10 Best Blogs For Business Advice

Question: What’s your favorite blog for Internet-based business advice?

Start with SEOMoz

“The Daily SEO Blog from SEOMoz is filled with articles on marketing, brand building, community management and more. The company embraces transparency and often shares their own strategies and metrics to better help other online companies. Using the advice from the SEOMoz blog, we’ve managed to increase our traffic by 10 times in the past year. Thank you, SEOMoz!”

– Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

Opt Into Unbounce

“What Oli Gardner and his team have built with the Unbounce blog is amazing. This is my favorite because they have incredibly useful infographics on the process of internet marketing. Very few blogs go as in-depth on internet marketing as Unbounce. Make sure you check out their “Noob Guide to Online Marketing,” which is a great cheat sheet to continuously grow your company’s brand online.”

– Lawrence Watkins | Founder & CEO, Great Black Speakers

Make Use of Mixergy

“I love these targeted interviews from Mixergy that I can watch with Andrew Warner and his guests. Generic advice just isn’t as valuable, and being able to watch the guest adds another dimension. The interviews are inspiring and always leave me with ideas, tactics and strategies to implement in my business.”

– Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Learn From @ASmartBear

“@ASmartBear is a really insightful blog for startup entrepreneurs, founders and CEOs with a focus on marketing and customer acquisition. Jason Cohen, the author of the blog, previously built a multi-million dollar company without VC money, and then sold it for cash.”

– Matt Mickiewicz | Co-Founder, Flippa and 99designs

Anita Loomba for More Media

“Anita Loomba has created a fantastic social media and online marketing blog that displays visual infographics and provides relevant and valuable information for anyone looking for ways to get a handle on their social media. You can subscribe to her blog through email too, which helps when you’re on the go and not at your computer!”

– Stacey Ferreira | Co-Founder and Vice President, MySocialCloud

The @KISSmetrics Marketing Blog

“The @KISSmetrics Marketing Blog has some of the best Internet marketing advice I have ever found. They are wonderful about breaking down complex techniques into step-by-step instructions. It’s one of the few business blogs online where I don’t feel like I have wasted 10 minutes of my life, reading the same old advice rehashed over and over again, like elsewhere!”

– Seth Kravitz | CEO, Technori

Find Fred Wilson on AVC

“Fred Wilson, a VC and principal at Union Square Ventures, has a daily blog called AVC that he has written for years. His posts are insightful (check out the archives too!), but even more valuable is the comments section, which often runs hundreds of comments deep. Each post is a dense discussion of savvy Internet-based business advice from entrepreneurs, VCs, marketers, sales folks and more.”

– Aaron Schwartz | Founder and CEO, Modify Watches

Vin Vacanti’s How To Make It as a First-Time Entrepeneur

“Yipit co-founder and CEO Vin Vacanti writes a blog that is full of thoughtful, honest, actionable and inspiring lessons. Especially relevant to the first-time entrepreneur, but really relevant to just about anyone, each of Vin’s posts is a winner.”

– Derek Flanzraich | CEO and Founder, Greatist

Peek Into PandoDaily

“PandoDaily offers a great alternative to actual insightful news in the Silicon Valley, and the interview they do with prominent investors and founders are great for interesting insights and learnings.”

– Jesse Pujji | CEO, Ampush

Read Neil Patel at Quick Sprout

“Big supporter of Neil Patel’s blog at Quick Sprout. He consistently publishes high-quality, resourceful articles on Internet-based advice. Definitely recommend following it.”

– Ben Lang | Founder, Mapped In Israel

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

Startup Tips: 4 Ways To Defuse An Awkward Business Situation

As female entrepreneurs under the age of 30, my business partner Brittany and I have found ourselves in our fair share of uncomfortable situations. From being carded at client dinners, to being asked if we were the sales girls, our looks and gender have never gone unnoticed by clients.

Since starting the company in January 2011, we have found that no one wants an awkward situation to blow over faster than the person who just made the ultimate blunder. Instead of mumbling “awkward turtle” or cringing at the ordeal, we have discovered another approach that works every time: light-hearted laughter! Spinning the situation from an uncomfortable exchange to a talking point will endear clients. They will appreciate that you didn’t harp on their misstep.

Below are a few maneuvers we’ve used in less-than-ideal situations that left us feeling more like Michael Jordan going for the slam dunk, instead of the towel boy:

Awkward Encounter #1: Founder Faux Pas

Client: “It has been great to meet with you ladies. We are looking forward to meeting with your upper management next week.”
‘ZinePak Response: Brittany: “Kim, are you free next week?”
Kim: “For these guys, I’m sure I can work something out. You?”
Brittany: “Yes, I’m great. Congratulations gentleman, the founders of the company are totally available for a meeting next week as long as you bring the coffee.”

Why It Works: You are letting your client know where you stand in the company hierarchy without belittling them. This proves helpful for the future as the client is more likely to only reach out to you when there is high-level question or concern instead of a task that one of the team members under you can handle.

Awkward Encounter #2: Whose Daughter Are You?

Client: “Oh, you are Kim and Brittany?! How did you get this meeting? Do one of your fathers work here or something?”
‘ZinePak Response: “I can see that our reputation preceded us as opposed to our dashing looks, and I can’t be mad about that! Our fathers don’t work here but we know a few dads in the building who have worked with us in the past and think we are pretty awesome. Does that count?”

Why It Works: Establishing presence within a company is paramount. By letting this person know that you have done deals within the company allows them to mentally put you into a “recommended” grouping in their mind. This also gives them the opportunity to ask you, “Who else have you worked with?,” hopefully giving them a way to change the conversation since their first sentenced started out with a less then positive tone!

Awkward Encounter #3: Your ID, Please

We’re at a client dinner when the waiter so eloquently asks: “Can I see your ID, miss?”
‘ZinePak Response: “I keep forgetting to tell my Botox team and plastic surgeon to take it easy. Next thing you know, I won’t be able to buy a lotto ticket!”

Why It Works: You are showing your client that you recognize your young age and embrace it in a humorous way. This lets them know that you aren’t trying to be something you’re not by dressing or acting differently. This amount of comfort with your client will allow a friendly, low-key, and no-fuss atmosphere to flourish.

Awkward Encounter #4: Mistaken Identity

We’re out with a client when a stranger refers to me or Brittany or being the client’s daughter/little sister.
‘ZinePak Response: “I wish I could get an ounce of their good looks! Sadly, this is just my client. Instead of sharing a gene pool we share projects and contracts.”

Why It Works: Show me a person who doesn’t like a compliment and I will show you a world-class fibber! First-class flattery isn’t dead as long as it is done in a sincere (and not creepy!) way. Whether it is complimenting someone on a new suit or haircut, going back to business basics is never out of style.

Just remember that at the end of the day, it is best to always be true to yourself. Brittany and I don’t try to pile on makeup or add enough hair spray to make us look older. We just put all of our focus on the most important thing: our work! Clients care that the work we put in front of them is creative and dynamic, and not about how many wrinkle lines they can make out on our foreheads.

Kim Kaupe is the co-founder of ‘ZinePak, a custom publication company that creates engaging fan packages for entertainers, brands, and celebrities. She graduated with a BA in Marketing from The University of Florida in 2008 and roots loyally for her Gators. Most recently, she and her business partner Brittany Hodak were named to Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 List for 2013.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

The Wildly Successful Marketing Secrets of Startups

Typically, startups are lean, with a limited supply of money, talent, and time, meaning they don’t have resources to throw around willy-nilly. While this can induce panicky feelings for a lot of business owners, the upside is that it automatically forces burgeoning startups to wield the resources they do have sharply and intelligently.

This balancing act can get a bit tricky when it comes to marketing, because the internet has enabled an absolutely ludicrous array of options, opinions, and ideas to spring up. Get a website up! Contact investors! Use Pinterest! Start a YouTube channel! It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer scope of modern marketing and completely lose your head.

But focus! There are simple rules to keep in mind to craft the best marketing plan possible that fits your business. Any company’s product or service is built around a specific target audience, right? No matter how long your company’s been around or how much money it brings in, make sure your marketing is specifically targeted to your demographic as well, or it will flounder. While keeping in mind that your approach should be tailored to suit your audience, use these tips to make your marketing the best it can be!

Follow Mint’s Shining Example

Mint, a personal financial management service started in 2006, was built around the young professional demographic their chief marketer, Noah Kegan, thought was being neglected, and they aimed their content marketing accordingly with huge success. Behold, their secrets…Quality Content

Take a look at their MintLife blog yourself, and tell me if you don’t get sucked in by their entertaining, oh-so-easy-on-the-eyes infographics, and their friendly, direct, and helpful writing. Mint made sure to only engage quality writers and illustrators, both in-house and freelance. A lot of companies trip themselves up by going for quantity over quality and turning off many potential customers with low-grade content.

Remember that while quality content marketing may be a long game, it yields undeniable results.

Variety of Content

Knowing well how to appeal to their customer base of young internet-savvy professionals, Mint uses a variety of media to engage and hold their interest. Their blog doesn’t have just articles, but also videos, infographics, and slideshows, which keeps their site fresh and a pleasure to share with others.

Social Channels

To build up trust, Mint spread their content out to well-known social channels like Digg and Reddit and even more commendably, did it well. For the uninitiated, these social sharing sites can be tricky to navigate and come out the other end with positive feedback, especially Reddit. Mint managed to pull it off by genuinely engaging with readers of both sites. (Hint:don’t be spammy.)

Metrics

Mint also relentlessly used carefully selected metrics to track the reactions to their content, and then used that knowledge to pursue what was working and drop what wasn’t. This means they were constantly improving on what they’d done before.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking the benefits of quality content marketing is a one-way street. Content marketing benefits your company hugely as well, by allowing you to engage intelligently and consistently with your community, and make sure you are always thinking about next steps to self-improve and evolve.

Quality content marketing is infectious. Heck, sometimes I’ll sign up for a service I might not even use, just because of how appreciative I am for that company’s content. Simply signing up for their service makes me more likely to be a paying customer in the future or pass along word of it to others who may convert to profitable users themselves. The same principle applies to the pricing of e-books which (at an average of $3-4) sell for drastically cheaper than paper books. Why is that? Even if customers don’t actually read the book, the low price means they don’t have much to lose in purchasing it, and just the simple act of acquisition means you are more likely to spread the word to other potential customers.

Be Creative

Don’t limit yourself in the terms of how you interact with your user base. In a sea of businesses and other startups jockeying for recognition, why should they choose you? Stand out (in a good way) and your audience will be delighted with and appreciate your extra effort.

Be Thoughtful

Consider your future courses of action carefully. Letting your ideas incubate and then acting accordingly will benefit you much more than trying out new fads at random. Having a smart team with similar values and a solid grasp on what’s important to your company’s growth really helps with this.

Be Aggressive

Don’t be afraid to really put yourself out there. You have a lot of competition, after all, and you won’t reach your goals by being passive in your efforts.

Always Fine-tune

Pursue strategies that have proven results and prune out what isn’t working. This will keep your company a solid marketing foundation to build off of and keep operations efficient.

In the end, it simply comes down to being a valued resource, which means being trusted, reliable, smart, entertaining, and helpful.

Christine Beuhler is a regular contributor to Markerly’s blog. Markerly is a content agency that connects your brand to influencers.

How to Ensure Your Employees’ Productivity

The last thing any employer wants is to have a workforce that puts procrastination over productivity. Unfortunately there are just some employees who are going to push against that envelope at every chance they get. It’s one thing if you have someone who works best under pressure and can still turn out a fantastic product reliably in a short time frame. It’s another if that someone is simply easily distracted or doesn’t mind producing a lackluster product and would rather spend time playing games on Steam.

So what do you do? How do you make sure that your employees stay on track?

1. Monitoring Software

Some companies will install monitoring software that will allow them to “log in” and see what any employee is doing at any given time. If you have some particularly problematic employees, this might be a good way to “catch them in the act.” Another good way to go is to use Network Monitoring Tools that track and record details like traffic, resource allotment, etc. This way, even if someone minimizes a window when you walk by (or in case you “log in”) you can see how much bandwidth they are using. If you know the volume of resources they should be using, telling who is spending more time surreptitiously watching YouTube will be obvious.

2. Regular Reviews

Performance appraisals (some employers choose to call them, simply, Performance Reviews) are a great way to improve employee productivity (nobody wants a bad review!). The trick is to have them regularly. Most employers will only do them once every twelve months because, frankly, most employers hate doing performance reviews more than the employees! It’s better to have them at least every six months. If you have the time or your employee pool is small enough, having them every three months can keep productivity levels high. It also helps you maintain contact and keep tabs on how your business as a whole. It is helpful, particularly if you are going to have them more often, to strive for an informal and conversational style. Encourage feedback from your employees as well as asking them to accept the feedback you give to them.

3. Provide Helpful Tools

There are lots of different productivity apps out there that you (and your employees) can use to help manage time, stay on task and increase productivity. Embrace the technology and implement it on all of your work-related machines. Foot the bill for the better, and more expensive, apps so that your employees don’t have to.

4. Offer Great Benefits

In addition to basic health care benefits, other benefits like company cars (or gas allowances), free childcare (or as close to free as you can offer it), paid kid sick days and allowing employees to telecommute when they need to can all help improve your employees’ productivity. Why? Who would want to risk losing a job with all of those sweet benefits? Further, those benefits help your employees relax while they are on the job. That relaxation feeds into their desire to give their best performance at work. Everybody wins.

There are lots of ways to incentivize your employees to stay on task and to be as productive as possible. The hardest thing is not deciding whether or not to offer those incentives but which incentives you want to focus on.

Kelly Jane Brown is an aspiring writer, entrepreneur and student at UCLA.

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Five Technology Must-Haves for Your Startup

Each year, nearly 20 percent of small businesses stop operating temporarily, and this interruption results in significant revenue loss for 68 percent of owners. Of those, 40 percent will never resume operations, Capstone Technologies reports. As a small business owner, it’s vital you invest in technology that you can rely on. Implement the latest tech solutions that will grow with your company, help you maximize your resources and facilitate a healthy and vibrant business for years to come.

Consult With a Tech Professional

If you can afford it, purchase a technology consultation from a professional who specializes in your field or type of business. Consultant fees are approximately $100 per hour and include an assessment of your company’s needs today and into the future. You can find a referral at Microsoft’s Small Business Specialist Program. Common small business technology decisions you would discuss with a consultant include:

Hardware processing speed and storage capacity
Analog and Internet-based telephone systems
Customer service and professional services software
An in-house server for website hosting and data storage or outsourced and cloud technology
Mobile phones and tablets
A business network
Wireless Internet service
Security software
Bring your own device (BYOD) consultation
Website design and Internet marketing technology

Internet Access

High-speed Internet service is the most reliable and cost-efficient online access model. Most systems are similar; however, some regions only offer a few options, and a consultant or review website will help you compare. A broadband service is the fastest and includes:

Fiber optic service (FiOS): the fastest, but has limited availability
Cable broadband: the next speediest option, but may operate more slowly during peak Internet times, because the connection is shared with other users in your area
DSL: relatively fast, but slower as the distance from the server increases

In a rural area, you may need to use satellite Internet such as Hughesnet Gen4, or a mobile wireless system such as Clear.

Computer Hardware

A basic computer needs approximately 4GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive and a 3GHZ processor. An 18-inch or larger monitor is an inexpensive upgrade that will help employees avoid tired and strained eyes.

Data Storage

Cloud technology for data storage can save your business a lot of trouble in the case of an emergency or server crash. It is safe, easily accessible and inexpensive. Most services allow you to limit access to files and come with sharing options that enable users to edit and replace files. It also tracks user activity for added security. Dropbox has a business version with low fees and graduated data capacity options.

Portable Digital Devices

Smartphones, tablets and laptops are prevalent in today’s business world. You may decide to save money and allow employees to use their own phone or other mobile device, but there are some potential legal ramifications, such as unlawful use with “sexting” and other forms of unsanctioned communication that your company could be liable for. If you do allow BYOD, make sure you establish a firm BYOD policy.

Website with Mobile Options

A high-quality website is a significant investment. It is probably the most important communications and ecommerce tool you have. Hire a professional website development team with a solid reputation. Ask them to explain the features you need and the latest design advancements, including responsive design (design that resizes the site for viewing on mobile devices). Mobile search is growing—Google reports that 67 percent of users search and make purchases from mobile devices.

A basic website can range from $5,000 to $10,000, while a responsive design website can range from $15,000 to $25,000. Responsive features cannot be added to a standard website later, but if you cannot afford a responsive site, you can purchase a mobile website that costs as little as $13 per month. A mobile site is a simplified version of your website with large buttons and fewer columns for the mobile user’s ease of use.

Jack Wilson manages multiple corporate design projects by day, while fitting in some part-time freelance writing by night.

5 Strategies for a Carbon-Neutral Startup

The fact that the business industry is trending towards actively incorporating more sustainable business practices is no secret. Consumer interest and the possibility of increased profit margins are demanding it. Making an effort to reduce harmful emissions, curb energy consumption, and eliminate waste has turned out to be excellent opportunities for small businesses to build customer loyalty and lower operating costs at the same time.

Start measuring. Start saving

One way to dramatically decrease the carbon footprint your business will develop over time is to get serious about your energy consumption from the start. One way to effectively maintain low operating costs is to effectively manage how much energy your business consumes regularly.

Fortunately there are energy monitoring systems available that provide in-depth tracking of how much electricity your home or office consumes daily and can provide you with actionable data, accessible from anywhere, that helps you make smart business decisions concerning your energy needs.

Cut costs by using less paper

If a typical office worker uses approximately 10,000 sheets of paper each year then going paperless will naturally help lower your operating costs and improve your environmental standing. So before you go out and purchase tons of paper or start printing invoices and customer data consider one of the many paperless options available that make retrieving, sharing ,and transferring files and information more convenient and also boosts employee productivity and the overall efficiency of your business in the process.

Is “work from anywhere” right for your business?

There is an increasing trend of companies that are promoting a “work from anywhere” culture in to their structure. With the help of technology, accomplishing work-related tasks from a mobile location is not just easy, it’s pretty commonplace. Employees can easily participate in video conference calls, respond to emails, and complete sales on the go. All of these options make it possible for savvy business owners to lower the expense of maintaining office space and at the same time allow more flexibility with employee schedules.

Take advantage of Software as a Service (SaaS)

Taking advantage of internet-based software and cloud applications can also greatly reduce the impact your startup has on the environment. For example, using Quickbooks online for your accounting needs and Adobe Creative Cloud for your design needs eliminates the need the need to purchase multiple software licenses in order to grow your business.

Many businesses are finding value in software as a service (SaaS) products, and not just because they can significantly reduce operating costs. Many small business owners are jumping on the bandwagon because these platforms can significantly reduce carbon footprints by all but eliminating IT support costs since hardware and software maintenance for your business applications is outsourced to the vendor.

Buy recycled and reuse often

Taking advantage of recycled office supplies is another highly effective way to launch a more sustainable business. Items like ink toner, cartridges, and most paper products can be recycled at no cost to you. Even outdated electronics can be recycled, regardless of brand or condition.

Because the materials used don’t have to be harvested or refined a second time adopting a policy of reusing items like binders, paper clips and bubble mailers and also purchasing office supplies made from recycled materials will definitely have an appreciative impact on your bottom line.

Although many of the carbon offsetting initiatives in use today undoubtedly require a financial investment upfront, they will nevertheless pay for themselves in a relatively short amount of time and increase the flexibility and productivity of your business along with it.

Zoe Maldonado is a blogger for TechBreach and enjoys writing about all things mobile and electronic and spending time with her very active twin boys.

How to Get Inspiration from Your Family

There was a time when people were born into occupations. Craftsmen spent long apprenticeships learning a trade, inside and out. Though times have changed, businesses born from family traditions are still thriving all over the world.

These businesses are special because they have roots. For my family, it was baseball. My dad took our love of baseball and turned it into J&B Baseball Cards. My dad was willing to invest his hard-earned money in something I was passionate about, and his example was instrumental in my decision to start my own business as an adult.

What You Have to Offer

If your family’s hobby, tradition, or “secret recipe” is something others find valuable and would pay for, it could lead to a profitable business. You’ve lived and breathed it your whole life, so you probably do it better than anyone else. Here are some examples of small family businesses I’ve seen that have the potential to be lucrative:

Homemade Goods: We had Amish neighbors who were amazing cooks, and they had a nice little side business selling their food to the public. Artisan goods are hot right now, and it’s easy to get involved with your local farmer’s market to sell jams, jellies, pies, etc.

Pet Services: We recently bought a puppy and have been learning how to train him by watching video tutorials. It’s a tough job, but if you love animals, you can run a side business training puppies, walking dogs, or even grooming pets.

Landscaping: My best friend learned the hard work required for a business from his father, and when he was 16, he fell in love with landscaping. Now, he’s one of the best landscape designers in the Midwest. If you know what grows well in your region and don’t mind hard work, landscaping can be a profitable family business.

Admittedly, these are more small businesses than global, scalable startups. But, with a little thought and innovation, it wouldn’t be hard to turn your family hobby into a global brand. It worked for Wal-Mart, Mattel, and Whole Foods.

Why It’s Viable

The key to viability is demand from others combined with the ability to provide a solution to a hungry market. There are two distinct advantages to creating a startup from a family tradition:

Experience: Research conducted by Anders Ericsson indicates it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice for someone to become an expert at something. When you start a business from a family tradition, especially if you’ve been immersed in it since childhood, you’ve dedicated the time necessary to learn and experience it deeply, and that puts you a step ahead of the competition.
Budget: Tight budgets are a reality for almost every startup. However, when you have the experience of a tradition, you can avoid major expenses, such as research on the trade itself. You already know the pitfalls to avoid and have likely determined the most cost-efficient materials or resources.

How to Get Started

The good news is that people want to buy local to support family businesses in their community. If you’re ready to try your hand at a tradition-born business, follow these three tips for success:

1. Start Small: Try to make your first dollar in the early stages, and don’t invest thousands in building something you’re not sure others want. Make your offering available to the public, make a small investment, and see where it goes.
2. Keep Quiet: It’s natural to want to tell people when you’re excited, but be careful about deluging people with your enthusiasm. Some people may try to discourage you, but it’s important to believe in yourself and your idea.
3. Have Fun: When you make something a business, you can lose sight of what you loved about it in the first place. Don’t forget to have fun. Involve your family in certain areas so they’re a special part of the business. I include my parents in stories and reports, and they love feeling like a part of our company’s success.

Starting a business is hard, but the more you pour yourself into something, the more likely it is you’ll commit to it and succeed. There will be challenges, but when you survive them, you and your business will emerge stronger. Carry a family tradition into your work, and you’ll truly see roots take hold.

Joe Barton is the founder of Barton Publishing and other websites that promote natural health through teaching people how to cure themselves using alternative home remedies (using simple grocery store items, herbs, vitamins, exercises, and more) instead of expensive and harmful prescription drugs.

How To Craft Your Startup’s Culture

Embarking on a startup is such an exciting experience simply because of the vast possibilities. Your ideas and goals will take on a variety of shapes and forms, and watching everything unfold is half the fun.

Still, while the excitement lies in the experience, it is still up to you to set the stage. When it comes to crafting your startup’s culture, being thoughtful, introspective and assertive will serve you, your customers, and your team well. Here’s how to take those first few steps.

Understand Your Vision

You cannot get what you want without first knowing what you want. While it may be hard to put your thoughts and feelings into words, you still have to try. For example, define what attitudes you want in employees i.e. thoughtful, informative, enthusiastic.

Define the experiences you want customers to have i.e. educating, fulfilling, comforting. Once you plot out your feelings in black and white you can start to build pathways to reaching those desired results.

Do Not Compromise Your Values

As the leader of a startup, there is no question that you will be living, eating, and breathing your work. Because of the inevitable black hole that people tend to fall into in order to get things off of the ground, be sure to keep your values as your guiding light.

Before you open for business, have a conversation with yourself that reaffirms your moral and ethical ideals. Business strategies, working relationships, and conflict resolutions are all going to require you to think on your feet. Be sure to draft a working plan on how you would like to deal with things (while defining your nonnegotiables) first so that in the heat of any moment, you will know in your heart what you want to do.

Match People and Personalities

Once you draft the ideal environment be sure to fill it with people who will excel in your unique climate. As time goes on, the people that work for you will end up being in closer contact with your customers than you yourself, so you need to ensure that they will carry out the desired plans and actions you’ve set in place.

While you do not have to match each other’s personalities, you certainly can’t clash and above all, every person on your team (including you) needs to carry out the attitude you’re going for in every decision, interaction and move made.

Praise and Celebrate

Crafting your culture will not mean much if you do not continue to instill it in real time. One positive way to do this is to reward people with incentives for carrying out the ideals of the business while making a successful X (sale, connection, discovery).

If you want people to adopt your culture as their working lifestyle, incorporate some feel good emotions by finding your own way to celebrate successes. Celebrations all too often get overlooked in businesses, but those moments of pause and praise can give people a chance to really root in. Define what is worth celebrating in your special world (birthdays, holidays, milestone accomplishments) and make the effort to connect as a team through those festivities.

Keep in mind that your culture is the air in your startup’s lungs. Values and beliefs need to be reiterated day in and day out by means of communication and living by example.

About the author: Kelly Gregorio writes about topics that affect small businesses and entrepreneurs while working at Advantage Capital Funds, a merchant cash advance provider. You can read her daily business blog here.

8 Tips for Successfully Pitching an Investor

Question: What’s your TOP recommendation for an entrepreneur pitching an investor, based on your own success — OR failure?

Share Your Big Vision, Not a Product Tour

“It’s a rookie error for an entrepreneur to pitch an investor with the equivalent of a product tour. Investors are usually more interested in the big picture — your vision for your business, why they’ll be a good match, and how your company will return their money handsomely. If your slide deck or in-person presentation seems to linger too long on touring your site or demonstrating your product, it may convey that you don’t have a sense of the larger mission. Spend less time on the nitty-gritty upfront; rather, capture the investor’s interest with your passion for the bigger picture. Once the investor has a sense of that, s/he can always ask you for a deep-dive into the product tour. And if they do, it likely means you’ve piqued their interest.”

– Doreen Bloch | CEO / Founder, Poshly Inc.

Find the True Believers

“Investors will mostly say no. And contrary to what many entrepreneurs may think, it’s not your job to convince them why they’re wrong but, instead, to find investors that think you’re right. I’ve found that’s the hardest part, really — spending time speaking with investors who aren’t convinced can be a huge waste when, at the end of the day, they aren’t likely to invest in something they’re not sure of to begin with. That’s their job. Not heeding this has been my biggest mistake so far in fundraising and pitching — and eaten up time I could have been searching for true believers and advocates instead.”

– Derek Flanzraich | CEO and Founder, Greatist

Win the Battle at the Beginning

“When pitching to an investor, you’ve got to win the battle ahead of time. I think doing PR and branding work for your company in advance is important. Make sure that when someone Googles you, they see great results. Make sure you’ve built a relationship with one of the partners at the firm. The deal should already be close to being done before you pitch; the “partner meeting” is suppose to be a formality that allows the other partners to feel good about the deal and ask their questions. If you are talking to an individual investor make sure you have milestones that align with your financial projections. Anytime I’ve been able to inform an investor exactly how we plan to produce the projected revenue concisely and clearly, we’ve gotten the deal done.”

– Raoul Davis | CEO, Ascendent Group

Know What an Investor Fears

“The biggest thing an investor fears isn’t what you think it is. Investing in something that fails isn’t an investor’s biggest concern. The thing an investor truly fears most is missing out on something big. The surest way to land an investor is to convince her that your project is a big opportunity not to be missed out on. The best proof of your opportunity is social proof, specifically by having other respected investors on board. Once you find one eager investor, the rest are easy.”

– Corbett Barr | Founder, Insanely Useful Media

Be Cocky to Seal the Deal

“My team and I are super nice people. We originally walked into investor meetings with a huge smile on our faces and a perfectly practiced pitch. Unfortunately, we found out that nice guys finish last. It wasn’t until we changed our approach that we finally closed our million-dollar round. Instead of being friendly and nice, we acted cocky and brash, as if the investor was lucky to be meeting with us. Of course, we were still very respectful, but we stayed away from thanking them for the meeting or sounding too eager for their money. We successfully closed investor pitches when we mentally decided that we are the prize and that the investor needs to impress us in order to take the money.”

– Jun Loayza | President, Ecommerce Rules

Communicate Your Milestones to Build Confidence

“Potential investors want to know where their money is going and what their investment will help you to accomplish. Perhaps most importantly, they want some assurance that you will wisely use their money to hit milestones that will, in the future, allow you to raise additional money. Instill your would-be investors with confidence by clearly connecting the dots between their investment and your business goals. Create a compelling narrative that shows that you will be able to accomplish X, Y, and Z with their money — which will most certainly guarantee future investments.”

– David Ehrenberg | Chief Financial Officer, Early Growth Financial Services

Do All Your Homework

“The golden rule for meeting with investors is doing your homework. There are two things you absolutely need to know: which industries they invest in and what prior investments they’ve made. This is really the bare minimum; it’s also nice to know a bit about their personal and professional background: where they went to school, what they’ve been posting about on their blog, and what outside interests they have. These things will help target the conversation and demonstrate that you’re a professional and have done your research. You need to show these people that you’re a capable and reliable recipient of their money, and solid preparation will help you jump out of the starting gate in good style.”

– John Harthorne | Founder and CEO, MassChallenge

Do NOT Talk Valuation

“Talking valuation during a pitch is shortsighted for an early-stage investor pitch, and just one of many components that will be discussed at a later stage of the investor discussion. Instead, focus on the team and the technology (you should actually show it to them). Clearly explain the stages of your startup and the reasons why you are requesting a certain dollar figure. Keep the dollar figure on target to a run-rate to achieve your goals through that stage.”

– Carmen Benitez | Co-Founder and Managing Director, Fetch Plus

Entrepreneurship Isn’t Supposed to Be Easy

It wasn’t Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso’s fancy degree, tailored business suit, or five years of investment banking background that grew her e-commerce venture into a $128 million company, which has been courted by major potential buyers as of late.

In fact, she had none of those things at first. She launched her business as an eBay store out of her San Francisco apartment six years ago. Believe it or not, that same small business is now one of LA’s most rapidly growing tech companies.

It was her unparalleled drive and unrelenting pursuit of success.

Amoruso’s tenacity got her through the toughest times of her life and business. It got her through her job checking IDs at an art school for $13 an hour. It allowed her to deal with getting kicked off eBay. None of that scared her. She didn’t back down.

Entrepreneurs like Amoruso are a rare breed. They get things done, no matter how hard it gets. It’s not like she was born successful. She took incredible risks and worked hard to get where she is.

So quit fooling yourself with idealistic dreams. It’s not supposed to be easy.

Quit Whining — Entrepreneurship Is Brutal

Actually, that’s an understatement. Entrepreneurship is being pushed to the ground, over and over. Never in your life will the odds be more against you. But damn, it’s so worth it. According to social entrepreneur Dan Pallotta, “In order to innovate, you have to risk something. As in risk losing something. Usually money. Possibly reputation.”

But risk isn’t always all bad.

“The fact that people think risk is a problem, or a flaw, is the problem,” wrote Pallotta. “Risk is an essential attribute of introducing an innovation to the world. It’s not a flaw.”

As Pallotta explains, risk is inherent to innovation. What really matters is how entrepreneurs handle that risk.

It’s Not a Gamble if You Do It Right

Entrepreneurs are frequently stereotyped as crazy risk takers who won’t think twice about jumping off professional cliffs. The reality is actually the extreme opposite. According to new research from the UK, entrepreneurs are actually more cautious than the general population.

As Inc. contributing writer Kathleen Kim wrote recently, “In a study of 250 British entrepreneurs, 52 percent described themselves as having one of three risk-averse character traits — wary, prudent, or deliberate.”

We all know that entrepreneurship comes with inherent risk. Starting a business is the extreme opposite of a comfortable full-time job at an established company. In a less than stable climate, even the most successful entrepreneurs will spend significant time scared out of their minds.

But there’s a difference between jumping in and jumping in blind. Entrepreneurs don’t necessarily enjoy risk. The most skilled entrepreneurs know that risk comes with the experience of starting a business and are able to take it in stride.

Awesomeness = the Worst Case

Okay, so what’s the worst that can happen when you do take a risk? You’ll fail. You’ll lose some money. Your employees might even be pissed off at you for a short while. You’ll feel pretty bummed out and you’ll even be angry. You’re allowed to mope, but only for a short while. After a few days, you need to stop.

If you’re good at what you do, you’ll still land on your feet.

You might even be smart to get a job at a place like Facebook or Google before starting over again. There’s no shame in pursuing stability until you’re back on you are mentally ready to give it another go. Employers would bend over backwards to hire you, so you’ll find something great.

And you’ll grow. Your new knowledge will help you evolve to even bigger and better things.

Then, when you’re ready, you’ll come back to the game refreshed and ready to rock with the same hustle that entrepreneurs like Sophia are known for.

You have the drive and ambition. No matter how hot the fire gets, you’ll come out stronger on the other side.

Dan Martell is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Clarity, a platform that helps entrepreneurs give and get relevant advice over the phone. (Clarity just launched Answers for fast business advice, too.) It’s a problem he’s passionate about solving and believes has the potential to affect a billion people over the next ten years. He previously co-founded Flowtown, a social marketing application. Today he spends his spare time giving back to the startup community as a mentor, advisor and speaker.

Startup Tips: How To Do Well By Doing Good

What do you think of when you hear “doing well by doing good” – that it’s a cliché? How about “impact businesses” – sexy? Or what about: “for-benefit companies” – confused yet?

No matter what you call it, many young women today want to align with an organization that is changing the world somehow. But most of us are not quite ready to give up our salary or live in a shared apartment at 32 in order to join a nonprofit we believe in.

But what if there’s a third option?

I attended a United Nations high school (UWCSEA), where the idea of compromise wasn’t discussed much. We were taught that, in any given situation, a solution that works for both parties (or countries, or disputed areas) can be created. Yes, the magical intersection in the Venn diagram is real!

More plainly put, we learned that you can always create a win-win situation to benefit both sides. For companies and startups today, making a profit and serving others are the two big circles — and that sliver in between, for the millennial generation in particular, is the sweet spot, aka “conscious capitalism.”

The line between the two worlds of do-gooders and money-makers is blurring. Companies are finding ways to make both goals definable and attainable. In fact, to stay competitive in today’s environment, you need to help people and serve society. Few businesses can stay competitive if their product or service is not providing value, solving an issue or making a real impact.

Whether in education, energy or health care, entrepreneurs are finding models to make their solution not just viable, but also financially sustainable. Rather than expending their best resources on fundraising and selling to donors, these entrepreneurs are focusing on building a product.

How we found our overlap

ContextMedia began seven years ago, in a dorm room kitchen one Friday night. The mission at hand, if we so chose to accept, was to educate patients living with a chronic conditions on how to live healthier lives via diet and exercise management. We envisioned them learning how to do this through engaging media provided during their office visit.

Three 19-year-old dreamers pooled their savings to buy TVs and DVD players, ripping content online, in order to provide a beta product to physician practices. The doctors loved the product and recognized true benefit to their patients and practice, but had no dollars to pay for it. Did we give up?

No. While we could have gone the 501(c)(3) route and actually drafted some grant applications, we didn’t want to go to sleep worrying each day about running out of money (which is the same reason we didn’t take external capital) instead of executing our vision. So we had to find someone else who also saw value in patients learning to live healthier: insurance companies? Or how about another industry whose mission is to help people live a healthier life – pharmaceutical and device companies?

3 tips for finding — and funding — your big idea

Self-funding an idea that does good AND makes money is possible if you know where to look (and what you want to achieve).

Here are 3 ways to get started:

Identify what drives you in life. What problem speaks to you? For me, it was education — and the powerful freedom of choice that comes with knowledge.
Identify your ideas, skills and resources for providing a solution. More specifically, ask, “What else do I need to do this well?” I had a passion for the power of media communication, but I knew I didn’t have sales or technology expertise. I taught myself a little bit but also surrounded myself with people more talented than me.
Identify a financially sustainable way to execute your solution. Is it direct sales, channel partnerships, sponsorships, ad networks, etc.? If you’re not sure, list the stakeholders who may find value in your offering — and evaluate their ability to pay. As our story illustrates, the best revenue model for your company is not necessarily the most obvious one. Your checks may never arrive from the end user — but that doesn’t mean you can’t create win-win situations where some other company is willing to pay for the utilization of your product or service. You just need to find them.

Perhaps the most exciting news about the increasingly blurred line between doing well and doing good is that young women in their 20s and 30s don’t need to hit that big career brake when they decide it’s time to have a family or pursue something more impactful.

Instead, we can establish and run well-funded enterprises of our own, with a good team and a great model — all while giving us the freedom to choose our working hours, values and goals.

Shradha Agarwal is the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of ContextMedia, a leading media technology company that educates and informs consumers as they make critical decisions about their health. Shradha was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 list, and she was the Stevies’ 2012 Female Entrepreneur of the Year. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter.

See YEC founder Scott Gerber at this huge startup conference next week.

13 Ways to Best Prepare Your Team in a Business Crisis

Question: How do you prepare your team ahead of time for a business crisis?

Keep a Positive Mindset

“If something is going wrong, the employees are going to sense it so you should be upfront about the problem to an extent. However, once the problem is mentioned, positive attitudes must replace negative thoughts around the office so moral is not lost. To help this, go for a quick win — whether it be a small account or just an achievement. Change something for the positive.”

– Ken Sundheim | CEO, KAS Placement

Tell Them Before They Find Out

“There’s nothing worse than hearing bad news about the company you work for from an outside source. Always be proactive and communicate what’s to come. You never know, the solution to your problem could come from an unexpected member of your team. Often, your employees have detailed insights into their area of the business that you can’t see as the CEO.”

– Laura Roeder | Founder, LKR Social Media

Overcommunicate Always

“Overcommunication has become a core value of ours — and it starts from the top (or, in our inverted organizational hierarchy, the bottom). I tell our employees everything, share with them what’s ahead, and what I think we’re going to need to do to prepare for it. Then I ask for their help to craft the best response, so they know they’re truly a part of the solution.”

– Derek Flanzraich | CEO and Founder, Greatist

Think It Through Completely

“The biggest thing we teach our clients is to think through what would happen in each type of crisis. Be incredibly specific about who would have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the company and, if possible, have content for social media prepared and vetted by your legal team. Crises are chaotic, so having a clear plan written down and distributed to your team is key.”

– Kade Dworkin | Founder and Chief Crisis Officer, Red Alert Social Media

Hold Your Values Close

“In the midst of any crises, big or small, it’s easy to lose sight of values and focus on survival. Build a culture that reveres and relies on values to guide decisions so they will be ingrained in the way you operate.”

– Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Be Realistic, Really

“Only months after TalentEgg launched, the economy began to crumble. Our business involves helping employers leverage our website to hire students and grads, and many meetings started and ended with the dreaded phrase: “hiring freeze.” I promptly set up a company meeting and outlined our strategy for the next several months. I got buy in from the team and we weathered the storm together.”

– Lauren Friese | Founder, TalentEgg

Train for Crisis Mode

“Startups are going to have crises now and again. Make sure that your team members are aware of what is required of them during a crisis. Do they need to be in the office longer? Are there specific communication protocols you have in place to communicate with customers? Are there a set of resources people need to access when it is crunch time? Make sure your team is aware of these things.”

– Lucas Sommer | Founder CEO, Audimated

Warning: It Happens

“Make sure everyone on the team realizes that shit happens. It just does. No matter how much you plan or safeguard, at some point, you’ll have a mess on your hands. In those times, the most damage is created by panic and stress. Handle the mess with grace, know it will pass, and the team will be just fine. Or it won’t and you were screwed, anyway – but you handle it the same way.”

– Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, adventur.es

Timing Is Essential

“Proper timing is essential. You don’t want to cry wolf too early and cause a potential panic, but you want to allow your team sufficient time to plan and adjust. If you can stick to the facts and get the brainstorming ball rolling with a few suggestions of your own, you can help your team begin to immediately focus on solutions.”

– Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

Time to Lead by Example

“Transparency is key to surviving a company crisis, but it is not enough. Leaders need to put in the legwork before they bring the team together. Showing up with a proposal for how to handle the crisis will settle the rest of the organization, while providing a framework upon which the rest of the team can build. Convening your team when there is a crisis with your hands-up is not sufficient.”

– Aaron Schwartz | Founder and CEO, Modify Watches

Avoid the Blame Game

“As much as possible, avoid focusing on who is to blame. This strategy will simply lead to guilt, frustration, anger and defensiveness. Instead, focus on solutions to address the current situations and opportunities to prevent similar crises in the future.”

– Elizabeth Saunders | Founder & CEO, Real Life E®

Appoint a Spokesperson

“In a crisis situation, you’re not just contending with internal struggles — your phone is often ringing off the hook with reporters looking for a comment on what’s happened. Have one dedicated spokesperson within your company who is media-trained and well adept at delivering messages to manage these situations and forward all outside calls/emails to them.”

– Melissa Cassera | President and CEO, Cassera Communications

Anticipate With Backup Plan

“We brainstorm all the possible things that could go wrong in all areas of the business. From there, we start creating back-up plans. It’s much easier to think of solutions when you aren’t panicked.”

– Patrick Ambron | CEO, BrandYourself.com

What Investors Really Want to Know

Venture capitalists (VCs) make you work hard for their money by inundating you with question after question about your fundraising process, your company goals, your founding team, among other things. Many of these questions will seem reasonable. Some will seem ridiculous.

But no matter the question, you must have an answer. And your answers better be good.

Behind all of this interrogation, there is one key underlying question: what makes you different? Regardless of the variation on the theme, your potential VC is really asking why your business — as compared to others vying for their money — is worth their investment.

If you’re ready to join the ranks of funded entrepreneurs, you need to be prepared to answer this key question. How?

Begin with a thorough competitive analysis

You need to be able to paint the big picture in broad strokes, providing a comprehensive overview of the competitive market, including potential risks, success factors, and barriers to entry.

Build your value proposition

What is your unique value proposition — and how can you prove it? Identify your customers (or potential customers) and their needs. What pain point are you addressing and what’s your proposed solution?

Once you’ve done your competitive analysis and built your value proposition, you’re ready to make the case for what makes you different, weaving your unique selling points throughout your entire pitch. Make sure to consider the following when crafting your response:

Offering. Specifically, what product or service are you providing that nobody else does? Even if there are many competitors with a similar offering, how can you distinguish yours? Is it a difference of perspective? Cost? Ease of use? Target the little (or big) things that prove the uniqueness of your offering. There needs to be a hook somewhere; find it and use it.
Approach. What makes your business model or marketing strategy stand out? Detail your market penetration potential, including potential sales and distribution channels. You want to show that you have a plan for making money, a plan that is adapted for your particular company — a plan that will work (even where others may have failed).
Technology. If it’s your state-of-the-art technology that makes you different, push this point. Be prepared to show off the technology that is the engine powering your business. Note that if it’s your technology that makes you stand out, you also need to be prepared to discuss future tech developments to show your competitive advantage won’t be lost somewhere down the road, post investment.
Team. Sometimes it’s the people at a startup who make it stand. If this is your company strength, sell it. Who are your key players? What were their previous successes? As any successful serial entrepreneur can tell you, an all-star team (or even a team with one lone shining star) can be a powerfully effective selling point.

It really all boils down to what makes you special. VCs meet so many entrepreneurs; they are the audience for an endless litany of pitches. Unfortunately, this means VCs are often bored and somewhat jaded. They are looking for a spark, for the magic. And they won’t dig to find it. That’s not their job.

It’s your responsibility to bring to the forefront what makes you stand out. Ultimately, you want to thoroughly convince the VC, that, if they take the leap of faith to invest in you, you are going to execute on your vision in a way that you—and only you—are in the unique position to execute on.

David Ehrenberg is the founder and CEO of Early Growth Financial Services, a financial services firm providing a complete suite of financial services to companies at every stage of the development process. He’s a financial expert and startup mentor, whose passion is helping businesses focus on what they do best. Follow David @EarlyGrowthFS.

A Startup Guide to Energy Efficiency

The best time to start thinking about energy efficiency and cost saving for your startup is as soon as you start detailing your business plan. Build energy saving steps into your plan early, and start saving money on day one. If you wait until the business is moving down a path of wasting energy, you’ll spend a lot more time and money getting back onto a cleaner path.

Begin creating energy-efficient policies and procedures so your staff will know you are serious about saving energy. Reinforce and reward energy-saving behaviors. It’s easier starting this way than trying to change the company culture later.

This also gives you an opportunity to think about your energy usage plan. If you’re in an energy-deregulated state, choose an energy provider that meets your preferences. If you consider yourself a “green” company, this is the chance to associate your business with one of the renewable energy resources available in your area.

Start a List by Starting Simple

A startup has enough things to think about, so they should start simple when it comes to energy management. Start with the lights in your office.

Take advantage of the natural light coming in through the windows. Keep the lights off throughout the day if there is enough natural light for people to do their work. Change the light bulbs in the office to energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Where you need more lighting or spot lighting, use halogen lights or LED clusters.

Install motion sensors where it makes sense in the office. Areas such as restrooms benefit from motion sensors, so the lights aren’t on for long periods when there are no people present. Get your office lighting on a schedule. Make sure the lights are off during evenings, weekends, and holidays when people aren’t there.

Be on Schedule

Depending on the type of business you have, a startup schedule can be very important. Food Service Equipment and Supplies suggest a food service business can save a lot on energy costs by creating a schedule of when to turn on cooking surfaces. A broiler that is only used at lunch and dinner doesn’t need to be turned on at breakfast. Put the kitchen on a schedule on opening day, so the staff gets accustomed to the procedures.

Track the Temperature

Monitor the HVAC system and thermostat. Again, the environment only needs to be comfortable when people are present. If you open windows to allow fresh air in, adjust the thermostat so you don’t lose energy dollars out the windows.

Make sure doors and windows seal properly when closed. Doors should have automatic closures on them. Your HVAC expenses could be some of your highest costs. Be sure to fine-tune your heating and cooling schedule so you’re not wasting money.

Be Well-Equipped

The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends using equipment with the Energy Star rating. To receive this rating, products must prove they can operate 10-15 percent more efficiently than the non-rated devices.

Plug desktops, monitors and printers into power strips so they can be turned off while not being used. Minimize printer and copier use. The startup phase is a good time to try to be a “paperless” office.

Peggy Smith

Peggy is a sustainability specialist from Arizona who writes about solar energy and green living.