Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

With one of the many new tools , and a dose of sweat equity, you can create a website for almost nothing -- and you are on your way to success with ecommerce, your latest invention or personal services. Here are the key principles I recommend as an advisor to many entrepreneurs: Start your business in your own home. Marty Zwilling

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Equity Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity 349

ConversionXL

JANUARY 18, 2022

It partners with sales to close more revenue, informs product teams to deliver better products, and in some cases, co-owns demand generation activities with marketing teams. Founder Nathan Barry launched in 2013 to help creators sell their books and courses but failed to meet revenue goals and eventually stalled.

Marketing 110

Marketing Product Audience Equity 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2020

With one of the many new tools , and a dose of sweat equity, you can create a website for almost nothing -- and you are on your way to success with ecommerce, your latest invention or personal services. Here are the key principles I recommend as an advisor to many entrepreneurs: Start your business in your own home. Marty Zwilling.

Hockey Stick 423

Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 423

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 9, 2012

TLDR: Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits , authors of The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development are back with a new book called The Lean Entrepreneur. They are launching their next book, a true field guide for entrepreneurs, called The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Markets.

Entrepreneur 167

Entrepreneur Lean Southern California San Diego 167

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

Entrepreneurs and business owners stand to gain a lot. A business podcast for every entrepreneur. These discussions can vary from something broad, like podcasts about how to grow a business , to episodes that are much more specific, like how to acquire customers as an ecommerce brand through digital marketing channels.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Hosting Community Audio 101

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2016

Between January 2015 and January 2016, we grew our platform Slidebean from $1K to $20K in monthly recurring revenue. Getting the first tracks of revenue is one of the toughest processes of building a startup. Cost of Acquisition (CAC): The total cost of acquiring a user through a given channel. Big press (cheap or free).

Revenue 60

Revenue Acquisition Channel Campaign 60

The Equity Kicker

JUNE 4, 2014

Entrepreneurs are always asking us when we think their company will be strong enough to pull off a good Series A, which you can think of as $1-2+m Series A at $3m+ pre-money. the ecommerce companies or software companies that we invest in) and you have a $1m revenue run rate and 20%+ month-on month growth you will generally be in good shape.

Revenue 146

Revenue eCommerce Affiliate Valuation 146

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

For most ecommerce entrepreneurs, building a business is all about optimizing the website, fine-tuning PPC advertising, and relentlessly perfecting email strategy. These are cornerstone tactics when growing an ecommerce business , and countless entrepreneurs have built thriving, profitable businesses using these tools alone.

eCommerce 60

eCommerce Mobile Developer Retention 60

ConversionXL

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

As Neal Schaffer points out: “…Companies still look at social media as a promotional and advertising channel rather than as a grand arena to collaborate with social media users, primarily customers and influencers, and work them through a relationship funnel to incite word of mouth marketing for your brand in social media.”

Social Media 142

Social Media Media Developer Marketing 142

The Next Web

DECEMBER 12, 2013

In the era of mobile, social, and the sharing economy, we’re seeing the emergence of next-gen mobile-enabled marketplaces in every ecommerce category, from fashion ( Poshmark ), to health ( Brighter and HealthTap ), lodging ( Airbnb and HotelTonight ), transportation ( Uber and Lyft ), and real estate ( Zillow ).

Mobile 136

Mobile Silicon Valley Viral Technical Review 136

ConversionXL

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

Or, if the content team is producing awesome content but not distributing it across email and social channels, you’re once again missing an opportunity to maximize the ROI. Ecommerce stores should still run sales. Over time, every hour and dollar you invest will layer on more and more assets that repay you for years to come.

Metrics 132

Metrics Campaign Channel Advertising 132

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. Potential investors love to see gross margins in the fifty percent range or greater, with recurring revenue through subscriptions, follow-on sales, or services. But it’s critical to have one.

Product 145

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Exit Strategy 145

View from Seed

JUNE 23, 2022

Influencer Direct puts the tools to create their own eCommerce business directly into the hands of influencers.” However, influencers currently don’t have easy access to purchase high-quality products wholesale from brands nor do they have the time or skills to run their own eCommerce businesses. ” – David Beisel.

DC 156

DC Cambodia eCommerce Social Media 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2016

With one of the new free tools and a dose of sweat equity, you can create a website for almost nothing -- and you are on your way to success with ecommerce, your latest invention or personal services. Here are the key principles I recommend as an advisor to many entrepreneurs: Start your business in your own home.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Hockey Stick Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 120

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

Definitely not a positive sign for an aspiring entrepreneurs looking to venture into the e-Commerce business. Below are the mistakes that have cost aspiring entrepreneurs a huge amount of money. What does it really takes to have a successful eCommerce store. Don’t become just another failed entrepreneur.

Startup 124

Startup eCommerce Audience Widget 124

Hearpreneur

AUGUST 5, 2020

We asked entrepreneurs and business owners about the industries that are ripe for disruption and here are the response; #1- The hemp extraction. As of yet, most software that is commercially available only focus on a single communication channel (such as Skype or zoom with video, etc.) 23- eCommerce. 16- Coffee. 21- Fintech.

Technical Review 155

Technical Review Software Review Entrepreneur China 155

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2010

It was especially fun for me because we got the chance to talk about the VC industry and how entrepreneurs should think about the VC industry in addition to discussing deals. eCommerce is hot again! We discussed whether investing in the second largest player in a category makes sense given that Groupon is 10x the revenue, 3.5x

IPO 236

IPO .Net Venture Capital Strategic Investors 236

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 2, 2019

One question that keeps coming up when speaking with early stage entrepreneurs when it comes to funding, is what metrics the company needs to hit to raise seed/series A/B etc: What’s a good conversion rate? In SaaS the main benchmarks being measured are revenue growth, sales efficiency (unit economics), churn and burn rate.

B2C 141

B2C Technical Review Startup Retention 141

YoungUpstarts

JULY 30, 2019

Simon Mainwaring, branding expert, and entrepreneur, shares in his Walmart Case Study: The key takeaway is that purpose is essential to the way stakeholders view your brand. Amazon – Develop a consistent, reliable multi-channel brand. no one could have foreseen the colossal eCommerce giant it would become.

Curation 173

Curation Social Media eCommerce Channel 173

Hippoland

MARCH 13, 2016

To be clear, growth means increased revenue or increased number of users/customers (or both!). It’s measured in revenue results. Could you turn $50M into $1B in revenue in the next 2 years? what the old series A rounds used to be) tend to be doing $500k - $1M net revenue runrate range as of this writing.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage .Net Revenue Acquisition 48

ConversionXL

JANUARY 18, 2022

It’s one of many ecommerce software platforms on the market but only the fifth most popular by market share. It’s also not the cheapest ecommerce platform: Squarespace plans start at $12 per month, Woocommerce has a completely free plan, and Shopify’s plans start at $30 per month. Take Shopify. Image source. Brand equity.

Equity 94

Equity Marketing Social Media Software Review 94

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 2, 2013

Products and services can be packaged and distributed through a multitude of channels and delivered in physical form, digital form and as one time purchases or ongoing subscriptions. Many straight up eCommerce companies, such as JustBats.com, fall into this category as do many eBay and Amazon sellers.

Business Model 77

Business Model Aggregator eCommerce Distribution 77

crowdSPRING Blog

JULY 7, 2013

Which of the following customer service channels do 46% of your customers expect you to provide? . By how much did Gary increase the family revenues that first year ? b) eCommerce. (Note: I’ll publish the answers in my next blog post.). So, withut further ado, I give you the first cS Summertime SMB Quiz! a) Email support.

Small Business 81

Small Business Social Media Startup Video 81

ConversionXL

APRIL 21, 2020

So product page downward for ecommerce and form optimization in lead gen. Resources to get it done : How to Design Ecommerce Product Pages How to Design an Ecommerce Checkout Flow How to Master Lead Gen Form Optimization Form Design: 13 Empirically Backed Best Practices How to Optimize Mobile Forms for More Conversions.

eCommerce 93

eCommerce Technical Review Analytics Conversion 93

View from Seed

AUGUST 30, 2016

However, it’s home to some of the smartest entrepreneurs I’ve ever met, along with a long list of exceptional colleges and universities. These companies are all over the map: B2B, B2C, SaaS, ecommerce, healthcare, SMB-focused, enterprise-focused, etc. Building a network is not the same as building a SaaS or ecommerce company.

Social Media 185

Social Media B2B North America Media 185

Hunter Walker

JUNE 7, 2016

These people are true founders and entrepreneurs just like any venture backed company. BS: We are active on all of the social media channels above, save for Tumblr. Bento Box – our mobile-friendly website was created by them to help drive revenue and customers. Hunter Walk: Can you share the founding story of Chaia ?

Caching 70

Caching DC Social Media Finance 70

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Furthermore, most of the young entrepreneurs’ problems I’ve seen are related to poor planning. Pick your poison, fellow entrepreneur! This is due to the fact that you will need to first set up your website and logistical operations, and determine the best channels and places to source customers. Those were the days!

Curation 68

Curation Business Model SEO Social Media 68

Hunter Walker

JUNE 7, 2016

These people are true founders and entrepreneurs just like any venture backed company. BS: We are active on all of the social media channels above, save for Tumblr. Bento Box – our mobile-friendly website was created by them to help drive revenue and customers. Hunter Walk: Can you share the founding story of Chaia ?

Caching 48

Caching DC Social Media Finance 48

Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

JUNE 3, 2011

These hundreds of millions of web surfers still have a need to be fulfilled, and the internet is the best channel available today in terms of reach, ease of entry and low cost experimentation for an aspiring entrepreneur to fulfill that need. So how do I make the bulk of my money online? They clearly have a need.

Marketing 82

Marketing Private Placement Internet Differentiation 82

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

In fact, SaaS industry revenue is projected to grow from $49 billion in 2015 to $67 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate of approximately eight percent. In the tactics section, list your sales channels and describe how you will be selling your products. Practical Market Research Resources for Entrepreneurs.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2017

Every new business or product owner wants to attract the broadest possible audience, so they are prone to adding more features, multiple sales channels, and appealing to every demographic. Thus one of my key messages to entrepreneurs, as a business advisor and angel investor, is “focus.” Pick a business model that you can best support.

Entrepreneur 159

Entrepreneur Channel Angel Investor Dilution 159

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 17, 2019

Simon Mainwaring, branding expert, and entrepreneur, shares in his Walmart Case Study: The key takeaway is that purpose is essential to the way stakeholders view your brand. Develop a consistent, reliable multi-channel brand. …no one could have foreseen the colossal eCommerce giant it would become.

Social Media 80

Social Media Curation eCommerce Channel 80

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 10, 2016

Most first-time entrepreneurs aren’t prepared for the challenges they will face building a startup, and yet they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. How founders find the determination to push through tough times was the focus on today’s Entrepreneurs are Everywhere radio show. Demoralizing. Jacqueline Ros. Christina Stembel.

Entrepreneur 260

Entrepreneur Cofounder San Francisco Campaign 260

Austin Startup

MARCH 26, 2019

25 questions that DTC entrepreneurs should ask themselves before scaling customer acquisition So you run a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand. To help with that, I’ve created a non-exhaustive list of questions to serve as a lightweight reference sheet for any new DTC entrepreneur. When is the right time to diversify your sales channel mix?

Technical Review 49

Technical Review Software Review China Acquisition 49

Duct Tape Marketing

JULY 9, 2019

Klaviyo is a platform that helps growth-focused eCommerce brands drive more sales with super-targeted, highly relevant email, Facebook and Instagram marketing. Grant Baldwin: Today, we do a little bit more with entrepreneurs and corporations, but really, really enjoy speaking. Back to Podcast. Transcript. Speaking is an absolute blast.

Nashville 64

Nashville Audience Kansas City Hiring 64

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 10, 2016

Most first-time entrepreneurs aren’t prepared for the challenges they will face building a startup, and yet they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. How founders find the determination to push through tough times was the focus on today’s Entrepreneurs are Everywhere radio show. Demoralizing. Jacqueline Ros. Christina Stembel.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Cofounder San Francisco Campaign 120

Up and Running

APRIL 23, 2018

You’re going to become an entrepreneur and start your very own clothing line! A lot of new brands attracted the larger companies to buy the name from the owner and encourage a quick turn around in revenue rather than playing the long game, it varies on your passion and investment in your brand. How will you sell?

eCommerce 90

eCommerce Design Social Media Cost 90