VP of Business Development at Total Brand Management. Author, Education for Entrepreneurs
Retail Solutions - As your core middle-aged customer ages, consider how to increase revenue and engagement through in-store experiences and collaborations that make each store a destination. [GenX trends] Caveat: SEARS failed to acknowledge that it's core customer was aging out and trim inventory to focus on Kenmore and Craftsman brands.
Startup founders are often so focused on getting an MVP product to market that they overlook pre-launch and other early stage income. Enjoy a six-figure launch and learn about pre-launch income. Get the money!
In order to develop income customers must perceive value in what you offer. The firsts are most important - first 30 seconds of a pitch, the first page on your website, and the first sentence of company or personal profile. I will help you promote the value of your product / service and you will get through more doors and close more sales.
You can lose major market advantage by giving customers the runaround. The last thing businesses want is to have customers put them on blast online. The discontent will leave a mark on your company that will not go away.
Your low hanging fruit may be partnering exclusively with: 1. a bridal magazine site 2. a wedding registry site
The travel-related services you offer are great for honeymooners and babymoons.
Startup travel: 1. partner with Y Combinator, et. al
In each case offer an exclusive service package. You could process purchases in a way that provides a percentage to the partnering platform. I'm available to detail this process on a call.
My approach used a series of single paragraph emails that linked back to relevant industry calls to action. Additionally, we polled prospects to determine their pain points in order of most pressing. The result was increasing a century old trade association's membership net 11% in 10 months. You have an opportunity to offer your successful approach to the direct mail pros as additional income. Continued success!
The most sustainable income for any profitable marketplace is dependent on the origin of the traffic. Many marketplaces have failed after major investment because they focused their traffic acquisition on lower price points and neglected higher priced goods. Pay attention to your site architecture also. Be sure to direct shoppers to the best shopping experience by providing clear categories. Specify by skill, design and materials, so that customers who want high-level craftsmanship will connect with those goods. Shoppers seeking a low cost-driven experience can connect with those items efficiently. Avoid universal categories such as shoes, tables, bikes, necklaces...
Hi, you are knee deep in the real world startups encounter constantly. As a sales pro, my advice is to set your current prospects list aside. Step 1: Discovery - Whose businesses are the best for your services? Be specific in answering this query. Are your services high-end? Are they bare bones and template-driven. The level of service your company delivers determines who is your customer. There are numerous new customer channels I could help you identify, develop and execute (it's my jam). Schedule a call and tap into solutions.
Sales, which you are noting. Coming from being a developer to business development is not easy because you lack real-world experience in sales and marketing. The key components are who is your core customer? What pain point(s) are you solving for your core customer? Who are your competitors? What differentiates your product/service from competitors? Your product/ service has to have a purpose in the marketplace and your marketing must communicate the purpose and value to prospects. Indirect marketing pales in results compared to direct sales. I've built and led 3 successful sales teams and I have been first in national sales and entered the list at fifth. On a call I could quickly assess what your company offers, where it fits in today's market and what advantages you can take. Finally, no, a chief marketing officer would not face your dilemmas because a CMO would need experience and a successful track record to get hired.
It depends on what income phase your company is in as to what type of investor (if any) is a good fit. The same is true of a strategic partner. I would need more specific Intel of the economics of your company to match you to the appropriate entities.
You want to target the VP of Operations.
I'm intrigued that you wrote that you have a business plan which is an investment document. If an MBA prepared the business plan, they should have discussed and outlined how you should proceed. If you are using the term 'business plan' to refer to the strategic plan for your business, your questions make sense. An equity agreement is binding and should be entered into with an experienced business or securities attorney. Equity is nothing more than a concept if your company is unregistered. Any bona fide investor would be unwise to give money to an informal entity. Your guesstimates of what level of return should be paid and the way you wish to approach this investment indicate you are in need of legal leadership.
Simple. Provide a survey and ask site visitors to inform you of their ux through a short list of strategic exit questions. Need assistance formulating your survey questions, please feel free to book a call with me!
The simple answer, if you are in the US, is a law firm that specializes in business law.
You could partner with large organizations that serve nonprofits and community social impact groups such as Taproot Foundation, United Jewish Appeal (UJA) and United Way. Partnering with organizations such as these will vet your service and connect you with npo's. Good luck!
