As a startup, it’s not exactly a secret that you need exceptional content in order to stand out from the crowd.
As Gary Vaynerchuk so bluntly puts it, “It literally doesn’t matter what business you’re in, what industry you operate in, if you’re not producing content, you basically don’t exist.”
Of course, chances are you already know this, and are currently putting in the hours to brainstorm and produce top-notch content. Heck, you may have even enlisted some outside help, and already have your own team standing by, ready to turn out articles when you need them.
You’ve probably got a social media presence as well –and try to remember to keep things up to date. But for many startups –and even marketers for that matter, there’s a good chance ...
The best way for Founders to gain power is to create it for themselves.
When I was a kid, I spent my whole existence feeling powerless, like all of my needs and dreams were tied to someone else's rules. I dreaded that feeling, but at every turn the reinforcement of the power dynamic was there, whether it was from my parents, my teachers, or Leeno who owned the pizza place that I worked at when I was 14. They had the power, they had the say. All I could do was make the best of their rules.
And if my adolescence taught me anything, it's that I absolutely hate being told what to do.
While I was a happy kid, I was miserable at my station in life. I thought I'd be the unwilling pawn in someone else's game, always working just smart enough to ma...
We’ve all been there: You’re searching the web for some new shoes but then get distracted by a TV show or an incoming text message. Upon opening up your laptop again, you notice that there’s magically an ad for the running shoes you were looking at before.
Coincidence? Not in the slightest.
Smart marketers understand that there is no magic wand needed for this trick. Instead, they strategically utilize retargeting to reengage missed consumer opportunities.
This powerful strategy — when implemented properly — can inspire casual browsers to convert into customers. And many companies are willing to pay more for retargeted ads because they appear for consumers whose intent to purchase is typically higher, such as shoppers who have abandoned an ...
I had a classmate Brian in grade school that would drive teachers crazy by asking them, “Why do we have to learn this?” He wasn’t a troublemaker at all, and I think this is what unnerved the teachers most. Dealing with hell raisers was an expected part of the job, but an ordinary kid questioning how things run? Well, that could bring the whole show crashing down…
With social media, we’ve all turned into Brian, asking aloud, “Why are you showing me this?” But unlike Brian, we have the power to turn away. Stories we don’t care about? Not gonna read ‘em. Sales pitches for goods we’ve never shown any interest in whatsoever? See ya.
So, how do you reach an audience of Brians that can tune out whatever they damn well please?
Quuu is a service tha...
For those of us who attend conferences, workshops and industry events regularly, it becomes easy to spot the different ‘networker’ profiles.
There’s always the ‘straight out of college’ marketing intern who fires out business cards at light-speed and performs the same pitch to every person. The quiet developer who slinks in the background avoiding eye-contact. And the somewhat creepy terminator-esque sales whizz who scans the crowd for his next target, then pounces.
Conferences and B2B networking events offer a great means of extending your network, meeting new clients, hires, partners or investors. But when dealing with experienced Business-to-Business networkers, you need to be prepared to work the room in the right way, and show the bes...
The most expensive time to raise capital is when we're most vulnerable.
This paradox is the heart and soul of where we get leveraged as Founders, particularly when we're giving up valuable equity. What we need to do in those vulnerable moments is step back and ask ourselves "Is this the best possible time to take on dilution or can we find a way forward that costs us less later?"
If we've never built a startup before, we may not even realize how important this question is. For those of us that have, we're hyper-aware of how badly we get beat up in our previous startup by not being more mindful of protecting ourselves when we were most vulnerable.
Our goal then should be identifying our moments of vulnerability and crafting a more viable pat...
Looking for a business grant for veterans? Here’s the thing: Grants are usually open for a set period of time, after which that money is no longer accessible.
As a result, it wouldn’t actually be possible to list out business grants for veterans, because by the time you read this, they may or may not still be available. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great financing options out there for vets, like a VA small business loan!
First, we’re going to take a look at the federal government’s database for all small business grants. Then, we’re going to look at some government and private loans for veterans and other small business owners, as well as some veteran-specific training programs and resources.
Remember: Just because you don’t se...
When Uber first entered the saturated world of on-demand food delivery, it wasn’t easy. Especially considering how crowded the space already is (consider Seamless, Postmates, Grubhub, and now Amazon). Still, UberEats took off, offering its menus in 120 markets around the world in just three years; it even earned more than Uber’s original ride-sharing platform.
Uber makes it look easy, right? But starting a business or transitioning into an already packed industry can be difficult, regardless of whether the company is a well-known conglomerate or a brand-new startup. To begin, business leaders should learn who their customers are — even before marketing. You’ll never attract an audience if you don’t know who your target is (or what their nee...
All salespeople — even top stars who seem to have innate abilities to close deals — can benefit when they have reliable selling tactics; so can their employers. Yet far too many startups are filled with starry-eyed salespeople operating like lone wolves. As each goes his own way, the sales experience becomes fragmented and less attractive to prospects and clients.
Don’t think it’s just a small business problem, though. The issue faces even longstanding behemoths like Sears Holdings: It’s big, but it’s not immune to problems associated with crumbling, chaotic, and undependable sales strategies. According to CNN Monday, by the final quarter of 2017, Sears Holdings reported a $558 million loss, cementing annual consecutive losses since 2010. I...
Most Founders have a "certain set of skills" that apply to one aspect of their startup, whether it's deep product knowledge or incredible domain expertise from their previous job.
Unfortunately, in a startup, we sorta need to be a jack of all trades because we're often the only person doing all the work!
Let's assume that you could only invest the bare minimum in the various aspects of your startup operations.
Here's the least you'd need to know.
At the very least a Founder should understand how an income statement works.
That simply means "here's where we're making money, here's where we're spending it, and here's how much we're making (or losing)." If you didn't understand a balance s...