One of the most important skills for every entrepreneur is timely and effective decision making. In a startup, any decision is better than no decision. One of the primary roles of every founder is to solve problems, make a decision, and manage the decision to results. The best entrepreneurs relish this role, while others struggle […]
7 Startup Scenarios That Rarely Attract Investors
Here is my perspective on the highest risk elements, from my years of working with investors and watching startups come and go.
7 Pushbacks That New Founders Must Overcome
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 have great ideas but never seem to get things to go their way. In fact, leaders are not remembered for their dreams, aspirations, or intentions […]
8 Tips For Quantifying Traction In Your New Venture
Your personal assessment that you have traction probably won’t be convincing to potential investors and partners, so it’s important that you create and track your progress against some metrics. Here are some of the key specifics for credibility and acceptance as you create and use these metrics
Businesses Need Employee Engagement More Than Process
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 needs leader personification for customers to relate. Soon you won’t be able to name a business as one of your favorites if you can’t personally visualize […]
6 Story Attributes Will Highlight Your Business Pitch
I learned that a memorable story doesn’t have to hit you personally, but it does have to include six key attributes to raise it above the standard sales pitch, or new venture problem statement, opportunity sizing, and value proposition.
10 Ways Entrepreneurs Find Money To Start A Business
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 contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new […]
6 Powerful Drivers Shared By Successful Entrepreneurs
The best leaders and entrepreneurs follow their intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivations.
7 Strategies To Avoid the Curse of Business-As-Usual
I’m still frustrated by the number of business owners that haven’t updated their business-as-usual practices. In my mind, these are killing their businesses.
10 Keys To Reducing The Risk The Second Time Around
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 tough, especially in the high-risk world of startups, yet every entrepreneur I know can’t wait to start over and do it again. Sometimes […]
6 Keys For Entrepreneurs to Maximize Their Content Marketing Impact
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 when marketing was all “pushing product.” Now customers seek out people who are willing and able to add value, with expertise and insight, […]