2016-02-22 13:30
To be an entrepreneur, you have to have a thick skin and not be defensive to customer feedback and constructive criticism. On the other hand, no entrepreneur should tolerate negative vibes a… Read More
Blog Directory > Business Blogs > Startup Professionals Musings business Blog >
Startup Professionals Musings Blog
blog.startupprofessionals.com
Tags:
business
investors
startup
entrepreneurs
risk
corporate
predictive analytics
entrepreneur potential
analytics
scalable
Selected ideas and assistance to startup founders in finding business funding, executive mentoring, and business networking.
2016-02-21 14:23
Traditional business intelligence (and data mining) software does a very good job of showing you where you’ve been. By contrast, predictive analytics uses data patterns to make forward… Read More
2016-02-21 14:22
As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, and having graduated from a big company myself, I talk to many people who have spent years struggling up the corporate ladder who dream of jumping ship… Read More
2016-02-21 14:20
As an advisor to many startups, I often see business principles espoused that may make sense for a large and established business trying to foster innovation but won’t work for a new s… Read More
2016-02-20 17:51
The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. Even if you have booked an hour with a VC, you should plan to talk only for the first fifteen minutes. The biggest co… Read More
2016-02-20 17:49
Every entrepreneur has to be a decision-maker, even with information overload, emotional employees, angry customers and competitors hovering from every direction. Making a decision without t… Read More
2016-02-14 13:30
Investors will tell you that they love to put money into startups that are scalable, and ready to scale. But what does that really mean? Simply stated, it means that your business has the po… Read More
2016-02-13 13:30
Entrepreneurs who are looking to attract investors need to develop and pitch a plan -- preferably written -- that answers every potential investor question about your startup before it is as… Read More
2016-02-12 13:30
Having the best solution is a good start these days, but a solution alone is no longer enough to keep customer attention and loyalty. They expect to be surprised and delighted as well by the… Read More
2016-02-10 14:44
Did you ever wonder why some entrepreneurs always seem to have all the luck and success, while others never seem to catch a break? As an angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very… Read More
2016-02-08 14:28
Successful entrepreneurs understand the difference between a good business relationship with more people and having more friends. In fact, the focus on social networking platforms, starting… Read More
2016-02-07 13:30
Creating the right company culture must be a top priority of every entrepreneur and business leader. Simply speaking, culture-driven businesses put their people first, and people make the bu… Read More
2016-02-06 13:30
Successful entrepreneurs often start with a “random” idea, but they quickly focus their efforts and follow a “system” to organize their startup and maximize the clout… Read More
2016-02-05 13:30
Many entrepreneurs are so passionate about their new startup idea that they can’t believe any intelligent being, investor or customer wouldn’t react just as excitedly after a qui… Read More
2016-02-03 13:30
Businesses always seem to take longer to succeed than an entrepreneur expects. Seth Godin once said that overnight success in startups takes about six years, and Seth is an optimist. Thus we… Read More
2016-02-01 13:30
Many entrepreneurs are so focused on finalizing their innovative product or service that they procrastinate on the formalities of forming the requisite new company until later. Unfortunately… Read More
2016-01-31 13:30
Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to matur… Read More
2016-01-30 13:30
It’s easy to declare yourself an entrepreneur, but it’s not so easy to convince investors, your team and customers that you are that special one to fund and follow. If you don&rs&hell…Read More
2016-01-29 14:16
In business, the only thing that counts is results, not how hard people work or how many hours they put in. Have you noticed in your startup or around your office that some people are always… Read More
2016-01-27 13:30
For a software startup, a patent can be the intellectual property providing the key competitive advantage, or it can be an expensive non-defensible bureaucratic nightmare -- or both. I still… Read More
2016-01-25 13:30
If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. According to many observers, we can thank or blame technology for these hig… Read More
2016-01-24 13:30
Even in this age of videos and text messages, the quickest way to kill your startup dream with investors, business partners, or even customers, is embarrassingly poor writing. Being very vis… Read More
2016-01-23 13:30
Every business wishes that all their employees were star performers, but wishing doesn’t make it happen. Some coaches and leaders seem to have the magic for bringing out the best in ev… Read More
2016-01-22 13:30
Entrepreneurs and startups are big believers in innovation, but sometimes they forget that innovation must be continual to assure long-term success, rather than the one big-bang idea that in… Read More
2016-01-20 13:30
If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. The same applies to manufactur… Read More
2016-01-18 16:20
In the new business world, many entrepreneurs are so excited with large initial orders that they don’t anticipate the cash flow challenges that can quickly kill their startup. Accordin… Read More
2016-01-18 13:30
Most entrepreneurs work long and hard to get a handshake agreement from an investor, and then tend to relax and wait for the check to clear. What they don’t realize is that about half… Read More
2016-01-16 13:30
Every time I use Apple Siri or Microsoft Cortana, I’m frustrated by how little these services provide as the personal assistants they claim to be. Answering simple information question… Read More
2016-01-15 13:30
More than ever before, people want to buy from, work for, and invest in companies that matter. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting a new business, or a corporate executive seeking to re… Read More
2016-01-13 13:30
Startups provide business leadership with new products, services, and new revenue models, but leadership startups can only be built by entrepreneurs who are leaders themselves, and incent le… Read More
2016-01-11 13:30
I meet many entrepreneurs with a real passion for their new idea, but unfortunately they don’t all realize that passion is necessary but not sufficient fuel to turn their idea into a s… Read More
2016-01-10 13:30
As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. If you ask them for a reason, most will insist that they couldn’t get funding, or the… Read More
2016-01-09 13:30
Career growth in today’s fast moving environment requires all the skills that we normally ascribe only to entrepreneurs -- ability to adapt, change, be innovative, resilient and stay i… Read More
2016-01-08 13:30
Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. In reality, their effectiveness is u… Read More
2016-01-06 14:15
Everyone recognizes a great leader when they work with one, but most leaders don’t know what to look for in themselves that will drive that perception by others. In my experience, ther… Read More
2016-01-04 13:30
Most first-time entrepreneurs seem to believe the myth that they need a minimum of a half a million dollars to start a business. At least that is usually the lowest number I see requested fr… Read More
2016-01-03 13:30
If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. We all know people who are extraordinarily busy, but never seem to accomplish… Read More
2016-01-02 14:17
Let’s face reality -- no one can satisfy all the people all the time. In business, this means an entrepreneur who never says no to any customer is doomed to a hard life and some expens… Read More
2016-01-01 13:30
Welcome to another challenging new year ahead! You’ve probably already made your resolutions for 2016, but if not, I suggest a renewed commitment to finding happiness and satisfaction… Read More
2015-12-30 13:30
Does it really take a few flaws to make a great entrepreneur, or are the rest of us just confused about what a perfect business person is all about? In the past I’ve written about the… Read More
2015-12-28 13:30
Can you imagine an entrepreneur who is actually afraid of success? None will ever admit it openly, but I’m a strong believer that actions or lack of action speaks louder than words. In… Read More
2015-12-27 13:30
Many passionate entrepreneurs fight to add more features into their new products and services, assuming that more function will make the solution more appealing to more customers. In reality… Read More
2015-12-26 13:30
Great technology leads to innovative solutions that are possible, but not necessarily great businesses. Rube Goldberg illustrated this principle many years ago in cartoons, but I still find… Read More
2015-12-25 13:30
Today’s customers demand more than a good product; they expect a great customer experience. A few companies are leading the way, including Apple with their iPad and iPhone, offering ir… Read More
2015-12-23 14:35
The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digita… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
These days, your online Internet reputation is your reputation. Of course, having no reputation is usually better than a bad one, but don’t wait for someone else to establish a good on… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
More and more entrepreneurs are hearing about the successful graduates and investors queued behind a few well-known startup incubators, including Y Combinator, TechStars, and the Founder Ins… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Entrepreneurs are usually highly creative and innovative, but many innovative people are not entrepreneurs. Since it takes a team of people to build a great company, the challenge is to find… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Perhaps sparked by the recent recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best e… Read More
Subscribe to Startup Professionals Musings
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!