Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2011

First things first – your startup needs a name! The name of your business has a tremendous impact on how customers and investors view you, and in today’s small world, it’s a world-wide decision. Here are some key things I look for in the name, with some help from Alex Frankel and others: Unique and unforgettable. Give a clue.

Naming 271

Naming Cofounder Algorithm .Net 271

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2021

This is the classic pyramid scheme where you get an email with a list of names, asked to send a few dollars to the person at the top of the list, add your own name, and forward the updated list to a number of other people, resulting in a huge return to you. Delete the message. Chain emails leading to a windfall.

Technical Review 371

Technical Review Due Diligence Non-disclosure Agreement Term Sheet 371

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2013

I’m sure you have all been frustrated at least once by not being able to get the Internet domain name you want for your company. Who owns all of these names, and should you ever buy one for a premium? I suggest following these steps to get the name you need for your business: First pick the right company and matching domain name.

Naming 219

Naming Startup Matching Internet 219

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2023

In my own experience with technical startup founders, I still find it hard to name one who was also good, or even interested in financials or business operations. I recommend a personal SWOT analysis first – find your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Then pursue the people and education you need to build a winning business.

Technical Review 373

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Entrepreneur 373

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2015

Every new baby gets a name before it is introduced to the world, and yet some entrepreneurs continue to send me business plans with TBD (to be determined) in place of a business name on the front page. Your business name will have the same impact on potential customers. Tricky spellings send customers to competitors.

Naming 120

Naming Social Media Internet Cost 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These days, it is almost impossible to find a small business where everything is done by full-time employees, in the office or at home.

Cost 346

Cost Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder 346

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2010

First things first – your startup needs a name! The name of your business has a tremendous impact on how customers and investors view you, and in today’s small world, it’s a world-wide decision. Here are some key things I look for in the name, with some help from Alex Frankel and others: Unique and unforgettable. Give a clue.

Naming 230

Naming Cofounder Algorithm .Net 230

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2022

There seems to be an insatiable demand from consumers for a better shopping experience, meaning they will pay a premium to a company that can present them a better match in products to their interests, without jeopardizing their good name.

Technical Review 342

Technical Review Customer Social Network Software Review 342

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Until the company name is a famous brand, you are the brand. No name, picture, address, or business history only convinces customers that you are hiding, located in an un-trustable country, or don’t have a clue. What validates credibility and makes your site memorable in the minds of consumers, and how much does it cost?

Affiliate 221

Affiliate Advertising Technical Review Social Network 221

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2023

A simple test is to see if you can quickly name your top three priorities, and if every team member is able to respond quickly with the same three. Thus the first and top focus for every entrepreneur should be on strategy. The strategy needs to be simple, written down, and communicated regularly to the entire team.

Startup 287

Startup Bandwidth Distribution Agile 287

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2021

There is a reason that sites like Priceline.com Europe and Facebook, which everyone believes were made popular by viral marketing, have spent at least $50 million each becoming a household name.

Viral 348

Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 348

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Less tangible assets like the brand name, business relationships, and even your reputation may be lost or damaged. This is not a recommended strategy, since business shutdowns are usually seen as distressed situations, meaning the value of hard assets will be highly discounted.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Here are the key elements: Company name. The company name becomes your intellectual property at the moment you incorporate your startup as an LLC or a Corporation. Sole proprietorships need to trademark the name to protect it. Select it well – marketers will tell you that you will be selling your name, more than your products.

Intellectual Property 363

Intellectual Property Portfolio Valuation Non-disclosure Agreement 363

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2020

A simple test is to see if you can quickly name your top three priorities, and if every team member is able to respond quickly with the same three. Thus the first and top focus for every entrepreneur should be on strategy. The strategy needs to be simple, written down, and communicated regularly to the entire team.

Startup 424

Startup Bandwidth Distribution Agile 424

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2023

No matter how talented you are, it doesn’t matter unless managers can see those talents and think of you as an invaluable employee, or a game-changing manager, or the person whose name is synonymous with success.

Technical Review 292

Technical Review Social Network Reputation Cofounder 292

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2020

If you think about it, most of the influential names in the entrepreneur world today, including Elon Musk and Richard Branson, have each started many companies, learning from each, and fully recognizing that not all are destined to be remembered. I’m now convinced that serious entrepreneurs relish the startup process more than success.

Entrepreneur 329

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Stealth Angel Investor 329

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2019

We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These days, it is almost impossible to find a small business where everything is done at the home location, by full-time employees.

Entrepreneur 303

Entrepreneur Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder 303

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Pick a name, location, and marketing strategy early. Names and taglines are critical to success. Make sure the name and trademarks you want are available, as well as web site address, social media tags, and any other intellectual property. I can’t emphasize enough how important a name can be.

Intellectual Property 245

Intellectual Property Social Media Angel Investor Metrics 245

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 31, 2014

This is simple in concept, but requires real effort and can be time consuming, and even expensive, if someone gets there before you and tries to sell you the rights to your preferred business or personal domain name. Sites like Pinterest , Instagram , and YouTube allow users to create and share photos and videos, and create short profiles.

Reputation 248

Reputation Affiliate Technical Review Social Network 248

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

Less tangible assets like the brand name, business relationships, and even your reputation may be lost or damaged. This is not a recommended strategy, since business shutdowns are usually seen as distressed situations, meaning the value of hard assets will be highly discounted.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2021

I still remember my disappointment the first time I published my website, did an immediate Google search on the name, and it said my company didn’t exist. Here are a few: Register domain name and set up hosting. There are many practical reasons for going to work early on your web site. Websites do take time to get done right.

Web 349

Web Viral Naming Internet 349

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2019

This is the classic pyramid scheme where you get an email with a list of names, asked to send a few dollars to the person at the top of the list, add your own name, and forward the updated list to a number of other people, resulting in a huge return to you. Delete the message. Chain emails leading to a windfall.

Technical Review 228

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Term Sheet 228

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

But whatever the name, the opportunity is still there, and it’s large. Some experts group predictive analytics in the new term “business analytics” intending to define an umbrella group including data warehousing, business intelligence, enterprise information management, enterprise performance management, and analytic applications.

Analytics 248

Analytics Retention Social Media Startup 248

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

Can you name the top three candidates for key roles in your organization? Don’t let promotions and succession planning be driven only by your HR function. Everyone, including your Board, should have a role. Make sure internal top performers are vetted, as well as outside candidates.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Social Media 312

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

Anchor the blog in your domain name. If you do have a separate web domain name, like ‘www.domainname.com’, then your blog name should be the domain name suffix ‘/blog’ or ‘blog.domainname.com’. You should also submit your blog name to directories such as Blogarama and Best of the Web Blogs. Leverage blog content.

Social Network 337

Social Network Web Search Engineer 337

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2013

Until the company name is a famous brand, you are the brand. No name, picture, address, or business history only convinces customers that you are hiding, located in an un-trustable country, or don’t have a clue. What validates credibility and makes your site memorable in the minds of consumers, and how much does it cost?

Startup 263

Startup Affiliate Advertising Technical Review 263

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2011

Almost every startup is a virtual team these days, since most don’t start out with dedicated office space, and some or all members of the team work part-time or out of their own home. It’s a small world, so these team members may not even be in the same town, or the same country.

Naming 248

Naming Global Technology Founder 248

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Until the company name is a famous brand, you are the brand. No name, picture, address, or business history only convinces customers that you are hiding, located in an un-trustable country, or don’t have a clue. What validates credibility and makes your site memorable in the minds of consumers, and how much does it cost?

Affiliate 136

Affiliate Advertising Technical Review Social Network 136

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Outsource providers will adopt your company name when they interact with others, and their expertise can help you overcome the hesitation of some clients to do business with small and new businesses. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced. Outsourcing can give your startup a more mature image.

Technical Review 308

Technical Review Due Diligence Startup Employee 308

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2011

With the advent of social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, Internet usage has totally morphed, from a serious business medium, to a social and fun medium that still means business. Regular people now build business applications with “mashup” technology, rather than hiring programmers.

Social Network 239

Social Network Networking Naming California 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2022

But it does mean that you think about the global implications at every step of the process: Pick your company and product names carefully. Don’t pick a name for your company or product that has a negative or totally different meaning in another language. Anticipate greater growth outside of North America.

Global 266

Global North America Intellectual Property Offshore 266

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2013

The result is we can’t find key names and phone numbers quickly when we really need them, and the data is outdated for the ones we do find. I did find a package named Copy2Contact , which can save you lots of cutting and pasting. The solution is simple to define. They consider such data proprietary. Even email is a problem.

Software Review 249

Software Review Social Network Software Email 249

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2014

Here are the key steps for a personal home-based business website selling your consulting service or a few products (as an alternative to eBay): Go online to reserve a website domain name. The cost for the domain name is maybe $10/year, and the hosting starts around $50/year. Start simple. Download free website tools.

Startup 252

Startup eCommerce Hosting Bootstrapping 252

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2020

No matter how talented you are, it doesn’t matter unless managers can see those talents and think of you as an invaluable employee, or a game-changing manager, or the person whose name is synonymous with success.

Startup 331

Startup Technical Review Social Network Reputation 331

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2012

Until the company name is a famous brand, you are the brand. No name, picture, address, or business history only convinces customers that you are hiding, located in an un-trustable country, or don’t have a clue. What validates credibility and makes your site memorable in the minds of consumers, and how much does it cost?

Entrepreneur 241

Entrepreneur Affiliate Advertising Technical Review 241

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

There is a reason that sites like Priceline.com Europe and Facebook, which everyone believes were made popular by viral marketing, have spent at least $50 million each becoming a household name.

Viral 268

Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 268

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Test your own willingness and ability to create a new business by creating a website, acquiring a domain name, and an LLC name that projects the right message. Make sure you can get consistent names on Twitter, Facebook, and other key social media sites. Establish a legal presence and intent via the Internet.

Silicon Valley 286

Silicon Valley Angel Investor LLC Incubator 286