Posts Tagged ‘Startup’
Startup 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 MoreHow to Get a Small Business Startup Loan the Easy Way
There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes like this: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. The same reasoning applies to new business startup loans, but with one big exception: “Now” is often not the “second best time.” Now may be too late. I say this because I’ve…
Read More4 Ways to Prevent Someone from Stealing Your Startup Idea
Steve Blank, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned-professor with over two decades of experience, has over the course of his career founded or worked within eight different startups. And in that time, he’s lived through every entrepreneur’s worst nightmare: he had his ideas stolen. Twice. “The first time it happened, it was no big deal,” Blank recounted in a 2009 VentureBeat article.…
Read More7 Reasons for Startups to Maximize Early Visibility
It’s still popular these days for startup founders to operate in stealth mode, meaning no details about the idea or progress are shared with anyone until the big reveal and rollout. The common reason given is that this prevents any competitor from stealing their idea and beating them to market. In my view, this paranoid…
Read More4 Ways to Support Your Small Business with Personal Funds
It’s getting tougher for small businesses to find startup capital. Big banks want nothing to do with unproven upstarts—it’s all about “validation.” Conflicting laws make it difficult to raise money from small investors without forgoing public solicitation—a catch-22 for entrepreneurs without deep personal and professional networks. And any funds that do happen to fall into…
Read MoreSelf-Assessment: Will Your Startup Get Angel Investment?
Is your startup a good candidate for angel investment? If you can’t answer “yes” to the four questions here, then it probably isn’t. Angel investors are as hard to predict as any other group of individuals, all operating in their own self-interest. There are about a quarter of a million angel investors in the U.S.,…
Read MoreThe Real Life of a Hardware Startup Founder
When does it make sense to launch a hardware startup? For Jason Morlon, it’s when the demands of career overtake the joys of life—and a certain camera mount proves more of a hassle than an asset on the road. The road underneath a motorcycle, that is. Morlon remembers getting frustrated while riding with friends near…
Read More5 Reasons Your eCommerce Startup Might be Struggling
When the chips are down and your business isn’t moving inventory, it can be incredibly frustrating and confusing. It’s tempting to look at flashy marketing efforts, gimmicks, “growth hacks” or other quick fixes and feel like your business isn’t harnessing the newest marketing tools available. Being the founder of a digital marketing agency with more 100 clients…
Read More8 Key Rules for Starting a Business on a Shoestring
A few years ago, before the Internet was pervasive, before everyone carried a smartphone and before do-it-yourself software tools were available for free, it was difficult to reach a critical mass of new customers without spending a million dollars on a website, custom software and television advertising. Now you can match a big company with…
Read More6 Ways a Prototype Will Enhance Your Startup Idea
These days, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, pitching their latest and greatest new idea, and looking for someone to give them money. Angel investors, like me, have long figured out that asking to see the prototype is a quick way to separate the ‘wannabes’ from serious players. Talk is cheap, but entrepreneurs who show…
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