One of the key sections of any business plan is the analysis of the competition. I especially love the ones that start and end by saying “We don’t have any competitors.” Investors take that to mean either 1) there is no market for your product, or 2) you don’t understand the concept of business and
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Martinzwilling voted on the following stories on BizSugar
Startup Competitors Watch From Five Directions
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4991 days ago
Nine Principles of Leadership for Entrepreneurs
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4992 days ago
Creating and building a business is not a one-man show. It requires a team effort, or at least the ability to build trust and confidence among key players, and effectively communicate with partners, team members, investors, vendors, and customers. These actions are the hallmark of an effective lead
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Ten Components of Startup Valuation For Investors
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4993 days ago
Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, playing coy, or quoting an exor
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Ten of the Worst Reasons for Starting a Business
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4994 days ago
Every entrepreneur needs to be honest about their strengths and weaknesses, and realistic about their reasons for choosing the startup route. For any entrepreneur, even the best business opportunities, if entered for the wrong reasons, will likely fail. Some of these reasons seem obvious, so forgiv
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Ten Myths About Innovation – Startups Beware
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4996 days ago
Most people think innovation is all about ideas, when in fact it is more about delivery, people, and process. Entrepreneurs looking to innovate need to understand the execution challenge if they expect their startup to carve out a profitable niche in the marketplace, and keep innovating to build an
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Don Estridge, IBM PC Father, Startup Role Model
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4997 days ago
My introduction to startups really came when I first worked in IBM with Philip Donald Estridge back in 1981. Known as Don Estridge, he led development of the original IBM Personal Computer, and thus is known as "father of the IBM PC". He’s gone now, but I still remember him fondly.
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Nine Ways to Work Less and Do More In Your Startup
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4998 days ago
The universal challenge of every startup founder is to get everything done that needs to get done, and still have a life. Even outside of business, everyone wants to accomplish more, while working less. I’ve been a student of these techniques for some time, but recently I saw a great summary that s
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Startup Professionals Musings: Friends and Family: Largest Startup Funding Source
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4999 days ago
According to a report distributed by the Angel Capital Education Foundation, total startup funding from venture capital funds, state funds, and angel investors totals approximately $20.8 billion annually. Surprisingly, friends and family contributed nearly three times the amount of capital to thous
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Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Ask For Money
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 5000 days ago
The first question most people seem to ask when contemplating a new startup is where they will get the money. That’s certainly a valid question, but all the money in the world won’t make your business a success if you hate what you are doing, and you aren’t prepared to do the job. I suggest that there are several other questions even more important than the money one
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Entrepreneurs: See Paranoia As An Opportunity
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 5001 days ago
Even though 1984 passed uneventfully over 25 years ago, there is still a large population out there worried about George Orwell, and the animals taking over the farm. Why is everyone so paranoid these days? My plea to entrepreneurs and startups is to recognize it as an opportunity, and go the extra mile to make people comfortable rather than paranoid
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