Based on my own experience and feedback from friends, every investor is approached by at least ten entrepreneurs with a “hot idea” for a new business, for every one who has a real “plan” for a new business. That’s why I often say that ideas are worth nothing, until they are put in the context of a
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Martinzwilling voted on the following stories on BizSugar
Mind the Gap Between a Good Idea and Good Business
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4571 days ago
6 Hidden Reasons Why Investors Say Come Back Later
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4572 days ago
New entrepreneurs often seem to confuse viability with fundability. Certainly a non-viable business should be not fundable, but many viable businesses are also not fundable. Thus when an investor declines your funding request, you need to curb your anger and understand the real reason for this outc
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What Does a Startup Have To Do To Get Noticed?
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4573 days ago
The space for startups is more crowded than ever. First of all, it’s now international, so you have startups from every country in the world competing for your customer’s attention and their business. Then there is the Internet, delivered through every media, including your smart phone, where the v
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Innovation to an Existing Business Can Limit Risk
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4574 days ago
If you are an entrepreneur starting a business for the first time, I recommend that you find a product concept that is already accepted and improve on it, rather than tackling that ultimate disruptive technology. Notice that I’m not suggesting that you steal someone else’s idea, but simply limit yo
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Investors Reject Plans With No Clear Business Model
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4575 days ago
For survival, the objective of every business should be to bring in revenues which exceed their costs. Even non-profits have to do this to cover overhead costs, unless they rely totally on donations. Yet I continue to see business plans, or even talk to founders, and can’t find the specifics of the
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Is Your Startup Relevant Enough to be Great?
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4576 days ago
Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of your management team, or your sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. While these may be necessary for funding, they may not be sufficient to make your startup the great succe
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5 Ways to Hire People Who May be Smarter Than You
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4577 days ago
Helpers do what you say, while good help does what you need, without you saying anything. People who can help you the most are actually smarter than you, at least in their domain. Top entrepreneurs spend more time putting the right team in place to accomplish their objectives than they spend on any
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Don’t be Too Busy to Do Some Reflective Thinking
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4578 days ago
Startups and entrepreneurs are drowning in the information overload, where the volume of data created is like a new Library of Congress every 15 minutes. That creates a huge gap between data and meaning, and makes quick decisions and action ever more difficult. We all need to take a little more tim
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The Wrong Advisory Board Will Hurt Your Startup
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4579 days ago
If you are an entrepreneur for the first time, or entering a new business area, it’s usually worth your time to assemble an Advisory Board of two or three executives who have travelled that road before. But if you select the wrong people, or use them incorrectly, the impact will not be positive for
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8 Clues that Your Business Honeymoon May be Over
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4580 days ago
Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. At first, all parties are in dreamland, with a vision of changing the world, having lots of fun, and raking in the profits. But all too soon, reality sets in. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are
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