Staying Above Water as a Startup | The Startup Magazine

November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Learn From Those Who Came Before You

Let’s talk about some lessons and strategies that brought hardship and success for businesses we’ve known over the years. Sears, for example, was very successful in the first decades of its establishment. In 1893, Sears was a retail store that set the standard in its industry. The use of the country’s growing railway system at the time gave Sears the leverage needed to one of the best. When cars were becoming more accessible to the American people, Sears had more stores built near major cross streets to be there for its customers.

Be Proactive

Today we are aware that Sears didn’t make the cut, but at the start of its journey, this company was forward-thinking and proactive about being accessible to its consumers. Over time, the leadership of Sears lost sight of its need to be ahead of the game and make decisions that keep them relevant in the industry.

Uber has its highest close since IPO | TechCrunch

November 10, 2020November 9, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Uber shares surged 7.38% to close at $48.18 following news that a vaccine candidate is 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, and could start coming to market in a matter of months.

The announcement by drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech sparked widespread optimism and helped boost shares across industries that have been weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, including services like ride-hailing.

Uber’s share pop is notable beyond this one-day vaccine-news boost. This is the highest close for Uber since its public market debut in May 2019. This is also the first time since June 2019 that shares closed above its $45 IPO price

15 Ways to Spot a Toxic Work Environment Before You Take the Job | Entrepreneur

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When you apply for a job, you want your resume and interviews to showcase your experience in the best possible light. The companies you’re applying to are no different. From intro calls with hiring managers to the interview with your potential future boss, everyone you talk to wants you to see the best parts of working there — and maybe wants to gloss over the not-so-great parts.

Every job is going to have positive and negative aspects to it, but a toxic work environment could have serious ramifications on your mental and physical health.

In a July article in Harvard Business Review, Manuela Priesemuth, a professor of management at Villanova University who studies workplaces, wrote: “My own research has shown that abusive behavior, especially when displayed by leaders, can spread throughout the organization, creating entire climates of abuse. Because employees look to and learn from managers, they come to understand that this type of interpersonal mistreatment is acceptable behavior in the company. In essence, employees start to think that ‘this is how it’s done around here,’ and this belief manifests itself in a toxic environment that tolerates abusive acts.”

Leadership Lessons From Steve Jobs | Getentrepreneurial.com

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Everyone knows Steve Jobs ; or, at least, they know of its existence. Or, of the innovations he made in the world of technology.

Steve Paul Jobs, such his full name, perhaps never imagined the global impact generated by being a leading entrepreneur in the computer world: he was the creator of sophisticated and easy-to-use products, the founder of Apple, a world leader in its sector.

His different biographies emphasize the thick line on his character and the way of leading. Everyone recognizes him for having had visionary ideas, which made momentous contributions in the field of personal computers, cell phones and music in digital format.

Undoubtedly, like all great minds, it is loved and hated in equal measure. Bill Gates , his Microsoft competitor, once noted his admiration for the way of telling and creating empathy between the person (Jobs) and the products through their presentations; and many of those who worked alongside him at Apple in those years remember him as a true genius.

How a Microloan Can Help Your New Small Business | businessnewsdaily.com

October 27, 2020October 25, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If your new small business needs a short-term, low-interest infusion of funds, a microloan could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Microloans can help small businesses launch and grow through small-dollar lending.

Though they’re generally considered a great way to build a credit file for your business, very few lenders in the U.S. offer microloans.

Unlike some business loans, microloans can be used for a wide range of items or needs.

What Is Analysis Paralysis (And How to Overcome It) | Lifehack

October 27, 2020October 25, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever taken so long trying to solve a problem that you just ended up going around in circles? How about trying to make a major decision and just freezing up when the time to decide came?

You might have found yourself gathering too much information, hoping it will help you make the best decision—even if it takes you too long to do so. This probably led to many missed opportunities, especially in situations where you needed to act on time.

Nobody wants to make the wrong decision. However, delayed decision making can have a hugely negative impact on all aspects of your life—from your personal relationships to your career. Delaying important decisions can be the worst decision of all.

Ocean Cleanup launches its first ocean plastic product: sunglasses | Fast Company

October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Late in 2019, the Ocean Cleanup crew returned from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with its first load of plastic waste harvested from the ocean during a pilot test of its trash-fighting technology, proving that it could skim plastic off the surface of the water. But then came the next hurdle in the company’s yearslong quest to prove its effectiveness: how to recycle that plastic so it didn’t become waste again.

“It was actually quite a challenge, because this material has sometimes been out there for decades,” says Boyan Slat, CEO and founder of the Ocean Cleanup. “A lot of this stuff is quite brittle, quite degraded. It’s also very mixed. You see half of it being fishing nets, the other half being more rigid objects, like bottles and crates. So turning it into a usable material was quite a journey. When we announced that we were going to do this late last year, we didn’t know whether we could do it.”

They Were Rejected On Shark Tank And Today Are Making Millions | Forbes

October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The investors from TV’s Shark Tank aren’t going to want to see this. Here are ten ventures turned down on the show, that have become great successes.

Cellhelmet

Cellhelmet provides protective cases for your most precious possession – your cell phone. Since being turned down on Shark Tank, Cellhelmet has gone on to create a whole suite of mobile device accessories including charging solutions, power banks and screen protectors. Their products can now be found in 3,000 stores, and they have offices in both the US and China.

11 Steps to Validating Your Startup Idea | AllBusiness.com

October 23, 2020October 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are you an entrepreneur who has tried out multiple business ideas, but hasn’t yet figured out the perfect idea for your new business? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, many startup founders experience a few failed products before finding success.

The best way to avoid falling into this trap is to launch an MVP (minimum viable product) that validates your startup idea before you put all of your time and energy into it. There are countless ways to launch a business MVP, so let’s go over the most important steps and what has worked for me in my business.

1. Let the idea find you, instead of forcing an idea

Many startup founders (and I’ve also made this mistake) approach finding a right startup idea the wrong way: they start from a blank slate. Then they try to come up with ideas that people may possibly find cool. They start with ideas rather than problems.

This is actually a backwards approach. Instead of trying to find a startup idea, you should instead look for problems that you might be having or problems that others are experiencing.

5 Ways to Make Your Content Marketing Strategy Work for Your Small Business | Small Business Trends

October 23, 2020October 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Content marketing is widely successful for generating new leads and attracting new customers to your business. A full 70% of companies say they invest in content marketing strategy, and 60% say that content marketing is very or extremely important to their overall business strategy.

How to Make Content Marketing Work for Your Small Business

But successful content marketing requires more than simply starting a blog and posting on social media. You need an effective strategy that connects up all your content marketing efforts, and that’s far more challenging. Many marketers still aren’t handling it efficiently, with one study reporting that only 23% of marketers agreed that they are succeeding at managing content across the organization.

If you’re part of the remaining 77%, don’t panic. We have some essential tips for boosting your content marketing strategy.