Engineers Need Help to Become Good Entrepreneurs
Every engineer who has invented some new technology, or is adept at creating solutions, believes that is the hard part, and it should be a short step to take that…
Business Basics Posts
7 Keys to Success in the Micro-Business World
I’m hearing more and more these days about a new type of small business, called a “micro-business” (or micro-enterprise). These are usually characterized as owner-operated, with five employees or less,…
When Should Founders Incorporate their Business?
The official start date for your startup is the date you incorporate the business. This is obviously important for tax purposes, but may also dramatically influence how potential investors, customers,…
Mentors vs. Critics
The dictionary definition of a mentor is “an experienced and trusted advisor,” or “leader, tutor or coach.” The definition of a critic sounds similar, “a person who offers reasoned judgment…
8 Ways to Transform a Market
Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology or transforming society with a new process. But unfortunately, most of these ideas fail at the execution…
8 Pivots for Startups
One of the hottest buzzword for startups these days is “pivot.” The term, introduced by entrepreneur and venture advisor Eric Ries in an article on Lessons Learned a couple of…
7 Ways to Make a Great First Impression With Investors
Entrepreneurs are all about firsts, and the most important is you making a great first impression – on investors, customers, new team members, and strategic partners. Poor first impressions can…
Body Language Trumps Text Messages
Whether it’s a business or personal interaction, multiple studies show that as much as 50-65% of the communication is nonverbal. That means that people who are addicted to text messaging…
10 Reasons to Favor Action vs. Overthinking
I've always said that startups are all about execution. Sometimes I encounter self-proclaimed entrepreneurs who have been “thinking” about a concept for many years, and haven't started yet. Some of…
10 Keys to a Competitive Business Model
Every startup and mature business needs to learn as much as possible from Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, who have set the standards for fast growth and success in today’s…