The biggest question every startup needs to ask themselves is this: is my business idea going to work in the current market? Who is your target audience, what exactly your product is, and where it will be targeted? The answer to all of these questions comes from crucial market research. Big companies normally invest a […]
Research
7 Important Research Takeaways to Know for Social Media Marketing
When was the last time your smaller business or nonprofit organization reviewed its social media marketing strategy and tactics? If you answered, “never” or “not recently,” you could be wasting valuable resources on the wrong approach! Things change so rapidly. What you’ve been doing may NOT be what you should be doing now. I recently reviewed new data from […]
Without a Foundation of Research, Product Development Falls Apart
Think about some of your favorite products of all time. Maybe it’s your new pair of noise-canceling headphones. Maybe it’s a favorite skin care product, or a pair of really well-designed insoles for your running shoes. Or maybe it’s a particularly amazing project management app a colleague told you about. Now, think about WHY those […]
Smartphones Can Make You Dumb
If your smartphone has morphed into an appendage, you’d better take heed. It’s making you dumb! Every time you participate in social media, read blog posts, or check the latest marketing news, they impede your brain’s reasoning and performance. So what happens to our minds when we allow a single tool such dominion over our perception […]
Prospecting: How Much Pre-Call Research?
How much pre-call research do you need to do to be effective in your prospecting? Frankly, it’s a really loaded question, with answers all over the place. Some argue you need to research deeply, learning as much as you can about the company and the individual as possible, becoming well informed about them and their […]
Research Credit Can Offset Payroll Taxes for Small Businesses
Does your small business engage in qualified research activities? If so, you may be eligible for a research tax credit that you can use to offset your federal payroll tax bill. This relatively new privilege allows the research credit to benefit small businesses that may not generate enough taxable income to use the credit to […]
Best Ways to Research Before Buying a Franchise
Buying a franchise is a big decision. Since this decision will be one of the largest you will most likely ever make, you will want to consider the fact that a successful franchise, with a proven record of success, could serve as a shortcut towards creating the successful business you desire. Buying a franchise is […]
Respect: Thomas Edison’s Accomplishments Go Beyond the Bulb to Modern R&D
It’s impossible to overestimate the influence that Thomas Edison’s accomplishments have had on modern life. Although Edison (1847–1931) is best known as the inventor of the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture, these innovations are a fraction of Edison’s legacy. More than 85 years after his death, his accomplishments in the field […]
How to Do Your Own Franchise Research Before Buying
When buying a franchise, you want to be absolutely sure that the brand you buy into is the right fit for you. Sure, a franchisor will make its business look new and shiny in an effort to attract more franchisees, but you’ve got to see past that to make sure that not only is the company […]
The Unexpected Journeys of R&D: A Parable
This is a story about Randy and Dave (R&D). Today, Randy runs a small startup that has about two months’ worth of cash left, and he’s more than a little nervous. Dave works for a huge, famous worldwide company that is doing the same thing today as it did when your grandpa was a client, […]
