Startups

Top 10 Mistakes First-Time Entrepreneurs Make

05.04.12 from BostInno

Here at IDEA, we work with first-time entrepreneurs on a regular basis. Our job is to provide a network of resources as we guide these budding entrepreneurs through all the steps necessary to propel their ideas into real, successful businesses.

We decided to compile a list of the top ten entrepreneurial mistakes we see students make as they learn the ins and outs of what it takes to survive as entrepreneurs in today’s complex society.

1.  Not having a clear focus. The most important—and often most difficult—part of starting a business comes down to knowing how to prioritize and understanding the tasks involved.

2.  Hiring the first person they interview. Venture Capitalists invest in teams, not just business ideas. It is crucial to put the time and energy into bringing the right people on board. Read more from BostInno

How To

How to Start a Business with Limited Funds

04.25.12 from Startup Nation

How To

5 WAYS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AROUND YOUR E-COMMERCE STARTUP

04.18.12 By Tech Cocktail

When you’re launching a brand new e-commerce site, how do you get noticed when giant online retailers like Amazon, Zappos, and Overstock – not to mention the online stores from well-established bricks-and-mortar mega-chains – are casting such long shadows?

We all know e-commerce is big business – according the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly $965M was spent online in January – a 9.4% increase from January 2011.  Boston-based Karmaloop, an online retailer that specializes in edgy, underground brands, launched a new site last week called Brick Harbor.  I spoke with Chase Whitaker, Brick Harbor’s Director of Operations, about how to stand out from the crowd and build a community around your e-commerce site.  Here are 5 takeaways from our conversation: Read more from Tech Cocktail

Get Inspired

ZAMP’S SAM ZEBARJADI ON COFOUNDING WITH A SIBLING AND THE GROWING TECH SCENE IN ATLANTA

04.04.12 By Tech Cocktail

Way back at the beginning of the month, Zamp was a showcased startup at our SXSW #StartupLife Celebration Founder Sam Zebarjadi was gracious enough to sit down for an interview, which became part of our SXSW video series (you can watch the interview here).  He talked about his really cool social travel service that connects travelerswhile they are traveling, as well as how to get through the tough days, why the startup life is all about networking, and how the idea of stealth mode is dying.

Because we could only cover so much in the video interview, I circled back with him to learn more about what it’s like to co-found a company with your brother and learn more about the burgeoning startup scene in Atlanta.

Read more from Tech Cocktail

Uncategorized

What Your Business Needs Before You Select that Vendor & Partner

03.01.12 By Raj Malik

Raj Malik is CEO & Co-Founder of KikScore, an exciting startup that helps small online businesses use their own track record of reliability and trustworthiness to increase sales and close more leads. Raj is a contributor to his company’s blog at blog.kikscore.com, a past speaker at SXSW and is passionate about helping small business and entrepreneurs succeed.

In life, we select vendors and partners all the time.  There are vendors for your banking, there are partners that will help you with your 401k and of course your life partner that is your husband or wife.  There are also an entire host of vendors and partners that we as businesses owners and operators must work with, seek out and in some ways even court so that they will work with our companies.  Small businesses are often inundated with these vendors and partners that range from marketing/integration partners, telecommunication vendors or freelancers to support our business, using consultants to advise on company strategy and using website designers or software developers for our businesses. Read more from Raj Malik

How To

5 Common Social Media Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

02.22.12 From Open Forum

Most small-business owners feel strongly about social media. They either love it, hate it or both. If they love it, it’s because its tools can create tremendous brand awareness. If they hate it, it’s because it’s a massive time suck. Regardless of where you stand and how proficient you are at each tool, there is always something new to learn. Here are a few common social media mistakes and tips on how to fix them.

Expecting ROI right away

Ashley Ranger sees this often. As founder of /excelamktg, a social media marketing company based in Los Angeles, potential clients frequently voice frustrations when not attracting a target number of followers or sales captures. Ranger’s advice is always the same: It takes time. Read more from Open Forum

Startups

PAUL SINGH ON VENTURE CAPITALISTS AND RAISING MONEY

02.21.12 From Tech Cocktail

Last week I got a chance to listen to Paul Singh from 500 Startups talk about raising money at The Fort. First of all, I have to say that almost every sentence Paul uttered could have been used as a quote on its own. Below are the best ones, which I broke down into 3 basic steps for raising capital for your startup.

Step 1 – When you are ready to start approaching investors, do not run around knocking on every door. Have a targeted approach.

“Think of investing as phases. Create a hit list of investors and sort them by ranking. Take the people on the bottom and test your pitch on them first. Pay attention to the questions they ask you, because there is a 90% chance you will get those questions again.” Read more from Tech Cocktail