Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Perhaps sparked by the now forgotten recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Problems will occur in every startup, simply because you are stepping into uncharted territory. Listen to your customers to arrive at acceptable and marketable solutions.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Finding your sweet spot as an entrepreneur needs to start with a meaningful personal purpose that is also a business opportunity. Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. Write it down, make it specific, expressive, yet succinct and jargon-free. Delight and deliver value to your customers.

Tips 174

Tips Framework Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

As a long-time mentor to new entrepreneurs and business owners, I have noticed that many no longer associate more fulfillment and satisfaction with more money, power, and success. In fact, customers today also seem more attracted to companies with a higher purpose than profit. Don’t wait for a crisis to decide what is important.

Satisfaction 173

Satisfaction Mentor Coach Entrepreneur 173

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Before you start down the long hard road of an entrepreneur, it pays to look inside yourself to see what you love to do, and what would fit your definition of success. Others dream of being a billionaire, or proving that they can satisfy a need by starting and growing a business. Start networking to pull together a complementary team.

Startup 94

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Ideas 94

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

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Hiring in any new venture needs to be a structured and high priority task, not the ad hoc informal process I see in many startups that are struggling to grow: Crisis mode hiring rather than planned team growth. I’m not suggesting executive search firms for every startup position, but national recruiting organizations will get better results.

Organization 104

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

By definition, every startup is predictably unpredictable, since new solutions have no proven track record, startups are usually building a new market, and the world around them is changing faster than ever. The market changes faster than your startup. The money runs out before revenues start.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Marketing Satisfaction 105

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

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Proactively seek input, but make your own decisions. Viewed by others as a successful problem solver.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2020

It’s no wonder that 45 percent of startups fail in the first five years, and an even smaller percentage ever see a return for their years of effort. Hiring requirements must be anticipated and implemented with the same precision and tracking as manufacturing volumes, sales leads, and customer service.

Organization 135

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 135

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

JUNE 27, 2016

The startup lifestyle is known to be stressful and challenging, but it’s also meant to be satisfying and fulfilling, with you as the entrepreneur in control of your own destiny. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way, based on my many years of experience with entrepreneurs and advising startups.

Satisfaction 71

Satisfaction Startup Entrepreneur Writing 71

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Of course, starting and running your own business comes with financial and personal risks, so I always recommend that you do your homework first, and follow some tried and proven strategies to improve your odds of success. These are necessary to attract customers, investors, and give you a line of defense with competitors.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

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. Put the decision in writing to prevent ambiguity. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 101

Startup Satisfaction Training Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2013

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Therefore, it’s up to you to fix it. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 101

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 101

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 9, 2012

Even if you fail to achieve your financial goals, at least you will have the satisfaction of doing something you enjoy and you will never have to ask yourself, " What If? " Friendly constituents will not sustain your startup. To such enterprising souls, the inherent ambiguity of a startup is thrilling, rather than daunting.

Tips 277

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Entertainment 277

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

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Therefore, it’s up to you to fix it.

Startup 61

Startup Product Mentor Satisfaction 61

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

According to a recent poll , contractors and freelancers could make up half of the American workforce within a decade. Every entrepreneur and every startup needs to have a clear “elevator pitch,” which identifies a unique strength and value they bring to the table. Start today thinking at least one job ahead.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2013

In the past, if your startup had a website presence, the company was credible by definition. Yet most startups I know experience the same shock of disappointment when they first open up their website to offer their “million dollar idea” product, and nobody comes. Set up an award, and show winners. People buy from people.

Search Engine Optimization 105

Search Engine Optimization Startup Advertising SEO 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Therefore, it’s up to you to fix it.

Startup 82

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 82

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2015

Aspiring entrepreneurs who rely only on traditional learning vehicles (teachers, classrooms, and risk-free practice) are doomed to failure in founding a startup today. Either they are never really ready to start, study an opportunity until it has passed, or fail with tools and techniques from a bygone business era.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Education 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2018

In this age of constant change, I usually find myself writing about what has changed. Here is my list of the basics that some people in business tend to forget: Showing up consistently must still be priority one. Customers and peers still expect follow-up and timeliness. Businesses grow based on customers served.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Social Media Satisfaction 90

InfoChachkie

JUNE 27, 2011

My response was brief and straightforward, which is common of popular Quora answers (as discussed in How To Write An Effective Quora Answer ). Although my answer was off-the-cuff, the question caused me to consider the issue of raising entrepreneurial children in greater depth, which led me to write this series. Plot Summary.

Entrepreneur 270

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Resource 270

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2017

They point out that establishing good habits and getting rid of bad ones involves the same basic skills; goal setting and motivation, getting started, and staying on track. That’s where starting small comes in. Be honest with yourself about small habits you have which may irritate your direct reports, coworkers, or customers.

Writing 84

Writing Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2011

By John Williams Fast Company magazine recently reported that PayPal founder Paul Thiel is giving away $100,000 to twenty-four young men and women to finance startup businesses. Thiel is providing his mentees with capital to make their startups a reality. You get the personal satisfaction of making something out of almost nothing.

Startup 92

Startup Capital Blogging Ideas 92

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

I have been watching ProductPlan for several years, as the founders are both friends and pillars of the Santa Barbara Startup Community. Greathouse: We’ve known each other for a long time but let’s start with the basics for my readers. How did you and your co-founder, Greg Goodman, get started? Had you worked together before?

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2021

Unfortunately the comments you don’t hear from customers, business partners, and peer leaders are the ones that do you the most damage. Evidence continues to mount that companies with trusted leaders, such as Zappos , tend to outperform others in financial results, as well as team satisfaction, by as much as three to one.

Social Media 101

Social Media Examples Satisfaction Media 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2010

In the past, if your startup had a website presence, the company was credible by definition. Yet most startups I know experience the same shock of disappointment when they first open up their website to offer their “million dollar idea” product, and nobody comes. Set up an award, and show winners. People buy from people.

Tips 92

Tips Search Engine Optimization Startup Advertising 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2016

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.

Entrepreneur 61

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Education 61

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2013

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. Put the decision in writing to prevent ambiguity. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Training Customer 107

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Write down your top 5 core values and review them often. Since business is generally not rocket science, relationships with peers, partners, and customers are often more important than skills. Take satisfaction from wins to balance against setbacks. Pressure and emotion in business is often an indication of core value conflicts.

Coach 137

Coach Training Satisfaction Mentor 137

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Perhaps sparked by the now forgotten recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Problems will occur in every startup, simply because you are stepping into uncharted territory. Listen to your customers to arrive at acceptable and marketable solutions.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2012

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Therefore, it’s up to you to fix it.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Satisfaction 97

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 Customer Custom Entrepreneur 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

Recently, Ive seen a lot of discussion about bringing the work back home, since costs have gone up in less-developed countries, there are issues with intellectual property, and time zone and language differences make management difficult. Its easy to find companies in certain countries that will quote cost reductions up to 75 percent.

Outsource Development 95

Outsource Development Outsource Offshore Software Review 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2012

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. Put the decision in writing to prevent ambiguity. Marty Zwilling.

Tips 116

Tips Satisfaction Training Entrepreneur 116