10 Tools That Simplify Startup Collaboration

Producteev for Productive Collaboration

“I highly recommend cross-platform tool Producteev for collaboration. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and fantastic for team members who are working on many projects at the same time with others. There is space to comment on projects to maximize productive collaboration, and it’s all about getting tasks done.”

– Doreen Bloch | CEO / Founder, Poshly Inc.

Try the New Basecamp

“The revamped Basecamp from 37signals has taken collaboration to a new level. It’s completely redesigned and rethought, and I can see the impact on our team already. It’s no Google Wave, but I’ll recommend it to anyone.”

– John Meyer | Founder/CEO, Lemon.ly

Facebook Member Pages Work

“Closed Facebook groups are nothing new, but I love how many mastermind communities are shifting into the platform to meet users where they already spend hours each day. In one such group, requests are posted around the clock, and it’s not unusual to see colleagues giving feedback and collaborating across time zones and over weeks and months.”

– Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Trust the Team With Teambox

“We switched over to Teambox as our main project management system a few months ago. I have been pleasantly surprised by the unique functionalities it offers teams. Every week, I post conversations in a “New Idea” project that is then discussed in real time. The platform really allows everyone to piggyback on other ideas in order to come with something truly collaborative.”

– Logan Lenz | Founder / President, Endagon

Stick With What Works, Google Docs

“It’s not new but it’s solid. We use Google Docs for everything. In my opinion, it’s the simplest way to have multiple people work on one document and keep things organized.”

– John Hall | CEO, Digital Talent Agents

Join.me All the Way!

“Check out Join.me. It’s a super simple screen-sharing tool that I’ve been using recently, ever since I realized that Skype screen-sharing is terrible, especially when you’re working with someone on the other side of the country. It takes three minutes to install, and you’ve able to give or take away control from your collaborator. It’s also great for sales presentations.”

– Matthew Ackerson | Founder, Saber Blast

Go Zoho for Online Editing

“Zoho allows you to collaborate with its online Wiki, edit Word and Excel documents, and have live discussions. Brainstorming through email or any static site is incredibly difficult, as you lose the dynamic interaction of all participants. Sometimes, the energy created from a response is as important as the content of the comment. Zoho allows you to collaborate in real time.”

– Aaron Schwartz | Founder and CEO, Modify Watches

Asana Is Online Zen

“I’ve been using Asana a lot recently for collaboration and deadlines, and it’s got a simplicity and ease of use that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s also free if you’ve got a small team, which helps keep your overhead low.”

– Colin Wright | CEO, Asymmetrical, LLC

Hammer Away on Yammer

“Yammer is much more than a company social network. Our Yammer feed has a constant stream of new ideas, articles and more. It’s a safe zone where we encourage employees to think differently without worrying about the minutiae. Yammer has facilitated cross-departmental collaboration and made our company more innovative.”

– Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

Work and Play With Skype

“Although it’s been around for a while, I still use Skype on a daily basis for collaboration. It’s great for brainstorming with my team, checking in with clients, and even a little “watercooler” chat — which can be challenging to spark with a completely virtual company.”

– Heather Huhman | Founder & President, Come Recommended

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.

Now read this guest post from Jim Sposto, founder of Xtrant, the collaborative tool we use.

10 Must-Read Startup Tips for Young Brands

Everyone wants a “startup” these days. Everyone wants to be a “founder” with little more than a concept, an LLC filing, some Web real estate, and a dream. But how do you really get it done? In early stage brand building, traction is king.

You’ve likely seen the HBO Series “How To Make It in America.” It chronicles the story of two co-founders and their group of friends. There is luck, drama, rejection, implied success, real success, good marketing, poor marketing, and more luck. As difficult as they make it look in that wonderful series, they actually make it look easy. In reality, think less partying, more planning, and little dependence on gimmicks and luck. This being said, with the right approach it can be done. There is still room for innovation in textile manufacturing and fashion branding.

Starting a clothing brand can be one of the most worthwhile pursuits in all of startups. There are elements of: manufacturing, design, communication, marketing, probability and statistics, industrial engineering, timing, and the almighty of them all — foresight. There are so many variables that go into a success or failure. Right now (and I repeat, right now), we are somewhat succeeding. That being said, I thought I’d share some helpful hints.

Proof of Concept

Before a single shirt was manufactured, we had our initial concept feedback. “So, let me get this this straight,” the industry executive said. “You are going to manufacture in the States? You are going to use American-sourced fabrics? And you think you’re going to succeed in the textile industry?” Well, yes.

From July 2012 and through the fall, we focused on sales, feedback, construction revision, and regional media. Between Kevin and I, we bore the brunt of these tasks. Validation via earned media was the most difficult day-to-day task.

Through this initial stage, we were purely focused on “proof of concept” in our first test market — Dallas, Texas. The media response was great! And so, we continued. Active, driven, and confident men do want something more from their dress shirts.

Spring for Traction

After starting up in April of 2012 and launching the website in July 2012 (with only one product), we are now finally leaning into the Spring of Traction. Through the summer, fall, and winter of 2012, we were silently working on perfecting our first pieces, ginning up “first adopter” sales, building relationships, establishing brick and mortar presences, improving our supply chain, not paying ourselves, and paying our taxes. With that behind us, the fun begins. This spring is focused on the push for traction.

After the foundation that we’ve set over the past year, we can begin focusing on the brand’s opportunity and/or visibility to grow within several of our proven early-adopter demographics: professional athletics, military, collegiate, and metropolitan business.

The “How To” of This Blog

What does all of this mean to a young brand? It is a meticulous process that involves quite a bit of sacrifice, help, influence, and yes, just a little bit of luck. Here are some great tips that few in the industry will share:

Start with a concept that no one else is willing to attempt. Remember, it’s even better when people tell you, “Based on the industry precedent, this likely won’t work.”
The design and manufacturing process is expensive. Allot $20k-$50k for your first product run. You will need to achieve a volume of units manufactured to achieve reasonable margins.
Spend money on your branding and your collateral. I can’t say this enough.
Understand your supply chain and have a manufacturing backup plan when those sources, printers, and cut and sew shops are over capacity.
Spend money on your brand’s website and branding videos.
If you didn’t attend a top fashion design program, find a top designer who did and hire that person. Find a way to get that person on your team.
If there are no other options at the start, plan on pouring all of your personal income into the project for the first year or two.
Keep these elements at the forefront: be first to market, drive sales, gain traction.
Customers aren’t free. Find a natural pipeline that will serve as high-conversion customer acquisition.
Ask for help and be willing to pay for it.

The market is always looking for the next great idea; be willing to sacrifice to see it through. Design really well, depict great logo and lifestyle imagery, prove your concept in a transparent way, and then focus on gaining traction as you go. When you need the push, find a well-connected and cost-effective way to move your brand forward.

This post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Web Smith is a Sr. Analyst, Co-Founder, and Sports / Entertainment / Political Marketing Consultant and a student of strategy. Follow him at: http://www.twitter.com/web.

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 Weekend Madison: Holsinger Keynote Salutes “Dumb” Ideas That Lead to Unexpected Experiences

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StartupTechGuy’s Air Travel Tips!

Our good friends at American Airlines have teamed up with Inc to give out some of the best travel tips for road warriors. What makes this smorgasbord of travel tips better than other “travel” sites is that American along with Inc have found people who are die hard road warriors, people who travel all the time. You can check that post out here.

I often get asked about my travel tips. Or if I host an interview in a hotel room on the road people ask me “how do you do it”. One of the cores of nibletz.com is our “sneaker strapped startup road trip” it’s being in the trenches with startups, like ourselves, chronicling them and telling their stories. Sure we could go out on the internet and sit in a spare bedroom and type all day but being on the road the better part of the last eighteen months has helped us connect in ways beyond our wildest dreams.

Having said that, I travel about 200-250 days a year. I’ve actually been traveling like this over the last 5 years, first with our previous media startup and now with nibletz. So here are some of the things that I do that may help.

When traveling by Air (we actually do a lot of travel by bus like Megabus and Boltbus, but we still travel by air as much as we can)

– Sign up for Startup America (it’s free) and then sign up for Business ExtrAA at American Airlines. American is one of the key sponsors and member benefits at Startup America. Check out the other benefits when you’re on their page, they will save the bootstrapping entrepreneur a lot of money that you can spend on more important things like development and iteration.

– Use American Airlines, use your Business ExtrAA account and book directly through aa.com one of the biggest quasi secret travel tips is that the airlines are now posting their best available online rates on their own websites. If you see a better price from a reputable website, a la Expedia, Hipmunk or Cheapoair then call American and tell them they can usually get you that same rate.

– Download the American Airlines app. Their App in it’s latest form, is a single mobile dashboard for your air travel including the ability to display your boarding pass on your phone.

Packing.

– No matter what you do and how long you’re going to be there pack a carry-on approved suitcase. Whenever you can use a soft suitcase not a hard shell suitcase. The idea here is to actually be able to carry the suitcase on the plane and not have to “gate check” it, especially if you have a tight connection. If you’re not connecting and you’re flying direct, there’s no real harm in gate checking.

– Make sure you have nothing in your carry on, purse, backpack or laptop bag that is not TSA approved. Unfortunately, even having that swiss army knife will get you delayed going through security.

– You have NO time for checked luggage. Carry on luggage doesn’t get lost, even when it’s gate checked. Gate checked luggage goes directly on and off the plane and skips the baggage handling process. (see above).

Check out these tips from the Inc Community of road warriors and American Airlines.

What to Pack.

– It all depends on where you’re going, what you’re traveling for and how long you are going to be there. Don’t overpack get everything in that carry on suitcase.

– I always pack a power strip and one of those extension cords with three outlets on it. Hotels are notorious for having just one outlet in a decent spot. When you can, put the power strip in your backpack or laptop bag, or at least the extension cord.

– Always pack an umbrella and a $2 poncho, just keep that stuff in your bag.

– Guys, a sport coat goes with everything these days and in the spring like this it can take the place of a bulkier jacket

– Go buy a Mophie juice pack or other battery charging device. I personally carry multiple things for battery charging.

At the airport
– wear slip on shoes if y ou can
– empty your pockets before you get to security except for your wallet and your phone (for your boarding pass)
– As you approach the security buckets start getting your stuff in place. You can always spot a rookie traveler based on how long getting ready for security goes.
– If the TSA agents have serious faces on, don’t crack jokes, but some are actually pleasant, I’ve done the Macarena a few times in the full body scan machine.
– Breathe, cooperate, repeat, remember everybody’s trip in their eyes is just as important as your trip. If you’re a heart surgeon with an open patient on the table then you really shouldnt even have time to read this blog post.
– Find your gate via the app but confirm your gate by the overhead screen
– Find the gate before grabbing a snack if you’re so inclined, and hungry.
– Sit as closely to the gate desk as you can and walk as briskly as you can when it’s your turn to board, the quicker you can get on the plane the better chance you have at getting that valuable overhead bin real estate.

On The plane
– Find your overhead bin and load it quickly
– get in your seat, put your iPad in the seat back pocket in front of you
– fasten your seatbelt
– You can use your phone until the plane leaves the gate
– Enjoy your flight
– If you didn’t check a bag you can turn your phone on when they touch the ground (and the crew says you can)
– Find your transportation app whether it be the rental car app, a taxi app or an uber app. Most rental car apps allow you to signal the rental car desk that you have arrived.

On Site tips
A lot of this comes from being a journalist but on site at startup conferences and events I pack as light as I can and recommend you do the same. When you can, leave the laptop in the hotel room, it’s a nice little way to have your main tool sitting ready to use after a long day. I’ve been amazed out how productive an iPad can be. To better understand it, 90% of the stories we posted from OneSpark and SXSW were totally produced and uploaded via iPad.

If your wireless plan dictates it, pick up a mifi device. We use Verizon and my mifi is on our shared plan. At big events and conferences, even when you can get onto an events wifi there are so many people on it that the connection is slow.

Try not to pick up too much swag. If you go to CES or SXSW you’ll have the opportunity to pick up hundreds of t-shirts, refrain if you can, t-shirts and other swag take up a lot of valuable space in your suitcase. Politely tell the swag peddler you don’t have room for it in your luggage.

My day back pack, when space permits, is a PowerBag sling bag, this bag has a 9,000 mah battery built in for charging my iPad and iPhone. On long events, battery drain is my single most frustration.

Perhaps this helped!

Traction Trumps Team When Going For The Million Dollar Round?

Raising Funds, Venture Hacks, AngelList,startup tips

(Photo: César Salazar of 500Startups)

Teams are great. A lot of people look at founders and teams, but of course the product has to be great too. That is unless you’re a founder with a track record for success, but all of that will be covered later.

Greg Kumparak is evidently back at TechCrunch. Kumparak was one of my favorite TechCrunch writers while I was “thedroidguy” we’d bump into each other all the time while I was on the mobile beat, Berlin, Barcelona and of course here at home. He left last year after the Arrington fiasco and apparently he’s back, writing about startups.

So let’s dive into the meat and potatoes of this post here, because that’s why you clicked on the link. We try and share whatever startup tips we can and one of the biggest things people want to know about is raising money. Specifically, startups in their earliest stages want to know how to raise millions of dollars so they can just “work” and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from or how the rent will get paid.

Somewhere along the way though, $100,000 or even $500,000 was not enough. Everyone seems to be looking for that million dollar Series A round, or even more presumptuously they are looking for a million dollar seed round, or angel round. Regardless of the round, Ash Fontana, a venture hacker at AngelList, came up with the bullet points above when talking about raising a good million dollar round.

Like me, one of the first things Kumparak noticed in the slide is that product and team are crossed out. Traction is clearly circled. So now traction is the most important?

Perhaps this is right, but of course from the perspective of an AngelList venture hacker it’s absolutely right. AngelList thrives off traction. We actually learned that 500 Startups, startups, actually plan one startup a week that they will all follow on AngelList in unison. This way a 500 Startups, startup, is always trending on AngelList.

This real need for startup traction actually goes well beyond AngelList and can be a key performance indicator when your deal is being reviewed by investors.

In case you can’t clearly read the slide here are the key take-aways, things that your startup should already have before approaching that investor for your million dollar round:

– Enterprise startups need to have 1,000 seats at $10/seat/month

– Big enterprise startups need to have 2 pilot contracts with some $

– Social startups need 100,000 downloads and signups

– e-commerce “market place” startups need to have $50,000 in revenue per month

Fontana did disclose to Kumparak that these numbers are just rough estimates based on his insight and not actual numbers directly from the AngelList database.

While many investors talk about the importance of product and team it seems that when you get to the stage where you’re ready for a $1 million dollar investment (or more) the product and the team should already speak for themselves and the traction should tell their story.

Tell us what you think in the comments.

Source: TC

The Dropbox Story: From 0 to 100 Million Users: How a Simple Video Can Change Your Business

In a short five years, Dropbox has gone from 0 to 100 million users.

That’s impressive.

What’s even more impressive is the fact that they’ve done it with one of the most simple website designs ever. Since the first year, their homepage has featured only two main components—an explainer video and a download button.

They’ve also grown without spending money on advertising, and they’ve grown exponentially compared to the competition, despite the fact that there are dozens of similar services competing in the same space.

So what’s Dropbox’s secret? How did they grow so quickly with such a simple design, one explainer video, and spending no money on advertising?

Dropbox’s viral referral campaign

Dropbox started out by using Google AdWords as a way to reach customers. But they quickly figured out that they were spending $233 to $388 per customer acquired. That ended up being too expensive for what was a $99 product at the time.

Thus, they decided to switch to a viral referral campaign to attract more customers. This ended up being one of the keys to their success. Here’s how it worked: Dropbox users were encouraged to share the service via social media and email. If they did, they’d get extra space for free on their own account for every new person who signed up from one of their invites.

The result was that satisfied customers became brand evangelists who helped to get the word out about Dropbox. Due to the fact that they’d get something in return, i.e. free space, users liberally shared about Dropbox via Facebook, Twitter, email, and more. For every customer who was satisfied about the product, there were hundreds and even thousands of other people who were finding out about it and signing up. This resulted in a total of 2.8 million invitations being sent out over a 30-day period.

What an awesome viral campaign. It’s one of the greatest of all time, and Dropbox fully leveraged the power of referrals and social sharing.

But that’s not all that they did.

How a simple design and an explainer video helped Dropbox grow even more

Dropbox’s simple homepage design focuses visitors’ attention 100 percent on their explainer video. There aren’t any other links or any other messages that get in the way. When you land on the homepage, there’s only one thing to do—watch the video.

By focusing every visitors’ attention on the explainer video, Dropbox was able to get more people to watch and learn how the service worked. This in turn led to more sign ups because more people now understood how to use Dropbox. It’s a lot easier to click a download button when you know how something works and understand the benefit, and that’s what Dropbox was banking on with their 120-second explainer video.

The result was a 10 percent increase in sign-ups. That’s right—the explainer video led to a 10 percent increase in conversions. That may not seem like much, but when you do the math with 100 million users, that’s 10 million extra customers simply from using an explainer video. With an estimated $4.80 of revenue per customer (based on estimates from 2011), that’s an extra $48,000,000 in revenue per year. Not bad for a “mere” 10 percent increase in conversions.

3 reasons video worked for Dropbox — and can work for your business too

At this point, you may be wondering, “Why was the explainer video so important? What made it so successful?”

Here’s the answer:

Video is worth 1.8 million words: According to a study conducted by Forrester Research in 2009, one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. It makes sense, when you think about it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video should be worth a couple million at least. Companies that don’t embrace video will need to hire a lot of writers.
Video leads to huge increases in conversion: Based on research from Internet Retailer, product videos increase the likelihood of a purchase by 85 percent. Additional research showed that product videos gave 52 percent of customers more confidence in their purchase decision. Using the word “video” in an email subject line has also increased open rates 13 percent and click-through rates over 92 percent. Based on another Internet Retailer study from 2012, 46 percent of people will share a video on Facebook, and 40 percent will email links. How’s that for conversion-rate optimization and viral social sharing?
Brain science shows why videos are effective: Simply put, our brains are hardwired to respond to videos. Not only are most people visual learners, but people retain 68 percent more information from video than from plain text. By using video, which stimulates both visual and auditory senses, you’ll make sure that customers understand your business 68 percent better than if they’d only read plain text.

Dropbox increased their conversion rate 10 percent by using a simple explainer video on their homepage. This 10 percent increase led to 10 million additional customers and $48,000,000 in extra revenue. This was all done with a 120-second explainer video that cost less than $50,000.

Was it worth it? Well, a $50,000 in exchange for 10 million customers and $48,000,000 in revenue is quite a return on Dropbox’s investment. If you have a business website and a product, I strongly suggest you consider investing in a simple video too. You may not see numbers in the millions like Dropbox, but you will increase conversions radically with a clear, effective explainer video.

This post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Andrew Angus is an author, speaker, and founder/CEO of Switch Video, a video animation company that produces simple videos that “explain what you do” in an engaging and compelling format. Andrew is a thought leader in the online video industry, writing and speaking about the brain science behind making your company’s story stick. He welcomes people to reach out to him on Twitter or Google+ and can be booked to speak on Speakerfile.

Now check out these other startup tips at nibletz.com the voice of startups everywhere else.

7 Steps to Raise Startup Money From a Family Member

My family immigrated from Lima, Peru to the United States before I was born to give me a shot at the American dream. I owe everything I’ve achieved so far to my parents, which is why it’s my goal to support them financially as they get older.

Somewhat paradoxically, to achieve this goal, I raised $5,000 from my mom to start an online affiliate business for U.S. tourism to Peru, called Professor Peru. The idea, of course, is to generate enough revenue to fund her retirement.

But after raising more than $1 million from angel investors, which required an executive summary, Powerpoint presentation and financial projections, I can attest to the fact that fundraising from family members is equally hard, if not harder. The goals and fears associated a family member associates with investing in your business are a far cry from the goals and fears of a professional investor.

If you’re considering raising money from a family member too, here are a few tips to make the process pain-free — and rewarding for everyone:

Understand their financial philosophy. My mom is very protective of her money and absolutely loves to save — she has never before invested in anything. She would rather use her money to pay off the mortgage than to take a gamble at a business that might fail. My mom’s philosophy: “Save now; invest never.” Convincing her to invest in me, then, is a challenge to her very view on money.
Build trust by showing examples of success. To overcome my mom’s knee-jerk reaction to investing her money, it was important to show her clear evidence that success is possible with online businesses. I spoke with her at length about my good friends Cody, Sean, and Chris who have built successful online businesses, as well as my own experience building startups.
Listen closely to investor concerns. My mom was intrigued by the evidence, so it was time to pitch her my idea of an affiliate business for U.S. travelers to Peru. Like any savvy mom, she immediately listed reasons why it might not work! I listened intently to understand her hesitation points. I didn’t respond right away; instead, I waited a day to talk about my idea again.
Address hesitation points. One of the biggest fears my mom had was that no one in the U.S. was traveling. The constant barrage on the news about an economic downturn had led her to assume that no one had the excess income to travel, which of course was untrue. To break this fear, I introduced my mom to four close friends of mine that had recently traveled to Peru. Seeing is believing!
Pitch the bigger vision. While you should certainly consider documenting your agreement in writing, you should also be able to clearly explain the benefits in big-picture terms your family member can appreciate. I asked my mom when she wanted to retire. I then asked her, “What if you could retire in two years?” Though she was skeptical, the seed was planted, and the possibility of an early retirement made her hopeful. Though I didn’t sign any official documents with my mom, your situation may be different if the dollar amount or risk is higher.
Make your ask. There was nothing formal about my pitch; I took my mom out to dinner to her favorite Japanese restaurant to make my ask. No financial spreadsheets, no Powerpoint presentations — just a mom and her son. Note: While Excel spreadsheets intimidate my mom, your family members may want to see detailed projections. In either case, if you can show a well-thought-out plan to spend the money and generate revenue, then you’ll be that much close to closing the deal.
Give a clear timeframe. The pitch itself was a very small portion of dinner, but I did make it clear to her that I needed to know her decision by Friday (giving her two days to make a decision). I’ve learned through years of pitching that the shorter the timeframe, the likelier your pitch is successful.

The result? On Friday, I called my mom, and she told me she trusted me and that she would invest $5,000. And so far, so good – Professor Peru is going strong, with several new partnerships, and I’ve also started development for How to go to North Korea.

Have you ever raised money from a family member? What steps did you take to ensure that the ask was a success — for you and your investor?

Jun Loayza is the President of Reputation Hacks and the original creator of the Beginner’s Guide to Reputation Management. In his startup experience, Jun has sold 2 internet companies, raised over $1 million in funding, and led social media technology campaigns for Sephora, Whole Foods Market, Levi’s, LG, and Activision.

5 Things You Need to Know About Interviewing at a Startup

Everything that I learned in college about interviewing is essentially worthless. After speaking to those that are close to me who will soon be graduating, I decided to jot some pointers down.

Most pertinent to a startup or early-stage environment, the following points stem from hundreds of hours of actual interviewing experience. Tech interviews will be more tech-centric and sales interviews will be more dollar-centric, but all interviews with an entrepreneur will require an entrepreneurial approach.

1. The person interviewing you would rather be doing something else.

Don’t kid yourself. Very few entrepreneurial hiring managers look forward to spending hours of their day interviewing candidates. There is always a critical problem to solve, email to be answered or money to be made buried in their hectic schedule. Interviewing candidates is a need and not a want.

Make the experience as memorable as possible for them and capitalize on their limited attention span. Use the first 15 critical minutes of pitch time to communicate your personal executive summary. Succinctly highlight how you make a difference, how you help the bottom line, how you deal with problems, why you can be player and coach, what motivates you and why you’re there for that opportunity.

2. The person interviewing you will speak to dozens more like you.

You likely have been “chosen” to interview less than you think. With stacks of resumes piling up and a never ending to-do list, the entrepreneurial hiring manager has made a quick, educated guess to speak to you based on the need to solve an immediate problem. Something in your resume, LinkedIn profile or referral has gotten you in front of them.

Make it worthwhile. Be the first appointment on their schedule or the last appointment that day. Give them a reason to remember you throughout the day or during their evening commute. Connect on a personal level and appeal to their emotions. Work days will be stressful, highly charged, energetic and sometimes painful. Give the hiring manager a sense of comfort that when difficult situations and long hours arise, you can be the professional family member that they can count on.

3. The person interviewing you knows the textbook garbage.

Just like you already know how to respond to textbook interview questions, assume that the entrepreneurial hiring manager knows when they are asked by a candidate. Further, if you get the textbook interview questions, run away…run far, far away. It’s a sure sign of things to come but that’s a different topic. Instead, craft questions that are intelligent, pertinent, thought-provoking and challenge the hiring manager.

Likely, you will come up with something that’s already been thought of. The key is to find the sweet spot where the question/thought was previously their own or introduced by someone that they respect. This is impressive and says a lot about your ability with creative problem solving. Understand the business and craft questions related to expanding the business rather than defining it. Repeating facts from a Google search or simply perusing the website is classic, textbook mediocrity.

4. The person interviewing you is not mediocre.

Startups and early stage companies have little time, money, patience and tolerance for layers of mediocrity. You are likely interviewing with someone who is either the direct decision maker or a trusted previous hire. This means that they have either developed their own tests or have already passed the tests so never assume that a half-a**ed approach will fool anyone.

No organization needs mediocrity. Startups and early stage companies especially are not looking for the typical 9-to-5′er looking for defined vacation schedules. Set yourself apart by highlighting flexibility, adaptability, comfort with uncertainty and a general can-do attitude. There’s nothing wrong with living for work in the entrepreneurial hiring manager’s eyes.

5. The person interviewing you is a salesperson.

They have no choice in the matter. Every day they are either selling a product, a service, a solution, an idea or themselves to someone internally or externally. You need to have the same exact mentality in the “everyone sells” model. With limited experience, highlight entrepreneurial endeavors that you started in school.

For pros, highlight bottom-line milestones from previous engagements. Talk facts and figures and make it all relative. Focus on your personal brand and use your reputation as your strongest asset. This reputation can come from your studies, collegiate organizations, co-ops, internships, professional organizations, or employer experiences. No matter what the examples are, show that you identified an opportunity and capitalized on it. Be prepared to sell yourself or don’t bother at all.

There’s more, of course, but these five points should get you started. There’s no substitute for practice, practice, practice so if you are fortunate enough to have a trusted mock-interview resource, use them. The worst interviews in the world are the ones where both parties walk away feeling like the hours were completely wasted. No one has the spare time for that.

This post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Max Sobol is Partner and President @ IdeaEvolver. He’s passionate about startups: getting them built, staffed, supported, optimized, growing and then some.

Fueled by cardboard lessons you could learn from 2 nine year old kidpreneurs.

Is Your Business “Partnership” as Solid as You Think?

Good contracts make for good relationships. It doesn’t matter if you and your new business associate are the closest of friends, mere acquaintances or siblings. Yes, even siblings would be wise to ensure they’re covered, should anything go awry.

I urge every person considering entrepreneurship to resist putting personal relationships or financial well-being in jeopardy by failing to clearly delineate the terms of agreement in a professionally prepared, legally binding document. It is not a savvy choice to rely upon what has been said, what was written in an email, or even what was casually drawn up between the two of you. These measures to protect yourself may not hold up in court. They sure didn’t for me.

In 2004, I entered into business relationship that I thought was a partnership. My new “partner” and I were going to take the blogosphere by storm with a daily videoblog about Internet culture. (Note: these were the pre-YouTube days, so putting video on the Web was fresh and exciting.)

For nearly two years I acted as a company partner because, well, I thought I was one! Since I was told verbally that I was in a partnership, I acted as a partner in meetings with potential investors, set up the company’s bank account and filed our trademark paperwork. In fact, in order to set up a bank account, we needed a signed contract between company founders specifying the terms of the partnership. I wrote up a quick one-pager, and we both signed it.

The work commitment was as expected for the co-founder of a startup. Basically, I had no social life — everything was about making the show and business a success. Newly 23 years old, right out of college and living in New York’s East Village, I declined too many invites to count to events, parties and dance clubs. Some friendships faded over time because I was completely preoccupied with writing show scripts and responding to business emails until the wee hours of the morning. As is typical of the entrepreneurial mindset, I put everything on hold for the good of the company.

At first, the show was an incredible success. In fact, we were so popular we could barely keep up with the media inquiries and find the time to shoot our daily videos. Profiled in The New York Times and on CBS Evening News, among many other outlets, and emailed daily by interested investors and potential collaborators, it seemed clear we were on a rocket ship destined for greatness.

Unfortunately, the skyrocketing success of the business was met with the equally speedy downhill slide of our relationship. The partnership became increasingly rocky as we planned to move the show to California. The move was delayed for months, to the point where I found myself subletting a series of New York apartments as I waited for my partner to feel comfortable.

In the end, he never did.

Finally I was given an ultimatum — stay in NYC or you’re off the show. To my amazement, I realized I was being treated as an employee rather than a partner. Since we had only my quick one-page document for an operating agreement, there was nothing I could legally do.

Moral of the story: no matter how nice the guy or gal you’re going into business with seems, you always need a lawyer. I was naive to believe that talk and a self-created contract would hold up in court. That’s because I never imagined I’d need to go to court — why should I? My partner was a nice guy.

My first entrepreneurial pursuit was chock full of some of the highest highs and lowest lows I’ve ever experienced. Yet even with all the heartbreak of this first endeavor, I’m still at it, reaching for more highs with one significant difference: in the two companies I’ve co-founded since co-creating that first one, I have protected myself by hiring a good attorney. Yes, lawyers can be pricey, but it is money well spent. When everyone knows there is a legally binding document signed before the venture starts, expectations are plain and clear to all parties from the get-go. If not, there might be some funny business or eventual rewriting of history.

Have your legal counsel make certain everyone is on the same page, because believe you me, that’s the only place you want to be.

Amanda Congdon is a California based on-camera personality, new media pioneer and healthy food entrepreneur. She has produced and hosted many web and mobile TV projects; her show, AC on ABC, made Amanda the first video blogger for a major network, ABC News. She is currently Co-founder and Director of Operations at Vegan Mario’s™ Organic Kitchen.

11 Founders offer advice on getting a job with a startup.

Startup Tips: Building Perseverance From Ken Oboh Co-Founder Of Remix.com

Startups, like fragile seedlings, need to be in the right environment to flourish. It takes drive and doggedness to see any idea through to success, and persistence is often the only thing separating those who succeed from those who fail.

That’s why one of the most vitally important aspects of starting a new business is being in an entrepreneur-friendly environment. Although many people think of capital, labor, or experience as the most challenging aspects of starting a new business, finding people to provide advice, support, contacts, and resources can be just as difficult.

It’s much easier to keep pushing toward a goal if you have a community of people who understand and encourage you. Being an entrepreneur takes more drive and guts than most people can comprehend, so surrounding yourself with like-minded people can help you succeed.

Find Your Motivation and Drive

Anyone who wants to pursue an extraordinary goal — from professional golfing to creating a company — must have an extraordinary level of motivation to succeed.

In my experience, discouraged entrepreneurs who are unable to overcome negativity are often those who do not have a deep passion for the area of business they’re in, or who lack the sheer desperation of not wanting to fail. As with losing weight or giving up smoking, being persistent enough to see a goal through to fruition requires strong motivation.

If you’re building a startup, be sure it’s something you’re interested in; invest yourself in your startup’s success. Successful entrepreneurs would often rather die than give up — an attitude that will help you push past criticism and other obstacles.

Seek Out the Right People

Unless you live in Silicon Valley, you’ve probably been the target of negativity from people who don’t believe in your idea. Dedicating your life to a business idea requires single-mindedness and dedication, which is hard for people who aren’t entrepreneurs to understand. Normal people fear the risk, hard work, and intense commitment required to succeed in business, which leads them to try to dampen the aspiring entrepreneur’s enthusiasm.

All that negative energy can be disheartening, and it will ultimately work against you. Persistence is the key to success. If you’re living in an environment without a network of people with similar interests, you may be shooting your startup in the foot.

When my business partner and I first decided to pursue our own business ideas, most people didn’t understand what we were doing. They constantly tried to steer us toward more conventional jobs. We began meeting weekly with a group of six entrepreneurial-minded friends to study and share ideas. After two years, Chris and I eventually hit upon a business idea that began generating revenue for us. In retrospect, those meetings were the most important factor that contributed to our success.

Be your own best friend when it comes to encouragement. Surround yourself with people who will help you work toward your goals and inspire you to persevere.

Building a web of support is even easier now with online networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Here are three tips to help you build a network online:

1. Join the conversation.

Become an active participant in online groups formed by like-minded entrepreneurs around subjects that you are interested in or passionate about. Get engaged in the conversation: Ask questions, learn from other members, and share your perspective.

2. Initiate community.

Set up your own groups or forums and invite people you’ve met through similar groups to join. This will increase the strength of your relationships and your connection to an online community in your field.

3. Do your research.

Look for people who’ve been successful in your area of interest to find potential mentors, either directly or indirectly. Most people are happy to be contacted by fellow entrepreneurs for their advice and expertise — especially if you’ve already established yourself as an up-and-coming person in the field by connecting to online communities.

Startups need to be surrounded by people who understand what they’re trying to do and who can offer emotional, moral, technical, and even financial support. Seeking out help is one way to encourage a persistent mindset in yourself. In the meantime, be aware of what’s motivating you and consciously work to build the perseverance you’ll need to succeed.

Ken Oboh is the co-founder of REMIX.com and UMIX.com, two revolutionary music sites that give users the power to be their own DJs. Ken is a serial entrepreneur in the entertainment industry.

Now read I know we want venture capital but what is it?

11 Tips For Increasing Customer Loyalty

Now that your product is launched, tested, iterated and you’re getting customers, how do you keep them? Our friends at the YEC asked 11 entrepreneurs, founders and experts “What’s your best tip for increasing customer loyalty?

Always Over Deliver

“First and foremost, meet the needs of the customer, then take it up a notch and over deliver. Whether you provide deliverables ahead of schedule, throw in bonuses or surprise and delight with cool new features, continue to give more.”

– Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Ridiculously Good Customer Service

“To quote a recent customer email, “I really appreciate your thoughtful and professional response. I don’t get that a lot from customer service. Usually, it’s scripted nonsense that makes it seem like I’ve done something wrong. You’ve single-handedly improved my perception tenfold. Someone there ought to give you a pay raise.””

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

Treat ‘Em As You’d Want to Be Treated

“Empower your employees to help customers the way they would want to be helped. Ditch scripts and “company policy” in favor of dialogue and intuitive problem solving. Customers want to be treated like human beings, not sales figures.”

– Vanessa Nornberg | President, Metal Mafia

Try Genuine Transparency

“If you screw up, be willing to openly acknowledge it and take responsibility for it. Always be real with people, and cut out the “robot act.” Show a genuine desire to improve, even if you’re already doing a good or great job in servicing them. Customers really appreciate that sort of interaction, especially when you show you understand them and actually give a darn.”

– Matthew Ackerson | Founder, Saber Blast

Love Them and Thank Them

“As Gary Vaynerchuk says in his book The Thank You Economy, you need to “shock and awe” your best customers. This means actually giving a crap and rewarding them for no particular reason with thoughtful gifts. I agree 100 percent. Are you telling me the best you can do is an automated Happy Birthday email?”

– Patrick Curtis | Chief Monkey and Founder, WallStreetOasis.com

Customer Loyalty Works Both Ways

“If you want customers to be loyal to you, don’t forget to be loyal to them. Focus on your core, die-hard clients. The fringe customers will come and go, but your core will stick with you through the good times and bad. Keep those customers happy at all cost. Customers reward loyalty with loyalty.”

– Nick Friedman | President, College Hunks Hauling Junk and College Hunks Moving

Build a Broader Relationship With Clients

“If the only times you talk to a customer is when you’re getting paid or providing support, you won’t exactly be their favorite person. Creating a broader connection makes you someone that they’ll want to seek out. Something small, like forwarding a relevant article, can be enough to create a positive association, but keep your eyes out for bigger opportunities.”

– Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Sincerity, Seriously

“Customer loyalty is, in my opinion, built and substantiated with honesty. But more than honesty, it’s really about sincerity. Clients or customers want to look into your eyes and know that you don’t just mean what you say, but you are what you say. They know that everything you do and say is a part of who you are. Because of that, they know they can trust you, and that keeps them loyal.”

– Steven Le Vine | CEO/President, grapevine pr

Send the Message Clearly

“How much would it mean to you if the founder or president of one of your vendors called you up on the phone to ask you how your business was doing, and if there was any more that they could provide for you? Don’t say you care, show you do. Pick up the phone and make it personal.”

– Benjamin Leis | Founder, Sweat EquiTees

Reward the Remaining Ones

“Make your customers feel special by rewarding them for their loyalty. A thank-you gift, access to an exclusive event, a special offer, they all go a long way. And now, there are many services that can help without requiring a major capital investment. For instance, at Merchex, we’re working with dozens of luxury merchants to identify their best customers and effortlessly reward them.”

– Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

Keep Their Best Interest in Mind

“I believe the best way to increase loyalty is to only offer people what they truly want and need. If someone isn’t the right fit for my company or they no longer need the services, I tell them. Coming from a place of total authenticity not only turns clients into raving fans, but also wins the hearts of people who are amazed you didn’t try to pressure them into a sale.”

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

11 Founders give advice on getting a job with a startup.

Startup Act 3.0 Aims to Open Borders for Entrepreneurs

Some pieces of legislation refuse to die. For a third time, lawmakers introduced a bill that would create visas for foreign entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the United States. The Startup Act 3.0 is a bipartisan bill that would grant entrepreneurs who employ at least two full-time employees or raise investments up to $100,000 an additional three years to grow, with the possibility for permanent status, according to Mashable.com

Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much at the moment, but the Startup Act 3.0 has support on both sides of the aisle. Even President Obama has voiced his support for these “entrepreneurial visas.” Obama noticed that bright foreign students are studying at American Universities, but don’t have the opportunity to continue toward the American Dream. “Once they earn that diploma, there’s a good chance they’ll have to leave our country,” Obama said.

Not every bill gets three strikes. But the Startup Act 3.0 could be the next step toward economic recovery and social reform.

Potential Impact

The beauty of new businesses isn’t just the jobs or innovation. It’s also the secondary consequences. Foreign entrepreneurs, B2B businesses and consumers all stand to gain from the Startup Act 3.0. Obviously, foreign born entrepreneurs gain access to launch business in the United States. While many will argue that the U.S. is becoming a less and less fertile place to start a business, it still boasts the largest economy in the world, according to Economywatch.com. As startups launch, they strengthen B2B businesses through partnerships. A startup usually can’t facilitate credit card transactions on its own, but a company like Capital Processing Network offers expertise and support. The result? Both businesses become stronger. From the consumer’s perspective, there’s no downside to new startups. Competition means lower prices, higher quality and increased innovation. Considering the vast positives and potential for more job opportunities, it’s no wonder the Startup Act has come back to life.

Visas and Immigration

Part of the reason the Startup Act has needed three renditions is because it dives into a currently unsettled territory: immigration. According to Huffingtonpost.com, previous renditions of the bill failed to pass because of their controversial nature. Immigration is no less controversial, but once again, entrepreneurial visas are on the table. During his recent State of the Union address, President Obama called for a comprehensive immigration reform bill in “the next few months.” It remains to be seen whether this comprehensive reform will interfere with the Startup Act 3.0.

Inside the Bill

According to a press release from Virginia Senator Mark Warner, one of the bill’s sponsors, the Startup Act 3.0 includes provisions beyond creating new visas. Additional provisions include:

A mandate that grants U.S.-educated foreign students who graduate with a master’s or Ph.D. in science, technology, engineering or mathematics a green card and allows them to stay in the United States
Research and development credits for startups less than five years old
Elimination of per-country caps for employment-based visas
A mandate that makes permanent the extension of capital gains taxes on the sale of startup stock held for at least five years

These provisions reveal that the Startup Act 3.0 packs a punch. Perceived by some as a small piece of immigration reform, lawmakers hope 3.0 will jumpstart the economy.

Did you see these 48 startup stories from SXSW?

Bob La Loggia Founder Of Appointment-Plus Reveals 5 Things That Set Real Entrepreneurs Apart

Last month Free Lunch Fridays kicked off their monthly seminar series with Bob La Loggia the founder and CEO of Appointment-Plus. His startup is exactly what you would think it is by the name, an appointment scheduling software, however during his keynote he didn’t talk about appointment scheduling as much as what makes entrepreneurs different, what sets them apart.

Free Lunch Friday is also exactly what it says, an organization that supports startups by providing great content and education and of course nourishment (the lunch part). We first met the Free Lunch Friday team at SXSW where of course they fed us lunch on a Friday.

Free Lunch Friday is holding monthly seminars with experienced founders and entrepreneurs on a variety of topics.

Here are the 5 things that set entrepreneurs apart:

1. Marketing. It’s essential to define and narrow your target market, correctly position the product or service in front of the customer, and differentiate your business from the competition.

2. Sales. Characteristics of a successful sales focus include: influence factors, which build credibility; authority, such as blogging about a select industry or speaking at a conference; and social proof, such as customer testimonials and referrals. Having a basic sales flow in place is also essential.

3. Support. While the main objective of support departments is to assist customers, support reps also play a role in retention, up-selling/cross-selling and gaining referrals.

4. Finance. Entrepreneurs must have an understanding of financial statements, balance sheets, accounting basics, taxes and cash flow for their businesses to operate profitably.

5. Technology. Given the role technology plays in all businesses, entrepreneurs should have a knowledge of basic database concepts, system language and development lifestyles.

To ensure that none of the above components are ignored, La Loggia suggested his “Geek In A Week” program. This involves dedicating one week to each component and four hours each day during that week focused on that aspect of your business.

Check out the video of Loggia’s talk below:

Source

Check out Appointment-Plus here.

Check out some more startup tips here.

5 Tips For Entrepreneurial MBAs From TroopID’s Blake Hall

For entrepreneurs, business school presents a unique set of choices and opportunities that can drastically alter a founder’s chance of success — for better or worse.

I founded Troop ID while I was an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School in February of 2010. And while today we employ 17 people and sign up nearly 1,000 new members daily, our path to success would have been much swifter had I leveraged the resources at my fingertips while in business school.

Here are 5 of my top lessons — many of them learned the hard way — for other MBAs considering entrepreneurship:

1. Research vesting carefully.

If you have a co-founder, then you will inevitably face a choice about how to split ownership of the company. Initially, this will seem simple: 50/50. But what happens when your co-founder – comparing his ramen noodle diet to the average starting salary of your MBA graduating class — decides to take a high-paying corporate job several months later and wants to remain an equal owner?

That happened to me, and I felt physically ill for almost two months until we sorted it out. Fortunately, smart investors won’t invest in companies until non-full time founders sell back their shares, and, ultimately, that reality allowed me to resolve the situation. But the confrontation cost me precious time and it ruined my personal relationship with a classmate I had once trusted. Looking back, I could have gone down the hall to see Noam Wasserman, a professor at Harvard who literally wrote the book on optimal ownership structures for Founding Teams. I still kick myself over that missed opportunity.

2. Find a mentor.

MBAs are uniquely positioned to find a mentor who is invested in their success. While I would steer clear of pure academic types, there are usually plenty of successful entrepreneurs on faculty. If you develop a personal relationship with a successful entrepreneur who trusts you and is passionate about your venture, then you will have gained the most valuable asset of all: someone who can open doors for you within their trusted network. Since most MBAs are first-time CEOs or founders, sophisticated angel investors will often require that a person they trust sit on the board of the company.

My mentor, Kelly Perdew, helped me navigate multiple pitfalls that could have killed our business; he kept our chins up when the breaks went the wrong way; and he kept our eye on the ball when they started to go right. Kelly provided introductions to most of our current angels and he walked me through the financing process. He’s the single best thing to happen to me and my company.

3. Understand the commitment.

An MBA provides a safety valve that many other entrepreneurs don’t enjoy — a terrible thing for entrepreneurs, because it means that you can waltz out of your company at any point in time and land in a safe, high-paying job. I had a full-time offer from a top management consulting firm that paralyzed me the first few months after I finished business school.

Until I declined that opportunity, I couldn’t make the tough decisions about the best geographic location for the company, I wasn’t fully bought into my own vision and, most importantly, I couldn’t hire talented people or ask them to leave their jobs because that would be unethical. Only when I fully committed to making my company successful did I feel free.

I waited far too long to make this decision and I allowed my Facebook feed – filled with my classmates’ vacations and ski trips – to influence my thinking. After declining the job offer, the next year was even worse. I was lonely. My credit cards maxed out. But I never quit because I was passionate about the problem that I was solving.

4. Focus on your product, relentlessly.

Before we even had a product, I had built a sharp-looking Excel business model that projected a meteoric rise to success. I cringe now when I write about it because, while I understood financial modeling, I understood virtually nothing about building a company. Because I had business training, I thought that my job was to go out and build a sales and marketing plan and to develop relationships with other businesses. I pursued these activities at the expense of the product — the core of the business.

After a few months and a harsh (but much-needed) conversation with one of our seed investors, I stopped doing everything else until we nailed our product and validated our assumptions with small cohorts of customers.

Today, focusing on product first is a personal mantra. It’s also incredibly rewarding because it allows for a level of creativity and self-actualization absent in most other functions. MBAs are well-suited to leverage their business training to provide analytical rigor to validate customer assumptions based upon customer behavior with product features.

In the meantime, I’ve learned not to waste money selling and marketing a product that doesn’t solve a real problem.

5. Pitch everyone.

The biggest advantage of being an MBA is that you have access to virtually everyone you need to poke holes in your idea: faculty, lawyers, angel investors, VCs, corporate executives, classmates, and potential customers. Pitch everyone you meet while you are in business school, and soak in the feedback. After a few weeks, you’ll notice that the critiques you receive are clustered around perceived weak points in your business model or flaws with your product idea.

If you can gather the data to answer each one of those critiques, then people will start writing checks to you — and they will leave their jobs to come work for you.

America needs more talented leaders to choose entrepreneurship. Our best and brightest have the most impact when they build new products that solve meaningful problems and give people jobs. We don’t need more bankers and consultants. If you decide to go this route, I wish you the best of luck!

Blake Hall is the Founder and CEO of Troop ID, a digital authentication engine capable of verifying military affiliation online. An Airborne-Ranger qualified officer, Blake led a battalion reconnaissance platoon in Iraq for fifteen months during 2006 – 2007. He has written for The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post and Vanderbilt Magazine. Thanks to The Economist, he is also the first Google result for the phrase “muscly entrepreneur.”

Check out more on TroopID at nibletz.com The Voice Of Startups Everywhere Else.