The Next Web

DECEMBER 4, 2013

With an innovative product in the consumer payment space, the company had viral-ready content. An advance purchase garners a 50 percent discount off the planned price of $100, encouraging investment long in advance of the summer 2014 launch date. Ignore these pioneering risk-takers, and say goodbye to social channels of conversion.

Social Media 158

Social Media Media Viral Startup 158

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2016

In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan. A business plan is for you first, not investors. Viral marketing costs real money, and your support staff and hosting systems cost even more.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2012

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. Outline your sales and marketing strategy (direct marketing, sales channel, viral marketing, and lead generation).

Business Plan 244

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Viral Lead Generation 244

Up and Running

JANUARY 22, 2020

unpaid) channels can be a goldmine for cannabusinesses today— if you know how to do it correctly. This article will discuss how to conquer the following unpaid channels to enjoy serious returns and long-term profitability from your cannabis advertising efforts: Search Engine Optimization (SEO). How to Make a Cannabis Marketing Plan.

SMS 101

SMS Marketing Affiliate Social Media 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

In my experience, it means it will likely be necessary to supplement your product business plan with some key personal initiatives that define you as a business leader role model for all to see: Take a visible leadership role in your industry. Online it may be time to take a formal position via blogs and interviews.

Stealth 362

Stealth Leadership Viral Social Media 362

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. A valid milestone might be closing a specific big-name customer or channel, such as Walmart, or it might mean getting your first 100,000 social-media followers, by a given target date. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2015

In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan. A business plan is for you first, not investors. Viral marketing costs real money, and your support staff and hosting systems cost even more.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. A valid milestone might be closing a specific big-name customer or channel, such as Walmart, or it might mean getting your first 100,000 social-media followers, by a given target date. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 336

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 336

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Businesses require an equally elegant business model, with the right price, messaging and delivery channel to the right target customers to keep the dream alive and growing.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Advisory Board Software Review Business Model 220

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. There’s no business without show business. Want control?

Customer 250

Customer Marketing Viral Demand 250

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2013

Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. There’s no business without show business. Want control?

Marketing 260

Marketing Viral Demand Channel 260

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 6, 2021

Do your market research to see what type of service consumers look for in your line of work, what products are currently trending, as well as what channels of communication and type of content your consumers prefer. Come Up with a Business Plan. Creating a business plan shouldn’t be something way too time-consuming.

Social Media 173

Social Media Audience Affiliate Startup 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2013

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. This combination will almost certainly get your plan tossed by potential investors, who understand all too well the need and cost for marketing in today’s environment.

Marketing 265

Marketing Viral SEM Startup 265

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2014

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. This combination will almost certainly get your plan tossed by potential investors, who understand all too well the need and cost for marketing in today’s environment.

Marketing 257

Marketing SEM Viral Social Media 257

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2017

Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. There’s no business without show business. Want control?

Marketing 120

Marketing Viral Demand Channel 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Businesses require an equally elegant business model, with the right price, messaging and delivery channel to the right target customers to keep the dream alive and growing.

Technical Review 399

Technical Review Product Advisory Board Business Model 399

www.forentrepreneurs.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

As I ask questions to understand the thinking, what usually comes out is something vague along the lines of web marketing, and/or viral growth with no numbers attached. A quick look around all the B2C startups shows that, although viral growth is often hoped for, in reality it is extremely rare.

Acquisition 103

Acquisition Cost Customer Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

In that context, I offer you my list of ten top startup failure causes, seen over and over again: No written plan. Don’t believe the old urban legend that a business plan isn’t worth the effort. The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business.

Intellectual Property 251

Intellectual Property Startup Viral Early Stage 251

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2013

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). In other words, once they are convinced that the product works, they assume their price, sales channel, and marketing will bring in the customers. These days, the technical side may be the easy part.

Business Model 235

Business Model Product Advisory Board Angel Investor 235

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 7, 2010

Many entrepreneurship courses focus on teaching students “how to write a business plan.” If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I believe that: 1) a product is just a part of a startup, but understanding customers, channel, pricing, etc. This class is not about how to write a business plan.

Wiki 312

Wiki Lean Management Business Model 312

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). In other words, once they are convinced that the product works, they assume their price, sales channel, and marketing will bring in the customers. These days, the technical side may be the easy part.

Business Model 248

Business Model Advisory Board Entrepreneur Angel Investor 248

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2012

In that context, I offer you my list of ten top startup failure causes, seen over and over again: No written plan. Don’t believe the old urban legend that a business plan isn’t worth the effort. The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business.

Intellectual Property 274

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Viral Early Stage 274

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2011

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). In other words, once they are convinced that the product works, they assume their price, sales channel, and marketing will bring in the customers. These days, the technical side may be the easy part.

Business Model 234

Business Model Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2014

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. A valid milestone might be closing a specific big-name customer or channel, such as Walmart, or it might mean getting your first 100,000 social-media followers, by a given target date. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 285

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 285

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2010

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. This combination will almost certainly get your plan tossed by potential investors, who understand all too well the need and cost for marketing in today’s environment.

Marketing 235

Marketing SEM Startup Viral 235

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2018

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. A valid milestone might be closing a specific big-name customer or channel, such as Walmart, or it might mean getting your first 100,000 social-media followers, by a given target date. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 139

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 139

Gust

MARCH 9, 2014

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. This combination will almost certainly get your plan tossed by potential investors, who understand all too well the need and cost for marketing in today’s environment.

Marketing 146

Marketing SEM Viral Social Media 146

crowdSPRING Blog

AUGUST 6, 2017

But many of these articles are noisy and few offer real, actionable insights that can help you make better business decisions. There are terrific free YouTube channels for entrepreneurs and small business owners and many online schools and sites offer free or low-cost online courses. Online learning takes many forms.

Programming 73

Programming Technical Review Small Business Illinois 73

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

Word-of-mouth and viral marketing are popular terms these days, but are rarely adequate to initiate a new business. Be specific on sales channels and marketing initiatives. A viable and investable business model is one of the first things you need to highlight in your business plan. Sales/Marketing.

Business Model 242

Business Model Distribution Viral Green 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2011

Word-of-mouth and viral marketing are popular terms these days, but are rarely adequate to initiate a new business. Be specific on sales channels and marketing initiatives. A viable and investable business model is one of the first things you need to highlight in your business plan. Sales/Marketing.

Business Model 246

Business Model Distribution Viral Green 246

Gust

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

In that context, I offer you my list of ten top startup failure causes, seen over and over again: No written plan. Don’t believe the old urban legend that a business plan isn’t worth the effort. The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business.

Intellectual Property 183

Intellectual Property Startup Viral Early Stage 183

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. Outline your sales and marketing strategy (direct marketing, sales channel, viral marketing, and lead generation).

Elevator Pitch 226

Elevator Pitch Viral Lead Generation Metrics 226

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2010

Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. There’s no business without show business. Want control?

Marketing 137

Marketing Startup Viral Demand 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2016

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. A valid milestone might be closing a specific big-name customer or channel, such as Walmart, or it might mean getting your first 100,000 social-media followers, by a given target date. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 120

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 120

crowdSPRING Blog

AUGUST 6, 2017

But many of these articles are noisy and few offer real, actionable insights that can help you make better business decisions. There are terrific free YouTube channels for entrepreneurs and small business owners and many online schools and sites offer free or low-cost online courses. Online learning takes many forms.

Programming 48

Programming Technical Review Small Business Illinois 48

Growthink Blog

FEBRUARY 22, 2018

Among other things, the right marketing plan details your target customers, your unique selling proposition (USP), and your pricing strategy. And importantly, your marketing plan covers the "channels" you will use to get new customers (known as your "promotions strategy"). Business Plan Development Chicago IL).

Chicago 54

Chicago Marketing Search Channel 54

Growthink Blog

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

Among other things, the right marketing plan details your target customers, your unique selling proposition (USP), and your pricing strategy. And importantly, your marketing plan covers the "channels" you will use to get new customers (known as your "promotions strategy"). Business Plan Development Chicago IL).

Chicago 109

Chicago Marketing Search Channel 109