Every entrepreneur believes they have the greatest product that is going to revolutionalize the world, worthy of venture capitalists bathing them in piles of cash to achieve their dream. But, venture capitalists don’t back products, they back winning business models. And, winning business models are anchored by companies that have the potential to generate lots […]
Advice
7 Tips For Building The Right People Relationships
In big business, as well as startups, I have found that your effectiveness can be highly correlated to your ability to build and maintain people relationships, often more so than hard work, or how many hours you give. But all relationships are not the same, and your ability to distinguish between positive and negative, or […]
Men Outspend Women Now on Clothing and Shoes. Is Your Store Connecting with Them?
Millennial men represent a growing demographic in ecommerce for fashion and grooming products so understanding millennial men’s purchasing decisions is more important than ever.
6 Market Research Sources That Fit A Limited Budget
A common excuse I hear from entrepreneurs for not doing the work is that real market research takes too much time, and costs too much money. Perhaps that was once true, but in this age of the worldwide Internet, big data, and pervasive business intelligence in every industry, you can use the following steps to get the data you need with very little time and cost
How to Use Storytelling in Change Management
Stories have a lot of power — the power to inspire, delight, provoke, and even change people. Last year, North Americans spent more than $11B at the movies, showing how deeply people enjoy stories that entertain and enlighten them. Movies show how powerful stories can change people — and they have the potential to change […]
6 Value Propositions That Resonate With All Investors
Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. They become frustrated with investors, senior executives, and even customers who don’t seem to “get it,” with the result that everyone […]
8 Keys To Keeping Up With Technology In Your Business
Technology is so key to every business these days that experienced business-smart but non-tech entrepreneurs are feeling deeper and deeper in the hole. Even if they realize that they need real technical strength at the top, they are not sure how to attract and select the talent and expertise they really need.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, but Not Used
For an early-stage founder, closing a deal is cause for celebration. It validates your idea, gives you the confidence to keep pushing on, and of course sets you up for more work. This two-part series focuses on that subsequent work. Just because a client has signed does not mean they’re “live,” and being “live” certainly […]
7 Business Realities To Temper Invention Excitement
Every inventor seems to think their invention is worth a million dollars, but I haven’t seen anyone pay that much for one yet. In fact, I often have to tell aspiring entrepreneurs that their inventions have zero value, at least not until they are put in the context of a business plan, with qualified people […]
How Today’s Full Customer Buying Journey Is Critical
Whether you are an executive, an entrepreneur, a marketer, or a salesperson, it’s time to look beyond how you sell, and focus on how your customers buy.
5 Criteria For Splitting Equity In Your New Venture
I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. You need to find the skills or experience you don’t have in business, technology, or money. So the first question I usually get is what percent of the company or equity […]