startup tips Archives - Page 7 of 26

What Entrepreneurs Miss in Our “Big Plan”

From Justin Jackson

When it comes to building products, the biggest problem technical (and creative) people have is this:

increasing the technical challenge while creating a product does not increase the chance for more sales

This surprises us. We get an idea for a thing, think about the technology we’d use to build it, and get excited.

“I could build this on the Twilio API!”

“I could learn that new CSS framework!”

“I could use this new tool I just purchased!”

The problem is that all of this is focused on us, the creator, and not on the customer, the consumer.

Repeat after me:

“We are not normal people.”

Say it again:

“I am not a normal person.”

We’re not. What’s “normal” for us is often alien to our customers. If we’re actually going to sell products, we need to quit thinking about what’s cool to us, and focus on what customers actually need.

Here’s a lesson I learned the hard way: the best way to do this is to listen.

Let me give you an example:

Starting Up? Piece of Cake. Entrepreneurship…That’s a different story.

From Adii Pienaar, Making New Mistakes

Today, it’s easier to start a startup than any other time in our history.

And it’s likely only getting easier with each passing month.

We have so much information about what works and what doesn’t. Founders are sharing their stories of success and failure in the spirit of enabling someone else to learn.

Talking about failure… As a society and ecosystem, we have embraced the concept and nobody needs to worry about any negative stigma associated with failing.

We also have the ability the reach out to the best of the best and create our own, virtual advisory board. And that at a couple of dollars a minute.

We have learned validation and testing techniques to mitigate the risk of our new startup idea(s) before we even really start.

There’s more know-how and reasons ever to bootstrap your startup. Bootstrapping has spawned some amazing companies.

If bootstrapping isn’t your cup of tea, you can easily raise external funding online or go the crowdsourcing route.

Technology has enabled us to build remote companies, removing another (very physical and geographical) barrier.

Read the full article here.

8 Tools for the Startup SEO Rookie

A Rookie's Overview of SEO Part 3

Hopefully, by reading parts one and two of this blog series, you guys are feeling more and more comfortable with the idea of SEO. In this final post, we want to make to make this SEO overview a little more actionable for you. We will go over some of the many tools that SEOs use and how to measure and evaluate your efforts.

Tools/Services

The great thing about this whole process is that you aren’t completely on your own. There are several different elements offered that will help you along the process. Because search engines want to be able to easily access websites’ content, they encourage SEO and provide a variety of tools to do so. They also encourage certain practices that website creators can use to make SEO easier, as stated below.

Sitemaps. Sitemaps are files that you can create that give search engines directions on how to navigate through your website as well as to find areas on your site that they would probably miss on their own. In order to learn more about sitemaps you can go towww.sitemaps.org, and you can create one of your own atwww.XML-Sitemaps.com.

Robots.txt. This is a file that you can find on a website’s root directory that instructs search engines how to navigate your site. Site owners can use the robot to indicate which parts of their website they would not like automated web crawlers (search engines) to travel to and where to go to find the sitemap. Interested in knowing more? Moz can help you out.

In addition to these and other such robots, both Google and Bing offer webmaster tools to assist with search-friendly pages. Here are the links:

Finally, Moz has a website that can also provide similar assistance for your website. It’s called the Open Site Explorer.

Measuring and Evaluation

The key to successful SEO is being able to track and measure certain aspects and evaluate what is going well and where you need to improve. When evaluating SEO, there are specific things that you will want to measure:

The Traffic Sources to Your Site. At the end of a certain time period (it’s best to evaluate at the end of each month), you will want to take note of all of the different traffic sources to your site, whether they be from referral traffic, direct traffic or search traffic. If you know where all your traffic comes from, you will be able to determine where you need to improve. In addition, you will be able to track this traffic over a long period of time. If traffic temporarily spikes but doesn’t remain high in the long-run, this didn’t do much for you.

Both Visits and Conversion Rate By Specific Keywords. It is obviously very important to determine which practices are actually getting you the results that you desire. Not only will this tell you what is working, but it can also help you further improve these rankingsfor conversions, as well as help you to determine the best possible landing page for these hot key words.

The Amount of Your Site’s Pages that Receive Search Engine Traffic. By knowing which of your site’s pages are drawing in traffic from search engines, it will give you an idea of how many of your pages are included in the search engine’s index. The more pages you have included, the far more successful you will be (especially if you have a large website).

These are just some of the many things you can look at and measure. For a more complete list, you can visit this blog post: Choosing Web Analytics Key Performance Indicators. Wondering where exactly you will find these analytics? The truth is, there are many services online that offer great analytics, but we are particularly partial to Google Analytics.

This post originally appeared on the Tailwind blog.

5 Tips for Negotiating Like Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is renowned for his first-class Apple products. But did you also know that he was a great negotiator? Five of his best negotiating secrets were recently revealed in these court-filed emails between Jobs and James R. Murdoch over an e-book distribution deal between HarperCollins and Apple.

In short, HarperCollins wanted Apple to offer payment terms similar to what Amazon was offering, or about $12-$13 on new e-book releases. Apple wanted to offer $9 (about 75 percent of that). HarperCollins didn’t want to accept the terms.

Here are five tactics Jobs used to negotiate throughout the exchange — without once being pushy or rude:

Be Willing to Walk Away

First, Jobs makes it clear that HarperCollins needs Apple more than Apple needs HarperCollins. They already have other publishers on board. While he makes it clear that they would like to work with HarperCollins, they will let the deal fall through before giving in to their demands. Let the other person know you’re ready to move on if terms aren’t met.

Sell Others on the Big Picture

Jobs says that he believes an e-book revolution is coming and that Apple will be at the center of it. And he uses numbers to back up his claims: Apple sells more iPads than any other company, Apple has 120 million customers with credit cards already in their system, and Apple led this same revolution in the music industry with its iTunes store. Back up your demands with evidence.

Make the Other Person Try to Compromise First

Silence is a common tactic used in face-to-face negotiation because it makes the other person uncomfortable. When someone feels uncomfortable, they start to fill dead air by revealing their bottom line or willingness to compromise. The next time you are in a negotiation, practice silence. You’ll notice that the other person immediately begins to negotiate against him or herself (unless he or she knows this negotiation secret, of course).

Jobs did not engage in any negotiation; he essentially re-explained Apple’s terms and let Murdoch negotiate with himself. In his next email, Murdoch pushes for compromise, hoping that Jobs would give a little as well. That’s when Jobs went in for the kill with his final email.

Lay Out the Other Person’s Options as You See Them

This is a common tactic used in negotiation; you lay out the other person’s options as you see them to make sure that what you want looks like the most attractive option. Jobs did this by declaring to Murdoch that he only had three options:

Accept Apple’s terms
Distribute only through Amazon and see his product devalued, which meant decreased margins in the medium-term
Pull e-books completely from both stores (and face rampant piracy)

In reality, Murdoch probably had plenty of other options, but this simple list instills fear. In contrast with the second and third options, Apple’s terms don’t seem so bad.

Use Social Proof

In his emails, Jobs shares social proof such as:

“All the major publishers tell us that Amazon’s $9.99 price for new releases is eroding the value perception of their products in customer’s minds.”

Of course, not “all” major publishers believe this; HarperCollins, the publisher he’s trying to get on board, obviously does not agree!

Also:

“Apple is the only other company [besides Amazon] currently capable of making a serious impact [with e-books], and we have 4 of the 6 big publishers signed up already.”

It’s hard to argue with the fact that four out of the Big 6 publishers had already agreed to Apple’s terms. People prefer to do the less risky thing, so if you can convince a few, you can use their initial endorsement to convince the rest.

Can you apply these negotiation tactics while still being likable?

Yes, if you follow Jobs’ lead. Jobs was never rude or pushy; all he did was share his dead-on insights, back up his ideas with logic and reasoning, and put himself in the other person’s shoes to seal the deal.

At the core of his negotiation style was the confidence that he was right about where the e-book industry was going. He had a strong track record of predicting and creating the future he envisioned, which bolstered his claims as well.

And who could say no to that?

Jay Wu leads Innovation at A Forever Recovery. In his startup experience, he has built a digital marketing agency, a content network, and an e-commerce store. Jay speaks in the Bay area about social media marketing, SEO, and current trends in the internet-startup industry.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

4 Tips to Improve Your App’s SEO

At my company, we are often asked for ways to improve an app’s ranking in the app store in order increase downloads. The truth is that there are two ways to gain a user base: a strong marketing strategy, and optimizing your app for search (i.e., App Store SEO). The first includes paying for PR, using third-party marketing platforms, and showcasing at local events, launch parties, etc. Unfortunately, this all comes at a cost. If you are one of the lucky ones who have the cash, then keep at it!

The second, for those who aren’t as fortunate, consists of guerrilla marketing efforts — one of which is improving the SEO of your app so it’s easier for customers to find in the Apple App Store. This article will cover ways to improve your app store SEO. Before we begin, let’s look briefly at the advantages of this method.

Why Consider App Store SEO?

The most logical answer is “Why not?” App Store SEO can play an important part in your guerrilla marketing strategy and costs you next to nothing. A basic overhaul only takes a few minutes of your time, and leads to immediate results. Before we share four key things to know, let’s summarize the advantages:

Great for those who don’t have a marketing budget
Easy to do and takes only a few minutes
Increases your app’s exposure within the store

4 Quick and Simple Things to Do to Improve Your App’s Ranking

1. Identify your keywords.

Do keyword research. Spend some time thinking about keywords that best categorize and describe your app.
Try using the singular version of a keyword, e.g. school not schools.
Use all the available characters if possible. Last we checked, you were given up to 100 characters. Use them all.
Localize your keywords for each given language.
Do not repeat the app name in your keywords.

2. Take advantage of ratings.

Make sure to include randomized prompts asking your customers to rate your app within the App Store. It takes little coding time to add but it is a great way for your happy users to show some love for all the hard work you’ve put in (and that’s the least they can do, especially if you have no pricing model).

3. Improve your ranking by converting more downloads.

The more downloads you are able to convert, the higher up the rankings you will appear for your chosen keywords.

4. Keep the description short and sweet.

There’s a misconception that a long descriptive app summary helps with rankings. We have yet to find any metrics to support this, but we do recommend the following:

Keep it simple and short.
Include quotes from popular press or reviews that talked about your mobile app.
Use bullet points that best describe the key features of the app and its overall purpose.
Convince your potential new users that your app is worth the download.

I hope this was informative and that it can be applied to your app. And I look forward to seeing you at the top of the charts!

For those of you with successful apps, what else would you add to this list?

A version of this post originally appeared here.

Andrew Sosa is co-founder of SquareBall Studios (SBS), a leading development company of mobile applications and software systems. Andrew has helped develop solutions for Fortune 500 companies but his real passion is working with startups on their initial ideas and seeing them succeed.

4 Startup Lessons From LSTN Headphones

A year ago, LSTN Headphones was still just a concept. All we had was a website with pictures of prototypes of our headphones up for pre-sale, and an idea that we could change lives through the power of music — with our business. Since then, we’ve learned some valuable lessons about starting a business and what it takes to succeed.

Pick a Project You’re Passionate About

Can you imagine a world without sound? As a music lover, I couldn’t imagine never discovering a new artist, never hearing my favorite album, or never going to my first concert. Music is the soundtrack to my life and it’s shaped who I am today. I went from being a kid growing up in Flint, Mich. learning how to play guitar to working with some of the biggest artists in the world at major labels in Los Angeles.

Set Yourself Apart From the Pack With a Clear Vision

When we were first starting out, everyone thought we were crazy to enter a market that seemingly every rapper and electronics company in the world had already set foot in. The problem was that although the headphone market is massive, none of the existing brands were making headphones we wanted to buy. In addition to great sound quality, we set out to create headphones that were beautifully designed and environmentally friendly.

Consider Your Social Values

When we looked at that massive market, we didn’t see another company making headphones that sounded good, looked good—and were doing good. So we set forth on a mission that would set us apart: we’d produce great headphones made from reclaimed wood and, for every pair sold, LSTN would help restore hearing to a person in need through the Starkey Hearing Foundation. We make direct contributions to Starkey with each purchase of our headphones.

Remember That Success Comes in Two Forms

Running a startup is not for the faint of heart — very little sleep, a lot of travel, no money, constant roller coaster emotions. I recently returned from a trip to Peru, where I got to experience the joy of seeing people receive the gift of hearing — and being exposed to music — for the first time. When I saw the faces that lit up when children connected and communicated with their families, I lost it. It was truly life changing. It trumped being able to quit my corporate job to do LSTN full time. It trumped the feeling of getting our product into Whole Foods.

In fact, it trumped everything we had accomplished up to that point, because to even change one person’s life through our business proved that our plan was working. On that trip, we helped fit 10,000 people in various cities and villages throughout Peru with hearing aids. (We made a short video about our journey that you can see here.)

Is your business changing lives? Do you want it to?

This post was originally featured on GOOD.is.

Bridget Hilton is founder of LSTN Headphones, a music start-up based in Hollywood, CA that makes high quality wooden headphones and funds hearing restoration programs globally. To learn more, watch here.

5 Easy Steps to a Perfect Product Launch

If someone asked you to cram a year’s worth of work into one week, could you do it? Would you?

Any sane person would refuse the request, but hundreds of companies take on the challenge each year when launching new products. That means issues that would normally be mere annoyances — down servers, hour-long interruptions on a payment processor — become catastrophic money losses that might never be recovered. But they can be avoided. Here’s how:

Schedule Success

Every successful launch starts with a launch calendar. Start with the projected launch date and work backward to capture every step needed to meet your deadline. Your timeline should include: releasing promotional information, recruiting and updating affiliates and partners, initiating the pre-launch start (the day the main promotion begins), promoting launch day (the day the product goes on sale), closing carts (the day the product or promotion ends), and fulfilling orders and customer service requests.

Companies must also build in time for new ideas. Leaders are often shocked by the amount of money left on the table because they failed to account for non-essential strategic activities during the launch.

The most vital part — fulfilling orders and customer service requests — is what makes a launch successful. It allows a business to create a fan base whose loyalty will last for years.

Make Customers Love You

In our space, a minimum 30-day refund perio

d is a must, and there’s a high return rate in the online training market. Our first online training course launch a few years ago had a 50 percent return rate — not what we had hoped for. Sometime it came from scammers wanting free information request returns, while others requests come in from clients disappointed by the delivery.

After implementing a better launch strategy, we got refunds down to a highly respectable 15 percent. How? By providing exceptional customer service and delivering on our promises. We worked long hours in advance to ensure customers got results from our training.

Avoid Pitfalls

Even long-time launchers make mistakes — but you don’t need to. Here are five effective ways to prepare for a product launch:

Expect bad things to happen. No matter how unsexy they are, every business needs contingency plans. Don’t think that what happened to others won’t happen to you. For example, will you be cycling millions through a payment processor over a seven-day period? Put multiple processors in place and rotate them to avoid slowdowns.
Bring on extra staff. A big product launch is no time to run lean and mean. Let full-time andtemp staff know they’ll be working around the clock, and compensate them well. The large influx of business will create customer service and technical issues you don’t normally experience, and you’ll need people to handle them. A new customer’s first impression is usually a permanent one.
Improve your reputation.When buzz is generated, people will research your product and business. Make sure what they see is very good. Have existing customers or staff write blog posts and create videos to enhance your search results. Promote these on your website to generate more revenue during your launch.
Set expectations. Launches are hectic; let the people in your life know you’ll be largely unavailable. Eliminate other major obligations during this time.
Schedule weekly check-in meetings. About three months pre-launch, my team meets every single week for up to two hours to stay on schedule. This discipline reduces procrastination and the need to urgently handle miscommunicated responsibilities.

When you’re stressed, you tend to make poor decisions, whether that means declining an opportunity because you don’t have time or failing to provide good service because you’re stretched too thin.

A launch is a great time to attract loyal customers who can change your life — and the future of your company. Make sure your launch is a rewarding experience for everyone involved. It will make the hectic work absolutely worth it.

Matt Clark is a serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, and health and fitness enthusiast. He is an entrepreneurial thought leader, and he founded a multimillion-dollar product distribution business enterprise. He welcomes anyone to reach out to him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google+.

5 Long-Term Sales Killers to Avoid in Your Startup

We’ve all been there. Rather than spend the extra two hours on a Friday night to log your sales data for the week, you head home for some much-needed relaxation. It’s not going to affect your startup that much…right?

Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. But make no mistake: This line of thinking can catch up with you — quickly.

Starting and building a business demands all your time and energy. Sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on your agenda, which is why everyone involved in launching your startup needs to wear several hats.

Sure, it can be exhausting, and you might be tempted to cut corners on sales to ease the burden on you and your team. But relying on shortcuts or postponing sales goals can have crippling effects on the long-term growth of your business.

Instead of taking an easier route, work to avoid these common startup pitfalls:

1. Outdated Sales Practices

Social media and marketing automation tools are no longer luxuries — even for the most local of local businesses. It’s essential to keep up with current sales methods and understand how technology can affect these practices.

Many CEOs don’t adopt an inbound-focused “sales 2.0” methodology quickly enough, and they almost immediately fall behind as competitors benefit from these rapidly expanding new channels.

As social networking and marketing automation continue to develop, non-interruptive marketing and sales practices will become the norm. Leaders who don’t take a “sales 2.0” approach will find themselves with inefficient processes that likely won’t deliver a strong ROI, and competitors that take advantage of these sales channels and marketing tools will leave these lagging companies in the dust.

2. Inefficient Databases

Successful sales practices are based on accurate information. Many CEOs simply don’t understand how valuable a fresh and enhanced database is to the process.

For example, they might continue to dump money into an outbound dialing resource without realizing that the logged information is bad or outdated. If 50 percent of your database information is obsolete, then 50 percent of your calls aren’t connecting.

How can any company achieve a positive ROI by using a half-populated database with dead-end leads? Without budgeting for an updated database at regular intervals, you’re likely losing sales and opportunities to engage your current customers.

3. Limited Training

In most startups, managers must oversee daily operations and contact efforts, and sales teams are often left with no supervision. Soon, the quality and quantity of opportunities diminish, and growth grinds to a halt.

Even if initial employee training is spectacular, every salesperson can benefit from regular, continuous training. Learning new sales techniques (and developing existing ones) is an ongoing process, and your sales team must stay relevant with new strategies and technology to sell effectively.

4. Lackluster Follow-Ups

Unfortunately, many leaders also don’t understand the value of following up with clients on a regular basis. Nurturing a customer relationship requires steady contact.

Set follow-up appointments after each meeting to build trust and maintain contact. This can also help expand your service. What new strategies, products, or technology can you offer? Is all your contact information current and applicable? Include a summary of your previous communication and an agenda for the upcoming meeting. These seemingly small details can make every follow-up more effective.

5. Poor Data Management

Another common shortcut that can kill a business is disorganized data management. CEOs who don’t make their team update opportunities and make notes in the CRM are left with a slew of context-free metrics, none of which will benefit your bottom line.

Making reliable predictions becomes impossible when accurate record-keeping starts to slide.

Managers should not just assume databases are being updated; they should spot-check that sales reps are making notes on a regular basis. This is another pertinent detail that can get overlooked when managers are overloaded.

Startup Sales Strategies for Long-Term Success

The common problems noted above reflect the time, budgetary, and personnel constraints most startups face. The following strategies can help alleviate these issues from the outset:

Create a consistent written plan of action, and develop timely checklists based on that plan.

Envision and record how your short-term goals (daily, weekly, quarterly) support your long-term growth. Defined goals posted in your workspace help your employees see how the day’s tasks fit into the big picture.
Review your business practices monthly or quarterly to analyze areas that need improvement. Communicate these areas to your entire team, and ask for suggestions on appropriate strategies.
Maintain your focus. This sounds easy, but if you had a rough quarter and start scrambling to “diversify” to seek immediate revenue, you are sacrificing your vision and continuity.

Startups, by nature, are often stretched thin on personnel and resources, but cutting corners on the sales side weakens your daily operations, client relationships, and future opportunities.

While you might find yourself able to get by with little organization or strategy, these short-term savings can be detrimental to your future success.

John McLellan is the Chief Revenue Officer of EBQuickstart, the ultimate source for outsourced sales solutions. EBQ is a sales and marketing firm that helps companies outsource lead generation, sales, marketing, data, and customer service. John can be reached on Twitter or directly at john.mclellan@ebquickstart.com.

The “Must-Attend Conference for Entrepreneurs” Everywhere Else Tennessee is headed back to Memphis this Spring. We’ve released the early adopter tickets, and they’re going fast. Don’t miss your shot by signing up here!

How You Can Deliver Great Customer Service–For Free

We all know the Zappos story. Selling shoes online isn’t particularly sexy, but Zappos really made their business about customer service. They treated the customer like royalty with great customer service, quick returns, and surprise gifts like free shipping. Zappos built a legacy doing business this way.

But what does that really matter to the average young startup? You probably feel like you don’t have the time, energy, or money to deliver excellent customer service. Good enough is usually good enough.

Not so fast. While we all know customer service is important, you may be missing exactly how important it is. Customers who are emotionally connected to your brand are:

300% more likely to recommend you (and their friends are more likely to use a recommended product)
300% more likely to become a repeat customer
44% less likely to shop around
33% less price sensitive, meaning they’ll pay a little more for your awesome customer service

So, how can you maximize your customer service? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Simply connect with them. Put customers at the forefront of everything you do, and really–no, really!–listen to what they’re saying.

The best customer service is a good product, of course. But if you’re willing to go above and beyond to serve them, you may find yourself quickly outpacing the competition.

Check out Neil Patel‘s infographic of great customer service below.

Courtesy of: Quick Sprout

The “Must-Attend Conference for Entrepreneurs” Everywhere Else Tennessee is headed back to Memphis this Spring. Early adopter tickets are on sale now and going fast! Get yours here.

23 Accelerators Give Their Best Tips on Getting In

Love ’em or hate ’em, accelerators are popping up all over the country. The best ones offer mentorship, business development, and access to connections founders just wouldn’t have on their own.

But, getting into an accelerator can often be difficult. The process is simple enough, but what is it that really puts a team above the competition? What are accelerators looking for when they sift through all the applications for their newest cohorts?

Well, wonder no more! We asked some of the top accelerators everywhere else for their #1 tip for standing out in the crowd. Check out what they have to say:

TechStars Austin

Be concise in your application and communication. Toil over every word, the more you can remove the better, but also realize that buzz words contain zero information content. Don’t try to be impressive, just try to be understandable and you’ll stand out.

Jason Seats, Managing Director, @seats

Start Co, Memphis

We look for diverse, fierce, coachable, and execution oriented teams first and foremost . . . that is 95% of our selection process. And it should be a team. While we have taken a couple in the past, being a solo founder is a negative selection criteria.

Eric Mathews, Co-founder, @ecmathews

Velocity Indiana, Inc

The tongue and cheek is Cash. And to make sure you follow the instructions. The real answer would be to make sure you express passionate enthusiasm for your idea.

Tony Schy, Managing Director, @tschy

Gigtank, Chattanooga, TN

“Convince us that you’ll be able to close sales or establish pilot projects during GIGTANK with customers in a rapidly growing market.”

Mike Bradshaw, Executive Director, @MikeBinChatt

TechStars, Boulder

Be different so you get noticed!

Nicole Glaros, Managing Director, @nglaros

AlphaLab, Pittsburgh

Be focused and specific. Don’t talk in generalities or use a lot of buzzwords or catch phrases. Be specific about the market problem you’re solving (and tell it from the customer point of view). Be specific in describing your solution (or proposed solution) and why it’s truly unique. Be focused in describing how you’ll acquire customers and market your product. But don’t mistake “specific” to mean “lots and lots of detail” – clarity and focus are still critical.

Jim Jen, Executive Director, @jimcjen

Amplify.la

“Think big and solve a problem that’s worth solving and wear your passion on your sleeve.”

Paul Bricault, Co-founder, @pbricault

Jumpstart Foundry, Nashville

“I suggest that candidates network their way through our mentors. They are all naturally predisposed to root for startup founders and are clearly listed on the JSF website. If you can’t sell them on your concept then you will have an even harder time with real customers.”

Vic Gatto, Founder & CEO, @Vic_Gatto

UpTech, Cincinnati

My advice… have a sincere passion for what you are doing. Not only will your passion get investors excited about your idea but it will get you through the gut wrenching moments of being an entrepreneur.

Amanda Greenwell, Program Manager, @GlamHippie

Launchpad LA

Get a strong referral from a founder we’ve already funded.

Sam Teller, Managing Director, @samteller

NMotion, Lincoln

Demonstrate your passion for the problem you’re trying to solve and show us that you’re the team that can solve it. At NMotion we’re looking for teams that know why you’re applying to an accelerator beyond capital. Teams that demonstrate an ability to work hard, experiment, and take advantage of the connections, community, and curriculum an accelerator brings usually rank high on our list.

Brian Ardinger, Managing Director, @ardinger

VentureSpur, Oklahoma City

If you want to give yourself the best chance of acceptance, spend some time reviewing the program and mentors on our website, including our focus areas and blog – and have a coherent reason why your startup needs to leverage our accelerator to grow quickly and how you’d make effective use of the resources provided. Startup teams that do this put themselves ahead of the pack!

Kraettli Lawrence Epperson, Managing Director & Co-founder, @klepperson

TechStars Boston

Demonstrate you have a team that can learn quickly and cares.

Katie Rae, Managing Director, @ktrae

FlashStarts, Cleveland

Demonstrate the ability to iterate rapidly. Our application process is iterative. Apply and we will provide feedback. Respond and we will provide more feedback. On day in May we will cut a $25,000 check and accept you into our Summer Program. Continue the process throughout the summer and we might cut a $250,000 check (follow-on funding amounts vary. In 2013 the amount ranged form $0 to $300,000).

Charles Stack, Founder/CEO, @cstack

LaunchHouse, Cleveland

The number 1 tip for being accepted into LaunchHouse Accelerator is having industry expertise, consistent customer development, and the team to execute.

Todd Goldstein, CEO, @ToddGoldstein

Straight Shot, Omaha

The most important thing to be able to demonstrate is how the founding team is uniquely qualified to solve the problem their business aims to address. Being able to connect a founding team’s personal and professional experiences with the market that’s being pursues is a great indicator of the ability to execute and generate the momentum necessary to quickly grow and scale.

David Arnold, Managing Director, @David_M_Arnold

TechStars Chicago

Pro Tip to help you get into Techstars Chicago: Be able to demonstrate an ability to execute and iterate a ton in a short amount of time. We love teams that are smart, open minded, coachable and can out execute the competition. Submit your application early, add updates as you make progress and gain learnings and execute, execute, execute!!

Troy Henikoff, Managing Director, @TroyHenikoff

SeedSumo, College Station

Prove you move quickly – if your team is strong and concept is solid, the last thing we look for is movement. Are you testing things already? Prove it to us. The ball should already be rolling…fast.

Bryan Bulte, Managing Director, @bultebryan

SURGE, Houston

My #1 tip for entrepreneurs: Clear demonstration of commitment. SURGE’s entire business model is designed so that everyone – investors, mentors, sponsors – is aligned with the same goals as our entrepreneurs. We are 100% committed to entrepreneurs and they come first in everything that we do. We believe in entrepreneurs having skin in the game. We do. We are the largest investors in SURGE and our entrepreneurs. We expect our founders to reciprocate and be 100% focused on the business they are pitching to us. If they are not, we know that customers will not buy. Investors will not invest. Thus, breaking our entire model. We don’t want part-time or hobbyist entrepreneurs. We want the real deal.

Kirk Coburn, Founder/Managing Director, @kirkcoburn

Impact Engine, Chicago

Passionate entrepreneurs that are ACTION oriented.

Chuck Templeton, Managing Director, @ctemp

Healthbox, Boston

“Be candid about your areas for improvement – we are here to help, mentor, build, guide and connect!”

Ateet Adhikari, @health_box

Dreamit Ventures, Austin

I’d say to include a video pitch (not a 20-min demo recorded at another event, but a quick elevator pitch about the company and a bit about each team member). Doesn’t require high production value – phone is fine. Better to see team members talking than one of those cartoons with an automated voice reading a script. It’s not the most important thing (obviously the fundamentals of the team/business matter most) – but it’s unique and effective,

Kerry Rupp, CEO, @kerry_rupp

gener8tor, Madison, WI

Demonstrate traction. The marketplace doesn’t lie—tell us about your customers, users and revenue.

Troy Vosseller, Co-founder, @troyvosseller

3 Myths About Successful Startup Cultures

We’ve all read the stories about the hot new startups making waves in their industry – and how they’re doing it from colorful beanbag chairs in a once-destitute warehouse on the south side of town. We’re prone to conclude that these startups are sustaining high-level performance because they’ve broken down the (cubicle) walls binding our ability to collaborate, innovate, and achieve full potential.

Unfortunately, myths about high performing culture develop from these stories. Now, to dispel a few “must-have” myths:

A ‘Cool’ Vibe

While it may seem that a waterslide snaking through your office will promote innovation, it usually just leaves you all wet. Many high performing companies do have “cool” vibe cultures, but their sustained performance is attributed to much more than the free mocha coolatas. These cultures tend to be manifestations of their founders and leaders – entrepreneurial, risk-taking, intentionally provocative. These outward characteristics predicate high performance when they are founded in certain values: determination to succeed against all odds, an underdog mentality, and a youthful exuberance that imitators just can’t match.

Don’t try to be something you’re not. Seek to understand what is truly valued in your organization. Then, ask yourself how those values manifest themselves daily. Are these manifestations going to help you or derail you from achieving your goals? “Cool” doesn’t necessarily mean high performing. And trying to be “cool” when you’re not certainly isn’t going to end well.

A Charismatic Leader

The second common myth is that organizations need a charismatic leader at the helm in order to inspire greatness in others. In fact, recent thinking is quite the opposite. Highly successful CEOs tend to be those who shy away from the spotlight – those who are maniacally focused on the success of the business and who are never satisfied. If your charismatic CEO spends more time on the speaking circuit than in the office contributing to your organization’s success, you may be in trouble.

A Startup Mentality

While all organizations must be adaptive in order to meet the changing needs of the market (an attribute often associated with quick and nimble startups), this is not a prerequisite for success. Although it may be more challenging to turn the rudder on an ocean liner than a dingy, mature organizations are absolutely able to foster innovative thinking that keeps them competitive. It’s less about a startup mentality and more about understanding your objectives and how your organization’s culture is going to help get you there.

Myth-buster bottom line: A culture of performance is not necessarily a culture that seems catchy. The key is to clarify what you stand for and who you need to be and to execute on that vision authentically.

A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Chris Cancialosi, Ph.D., is Managing Partner and Founder of gothamCulture, is a recognized expert in the field of leader and organizational development with particular focus on the leader’s role in shaping high-performing culture.

5 Tips for Startup Life Survival

The startup lifestyle can be grueling. If you’re not careful, it can take a serious toll on your physical and mental health. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a CTO, a programmer, or work in a nontechnical capacity; everyone needs a startup survival strategy to help them maintain their work-life balance as they learn to juggle an ever-growing workload, excessively long days and a personal life. It can be a pretty daunting task. Those who aren’t careful may find themselves suffering from burnout.

Anyone working at the forefront of technology and innovation is no stranger to the demands of startup life. In an industry where leaving the office before 8 p.m. is often frowned upon, it’s no surprise that industry leaders like Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer brag about working 130-hour weeks from time to time. Then there’s the famous Apple slogan, which has also helped set an industry precedent: “90 hours a week and loving it.” These increasing demands, coupled with the do-more-with-less mentality of such work environments, are having a detrimental effect on employees.

There’s a good chance that everyone who works at a startup has or will experience bouts of stress and burnout from time to time. What’s important is that one knows how to deal with the demands of the startup workplace.

Below are five tips for surviving the startup lifestyle.

Get a life. Your work, while demanding, shouldn’t be performed at the expense of your life. It’s important to spend time with loved ones and make time to do the things you enjoy. Don’t neglect your relationships. But more importantly, don’t neglect yourself. While this may feel like a waste of time, it will leave you feeling refreshed, energized and ready to tackle your to-do list head on.
Accept your limitations. Working at a startup doesn’t have to mean overtime and impending burnout. If you’re an efficient multitasker, you’ll be able to cram a decent amount of tasks into a full day of work. It’s essential that you understand your own needs. For some, perhaps an extended lunch break increases concentration and productivity overall, whereas some may benefit from short, frequent breaks throughout the day. Determine your needs and limitations to ensure you’re as efficient as you can be.
Get moving. Exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle often fall by the wayside as workload increases. Being active will not only help you keep in shape but will increase your productivity in addition to making you happier and more energetic. So get moving and while you’re at it, pay attention to the food you are consuming. Certain foods are linked to increased brain stimulation, while others cause steep energy declines. These are simple lifestyle changes that may greatly improve your quality of life and will make you a more productive member of your startup team.
Disconnect after hours. Just because you have a smartphone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t disengage from the office. Unless it’s something pressing, there’s no need to respond to emails outside office hours. And if you’re someone who has a tendency to obsessively check email, removing work email from your phone may be a good option. It’s important to take a break and make some time for yourself at the end of a long day.
Write your manifesto. It’s important to be aware of what you stand for and what you want out of life. Do you know what your main life goals are? Is your current job getting you any closer to reaching them? Constantly evaluating your goals will help you see your job in a different light. For example, it may help you realize it’s time to find something that more closely matches your manifesto. Whatever it is that you discover, having a personal manifesto written out will help you see the big picture.

A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Zach Cutler is a dynamic entrepreneur and marketing professional who formed Cutler Group, a Tech PR agency, in 2009. He specializes in crafting innovative communication campaigns to help emerging and established tech companies thrive.

4 Tips to Attract Angel Investment in 2014

Starting a new company from the ground floor is never easy; even seasoned entrepreneurs have been known to stumble along the way. First-time entrepreneurs have one brief chance to make a big impression on investors, and unfortunately more often than not they will fail. Following are four tips for early stage entrepreneurs hoping to prove to investors theirs is an idea worth opening their wallets for this year.

Think Like an Investor

Just like the first rule of public speaking – know your audience. Entrepreneurs who do not pay enough attention to understanding what investors are looking for will most likely fail to engage their audience. First-time entrepreneurs often spend too much time emphasizing their product or service during a pitch and as a result forget to answer some very key questions – the relevant experience of your management team, the go-to market strategy, the competitive landscape and potential for acquisition, just to name a few. Investors respond best to a balanced emotional and analytical appeal; think about it, would you rather have someone read you an almanac or tell you an exciting narrative based on the facts that almanac contains?

Choose Three Takeaways

If there is a lot of information to convey in a limited amount of time, abide by the rule of three. Before you step foot in the meeting, decide on the three most important takeaways prospective investors should leave the presentation with. Then, whether it’s placing an easel at the front of the room with the three takeaways listed or bringing them up several times throughout your presentation, let investors know from the beginning of your pitch that if they remember nothing else from your presentation, they should remember these three items.

Think Big

One of the biggest mistakes early stage entrepreneurs make is not thinking big enough. Investors need to know how you plan to reach a large market with a sustainable competitive advantage. The most profitable ventures are able to scale quickly and efficiently; entrepreneurs who secure funding are the ones who were able to communicate how they anticipate and plan for challenges they will likely face throughout the growth of the venture. There is considerably less risk for investors, who remember are looking for a big return, if your market is enormous. An enormous market means a venture does not have to capture an unrealistically high market share to command an exit value that will enable investors to meet their return requirements ; a small market means a potentially smaller exit event that could fall short of an investor’s needs or expectations. Showing investors that you have a realistic plan to quickly scale and grow within a large market oftentimes means the difference between attracting their money (or not.)

Make Realistic (and Defensible) Financial Projections

With so many sky-high valuations making headlines in 2013, it is easy to see why early stage entrepreneurs might be tempted to overestimate the value of their idea. Doing so, however, can seriously limit the longevity of your venture and ability to secure increased funding during subsequent rounds. It is also easy to price yourself out of the market if investors are turned off by the unreasonable value you place on the venture– in this scenario you do not even get the first round of funding let alone the opportunity for future investment. Do your homework. Take advantage of online tools like Worthworm, seek the advice of mentors, and ensure you walk into a meeting with a defensible and credible value and financial projections.

It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be a first-time entrepreneur as the public continues to embrace innovative ideas in so many diverse industries. However, even the greatest ideas can fail to take off if the money dries up. As you seek to attract angel investment this year, consider these four tips as you prepare for that critical first meeting where making the right impression is more important than making a big impression.

Alan Lobock is the co-founder of Worthworm (www.worthworm.com) and SkyMall. Having been on both sides of the start-up investment scene– seeking investment for his ventures and as an angel investor himself, Alan launched Worthworm to solve one of the biggest challenges young companies and their prospective investors face—how to compute a credible and defensible PMV for an early stage venture seeking angel investment.

How to Easily Make the Best Startup Connections

Over the years of my deep study and fascination with people and social dynamics, I’ve noticed that the world’s best connectors do things in a pretty similar way.

We all know the people who meet people with ease, seem to always have the influencers in their corner and are constantly surrounded by passionate and inspiring people.

Whether they know it or not, they all follow a set of habits. Let these habits serve as guidance for how to approach the people around you. For me, they are a way of life.

Without them, you’re nowhere. With them, anything’s possible.

10 Habits of People Who Connect With Anyone

Smile. This is by far the fastest way in the world to create a connection. It’s also a powerful show of confidence, which people respect and are drawn to. Smiles are contagious and the simple act makes people feel better. Whether it’s you’re approaching a close friend, a bus driver, someone you’re dying to meet or just walking into a room of strangers, there is no stronger opener.
See friends, not strangers. When you walk into a room, see the new faces not as strangers but as friends you have yet to meet. You see the world in a more similar way to others than you probably realize — especially if you’re at the same event or a part of the same communities. Approach accordingly.
Make friends. This is the foundation. Making genuine connections is nothing more than making friends. When you’re about to approach someone, ask, “How would I treat this person if they were my close friend or someone I’d want to be a close friend?” You put friends first. You listen to them. You hear their problems so you can help in any way you can. Act accordingly.
Be genuine. If you’re connecting just because you want to get yourself further up the ladder, then you’ve already lost. There is only one type of connection — one you genuinely care about. Find someone you actually do care to meet and get to know. Anything else is a waste of time.
Contribute. Meeting people is about making their lives better. Whether that’s by giving them a smile, a new job or anything in between — there is a way to help everyone. Give like crazy, embrace generosity and make others more successful.
Pay attention. The easiest way to be interesting is to be interested. Find excitement in what you can learn from others. Hear what they say. Listen and learn about what matters to them — not so you can say something back as soon as possible, but so you can get a window into their world. People want to tell their story. Be the person excited to hear it.
Make people a priority. There is no more important task for anyone than surrounding yourself with the right people. It’s part of every day, not something we do for an hour every week or two. It’s a way of being and a way of life.
Be open to conversation. Embrace conversation with those around you. Everyone has something to offer — your server or the guy next to you on a park bench or plane flight. Even if you came to read a book, realize the best part of your day might be learning about the world of the person next to you.
Know who you are and who you want in your life. Know your passions, goals, talents, interests and the impact you want to have on the world. These will serve as your guiding light for how you can help and who you actually want to write into your story. Act with intention.
Be uniquely YOU. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Don’t try to look and sound like someone else, and don’t hold back! Be vulnerable and open. Share your real story and goals. Tell others about your wife, kids and parenting struggles. Talking about the weather does not build connection. Being real does.

Remember that every maverick has a home team offering advice and encouragement. Every game-changer has an inner circle of support.

Yours is waiting.

A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Scott Dinsmore is an entrepreneur, career change strategist, travel photographer, ultra-runner and founder of Live Your Legend, a business and international community dedicated to helping you build a career around work that genuinely excites you – and surround yourself with the people who make it possible. The Live Your Legend Community’s LOCAL event sites are non-commercial gatherings happening on January 7 in 140 cities in 44 countries around the U.S. and the world. Locations are available here.