socalTECH

MAY 2, 2017

We spoke with Andrew about how the company pivoted from its original model after finding a huge amount of traction for its sales software and data, and its ability to guide brokers on the best practices for them to close more deals, which it is now offering as software-as-a-service. How's the startup funded? What is Digsy?

Sales 145

Sales Startup Email Tool 145

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

An impressive number of new VCs have been created – most of them with new seed funds. Create company measures for success that go beyond financial metrics. You manage what you measure so be careful about having too narrowly defined of performance metrics. Have sales bonus plans based on more than just sales targets.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Almost every early-stage startup who has approached investors for funding has heard the innocuous sounding rejection “I love your idea, but come back when you have more traction.” As an investor, I would like to see one month of sales, and see how that compares to your projections. First of all, a definition.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 121

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Word of mouth is not adequate for marketing and sales. Even though the Internet is pervasive and free, you should not assume that a website is all you need for sales and marketing.

Customer 109

Customer Custom Satisfaction Sales 109

socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2009

Los Angeles-based Image Metrics (www.image-metrics.com) recently landed a $6.5M, Series B funding round for the firm's facial animation products. Around 2006, they opened up a sales office here, with a couple of guys talking to the film and games business. Tell us a bit about the latest funding round? We're that close.

Metrics 100

Metrics Startup Sales Newsletter 100

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 5, 2021

The total funds include backing from a Republic campaign, pre-seed investors and capital from the co-founders. Boyd Myers explained that there are sales and repeat customers, but it was too early to discuss growth metrics. The company will also hire additional talent and ramp up its sales and marketing efforts.

Startup 191

Startup Los Angeles Sample Funding 191

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors. Waiting until you have something to sell before bringing on a sales and operations staff.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Idea people often don’t get funded as entrepreneurs, because a new business is all about results, not just ideas. This work requires market feedback, managing trials, and working with the sales team as well as developers. Galvanizing: rally a team and customers for action. Assess your satisfaction and ability for this type of work.

Activity 108

Activity Satisfaction Metrics Startup 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2020

Others do far too little, assuming the viral effect and word-of-mouth will soon kick in, and sales will suddenly grow exponentially. There is no magic lever for growth, so several initiatives are required, with metrics to assess value returned. Ask every employee to focus on sales. Shorten the close cycle to grow faster.

Search Engine Optimization 131

Search Engine Optimization Startup Social Media Metrics 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Word of mouth is not adequate for marketing and sales. Even though the Internet is pervasive and free, you should not assume that a website is all you need for sales and marketing.

Sales 165

Sales Customer Custom Social Media 165

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

VC funding. We love capital efficiency until we love land grabs until we abhor over funding until we get huge payouts and ring the bell for more funding until we attract every non-VC on the planet to invest in startups until it crashes and we start the cycle all over again none the wiser. It’s subjective.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Startup Marketing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2020

Difficulty in securing and protecting funding. Even in the best of times, funding for change initiatives can become a tempting target. You need to maintain explicit C-suite and Board buy-in for constant transformation through effective communication, highlighting the struggles of peer businesses, and establishing the right metrics.

Metrics 122

Metrics Training Satisfaction IBM 122

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

And as a result of this there are now very robust secondary markets where founders and seed-funds alike are selling down their ownership long before an ultimate exit. If we wanted to we could have sold > 2x the fund easily in the secondary markets with significant upside remaining. of the fund.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2020

Passionate reiteration of the idea won’t close funding. Managing marketing metrics and the sales pipeline. Effective marketing requires converting ideas to real content, creating programs to educate channels, and managing metrics to see what works and what needs to change. Detailed product specifications and prototypes.

Ideas 122

Ideas Entrepreneur Startup IBM 122

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. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

socalTECH

MAY 17, 2019

Perspectium recently raised a funding round from TVC Capital. David Loo: Ultimately, at the C-level, the CIO requires data metrics and intelligence, in order to compete and make decisions and take actions to further a company's agenda. You're received some funding lately? What is Perspectium?

SaaS 113

SaaS Startup Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

When you are starting a new business, every resource is precious, including time, funding, and people. It’s always tempting to think that more product variations will satisfy more customers and lead to new sales. Yet we can all look back, after the fact, and realize that we could have been more memorable.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2021

If you have had to pivot from the consumer market to enterprise customers, that requires new pricing models and new sales channels. Re-evaluate processes as they are today and set metrics to better represent the new sales, operational, and service needs. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Social Media 143

Social Media Startup Framework Course 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2023

Have you projected sales and marketing costs, cash flow, and capital requirements? Develop metrics with which to measure yourself and use these to incrementally expand and improve your offering as fast as the market and capital will allow. Show return on investment, growth rates, and market penetration. Don’t stand still.

Startup 112

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 112

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors. Waiting until you have something to sell before bringing on a sales and operations staff.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

For example, if you are working on a great social networking idea to replace Facebook, and need funding, you probably won’t find any interested and focused VCs or angel investors in Arizona, where I live. billion dollar sale to Oracle from Bozeman, Montana. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Yet, in the interest of full disclosure, and an honest intent to save future entrepreneurs some grief and money, I would remind you that starting any business has key dependencies on at least five major elements, including product design and delivery, the right people on the team, adequate funding, a sizable market opportunity, and marketing.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

For a well-funded seed company I have controversially recommended hiring a great office manager that doubles as an administrative assistant. For a well-funded A or B round company I have recommended “ leveling up ,” which entails many things but in summary I tell people to “act your stage.” HR & Legal.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Metrics Startup Sales 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

No matter how passionately you believe that everyone needs one, and positive feedback from friends and early adopters (false positives), before you invest in scaling the business, make sure you set and meet good metrics in cost of customer acquisition, recurring sales, and margin. Mergers and acquisitions also require new skills.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Have you projected sales and marketing costs, cash flow, and capital requirements? Develop metrics with which to measure yourself and use these to incrementally expand and improve your offering as fast as the market and capital will allow. Show return on investment, growth rates, and market penetration. Don’t stand still.

Startup 156

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

Customers today quickly get beyond these, and put a competitive priority on the experience of others, reflected in reviews and social media, and their own total experience with your sales process, delivery, returns, and support on their schedule. These have the vision and the resources to fund long-term digital success.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2018

" Revenue doesn't pay your bills, GM does  —  @msuster 2/ Founders obsess with revenue as a vanity metric. But if you want to add some in the comments section on Medium and I’ll make sure to read them. Some even grow "bad" revenue just to show growth. Things happen, people tire, sometimes tragedies.

Software Review 242

Software Review Technical Review Pricing Metrics 242

socalTECH

JUNE 1, 2012

My other co-founder, Rusty Jenkins, was also with that company, doing sales. Can you talk about how your company is funded? Michael Wong: We're with StartEngine, and have received a small amount of seed funding from them. We're also funding it out of pocket. Based on his number, we decided to pivot.

CTO Coach 223

CTO Coach Startup Mobile Artificial Inteligence 223

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

To grow faster businesses need resources in today’s financial period to fund growth that may not come for 6 months to a year. The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. You may have leverage when you DO need to fund raise. “COGS” represents the amount that each sale costs you.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

To keep you on a positive track with potential investors, I recommend the following logic principles, to balance your passion in presenting your vision of a new business: Make sure your plan includes some business metrics. Equity investors realize that they won’t see any real return until an exit occurs, such as a sale, merger, or IPO.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 12, 2010

Company grew by more than “400% each year” for past few years [assume growth metric = revenues]. Private, flash sales site focused on apparel goods (women, men and children). Metrics: 2.5mm members, 1,000 brands, 2,500 sale events to-date. Metrics: 2.5mm members, 1,000 brands, 2,500 sale events to-date.

Venture Capital 217

Venture Capital Capital Metrics Competition 217

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

If you can’t state clearly why your startup is the only choice, then it’s time to regroup before spending your hard-fought funding. You won’t need the multiple follow-ups and time to close new sales. Build a marketing plan with deliverables and metrics. Give priority to prospect quality versus quantity.

Technical Advisors 154

Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2015

Passionate reiteration of the idea won’t close funding. Managing marketing metrics and the sales pipeline. Effective marketing requires converting ideas to real content, creating programs to educate channels, and managing metrics to see what works and what needs to change. Detailed product specifications and prototypes.

Ideas 115

Ideas Startup IBM IBM 115

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2015

Congress' latest attempt to impose an "Internet sales tax" is just another misguided tax grab that will do more harm than good to American small businesses. As it currently stands, online sellers must collect sales tax in the states where they have, "sales tax nexus." Online sellers are already awash in sales tax complexity.

Sales 100

Sales Customer Custom Metrics 100

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. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors. Waiting until you have something to sell before bringing on a sales and operations staff.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89