2023-09-25 14:00
Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Their only… Read More
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Startup Professionals Musings Blog
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Selected ideas and assistance to startup founders in finding business funding, executive mentoring, and business networking.
2023-09-24 14:00
In the last few years I have seen a popular business model emerging which embodies a greater focus on social and environmental responsibility, and a new requirement for trust and sharing, as… Read More
2023-09-23 14:00
No matter how hard you work as a business leader or entrepreneur, you can’t sustain consistent results without an equally hardworking team, each with a learning mindset. In fact, in my… Read More
2023-09-22 14:00
Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience has n… Read More
2023-09-20 14:00
Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. Yet everyone I know seems to have a different perspective on what constitu… Read More
2023-09-18 14:00
How many entrepreneurs do you know that “almost” made it big? Startups are very risky, and most fail. Yet entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing trends in business today… Read More
2023-09-17 14:25
One of the biggest challenges in any business, large or small, is overcoming the natural human preference for status quo, or fear of change. It means that most team members and executives al… Read More
2023-09-16 14:00
In my view, starting a new business has never been easier, and according to reports from the Kauffman Foundation, the numbers are here to show it. The rate of new entrepreneurs increased bet… Read More
2023-09-15 14:00
Whether you are a business professional in a big company, or an entrepreneur with a startup, innovation is a key strategy. Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of inno… Read More
2023-09-13 14:00
Based on my years of experience as a business executive and consultant, I am convinced that most companies gradually lose their ability to be creative as they mature, and over time are overc… Read More
2023-09-11 14:00
As an advisor to many entrepreneurs, I still hear frequently the irrational exuberance that crowdfunding is the quick alternative for startups that are passed over by overly demanding angels… Read More
2023-09-10 14:00
Every entrepreneur and most professionals wish there were more hours in a day to get their work done. These days, with all the new technology, including smartphones and social media, many ar… Read More
2023-09-09 14:00
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
2023-09-08 14:00
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
2023-09-06 14:00
Unfortunately, many of the business professionals I meet these days in my mentoring and consulting activities feel perennially stressed and out of control, versus calm and satisfied with the… Read More
2023-09-04 14:00
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
2023-09-03 14:00
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
2023-09-02 14:00
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
2023-08-30 14:00
My consulting clients tell me the business challenges these days are greater than ever before, with the recent pandemic and current global political unrest. Rather than let all these drive y… Read More
2023-08-28 14:00
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
2023-08-27 14:00
To achieve success in your business despite today’s volatile global markets, you and your team must have a mindset that goes beyond the traditional strategies of repeatable processes a… Read More
2023-08-26 14:00
Most companies I work with, like yours, are still reeling from the effects of COVID-19, the rise of inflation, and talent shortages. They are rightly thinking about a strategy to be better p… Read More
2023-08-25 14:00
In the aftermath of the recent pandemic, which caused many businesses to close, a new raft of business workers and entrepreneurs are deciding to pursue their own dreams of being a new busine… Read More
2023-08-23 14:00
Every business owner and entrepreneur like you I work with wishes they could better predict product demand and sales, for managing inventory and long-term business planning. We all have our… Read More
2023-08-21 14:00
Most entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges of their business that they rarely take the time to work on longer-term strategy (they work in the business versus on the b… Read More
2023-08-20 14:00
It’s easy for an entrepreneur or a CEO to feel like a leader when things are going well, but the challenge is to keep that confidence and drive in the face of economic downturns, busin… Read More
2023-08-19 14:00
Almost every employee or team member can remember that one special boss in their career who was the role model of a leader, always commanded respect, and was able to get the most voluntarily… Read More
2023-08-18 14:00
There has long been a big debate about the best approach to starting a new business. Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend… Read More
2023-08-16 14:00
Every business wants and needs top performers, but most entrepreneurs and executives assume that if they hire and train the smartest and most experienced people, they will get exceptional pe… Read More
2023-08-14 14:00
Finding your sweet spot as an entrepreneur needs to start with a meaningful personal purpose that is also a business opportunity. Some people are so passionate about a cause that they forget… Read More
2023-08-13 14:00
Every entrepreneur and business executive knows that continuous innovation is required to survive, but most struggle with this more than any other challenge they face. They know they need to… Read More
2023-08-12 14:00
There is no skill more vital to an entrepreneur than effective networking. You can’t build your business alone, and networking is the best way to open doors, professionally and persona… Read More
2023-08-11 14:00
As a business advisor and advocate for entrepreneurs, I find myself almost always talking and writing about change. Yet there are many things about business and work that haven’t chang… Read More
2023-08-09 14:00
When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will… Read More
2023-08-07 14:00
With the availability of high-speed Internet and social media access around the world, it’s easy for entrepreneurs to assume that the world is just one big homogeneous market, and proj… Read More
2023-08-06 14:00
With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. In fact, the la… Read More
2023-08-05 14:00
One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at… Read More
2023-08-04 14:00
“If we build it, they will come.” I’ve heard it many times from technical entrepreneurs who should know better than to believe the old “Field of Dreams” sports… Read More
2023-08-02 14:00
Every business team and leader is facing increased pressure and challenges from today’s flood of competitors and the global forces of change. It’s easy to lose your drive and jeo… Read More
2023-07-31 14:00
Many aspiring entrepreneurs I mentor can talk at length about their innovative ideas and passions, and ask lots of good questions, but never make much progress in building a real business. I… Read More
2023-07-30 14:00
One of the biggest challenges in changing your lifestyle from an employee to starting your own business, is focusing on the right ownership elements, versus having a boss who sets the busine… Read More
2023-07-29 14:00
As an advisor to early-stage entrepreneurs, I see a lot of dreams, but not so many business results. I’m always excited by the dream, and disappointed by what I perceive as a lack of c… Read More
2023-07-28 14:00
Every business needs both managers and leaders. My experience confirms that managers are needed to achieve organizational goals through implementing processes, such as budgeting, and staffin… Read More
2023-07-26 14:00
Based on my years of experience as a business consultant, I’m convinced that most business leaders are so busy with day-to-day issues that they have no time to be proactive with new in… Read More
2023-07-24 14:00
We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business. Don’t believe the myt… Read More
2023-07-23 14:00
Every startup and every new business needs a unique selling proposition (USP) to get people’s attention these days, and make it stand out in the information overload we all see. Your c… Read More
2023-07-22 14:41
Establishing and maintaining the right company culture is a major key to success in any business these days, especially with the growth of the millennial generation of workers. It has a huge… Read More
2023-07-21 14:00
There is no question that the recent pandemic has changed working in the office forever. What was once a workplace where everyone commuted to work together daily, has now become a hybrid env… Read More
2023-07-19 14:00
We have all had to work with annoying team members in business. If you are not their manager, it’s tempting to just walk away, tune them out, or react sharply, but these reactions are… Read More
2023-07-17 14:00
Sometimes I like to drop the comment socially that “I knew Bill Gates back when he was a regular guy.” I know that dates me a good bit, but it also shows that I have been hanging… Read More
2023-07-16 14:00
The name “investment bank” somehow always sounded like a place where I could deposit my investments, and maybe even earn a little interest. Then I learned that these banks really… Read More
2023-07-15 14:00
People tell me there may be over 8,000 dating sites with scientific matchmaking algorithms worldwide, but I couldn’t find one that focused on scientifically matching companies and peop… Read More
2023-07-14 14:00
As the business economy is rebounding from the pandemic, many entrepreneurs are thinking that life will soon get easier, and their opportunity can only grow. In reality, the business world g… Read More
2023-07-12 14:00
Donna Fenn, in her classic book, “Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business,” was one of the first to predict that Gen-Y would lead the charge, bounce ba… Read More
2023-07-10 14:00
Most of the time, I’m all about providing encouragement and inspiration to entrepreneurs. They need it and they deserve it, because entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our economy. But… Read More
2023-07-09 14:00
“The devil in the details” is a quote that we have all heard, and clearly applies to startups, where success in the long run is all about execution. But for you as an entrepreneu… Read More
2023-07-08 14:00
One of my favorite sayings is “Real change doesn’t happen until the pain level gets high enough.” There aren’t many of us who love change, just for the opportunity to… Read More
2023-07-07 14:00
Every business owner feels the pressure of the thousands of things that need to get done, all seemingly at the same time. There is just not enough time! The real solution is better time mana… Read More
2023-07-05 14:00
Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million-dollar investment before they even have a business plan. That’s like trying to sell part of something to a s… Read More
2023-07-03 14:00
Startups provide leadership in the market. Entrepreneurs provide leadership to their startup. There are many styles of leadership, like dictatorial, laissez-faire, and democratic. One that I… Read More
2023-07-02 14:39
People with a victim mentality should never be entrepreneurs. We all know the role of starting and running a business is unpredictable, and has a high risk of failure. For people with a vict… Read More
2023-07-01 14:00
I still know some entrepreneurs who boast of simply following their gut instincts, rather than listen to anyone or any data, to make strategic decisions. We’ve all worked with autocrat… Read More
2023-06-30 14:00
One of the biggest impediments to starting a new venture is the “terror barrier,” as popularized by Bob Proctor, a 85-year-old millionaire and world renowned entrepreneur. This i… Read More
2023-06-28 14:00
The pervasiveness of social networking and the Internet has caused a new focus and value on “openness,” which leads to a new element of leadership, called “open leadership… Read More
2023-06-26 14:00
Entrepreneurs seem more quickly frustrated these days when their “million-dollar idea” doesn’t turn into a sustainable business overnight. They don’t realize that it… Read More
2023-06-25 14:00
A common initiative I hear from business owners today is their effort to improve the customer experience. Some are doing this at the expense of employee experience, which I believe is one of… Read More
2023-06-24 14:00
Investors invest in people, not ideas. Customers buy from people, not companies. Employees rally for a great leader, not a brand. As an entrepreneur, you need relationships to succeed. That… Read More
2023-06-23 14:00
A common question I get is “How do I get a bank loan to fund my startup?” The default answer is that it probably won’t happen, because most banks just don’t make bank… Read More
2023-06-21 14:00
Commonly, I find that business owners and entrepreneurs look first at solutions which solve painful problems, or have high profit margins, regardless of their own commitment to a higher purp… Read More
2023-06-19 14:00
Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology, or transforming society with a new process. But unfortunately, most of these ideas fail at the execut… Read More
2023-06-18 14:00
I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entree for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look s… Read More
2023-06-17 14:00
In the world of entrepreneurs and startups, high level relationships are everything. You can’t start a business alone. You need partners, team members, investors, vendors, and customer… Read More
2023-06-16 14:00
Traditional marketing says you have to “push” your message out to customers, over and over again, to get you remembered. A more effective approach in today’s Internet and i… Read More
2023-06-14 14:00
Willingness to take a risk is the hallmark of a serious entrepreneur. That’s why one of the first questions that potential investors ask is “How much of your own money, and frien… Read More
2023-06-12 14:00
Based on my work as a business consultant, I find a growing challenge in getting employees to complete their commitments on time, or even finish a task before moving on to new work. After di… Read More
2023-06-11 14:00
For decades, efforts to satisfy customers have been built around demographics – capitalizing on race, ethnicity, gender, income, and other attributes. Today, in this age of pervasive s… Read More
2023-06-10 14:00
Isn’t it amazing that some people you know always seem to be working hard, but never seem to get anything done? As an entrepreneur, you need to avoid partnering with these people, or h… Read More
2023-06-09 14:00
Many business owners and professionals I know claim they are too busy in their jobs and not interested in taking part in any networking events. They don’t realize that success in busin… Read More
2023-06-07 14:00
The cost of entry to the entrepreneur lifestyle is at an all-time low, but the challenge of winning and success is at an all-time high. Anyone can build a new web site, or publish a smartpho… Read More
2023-06-05 14:00
Maybe it’s just me, but I sometimes feel that accountability is a rare talent in business today. In big businesses, people are quick to defer with “that’s not my department… Read More
2023-06-04 14:00
Since the recent pandemic, I find that business leaders are fighting to retain and attract new talent to recover from necessary attrition losses and team members quitting due to personal pri… Read More
2023-06-03 14:00
One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. According to the International… Read More
2023-06-02 14:00
If you aren’t willing to take some risk as an entrepreneur, then don’t expect any gain. Yet everyone has limits, and every investor implicitly has similar limits on what makes a… Read More
2023-05-31 14:00
Based on my own career as a business owner and angel investor, in this age of change, I still see key successes and growth from the same team member work qualities. These haven’t chang… Read More
2023-05-29 14:00
In my experience in large businesses as well as years of advising startups, I see far too much focus on product skills, and too little on people and process skills. In my view, this focus on… Read More
2023-05-28 14:00
In business, and in your personal life, the ability to anticipate and overcome criticism is one of the biggest differentiators between leaders, who make things happen, and followers, who may… Read More
2023-05-27 14:00
The days of leadership without engagement are gone. With interactive social media and video everywhere, everyone needs to feel they have a relationship with their leaders, and every brand ne… Read More
2023-05-26 14:00
Every one of you business owners I know periodically introduces new products and services to sustain growth, fight off competitors, or take advantage of new technologies. Often, despite your… Read More
2023-05-24 14:00
One of the things I’ve learned in working with aspiring entrepreneurs is that managing and leading a team is a scary venture into the unknown for many people, even if they have worked… Read More
2023-05-22 14:16
Most of the entrepreneurs and aggressive business owners I meet in my consulting practice are focused on finding new disruptive solutions and killing competitors as the key to success. If yo… Read More
2023-05-21 14:00
One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and con… Read More
2023-05-20 14:00
Many experts will tell you that you can’t succeed as a part-time entrepreneur, as any good startup will require a 100 percent commitment of your time and energy. But not many of us hav… Read More
2023-05-19 14:00
Entrepreneurs who experience success with their first startup are often amazed to realize that the risks and fears of doing it right the second time go up, rather than down. Encores are toug… Read More
2023-05-17 14:00
All the business leaders I know have noticed that the problems we all face today are becoming more complex, multifaceted, and our customers are more demanding. Everyone wants to know how to… Read More
2023-05-15 14:00
Entrepreneurs have always believed that their product or service must show real value to customers, but today the smart ones are even able to make their marketing valuable. The days are gone… Read More
2023-05-14 14:00
Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a bri… Read More
2023-05-13 14:00
In my experience, consummate entrepreneurs tend come up with more startup ideas than they can ever implement, and some of the ideas may not even make business sense. But how does any entrepr… Read More
2023-05-12 15:18
As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abun… Read More
2023-05-10 14:00
Every business organization, large or small, has a variety of individual and team member types that factor into your ability to innovate and change the business to meet evolving customer nee… Read More
2023-05-08 14:00
As I work with aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals, I often hear about stress and disappointment from a great idea or innovation that failed for reasons that you don’t un… Read More
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