Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Fortunately, in many attractive business domains, including mobile software, Internet apps and ecommerce, the cost of product development is at an all-time low. Business investors and customers want to hear about solutions, and tend to back away from technology, until it is proven.

Angel Investor 256

Angel Investor Early Stage Incubator Government 256

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Fortunately, in many attractive business domains, including mobile software, Internet apps and ecommerce, the cost of product development is at an all-time low. Business investors and customers want to hear about solutions, and tend to back away from technology, until it is proven.

Early Stage 412

Early Stage Angel Investor Incubator Government 412

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. According to Investopedia , over 90 percent of successful businesses currently start this way.

Hockey Stick 423

Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 423

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2020

You have to find or build that engaged community to facilitate a sharing business, which goes well beyond the requirements for an ecommerce or brick-and-mortar business. A business requires a community of advocates and customers who share the same interests and attributes.

Business Model 363

Business Model eCommerce Community Social Media 363

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2020

Don’t believe the myth that all you have to do to get rich is bring up an ecommerce website, and the money rolls in while you sleep. We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business.

eCommerce 335

eCommerce Startup Leadership Revenue 335

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2020

The most common business models these days include the subscription model, freemium model and ecommerce. The financial model obviously has to be built in concert that the overall business and pricing model that you are implementing. Each has a different set of variables for sales, revenue flow, marketing costs and personnel.

Conversion Ratio 308

Conversion Ratio Startup Business Model eCommerce 308

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2019

People can build great ecommerce sites with free tools, smartphone apps in their spare time and use crowdfunding to bypass the dreaded angel funding and venture capital penalties. I always wonder what is more important to them on an ongoing basis than changing the world, since their startups usually never materialize.

Venture Capital 316

Venture Capital eCommerce Entrepreneur Cost 316

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2018

For example, no one learned a couple of decades ago that the biggest opportunities ahead would include social media, ecommerce, and computers on our wrists. The facts, as well as what motivates your peers, customers, and business leaders are changing daily.

eCommerce 212

eCommerce Social Media Technology Demand 212

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2012

eCommerce model. This is a hybrid of the shopkeeper and eCommerce models, in which a company integrates both offline (bricks) and online (clicks) presences. This is the most often attempted and failed business model today on the Internet – all the services are free, and you make money off the online advertising.

Business Model 238

Business Model eCommerce Business Plan Revenue 238

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2011

eCommerce model. This is a hybrid of the shopkeeper and eCommerce models, in which a company integrates both offline (bricks) and online (clicks) presences. This is the most often attempted and failed business model today on the Internet – all the services are free, and you make money off the online advertising.

Business Model 231

Business Model eCommerce Revenue Stock 231

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

Most ecommerce sites highlight this feature. I’m sure it wasn’t early adopters who suggested that Amazon implement a simple “big red button” for a “one-click-buy,” but many experts now attribute huge online growth to this simplification for less tech-savvy customers. Select a single dimension to measure momentum.

Technical Review 400

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Advisory Board Cofounder 400

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Advertising and local business promotions may be adequate in some cases, but others may require a percentage of every transaction, or adding local products and services for an ecommerce model. Every business model has to meet local licensing, taxing, and reporting requirements. Local staffing and clerical requirements must be minimized.

New York City 158

New York City Kansas Advertising Cash Position 158

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2018

Fortunately, in many attractive business domains, including mobile software, Internet apps and ecommerce, the cost of product development is at an all-time low. But to prevent confusion with basic R&D, these costs should never be called out as a major category in your use of funds to investors.

Developer 144

Developer Angel Investor Incubator Early Stage 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

Online and ecommerce businesses are especially attractive here, since they are instantly worldwide and not people-intensive. Potential investors love to see gross margins in the fifty percent range or greater, with recurring revenue through subscriptions, follow-on sales, or services. Team skills depth, domain experience, and track record.

Product 145

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Exit Strategy 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2014

If your kids can use computers by age six, every entrepreneur ought to be able to stay current with the latest social-media marketing and ecommerce technologies. Although technology is getting more pervasive in business, it’s not rocket science. For non-core technical strength, look for outside partners.

Partner 259

Partner Entrepreneur Non-Compete Cofounder 259

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2017

Don’t believe the myth that all you have to do to get rich is bring up an ecommerce website, and the money rolls in while you sleep. We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business.

eCommerce 120

eCommerce Leadership Entrepreneur Revenue 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2012

The cost of entry is so low – you can create a web site for almost nothing - and you are on your way to riches with ecommerce, your latest invention, or personal services. It seems like everyone has an Internet startup these days. But the low cost also means that your competition will also be there in force.

Internet 241

Internet Social Bookmarking Social Media Startup 241

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

That’s the reason why many ecommerce sites feature a house brand, but have partner relationships with logical competitors to attract and cross-sell customers. There's an opportunity for follow-on sales to existing customers. It can create new solutions through integration of competitor features.

Non-disclosure Agreement 120

Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Non-Compete Startup 120

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. According to many experts , over 90 percent of successful businesses currently start this way.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Hockey Stick Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2016

Another is the use of an ecommerce site, rather than retail, to facilitate product sales seven days a week, around the clock and around the world. Choose a business model to optimize your revenue flow and timing. Popular examples include monthly subscription fees and optional service fees, versus one-time product sales.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Social Media Equity eCommerce 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

The cost of entry to entrepreneurship is lower than ever, due to smartphone apps and powerful free tools to create websites and ecommerce offerings. In fact, there is plenty of evidence that too much money can undermine a startup more quickly than squeezing pennies.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Cofounder Equity Agile 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2015

People can build great ecommerce sites with free tools, smartphone apps in their spare time and use crowdfunding to bypass the dreaded angel funding and venture capital penalties. I always wonder what is more important to them on an ongoing basis than changing the world, since their startups usually never materialize.

Venture Capital 120

Venture Capital eCommerce Entrepreneur Cost 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2010

eCommerce model. This is a hybrid of the shopkeeper and eCommerce models, in which a company integrates both offline (bricks) and online (clicks) presences. This is the most often attempted and failed business model today on the Internet – all the services are free, and you make money off the online advertising.

Business Model 120

Business Model eCommerce Revenue Stock 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2019

I can remember when creating a web site for eCommerce could easily require a million dollar investment. Crowd funding is setting new records worldwide, with $17 billion from North America alone, and VCs poured another $100 billion more into small growth companies last year. Cost of entry for a startup is at an all-time low.

North America 320

North America Incubator Initial Public Offering Exit Strategy 320

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Fortunately, in many attractive business domains, including mobile software, Internet apps and ecommerce, the cost of product development is at an all-time low. Business investors and customers want to hear about solutions, and tend to back away from technology, until it is proven.

Product Development 120

Product Development Developer Product Angel Investor 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2017

In my role as advisor to small businesses, I often hear first-hand the challenges and failures of retail store owners who fear the advantages of online and feel the exodus to eCommerce, led by Amazon and Ebay. Test new things and keep testing in your market for things that work.

Customer 130

Customer eCommerce Non-Compete Technical Review 130

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2015

The most common business models these days include the subscription model, freemium model and ecommerce. The financial model obviously has to be built in concert that the overall business and pricing model that you are implementing. Each has a different set of variables for sales, revenue flow, marketing costs and personnel.

Conversion Ratio 120

Conversion Ratio Startup Business Model eCommerce 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2019

Everyone wants to grow and innovate like Amazon these days. From meager beginnings selling books online back in 1994, Amazon is currently the largest e-commerce retailer and cloud computing platform in the world, and now dominates even the giant Walmart.

Artificial Inteligence 222

Artificial Inteligence Agile Technical Review Demand 222

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2018

I can remember when creating a web site for eCommerce could easily require a million dollar investment. Crowd funding is setting new records worldwide, with an additional $34 billion in 2017, and VCs poured around $150 billion more into private growth companies last year. Cost of entry for a startup is at an all-time low.

Entrepreneur 166

Entrepreneur Valuation Incubator Initial Public Offering 166

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2013

I can remember when creating a web site for eCommerce could easily require a million dollar investment. Of course, with more startups, this is still a tough space, with VCs funding only one out of 400 requests they get, and Angels limiting their focus to one out of 40. No wonder 90% of the successful startups still bootstrap.

IPO 273

IPO Entrepreneur Social Media Startup 273

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

In the last few years I have seen a popular business model emerging which embodies a greater focus on social and environmental responsibility, and a new requirement for trust and sharing, as well as customer and community collaboration.

Global 274

Global Business Model Community Channel 274

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2015

I can remember when creating a web site for eCommerce could easily require a million dollar investment. With more startups, angels still limit their focus to about one out of 40 requests. No wonder 90% of the successful startups still bootstrap. Cost of entry for a startup is at an all-time low.

IPO 120

IPO Angel Investor Startup Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2017

With limited resources, you can sell via ecommerce, but it’s much tougher to support retail as well, or hire a direct sales team. For investors, show the depth of your business potential by prioritizing a strategic plan for multiple later phases that capitalize on additional problems you plan to address.

Entrepreneur 159

Entrepreneur Channel Angel Investor Dilution 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2012

When they find how expensive and time consuming this is, they need to use what they have learned from customers to consider a distribution channel, ecommerce, white-labeling the product, and strategic partners. Startups with complex new products always seem to start with direct sales, and building their own brand.

eCommerce 237

eCommerce Channel Differentiation Distribution 237

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2010

When they find how expensive and time consuming this is, they need to use what they have learned from customers to consider a distribution channel, ecommerce, white-labeling the product, and strategic partners. Startups with complex new products always seem to start with direct sales, and building their own brand.

Startup 222

Startup eCommerce Channel Differentiation 222