So I was sitting at a meeting a couple of weeks back and someone asked me about my insight running a tech business. For a second I looked across the table at someone else who was at the meeting, but soon realized that the individual was talking to me. I asked him, “me? Run a… Continue reading What do you mean I run a tech company?
Author: Carmen Reis
Finding a Business Mentor
Nearly every self-help book will tell you that you need a business mentor. The general purpose of a mentor is to provide you with a foundation of advice, support and knowledge in the early days of business. The early days are tough. Cashflow will be tight, personal time will be non-existant and to-do lists are… Continue reading Finding a Business Mentor
Business Plans for Newcomers – Part 1
I cannot tell you how many times, I have heard of newcomers turned down for loans simply because they could not produce a business plan. In our lending systems, as covered in a past blog, it is customary to ask for a business plan. In many cases, lenders will not even look at your business… Continue reading Business Plans for Newcomers – Part 1
Demographics for Small Business: market segmentation and counting customers
The last couple of entries have focused on stories of entrepreneurs who have either not cared about customers or who believed that the entire world was a prospective client base. While these strategies may work for some entrepreneurs, generally speaking, we need to have some understanding of the size of the market and what we… Continue reading Demographics for Small Business: market segmentation and counting customers
#waystokillanidea – It is too expensive.
Ways to Kill an Idea – #4. It is too expensive Here is part 4 on my blog series of how to kill an idea. I’ll quickly recap three ideas from a recent conference that motivated me to write these posts: 1. Fail fast, fail forward. 2. Do not be afraid to think big. 3.… Continue reading #waystokillanidea – It is too expensive.
The Customer is always right….Except when he isn’t…
As part of my continuing series on markets and customers, I would like to tell you about another entrepreneur who was determined to change his customer. Unlike Bob from the last blog who was content to live with his books, this entrepreneur, Luis, has been fighting to convince customers that he was right and they… Continue reading The Customer is always right….Except when he isn’t…
Demographics Part II: The Battle Between the Customer and the Entrepreneur
I promised in the last blog post to guide you through the demographic research component of your business plan. Before we get into it, just understand that knowing demographics is really nothing more than thinking about your customers and every business must have customers. The Story of Sylvan’s Foremost Bookstore I would like to tell… Continue reading Demographics Part II: The Battle Between the Customer and the Entrepreneur
Demographics and Your Business Plan
The term for some of you may conjure up images of university classrooms and painful modelling excercises. For others, the term might imply some kind if research to do with population, but most certainly nothing to do with your business plan. What if I told you that demographics should form the basis of your ENTIRE… Continue reading Demographics and Your Business Plan
Part III: So Who Needs a Business Plan?
So Who needs a business plan? These days, if you are seeking financing of any form, you probably require one. Do you need a business plan to ensure the success of your business? I would say no. Don’t get me wrong, business planning can be a very valuable exercise. For some personality types (you know… Continue reading Part III: So Who Needs a Business Plan?
#waystokillanidea – We Have No Time.
Ways to Kill an Idea – #2. We Have No Time. As I wrote previously, at a conference I hosted, we focused on 3 key ideas: 1. Fail fast, fail forward. 2. Do not be afraid to think big. 3. Do not say no. We are too often quick to say no, even when it… Continue reading #waystokillanidea – We Have No Time.