On a recent business trip to London, I surprised the conference organizers by turning down the opportunity to stay at the posh hotel hosting the conference in favor of a rather modest Airbnb flat. The hotel was clearly much more luxurious. The flat would require me to take the tube or an Uber to the event. Who in their right mind would make such a choice?
Read MoreIt was reported yesterday that Westfield Corporation, which operates 32 large U.S. malls is looking to startups to spur innovation. They are concerned with the perception that online retailers are capturing the eyes (and pocketbooks) of consumers, thereby eroding their market dominance and ultimately profits.
Read MoreAccording to a recent WSJ article, Twitter has 313 million monthly active users, but its “total addressable audience” is 800 million (and possible much larger if you include who see tweets outside Twitter’s website or apps, or even every news source that simply cites and/or quotes a tweet.)
Read MoreOne of the best examples of how small differences can lead to exponential results comes from the world of professional golf. In 2015, Phil Mickelson earned $51 million split between prize money on the tour and endorsements.
His per-round stroke average was 70.5.
Read MoreThe concept of a 'newsletter' pops into the minds of company owners when they have no idea what to do to boost their marketing. They just know they need to do something.Should they entertain speaking engagements, seminars, networking events, newsletters, other?
Read MoreDollar Shave Club introduced a subscription model for selling razors using slapstick humor on YouTube. Now, Dollar Shave Club is being bought by Unilever PLC for $1 billion cash. Among the lessons learned and traditional industry norms broken are:
Read Morehere’s a cultural problem among companies, especially consulting companies: most of us label ourselves based on our practice area. As an example, in the legal profession: "I’m an estate planning attorney. I’m a M&A lawyer."
Read MoreThe first time I heard this question answered was from Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos. Jeff was on stage at a press event, and a reporter asked him, "Jeff, what do you think is going to change most in the next 10 years?" Jeff replied, "That's a good question. But a better question is: What's not going to change in the next 10-20 years?"
Read MoreStartup founders often feel pressure to chase rapid growth at any cost. So it is notable that one new program urges them to think small.In an era of startup accelerators, the Good Work Institute, a free business-education program for entrepreneurs with modest-sized firms, might best be called a decelerator.
Read MoreMark Walker had two goals for his startup this year: Get its new line of clothing into as many guys' homes as possible and get them to pay full price. He would have to get creative.Walker, after all, is the CEO of JackThreads, a men's clothing site that has mainly been known for its discounted prices since it started in 2008.
Read MoreYou’re awesome. You do all the right things for your clients. You give them the best service.So why are your client relationships so damn ... difficult? Why aren’t your clients listening to you? Why is it always an uphill battle?
Read MoreFor the student looking to launch a company after graduation, the answers to the typical questions—where do you go to school, what do you study, what clubs do you join and so on—aren’t necessarily the usual ones.
Read MoreKeep a close eye on this Bill. This will certainly change the way a lot of business is conducted and even perceived should it pass. - Dave The Marketplace Fairness Act, an internet sales tax measure that supporters say will help mom-and-pop retailers compete with online retailers, passed the U.S. Senate by a 69-27 margin on Monday and will soon go before the House.
Read MoreFor many entrepreneurs, the process of launching a company begins with the lightbulb moment when they conceive of a breakthrough idea for a new product or service. Very often, they are so passionate about the idea that they believe its merits will be self-evident to prospective customers—that the innovation is so obviously superior it will sell itself.
Read MoreThis was taken from the Wall Street Journal article discussing different pricing methodologies. It is clear from these excerpts that pricing is very situation specific. One of the key elements in building a successful business is setting the right price for a product or service.
Read MoreIf Steve Blank and Eric Reis, two of the Founding Fathers of the Lean Startup Movement formed a band, they would produce music like the Kingsmen’s Louie, Louie.
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