Startup Business Advice
Starting a new business? Don't know where to begin? We'll provide you with the tools and resources to help you succeed. Find out how to choose the right ideas, research your market, write a business plan, secure loans and grants, and work with partners.
5 Ways to Finance a Startup
- Evan Fischer
- November 14, 2011
Learn 5 Ways to Finance a StartupThere are a lot of steps that go into taking a business venture from an inkling of an idea to a full-fledged operation, but they’ll all be a waste of time if you can’t secure the funds required to get your enterprise off the ground. And while most people have it in mind to approach a bank in order to get a loan (and indeed this is a good place to start), you may not realize that there are actually many ways to get the cash infusion your company needs, and some of them could offer more than just a decent interest rate and a schedule for repayment. So here are a few methods you should consider when it comes to financing your startup.
What Every Ecommerce Site Should Know About Credit Card Processing
- Eric Stauffer
- June 30, 2011
Find Out What Every Ecommerce Site Should Know About Credit Card ProcessingThe typical ecommerce website relies heavily on credit card processing in order to conduct business with their customers. A number of different alternatives have presented themselves over the years, such as PayPal and Google Checkout, but these services are only used by a small minority of Internet consumers. Therefore, it is very important for an ecommerce site to understand merchant services processing rates and how to get the best deal.
How To Find A Technical Cofounder For Your Online Business Idea
- Benjamin Kuker
- May 17, 2011
Find Out How To Find A Technical Cofounder For Your Online Business IdeaI have a feeling I might step on a few toes with this article, but finding a technical cofounder for an online business idea is a topic that I’ve seen come up often across a number of business community websites. It’s a common problem and, unfortunately, it isn’t handled well in many cases. As a result of personal experiences as a programmer/business owner being pitched ideas, as well as seeing others struggle with the issue, I’d like to address the issue to let business owners know how best to prepare themselves and how to find a good programmer for their startup idea. This article should also serve as a starting guide for programmers who are approached about becoming technical co-founders.
7 Unprofessional Mistakes Small Businesses Make On Their Websites
- Benjamin Kuker
- March 01, 2011
Make Your Business Website More Professional And ProfitableMost of us use the web almost every day. We shop, socialize, read news, follow celebrities, get directions, watch videos, and do business online. We access the internet on our desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, and TVs. The ever increasing role of the internet in our lives means that if you own a business, your potential clients and customers will visit your website at least once during their interactions with your business.
How well does your website represent your business? Do you even have a website? What kind of impression does your website make on visitors who could become customers? Do you convey a professional, competent image? Are your visitors able to find the information they need?
As the owner of a Vancouver-based web design company and a heavy user of the web, I’ve seen my fair share of business websites and not all of them have been pretty. In fact, some of them have been downright frustrating to use. And others, dare I say it, have made me cringe to even look at them because of the design.
If your business has an unprofessional website, you’re driving away potential customers and ultimately it means that you’re losing money. There are a few common issues that many unprofessional websites share. As I cover each issue, I’ll also point you towards a solution.
Overcoming The Network Effect Barrier
- Benjamin Kuker
- February 08, 2011
Learn How To Overcome The Network Effect BarrierIf you build it, they will come. That slogan worked like a charm in a Hollywood movie about dead baseball players coming back to life to play ball on a newly-built baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa. As realistic as the plot for Field of Dreams sounds, using a similar philosophy probably won’t work for your business or your website.
And yet, how many of us approach our businesses, our websites, and our products the exact same way?
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