So much has to go right for a startup to survive and thrive, it’s wise to know the most common, avoidable mistakes, made by first-time founders. Many first-time founders don’t know what they don’t know. Others are told, but they just don’t want to hear it and fumble. They lack the good sense needed to build a product people will […]
This is the twelfth and FINAL article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Capitalize the Company All the founders I have coached over the years know my mantra well: To start and grow a successful business, you must learn to be a good operator. “There’s no such thing as work-life balance. There are […]
This is the eleventh article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Draft Guerrilla Marketing and Sales Plan. “There’s nothing wrong with raising venture capital. Many lean startups are ambitious and are able to deploy large amounts of capital. What differentiates them is their disciplined approach to determining when to spend money: after […]
This is the tenth article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Outsource Ancillary Functions. “Guerrilla marketing is needed because it gives small businesses a delightfully unfair advantage: certainty in an uncertain world, economy in a high-priced world, simplicity in a complicated world, marketing awareness in a clueless world.” – Jay Conrad Levinson, […]
This is the ninth article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Create Name and Branding Strategy. Apologies for the delay between posts, I have been caught up in the COVID Craziness and helping startups put out fires. “The important thing about outsourcing or global sourcing is that it becomes a very powerful […]
This is the eight article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Secure Intellectual Property. “In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad […]
This is the seventh article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Scrub Business Plan, Revenue Model and Projections. “If you didn’t have patents, no one would bother to spend money on research and development. But with patents, if someone has a good idea and a competitor can’t copy it, then that competitor […]
This is the sixth article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Develop and Test Product Prototype. “It’s not the plan that is important, it’s the planning.” – Dr Graeme Edwards Developing a clear path to profitability — and being able to defend it with good metrics — is probably the single most […]
This is the fifth article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Step 4, Conducting Primary Market Research. “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.” – Steve Jobs This is where the rubber meets the road in terms […]
This is the fourth article in a series on how to start a company in 2020. See the previous article, Step 3, Form the Team. “The golden rule for every business is this: Put yourself in your customer’s place.” – Orison Swett Marden You have probably done a fair amount of secondary market research on your idea. It’s one thing to […]
