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Clarity

Shahab Khan

Ottawa, Canada Area

I have conducted workshops and speaking engagements as well as provided strategic and implementation expertise to venture capital organizations, consulting firms, federal departments, crown corporations, startups, and incubators. I am a Mentor at Invest Ottawa and Incubes, Entrepreneurship Advisor on Startup Canada's National Advisory Council and managing a 1200+ nationwide online forum addressing Canada's innovation gap.

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Entrepreneurship Crowdfunding Social Media Startup Consulting Cloud Computing IT Strategy Business Process Improvement Business Transformation Product Incubation Business Architecture

Answers 18
Reviews 19

Answers

Shahab Khan answered

Do you think an ad-free, subscriber-supported newsletter covering developments in Artificial Intelligence would be sellable and sustainable?

Yes but focus on a niche or target audience. The AI space borders on a number of vertical industries as was technology areas (chatbots, Analytics, Autonomous Vehicles, Machine Learning, Smart Speakers, etc.) . It is also very misunderstood in its application to business problems. Build your competency where you have credibility from experience, access to resources and your network. There is a lot of noise out there that will prevent you from being heard so you have to target those that are overwhelmed or at the starting point and looking for clear link to their business objectives or technology roadmaps.

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Newsletters

Marketing Strategy

Publishing

Shahab Khan answered

How do you suggest I/we manage twitter?

Personally I look at it in terms of the audience you are targeting. I first started with my personal twitter handle that covered a vast range of subjects and then found my followers and interest split between entrepreneurship, innovation and cloud computing/big data. As such, I created three twitter handles to address each and manage them in that respect to avoid crossover. For marketing purposes I would attach a different twitter handle for your blog and business to ensure followers remain loyal and interested. Keep your personal twitter handle to cross-pollinate tweets that serve many audiences.

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Social Media Marketing

Digital Marketing

Twitter

Shahab Khan answered

When and why should one apply to an incubator?

Incubators differ from Accelerators in that they they are not focused on proven businesses looking for next stage of growth. However, it is important to shop around to ensure the incubator meets your needs as a new startup. You can get tunnel vision if you are still in the formulation stages of your idea and not consider wider opportunity. Incubators can also help you pivot as you get the mentorship and access to the local network available to you to bounce your idea, business case and investment planning off experts.

Once you have the idea decided, bounce it off some of your network first and get a wireframe plan together on how you think you should proceed. You will then have a better idea of the type of incubator you need based on the vertical, geographic location and group of mentors available.

If you choose to build the product ahead of time then you should also consider accelerators which help you move to the next stage of growth.

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Incubators

Investments

Entrepreneurship

Shahab Khan answered

In what situations should a SAAS company offer phone support? In what situations should it only be email support?

I would suggest looking at it from the perspective on what type of phone support is required in general depending on complexity of application and real-time access to information. For example, if the service is a SaaS based contact-centre solution, then you may need phone support for customer confidence/loyalty if they are worried about access or loss of data in real-time. If the service is more of an office productivity tool, then as the previous experts listed you need to look at the alternatives prior to someone having to pick up the phone (i.e. FAQs, manuals, discussion boards, on-line forms for various types of requests/feedback or even a LiveChat window).

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Customer Support

Technical Support

Help Desk Support

Shahab Khan answered

How can I significantly increase traffic to my website (DrivingTests101.com)?

I echo the comments of the previous experts. As one SEO expert told me, search engine optimization is on-going exercise, not a one time event. This is the situation here, and I would separate you efforts between new and returning visitors. Sites in general that get a high number of visitors on a monthly basis usually have a core group of returning visitors that leverage it for content sharing or expertise on a regular basis.

In the case of returning visitors, you could have a forum/testimonials for people have who have taken the test, leveraged your service and done well. You could also look to start with other languages for content for other countries to provide a point of differentiation to your US only competitors. Blogging, linking to articles relevant to your user base, also curating news through sites like Paper.li or Rebelmouse provide an easy content option without much effort.

For new visitors, media exposure and references from top opinion leaders in the space can help. I would look to other portals in your industry or that attract the age group you are targeting and request the site owners to write a piece, send out a communique and/or reference your service to the targeted audience. Getting local media in your areas to report on your service can also provide exposure. I always focus on finding the free avenues first and when you find the highest referring sites, focus any ad dollars there to get the best bang for the buck.

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Website Monetization

Link Building

Shahab Khan answered

How do I expand my network with people who are MORE influential than I am? I'm looking for tips and tricks to do this online (with LinkedIn, etc)

There is no one size fits all approach in this regard and part of it has to do with the brand you have already developed for yourself. I have mentored startups and people looking to get into broader networks and from personal experience as previous experts have noted, you have to show interest in them and explain why there is value in connecting with you. I would first find the LinkedIN groups they are part of in which you share a common interest. Start populating into those group with relevant content or commentary. This way it will not be a "cold call" as they may have read or at least seen your name pass by their screen. This also works in Twitter where you can follow them and post content or reply intelligently to tweets they post. Offline you can attend presentations, meetups and/or conferences in the same area to meet with 2nd connections who could also introduce you. The other common method is via referral if you have a connection through a colleague or friend.

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Networking

Business Networking

Shahab Khan answered

How can I request an intro to a high-profile entrepreneur/investor?

Referrals are considered one of the strongest means to get in touch with a new contact, especially one with a lot of public visibility and a full inbox. Find a common interest that they have with you. Check out their activity in social media like Linkedin or Twitter. You can remove the "cold call" aspect by engaging them indirectly by joining a LinkedIN group and contributing to a discussion or replying intelligently to a tweet they have made. I would then follow-up with a referral by explaining to your contact the benefits you expect to achieve in connecting with them and if your referrer is a new contact, a short bio of you and your company. Anything you can do to increase familiarity and differentiate yourself from everyone else getting in touch with them will help your cause. On top of that, if they are part of the Clarity network, use an expertise request as a first chance to talk with them live.

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Business Networking

Building Relationships

Shahab Khan answered

How can I reach out to Twitter users who have an immediate need for my services? I can see local tweets from great prospects but a reply would be SPAM

I suggest that the question should be if Twitter is the right first step. One common position is that one should start using Twitter to build on an existing audience platform or brand that is well defined and already marketed. I suggest you look in at LinkedIN first, join groups in your expertise/product/solution area and build your brand as the go-to-person or company for that subject. Then begin to crosspollinate by tweeting your blog posts or group answers with the hashtags that matter to your community.

When I started on Twitter I slowly built up a brand and as I found that my interests were split in a variety of areas, I created a few twitter accounts as my followers would drop depending on my subject focus. This allowed my various brands to continue to build as I answered questions on innovation, cloud computing or entrepreneurship by tweeting from conferences, retweeting blog posts/interviews, and engaging in twitter chats from big research firms, subject matter experts or media outlets.

My advice is to focus your time as Twitter does take time to build credibility in your field and you may be better served by joining portals or groups in your subject area and as previous experts have noted, get engaged in the discussion and offer support.

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twitter marketing

Social Networking

Twitter for Business

Shahab Khan answered

How do you build a high traffic niche website?

I replied to similar question earlier so I will adjust the relevant content towards your specific question below:

I echo the comments of the previous experts. As one SEO expert told me, search engine optimization is on-going exercise, not a one time event. This is the situation here, and I would separate you efforts between new and returning visitors. Sites in general that get a high number of visitors on a monthly basis usually have a core group of returning visitors that leverage it for content sharing or expertise on a regular basis.

In the case of returning visitors, you could have a forum/testimonials for people have who have leveraged your product/service/insights. You could also look to start with other languages for content for other countries to provide a point of differentiation if you have US only competitors. Blogging, linking to articles relevant to your user base, also curating news through sites like Paper.li or Rebelmouse provide an easy content option without much effort.

For new visitors, media exposure and references from top opinion leaders in the space can help. I would look to other portals in your industry or that attract the age group you are targeting and request the site owners to write a piece, send out a communique and/or reference your product/service/knowledge base to the targeted audience. Getting local media in your areas to report on your service can also provide exposure. I always focus on finding the free avenues first and when you find the highest referring sites, focus any ad dollars there to get the best bang for the buck.

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SEO

Web Marketing

Shahab Khan answered

Is it a good time to launch a (crowdfunding) product before/during/after the December holidays when every company is competing for buyer's attention?

I think you just answered your own question. Crowdfunding efforts take at least 6 months of planning, marketing strategy and stakeholder engagement. You are also trying to avoid noise from competing efforts or that could take away attention from your target market. If you are just starting down this road then I suggest doing your research and begin engaging in January to set the foundation for a launch around April like previous expert has indicated.

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Crowdfunding

Entrepreneurship

Product launch

Shahab Khan answered

What is the best way for a social media startup to get new users, aside from friends and family?

Always look for the free avenues first before putting down any dollars as you are running lean as it is. Look to on-line forums, groups in your target market that are discussing the subject area and begin engaging and sharing insights to show credibility for your offering. As you move forward, begin to request advice in developing the basic product offering. You can then start providing incentives like entries into a draw to this focused target market, as opposed to general contact lists that get very little conversions (unless it is a targeted e-mail list). This should get you started.

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Social Media Strategy

Early-stage Startups

Social Entrepreneurship

Reviews

I worked with Shahab in/around the Bell Innovation Center in Ottawa. He was easily one of the most focused, committed partners at the table. Shahab always worked towards the common goal, understood the business drivers, and took a leadership role in moving the mandate forward. He was a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to doing so again.

Shaun Illingworth Source: LinkedIn

I would include Shahab on any business mandate any time. He's smart and understands how to achieve buy in to initiatives at all levels internally or with business partners.

Bill Dunlop Source: LinkedIn

Shahab and I met regularly to discuss some of the advanced technology projects we had underway at Bell. He consistently impresses me with his understanding of complex technology solutions and how they can be applied to day-to-day problems. He is engaging and is very open to new ideas. His diverse skillset makes him suitable for a variety of positions in an organization.

Nick McGregor Source: LinkedIn

Shahab is well organized, dedicated and has an eye for level of detail. His work ethic is outstanding and his ability to think outside the box for solutions makes him a valuable asset to any organization and any team.

Tahia Haniff Source: LinkedIn

Shahab is a thought-leader always looking to find a better, smarter, more effective or efficient way of getting things done. He sees opportunity and goes after it. I had a chance to work with him as he saw the potential of social computing applications within his group and we had initiatied activites for him to take advantage of the technologies. A smart and very personable person.

Rex Lee Source: LinkedIn

Shahab was a thorough, analytical and dependable memeber of the team. Very flexible to take on different challenges, always innovating and delivering them with a smile. He was a great asset to my organization

Alvaro Pombo Source: LinkedIn

In 5 years that I have know Shahab, he has demonstated superb expertise in all the stages of product management, from initial product conception, thru to product launch and lifecycle management.

Shahab understands how to manage and deliver managed services and hosted services and he is greatly respected by all his colleagues for his knowledge and hard work.

Baljinder Chouhan Source: LinkedIn

Shahab is a pleasure to work with. He has tremendous energy and passion for his work. He is a very good communicator and he proactively looks for new opportunities that will help to grow and improve the business. His business skills are strong and he demonstrates good aptitude for any job challenges he takes on. I've truly enjoyed working with Shahab over the past 3 years.

Brad McNeill Source: LinkedIn

Shahab is a hard working individual with an amazing attention to detail. Client expectations are always surpassed when dealing with Shahab, and his understanding and ability to capitalize on the burgeoning market for emerging technologies sets him apart from most in the telecom sector. I would recommend Shahab to any client or employer without hesitation.

Tristan Roffey Source: LinkedIn

Shahab is one of the most thoughtful, visible and passionate cloud evangelists in Canada. He is a rare breed - one that is genuinely committed to building a vibrant and flourishing start-up and cloud community in Canada. We are lucky to have him.

Robert Hart Source: LinkedIn

Shahab has been actively involved with Invest Ottawa's mentorship program for the past two years. He has provided valuable guidance and advice for several entrepreneurs in the mobile app and wireless sectors.

Peter Stewart Source: LinkedIn

Member since August 2012