Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2019

This is essentially a series of interim forecasts not dissimilar from mile-markers in a marathon race that advise whether it’s time to pick up the pace or slow down to smell the roses. First, go for that earned and owned media channel, using the same budget parameters you might have previously allocated for paid media.

Media 238

Media Cost Framework Social Media 238

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2015

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. External investors will demand a financial forecast, but it’s equally valuable to you, even if bootstrapping. Quantify overhead costs.

Forecast 120

Forecast Entrepreneur Burn Rate Widget 120

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Startups wrote business plans, generated expansive 5-year forecasts and executed (hired, spent and built) to the plan. And if their initial guesses were wrong, they needed a process that would permit them to change early on in the product development process when the cost of changes was small – the famed “pivot”. The result?

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

ConversionXL

MARCH 6, 2019

They also come with higher costs and LinkedIn-specific platform limitations. The same video content likely works well in other channels. The growth also outpaced their forecast from the prior year, which suggested that video would reach 17% of digital ad spend by 2021.). LinkedIn video ad costs. Image source ).

Video 129

Video B2B Technical Review Campaign 129

Gust

JUNE 19, 2012

One of my earliest excursions into market research was working for a research firm doing a 1979 forecast on ATMs. The Cost Equation for a Startup is Better Than Ever. Now, with open source software components, and low-cost development tools, the same job can be done by one good hacker for a few thousand dollars.

Startup 180

Startup Forecast Angel Investor Software 180

Up and Running

JULY 5, 2021

While monthly plan reviews are meant for quick, incremental improvements, a mid-year review can be used to update your strategy and forecasts for the remainder of the year. Purchasing technology and platforms will initially cost you but it should pay off in the long run, by saving a substantial amount of time automating tasks.

Technical Review 148

Technical Review SEO Operations Forecast 148

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

To create this first year in business checklist, I turned to our in-house experts here at Palo Alto Software: Sabrina Parsons, CEO; Noah Parsons, COO; Josh Cochrane, Vice President of Product Development; and Josh Fegles, Academic and Government Channel Sales Director, and founder of gluten-free cookie company Jude’s Foods.

Forecast 60

Forecast Software Review Lean Finance 60

Up and Running

JUNE 25, 2020

This means providing resources, hosting webinars , conducting research studies , and even running Q&A’s through your social channels. Consider startup and operational costs , your goals with the expansion, and how long it will take to break even. Lastly, be sure that your new initiative makes sense for your business.

Small Business 180

Small Business Hosting Social Media Community 180

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 23, 2017

An early example occurred in 2010 when UBS Analyst Neil Currie accessed satellite imagery to monitor activity in Walmart parking lots, running the data thru a mathematical regression to translate it into customer activity for better earnings forecasts. the role of SWIFT in international wire transfers).

Technical Review 154

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Software Review IPO 154

Up and Running

JANUARY 15, 2018

You should also include some core financials such as a sales forecast, expense budget, and cash flow forecast. Calculate startup costs. The good news is that startup costs are relatively low, but you will need a few things, so make sure you spend some time thinking through your startup costs. The basics.

Web 86

Web Design Software Review Elevator Pitch 86

Up and Running

OCTOBER 29, 2019

Black Friday is just around the corner, and this is a great time to review your sales forecast goals and develop a strategy to meet them through your holiday campaigns. Remember, it usually costs you a lot more to acquire brand new customers than to retain the ones you have. Send cards or gifts to current and past clients.

Sales 92

Sales Customer Campaign Stock 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2016

The most disruptive products are ones that never existed before, and no forecasts are even available to size the opportunity. Consider Apple’s move into music, telephones, and watches. Compete against non-consumption and non-existing markets. Facebook built the social media market before customers even knew they needed it.

Non-Compete 120

Non-Compete Technical Review Forecast Social Media 120

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

The rising importance of predictive AI-driven analytics became clear, hinting at a future where forecasts will shape decisions. There's so many things now that happen to actually be the more effective marketing tactics and channels that aren't measurable by the tools that most companies use. So that's pretty new.

Metrics 75

Metrics Analytics Forecast Software Review 75

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 10, 2017

The best young leaders know that this situation calls for better attribution measurement and sales funnel tracking, providing insights into the salespeople and channels that are driving the best performance and where the drop-offs are for the laggards. Grow Your Own Network. It’s a win-win.

Leadership 187

Leadership Sales Lead Generation Social Media 187

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 29, 2024

Develop a marketing strategy that leverages both digital and traditional channels. Content marketing, social media, and email campaigns can be cost-effective ways to engage your audience and build brand awareness. This involves careful budgeting, financial forecasting, and cash flow management.

Intellectual Property 131

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Business Model Bootstrapping 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2015

The most disruptive products are ones that never existed before, and no forecasts are even available to size the opportunity. Consider Apple’s move into music, telephones, and watches. Compete against non-consumption and non-existing markets. Facebook built the social media market before customers even knew they needed it.

Marketing 120

Marketing Non-Compete Technical Review Forecast 120

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. If you have manual, low-value processes that can’t be automated, empower your team to outsource this work overseas or to lower-cost areas. And they stick to them.)

Metrics 132

Metrics Campaign Channel Advertising 132

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 2, 2016

Hurricane season is fast approaching and this year’s forecasted storm activity is abnormally high. The Weather Channel predicts 2016’s season will include 14 named storms and eight hurricanes, three of which are likely to be a category three or higher. by Bryan Gregory, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Aldridge.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Forecast Operations Reputation 100

Up and Running

MARCH 26, 2015

It’s a short, effective collection of bullet points, lists, and forecasts, covering all of the functions above: It starts with bullet points for strategy. Think about pricing, channels, social media, launch dates, products, services, features, and so forth. That’s sales forecast, spending budget, and cash flow. Starting costs.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Lean Forecast Balance Sheet 60

The Startup Magazine

JULY 2, 2021

The Marketing Cloud, on the other hand, enables businesses to create data-driven, personalized customer journeys across multiple channels. Providing Accurate Forecasts. With accurate forecasts, your business will be prepared to meet future demands and other customer needs with these extended CRM solutions. Wrapping Up.

Cloud 132

Cloud Forecast Artificial Inteligence Analytics 132

Up and Running

JANUARY 25, 2018

Don’t forget to use social media channels, especially Instagram and Pinterest, to find out more about industry influencers and brands to watch. Start with figuring out everything you need to acquire to get started and what it will cost. List who’s on your team and why.

eCommerce 96

eCommerce Business Plan Audience Lean 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2015

This is essentially a series of interim forecasts not dissimilar from mile-markers in a marathon race that advise whether it’s time to pick up the pace or slow down to smell the roses. First, go for that earned and owned media channel, using the same budget parameters you might have previously allocated for paid media.

Cost 120

Cost Social Media Marketing Framework 120

The Startup Magazine

JULY 18, 2017

They’re demanding, they’re used to fast, easily streamed, top quality, low cost products and top customer service. Finally, there’s the treatment itself, costing 1,500€ with 3 convenient payment options to choose from, but less that traditional orthodontia services. The mobile generation.

Design 62

Design Social Media Technical Review Forecast 62

YoungUpstarts

JULY 15, 2019

Weather forecasts, revenue forecasts, fashion forecasts, and whatnot. Market current and past trends – This will tell you about your buyer personas, cost structures, and product popularity. Industry’s cost structure – In simple words, this factor allows you to estimate the cost of making a sale.

Analytics 113

Analytics Marketing Forecast Demand 113

Up and Running

MAY 12, 2020

Can I afford the cost of any adjustments that need to be made? With fill in the blank templates, powerful financial forecasting tools, and lender approved pitch designs you’ll go from template to a full business plan in no time. . Is there a space I can make “my own” in my home? Is there enough physical space?

Software Review 153

Software Review Exit Strategy Technical Review Business Plan 153

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2016

See Also: A Complete Guide to Forecasting Sales for Your Monthly Subscription (SaaS) Business. Your customer acquisition cost and lifetime value are the two magical numbers you need to calculate for each one of your campaigns. Cost of Acquisition (CAC): The total cost of acquiring a user through a given channel.

Revenue 60

Revenue Acquisition Channel Campaign 60

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2017

From my perspective, projecting financial returns is part of the homework every business person needs to do in sizing customer opportunity, product costs, pricing, competition and customer value, before expending their own resources in a highly risky venture. Per-unit cost less your cost per unit sold is your gross profit margin.

Burn Rate 144

Burn Rate Forecast Angel Investor Revenue 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2013

Projecting the financials should be the last step of your business plan preparation, since it assumes you already know the opportunity size, customer buying habits, pricing, costs, and competition. Unless your volumes are in the millions or higher, the difference between manufacturing cost and customer price better be 50% or greater.

Forecast 238

Forecast Business Plan Burn Rate .Net 238

Duct Tape Marketing

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

Does that muddy up the forecasting, the models, or the accounting? [12:31] But being able to tie it back to objectives and forecasts and whatnot is obviously a piece that many business owners just don't have the desire or the wherewithal to figure out. That's a higher, that's a much higher risk when you pull in a fixed cost.

CPA 73

CPA Technical Review Revenue Forecast 73

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 14, 2011

First up, Girish Mathrubootham from Chennai, India, presented Freshdesk , a SaaS solution for multi-channel customer support including knowledge base and social CRM support. The majority of the discussion was about go-to-market strategy, channels and regulatory issues. It's a very impressive concept, to say the least!

India 126

India Technical Review Entrepreneur Silicon Valley 126

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2018

Communication channels themselves can foster a toxic culture. You can stay on top of your financials, comparing your forecast to actuals using simple Excel spreadsheets, but a financial dashboard tool that integrates with your cloud accounting solution can make it easier and save you time. Maintain strict budgets.

Software Review 78

Software Review Technical Review Retention Startup 78

Gust

MAY 29, 2012

I want a forecast that starts with specifics like channels or traffic and conversions or segments and builds up. I hate the forecast that assets some huge market and takes a small percentage of it. Often this is part of a good forecast. I want unit economics. I want realistic expenses.

Business Plan 174

Business Plan Forecast Channel Cost 174

ReadWriteStart

JULY 18, 2011

Every company has a forecast for how it will get to an arbitrary $100 million in revenue and they all hit it on year five. That will come at the cost of another 20 to 25% of the company. A stupid mistake made early could cost you millions of dollars down the road. Each of those factors are treated as go/no-go conditions.

Investment Bankers 153

Investment Bankers Technical Review Cofounder Due Diligence 153

Up and Running

APRIL 13, 2021

I used plan vs. actual analysis once a month, comparing forecasts and budgets to actual results since I started Palo Alto Software back in the 1980s. And nowadays you can get Microsoft Excel for about what a lunch costs per month, and Google Sheets — a competent alternative — for free. Forecasting and budget math is usually simple.

Forecast 147

Forecast Matching Balance Sheet Software Review 147

Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

The only exceptions that come to mind are if the IP seems likely to provoke costly litigation, costs too much to develop, or taints the startup with some kind of ties to other ventures or people that give it a checkered past. Financial, technical and operational plans and forecasts of all kinds (trade secret).

Intellectual Property 143

Intellectual Property IP Startup United States 143

OnlyOnce

JULY 9, 2013

Chapter 2: Defining and Testing the Story…Start Out By Admitting You’re Wrong, A Lean Business Plan Template, Problem, Solution, Key Metrics, Unique Value Proposition and Unfair Advantages, Channels, Customer Segments, Cost Structure and Revenue Streams. Budgeting in a Context of Uncertainty, Forecast, Early and Often.

Startup 95

Startup Advisory Board Elevator Pitch Forecast 95

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2012

I want a forecast that starts with specifics like channels or traffic and conversions or segments and builds up. I hate the forecast that assets some huge market and takes a small percentage of it. Often this is part of a good forecast. I want unit economics. I want realistic expenses.

Business Plan 145

Business Plan Forecast Channel Cost 145