Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

There is always the next generation of workers coming of age who expect more, as well as the current generation already having the lowest engagement and productivity levels that business has ever seen. In addition to a tangible brand boost, CVS has found more fulfilled and productive employees.

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Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

To get you started on the right track, I always recommend the following pragmatic tips that you probably already know, but are always worth re-validating with every new initiative: Quantify how your unique features add value. Cold calls to strangers and email blasts are not so productive.

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Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2019

Investors hear from too many entrepreneurs that envision a great business opportunity, but don’t have any written business plan at all. On the other end of this spectrum are entrepreneurs who present long product specifications with a few financials at the end. They think they can talk their way to a deal. It won’t work.

Tips 96

Tips Entrepreneur Writing Content 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2015

If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. That’s productivity. That is a huge hit on productivity. Why is this so hard?

Product 111

Product Entrepreneur Framework Social Media 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

One of the most common complaints I hear from entrepreneurs is that they are overwhelmed by the workload and stress of starting their company. In reality, many entrepreneurs are their own worst enemy, trying to do everything, working inefficiently, and imagining things that need doing which will never happen. Take a break to recharge.

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Tips Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 107

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Make your focus and priorities clear.

Tips 91

Tips Funding Startup Invest 91

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Yet I can assure you that people who are paranoid, or want to avoid all risks, won’t be happy as entrepreneurs, so it’s all about balancing the risk-reward scale.

Ideas 159

Ideas Tips Technical Review Patents 159

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 25, 2014

He has gone from simply selling books online to offering consumers tens of thousands of products. Not satisfied with conquering the online retail world, Amazon then productized access to its infrastructure, ushering in the era of the public cloud. Amazon''s Founder, Jeff Bezos has had an incredible entrepreneurial career.

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Tips Startup Customer Custom 239

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2021

As a new business advisor, I am no longer surprised that every new entrepreneur believes the hard part is creating the first product and the business. Most importantly, this is not just in the products and services you offer, but in the way your company operates. Create and cultivate a leadership culture. Marty Zwilling.

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Tips Startup Mentor Press 170

InfoChachkie

MARCH 1, 2012

Article first published as Five Business Tips From The Beatles on Technorati. Despite the book’s shortcomings, it contains a number of insightful lessons for budding entrepreneurs. Of the 100 business “lessons” articulated in the book, I highlight a few below that I feel are the most relevant and impactful for entrepreneurs.

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Tips Startup Entrepreneur Product 259

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 5, 2011

Article first published as Eleven Startup Tips From Mark Cuban on Technorati. Mark Cuban is a lifelong serial entrepreneur, launching his startup career with a variety of teenage schemes, including buying and selling collectable stamps to pay for college. Mark’s Startup Tips. Entrepreneurs are constantly selling.

Tips 274

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Ideas 274

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2020

One of the things I’ve learned in working with aspiring entrepreneurs is that managing and leading a team is a scary venture into the unknown for many people, even if they have worked as a business professional for years. As an entrepreneur, executive, or team member, you are most impacted by the people you gather around you.

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Tips Training Startup Entrepreneur 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2020

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. There is real value in doing the key things yourself, before your startup is even started: Demonstrate thought leadership before selling a product. Entrepreneurs who wait to be found are destined to spend a lot of time alone.

Ideas 124

Ideas Tips Marketing Social Media 124

InfoChachkie

MARCH 27, 2012

However, despite the book’s shortcomings, it contains a number of insightful lessons emerging entrepreneurs can apply to their startup careers. More Beatles’ Startup Tips. This entry describes some additional Beatles-inspired startup tips, which I gleaned from both their successes and their failures.

Tips 252

Tips Startup Santa Barbara Marketing 252

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

This alone will improve your productivity and effectiveness in your current role, as well as give you a head start towards a future role, including a management role or starting your own company as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs and business leaders cannot escape accountability.

Tips 123

Tips Tool Activity Startup 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2021

Investors hear from too many entrepreneurs that envision a great business opportunity, but don’t have any written business plan at all. On the other end of this spectrum are entrepreneurs who present long product specifications with a few financials at the end. They think they can talk their way to a deal. It won’t work.

Invest 135

Invest Tips Writing Content 135

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

Most entrepreneurs I know admit to a poor first media interaction, and many are still waiting for the instant replay. It could be a product quality problem, or a major customer complaint on Twitter. Why do many entrepreneurs think they can “wing it” and get the same results? How to respond to media in a crisis.

Media 118

Media Tips Social Media Startup 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2016

If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. That’s productivity. That is a huge hit on productivity. Why is this so hard?

Product 60

Product Entrepreneur Framework Social Media 60

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Consider licensing your product or intellectual property, and “white labeling.” Marty Zwilling.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2019

One of the most common complaints I hear from entrepreneurs is that they are overwhelmed by the workload and stress of starting their company. In reality, many entrepreneurs are their own worst enemy, trying to do everything, working inefficiently, and imagining things that need doing which will never happen. Take a break to recharge.

Tips 86

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Mentor 86

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of her generation. When I began gathering examples of Oprah’s wisdom, I expected to identify a handful of quotes relevant to entrepreneurs. From these, I collected 23 insightful missives of interest to aspiring entrepreneurs. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.”.

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Tips Startup Networking Entrepreneur 279

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

My article 5 Time-Tested Success Tips From Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos was so well received, I am sharing five more pearls of wisdom from Mr. Bezos. If improperly administered, meetings become counter-productive, especially as an organization grows beyond its initial startup phase. Let Your Competitors Chase The Quick Buck.

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Tips Framework Metrics Cloud Computing 223

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are convinced that banks are not worth the effort for startups, especially early-stage ones that still don’t have a revenue stream, or collateral to back up their financing needs. A winning product or service. Provide a simple yet complete description of your product or service and its competitive marketplace.

Technical Advisors 162

Technical Advisors Tips Startup Equity 162

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help. She suspects, like me, that no self-respecting entrepreneur wants to seem weak, needy, or incompetent, and none of us like to feel indebted to someone we see as a peer or a competitor.

Help 123

Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 30, 2012

For many entrepreneurs, college has little appeal. Academia's arbitrary, bureaucratic structure, combined with its predominant focus on theoretical issues, causes many entrepreneurs to depart college early. Innovation is commonly associated with either the introduction of new products or new features added to existing products.

Tips 247

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Santa Barbara 247

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

Earlier this month, the annual Montgomery Summit conference was held in Santa Monica, including a special portion of the conference dedicated to the Rise of the Female Entrepreneur. I see you were involved in the Rise of the Female Entrepreneur effort at the Montgomery Summit this year, tell me a little about what that is all about?

Capital 162

Capital Entrepreneur Invest Artificial Inteligence 162

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 23, 2012

Ignorance is not bliss in business, but it does allow entrepreneurs to face the unknown with a measure of confidence. No 19-year old understands business at the level of a seasoned, serial entrepreneur. However, it is important for young entrepreneurs to be adequately self-aware to know what they do not know.

Startup 268

Startup Tips CTO Coach Technical Review 268

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

One of the most common complaints I hear from entrepreneurs is that they are overwhelmed by the workload and stress of starting their company. In reality, many entrepreneurs are their own worst enemy, trying to do everything, working inefficiently, and imagining things that need doing which will never happen. Take a break to recharge.

Tips 101

Tips Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. Entrepreneurs that are not listening, not engaging, and not changing are destined to be left behind even in the best of times. Every entrepreneur must be alert enough to spot the change early, and agile enough to adapt quickly.

Tips 126

Tips Technical Review Organization Social Media 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2013

If anyone in business ever needed mental toughness, it’s an entrepreneur. Dr. Jason Selk, in his book “ Executive Toughness ,” talks about mental toughness with analogies between sports and business, but he never takes it all the way to entrepreneurs, where I believe it can have the most impact. A startup is not a parlor game.

Entrepreneur 121

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Training 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2021

If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. That’s productivity. That is a huge hit on productivity. Why is this so hard?

Framework 153

Framework Product Entrepreneur Social Media 153

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. I can assess execution plans, if you have any.

Entrepreneur 62

Entrepreneur Tips Ideas Satisfaction 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2012

Every entrepreneur wishes that he could predict whether his idea could be the “next big thing,” before he spent his life savings and years of energy on it. Investors, on the other hand, typically don’t even look very hard at the product or service, but prefer to evaluate first the entrepreneur, and secondly the business plan.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Tips Ideas Product 97

InfoChachkie

JUNE 25, 2012

Serial entrepreneur Seth Epstein recently gave a keynote address as part of the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Lecture Series. During his inspirational talk, Seth shared six hands-on exercises that entrepreneurs can use to harness their fears. This article originally appeared on Forbes HERE.

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Tips Santa Barbara RSS Startup 276

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2012

It’s a well-accepted axiom in the investor community that entrepreneurs learn more from their failures than their successes. It’s always more productive to focus on making your offering successful, rather than killing your competitors. Wise people can become great entrepreneurs. High three-digit intelligence has value.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Ideas 97

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Mark noted that even if an entrepreneur does not become a master developer, by simply understanding the software development process, they will be a more effective startup leader. I am not suggesting you spurn product excellence. No one ever accused Bill of being a master programmer. Frugal Is As Frugal Does. "Instead

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Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275