YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2019

by Nik Williams, Managing Director of Shredall SDS Group. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are always looking for ways to innovate and increase their productivity by investing in the latest tools, software and training programs. Yet, perhaps the simplest way to increase business success is to maintain a clean office space? Marie Kondo’s 2019 Netflix program on the benefits of decluttering was a huge hit this year, sparking a global tidying trend that led to charity shops reporting that clothes

Software Review 212

Software Review Security Social Media Cost 212

Version One Ventures

JUNE 13, 2019

Good to Great is one of those iconic business books that every founder, CEO and business leader should read at some point. In the book Jim Collins identifies eight common traits that “good to great” companies share. It has been a decade since the book was published, and not every company that Collins used as a case study for a “great” company ended up doing well.

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Portfolio Hosting Programming Founder 126

View from Seed

JUNE 13, 2019

Chewy has rapidly grown from a startup to a multi-billion commerce company, establishing itself as the leader in pet e-commerce. Chewy sells tens of thousands of products from many 3rd party brands, as well as its own private label brands (though latter remains <10% of sales). The company launched in 2011 and then was acquired by PetSmart for over $3 billion in 2017 (PetSmart itself owned by PE firm BC Partners), but Chewy is now preparing for life as a standalone public company.

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The Startup Magazine

JUNE 14, 2019

Bootstrapping going by the author of the Ulysses, James Joyce implies forcing your way to the top from the lowest of ranks by the aid of your bootstraps. Today more and more people are creating ventures and funding them as well from their own resources and efforts. Bootstrapping is a common way to fund a prospect. It is estimated that at least 80% of all startups rely on personal funds from their founders for operations, albeit in their formative stages.

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Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic

Every startup and innovation project exists within an ecosystem that either helps or hurts that project. As innovation managers, we need to keep a pulse of that ecosystem and make sure we're helping those innovation projects we're managing every step of the way. In this webinar, Nick Noreña will walk through an Innovation Ecosystem Model that he and his team at Kromatic have developed to help investors, heads of product, teachers, and executives understand how they can best support innovation in

Startup

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 9, 2019

by Denis Kryukov from Soshace. For many remote (and even regular) companies, company culture is something ethereal and abstract: while the most important metrics (customer engagement and satisfaction, employee turnover and retainment) are closely monitored, features like company culture are often neglected. However, our experience tells us: improving this aspect can really pay off.

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Agile VC

JUNE 13, 2019

Reading Time: 7 minutes. This post also appears on NextView’s blog. Chewy has rapidly grown from a startup to a multi-billion commerce company, establishing itself as the leader in pet e-commerce. Chewy sells tens of thousands of products from many 3rd party brands, as well as its own private label brands (though latter remains <10% of sales).

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Leadership .Net Revenue Acquisition 100

ConversionXL

JUNE 9, 2019

Heat maps are a popular conversion optimization tool , but are they really that useful? It’s easy to say that they help you see what users are doing on your site. Sure, of course—but lots of other methods do that too, and perhaps with greater accuracy. So what can heat maps answer? What is a heat map? Heat maps are visual representations of data. They were developed by Cormac Kinney in the mid-1990s to try to allow traders to beat financial markets.

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Algorithm Analytics Conversion Stock 111

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2019

by Aaron Beashel, Head of Marketing at Qwilr. Working in any project-based industry, you’ll quickly realize that there are so many mismanaged projects. Even with project management software, a well-trained team, and the best of intentions, it’s not uncommon to see projects take much longer than planned and blowing the budget – sometimes by a lot.

Software Review 113

Software Review B2B Metrics Management 113

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 12, 2019

How to Create a Successful Business Event written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. Marketing Podcast with Rich Brooks. Podcast Transcript. Today on the podcast, I visit with Rich Brooks. He is the president of flyte new media and the founder of The Agents of Change conference and podcast. Brooks created the conference in Portland, Maine to build an event for digital marketers and to get flyte’s name out there as an industry leader.

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Portland Software Review Hosting Naming 78

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2019

If your startup is looking for an angel investor, it makes sense to present your plan to flocks of angels, and assume that at least one will swoop down and scoop you up. Or does it? Actually numbers and locations are just the beginning. The challenge is to find the right angel for you, and for your situation. Here are some basic principles: Angels invest in people, more often than they invest in ideas.

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Board Effect

JUNE 14, 2019

Hackers strike once again, this time causing a data breach at a prominent New York nonprofit social services agency. The incident sends up a red flag that highlights the cybersecurity issues that nonprofits across the globe should be concerned with. The breach caused sensitive medical information belonging to the current and former clients of People Inc. in western New York to be compromised.

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YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2019

In the digital age of today, old school technologies are still a mainstream part of almost every businesses security systems. These are tools that we all take for granted until you need them. Have you ever rushed to get to work only to find you forgot your badge that allows you to go past the front desk? Cybersecurity is important. However, physical security is the key to keeping data and employees safe.

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Security Software Review Intellectual Property Technical Review 113

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 11, 2019

Flex Your Curiosity Muscle to Grow Your Business written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. Marketing Podcast with Diana Kander. Podcast Transcript. On today’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I speak with Diana Kander. She is a New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and innovation consultant.

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New York Metrics Technical Review Small Business 77

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2019

Much has been written recently about the requirement to focus today on the total customer experience, as a competitive edge or even for survival. Traditionally, you just worried about the quality of the sales transaction (price, speed, service), but the “customer experience” now includes ease of pre-sale shopping, post-sale support, with a connected relationship throughout.

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View from Seed

JUNE 11, 2019

As I like to say, fundraising tends to move slow until it moves fast. It feels like a bit of a grind in the early and mid stages of a process, but in a successful fundraise, things tend to heat up at the end and move at a breakneck pace once you drive towards final allocations and a close. At this point, founders find themselves in a luxurious situation of being able to build the best possible syndicate.

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YoungUpstarts

JUNE 14, 2019

by Katie Lundin of crowdspring. A business’s ability to evolve depends on its leader’s ability to let go of their death grip on… everything… and learn to delegate without micromanaging. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why delegating is so crucial to the good health of your business, and what you can do today to start growing your business by delegating effectively.

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Small Business Employee Design Leadership 153

deal architect

JUNE 13, 2019

I only half-jokingly proposed that to my editor as the sub-title for SAP Nation 3.0. One of the reasons the book comes out, on balance, positive to SAP is because it is developing, acquiring, releasing a new generation of enterprise.

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Developer Cloud Software 170

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2019

True business success and leadership starts with real personal values, extends to building a team, and finally to inspiring customers and your community. That’s a huge leap from an entrepreneurial idea, to a product, to making money. Is it any wonder that the majority of startups fail? My job as a new business advisor is to help entrepreneurs get over this chasm early.

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Leadership Metrics Reputation Partner 234

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 13, 2019

I watched HBO’s Chernobyl the past few nights. I finished it last night, took a deep breath, and said out loud to myself, “that was spectacular.” One of the final quotes that stuck with me is the title of this post. The full quote is “Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later that debt is paid.” Read it again. “Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth.

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Russia Boston Government Video 181

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 14, 2019

Little more than twenty years ago the global phenom that is Google was being born. Mobile phones were becoming common, but they certainly weren’t ubiquitous, and video shops still operated with impunity – at least one in almost every mall. The advancement of the digital era has been swift, bringing with it, wholesale changes in the way that we conduct business and in the types of jobs and careers that have suddenly become possibilities.

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Technical Review SEO Social Media Australia 127

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 14, 2019

I’m getting married today. At least, if she says yes. But, assuming that all goes according to plan, I have a few thoughts on how I got here—given that dating and relationships seem to vex a lot of people. I would say that the most important factor that went into both of us finding someone to marry was that neither one of us felt like we had to find someone to marry to be content.

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Developer 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 9, 2019

Startup work environments are always chaos, but they can still be great environments to work in, or they can be terrible. Whether yours is terrible or great, that same tone flows out to your customers, and regulates your productivity inside. You as the founder are the starting point and definer, so you need to get it right. What does it take to create a positive workplace culture?

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Feld Thoughts

JUNE 14, 2019

I recently met Renata George through a referral from Katie Rae (MIT Engine CEO, previously Techstars Boston MD). Renata told me about a book she was working on called Women Who Venture and asked me if I’d write the foreword. I was honored to be asked to do this. The foreword I wrote follows. The book is out and available now in hardcover and on the Kindle.

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Venture Capital Institutional Investors Boston Engineer 177

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 12, 2019

by Keith Martino , head of CMI and author of “ Expect Leadership “ Mediocre Mike was a card shark. He lived for the weekends. Saturdays and Sundays were the only mornings I ever knew Mike to leap out of bed. It was in his blood. Mike couldn’t wait to hit the casinos. Every weekend and holiday sunrise, he was among the first to start tossing out his homespun version of “fish bait.

Leadership 127

Leadership Cost Reputation Global 127

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 10, 2019

Running a successful business can’t always be done alone, and at some point, you might make the decision to hire people to help you and to ensure that your business can truly grow. Hiring is a big decision, and not one that should ever be taken lightly. It is crucial that you attract the right people to your business so that you can be confident that they will do the job you want them to do and build the reputation that you have spent a long time cultivating.

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Employee Reputation Social Media Advertising 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2019

The biggest challenge these days doesn’t seem to be in starting a new business, but sustaining it against the onslaught of market changes and new competitors that emerge every day. Yet, as an angel investor, I still see too many new business owners who are convinced that their biggest challenge is to get money to start, and once launched with some initial success, they can relax.

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YFS Magazine

JUNE 10, 2019

Let’s be honest. Entrepreneurs are notoriously busy. You know what we’re talking about –– hustle, grind, repeat. But there's a better way.

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Product Entrepreneur Developer 143

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 8, 2019

For any business that’s either flourishing or just starting to grow, trade shows are such a great opportunity to expand your customer reach, make a few sales, witness a surge in brand awareness, and network with people you may not get a chance to see in everyday life. Hundreds of trade shows take place in the USA and across the world all year round in big cities, meaning that there are always several opportunities for businesses to set up a stall and maximize the potential of these great events.

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Technical Review PR Sales Restful 113

Mike Michalowicz

JUNE 11, 2019

If you need lessons in how to be awesome, take notes from these guys. Question: what are you doing to revolutionize your industry? The post The Coffee Machine Backpack appeared first on Mike Michalowicz.

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SiliconHills

JUNE 13, 2019

Opcity announced Thursday plans to open a second office in downtown Austin with up to 200 employees to serve as its product and engineering hub. The Austin-based startup plans to move into its new office at 901 E. 6th Street in the fall. It plans to occupy 29,000 square feet of a 129, 444 square […]. The post Opcity Plans to Open a New Engineering Hub in Downtown Austin with 200 Employees appeared first on SiliconHills.

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The Startup Magazine

JUNE 13, 2019

When your company is in the midst of recruiting more individuals, getting background checks done on the prospective employees is always worthwhile. For starters, it helps avoid liability for your business, particularly if it turns out that the individual had a criminal record, and they pose a threat to your employees. Source: Pexels. On a grander scale, you are helping protect your company, in terms of both its people and your values.

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Retention Hiring Employee Programming 103

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2019

The industrialized countries such as Europe, America and Japan have completed the industrialization of CNC machine tools, and China started from the 1980s and is now in the development stage. Compared with foreign products, the gap between CNC machining in China is mainly in the high-speed, high-efficiency and precision of machine tools. WayKen is a global rapid prototype and manufacturing company.

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China Product Japan Europe 188

Hunter Walker

JUNE 14, 2019

14 for 14. Homebrew’s first fund (2013-2015) has 20 core investments of which 14 went market for a Series A. All 14 successfully completed this fundraise. The six who didn’t go out for a Series A either (a) shutdown/acquihired prior to this milestone [founder disagreement; lack of product traction], (b) exited due to an early M&A opportunity or (c) in one case, is currently an ongoing concern that hasn’t needed to raise additional capital.

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LP Early Stage Lead Investor Founder 103

Hearpreneur

JUNE 12, 2019

In our societies and business, there’re leaders who have demonstrated exceptionalities personalities and traits. Some of them alive and who continue to do great things while others we only read about them. We asked entrepreneurs and business owners their inspirational leaders and here’s what they had to say; #1-Joel Gascoigne. Photo Credit: Matt Benn.

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Entrepreneur Cofounder Los Angeles Leadership 101

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 8, 2019

These days, it’s become trendy to save the world. Entrepreneurs in renewable energy initiatives are making an impact with their disruptive innovations, particularly with ideas that change the way we both work and live. People are composting and growing gardens, reusable straws are experiencing a popularity boom, and everyone’s looking for ways to decrease their carbon footprint and make their lives more sustainable.

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YoungUpstarts

JUNE 13, 2019

After school activities for teenagers are a great way to develop new skills, network and build self-confidence. However, for various reasons, millions of teens in America fail to engage in meaningful afterschool programs. Spotivity is a one-of-a-kind platform that helps teens and parents find meaningful activities that match their interest, location and requirements.

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Programming Chicago Matching America 186