Startup Tips: Don’t Use the Word “Pivot.” Ever!
Pivot: Possibly the Most Annoying Business Buzzword in History
Everyone needs to agree to never use this dreadful word again. Please don’t use it. It makes you sound like someone who lacks the depth to think deeper than the buzzword of the month. Continue reading
Selling: How Top Salespeople Own Their Niche
How Top Salespeople Own Their Niche
If you need to become a better sales professional, check out the book by Eric Luhrs, the sales trainer to America’s top salespeople. Here’s a podcast loaded with tips from Eric on how to dominate your niche.
Crowdfunding: Profounder bites the dust
Crowdfunding Site Profounder Shuts Down
Just got the news this morning that a crowdfunding site called Profounder is shutting down. A far as I know they never really got going but it’s still sad to hear about the loss of a prospective member of the community.
There is now a group that lobbies for crowdfunding that supporters should know about.
Another Amazing Crowdfunding Success Story: Omari & the Orphans
Crowdfunding Can Perform Miracles
Just three weeks I read a heart-wrenching story on Reddit.com about an attack on a defenseless orphanage in Kenya by some thugs. I’m not sure of the details but somehow the story ended up on Reddit with a graphic image of a man named Omari who had suffered a machete wound to the head while trying to protect the kids. The wound put him in the hospital for two days and required major stitching. (Don’t click that unless you can handle grisly wounds.) Omari and his Reddit associate then asked Redditors, who have raised money before for various good causes, to donate $2000 for a wall to protect the orphanage.
Long story short, within about 24 hours over $50K had been raised to build the wall and help the orphanage out in other ways. At last count, over $80K has been raised. Continue reading
Startup Advice: Fake it Till You Make it
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
This is about a real life Zelig and the entrepreneurial spirit.
Do you really need to fake it till you make it? In my humble opinion, the answer is yes in the majority of instances. This is especially true if your startup is a B2B business. Existing businesses rarely gamble on the new kid no matter how low the quote is. There’s simply too much at stake for everyone from the purchasing agent on up to the CEO.
This can also be a factor in B2C businesses. Ask yourself if you would trust a lawyer, doctor, or accountant fresh out of school. Chances are high that you wouldn’t. Nobody wants to be a test guinea pig for a stranger learning on the job.
How do entrepreneurs, deal-makers, and startups get past this credibility obstacle? They fake it till they make. Basically, they puff up the business to make it appear larger and more established than it maybe in reality. If you know what to look for you will see that everyone does it to varying degrees. The most successful entrepreneurs are experts at this game. Continue reading
Startup Capital: Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Are Hatched
Shark Tank Lessons for Entrepreneurs Seeking Startup Capital
Shows such as Shark Tank and its international versions from Canada and the UK are worth watching if you are a first time capital raiser. They give you a very good sense of what it’s like to pitch savvy investors. You need to invest time figuring what tough questions will be asked and prepare answers that will satisfy the asker.
Here’s a short article on one Shark Tank winner who six months later was shocked to discover that she would not be getting any money after all. What happened? The investor changed his mind. This happens a lot more than entrepreneurs like to think. Read How Not to Become ‘Shark’ Bait by Eric Sherman. Continue reading
A Funny Way for Startups to Promote Themselves
Promotion Tricks for Startups
I like this idea. You can hire a fire & brimstone preacher to do a one minute video pitch for your business or anything else–so long as it’s in good taste, I imagine. It will just cost you $5. Watch the video here to see the gent in action. Continue reading
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