Posts Tagged ‘Planning’
Startup Off the Ground? 5 Things You’ll Need as Your Business Grows
Too often startups launch with a powerful idea or innovative product but have a limited growth plan or clear exit strategy. The following includes five things you’ll need to keep in mind as your business grows. Third-Party Contracts and Litigation Planning Eventually, you may choose to keep marketing, or IT or other departments in-house, but…
Read MoreHow Far Can You Niche Down and Still Have a Viable Audience?
When I was thinking of starting a new internet marketing agency, I was considering different passions I had. One of those is technology, and more specifically the very latest in technological developments. I decided that the ‘new technology releases’ angle was too big and too competitive to enter. However I did consider one very specific…
Read More4 Essentials for Business Technology Management
Proper business technology management is imperative in the information age. It plays a huge role in helping businesses find success. Overall, technology is what fuels business growth and managing technological assets is as important as managing any other business asset. Here are 4 essentials for business technology management. Maintain a Strategic Technology Plan The single…
Read MoreTechnology and Strategic Planning
The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. ~Mark Zuckerberg Strategic planning must be done on a continual basis, not just once a year. This is especially true now that technology is changing at an…
Read MoreStartup Stats: How Your Startup Can Succeed
The perhaps not-so-shocking reality is that nine out of 10 new businesses fail. And yet, this statistic isn’t stopping new business growth. Why? Because even though the odds are against startups, success is attainable—if you have a plan, and know what you’re doing. Having a Plan And by having a plan, we mean more than,…
Read MoreWhy Every Organization Needs a Budget
Budgets are like oil tankers – they need time to change course. ~Jeroen De Flander In all my years advising businesses, I have seen many that just did not have budgets. These operations ranged from relatively large businesses with $10 million in sales to very small businesses and startups. Every time I ran across one…
Read MoreHow to Take Your Idea from a Hobby to a Business
As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return…
Read MoreHow to Plan a Successful Media Buying Strategy
In order for your media buying strategy to be successful, you need to identify your target demographic, and then place the right ad in the right place at the right time. Seems simple on paper, right? In practice, it’s not that straightforward. Of course, what works for one company isn’t always ideal for another, so…
Read MoreEmergency Plans Are Critical
“The prizes go to those who meet emergencies successfully. And the way to meet emergencies is to do each daily task the best we can.” ~William Feather Emergency plans are not likely to be used. Nonetheless, having one is vital because you just do not know when or what kind of emergency will hit your…
Read More10 Things Angel Investors Ask About Startups
Recently the angel investment group I’m a member of (Willamette Angel Conference) finished our eighth year of choosing a startup to invest in. Our investment runs $100K to $500K, roughly. It’s announced every year on the second Thursday in May. Our annual angel investors process Every year we review 40 or so submissions from startups. We…
Read More