If You Think an Expert is Expensive, Try Hiring an Amateur

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computer-troubleI have a colleague and supplier (an information technology specialist) who earns a significant part of his income fixing disasters. He gets lots of work from clients who thought they were computer savvy and capable of building their own network or website (WRONG!) or after having assembling a team of independent specialists who do not understand the overall underlying structure of a system (NOT A GOOD IDEA!)  As a result, they got themselves in all kinds of trouble, like accidentally deleting their important system files, or breaking key system components that brought their site down.

This IT guy understands my tendency to play around with the computer programs without any programming experience. As a result, he created a simple solution: while I retain complete access to all the information, I will never, ever know the passwords for any computer operation.

Entrepreneurs are not alone in thinking that they can do anything, that they can’t afford extra resources; they think they have to do everything, are paranoid about trusting others, or don’t think it is important enough to require a particular expertise. This approach is just simply absurd. [Read more…]

How to lose business really, really quickly

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angry-faceI was searching for a marketing professional recently to do some work on my company’s website.  The promises made on some of these professional sites seem to promise the moon, or at least “number 1 on Google in record time.”  Things like that.

But can these marketing pros really do what they say?

I am not one to just take someone’s word for it; I like to do the homework (after all, that’s what I counsel my clients to do!). [Read more…]

Innovation Is Not Easy

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Just because we always did it this wayEveryone talks about creating an environment that encourages innovation, change, openness, new ideas, etc.  In many cases this enthusiasm for innovation, however, ignores a number of powerful practices:

“If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!

Another is,

“We have always done it this way.“

We at Startup Connection believe in trying simple ideas and approaches that work to foster innovation: [Read more…]

“You can’t handle the truth.” – Jack Nicholson

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I am constantly running into well intentioned and informed clients who ignore this simple advice:True North for Truth

“You can’t handle the truth.” – Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men

This is especially true when clients are trying to identify target markets.  Here is a perfect example,

I had a client who wanted to market a very complex and localized program to all 50 states.  He was more worried about not serving potential customers than the minimal potential, high risks, high expenses, low efficiency, and probability of mistakes in the 20 states that made up only 10 % of the population. [Read more…]

The Internet: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

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In reviewing Internet Retailers, “2014 Top 500 Guide” there is tons of stuff that just keeps popping out that affects one’s marketing practices and potential.  As important as we think the potential of the Internet is for business, we are actually underestimating its worth.

Internet BusinessBelow are just a few examples illustrating the Internet’s potential:

  • Internet retailing is growing 15-20 % per year while brick and mortar retail is only growing 1-3 %.  The implications for buying, retail stores, inventory management, and marketing are astounding.
  • Diverse retailers Amazon, Wayfair, Etsy, Google Play, Groupon, Vistaprint, Netflix, Overstock, represent businesses we never heard of a few years ago, are revolutionizing industries, purchasing techniques, and business patterns.
  • Much of the differentiation and value of the Internet resides in the connectivity, data aggregation, data-processing, and decision-making activities that take advantage of the data streams emanating from the Internet.
  • Numerous and growing challenges face brick and mortar retail stores including for example, over saturation translated into an average 46 square feet of retail space for every person in the U.S.
  • Inventory management, consumer tastes, deteriorating stores, and competitiveness are growing in importance.

[Read more…]