StartABiz Staff
Just west of Grand Rapids, Michigan and on the shore of Lake Macatawa is the tiny area of Holland. The city, which has a population of 33,051, may not evoke the strong imagery as places like New York or Silicon Valley. But it has been named best small U.S. city to start a business, according to a new list...
Every startup needs to have capital, whether for initial rollout efforts, funding product development, acquiring inventory, or paying the first employees. Most entrepreneurs think that bank loans are the primary source of getting a fund, only to realize that banks are the least contributor for startups.
Getting funded is so hard, that is why many entrepreneurs have unreasonable expectations on...
There's no shortage of information available on how to start an online business.
A quick Google search reveals millions of articles, videos and books on the topic. Things get even more detailed when it comes to ecommerce businesses. Conversion rate this. SEO that. Design this. Tax that. Fulfillment here. Ship there. It gets overwhelming.
When you're first starting out, all that...
In early 2010, I launched a business with a 10,000-square-foot warehouse, ten-year lease, and ten custom made vehicles but zero clients.
Looking back, it was absolutely crazy. I have no idea what I was thinking or where I found the strength and confidence to execute this risky idea. But, like a true entrepreneur, I was fully committed and believed it...
I managed to raise investment off a PowerPoint presentation twice over the last 10 years. It sounds like a great idea to start off with money in the bank -- but it turns out that it's not that simple.
The cost of investment goes beyond equity dilution. Raising capital changes your mindset - often in unhelpful ways. Here's why I'd...
So let's just say you're a budding entrepreneur. You've gone into business for yourself and setup that all-important website. It's your digital storefront. No need for that brick-and-mortar store anymore. No need for the random person to patronize your shop from the street. Today, all you need are those virtual visitors -- people that are keenly interested in buying...
Whether you want to pay off your credit card debt or save money for your dream vacation, we could all use a little extra cash. Of course, finding that extra money can be a challenge when you are working 40 hours a week at your full-time job. Thankfully, there are ways for you to earn an additional income while still...
Most startup disasters are caused by a failure to connect with the customer. The commonly acknowledged startup killers -- premature scaling, running out of capital and a lack of market interest -- all have a root in broken sales strategy.
Here are four secrets entrepreneurs can use to nail their messaging, map their sales process and scale into sustainable sales revenue.
1. Embrace salesmanship.
Many...
My decision to bootstrap took shape on the trip down in the elevator after my first meeting with venture capitalists. I was the cofounder and CEO of a budding startup in the marketing technology space, and getting funding was the thing to do. We needed the cash, but we also needed recognition, and what better way to get both...
Being an entrepreneur is no easy task, and while patience and perseverance are desirable qualities, having a few tools of the trade puts the odds of success in your favor. Startups run on lean budgets and small teams, and rely on software and applications to lighten the load. These tools are more than just methods to help lift administrative...