Investment

6 Ways to Kill Your Startup

6-Ways-to-Kill-Your-Startup

Sometimes the best way to learn how to do something is to understand how NOT to do something—to think of things in reverse. I hope that, by doing the exact opposite of the points below, you’ll find some valuable lessons on running and starting a business effectively.  1. Borrow money early As an entrepreneur, one thing that … Read more

3 Ways Content Can Convert Social Media Fans Into Customers

3-Ways-Content-Can-Convert-Social-Media-Fans-Into-Customers

Social media is great, but with so many people and posts, it’s easy for even a practiced online marketer to feel overwhelmed.

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7 Major Fears All Successful People Must Overcome

7-Major-Fears-All-Successful-People-Must-Overcome

If you want to succeed live in life, you must overcome your biggest fears. Some fears hold us back more than others. The nasty ones are like straight-jackets that restrain our abilities, making our dreams an impossibility. To be successful, you need to confront them head on. Here are seven common fears that you must … Read more

5 Simple Ways To Keep Your Mind Sharp

5-Simple-Ways-To-Keep-Your-Mind-Sharp

The importance of keeping your mind sharp cannot be overstated. We’re all part of a fantastic intellectual and information economy, which thrives on ideas, creativity and intelligence. Keeping your mind sharp is sure to give you the edge over the competition, and more importantly lead to your own higher levels of happiness. When your mind … Read more

Angel Investors Still WIN, Even If Your Company Fails

Angel-Investors-Still-WIN,-Even-If-Your-Company-Fails

“Do I like the product? Do I like the team? Am I comfortable with the market? Do they have meaningful traction compared to the other startups beside them?” This is what angel investors ask themselves while talking to you. If you want to maximize your chances of finalizing a positive outcome — having them write you a big fat … Read more

Factors Of A Seasoned Angel Investor

Factors-Of-A-Seasoned-Angel-Investor

This was interesting. The speaker, Wade Brooks, is executive director of the Willamette University MBA Angel Investment fund. A couple of nights ago as he shared notes and research with members of the Willamette Angel Conference. These are the top four things Wade and his group looks for in the companies his organization is considering for … Read more

8 Types of Investors That Entrepreneurs Need to Avoid

8-Types-of-Investors-That-Entrepreneurs-Need-to-Avoid

Don’t assume that all investors are the same, just because their money is always the same color. Every entrepreneur should do the same due diligence on a potential investor that smart investors do on their startups. Check on their track records, values and management style. Taking on an investor is a long-term relationship, like getting married, … Read more

Customer Loyalty Is Spelled N-P-S

Customer-Loyalty-Is-Spelled-N-P-S

Superior customer loyalty is critically important for any successful business. However, many leaders struggle with how to effectively measure it. How loyal are your customers? What are they saying about your products or services to others? Do they promote you to others and provide an incredibly valuable word-of-mouth endorsement? To answer these questions, we look to Net Promoter Scores (NPS). NPS is a relatively simple measurement tool that helps businesses gauge how likely their customers are to refer family members and friends to their products or services. NPS is also a leading indicator, and when used optimally, it can be a predictor of future customer engagement and growth. Since NPS allows for real-time measurement of customer satisfaction, it allows management to take immediate action to improve operations based on customer feedback.

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Hiring a Co- Founder

Hiring-a-Co- Founder

For some solo entrepreneurs finding a co-founder is at the highest priority on their rundown of needs. We want to see the business people that we back discover a fellow benefactor inside the initial three months. The method of reasoning for finding a fellow benefactor is straightforward – it is great practice to locate bona … Read more