If you don't mind managing other people, keeping full control will probably be less frustrating in the long run. Your business has a narrow offering, so adding multiple opinions may result in more headaches. Management is a whole separate skill, though, so be prepared to dedicate real time to managing your team (whether it's a partner or a contractor). Another option — assuming the marketing and design is within your capabilities — is to work on the way you schedule your time, which could make the work seem less demanding and take less time. This is what I've done (I'm a developer, designer, and marketer), and after owning an agency with both partners and contractors, I've much preferred staying on my own and being a better manager for myself. If that sounds like something that would work for you, I'd be happy to talk with you about laying out strategies to make that work. Request a call and we'll set it up. Good luck!

To read data from another URL and analyze it is possible to create as a WordPress plugin. However, very little of the actual code in the plugin would be WordPress-related. Does the Kissmetrics site ACTUALLY analyze your site? Or is it "identifying improvement opportunities" and requesting you email for more info? (Neil Patel does this; if you enter the same URL twice, you'll get different results from his "analysis".) So the short answer is yes. Medium answer is that it's not going to have much to do with WordPress. Long answer is that the function you're looking to mimic might actually just be marketing smoke and mirrors. If you'd like to get a full technical breakdown of how the plugin can be built, I'd be happy to work through it with you. Request a call and we'll set it up. Good luck!

Being from Denmark, I had to look up disposable books as a concept. It lead to an interesting link, I wanted to share, that describes disposable books as "the dregs of the book infrastructure" http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/. So I assume, that your market is in some sense a niche market. That leads me to my first suggestion, which would be that you build market knowledge from your existing ebay-customers - f.ex. through a newsletter or website with unique content from your area of expertise or just by asking, when they buy. Are they passionate about which books to read? Are they interested in volume - to look good on the bookshelf - or are they interested in individual items, and buy disposable books, because they are cheap? Are they price sensitive? Are they driven towards specific genres? Will they buy again, or is it a one-time deal? If enough people sign up, you get new distribution right there. Also, I would want to understand how your business model works. Does it allow for price differentiation if you add value to the product, or is it low-margin high volume (which would explain your idea of selling more pr. transaction)? Does the model allow for you to make a living out of it, or is it a hobby? What drives the needs for "massive quantities"? How do you aim for driving individual books in massive quantities unless you are Amazon? Then I would look into your distribution channels. You have two options: Stay on ebay, or go outside. Let's start with ebay, which supports individual transactions, but "massive quantities" are a little harder. Here is a few things you could do: 1. Build better storylines on your sales - add value to the transaction. "I have read this book, and it is great" or "Here are some online reviews". Show that you are passionate about the product. 2. If you need the ebay platform for some reason - convenience, legitimacy - think in distribution through others. Could family, friends or someone else help you? You provide the storyline, they provide the phone number, you split the revenue. Low risk for them, some payment and better distribution for you. 3. Theme the content - sell packages about f.ex. project management, parenting, etc. These are disposable books - maybe some customers are looking for volume? If you want to move outside ebay, consider some of these suggestions: 1. Build your own website, where you add reviews to the books - become the source of knowledge on disposable books, recommendations, etc. See what existing websites do, and implement a different one with the structure, you like. 2. Sell directly to bookstores or have them take your books in commission. If you have them in store anyway, they might as well take up space in a bookstore. Maybe they can also better buy volume. 3. Look for existing platforms, that support volume sales - f.ex. Amazon or similar - f.ex. this: https://www.goodreads.com/genres/disposable. 4. Build a physical store supported by webpresence, or get to go to book stores or libraries, where you sell the most interesting of your books. 5. Host disposable book meetups - like home parties, in cafés, in your own apartment. Create a cult. 6. Think about, who is in the market for massive quantities of disposable books at the same time. Could someone want to open a bookthemed cafe with lots of books on the shelf? Could a filmset be looking for a lot of nondescript books as a prop? Think of other situations, where columes of books are needen. I hope this has helped you in your way forward. If you are interested in more suggestions or thoughts on this, feel free to set up a call. Best regards Kenneth Wolstrup

Cold emailing is just as bad for you and the recipient. Even if you have the perfect list, the attempt to sell in a cold email is rarely going to be effective. You're better off curating the list to the top prospects, find a mutual connection on LinkedIn or even just cold-invite them on LinkedIn,. Worst case scenario, send a 'permission pass' email where you simply gauge interest and let them know you won't be emailing them again if there's no interest. Keep it very short, non-commercial with just solid information/links to web, and an easy to reply yes/no answer.

Hi, The language annotations are a best practices conducive to a better organization of your web pages within country and language SERPs. They won't provide higher rankings. They will, however, produce a better experience for users who will find content that is intended for certain geographies, so if by "better" this is what you were asking, then it could be. Typically, if you succeed with your SEO program in country-specific campaigns, chances are that the localized versions of the content will also rank in the local version of Google. The example above is correct.

Have you considered providing the book in electronic format. If somebody wants the book and are willing to pay the shipping fee, they get the paper copy, otherwise, it's a download.

Start providing knowledge services, write down areas you are best at and advertise your services probably against an hourly rate. You can use lots of freelancing sites to spot on jobs and projects and as you collect enough money, this will help you to restrategize and relaunch a successful venture. I went through this sometime ago and put a full system for it.

I ran a web design agency for 6 years, despite of studying PMBOK for advanced project management (for Engineering projects). I used "Web Redesign, Strategies for Success by Kelly Goto" Courser Link: http://www.lynda.com/Web-Design-tutorials/webredesignstrategiesforsuccess/316-6.html as a basis for building our project management model. 1) Breakdown the project into milestones for your team and for your client example (Finish Wireframes, Confirm on Design Palette and colors, Confirm on Content, Functionality Testing) 2) Include all expected tasks/hours from the beginning, should be increasing with your experience, especially you are focusing on specific platforms, let customer see the different dates in which they are required to provide feedback, even schedule calls with clients on these days 2) Use a robust Project Management tool like BaseCamp, where you can give client direct access to the platform preferably with a Skype/Telephony functionality to schedule calls. If you need any more help designing and deploying your PM system, I would be glad to help.

There are many different kinds of investment that you might be looking for. I am afraid you will need to provide further details about your startup's niche, your investment goals, etc. before recommending any particular path. There are angel investors, there are VCs, etc. and also incubators / accelerators depending on what your business is and at which stage it is. Be sure to have a well-researched estimate of how much money you need to raise. I would be happy to discuss the possible options for you over a call.

I'm not sure of an app specifically designed for tagging, but if you use something like Sublime Text there's a fuzzy search as well as a "find in folder" search that would allow you to search all files contained in a project for the function name. I've had similar problems where I know what I need, but I can't remember the file name; Sublime Text solved that for me. Good luck!

For clarification. If I understand correctly, this is the womans business and you currently own the logo/word mark? For starters. If you filed the mark yesterday. You still do not own it officially. There is a long process of showing proof of use and paying the government fees. If you were my creative and squatted on the mark, I would take offence. There are other ways to extend your services that you should consider before this tactic. I know that might not directly answer your question. But, she is a non-profit and it might be best way to cut ties off and prospect new clients. On the other hand - if you need a stash of proposals, i used to own a creative agency to send and help you get started.

After advising and marketing for tech companies for over 13 years, and for as much as I value my own profession, there is no escaping this path: Start by getting your first 10 customers. No joke. That is harder than it looks. You can do this via social media, cold calling, personal networks, door-to-door sales. Then get the next 100. By then you'll know a lot about what kinds of people use your product. What do they have in common? What do they love? What do they tell their friends? Only after you truly understand this does it make sense to do "marketing"-in the sense of buying advertising. Marketing actually encompasses all these things, but most people think of it as buying ads, so I like to clarify. Then once you have all those users, talk to them. A lot. Use the phone, email, surveys, in person visits to know them intimately. Try to anticipate their needs. Get them to refer you to their friends by having an incredible experience. That is the single most cost effective way to grow a company. Advertising--even if on social media-is very expensive and can be time consuming. Until you know who is buying your product and why, it's hard to focus a marketing strategy enough to make it effective. Let me know if you have any questions on this.

It sound to me that you will not be there for a long time. If the owner is not giving you any rights it is a clear sign.. Look like he/she needed a helping hand and that's what you did.. 1- This is not a fruitful relationship between you two and he is not committed to you.. You drove his business and now he is benefiting from your presence.. Collect your money and get out. Do the same thing by yourself and shift your customers to you.. OR.... 2- Set monthly targets to cash out. Say... if you reach 100K/monthly take 25% and if you reach 300K/m take 35% of the incremental in revenue on top of your 25%, sign an consultant contract, get your money on time and leave.. Change your approach and don't get caught up in company equity and shares etc... . if owner is dragging don't drag along with him. Act quick...

Zend Framework 2 is one of the most used Frameworks out there standing next to Symfony 2/3. For example the Magento Shop Engine is based on Zend Framework 1 as well. This said Zend Framework 2 is a good choice for web applications in general and there are lot's of developers out there. Zend.com even offers certifications as Zend Framework 2 Certified Architect - so you can use their Yellowpages to find capable developers. Anyways I would not recommend to start creating an ecommerce site from scratch since the existing engines provide so much more than a nice frontend for customers and payment gateway integrations. There are many existing engines you can customize - what most shops do.

I hope I understood this right! You are in Canada and want to sell USA products but you don't know how and don't have licenses! Yes?... 1-Find a local Canadian supplier that have the appropriate licenses to sell, meaning that they can import from USA, 2-Call USA suppliers and tell them you want to buy in bulk and sell in Canada and need wholesale prices. 3- Find an importing/exporting company with appropriate licenses and ship your products 4- Cut a deal with a Canadian distribute on monthly sales commission OR per quantity sales price and collect your cash.. 5- I didnt get the part with online store!! Than you need to set up your online store?? BUT, make sure to start with local chamber of commerce or similar government offices to get understanding on what you can import and export, licenses etc... before you do anything.

It's a well-discussed and accepted principle of entrepreneurship that founders benefit from being surrounded by people who can support them on multiple different levels. I recently read an article which outlines the five mentors a founder needs in her arsenal. I can't find the article specifically, but there are many out there that are similar (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225184). The gist of most of them is that you need to surround yourself with advisors that can cover you from all angles - business in general, your business specifically, you personally, your professionally, and from experience as a founder themselves. This is a hard lesson for starting entrepreneurs because they tend to be either proud, intimidated, or not sure where to start. I only recently learned how powerful reaching out to others can be, and building my own advisory team. I did my first venture all on my own, and a big part of the reason I left was that I had no partners and had not brought anyone in to the fold. I was too proud. While I did relatively well for being on my own, I could have taken that company to a whole other level if I had sought the advice and experience of others who could guide me. To be honest, I think I was afraid to be successful because it meant opening my ideas and my business model to possible criticism when I had invested so much already. Big mistake. Go and find VCs who are willing to have a chat and introduce you to the fundraising game. Go and find other entrepreneurs who have been there. Go and find other leaders in your industry who know it well and have battle scars from selling or building. Go and find professionals who are like you, and who are not like you. Besides the great experience and feedback they can give you, they all have networks and people love to help and be experts. Ask for as much help as you can get - if you need something, you will definitely not get it if no one knows you need it.

Hi, I am the Managing Director of a $100m Technology Company Private Equity are looking for high growth potential investments with a 3 year exit plan. Experience of the management team with past success will be a major consideration. Best Regards,

Oh this is a long question to answer, but let me start with my experience. I'm the "outsourced COO" for a number of small businesses who have grown through their bootstrapping phase, proven they have a market and all of sudden start feeling the pressure of the business expanding. 9 times out of 10 what they need is someone to wrap their arms around all of the operational stuff, mature their processes, put systems in place, connect their data, introduce greater discipline in the production of their core offering, make sure they have the right service providers in place (lawyers, accountants, bookkeepers, etc.) and they can easily and quickly get access to the right metrics to understand how the moves they make affect their desired outcomes. This is an important and often ignored role and is the key to relieving a hard-working CEO of the things they likely don't do "well", and allow them to focus on building their business, usually on business development and strategy. I think it is smart for you to consider adding this to your roster, particularly if your time is better spent on more strategic work. More and more I would say that sourcing this kind of talent from recruiters and executive head hunters is becoming ineffective. You are best to scour LinkedIn and use your personal network for recommendations. You are far more likely to find good people this route than relying on the "you get three options" approach that many agencies will offer. You know your business best and who is going to fit. It sounds like you are still relatively early stages. Don't worry about titles. The right person will be someone who has been there before, in a growth phase of a company, and knows that titles mean nothing, other than to better define their scope of work and help the employees understand their role. If you find the right person, they will be able to tell you exactly what you need from an operational perspective. I fear if you try to turn this into a CEO role, you will find someone who doesn't want to get mired in the details and focuses on the strategic work (appropriately), so you will end up with the same problem. Go find someone who focuses on, and is excited by building the operational foundation for your company. Someone who is going to say "OK, go build your business. I will make sure everything works to support that." They should also know how to scale operations to meet projected demand so you can work as a well-oiled machine. Additionally, look for someone who has run a company before. I certainly earned my stripes when I went through this myself. Your candidate should understand business process engineering, change management, resource management, service design, financial and data management, systems and technology, etc, Don't skimp on compensation. Pay them what they are worth and make the offer attractive. You will lose senior resources in a heartbeat if they don't believe you value their skills and are ready to make them an integrated part of the team, and to trust in their experience. Senior resources are not motivated by money but by the challenge, the team, the knowledge that they can be successful. I hope this helps. Happy to chat further if you have some more specific questions.

Try https://mattermark.com/ the paid version, you will get different list there.

Hi, Great question to post. I've been in your situation a number of times so understand where you are coming from. Both from startup's i've had through to working on Go To Market strategies in large businesses. The first place i would look to is defining geographically where i wish to cover e.g a local area or national or do i wish to span several countries? Next, look at the new business "birth" rate and "death" rate within that region. This will give you an idea of a high level gross add's and net businesses you could work with assuming you wish to be helping them in their "early life startup phase". Depending on how specific your new product is, you should look to segment further. However I am a big fan of looking at my customers or potential customers based on how they behave and "Buy" - too often we get focused on how to "sell" to new customers but not understand the former. Also, think about this. Are they motivated to participate in your coaching program, or are you looking for people that require motivation to make their business successful, in turn they are looking for coaching? Again this will then help you to further drill down into "who" the clients are and "Why" they buy. It will also define where you should be networking etc or finding new business. Happy to talk further over Skype or Google Hangouts if you wish to. I'm based in New Zealand, currently working for a global SaaS provider. NZ is +12 GMT. Cheers Guy

If you're willing to pay 25 cents per person, you can try Amazon's Mechanical Turk: https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome Here's an article about its successful use for surveys: http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/03/05/279669610/post-a-survey-on-mechanical-turk-and-watch-the-results-roll-in

Focus on your USP. If you can figure out your USP (why would anybody pick you over other coaches) the battle is almost one. This USP will also energize you and help you to move forward in your sales and marketing of your coaching. Best of Luck, Mike

With more than a decade of experience in top services firms (Technology products and financial products), being an ex-VP in Client servicing area, and realizing the impact good client servicing can have in keeping and growing your brand- I do know what you are talking about! The sectors which I feel need the most are- new/few years old startups (specifically service startups), they are so busy managing acquisitions, that they are forgetting servicing and retaining their already existing customers despite knowing that switching costs for these customers are ZERO and their competitors- many! Also, telecom & product support companies are lagging in this area. Hope this helps. I will be happy to have you arrive at a personal business plan for you to start building your training business in this area. Pls feel free to schedule a call or email me at ceo@flatheels.co

In theory, sure. In practice, to do this you'd need to find a mostly foolproof way of knowing who was "good" when they signed up*. Will the team reviewing be able to KNOW who is likely to be good? if not, you're just providing friction for signups. This is a perfect thing to test. I'd use cohort analysis to follow a group you let in vs the control and see if the team does a better job than average at filtering out the "bad." The Test would also then tell you if that friction point was hurting you overall, even if the team was unable to manually discern who the best customers are. Another option: just review all the signups manually anyway and disable the ones you don't like. No need to reveal it. *To do this, you'll need to find out what your good customers have in common. (the same industry? title? company growth phase?). This is called segmentation. Once you understand that you can then market to get to more of the good.