article thumbnail

How New Technologies Enabled These Young Entrepreneurs To Threaten The Traditional Retail Landscape

YoungUpstarts

Why are there so many digital commerce companies which can challenge large traditional retailers and even force them into bankruptcy? One of the cofounders explains how he witnessed first-hand while working at a bank that a lot of traditional retailers were in trouble as internet retailers ate away their margins.

Cofounder 113
article thumbnail

6 Stories of Successful New Entrepreneurs to Inspire Your Business

Up and Running

This led to iRobot’s sale of more than 4,000 PacBot robots that perform perilous missions (like bomb disposal) in support of soldiers and first responders in combat. Since then, more than $30 million in SBIR funds have enabled iRobot to conduct 33 research initiatives to develop new sensors and other robot capability enhancements.

Columbus 134
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Why Misunderstanding Startup Metrics Can Cost You Your Business

Both Sides of the Table

profitable and companies like Amazon who chose to focus on growth > profitability were not losing money on each book sale (ie they were gross margin positive). Poorly calculated LTVs can become BVs (bankruptcy values). Gross margin positive != The reason one would accept losses is when they are investments in fueling faster growth.

Metrics 150
article thumbnail

Master of Customer Acquisition, Matt Coffin, On Startups …

Both Sides of the Table

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin , the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked “startups.&#. I figured if Matt was on the verge of bankruptcy and one mentor changed his trajectory, what if we had a formalized, community-wide program?

article thumbnail

23 Entrepreneurs Explain Why They Started Their Business

Hearpreneur

I owned a mortgage company when the mortgage industry crashed and lost almost everything pushing me to the brink of personal bankruptcy. This helps them generate leads and sales. I started my business simply because I want to be of assistance to those who want to learn through the internet. Photo credit: Ty Crandall.

article thumbnail

5 Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Favorite Business or Entrepreneur Turnaround Story

Hearpreneur

In 2001, I entered the publishing industry, figuring I could use the general services turnaround skills I had developed after B school in an industry in turmoil as a result of the internet and the changes. Which led me to feel somewhat confident purchasing a much larger niche regulatory print newsletter company out of bankruptcy.

article thumbnail

What Angel Investing & Florida Condos Have in Common

Both Sides of the Table

This is the time it takes for a bankruptcy or asset sale to occur. Instead investors are looking for the next flash sale, private sale, game dynamic, social games that rely on mobile platforms with geo-fenced, location aware offers. People often talk about what makes a great investor. Or a quick flip.

Florida 299