HeatherStone commented on the following stories on BizSugar
Acquisitions – 10 Reasons Why They Fail
"Hi Ian, I think when you boil it all down, the real challenge faced when acquiring a new company is figuring out where all the pieces fit. This really comes down to integration, but ultimately I think even that is too general a term for it. Some acquired companies would be better off run almost as a separate business. Some have components which might naturally fit into your company. Some might be acquired specifically to get a hold of talent, technology or expertise you don't have and can't afford to develop. There are probably numerous other scenarios I'm ignoring here, but that's kind of the point. It's probably a good idea to have at least an idea where these pieces will fit before you decide on an acquisition rather than discovering, as even huge businesses do sometimes, that they have no way to successfully integrate what they've acquired. "How to Give Your 60 Second Pitch w/o Feeling Sick, Stupid or Salesy
"Really love your title here, Angela. It says it all, doesn't it? Of course, this is an important part of the sales process so making it as effective and painless as possible is critical. Thanks for sharing your post with the BizSugar community!"The Importance of Maintaining Good Personal Credit as an Entrepreneur | CateCosta.com
"Hi Cate, Great points here about how things really work. In fact, another problem you can run into is an issue with collateral. Even if you have great credit, a bank may be unwilling to lend you money if you have no assets to put up and no personal money invested. Again, the concern is, If you have nothing to risk, why would the bank risk its funds? Thanks for sharing with the BizSugar community."Beyond Design Thinking- Think Like a Shrink! – Starting a Tech Business
"Alex, Love the idea of the hook here because it seems to me this kind of business model, regardless of the product or service, would be irresistible...and would also focus on up-selling to a dedicated customer base. It makes sense to ask yourself from the beginning if your model has such a hook built in or if you could build one in before you even get started. Thanks for sharing with the BizSugar community."Competing For Mindshare Or Meaningshare
"Hey David, Creating meaning for customers should obviously be the first priority for brands. Even if it's not, at first, an attainable goal, I think it's something to shoot for. One reason creating meaning can be tougher is that ideally it requires the customer's input. This requires a relationship and that relationship may be more challenging for new businesses coming right out of the gate. That's because they are still trying to figure out exactly who their customers are. Trying to figure out who you are serving and what they really need from you (rather than what you thought they needed) is a critical first step. "How Google+ Local Social Media Sub Platform Assists Local Businessmen?
"Hi Shameem, Thanks for the great post on Google Plus Local. It's a subject many business people probably don't know enough about, partially, I think because there's some confusion between this and plain old Google Plus, the Google social network. Thanks for going into detail and sharing these thoughts with the BizSugar community."Subscribe
Keyword Research Tools: The Ultimate List for Small Business
"Awesome list of tools, Wayne. Keywords are critical especially for content marketing. Just always remember you are communicating with people, not search engines--though, of course, search engines can't be ignored. :) "