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Five Forces Framework For Analyzing The Competitive Environment Of Startup
By Martin at May 25, 2013 | 9:22 am | 0 Comment
As the business economy rebounds, many entrepreneurs are thinking that life will soon get easier, and their opportunity can only grow. In reality, the business world gets tougher every day, with new entrants, new technology, and competitors more easily entering the fray from around the globe. Way back in 1979, Michael E. Porter proposed his Five Forces framework for more...
How To Put Right Price For Your Startup Product
By Martin at May 24, 2013 | 8:27 am | 0 Comment
One of the toughest decisions for a startup is how to price their product or service. The alternatives range from giving it away for free, to pricing based on costs, to charging what the market will bear (premium pricing). The implications of the decision you make are huge, defining your brand image, your funding requirements, and your long-term business viability. The more...
Tips For Becoming An UnStoppable Entrepreneur
By Martin at May 23, 2013 | 8:21 am | 0 Comment
We all know at least one entrepreneur who always gets things done, and appears unstoppable in his quest. All of you probably know many others who talk incessantly about their great ideas, but never seem to even get started, or they give up at the first obstacle. What are the attributes that make an entrepreneur unstoppable, and is it possible for people to learn to be more...
What To Learn From Gen-Y Entrepreneurs?
By Martin at May 22, 2013 | 8:29 am | 0 Comment
The business world has been watching this emerging generation with trepidation, and a lot of people haven’t been sure who would be the winners, and who would be the losers. Can Gen-Y, much less the new Generation Z (1995-2010), survive as entrepreneurs, and do they have the passion and commitment it takes to run a startup and attract investors? My own perspective is more...
Six Essential Strategies For Turning Your Business Ideas Into Action
By Martin at May 21, 2013 | 8:17 am | 0 Comment
Successful startups are all about turning ideas into action quickly and efficiently. These actions must be the hard part, since entrepreneurs always seem to come to me with ideas, and ask me for help on the actions. That has always seemed strange to me, since the magic is supposed to be in the ideas, and the actions are the same for every business. In fact, the actions more...
Open Leadership Tips For Your Startup
By Martin at May 20, 2013 | 8:18 am | 0 Comment
The emergence 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.” The mantra of open leadership is “Be Open, Be Transparent, and Be Authentic.” This is counter to the traditional business premise of “control,” so many companies are still pushing more...
How To Take Smart Risks For Your Business
By Martin at May 18, 2013 | 8:52 am | 0 Comment
Being a risk taker in business is not the same as being reckless. Nevertheless, the word “risk” has a negative connotation to most of us, implying danger and possible loss. For true entrepreneurs, risk is viewed as a positive, with its implied challenge to overcome the unknown and hitting the big return. In fact, risk is an integral part of life, as well as every more...
Top 12 Conversation That Matter For Every Startup Company
By Martin at May 17, 2013 | 8:13 am | 0 Comment
Whether you are trying to motivate your team, close a deal with a customer, or get funding from an investor, a casual conversation is usually a waste of your valuable time. These result is a founder who is always “too busy,” but never seems to get the business done and the team moving. All real business is conversations focused on creating results. Shawn Kent more...
7 Customer Tips That Every Entrepreneurs Needs To Consider
By Martin at May 16, 2013 | 8:25 am | 0 Comment
Customer service has always been reactionary, meaning someone has to wake up and answer website email requests. That’s just not savvy enough to hold today’s fickle, less loyal, and ready to jump customer. Great startups are getting ahead of the game with “anticipatory customer service,” like providing smart phone access to product and account data to head off more...
Way To Becoming a Servant Leader While Running A Startup
By Martin at May 15, 2013 | 10:17 am | 0 Comment
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 hear discussed more these days, in this age of relationships, is called “servant” leadership. What is servant leadership? The servant leader serves the people they lead through more...
