Posts Tagged ‘Competitors’
The 2016 Customer Election
While watching the never ending media commentary on the 2016 election, it occurred to me that the political arena is not the only place where a new reality has emerged. The fight for customers in this year’s consumer election is also now totally in the hands of the disgruntled or delighted individual. Just as it…
Read MoreWhy Market Research is Essential
Whether you are just starting your business, planning to grow, expand into a new market or launch a new product or service, market research is absolutely essential. A great idea doesn’t instantly equate to success; in your day to day life you don’t blindly make decisions without any information about what you are doing, so…
Read MoreHow to Outwit Your Smartest Competitors
Let’s face it. There aren’t many stupid people running Fortune 2000 companies. At the same time, I know plenty of ridiculously successful entrepreneurs who studied beer, pizza and the opposite sex in college. (Sorry, Mom and Dad.) Come to think of it, many of my entrepreneurial friends never went to college at all. So how is it…
Read MoreHow to Succeed in a Crowded Market
As entrepreneurs, we often look for an untapped market or “blue ocean” opportunity to make our mark. The path less traveled, right? But if your passion and experience direct you right into the middle of a crowded, top-heavy industry, do you pack it up and go home? Or do you jump feet first into an…
Read MoreWhy Startups Fail, and How You Can Avoid the Same Fate
Founding a startup can be risky, and even some of the most successful entrepreneurs have a few failures under their belt. Let’s learn from their mistakes. The figure that’s often bandied about the web is that nine out of ten startups fail. Although there’s some contention on the accuracy of that statistic (some have placed…
Read More5 Reasons to Pursue Inbound Marketing Even if Your Competitors Don’t
B2B tends to be pretty old school when it comes to marketing. For a long time, companies in this realm have built their empires from scratch to the behemoths they are now with only a good product, a great sales team and solid connections. But with the advent of today’s digital age, where everything is…
Read MoreThe “Competitor” Question
It happened again this morning. I was doing a review with a sales person. It was a very important call, we were discussing the customers’ attitudes, views, priorities, and so forth. I asked, what competition are they looking at, what do they think of them? There was a momentary pause on the phone. The sales…
Read MoreProtecting Your Startup’s Intellectual Property
An oft-neglected part of running a startup involves the products unique to your brand. What can you do to make sure your intellectual property stays yours? When we think of Silicon Valley, we call to mind success stories like Microsoft and Facebook. We think of smart young entrepreneurs, business hopefuls looking to make their mark…
Read MoreSmall is Beautiful: 8 Ways to Outshine Your Big Business Rivals
Fish in the Giant Ocean, Not in a Shallow Creek
