripe’s grand plans. A traveler pays Sun Country one fixed price to get them from the bus pick-up point to their final destination. We don’t know much about the company’s plans, but we wouldn’t be too surprised to see the home-sharing decacorn pursue a direct listing.

Services 207

Services Startup Venture Capital Redpoint 207

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2022

Neither people nor computers can really help you as a personal assistant unless you are willing to share data about what you like, what you feel, and who and what’s important to you. They believe that the benefits of sharing data are very much worth the price of providing access to their data. No-comfort consumers – 17 percent.

Social Media 107

Social Media Tool Google Yahoo 107

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2014

Gerber wrote a best-selling business book called The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. The E-Myth (“Entrepreneurial Myth”) is the mistaken belief that most businesses are started by people with tangible business skills, when in fact most are started by “technicians” who know nothing about running a business.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Technical Review 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2015

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. No matter how passionate you are about your solution, it doesn’t mean that if you build it, they will come. Customer support is more than handling exceptions.

Startup 107

Startup Sales Custom Customer 107

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2013

But very quickly, it is becoming obvious to startups that the value and satisfaction exceeds the costs. Even without B-Corp status, entrepreneurs are speaking out more on the positives to support business models that benefit not just shareholders, but customers, workforce, the environment, and the greater community.

Startup 101

Startup Organization Entrepreneur Custom 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

I get much more satisfaction, and can provide more realistic help, in steering you through specific pricing, organizational, or competitive challenges you face. In business, we all have to deal with real constraints around every unknown, such as a limited budget, not enough time, and fickle customers.

Help 123

Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

Most entrepreneur that fail are quick to offer a litany of constraints that caused their demise – not enough money, time, customers, or support from the right players. Every startup needs to think hard daily about what problem or challenge is holding back progress, what really matters today, and what entirely new possibilities exist.

Resource 98

Resource Entrepreneur Competition Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2013

Gerber wrote a best-selling business book called The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. The E-Myth (“Entrepreneurial Myth”) is the mistaken belief that most businesses are started by people with tangible business skills, when in fact most are started by “technicians” who know nothing about running a business.

Startup 94

Startup Technical Review Social Media Satisfaction 94

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2012

But very quickly, it is becoming obvious to startups that the value and satisfaction exceeds the costs. Even without B-Corp status, entrepreneurs are speaking out more on the positives to support business models that benefit not just shareholders, but customers, workforce, the environment, and the greater community.

Startup 100

Startup Organization Custom Customer 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2018

It’s hard to be successful in any business when your customers can’t find you, or they find you and still can’t figure out whether your solution works for them. Use plain language (no acronyms) on the first page and every page, to emphasize customer benefits, as well as product features. A guarantee reduces the risk for the customer.

SEO 53

SEO Tips Newsletter Statistics 53

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2013

Mission statements tend to be narrow, business oriented statements such as “Be the leader in customer satisfaction.” Be clear about what you stand for, inside and outside your company. The best way to be clear about them is to regularly engage team members, customers, and suppliers. Set your standards very high.

Startup 101

Startup Training Study Custom 101

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Curious to learn more about the pain and joys of bootstrapping a business, I sat down with Jim Semick, the company’s Co-Founder and Chief Strategist. Who is Mr. Semick and what is ProductPlan all about? We’ve been in business for about four years now. I’m really proud to be a part of launching those products.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2017

In today’s customer context, you can foster rapport by dressing like them, making every effort to look attractive, offering compliments, and listening intensely. Customers need to believe that you are one of them. Going out of your way to help a customer or help a good cause pays big dividends these days.

Social Media 58

Social Media Custom Customer Entrepreneur 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2012

Mission statements tend to be narrow, business oriented statements such as “Be the leader in customer satisfaction.” Be clear about what you stand for, inside and outside your company. The best way to be clear about them is to regularly engage team members, customers, and suppliers. Set your standards very high.

Training 109

Training Startup Study Custom 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2016

No matter what people may proclaim, everyone in business is looking to achieve the highest possible level of satisfaction and financial success in their career. He lays out seven thinking strategies for both entrepreneurs and employees that will make them business winners: Focus on the customers at all times.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Sales Custom Customer 55

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

I have talked about this publicly a great deal – how I prefer “missionaries” over “mercenaries.” I spoke with TechCrunch TV recently about the decision to give up the CEO seat, the stresses of the job and my perspective of the situation as an investor. You can watch it here. I had stayed for 6 years.

Startup 303

Startup Technical Review Product Blogging 303

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

Startups are all about change, but entrepreneurs can be slow to change, due to passion and stubbornness. Don’t allow your startup to “fail by success,” meaning too many orders delivered and inventory required for big customers, before their long payment cycle kicks in. To prevent this, build a buffer and line of credit.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Marketing Satisfaction 105