How does one master the ability to captivate an audience? This capability can mean the difference between success and obscurity, but knowing how to achieve it is the biggest challenge.

Fortunately, there is one tool that can help you accomplish this goal—video. With its dynamic combination of imagery, sound, and storytelling, video stands out as one of the most powerful tools available, especially for personal branding and engagement.

Those who use video effectively can share stories and inspire connections with others. Whether you are a leader, an entrepreneur, or someone focused on personal development, mastering the power of video can elevate your communication and outreach.

So, what are you waiting for? Keep reading to explore how and why video has the power to inspire and engage an entire audience.

The Impact of Video in Modern Communication

Why is video so important in modern communication? Video content represents a shift in how messages are delivered and consumed. Studies show that videos are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text.

Given its effectiveness, modern professionals are integrating video into their communication strategies to enhance reliability and trust. But what makes a video truly impactful?

• Emotional Connection: A compelling video can inspire viewers to take action, whether pursuing their passions or supporting a cause.
• Engagement: People engage more with content that resonates personally.
• Authenticity: Being real and vulnerable strengthens bonds and encourages audience participation.

Some creators enhance storytelling by repurposing existing content, such as converting YouTube to MP4 to integrate into their projects. Others focus on unique storytelling techniques tailored to their audience.

Understanding Your Target Audience

While brainstorming content ideas, storyboarding, and scripting is exciting, knowing your audience is essential before starting. If you don’t know your audience, how can you create content that they will enjoy?

Key Steps to Identify Your Audience:

1. Define Your Target Viewers – Who do you want to reach? What resonates with them?
2. Conduct Audience Research – Gain insights into their interests, needs, and challenges.
3. Analyze Demographics – Consider age, gender, and preferences to tailor your content effectively.
4. Choose the Right Platform – Different social media platforms have unique cultures and behaviors. Optimize your video for the platform where your audience is most active.

By aligning your content with audience preferences, you increase the chances of engagement and success.

Techniques for Creating Engaging Video Content

Once you understand your audience, structure your content around your video’s goal. Outline the key points you want to convey and the emotions you want to evoke.

Essential Video Techniques:

• Hook Viewers Instantly – Capture attention within the first few seconds.
• Use Dynamic Visuals – Backgrounds, color schemes, and movement keep viewers engaged.
• Prioritize High-Quality Sound – Poor audio can drive viewers away, even if the visuals are stunning.
• Optimize for Short Attention Spans – Keep content concise and to the point.

Building a Community Through Video

Creating engaging content is just one aspect of effective video strategy. Building an engaged community ensures long-term success.

Ways to Foster Community Engagement:

• Interact with Viewers – Respond to comments and engage with your audience.
• Host Live Sessions – Q&A sessions and discussions encourage real-time interactions.
• Encourage User Participation – Ask for opinions, feedback, or user-generated content.

When audiences feel connected, they are more likely to become loyal followers and supporters of your brand.

Measuring Video Success

Tracking the success of your videos is essential for refining your strategy. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) help evaluate video effectiveness:

• Views & Watch Time – How many people watched and for how long?
• Likes, Shares, & Comments – Engagement levels indicate audience interest.
• Click-Through Rates (CTR) – Are viewers taking the desired action?

If engagement metrics are low, adjust your approach based on audience feedback and performance data.

The Importance of Authenticity and Vulnerability

Authenticity is a crucial element of engaging video content. Viewers can sense when content is genuine, making them more likely to connect with the creator.

Why Authenticity Matters:

• Builds Trust – Audiences appreciate honesty and transparency.
• Fosters Relatability – Sharing struggles and successes makes content more engaging.
• Encourages Community Growth – When creators open up, audiences feel more inclined to participate and share their own stories.

In a digital landscape filled with polished perfection, showing your true self can set you apart and create a lasting impact.

Conclusion

Video is an incredibly powerful tool for captivating an audience, building connections, and growing your brand. Whether through emotional storytelling, strategic audience engagement, or authenticity, mastering video content can lead to long-term success.

By understanding your audience, implementing engaging techniques, and fostering a community, you can harness the power of video to inspire and engage on a deeper level. Start creating, and watch your influence grow!

The post The Secret to Using Video for Maximum Impact and Brand Growth appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but they’re only half right.

The part they are right about is that yes, you actually can create something you love that helps people and, with the right systems in place, you can make money in your sleep!

The concept of making money at any given moment of the day on autopilot was enough to send me down the rabbit hole of learning how to create online products for one simple reason: to no longer trade time for money, which gives me all the time in the world to do more of what I love—creating.

What they don’t tell you is all the things that go into creating something online so it actually works. So, I’m here to spill the tea on why I agree that you should learn how to create products because it does create time and financial freedom!

But not until you know the six misconceptions to avoid when creating an online store and digital products.

Misconception #1: All You Need is a Product

This is the most common misconception.

Not only do you need a product, but you need a product that offers immense value to your customers!

If you don’t know how to create a product that people actually want, everything else is completely uphill.

Trust me, I’ve created many products that didn’t sell because I thought they were brilliant, but they weren’t what my audience needed. So, they flopped.

Misconception #2: All You Need is Tons of Followers

When working with my influencer client who has 1.1 million followers, I, like many others, assumed that because she had so many followers, all we had to do was create a store, a product, launch it and we’d be swimming in champagne.

Not quite.

It was actually much more difficult than even my smaller creator clients. Why? Back to misconception #1: We didn’t know what her audience wanted from her or what they’d buy.

Here’s the good news: this means you don’t need a million followers to get started.

Misconception #3: Creating a Digital Product is Quick & Easy

Here’s what ChatGPT told me about why that doesn’t work:

“Crafting high-quality digital products takes time, from ideation to testing, and rushing the process often leads to subpar results.” – ChatGPT

Straight from the horse’s mouth.

Taking my time to get feedback from my ideal customers, testing colors, prices, and branding strategies has been the difference between a successful product and a flop.

Does it take longer? Yep. Is it more successful in the long run? Totally.

Misconception #4: I Need to Be a “Creative“

Let me tell you about my client Teresa.

Teresa is an expert in diversity and inclusion. She’s worked with fancy government agencies, training them on how to create inclusive work environments.

Not your traditional singer, writer, dancer creative type, right? But like I always say, we’re all creatives—especially educators!

Teresa came to me yearning for more. We realized all the PowerPoint presentations, resources, and toolkits she’d developed over the years were perfect digital products!

Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, I’m not a traditional creative. How can I apply this to what I do?”

If you’ve poured yourself into something—whether it’s business, education, automotives, or woodworking—you have a digital product waiting to be created. 

Hell, if you’re a plumber you have a digital product!

Focus on your expertise. What do you love and do well that you could teach others? That’s your digital product.

Misconception #5: Having a Brilliant Idea is Enough

Having a brilliant, magnetic, creative idea is cool, but it’s not enough.

Why? Because while you think it’s a great idea, it’s not about what you think. It’s about what other people need.

Before you dive into spending hours on a product nobody needs, do some market research.

In 2021, I bought a program from someone who had made $20 million online with her course about…creating courses. While her program had great information, it lacked one crucial piece: teaching how to create a course that your audience wants.

This will be the difference between a successful product and one that’s only good for you and your dog.

Misconception #6: You Can Learn Everything on YouTube

This is the most underrated misconception to avoid.

There are three main reasons learning only on YouTube doesn’t work:

1. Time-Wasting: You’ll spend countless hours sifting through clickbait videos that teach you nothing. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
2. Lack of Customization: Your creative magic is yours for a reason. While you might find useful information on YouTube, it’s not tailored to your unique expertise, experiences, and needs.
3. Mindset Shifts: YouTube can’t teach you how to break through limiting beliefs that block your success. Shifting your mindset is vital to taking your creative magic to the next level.

Invest in yourself. A one on one mentor is your best option to get REAL results, but if that’s a little outside of your budget at least invest in a program that gives you the step by step of it so you can shave off valuable time you might otherwise spend on doom scrolling just to find something that works.

The Truth

The opportunity to make passive income online by creating something you love that serves others is the trifecta of happiness and success!

Take your time, do it right, invest in yourself, and play the long game. One day, you’ll wake up to a $2,000 deposit, an impact on countless lives, and a full day ahead to create whatever you’re dreaming of.

The post 6 Misconceptions About Digital Products That Are Costing You Time and Money appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Market competitiveness, sluggish manual procedures, and growing maintenance expenses can all be addressed via custom digital transformation. Let’s examine how these customized solutions might transform your company for sustained success.

1. Optimizing Workflows

Customized digital solutions optimize complex workflows using cutting-edge algorithms and machine learning, automate tedious jobs, and streamline corporate operations.

Consider Kordsa, a multinational supplier of reinforcement solutions, which implemented a comprehensive Digital Factory Platform and had impressive benefits. The concrete influence of digital solutions on operational efficiency was demonstrated by their transformation, which resulted in a 30% reduction in non-value-added labor tasks and a significant drop in unplanned downtime.

For businesses adopting digital transformation, Velvetech provides consulting services customized to your needs, enhancing ROI and strengthening competitive advantage.

Key efficiency improvements include:

• Unifying siloed systems for efficient data flow and real-time decisions across departments
• Implementation of predictive maintenance algorithms that reduce equipment downtime and optimize resource allocation, resulting in substantial cost savings
• Automation of routine administrative tasks, allowing employees to focus on strategic initiatives and value-adding activities that drive business growth

Tip: Regularly check the automated workflows to ensure they align with the business goals. Monitor key indices such as time saved, cost reductions, and employee productivity to determine areas for further optimization.

2. Better Customer Interactions

Digital tools improve customer interactions through personalized and seamless experiences. Businesses can more effectively anticipate and meet customer needs.

Through its mobile app, which collects data for customized rewards while enabling customers to order, customize drinks, and make contactless payments, Starbucks does this.

Customers are now more loyal, and purchases are more efficient thanks to this digital strategy.

Key improvements include:

• AI-powered chatbots for 24/7 support and faster response times
• Personalized recommendation engines that suggest relevant products
• Integrating physical and digital touchpoints for smooth omnichannel experiences

Tip: Integrate AI in communication to call customers using real-time customer behavior analysis to improve engagement and frequency of purchase.

3. Data-Driven Insights

Businesses may use data to obtain valuable insights thanks to digital technologies. Strong data systems enable firms to see patterns, predict trends, and react quickly to customer needs.

Using IoT and predictive analytics, General Electric (GE) decreased downtime and increased efficiency by 10%.

Core Benefits:

• Predictive analytics for proactive strategy and market advantage
• Real-time monitoring of key performance indicators
• Data visualization dashboards for informed decision-making

Tip: Streamline analytics and enable faster decision-making by centrally organizing your data platform. As client expectations and trends change, ensure real-time data integration is in place so you can react fast.

4. Adapting to Change

Through cloud-based, modular technologies, custom digital transformation solutions give enterprises flexibility and scalability. These technologies enable rapid reaction to changing consumer preferences, geographic expansion, and market developments without necessitating significant redesigns.

This is best demonstrated by IKEA’s augmented reality software and adaptable e-commerce platform, which allow for seamless expansion, feature additions based on user input, and a consistent customer experience across its expanding digital presence.

Core flexibility advantages include:

• Implement cloud infrastructure for quick feature deployment and scalable resource allocation based on demand.
• Develop modular architectures that integrate new technologies without disrupting current operations.
• Provide adaptable digital platforms for continuous operations in new areas while facilitating localization and multi-regional expansion.

Tip: Adopt a modular, cloud-based infrastructure for seamless technology integration. This enables rapid adaptation without disrupting operations.

5. Staying Competitive

By differentiating through creative, tech-driven experiences and operational excellence, new digital strategies give firms a competitive edge. Businesses may influence consumer expectations and remain ahead of industry trends by investing in customized solutions.

Domino’s Pizza illustrates this transformative power through its revolutionary mobile app and autonomous delivery innovations, redefined customer expectations in the fast-food industry.

Their strategic digital initiatives, including real-time GPS tracking and Nuro R2 robot deliveries, helped them capture over 50% of global retail sales through digital channels by 2019, demonstrating how custom digital solutions can transform market position and drive substantial business growth.

Key competitive advantages include:

• Create enduring commercial advantages by developing digital skills that differentiate businesses from rivals.
• Use customer engagement tools that exceed expectations, boosting brand loyalty and strengthening market position.
• Create data-based efficiencies for quicker market responses and better resource allocation, driving cost savings and profitability.

Tip: Invest in personalized customer experiences and advanced technologies, like AI and real-time tracking, to stay ahead of trends and boost customer loyalty.

Custom digital transformation solutions make business growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction possible.

Through these solutions, your business operations and market position can be achieved by achieving higher productivity, transforming into a more data-driven firm, becoming scalable, and staying competitive.

Invest in digital transformation to see continuous improvements in your business performance and future success.

The post 5 Digital Solutions Every Business Needs to Stay Competitive in 2025 appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

A solid business strategy is more than a paper plan—it’s your roadmap to achieving goals while allowing for agility in the face of change. With smart strategies, you can set your business up for long-term success.

In this blog, we’ll explore practical methods to improve your business strategy.

1. Focus on Clear Goal Setting

Success starts with measurable and clear objectives. Setting goals keeps your business on track and ensures focus on what matters most.

Rather than setting vague ambitions, adopt the SMART goal framework:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

For example, instead of saying, “We want to increase sales,” a SMART goal would be:

• “We want to increase revenues by 15% in the next quarter.”

Once your goals are outlined, break them into smaller tasks to make them more manageable. Regularly assess your progress and adjust as needed. Clear goals keep your team aligned and motivated.

2. Invest in Professional Development

Your team is one of your greatest assets. Investing in their skills not only improves output but strengthens your business.

Professional development opportunities could include:

• Workshops
• Certifications
• Advanced education programs

For example, an online accounting MBA degree could help employees develop financial and managerial skills to make better business decisions.

By promoting continuous learning, you show employees that you value their growth. This also helps your business stay competitive in a fast-changing market by fostering innovation.

3. Use Technology to Automate Processes

Technology is a game-changer. In fact, 78% of business leaders believe they could save up to 3 hours a day by automating tasks—equivalent to 30 hours a month.

The right tech, from automation tools to data analytics, simplifies operations and saves valuable time.

Examples of automation tools include:

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for monitoring client interactions and building stronger relationships
• Task automation tools to reduce manual workload and improve efficiency

Identify time-consuming tasks and explore automation solutions. This doesn’t replace human effort—it enhances productivity by freeing up time for meaningful work.

4. Understand Your Target Market

To truly succeed, you need to understand your customers.

Conduct research to analyze their:

• Preferences
• Pain points
• Buying behaviors

Use polls, surveys, and feedback forms to gather valuable insights.

Knowing your audience helps you design better products or services and refine marketing efforts to deliver the right message to the right people. Building trust and loyalty leads to long-term success.

5. Prioritize Financial Health

A strong business strategy depends on solid financial management.

Steps to improve financial health:

1. Create a budget that aligns with business priorities
2. Monitor expenses and revenue regularly
3. Conduct financial reviews to identify trends and make data-driven decisions

If financial management feels overwhelming, consider hiring a professional or using accounting software. Managing your finances wisely ensures you can fund growth opportunities and navigate unexpected challenges.

6. Develop a Strong Online Presence

In today’s digital world, an online presence is non-negotiable.

Research shows that 76% of consumers check a company’s online presence before visiting a physical store.

Ways to strengthen your online presence:

• Create a user-friendly website that highlights your products or services
• Use compelling calls to action like “Contact Us” or “Shop Now”
• Establish a strong social media presence by:
  • Choosing platforms that align with your audience
  • Posting regularly
  • Engaging with followers through comments and promotions

A strong online presence boosts credibility, attracts leads, and enhances customer engagement.

7. Stay Adaptable to Change

Adaptability is key to long-term success. Stay informed about:

• Industry trends
• Competitor strategies
• Market shifts

A great example is Netflix. Initially a DVD rental service, Netflix pivoted to streaming content at the right time. Today, they continue to evolve by investing in original content and AI-driven recommendations, proving that adaptability fuels success.

Encourage your team to embrace change as an opportunity rather than a challenge. A flexible mindset turns obstacles into innovations, keeping your business competitive.

Final Thoughts

Improving your business strategy is an ongoing process, but the results are worth it.

By focusing on:

• Clear goals
• Investing in your team
• Leveraging technology
• Understanding your market
• Managing finances wisely
• Strengthening your online presence
• Staying adaptable

…you position your business for growth and long-term success.

A great strategy isn’t just about where you want to go—it’s about how you’ll get there.

The post 7 Strategic Shifts to Help You Scale Your Business Smarter, Not Harder appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

• You’re guilty of doomscrolling at least once a day, consuming random news and social media content on a loop.
• You’ve bookmarked more learning resources than you’ve actually completed.
• You use your packed schedule as an excuse, convincing yourself that upskilling or personal growth is just another item on your endless to-do list.

Between back-to-back meetings and endless Slack notifications, self-growth can feel like an impossible task. Leveraging microlearning apps is one of the smartest ways to cut through the noise and actually invest in yourself—without feeling overwhelmed.

These apps are designed for modern life: short attention spans, jam-packed schedules, and the need for results that actually stick. Personally, they make self-growth feel achievable.

Here are three standout apps in the increasingly crowded digital learning landscape. Whether you’re aiming to stay ahead in your professional journey, master new disciplines, or simply expand your intellectual horizons, these apps will benefit you.

1. Accelerated

For most of us, our scrolling habit often gets in the way of reading. But what if you could turn that time-wasting scroll into something that actually feeds your brain?

Enter Accelerated: your new go-to for swapping mindless swipes with meaningful, bite-sized learning.

Accelerated is a microlearning app that lets you read/listen key ideas from 8000+ non-fiction books, mostly in under 15 minutes. These books are goldmines of wisdom on crucial topics like business, leadership, self-growth, finance, health, and relationships—the kind of knowledge every well-rounded adult needs.

Key Features:

• Bite-sized Learning: Access key ideas from 8,000+ non-fiction books in under 15 minutes.
• Curated Collections: 30 pre-built categories, including Nobel Prize Winners and NY Times Bestsellers, eliminating decision fatigue.
• AskTed Chatbot: Need a complex finance topic broken down in an ELI5 (Explain Like I’m Five) style? AskTed has you covered.
• Multi-functional: Includes meditation guides and sleep stories, making it a two-in-one tool.

Accelerated also offers meditation guides and sleep stories to help you unwind and get a restful night’s sleep. So you can go ahead, and cancel your Headspace subscription as you are getting two apps for the price of one.

How Can It Unlock Success?

Imagine not knowing how to negotiate a raise, manage your time effectively, build a strong personal brand, or navigate a tough conversation with a colleague. These are crucial skills that traditional education doesn’t always teach—but Accelerated does. The bottom line? The more you read, the more you learn. Dive in!

2. Podurama

With social media and one-sided news flooding our feeds, hearing diverse perspectives has never been more crucial. That’s where Podurama steps in, giving you access to millions of thought-provoking podcasts in one place.

Key Features:

• 30-Second Previews: Quickly sample an episode before committing to a full listen.
• Auto Chapters: Breaks down long episodes into digestible segments with summaries and timestamps.
• Jump to Key Insights: Save time by heading straight to the most relevant parts of an episode.

How Can It Unlock Success?

Podcasts give you an edge, helping you stand out and make a killer first impression. By exposing yourself to diverse viewpoints, you show you’re not just taking things at face value. Plus, you’ll pick up wisdom from fields you’ll never work in, making you the most interesting person in the room. While others are stuck on the latest meme, you’ll have something way more intellectual to throw into the conversation.

3. Curio

For most of us, staying on top of the news with our morning coffee is part of our daily routine. However, the media landscape has shifted—overwhelming us with 24/7 breaking news, anxiety-inducing headlines, and endless rabbit holes.

This is where Curio comes in.

Key Features:

• AI-Powered Summaries: Distills key takeaways from sources like The New York Times and The Economist in minutes.
• Smart Contextualization: Ensures you get the essence of each story without unnecessary fluff.
• Personalized Daily Edit: Curate your own AI-powered newspaper with only the news that matters to you.

How Can It Unlock Success?

Staying informed without getting overwhelmed is a superpower. Curio allows you to cut through the noise and focus only on the most relevant, insightful content. With the right information at your fingertips, you’ll be empowered to make smarter decisions—because success isn’t just about what you know, but how quickly and effectively you can apply it.

Final Thoughts

As we head into 2025, staying ahead means finding smarter ways to learn and grow. These three microlearning apps make upskilling quick, efficient, and manageable—even in your busiest moments. Whether it’s during your commute or morning coffee, they seamlessly fit into your routine.

So, don’t wait—start unlocking your potential today and make 2025 the year you take your growth to the next level!

The post Unlock Your Potential: 3 Microlearning Apps You Need in 2025 appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

A Game-Changer for Businesses

Imagine coaching a relay team but never telling them when to step onto the field or when to pass the baton. You won’t see much podium action. That’s exactly what it’s like managing a business without automation tools.

BPM software acts as your coach, players, and playbook—helping you beat the opposing team: old habits and the status quo. It ensures your business runs in sync, efficiently, and without unnecessary friction.

Here’s What Makes BPM Software So Transformational:

1. Breaking Down Silos

Without BPM, teams and entire departments operate in isolated bubbles. Communication is minimal, collaboration is rare, and information stays locked away. The right BPM software brings teams together, fostering seamless collaboration with tools at their fingertips.

2. Automation Revolution

Manual processes are prone to errors and inefficiencies. BPM software automates repetitive tasks, freeing up your team for more important work. Think of it as business magic—turning hours of manual labor into minutes with automation, saving both time and money.

3. Data-Driven Insights

In today’s competitive landscape, you can’t afford to rely on gut feelings. BPM software collects and analyzes data to drive informed decision-making. Without it, you’re flying blind—and that’s a risk your business can’t afford.

The Cost of Inaction: What Happens Without BPM?

Businesses that don’t adopt BPM software face numerous challenges that stunt growth and efficiency:

• Missed Deadlines: Without automation, delays become the norm.
• Inefficient Resource Allocation: Productive employees spend time on tasks that could be automated.
• Employee Frustration: Disorganized processes lead to burnout and high turnover rates.
• Compliance Risks: In industries with strict regulations, manual errors can lead to costly fines.

Skip BPM, and your competitors will leave you in the dust.

Transforming Your Organization With BPM: The Benefits That Matter Most

Optimizing workflows isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about business transformation. The best BPM software does more than streamline processes; it revolutionizes how you work.

1. Agility in an Ever-Changing World

Markets shift. Customer expectations evolve. Disruptions happen. BPM software equips your business with the flexibility to adapt on the fly.

For example, a retail company facing supply chain disruptions used BPM software to adjust orders and reroute goods. Without this ability, they would have had to shut down operations.

2. Amplified Customer Satisfaction

Customers want fast, seamless service. BPM software ensures:

• Faster support response times
• Error-free sales processes
• Streamlined order fulfillment

This translates to loyal, repeat customers.

3. Cost Savings That Add Up

Operational inefficiencies cost businesses millions every year. BPM eliminates unnecessary expenses by automating tasks and reducing human errors.

Pro Tip: Implement BPM software, and operating costs can drop by up to 20%.

4. Employee Empowerment

Happy employees are productive employees. BPM software provides tools that reduce stress, eliminate frustration, and boost efficiency. With an intuitive UX and workflow automation, onboarding new hires takes minutes—not days.

Without BPM? Expect higher burnout and turnover due to disorganized workflows.

5. Error-Free Operations

Business process slip-ups have serious consequences—from billing errors to failed audits. BPM software reduces human error, ensuring compliance and minimizing risk.

Why BPM Software Is a Must-Have

BPM software isn’t just the latest trend—it’s a necessity for businesses looking to scale and compete. Here’s why it’s so powerful:

• Scalability: Adapts to your growing business needs.
• Fuels Innovation: Frees up resources, allowing teams to focus on R&D.
• Seamless Integration: Works with existing software like ERPs and CRMs.

When businesses commit to BPM software, they aren’t just changing their processes—they’re transforming how they do business.

How to Choose the Right BPM Solution for Your Needs

Not all BPM solutions are created equal. Here’s what to consider when selecting the best one for your industry:

• Customization: Can it adapt to your unique business processes?
• Ease of Use: Does it require technical expertise, or is it user-friendly?
• Real-Time Insights: Does it provide automatic analytics, or do you need to extract data manually?
• Integration: Will it seamlessly connect with your existing systems?

If a BPM solution checks all these boxes, you’re on the right track!

The Time to Transform Is Now

If you want to win in business, you must embrace innovation and ditch outdated processes. The future of business is predictable, fast-moving, and competitive—and BPM software is the key to staying ahead.

Don’t wait—adopt BPM software today and experience the transformation firsthand!

The post The Secret Weapon Smart Businesses Use to Stay Ahead appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Especially in the start-up and growth phase, young companies need sufficient liquidity to drive the development and expansion of the business. For this very reason, having a solid financing plan is crucial. 

It’s only when this plan thoroughly covers all your capital requirements that you can actually begin to finance your startup. This planning alone can determine whether your venture succeeds or fails — not merely the business idea itself.

5 Ways To Financially Support Your Big Idea

Where do you get the money to build your startup? There are many possible answers to this question. Perhaps you have savings and/or a social circle that can support you (family and friends). 

Or you can turn to professional investors — especially if you need higher capital. Each type of funding has its own advantages and disadvantages. 

The differences include how quickly you get the money, how much money you get, and whether you have to give up company shares in return. 

1. Bootstrapping

Many successful founders implement their business ideas using only their own funds — this process is described as “bootstrapping.” 

This type of financing is best suited for start-ups that can be implemented with funds that the founder is able to raise themselves — usually between $5,000 and $50,000. 

The primary advantage of bootstrapping is independence. You don’t have to make compromises with shareholders who may want to influence management decisions or with lenders expecting high-interest payments. 

This will allow you to have full control over your business direction.

However, with bootstrapping, you can typically only build your company slowly, and competitors could overtake you. You also don’t have the expertise and networks that many investors bring to the table. 

Mastering online trading can be a strategic choice in this scenario. If you know how to invest and grow your capital effectively, you can remain competitive without too much external support. 

With sufficient financial resources, you can replenish your inventory or purchase new equipment to keep pace with your competitors.

2. Business Angels 

Business angels finance start-ups with their own money, usually by taking a stake in the company. If you choose this path, you should know that it has both advantages and disadvantages. 

As co-partners, they have a say; as investors, they bring money and know-how. Angel investors have a large network and are often involved in not just one but several start-ups. As a founder, handling relationships with angel investors with care is crucial. If the relationship is right, this model can help your startup succeed.

3. Family and Friends

Family and friends usually offer more favorable conditions than professional investors. That’s why many founders turn to family and friends who believe in their project and have the financial means to invest. 

You usually receive this kind of funds as an interest-free loan or as equity capital. But even the best business idea can fail. If that happens to you with an investor-financed startup, at most, a business relationship will be ruined. 

However, if the money came from your private environment, the loss may damage a family bond or a friendship. So make it clear to yourself and your supporters what the risks are — and record all agreements in a written and signed contract.

4. Crowdfunding and Crowd-Investing

Crowdfunding and crowd-investing are still considered relatively new forms of startup funding. The word “crowd” here stands for a group of people contributing to co-financing your startup.

• Crowdfunding: This is also known as crowdsourcing. No matter what it is called, it is all about convincing other people of your business idea and raising money to implement or establish your startup. Crowdfunding is very suitable for financing very specific products or projects. However, it is not the optimal type of financing for general startup financing. But it can be a decisive help, for example, to push forward the development of a prototype so that you can then really get going.
• Crowd-investing: This is a slightly different form of crowdfunding. The focus here is on various investors who help you with startup financing in monetary form, even with small amounts. Your goal should be to get as many supporters as possible to reach your financing goal as quickly as possible. Later, these supporters can, for example, be given a percentage of your startup’s profits.

5. Bank Loans 

Loans are the classic form of financing. They are always considered debt capital and are subject to interest. In most cases, banks are very cautious when it comes to granting loans to startups. 

Compared to a traditional company, the risk of a startup is usually too high for banks. Many founders simply can’t provide enough collateral at the beginning of their entrepreneurial career. 

However, it is still worth making a business plan and asking your bank about a loan for your startup.

Securing Your Startup’s Future

Raising capital for your startup requires strategic planning, a deep understanding of the investment landscape, and aligning your business with the right investors. 

With a solid business plan and a clear understanding of your financing options, you can secure the necessary funds to fuel your entrepreneurial journey and turn your idea into a successful business.

The post 5 Ways to Financially Support Your Next Big Idea appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

In this article, we will write about the most promising AI startups in which the scenarios of the billions of investment of big investors are already running.

1. Karma: Responsible Behaviour and Waste Management

Many problems related to global sustainable development, as well as many other problems, can be addressed with AI. The developers said that AI can help address some of the challenges around enhancing ESG practices.

As a result, the combination of both AI and ESG can allow Humanity to have access to better models and strategies to fight against climate change, keep tabs on the rate of deforestation, and keep an eye on how energy is being consumed.

Technology is also used by Karma to encourage people to adopt sustainable consumption and the creation of a circular economy. The introduction of the company’s digital assistant was connected with separate waste collection.

An astonishing 90% of consumers have no clue what’s recyclable and not, or how to sort it, the people behind the startup realized.

2. Anthropic: Language Models

The other equally famous Anthropic comes up next. Having its origin from OpenAI, the company is founded by former OpenAI employees who work for the ‘king of the AI industry’.

You basically already know what the company does: it still works as it was working in the previous case, that is it works with AI language models.

Nevertheless, the authors underline that they have something better than OpenAI by key parameters. It has a capital of $18.2 billion and has invested $8.9 billion; the company employs 27,500 people.

3. Polycam: Spatial Analysis

It’s an AI technology where you flip your world, live in ‘3D’ and then you can create and share your world using LiDAR video and motion data captured from your smartphone.

An app that helps people create realistic, extremely detailed models from ordinary photos, making it a handy tool for architects, interior designers, and fashion designers.

Polycam is available for iOS, Android, and the web, and could be used for any professional 3D task like creating floor plans, architectural visualization, VFX, and film.

4. Yesim.app: eSIM Services Provider

They are a company that offers an innovative solution for travelers (SIM cards for travel) and people who care about staying connected without having to use physical SIM cards (roaming data SIM cards).

Their main product is the eSIM connection mobile app, which allows users to quickly and conveniently harness the potential of virtual SIM cards and connect to local carriers in over 130 countries.

As a startup, Yesim is on the list of top world eSIM services and is ideal for those who love travel.

The eSIM service is easy to use. Just install the app from the App Store or Play Market on your iPhone or Android smartphone and you’ll get your personal virtual number and access to the built-in VPN service.

5. Delta AI: Sales Monitoring

Information flows are so huge nowadays that it’s impossible to keep track of everything: that’s where technology comes in handy. An Australian startup allows brands to find out how their products or services are being used in a global context.

The company uses computer vision to monitor social networks, tracking trends and information about how products are used globally every day. With this data, brands can launch new marketing strategies faster and more effectively.

Computer vision can search for images and videos that are invisible to traditional text searches: up to 2371% faster than if a human searched for this information.

Delta AI’s solution is Influencer Sphere, an open platform that uses computer vision technology to analyze similarities in the aesthetics of Instagram accounts. The analytics tool recommends the most aesthetically appropriate Influencers for brands.

6. Miovision: Smart City

The concept of a smart city has long ceased to be something fantastic. Smart traffic lights, automatic air quality analysis, auto-piloted public transportation – all this has long been implemented in different countries.

Miovision has been developing and implementing solutions for smart cities since 2005. Their product is a platform that helps to intelligently distribute traffic in megacities.

Smart cameras and sensors make it possible to analyze the state of roads – from congestion to accidents. Based on the collected data, the algorithm makes recommendations on how to eliminate traffic jams and optimize routes for vehicle owners.

For example, smart cameras assess road congestion, and depending on the density of traffic jams in the city, the work of traffic lights is regulated. The company’s experience shows that implementation of the solution can reduce traffic congestion on highways by 10-15%.

So far, all Miovision pilot projects have been implemented in the USA.

7. Particle: Business Assistant

Particle is an Internet of Things platform used to help businesses prototype, scale, and manage Internet of Things products. Particle is now one of the widest-used platforms in the world today.

The Internet of Things is effectively a network of all types of devices where they can communicate with each other (collect and transmit information) via the Internet. It can be both normal everyday household things and more complex things. And experts think the number of Internet of Things devices will increase from 10 billion in 2020 to 22 billion in 2025.

Examples of Internet of Things devices are smoke and motion sensors in the home, cabs with artificial intelligence, fitness bracelets, and smart parking lots.

It’s an interesting story about how the startup Particle came about. Zach Supalla, the founder, wanted to be able to help his deaf father by creating an indicator that would flash whenever his father received a text message.

And now the company is building tools and kits for web developers to let customers make their own physical prototypes, to attach their own hardware to the Internet.

The startup then sells them a software platform to launch the product once the customers begin to scale. Many of Particle’s customers are also do-it-yourselfers and often want to connect household items to the Internet: It’s a garage door, a coffee machine, or a toaster.

8. Pony.ai: Autonomous Transportation

The startup develops systems for autonomous transportation. The company has completed its first round of investment, during which it raised $112 million in investment. Now Pony.ai is going to bring its solutions to the Chinese market.

The startup was organized by two well-known engineers – both of whom were involved in autonomous driving projects before working together.

Dr. James Peng was the head of the drone program at Baidu. His partner Tancheng Lu also worked on drones at Baidu and at Google X, which was responsible for unmanned transportation before becoming Waymo. Lu is also a multiple medalist and winner of various international programming competitions.

Investors were probably attracted not least by the experience and technical skills of the startup’s founders.

Conclusion 

All these newcomer companies sound promising, but today investors should be careful about making money with them. Wall Street experts have been issuing warnings about that, and anger boiled over this week with trader frustration around AI, and the Nasdaq 100 lost $1t in a single day.

Investors are believed to be pulling $60bn a year into developing AI models, enough to make 12,000 products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, according to Barclays analysts. The question, however, still stands, do we really need 12,000 ChatGPT chatbots?

* * *

Written by Alex Wright, a top employee at Yesim.app and a passionate copywriter in the tech niche. He is an expert in mobile technology and communications, an avid traveler and an active user of top world eSIM services. His mission is to share the latest and most innovative tech solutions with people.

The post How AI is Solving Real Problems: 8 Startups Making Big Waves in 2025 appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Here’s how to put low-cost plans into action that connect with customers, grow your audience and market your startup on a tight budget, without overspending.

Build Engagement: Tactics for Lasting Customer Relationships

To develop a faithful customer base, you need to do more than just sell. Get customers involved in your narrative and give them chances to connect with your brand. 

Social media platforms play a key role in building these connections. By leveraging apps like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you can interact directly with your audience and foster a sense of community. 

Here are a few low-cost ways to engage with customers effectively:

1. Host Online Q&A Sessions: Make use of platforms such as Instagram Live or LinkedIn to respond to questions about your product, startup journey, or industry knowledge. This method gives your brand a personal touch and helps build trust with potential buyers.
2. Use Customer-Created Content: Ask happy customers to share their experiences by mentioning your brand or using a specific hashtag. This content costs nothing and offers genuine endorsements that strike a chord with new customers.

Don’t flood your social media with self-promotion or ads—find ways to connect. This grows brand recognition and builds lasting relationships.

Create a Unique Niche and Boost Credibility

Focusing on a specific niche sets your brand apart and helps you gain authority in that area. You don’t need a big budget to establish credibility; just a few well-executed targeted strategies.

• Use Video Content: Platforms like YouTube cost nothing and work well for sharing expertise. Make tutorials, show product previews, or reveal behind-the-scenes footage. Good videos grab attention and often prove easier to digest than written content.
• Produce Insightful Content: Write articles, start podcasts, or hold webinars about your area of expertise. This positions your brand as knowledgeable and gives value to your audience—making them more likely to come back for more.

Building credibility in your niche can help you become a trusted source in your field boosting customer trust and brand recognition.

Clarify Your “Why”: Craft a Memorable Brand Story

Your startup’s story should explain why it exists and what makes it different. Customers tend to connect with brands that have a compelling mission or unique background.

1. Lead by Example: Think about companies like TOMS, whose “one for one” approach helped them gain a loyal customer base. Tell a tale that shows why your brand matters such as fixing a specific issue or meeting a special need. 
2. Tell Your Story Everywhere: Put your brand’s history on your website social media, and ads. Customers tend to support and remember brands with stories they can relate to. A strong purpose creates connections and faithful customers helping your brand stick out in a busy market.

Cheap SEO Tricks to Get Noticed 

More SEO can be one of the cheapest ways to find new customers, but many new business owners miss out on smart methods that don’t cost much. 

1. Focus on Local Searches: If you run a local business, make sure to list your website in area directories and use words that mention your location. This can really boost how often local customers see you in search results. 
2. Try Free Keyword Tools: Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest give free tips on popular search words in your field. For instance, if your target audience includes people with a credit score of 615, you might optimize for terms like “credit-building solutions” or “financial products for fair credit.” Use these words in your blog posts and website content to climb higher in search rankings.
3. Leverage Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive, helping your content stand out. For instance, instead of using “marketing,” try “cost-effective marketing strategies for startups.”

These SEO tactics have the effect of boosting your online profile and drawing in folks looking for your stuff.

Use Partnerships and Happenings for More Influence

Teaming up and showing up at related business happenings means more eyeballs on what you do and chatting with a larger crowd.

• Join Forces at Industry Functions: Mingling in person at industry functions can often trump online ads in snagging good contacts. Scout for events where your brand could shine by co-sponsoring or leading a talk.
• Team Up with Other New Ventures: Spot businesses that complement yours (steer clear of rivals) to combine marketing muscle, like pairing up goods or running a joint webinar. This move lets both parties broaden their circle in a wallet-friendly way.

Linking up for events and forming alliances are solid strategies to make friends, get noticed, and earn trust without busting your budget.

Giveaways: Spark Curiosity with Direct Interactions

Hooking in new customers can get easier with some free stuff on the side. Toss them a sample of your product or a no-cost trial and you can get them talking and spreading the good word.

• Dish Out Product Samples: Slide into influencers’ DMs or hit up your regulars with a sweet deal of complimentary samples if they dish out the real talk about ’em online. It’s gonna make some noise and beef up your rep.
• Offer Discount Codes or Small Gifts: Show appreciation to your early customers by sending small thank-you gifts, such as a discount code or branded merchandise. These gestures create goodwill and foster brand loyalty.

A well-planned giveaway program helps introduce your product to a wider audience, generating buzz and attracting new customers.

Final Thoughts: Key Takeaways for Success

Marketing a startup on a limited budget requires creativity, focus, and actionable strategies. Prioritize engagement, emphasize authenticity, and make your story stand out. Use the power of SEO, partner strategically, and leverage free samples to generate interest. With these steps, you’ll build a strong foundation for your brand without overspending.

The post How to Market Your Startup on a Tight Budget appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

However, beyond the initial thrill of launching a startup, the real test lies in managing growth sustainably. It’s a delicate balancing act: you have to stay focused on the big picture while keeping an eye on the details that can make or break your progress.

For entrepreneurs, managing resources in an effective way is vital for success, but issues like click fraud can easily set back even the most carefully laid plans. 

Also, understanding complex financial assets, like a right-of-use asset, can help you steer your business towards longer term sustainability. 

Today, I’m going to walk you through some suggestions on how you can tackle these challenges without losing sight of your overall vision to protect your startup from the most common digital pitfalls.

Protecting Your Startup in the Digital World

When I initially went diving into the world of entrepreneurship, one thing that really caught me off guard was how vulnerable my business could be to online risks. I’m not talking about just competition or negative reviews. 

I’m referring to something far less visible but just as harmful: click fraud. I remember running my first online ad campaign, thrilled at the surge of clicks my business was getting—until I realized many of them were fake. 

Bots, competitors, or unscrupulous actors were clicking my ads, draining my ad budget with no real customer engagement in return.

This kind of online fraud can be devastating for startups that rely on lean marketing budgets to grow. Click fraud occurs when automated programs (or maybe even naughty competitors) click on pay-per-click ads intentionally, wasting all your precious marketing spend and skewing your campaign metrics. 

It was an eye-opening experience for me and made me realize that as much as I wanted to focus on product development and customer satisfaction, protecting my business from digital fraud had to be a priority.

How to Protect Your Business from Digital Threats

The good news is that while click fraud is a real threat, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage and protect your marketing budget. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:

1. Invest in Click Fraud Detection Software: There are several tools out there designed to identify and block fraudulent clicks before they eat away at your budget. This software can help you monitor your ads and ensure that only legitimate traffic is getting through.
2. Monitor Your Analytics Regularly: It’s important to keep a close eye on your campaign metrics. If you notice sudden spikes in clicks that don’t correspond to a rise in sales or engagement, that’s a red flag. Regularly reviewing your data will help you catch anomalies early.
3. Geotargeting: One of the easiest ways to reduce click fraud is by limiting your ads to regions where your target audience resides. You can block certain geographic areas that are known for fraudulent activity or simply focus your campaign on high-performing regions.
4. Use Conversion Tracking: Setting up conversion tracking lets you measure which clicks lead to valuable actions, like purchases or sign-ups. This way, you’re not just paying for clicks—you’re paying for results.
5. Stay Updated with Your Ad Platform Policies: Ad platforms like Google and Facebook continuously update their systems to prevent fraud. Make sure you’re familiar with their policies and use the tools they provide to protect your campaigns.

By staying vigilant and using these tools, I was able to minimize click fraud and make sure my marketing dollars were being spent effectively.

Managing Growth While Understanding Your Financial Assets

As your startup begins to grow, you’ll inevitably encounter new financial responsibilities and challenges. 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that managing growth isn’t just about increasing revenue or acquiring more customers—it’s about being smart with the resources you already have.

 And sometimes, that means getting familiar with complex financial terms and concepts that initially seem overwhelming. One such concept is the right-of-use asset.

If you’ve never heard the term before, don’t worry—I hadn’t either when I started my business. But once I began dealing with leases for office space and equipment, it became an essential part of my financial vocabulary. 

Basically, right-of-use assets are the value that a company gains from using leased assets. Under current accounting standards (ASC 842), businesses need to recognize both the lease liability and the right-of-use asset on their balance sheets.

This may sound a bit technical, but it has important implications for startups that rely on leasing equipment or office space. 

Getting an understanding of your business’ right-of-use assets will allow you to manage your balance sheet better and make more informed financial decisions about leasing versus buying.

Why Right-of-Use Assets Matter for Startups

Leasing can be a great option for startups that want to conserve capital and avoid the upfront costs of purchasing equipment or real estate. 

However, it’s essential to understand how these leases impact your financial statements. Here’s why right-of-use assets are important for startups:

• Cash Flow Management: By understanding the right-of-use asset on your balance sheet, you can better manage your cash flow. Leases typically require smaller payments over time compared to buying outright, which can free up cash for other areas of your business.
• Transparency for Investors: Investors want to see a clear picture of your company’s financial health. Right-of-use assets help provide transparency about your business’s obligations and the value of your leased assets, which can make your company more attractive to potential investors.
• Strategic Decision-Making: Knowing the value of your right-of-use assets allows you to make strategic decisions about whether leasing or purchasing equipment is the best option for your business. It also helps you assess the long-term impact of these decisions on your balance sheet.

For me, understanding what a right-of-use asset is was one of those “aha” moments. It wasn’t just about keeping track of leases—it was about making smarter financial decisions that would allow my business to scale without taking on unnecessary risk.

Staying Focused on Your Vision

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my entrepreneurial journey, it’s that distractions are everywhere. Whether it’s dealing with click fraud in your marketing campaigns or understanding the financial impact of right-of-use assets, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details. 

But staying focused on your overall vision is what keeps you moving forward.

For me, that means regularly checking in on my business goals and reminding myself why I started in the first place. It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when you’re constantly putting out fires, but it’s crucial to take a step back and focus on the long-term. 

At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is about balancing the day-to-day challenges with a clear vision of where you want to go.

Conclusion: Growing Smart and Staying Protected

Managing a startup is a journey filled with ups and downs. While it’s important to stay focused on growth, it’s equally important to protect your business from digital threats like click fraud and understand the financial assets that help sustain your operations, like a right-of-use asset.

By staying vigilant, investing in the right tools, and understanding your financial landscape, you can navigate these challenges without losing sight of your ultimate goal. 

For me, it’s about learning to handle the details so I can keep my eyes on the bigger picture—and that’s something every entrepreneur can benefit from.

The post How to Protect Your Startup From the Most Common Digital Pitfalls appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

These firms, which provide anything from cutting-edge AI technology to innovative automotive markets, are not just thriving but also forging new directions and raising the bar for efficiency and creativity.

Here’s a detailed look at five top startups you can’t miss this season.

1. EpiCar

EpiCar has redefined the vehicle selling process with its highly streamlined and digital approach:

• Effortless Listing: List your car in under three minutes directly from your smartphone or computer.
• Real-Time Offers: Receive competitive bids from a nationwide network of verified dealers, ensuring you get the best price.
• Quick Sale Closure: Choose the best offer and close the deal swiftly, bypassing the usual selling hassles.

Advantages:

• No Cost: Absolutely free for sellers, making it financially appealing.
• Transparency: Each offer is detailed, allowing for easy comparison and decision-making.
• Efficiency: Designed for speed, the platform significantly cuts down the time it typically takes to sell a car.

2. EpicVIN

EpicVIN has established itself as a crucial tool in the automotive buying process by providing detailed vehicle history reports:

• Comprehensive Reports: Access detailed history reports that cover everything from service records to accident history.
• Subscription Model: Offers an unlimited access model, allowing for extensive research at a flat rate.
• User-Friendly: To improve the user experience, the platform is made to be easily navigable and accessible.

Key Benefits:

• Special Offer: Allows users to check a vehicle’s history for just $1 through a special offer, making it highly accessible.
• Affordability: Priced to allow broad access, especially beneficial for frequent buyers and sellers.
• Transparency: Increases buyer confidence with detailed, reliable data on vehicle histories.
• Innovation: Continuously updating and improving report accuracy and detail.

3. Cohere

Cohere uses advanced AI to enhance how businesses understand and utilize large volumes of data:

• Advanced Language Models: Creates cutting-edge models that can understand and produce writing that resembles that of a person, improving communication.
• Tailored Business Solutions: Offers AI-powered solutions to boost operational effectiveness, automate procedures, and enhance customer interactions.

Impact on Industry:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Businesses may use Cohere’s solutions to use AI’s capabilities to find patterns and make more informed choices.
• Versatility and Scalability: The technology may be adjusted to the size and requirements of the business.

4. Tailwind

Tailwind is redefining digital marketing with its automated tools that help brands enhance their online presence:

• Automated Marketing Tools: Make social media post scheduling easier and aid in the development of visual content strategy.
• Analytical Insights: Offers thorough analytics to gauge and improve marketing campaign efficacy.

Competitive Edge:

• Increased Productivity: By automating routine tasks, Tailwind allows marketers to focus on more strategic activities.
• Enhanced Online Visibility: Helps brands achieve a cohesive and appealing online presence, crucial for building customer engagement.

5. Tome

Tome is revolutionizing the way professionals create presentations and share information, utilizing AI to streamline content creation:

• Innovative Presentation Tools: Uses AI to help users craft compelling and visually appealing presentations quickly.
• Interactive Features: Enhances audience engagement through interactive and dynamic content features.

Market Impact:

• Efficiency and Accessibility: Makes creating high-quality presentations faster and accessible to a wider audience.
• Enhanced Communication: Helps professionals communicate their ideas more effectively, leading to better audience retention and interaction.

The highlighted startups of Summer 2024 are at the forefront of their respective industries, driving innovation and efficiency. These startups are creating new norms and opening up new opportunities.

Examples include EpiCar and EpicVIN, which are revolutionizing the car industry, and Cohere and Tome, which are changing the way professionals and businesses use AI and produce content.

These companies are important players to keep an eye on in the changing business and technological scene of 2024 because, as they develop and expand, they provide a window into the future of both.

The post The Top Startups You Can’t Miss: Summer 2024 Edition appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

For no further reason than empowering you toward achieving the company’s goals and vision, a strong and cohesive startup team structure serves as the backbone that can make or break your startup. Get your structure right, and you can maximize your project potential.

On the contrary, hiring needless positions, for example, can ultimately lead your business to unnecessary expenses and startup failure in the long run.

Putting the right people in the right places seems like a walk in the park, but it is not. If you are in the middle of nowhere in the journey of building a tech startup team, you are coming to the right place. Let’s follow this article for handy tips for your team assembly.

What Is Exactly This “Tech Startup Team”?

You can simply refer to this term as an overall group of individuals, including various roles like software developers, designers, marketing experts, and many other professionals. 

Each position is tasked with different duties and responsibilities, but overall, they work closely together as a whole to build and launch a tech business from scratch.

A tech startup team is not just about a group of people with different skill sets and expertise; it is also a collaboration of individuals who share the same vision, mission, and passion for driving the business forward. 

They are essential for solving complex problems, creating innovative solutions, and achieving sustainable growth in a highly competitive market.

Depending on your business scale, project goals, budget constraints, and technical requirements, the exact structure for a startup tech team may vary.

All in all, the key components of a technology-based startup team often comprise the following sub-units:

• Founders: The key people who initiate the startup, and they are responsible for shaping the company’s vision, strategy, and direction. Founders are considered the core of any organization.
• Technical Team: As its name reflects, this unit includes technical experts, ranging from developers to quality assurance (QA) engineers, testers, and others, who take care of the technology infrastructure, software, and products that form the unique selling points of a tech startup.
• Product Team: Product managers, UX/UI designers, and researchers define the product roadmap, design user experiences, and ensure that the product meets the company’s requirements and market needs.
• Marketing and Sales Team: These professionals are responsible for promoting the product, acquiring customers, and driving revenue growth through strategic marketing campaigns and sales efforts.
• Operations and Support Team: Individuals who handle the day-to-day operations, customer support, and administrative functions to ensure the smooth running of the entire startup.

Tips on Building an Effective Tech Startup Team

Here are some valuable tips to help you assemble a strong and cohesive team:

1. Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities

In the early stages of a startup, every team member must wear multiple hats and handle various tasks to keep the business running smoothly. Therefore, confusion and overlapping roles inevitably arise, thereby leading to inefficiency and conflicts between team members. 

In order not to fall into this trap, it is crucial for you to define and decide roles as well as responsibilities clearly at the outset. This makes sure that each team member knows their specific duties and areas of focus. 

Once this task is accomplished, you proceed one step further in ensuring the collaboration and productivity of your future team while reducing redundancy and mitigating the risks of miscommunication later. 

Additionally, having a clear understanding of one’s role helps with accountability and enables team members to take ownership of their tasks.

2. Seek Diversity in Skills and Backgrounds

When building a tech team, or any team for that matter, it is necessary to embrace diversity in cultural and educational backgrounds among members within the formation.

Ideally, a diverse team fosters creativity and innovation, brings new insights and ideas into the mix, and has the ability to tackle challenges from multiple angles. Moreover, following this tip will help you create a dynamic and vibrant work environment. 

It is vital to note that diversity goes beyond just gender or race; it also includes differences in perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking.

3. Focus on Team Chemistry

While skills and expertise are undoubtedly essential, strong team chemistry can make all the difference. When team members have good working relationships, trust each other, communicate effectively, and share common values and goals, they can work together more efficiently and productively. 

In order to do that, you need to encourage open communication, idea sharing, and feedback exchanges on a regular basis. In this way, you can cultivate a supportive and cooperative team dynamic. 

More than that, you can organize different activities outside the workplace to help team members get to know each other on a casual level, which can be beneficial for building your positive and collaborative work culture.

4. Look for Passion and Drive

Passion and motives are critical attributes in a startup team member as they directly influence motivation, dedication, and resilience. When faced with obstacles or setbacks, team members who are passionate about their work and deeply invested in the company’s mission are more likely to find solutions and stay committed to achieving success. 

It is important to look for individuals who share a similar passion and drive as you do, not just those with impressive resumes or skills. Having a shared passion can also help foster a strong sense of camaraderie and unity within your team.

5. Hire for Potential, Not Just Skills

In the early stages of your startup, skills are crucial but they may not be enough when it comes to building a sustainable and thriving company in the long run. Be patient and keep in mind that it is essential to hire individuals who have potential, willingness to learn, and adaptability. 

These qualities are especially important in a constantly evolving tech industry where new skills and technologies are always emerging. 

Look for team members who have a growth mindset and can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table.

The importance of building a tech startup team in today’s competitive landscape is undeniable. By assembling a cohesive team of tech talent with proven track records, you can maximize your business potential, further driving to successful outcomes. 

As developing a strong development team is a daunting task that requires more than hiring skills, don’t forget to put your heart into every single step of the process and take these tips above into consideration for success commitment.

The post How to Build Your Dream Tech Startup Team appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

From dreaming big and thinking bold to moving fast and staying agile, these time-tested tactics are your blueprint for success.

Learn how creative leadership, detailed planning, and relentless execution can transform your business landscape. Boost morale, lead with clarity, and embrace hard work to conquer your industry.

Don’t just survive—thrive with the power of Napoleon’s lessons.

Here are 15 Powerful Lessons You Can Learn From Napoleon Bonaparte

1. Dream Big, Think Bold

Napoleon wasn’t just playing small; he believed that “Imagination rules the world.” In the business world, boldness and creativity are game-changers. Don’t just aim to fit in—push boundaries and set ambitious goals that make you stand out.

Think of Steve Jobs, who didn’t just want to make computers; he wanted to revolutionize entire industries. Your vision should be so grand it almost feels unreachable. When you dream big, you inspire those around you to believe in the impossible and work together to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

2. Move Fast, Stay Agile

Napoleon’s quick and secretive moves gave him an edge. In business, you gotta be nimble. Adapt quickly, move fast, and you’ll often find yourself ahead of the game, capturing opportunities your competitors miss.

Companies like Amazon and Tesla thrive because they constantly innovate and pivot when needed. Speed is your friend; it allows you to react to market changes and customer demands faster than the competition, ensuring you remain relevant and ahead of the curve.

3. Creative Leadership

Napoleon thrived on chaos and wasn’t afraid to switch things up. Unlike rigid leaders, he was flexible and adaptive. In business, embrace change and let chaos work for you. Being adaptable can turn unpredictable situations into opportunities.

Think of how Netflix transitioned from DVD rentals to a streaming giant. Flexibility and creativity in leadership allow you to navigate through turmoil and emerge stronger, transforming challenges into stepping stones.

4. Organize Like a Pro

Napoleon’s mind was like a supercomputer, processing vast amounts of info to make smart moves. Businesses should do the same—stay organized, use real-time data, and adapt strategies based on fresh insights to keep that competitive edge.

Utilize modern tools like CRM systems, analytics software, and AI to manage information efficiently. Staying organized and informed means you can make better decisions, foresee potential issues, and react promptly.

5. Keep It Simple

Napoleon knew the power of simplicity. Overcomplicating things can bog you down. In business, streamline processes and focus on what truly matters to hit your goals efficiently.

Apple’s product design philosophy under Jobs was about simplicity and user-friendliness.When you remove unnecessary complexity, you reduce errors, speed up processes, and make it easier for your team to focus on what’s important, driving efficiency and effectiveness.

6. Execute Relentlessly

Once Napoleon decided on a course of action, he went all in. In business, once you pick a direction, pursue it with full commitment. Execution is where success is truly made.

Look at how Elon Musk commits to his vision for SpaceX and Tesla. Relentless execution means overcoming obstacles, staying focused on your goals, and not getting distracted by setbacks. It’s the determination and persistence in execution that ultimately leads to triumph.

7. Play to Your Strengths

Napoleon only fought battles he knew he could win. In business, focus on your strengths and avoid head-to-head fights in areas where you’re weak. Know your advantages and leverage them.

Microsoft leverages its strength in software development and cloud services rather than trying to compete directly in hardware. Understanding and maximizing your strengths ensures you play a game you can win, using your unique capabilities to outshine competitors.

8. Plan in Detail

Napoleon planned for every possible scenario. Businesses should do the same—conduct thorough planning and prepare for various outcomes.

Detailed planning helps you stay ready for anything. Scenario planning and SWOT analysis are tools that can help you foresee different futures and prepare accordingly. When you’re prepared for multiple scenarios, you can adapt smoothly and continue to drive forward, no matter what challenges arise.

9. Seize Opportunities

Napoleon saw luck as the ability to capitalize on accidents. In business, be prepared and ready to grab unexpected opportunities. Agility is key.

Companies like Uber and Airbnb seized gaps in the market by being ready to pounce on opportunities when they arose. Always be on the lookout for opportunities, and when they come, don’t hesitate. Preparation and readiness to act quickly can turn unexpected moments into major breakthroughs.

10. Learn from the Past

Napoleon studied the greats who came before him. Entrepreneurs should always be learning from the successes and failures of others. History is full of lessons waiting to be applied.

Warren Buffett is famous for studying businesses and market histories. By learning from the past, you can avoid repeating mistakes, understand what works, and build on proven strategies. Continuous learning from history helps refine your strategies and improve decision-making.

11. Boost Morale

Napoleon knew how to keep his troops motivated. Business leaders should do the same—keep your team inspired and engaged. High morale leads to high productivity.

Companies like Google and Salesforce invest heavily in employee well-being and motivation. When your team feels valued and motivated, they are more productive, innovative, and loyal. High morale fosters a positive work environment where people are excited to contribute and excel.

12. Lead with Clarity

Napoleon believed in the power of a strong, decisive leader. In business, clear direction and strong leadership are crucial. Ensure everyone knows the plan and follows it.

Leaders like Jeff Bezos provide a clear vision and direction, ensuring their teams know what they’re working towards. Clear, decisive leadership aligns your team, fosters trust, and drives coordinated efforts towards achieving your business goals.

13. Reflect on Failures

Napoleon analyzed both his wins and losses. Businesses should review their successes and failures to keep improving. Learn from mistakes to avoid repeating them.

Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates emphasizes the importance of learning from failure in his book Principles. By conducting post-mortems, you can understand what went wrong, make necessary adjustments, and continuously refine your strategies to avoid future pitfalls and drive success.

14. Action-Oriented

Napoleon was all about turning thoughts into actions. In business, decisiveness and execution are vital. Don’t just plan—act on those plans with energy and determination.

Entrepreneurs like Richard Branson embody this principle by constantly moving from ideas to actions. Action orientation ensures that you don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis but instead drive forward, making things happen and turning visions into reality.

15. Embrace Hard Work

By implementing these lessons from Napoleon, businesses can sharpen their strategies, strengthen leadership, and execute with precision, driving sustained success.

The post 15 Business Lessons From Napoleon’s Playbook appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

However, amidst all the excitement and challenges, one critical aspect should never be overlooked – managing your startup’s finances.

No matter how groundbreaking your product or service, your startup could quickly be on shaky ground without proper financial management. That’s why we’re sharing some vital tips and tricks to help you navigate your startup’s finances like a pro. Read on if you want to be inspired, informed, and ready to conquer the financial challenges ahead!

Unleash Your Startup’s Full Potential by Managing Your Finances Wisely

Keeping your business afloat can only be done if you know how to handle the money circulating within it. After all, money keeps the wheels turning and enables your startup to thrive and grow. With that in mind, here are some key aspects to consider when managing your startup’s finances:

Create a Realistic Budget

Depending on the type of your startup, you should create a budget that’s enough to keep it running without underspending. So, apart from your budget, you must have an additional 10% that you’ll use if unexpected expenses and emergencies arise. 

However, it’s also critical to stick to it, so you should avoid squandering on unnecessary items.

You can start by setting a budget for the week, month, or quarter. It will serve as your plan and how you will spend it over a particular period. Before setting a budget, you must check your expenses and income. 

Decide on how much you’re willing to allocate in various areas of your startup. You can allocate 35% on marketing, such as car magnets, influencers, and social media. 40% goes to operations, and 25% is budgeted for your employees salaries.

Understand Your Startup’s Cash Flow

Cash flow refers to the money going in and out of your business. It’s a crucial aspect of managing your finances, and not understanding your cash flow can lead to serious financial problems. 

Poor cash flow management can lead to difficulty in paying employees, buying inventory, or keeping the lights on.

How to handle your cash flow:

• List your expenses: Be thorough when counting your expenses. For instance, you bought Customized Business Car Magnets for marketing purposes. So, you should list it and take it into account when monitoring your cash flow.
• Strategically pay your bills: Ensure you pay your bills on time. Do it online to avoid being charged late fees. You can automate it for convenience or if you have a habit of forgetting your deadlines.
• Keep track of unpaid invoices: Stay on top of your outstanding invoices and always follow up with clients who need to catch up on payments.
• Be prepared for slow seasons: Depending on the industry, there might be times when business is slower than usual. Prepare for these periods by having a cash reserve or adjusting your budget accordingly.

Use Financial Tools and Software

Automation is the key when keeping track of your finances, and there are tons of free or paid financial tools and software to consider. These will make your life easier, especially if you do all the accounting tasks yourself. 

Here are some examples of common financial tools and software:

• Accounting Software: This software can manage your startup’s overall finances, including tracking expenses and income, creating invoices, and generating financial reports.
• Budgeting Apps: These apps will track your budget and alert you when you’re nearing your limit or overspending.
• Payroll Software: If your startup has employees, this software will make it easier to manage their salaries and benefits.

When looking for a tool, consider your startup’s needs. Selecting one that can streamline your financial management processes is a must. Fortunately, some tools can handle your accounting, budgeting, and payroll simultaneously, so do your research and choose wisely. 

Though most of them are paid, the convenience they offer is worth it.

Seek Investors to Get More Funds

If you’re looking to expand and grow your business, you must prioritize seeking investors who might be interested in your startup. Traditional lending institutions or crowdfunding platforms will accept equity as collateral. 

As long as you have access to additional capital, you can easily and quickly take your business to the next level.

To secure those funds, you must develop a solid business plan. It must highlight your vision, objectives, and strategy. How are you going to achieve these goals? What’s the strategy you’re going to implement? How will you execute it? 

These will tell the investor if your startup has the potential to grow and become a hit among the masses.

Establish Your Financial Goals and KPIs

Once you specify and establish your financial goals, it will be easier to focus all your efforts on them. At the same time, you must track your progress, such as KPIs, and make adjustments as you allot your resources.

Some financial KPIs to monitor:

• Gross Profit Margin
• New Profit Margin
• Working Capital
• Current Ratio
• Quick Ratio
• Leverage

Your financial goals should also consist of short-term and long-term. What do you expect to achieve in five years? How about in 20 years? For example, your five-year goal is to increase your profits by 50%. However, avoid being unrealistic. 

Don’t make your goals unattainable because instead of being motivated, you’ll feel encouraged.

Making Smart Financial Decisions

When you make a decision that involves a substantial amount of money, you have to be ready for the risks that will come with it. You must calculate those risks and decide if it’s something you’re willing to take or if the risk won’t cause your business to lose. 

Whether you’re investing in new technology, expanding your business, or hiring new employees, carefully analyze the potential risks and how they will affect your startup’s finances.

Weighing the potential rewards of these decisions against the level of risk can give you a clear understanding of the possible outcomes. 

It’s essential to make the best decisions, so it must not be based on impulse or emotions. Always consult your financial advisor before making any major financial moves to be on the safe side.

Improve Your Financial Management to Achieve Victory

Continue to educate yourself as you manage the financial side of your business. The market constantly evolves, affecting your startup in many ways. By staying updated and aware, you can make better financial decisions that will contribute to the efficacy of your financial management strategies and ultimately lead to your startup’s growth. 

Remember, financial management is not just about keeping track of numbers; it involves being strategic, proactive, and making informed decisions to achieve your goals!

The post How to Manage Your Startup’s Finances More Efficiently appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

These moves—Ideation, Business Plan, Online Presence, Strategic Marketing, and Launch and Growth—are the blueprint for turning aspirations into achievements.

Power Move 1: Ideation

The genesis of any startup is the idea. It’s the spark that ignites the fire of innovation. But how do you ensure your startup idea isn’t just a fleeting thought but a viable business opportunity?

The first step is clearly defining your startup idea, making sure it solves a real problem or fulfills a need. It’s about identifying a gap in the market and conceptualizing a product or service that addresses that gap innovatively.

Second, understanding the landscape is crucial. Conducting thorough market analysis and competition research helps you gauge the demand for your idea, identify your target audience, and understand the competitive environment. This knowledge is invaluable in refining your idea and carving out your niche.

Power Move 2: Business Plan

With a refined idea in hand, it’s time to lay the groundwork with a comprehensive business plan. Your business plan should articulate your mission, vision, and the core values that drive your startup. It’s a roadmap that outlines your business goals, strategies for achieving them, and the milestones you aim to hit along the way.

A critical component of your business plan is financial forecasting. This involves projecting your finances to understand your funding needs, potential revenue, and profitability. It’s also the stage where you explore funding options, from bootstrapping to seeking investors or venture capital.

Power Move 3: Online Presence

In today’s digital-first world, establishing a robust online presence is non-negotiable for startups. Your online presence starts with your brand identity. This encompasses your logo, color scheme, and overall design aesthetics, all of which should resonate with your target audience and reflect your startup’s values and mission.

Your website is often the first point of contact with potential customers. A user-friendly, responsive website that clearly communicates what you offer and why it matters is essential. It should be optimized for search engines to increase visibility and attract organic traffic.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

Power Move 4: Strategic Marketing

With your online presence established, it’s time to focus on strategic marketing to build awareness and drive growth. Content marketing, powered by effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, is a powerful way to attract and engage your target audience. Quality content that adds value can establish your startup as a thought leader in your industry.

A savvy social media strategy can also amplify your reach and build a community around your brand. It’s about choosing the right platforms for your audience and crafting compelling, shareable content that drives engagement and conversions.

Power Move 5: Launch and Growth

The final power move is about making a splash with your launch and setting the stage for sustainable growth. Building anticipation is key. Pre-launch teasers, coupled with beta testing with your target audience, can provide valuable feedback and create early adopters. It’s a chance to fine-tune your offering before the full launch.

A pivotal aspect often overlooked by many budding entrepreneurs is the power of assembling a strong, cohesive team. The right team amplifies your startup’s capabilities, bringing diverse skills, perspectives, and creativity to the table. It’s not just about finding individuals with the right skill set; it’s about fostering a culture of innovation, resilience, and mutual respect.

Empowering your team, encouraging open communication, and aligning everyone towards a common vision is crucial. Each team member’s unique strengths and weaknesses should complement each other, creating a dynamic that propels your startup forward.

After launch, it’s crucial to analyze performance, gather insights, and iterate. Understanding what works and what doesn’t enable you to refine your strategies and scale your startup effectively. Scalability is about ensuring your business can handle growth without compromising on quality or customer experience.

Your Startup Now Needs Continuous Evolution

Another key element to ensuring the longevity and success of your startup is the commitment to continuous learning and adaptation. The startup landscape is perpetually changing, with new technologies, consumer behaviors, and market trends emerging regularly. Staying informed, being receptive to feedback, and having the willingness to pivot when necessary are essential qualities of a successful entrepreneur. Encourage feedback from your customers, team, and mentors. Use this feedback as a learning tool to refine your product, service, and overall strategy. The ability to iterate based on real-world insights is a powerful advantage in the competitive startup ecosystem.

Incorporating these additional dimensions—team dynamics, networking, and a culture of continuous learning and feedback—into your strategic framework further solidifies the foundation of your startup. 

Transitioning from idea to empire is a journey of strategic planning, execution, and constant evolution. Each power move is a building block, laying the foundation for a startup poised for success.

With determination, agility, and a focus on these five key areas, entrepreneurs can navigate the startup launchpad and soar to new heights.

The post 5 Strategic Power Moves to Successfully Build Your Empire appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

What are the drawbacks of using buzzwords and clichés when seeking seed money in a series A, B, or other funding rounds? For one, if you’re getting too technical with non-technical types, you risk confusing them. Investors who do not fully comprehend what you are discussing will not simply write a check, regardless of how positive, energetic, and confident you may seem.

Another issue with using commonly used colloquialisms is that they often lack substance. Words and phrases such as “leading edge,” “unicorn,” and “We’re going to be the Amazon/Apple/McDonald’s of [fill in the blank]” may look enticing on paper. They sound much more enticing in person because they’re throwaway lines without any true meaning.

Finally, using jargon can make you sound like you’re trying to fill space instead of providing meaningful data. For example, you could mention in your pitch that you provided top-notch customer service and support to promote engagement and loyalty. They are merely opinions without clear, objective statistics to support your statements. Investors require more than that to support a business, product, or project financially.

Certainly, it is feasible to develop a pitch and an accompanying pitch deck devoid of clichés, slang, and overused terms such as “breakthrough” and “pivot.” You just have to take the time upfront to implement a few strategies.

1. Share your startup story from an authentic perspective.

It’s hard to beat the power of authenticity when sharing the origin story behind your product. Watch just one episode of “Shark Tank,” you’ll immediately see how a compelling backstory can captivate even the most skeptical investors.

Will you still need to provide evidence for everything you say as you delve further into your pitch? You can count on it. Nevertheless, leading your pitch with the genuine and refreshing “Why?” behind your startup can set you apart immediately.

2. Incorporate concrete data and outcomes whenever feasible.

Investors typically spend very little time reviewing pitch decks. Since pitch decks may be your only initial contact with an investor, your deck must be substantial. One effective method to strengthen your pitch is by incorporating tangible data and results.

Suppose you want to demonstrate the necessity of your company or product. Proprietary market insights can help you demonstrate why you believe you are more likely to succeed than fail. Investors are well aware that the failure rate among startup entities is high. Your task is to provide substantial evidence to help them understand that investing in your company and team is a sensible decision.

3. Use industry-specific terminology sparingly.

Is it sometimes unavoidable to use industry jargon when delivering your investor pitch? Sure.

Let’s say you’re working on developing an app. You will use app-related language, likely including technical terminology by default. In this case, you’ll want someone not in your industry to review each technical term. This will enable you to determine if they understand what you’re trying to convey.

It’s always a good idea to do this with both your pitch and your pitch deck and supportive materials. Find a friend or family member who is not affiliated with your business. Invite them to sit through your presentation and review your slide deck. What questions do they have? Does your startup’s unique value proposition resonate with them? Or are they struggling to understand what you’re saying?

Their answers will help refine your pitch, making it less reliant on trendy clichés or “inside baseball” terminology.

4. Enhance your presentation with visuals.

Whether you’re preparing your pitch presentation or your pitch deck, look for relevant visuals. These could include various content types, such as product videos, photographic images, infographics, and charts. Strong visuals can replace buzzwords and engage investors on a deeper level.

This doesn’t give you free rein to purchase stock images online and insert them into your pitch. Your visuals should all contribute to your pitch. Before sending your pitch to any investor, carefully review your visuals. Could any of them be removed without compromising the essence of your pitch? A “yes” answer means that you should remove them. Otherwise, they are simply serving in a temporary capacity.

Over time, refine your pitch and the pitch decks you create. With each revision, focus on replacing technical language with precise words, phrases, data, and visuals to make your startup appealing and understandable to investors.

The post How to Avoid Startup Clichés and Buzzwords When Pitching Investors appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

A few months into the startup, I was quick to gauge why it is necessary to go beyond the nuances of operational efficiency and the art of sustaining a business amid growing competition.

Collaboration is key.

The HR and the recruiting teams work with departments to foster a culture of collaboration, but what’s indispensable to business performance is the sync between the marketing and sales teams. What we’d consider as entrepreneurs is the need to ensure seamless collaboration to predict and achieve business goals together. In turn, this will help secure long-term recurring revenue for the business.

Besides, entrepreneurs need to focus on revenue as they gear up to take their startup from $0 to $1 million. The journey is filled with critical decisions, from identifying your target customer base to choosing the right funding strategy.

So, what next?

Read on… because here are five practical, results-driven strategies that you as a founder can implement to make a mark in their industry.

#1. Embrace the Lean Methodology

What is lean methodology?

It is all about pivoting resources to create more value for customers with fewer resources. 

This principle encourages you to be more agile and allow rapid iteration based on customer feedback rather than spending years perfecting a product before it hits the market.

Want to implement it?

Here’s what you can do.

Build “Measure-Learn” Loop: What I did was develop a minimum viable product (MVP), a simple version of the product. You can do the same since it allows you to start the learning process as quickly as possible. After launching MVP, measure how customers use it and learn from their behaviors and feedback.

Here’s what I can recommend here:

• Identify the core features that solve your customers’ primary needs and focus solely on those to develop your MVP.
• Know the feedback channels where early users can communicate their experiences, suggestions, and complaints.
• Analyze user behavior and feedback to make informed product development and iteration decisions.

#2. Focus on Customer Development

Let’s talk about taking our startup to the next level. 

It’s not just about getting customers – it’s about really getting to know them. We need to dive into their world, understand their struggles, and see how our product or service can make a difference in their lives. 

It’s like we’re detectives, piecing together the puzzle of our business hypothesis by actually chatting with our customers

What would you ideally do here?

Understand Customer Segments: I’d say, start dividing your target market into segments and develop a deep understanding of each segment’s demographics, behaviors, needs, and pain points. The idea is to get into their shoes and really feel what they feel.

Ensure your Product Clicks: When starting up, think of what you offer and consider whether it clicks with what our customers need. My thought was “Does my product solve their problems? Does it make their day better?” Put yourself through a tough grilling session to show customers the value proposition and ensure that the product’s promise matches what our customers are looking for.

I’d recommend the following actions here:

• Talk to them – through surveys, interviews, or even casual chats. The goal? To gather real, raw insights about what they need and expect.
• Use the collected data to create detailed profiles for each type of customer. This way, everyone on our team really understood we were serving. I think this should help your startup as well.
• Try out different versions of our product with a few customer groups. It’s all about feedback here – understanding if you’re hitting the mark or if we need to pivot.

#3. Foster a Data-Driven Culture

The digital world is highly data driven since it fuels key decisions in a startup. 

I believe it’s essential for us to build a data-driven culture. This means, you’ll move from making decisions based on hunches or assumptions. Instead, the focus should be on data analytics and insights to guide our strategies and improve our outcomes.

What can you do?

Use Data Analytics Tools: You should be using these tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data related to customer behavior, market trends, and our business operations. Here, consider the adoption of pipeline forecasting that leverages AI to find patterns in marketing data. 

In turn, you’ll get areas for improvement since it can analyze historical data and predict the outcome for you to plan your.

Action Items:

• Pinpoint key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives and ensure they are measurable and actionable.
• Next, you can consider training your team to understand and use data analytics tools. This might involve workshops or bringing in experts to build a data-savvy workforce.
• Once everything is in place, regularly review data reports and dashboards. This gives us a clear picture of a startup’s health and helps adjust your strategies and predict future trends.

#4. Strengthen Your Financial Acumen

A good grip on financial skills is important to steer your business towards growth and making sure it stays on track. For this, you’ll have to understand the money side of things, which helps you manage your cash flow. Think of figuring out smart investment moves and sizing up any risks that come your way.

Here’s a tip on how you can get savvy with your finances.

Maintain Rigorous Financial Discipline: I’m really focused on cultivating a strong company culture, one that truly resonates with our mission. So, I’d suggest fostering open communication and encouraging a sense of ownership and collaboration among everyone in the team.

Action Items:

• Get to know your financial statements inside out – I’m talking about the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. These are like the vital signs for your business’s financial health
• Use financial forecasting that helps predict your future money moves. With this, you will have a heads-up on upcoming revenues, expenses, and how much cash you’ll need. Also, research on the available financial forecasting tools that can make predictions spot-on.
• Don’t go at it alone. Regularly touch base with financial advisors or mentors. With them by your side, you’ll have a fresh perspective on your financial strategies to ensure you’re on the right path to hit your business goals.

5. Prioritize Team Building and Leadership Development

It is crucial to focus on building a solid team and developing strong leaders. This means putting our resources into the people who are going to propel our company forward. 

What you’ll aim for here?

Creating a culture where everyone collaborates and every team member has the chance to emerge as a leader.

What I would do:

Cultivate a Strong Company Culture: This culture should mirror our mission and foster open communication. It’s important that it encourages everyone to feel a sense of ownership and work together.

Invest in Leadership and Team Development: As founders, we’ll have to make way for opportunities for teams to enhance their skills, face new challenges, and grow in their careers.

Some concrete steps that you should consider taking:

• Begin with clearly communicating your startup’s vision, mission, and values so that every team member is on the same page.
• Conduct regular team-building activities and workshops to boost skills and strengthen a sense of unity and collaboration.
• How about starting a mentorship program within our organization? The more experienced team members could guide and support the growth of newer or less experienced folks.
• Alas… encourage feedback at all levels. We should keep striving to create an environment where open, honest communication is the norm and everyone feels safe to speak up.

I know it’s one thing to get your head around these ideas and quite another to actually make them a part of your everyday business life. But that’s where the real magic happens, right? It’s all in the doing. 

As a startup founder, this means more than just being a big dreamer. How about rolling up your sleeves to be the planner who pays attention to the smallest details. Ultimately, these tips and more tactics around it will help carve a leader in you who listens and cares and the learner who’s always ready to adapt

So, as you’re either starting out or moving forward on this entrepreneurial adventure, keep these practical tips right there.

May these be your guiding lights, helping you steer through the wild and exciting world of building a startup that’s not just a dream, but a thriving reality.

The post From Idea to Empire: 5 Power Moves for Your Startup to Thrive in Today’s Market appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Before we dive deeper, a quick disclaimer. My startup it’s not a “standard” startup – I bootstrapped, I formed an LLC and not a corporation, and I don’t plan to sell it in a few years.

I have 15 years of experience working in a global technology and consulting company. So the good news is that I was familiar with the engineering side of things. The bad news, though, is that I had no idea about any other aspect of starting a business. So I had to learn it all (and I still am!)

Below I have tried to summarize some of the most important lessons that I wish someone had told me a year ago. Enjoy!

1 – Good ideas need space

I once was listening to an entrepreneurship podcast, and the podcast host said, “95% of my ideas came to me in the sauna.” And I thought to myself, “That is 100% true!” In December of 2020 I felt that I was ready to start my own business. The only problem was – I didn’t know what business I wanted to start.

I spent several weeks thinking about it and trying to come up with a good idea. Nothing was helping. And then I was laying on the tattoo table getting my tattoo done, staring at the ceiling and doing nothing, and this idea, this perfect idea, just popped into my head – and I’m not even kidding.

So next time you are trying to come up with an idea, or make an important decision – go get a tattoo. Joking! But seriously, slowing down and giving your thoughts room to breathe helps. Trust me.

2 – Choosing a brand name is harder than you think 

Alright, now you have this awesome idea, let’s pick a name for your future company! Well, for me it definitely appeared to be harder than I thought.

It’s not just finding the name that is catchy, matches your brand and your vision and is not used anywhere yet (which is already pretty hard!). Have you also thought about the domain name? And how about social media accounts? Oh, and by the way, don’t forget the trademark!

I tried to come up with a name for my startup myself and failed, so I hired a professional to do that for me. And it was 100% worth it.

3 – You need a team from the start

It’s so tempting to do everything by yourself, especially if your budget is tight and/or if you are an expert in your area. Because of my technology background, many people asked me (and still do) if I am going to develop the app by myself. 

But I knew from the very beginning that my time is much better spent being a visionary rather than an executor. So I found an agency for the design work, and then another one for development. And again, 100% worth it. 

4 – Hold on to your vision 

When you start, you have a strong vision in your mind. You know exactly what you want to achieve and why it’s important.

Then you begin to take small steps toward transforming your vision into the real product. Every step by itself seems to make sense. However, a few months into the process you might find yourself looking at the half baked product that looks nothing like your initial vision.

The danger here is that every step might in fact be a tiny deviation from your vision, but it’s so small you don’t notice it. However, these steps add up, and at some point deviation becomes noticeable.

In order to avoid this, or at least minimize the impact, make sure you step out from the tactics regularly and take a holistic look at what you are creating. And adjust if necessary.

5 – Pick your partners not just for the talent, but also for maturity

I found this design agency and fell in love with their work, so I hired them. And they really had very professional designers in house. The only problem was that all those designers left the agency within 3 months because the agency founder was treating them (and me, honestly) poorly. 

Thankfully, we managed to finish the design, but it’s definitely a lesson learned for me. 

6 – Your budget will increase

Whatever you plan for, add at least 25% for contingency. Whatever estimates you receive from your vendors, add 50% (or even 100%!) 

It’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s better to be prepared and to have this buffer ready for when it’s needed (and it will be needed, trust me), than try to urgently find more money while in the middle of the process.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison

7 – Talk to your future users 

Every interview matters. You don’t have to throw enormous budgets into the user research (absolutely do it if you have it though!), but you at least need to talk to some of those people who will potentially become your customers. 

Does your product solve their problem? Do they even have a problem? It’s amazing how many insights you can get by talking to even just a few people.

8 – Cut your MVP. Then cut again 

You have pictured this awesome product in your mind. But you go to your vendor, and they tell you that it will take hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of work to get your product out the door. Alright, it’s time to start cutting the scope for MVP (minimal viable product). 

It’s not easy, and at first it will seem like every piece is essential. But if you dig deeper, you will find that core that absolutely has to stay there, and then you can cut everything else.

Oh, and by the way, be prepared to go through this process several times.

9 – Pivoting is your best friend

More “good” news for you here. It’s not just about cutting your scope, but also about changing it to reflect the actual people’s needs and the reality we live in. Or sometimes you might simply overlook something!

Remember – having to make changes is not a sign that your product is a failure. In fact, it’s the opposite – it gives your product a much higher chance of success, and it makes you a much smarter founder.

10 – Set your priority wisely 

As a startup founder, you will constantly need to be wearing multiple hats. Finance and data privacy laws, product development and testing, marketing and PR, user acquisition and user retention – just to name a few of the things that will keep you up at night.

But remember – your capacity is not unlimited, so focus on one priority at a time. Feel free to switch between them weekly, but don’t try to multitask.

11 – Launch when you are ready, not when you have to

You will have the launch date in mind, and most likely this date will keep slipping. You will feel pressured to launch when you originally planned to launch. But don’t. Take as much time to finalize and test your product as needed. 

Remember – you can only make the first impression once! 

12 – Launch is just the beginning 

If you think that, once you launch, the hardest part is done, think again. You can be creating as many hypophyses as you want, but it’s only when you start receiving real data and real feedback from your costumes, that you can finally prove (or disprove) your theories. 

I cannot stress this enough – data is your best friend when it comes to making your startup successful. Spend the time and set up all the analytics tools you need in order to fully understand what’s going on with your business at any point in time. Funnels, conversion rates, retention, not to mention financials, – it might feel overwhelming (and trust me, it is at times!), but it is essential that you have it all figured out and ready to go, otherwise you will be blind. You should even consider choosing a colocation data center for your startup. This facility provides servers, storage and security for your computing hardware. 

And it’s really hard to navigate the fun and challenging startup world being blind.

The post 12 Things I Learned in 12 Months of Working on My Startup appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

If you also run a saas startup and want some ideas to build your customer base, you have come to the right place. Here we give some tried and tested ways to get your first 100 customers.

1. Use your existing network and build on it

Using an existing network of friends and family is something every business does without even consciously strategizing it. You tell your friends and family about your business and hope someone will make a purchase. That’s how it starts. 

However, with a bit of planning, you can significantly enhance your reach even with your existing network. Here’s what you can do.

• Ask your friends and family to spread the word of your business among their circle by tagging you on their social media handles. 
• If you already run a business, ask your existing customers to try your new startup’s products or services. It will be far easier to convince those already happy with your current business and will have a certain amount of trust in you.
• You can also target the existing audience of a product similar to yours by conducting market research.
• Reach out to your investors to spread the word about your business in their circles. They will happily do it as they have high stakes in your business and most investors have an impressive network.

2. Start a blog

“The pen is mightier than the sword” is an age-old saying, which still holds merit. However, in the digital world, it translates into blogs. With the internet and your blogs, you have the power to reach the entire world. Now a question comes to mind—Why blogs and not anything else? Here’s why:

• Blogs enable you to connect with like-minded people and build lasting relationships. 
• Blogs tell your readers what your business offers and how it can resolve their problems.
• With your blogs, you can show others you are an expert in your business, and they can rely on you for answers.
• Blogs are also a great way to bring online traffic and authority to your website. 
• They also help you set the tone of your business in front of potential customers. 
• You also get instant feedback from people on your products or services through blogs.

You can share your product stories and gain loyal customers and influencers for your business through your blogs. In addition, it would be great if you put microinteractions on your blog to improve user experience.

3. Increase your reach with cold calls and emails

If you can get your first 100 customers with your existing network, it’s incredible. However, eventually, you will need to reach out to strangers or potential customers, and that’s when cold calls and emails come into the picture.

Cold emails are emails you send to people who may be interested in your services but don’t know you yet. Cold emails are most effective when you have a mutual connection with the sender that you can use as a reference. A prime example of that is an email sent by the co-founder and CEO of Zapier Wade Foster sent to Andrew Warner.

No matter how good your email is, there are always chances that the person may delete it without reading it. In contrast, calls are harder to ignore. Try cold calls and talk to your potential buyers and understand why they want to or do not want to make a purchase.

4. Give away freebies

One thing consumers find hard to resist is freebies. Whether it is your product sample or a trial demo of your softwares, you can easily convince potential consumers to purchase if they liked your product during free trials. You can even share a promo code with your potential customers to further lure them into the purchase.

However, you need to ensure that the user experience when the potential customers use your service is exceptional; otherwise, you will lose a customer forever. It is the stage where you can win their trust or lose it entirely as first impressions matter.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

5. Use the power of paid advertising

Advertisements have been one of the most effective tools in the marketing arsenal for a long time. And with digital platforms like social media and search engines, paid advertising reach has increased exponentially.

The micro-targeting options and cost-effectiveness make online advertising one of the most efficient tools for startups to increase their customer base. You can opt for search ads on Google, Bing, and other search engines. You can also choose display ads and video ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

6. Leverage online forums and communities

There are multiple online forums and communities like Quora, Reddit, and Inbound, where like-minded people share views, ideas, and opinions on everything. 

The power of online forums is that most people trust products or services that gain positive feedback from users. It helps you build trust among your potential customers. People who like your product will happily promote it on these forums through various means. If someone comes looking, they will see the proof through other’s opinions. 

7. Don’t forget about social media

In the current age, the power of social media is unbeatable. Nearly 4.8  billion people use social media in 2021, which means your potential customer reach on social media can be massive.

There are multiple ways through which you can leverage social media for your business to gain customers. Some of them are:

• Influencer marketing: Influencers are people on social media who have thousands of followers. They have the power to influence their followers through their content. You can collaborate with such influencers to promote your business.
• Social media buzz: Creating a buzz factor with your posts, tweets, and videos on social media platforms can quickly help you gain your first 100 customers. Follow the trends on social media and use them to build your rapport with potential customers. You can talk about your special offers, competitions, etc., to create the buzz.

8. Have 1-o-1 with your clients

One thing that is good about the initial stages of your business is that you have fewer responsibilities and more time on your hands. Use that time to connect with your existing clients and understand their problems. Ask for feedback about your product or services and implement those changes. 

It helps you develop long-lasting relationships with your initial customers and build your brand value in the market. 

Conclusion

These are just a few ways to find your first 100 customers. There are always more things you can try during the initial stages to increase your reach and revenue. It is all about researching the market and understanding what works best with your target audience.

The post 8 Actionable Ways to Get Your Startup’s First 100 Customers appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Here is a list of mistakes that you need to avoid at all costs when venturing into a new business.

1. Not having a business plan

The fatal mistake that one can make when starting a business is beginning without a well-laid plan. Even if your plan isn’t set down to the details, lay out the ground rules in your plan, including your operating costs, production cycles, sales strategies, and financial management. Without these basics, you are bound to fail within a few months of starting your business.

2. Ignoring market research

Ignoring market research before launching a business is like is diving into a lake without knowing its depth. You may never know whether you would survive the fall. Therefore always do your market research, which should include:

Identifying target audience: Understanding who your target audience is crucial for the success of your business as all your marketing strategies would be planned around it. For example, if you are selling Satellite TV packages you can design them to target a certain audience. A family package would target a family, while a sports package would target sports fans. By targeting a specific audience, the satellite TV providers can ensure that they are offering the right programming and channels for those subscribers. This also helps to keep costs down for the providers, as they can tailor the packages to fit the needs of their customers.

Audience interests: Knowing your target audience isn’t enough when it comes to running a business. You need to know what your target audience wants in your products and deliver them to make your business successful. Therefore, your market research should always include understanding the interests of your target audience.

Competition research: Understanding what your competition does is crucial for every business. It will help you identify what works with your target audience and what doesn’t so that you can form your business strategies accordingly.

3. Starting without sufficient funding

Finance is the lifeblood of any business; without it, your business cannot survive long. At the initial stages of your business, you will require a lot of capital to cover significant investments and other expenses. Also, the ROI will be slow, so you need to have sufficient backup to keep your business afloat till you start getting a steady influx of money into your business. Therefore it is crucial to have sound finances and efficient financial planning.

4. Trying to do everything yourself

Many entrepreneurs have this misconceived notion that they need to do everything themselves to get it right. On the contrary, having counselors and partners whom you can rely on make everything much more manageable. DOn’t shy away from delegating your responsibilities and skiing for help when you find yourself in a tricky situation. It will free your time and mind to focus on more critical aspects of your business, like growth and scaling.

5. Letting fear of failure lead your decisions

Most business owners fear failure more than anything and shy away from making risky decisions for the fear that they may fail. However, some of these risks are the stepping stones of your success, and giving up on them means losing a lifetime opportunity. Therefore, put aside your fear of failing and take those risky steps, and they are the ones that will set you apart from your competition.

6. Making hiring mistakes

Your employees and partners are going to be the foundation of your business. Therefore any hastiness can leave cracks in your business’s foundation. Always look for employees dedicated to the growth of their business and have the zeal to grow themselves. Instead of increasing the number of employees, focus on finding skilled people who want to succeed in your business.

7. Not using modern technology

In the digital world, technology can make your life and business a lot smoother and manageable. However, some business owners still rely on old-school methods. The problem with some old-school techniques is they are time-consuming and often require a lot of manual labor. On the other hand, softwares and automation tools can reduce manual work and significantly increase your accuracy and efficacy.

8. Not paying heed to offline and online marketing

If finance is the lifeblood, then marketing is the backbone of your business. Without effective marketing strategies, your business cannot survive in this competitive world for long. And you need a marketing strategy that is a combination of online and offline marketing to succeed. To bridge the gap between your offline and online marketing you can use QR codes. You can create QR codes using the best QR code generators available to direct your offline marketing collateral to drive traffic online.

Many small businesses used to rely mainly on traditional marketing methods. However, the onset of a global pandemic has forced everyone to go digital regardless of their size. You should also opt for digital marketing as much as possible as it is more effective and cheaper than traditional marketing.

“Forget about your competitors, focus on your customers.” – Jack Ma

9. Not understanding your business demands

Everyone likes to share success stories, and no one shares the struggles. Wherever you look these days, whether it is social media, websites, blogs, newspapers, or any other medium, you can see businesses sharing how good they are and how well everything is going. 

However, in reality, a lot of businesses have to fight tooth and nail to stay afloat. So, don’t jump into a venture believing that it would be easy. You may have to put in extra hours, resources, and efforts to keep things going until things stabilize.

10. Undervaluing your product or service

Many entrepreneurs start at a lower price than the market price to gain more customers at the early stage of business. However, this tactic can become your downfall in the long run as you cannot raise the prices suddenly once you make your place in the market. 

Therefore, always charge your product or service at an optimal rate that justifies its value.

11. Not having a bookkeeping process

A lot of businesses fail in the first two years due to improper financial management. And the primary reason for that is the lack of proper bookkeeping methods. A definitive bookkeeping system enables you to keep track of your finances efficiently and maintain your cash flow. You can either hire a bookkeeper or use accounting and bookkeeping software for your business.

12. Making unnecessary expenses

When you start a business, many ideas will come to your table, and many of them will be quite lucrative. However, restrain yourself from diving into all of them and only make essential expenses. You can focus on those things that your business cannot do without.

13. Don’t hesitate to form contracts

You may start your business with friends or family members or have excellent relations with your initial clients. However, don’t let your personal ties stop you from making your business deals in writing. It is wise legally and professionally to keep your relationships and business contacts separate.

14. Register your business

Many entrepreneurs start the business proceedings without legally registering their business. It leads to problems later as some of your contracts are not legally binding until you are registered under the state laws.

15. Expanding too quickly

 Once your profits reach the breakeven point, you may start looking for growth processes and expansions. However, diving into expansions can cause you more trouble than you fathom if you are not ready for it. Expansion requires a lot of capital investment and your savings and may not cover it. Therefore let your business establish nicely before moving on to expansion plans. 

Summing up

Starting a business is frightening and challenging, but it is not undoable. You just need the right people and a solid plan to follow through. You may have to take a back-step once in a while; however, that does not mean you have failed. Mistakes happen to everyone. It is just a tactical retreat, and you need to find a way around the problem and keep going. In the end, giving up is the only sure way to fail.

The post 15 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business in 2021 appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Now, it’s often that you hear of women who find business and tech as something fascinating and starting their own tech-related business from scratch. In fact, within the last 20 years, the number of businesses owned by women has increased by 114%. 

Now in the 2020’s, we have many prominent women who have earned high rankings in business success by creating their own tech service or product. Here are a few of them below. 

1. Thai Lee 

Thai Lee is the CEO and co-founder of IT software SHI International, which she created with her ex-husband, and has a net worth of $3 billion. Her software has Boeing and AT&T as customers. She is considered one of the wealthiest women in America, even after starting her business over 30 years ago. 

She was born in Bangkok and moved to the US for her education, attending business school and starting her own career. She kept goals in mind to meet by certain ages to keep herself focused. Her long-term business goals and compassion to employees are a key part of her continuous business victory over the past several decades. 

Thai Lee is stated to have initial struggles in launching her business. Despite these troubles, her steel tight focus on her eventual success is what truly launched her into being an IT tech legend. Sometimes focus is all you need for real success despite a somewhat broken ladder. 

2. Neerja Sethi 

Neerja Sethi is a millionaire, having earned her money from creating Syntel, an IT consulting and outsourcing firm. Neerja eventually sold the firm for $3.4 billion to a French IT firm Atos Se in October 2018. For her stake, Sethi got $510 million. 

Neerja met her husband while working at the pioneering IT firm Tata Consulting Services. They both decided to recreate this type of service in a way they thought would be their own unique success. Hence, she and her husband created Syntel in their apartment in Troy, Michigan with a $2,000 investment. 

Their efforts worked and, with some work and energy, created a service worth millions. As of this year, her real time net worth is $1.1 billion. Just because a certain product or service already works, it doesn’t mean it can’t be improved to something better. 

3. Ashley Chen 

Ashley Chen is the founder of the IT firm ActioNet, a service that provides cloud-hosting, cybersecurity and software engineering. If you wanted your virtual and online projects protected from online hackers, she made the product to do just that. ActioNet got rated one of the best in the country and Ashley’s IT work even won an award. 

She obtained her masters in computer science prior to her creation and paid just $35 for the domain ActioNet.com in 1997. Safe to say her investment was rewarded. The growth of her business has developed into double-digit annual growth every single year since. 

Her parents wanted a different life for her, but Ashley was determined to own her business and attributes hiring the right people who could help her as a critical part of her success. Her employees also comment that she has “infectious” energy that keeps them motivated to work. 

“I don’t mind living in a mans world as long as I can be a woman in it.” – Marilyn Monroe

4. Therese Tucker

Therese Tucker has a unique appearance with her bright colored hair. However, she has a net worth of over $500 million for creating Blackline, an enterprise software company that sells accounting-automation software. Just a few of the companies she provides software to is Coca-Cola, Netflix and Google. 

In 2013, she sold a majority stake to private equity firms Silver Lake and Iconiq Capital for a $220 million valuation. She founded the company in 2002, cashing in on the entirety of her retirement savings in order to launch her business idea. She is now one of the few female-founder CEOs running a public tech business. 

She dismisses the idea of having “modest ambition” because then the only accomplishments you have will be “boring.” She speaks at high schools and STEM events to teach other women to excel in tech if that’s what they dream of doing like she did.

5. Whitney Wolfe Herd 

Whitney Herd has become the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire in 2021 for her app creation Bumble, a social and business app for women. She has also become the youngest woman to take her business public at 31. 

She founded the app in December of 2014, which resulted in over 15 million conversations and 80 million matches. She got to partner with billionaire Andrey Andreev in 2014, which furthered her career success. She refused a $450 million pay-out and her net worth is currently $1.2 billion. 

Her advice is to figure out what you’re passionate about and find a way to turn it into a business. She says, “I think anybody can make money at something they’re good at. You have to start somewhere. Just find your passion and lean into it.” 

The post 5 Women Who Revolutionized Tech and Made Millions appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Paid Advertising Is Expensive

Every start-up founder will be looking to promote their business as much as possible in order to increase visibility and sales. But unfortunately, they will only have a limited budget and paid advertising can very quickly become an expensive exercise. In fact, most entrepreneurs will eventually learn that executing marketing strategies for paid advertising can end up costing so much that it cuts into too much of their bottom line to be effective.

And just because digital advertising costs more money over time, that doesn’t justify the expense, nor does it necessarily mean it’s any more effective than other strategies. It’s usually much better to spend your advertising dollars on a fully automated campaign with a bid strategy for maximising conversions. Then once you’ve worked out a cost per acquisition that’s both achievable and profitable, you will have a much better chance of potentially having a limitless ad budget.

SEO May Take Longer Than You Think

Seeing results from SEO takes time. While effective SEO is vital if you want to see your website reach the top page of search engine results, it’s a procedure that takes time to see results. The reason SEO doesn’t increase your ranking overnight is because it’s a cumulative process. Not only does researching markets and analysing the industry take time, it also takes time to create quality engaging content that converts. It also takes time for Google crawlers to recognise and assign your website the right authority, and then it’ll be a while before consumers finally start discovering your site.

No two websites are the same, even when they’re both competing for the same customers in the same industry. It basically comes down to variables around your website that impact how long it takes before you start seeing the results of an SEO campaign. But once you’ve started using good SEO protocols, your site will steadily perform better and rank higher as time passes from months to years.

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis

Make Data Driven Decisions

Even the smallest business or start-up generates data. The insights that can be derived from this data can not only provide value in general, but data-driven decisions can provide a competitive advantage. Data helps businesses evaluate how they can increase brand loyalty, improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and create new revenue streams.

Everyone talks about the importance of creating a data-driven culture in order to unlock the full potential of start-up businesses, but where do you start? You need to start by looking at whatever data is available to you to establish a foundational baseline. Once you have a decent grasp on the data, you’ll be able to tell things like which channels work the best and the most effective tone of voice, before you can start constantly testing ways of improving the marketing effectiveness of your business.

Never Launch To No Audience

The launch of your start-up is an extremely important event for your brand, so you need to give yourself more time than just a couple weeks. Choosing a launch date that’s far enough in the future will help you develop hype for your brand while making sure that everything is ready. Your launch also shouldn’t be the same time you start generating leads, so you should have a waitlist of interested people or a list of your product’s beta users.

One simple way to create a pre-launch buzz is to construct a landing page on your website with a form that encourages users to register for your brand. This allows you to evaluate market demand early on, which gives you a pool of potential users to start it up. Your landing page should provide potential customers with enough information to stimulate their interest while ensuring they feel comfortable about sharing their contact information. It also needs to be simple and user-friendly as possible, so don’t over-complicate everything.

Quality Content Is King

Quality content is a powerful tool that still maintains its position as the most effective of all types of marketing practices. While it can be tricky to implement for some, this is what wins most people over. Which most likely seems like common sense because people obviously respond better to high quality, authentic content. Even with the rise of online video over the last decade, marketing with quality content statistically generates more leads than outbound marketing strategies, and it also costs less.

By sharing a regular stream of informative, meaningful, and interesting content about your brand on your website and social networks, you’ll be better positioned to gain trust and make sales during the buyer’s journey. Quality content helps you extend your brand’s reach by delivering dramatic results which naturally increases and compounds engagement.

Golden rewards await the advertiser who has the brains to create a coherent image, and the stability to stick with it over a long period.” – David Ogilvy

Most Campaigns Fail (And That’s Ok)

No product marketing campaign will succeed all of the time. Many of them fail, and some of the failures are catastrophic. Failed marketing campaigns can be caused by many different things, from bad timing, to lack of interest, going too far outside their market, or a million other possible reasons. While unsuccessful marketing campaigns will be discouraging, it’s important not to dwell on your failures.  

By taking the time to review your campaign and ascertain how it missed the mark, a failed campaign can actually be a blessing in disguise. Once you understand the reasons, you can make the necessary adjustments for your next campaign launch to be more successful. And each time you fail, it can open up new horizons to conquer. Remember that failure is always an integral part of any start-up’s success. So as long as you’re always trying something new and you’re willing to fail, it’s okay if things don’t go as planned.

Launching a start-up is never simple. And while no one can prepare you for what’s ahead, you’ll have the best chance at success if you know about these marketing truth’s beforehand. Remember, if going into business was that easy, everybody would be doing it.

The post The Truth About Marketing Every First Time Founder Should Know appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

This is probably why today, my company has offices in four countries across Asia. We started from a humble place and are still growing. We have a long way to go, but I have learned some crucial lessons as a company founder headquartered in Singapore, which is Southeast Asia’s startup hub.

One of the things that benefited my business and my personal journey as a founder, was honest accounts from others who had taken the journey before me. That’s why I will be sharing some key takeaways that can be applied by small businesses looking to expand their scope across countries and regions.

Pick the right time rather than the first opportunity

It reads like a textbook rule, but this is a fundamental principle that any business founder needs to follow when planning their growth. Think very carefully about the right time to expand internationally. Your staff, financials, and product all need to be in order, and you should ensure you have done your market research thoroughly. 

One of the things I see most entrepreneurs get wrong is their budgeting. Do not underestimate the budget allocations required to expand in your new region and sustain growth in your home market. Your expansion should not come at the expense of the work you have already established. 

“Scaling is only difficult when you grow your organization like a tower instead of a city.” – Jurgen Appelo

Valuing partnerships

As entrepreneurs, we need to do better at supporting our peers. Relationships between business starters can be soured by various factors: jealousy of success, placing value only on the opportunities offered by leads or contacts, and lack of shared experiences once businesses have varying levels of success. 

However, it is important to understand that collaborations and partnerships can be extremely valuable in helping business starters to overcome many hurdles they face, not only in terms of shared knowledge but as a therapeutic support network for a job that comes with a unique set of stresses and challenges. We need to work harder at building each other up and becoming a valid resource of support.

Partnerships are also the most cost-effective way to scale and generate business in my experience. My network has been instrumental in generating revenue at the beginning and also during the pandemic, which was critical to us being able to weather the storm and come out stronger.

Being an agile business

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that stability should not be taken for granted; the entire world can turn upside down alarmingly quickly. While businesses have continuity plans that allow for a sense of preparedness, it is also vital to think flexibly and be open to pivoting quickly when a crisis strikes. Agility is the key to survival and scaling. 

Bass & Flinders Distillery in Australia is an excellent example of being agile, especially in such trying times. This startup adapted immediately to the circumstances of the pandemic, working first to produce hand sanitiser and then focussing on online sales and virtual tasting sessions to cater to a house-bound market. Through swift adaptations, they were able to survive a pandemic that has been devastating for the hospitality industry. 

Understanding that each market is different

The importance of fully understanding the market where you intend to move cannot be understated. A product that works in one region will not necessarily work in another. Sometimes costly adjustments are needed. Other times you may need to design a completely new product to meet a similar market need. 

By their nature, businesses that are operating locally will have a deeper understanding of the local market. Expanding startups will need to grapple with this if they are to flourish in their new environment – remember success in your home market is no guarantee of success elsewhere.

Many of these challenges can be reduced by doing effective research. Make sure you are getting information from accurate sources and have conducted proper testing. 

Investing in ground-based teams

Related to the previous point, it is crucial to have teams on the ground in all your operating locations wherever possible. We have teams in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India- every single market where we have clients. These ground-based teams have proved invaluable in ensuring that we provide our clients in each market with a seamless service. I meet frequently with each of these teams, (virtually or physically) to maintain our strong collaborative relationship.  

While there are cases of successful companies being able to sell or provide services without being there in person, I find that in my experience and industry, having local knowledge and expertise is paramount. Trying to expand in countries without fully understand the local nuances is a challenge and an expensive one at that.

“The gap between what’s expected and what you deliver is where the magic happens, in business and in life.” – Jay Baer

Do not let irrelevant things hold you back

Sometimes it may seem that a lot of things need to be in order to get any startup running, let alone expanding the business across countries. This can be a stumbling block of a lot of people who never actually get their startup or business off the ground.

To better understand this, I spoke to a great entrepreneur, Mathew Stillone, on my podcast Business Over Drinks, about his protein empire that started off from a garage and now makes products for supermarket giants across the globe. Prioritize your focus on your product and generating sales. Learn to prioritize. Producing a solid product and making sales is far more salient than realising your dream office space, for example. 

Expanding your small business into new markets can be an exciting way to grow your business. Expansion to new markets can be daunting, but by ensuring you have the right product, budget, and have done thorough research, you can set yourself up to prosper across multiple locations. 

The post Lessons I Have Learned About Scaling a Business as a Startup Founder appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

In moments like this, it’s always a good idea to seek help. Whether you go to WriteMyPaper to order an essay or just talk to a friend, admitting vulnerability is an important step towards improvement. In this article, you will find some tips on how to get better at essay writing, even if English is not your native language.

Control Your Environment

Improving your language skills is all about constant practice. Living in an English-speaking community is the first thing you should do to start your practice. It might be tempting to surround yourself with people who already speak a familiar language. However, this way, you won’t be practicing English on a daily basis.

You need to make those lessons almost intuitive in a way that you don’t have to do anything to learn the language. If you live in an English-speaking community, for example, if your roommate speaks English, you will have to practice the language, whether you want it or not.

Still, make sure you don’t take it too far. Taking care of yourself is still as important as ever. Feeling like an alien for the sake of education is not worth it. Remember to keep in touch with your friends and family, talk to them as often as necessary.

Practice Constantly

Practicing language is not just about doing your homework. You can make practicing English a normal part of your daily routine by watching TV, listening to music, and reading books in this language. 

Yet, this is a bit tricky. When being surrounded by white noise, people tend to learn not to notice it. You need to ensure this doesn’t happen. As you watch movies or read books, maintain your attention on what you’re doing. If you hear or see a word that you don’t understand – translate it and write it down. Be mindful and remember what you’re doing this for.

Writing Is The Answer

If you want to specifically learn to write, you need to do one thing, and that is to write. Continuous practice will help you understand what mistakes you often make and, in time, eliminate them. Focus on your goal, and don’t get discouraged when something’s not working. After all, even Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Get a journal and write in it daily. Pick a new topic every time and note everything you can think of. It’s also important that you write by hand, a spelling checker in your computer is tempting, but it will not help you remember how to spell words correctly. 

Besides, journaling as a habit has multiple health benefits, and it can be therapeutic. It can help you get in touch with yourself and process your emotions better.

Learn In a Group

It’s proven that learning in a group is more efficient due to the sense of competition. Find a bunch of like-minded people who want to study with you or join an already existing one, like a speaking club.

The benefit of such activities is that you get all these people from entirely different backgrounds who are all good at various things. This will help you exchange experiences, which is impossible if you’re alone.

Schedule regular meetings, come up with topics to discuss and activities to do. You could watch videos or movies together, or talk about common things. Having assignments like describing an event can also be beneficial for the entire group. This way, while one person speaks, the rest think about how they would say the same things differently. 

This will help you feel more confident in your skills and, consequently, speak and write better.

Expose Yourself

The most important thing about learning a language is not to be afraid of making mistakes. It’s inevitable; you just have to take it as a natural part of a learning process. 

A child that is learning how to walk doesn’t give up after falling once, and you shouldn’t either. It’s most likely that your friends understand that you’re just learning a language, and they won’t laugh at you for misusing a word or a few. 

Get over that fear of error and make as many mistakes as it will take. Treat it lightly, and don’t beat yourself up for it. On the other hand, try to attend as many events as you can that will expose you to the foreign language. Not only will it boost your English skills, but also improve your social confidence!

Wrapping Up

Learning a language is hard; there’s no arguing about that. However, it’s going to get easier with time. Take every hard thing that life throws at you and turn it into a lesson. 

Watch your favorite movies in English, converse with native speakers, and you’ll see the improvement very soon!

Remember to be patient about it. Don’t give up, and don’t beat yourself up over something that you have so little control of. Good luck!

The post 5 Hacks to Improve Your Writing Skills in English for ESL Learners appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

If you’re a student, you don’t have to bust out your textbooks every time you go to university. Instead, you have everything close and on the tips of your fingers.

However, within all the positive moments of distance learning, it is highly challenging for many of us. At college or in the office, we have a schedule, a plan which we simply have to stick to.

There is also a boss or a teacher who gives us tasks, checks and monitors our performance.

Well, now, we are our own bosses and teachers and have to come up with the plan and track our tasks independently.

So, how to stay tuned and efficient if you work and study from home? How to get the most of it and not drown in the ocean of procrastination? In this article, you will find three tips to help you out!

Set Up Your Workspace

When many think of a distance learning or work, they imagine themselves wearing pajamas and lying on a couch all day with the laptop. No more dress code, make-up, early mornings, coworkers or group mates, paradise!

This is a common misconception of remote work. If you want to work and study from home, it is crucial to create a space where you would stay focused and productive.

Still, if you have had a hard day and feel like having rest on your comfy couch, but there are assignments to be done, leave your worries to professionals in paperwritingservice, just place an order and enjoy your day.

When we both work and study from home, we stay with all those household essentials and, at the same time, have to focus on tasks. That is why a perfect workspace has to be created. So how to reach this ideal atmosphere at home? Here’re some pro tips.

Separate Spaces for Everything

This is a common problem for many that they sleep and study at the same place. Our body is a smart mechanism, which gets used to conditions very quickly.

So, as you sleep in your bed, every time you lie on it, your body gets ready to relax and concentrate is the last thing it is ready for. This principle is applied to any other space in your house.

So, your workspace should be particularly aimed at learning or/and work. Every time you get there, your brain will be ready to do the job.

Get Rid of All Distractions

This is a very important step if you want to stay productive at home. Your home may be a dangerous space in terms of concentration. To make it easier, help your brain and get rid of everything that might attract your attention and ultimately prevent good performance.

Plan Your Day

Every morning when you wake up, you approximately know what the tasks for a day are. So, what’s the sense in planning a day if you already have it all in your head?

This is one more important concept that helps us have everything done on time. Planning a day saves you time and boosts motivation and disciplines.

Here’s how it is done:

• You write down a list of tasks that have to be done;

• Prioritize them from less important to more important;

• Hang this list somewhere, where you can always see it;

• Mark completed tasks.

When you mark the task as accomplished, you’ll get a sense of satisfaction, which may be compared to some sort of praise. There are many tools to write a to-do list from paper to online apps.

Dedicate Time for Yourself

When you work and study from home, there will be a risk of abandoning our personal time in favor of more important matters. This factor leads not only to great results but also a concept called burning out.

When people face it, they feel exhausted, demotivated, and apathetic. To avoid this, it is crucial to have time for things you enjoy. It may be a sport, hobby, listening to music, watching movies, seeing friends. Your brain has to relax and get positive emotions to be more efficient in the long run.

Final Words

No matter if you want to work and study from home, these principles can be applied to any activity. To manage it all, just follow these basic rules, and you’ll see how your productivity boosts.

Good luck with all your endeavors!

The post Remote Work + Education: 3 Tips for Students Who Want to Have It All appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Although starting a business can be quite intimidating, there are lots of resources online that will help you go through the process easier. In the meantime, here are some valuable ideas that will help you make sure your business turns out to be a success.

Develop a Business Proposal

Before starting a business, you need a working idea, something that you can sell to your potential customer. Having an idea is, unfortunately, not enough for success here. It is important to make sure that there is an audience, a group of people that actually needs the product you want to create, and will be interested in buying it. You can even define a “Buyer Persona,” which is basically a description of your target customer, what they are like, what triggers them, what their interests and needs are.

Business proposals can be different, depending on how big a business you want to start. In case you are thinking about looking for some investors, your business proposal should be a solid description of your business idea, convincing enough for people to understand that they will get their money back and gain some profit when your product goes live. In case you don’t need investors, your business proposal can be more of a business plan outlining the main facets of your business idea and the things you need to do to make it work.

Get Some Help

As a person new to the business world, you might need some helpers and advisors to keep everything under control. When it comes to your studies, there might come the point where you need to choose between your business and your degree. To manage the problem, you can reach out to a professional academic writer from essayservice and ask them to take care of your assignments while you focus on developing your business.

Additionally, you might need to reach out or hire some business or tax advisors, or at least request a consultation with them. Starting a legal business will require you to be good at paperwork, which means some preparation is in place. With a business advisor by your side, you can be sure not to miss any important steps when developing and marketing your business. If you define your company as a start-up, it is possible that some business advisors will be willing to help you out for free, given that they get interested in your business idea and want to get profit out of it too.

Create a Website

Whatever business you choose, whether you deliver services or products, you need to have a website. Luckily, you can make do with little investments here: you don’t need to hire an IT guy or a Web Designer as there are lots of tools where you can create a great website from scratch. You might just have to pay for your domain if you want it to be unique. One of such sources is Wix; it is a free website builder.  One of such sources is Appy Pie; it is an AI website builder. You can also build a low-cost website on WordPress with affordable web hosting.

Why do you need a website, you might wonder? Well, the days when people learn about businesses from newspapers and leaflets are long gone. Now everyone will go online, look your business up, and expect to see some clear definition of what it is you do and what value you can bring. In case you want to open a shop, your website will function as an online shop. In case it is a service you are offering, your website will give your potential customer enough information about your service and will hopefully convince them to reach out to you and order the service.

Work on Social Media Channels

Having social media channels is as essential as having a website in 2020. While a website is a place where people can order and buy your products or services, social media is a sort of a platform that will lead them up to your website.

With the help of social media channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, you can find the right people, give them a brief description of your business, and get them to visit your website and learn more about what they can get there.

Social media is what can also help you develop a strong online presence and customer loyalty. Online presence means that your business gets regular online exposure. People see posts and notifications about it daily and thus remember and highlight it. When it comes to customer loyalty, social media can help you engage your potential customers, get their interest, and devotion to the product and the very idea of your product. They basically need to feel “at home” with your business, like it is something very close and personal to them.

Try Again Until You Make It

The reason why many businesses fail lies in the fact that people tend to give up if they fail, simple as that. However, the truth is that failure is part of the process. It is a sort of a learning curve you need to go through before you make your business into what it should actually be like. That’s why you should never expect to succeed on your first try or get disappointed if you fail several times in a row. Maybe it is just the universe testing how serious you are about achieving your goal.

Every company has this “success story,” where they tell everything about their ups and downs, their insights, and takeouts. It is good to read those stories to get some inspiration and do a reality check on what building a business actually looks like. If your determination and motivation are strong enough, your business will definitely succeed, no matter how many tries it takes to get there.

The post 5 Ideas on Starting a Business in College appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Nevertheless, it’s necessary to identify clearly what we truly desire to achieve in life. This will give you a clear vision of which path you should go and what steps to take.

Bill Gates’s top secrets in achieving success includes starting as early as you can. He was only 13 years old when he started working with computers and looked how successful and influential he has become.

Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerburg built up his now multi-billion dollar company while he was still a student at Harvard University. Facebook has become one of the most popular and widely used social media platforms around the globe. 

These people proved that age is not a determining factor of success. Therefore, we don’t need to wait until we are old and stable enough to launch our start-up business. 

“If you believe in something, work nights and weekends. It won’t feel like work.” – Kevin Rose

The Key Elements to Achieving Success: Learning from the Best

Contrary to what we believe our elders have told us about hard work being the key to achieving success in life, Vishen Lakhiani, the Founder of Mindvalley said otherwise. He said that “Hard work has very, very, very little to do with success”.

According to his theory, there are four levels of consciousness that we need to achieve so that we can attain success in life: first, you need hard work; secondly, [you need to] learn how to do more with less work; thirdly, you need to [tap into your consciousness] and lastly, “Flow” “MOJO” and “Becoming Limitless”.

Vishen’s theory of success drops the binary ideas of success being a result of hard work or surrender alone. He believes that to be able to succeed in life, one must go through four different levels of consciousness stated above.

How to Attain Success in life?

We usually look after successful businessmen and personalities, hoping that we can use the same strategies they use to attain our own success. However, we must carefully consider which among their strategies are applicable to us. That being said, the following steps are guaranteed to help you attain success in your stat-up.

Step one: Have a clear vision of your goals in life

The title pretty much explains itself. For you to be able to achieve success in life, you must have a vivid vision of your goals in life. Ask yourself, “What is it that I truly want to achieve?” If you desire to achieve a lot of things in your life, listing them chronologically according to the degree or intensity of your desire pertaining to each goal will help you identify which among them are you going to prioritize and which comes next.

Step two: Find motivation

Your goal/s should be enough motivation for you already however, sometimes when our goal/s takes a lot of time to materialize or even seem impossible to happen as we planned—we lost our hope. In times like these, we need to motivate ourselves to remind us that giving up on our dreams would lead us nowhere, rather, we need to assess what we’ve been doing wrong and analyse if everything else is still in alignment with our goals. Knowing success stories from other entrepreneurs can also be quite motivating. You can find plenty of them in podcasts, Youtube channels for startups, or even books.

Step three: Create a timeline

Time is of the essence. It is important to have a timeline in achieving your goals. This prevents you from procrastinating and helps you control loss at worst case scenario. If your goal is time-bound, you will be forced to do everything just to achieve it within the time frame you set for yourself. 

Step four: Make your plan of actions

This pertains to your course of actions. What are the things that you need to do to enable your goals to materialize? Planning without taking the necessary actions to make it happen is merely dreaming. Likewise, doing things without a plan is futile and just a waste of time and resources. Hence, planning and taking actions are equally important in achieving success. Using your timeline, create a list of the necessary course of actions that you’ll take in every stage to ultimately achieve your end goals.

Step five: Create a contingency plan

Change is constant thus it is only natural to create your plans and goals flexible enough to deal with inevitable changes. However, it is also important to have a contingency plan so that if things go south, you are well-prepared to change course. Oftentimes, having something to fallback with gives us the assurance that there is still another way to achieve our goals. It also helps us cut further losses and refocus our actions to our vision even though it might be totally different from what we originally planned.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

Step six: Have faith

You already followed every step diligently, now the next step would be to simply believe that luck is on your side and that everything will unfold the way you envisioned it.

Step seven: Share your blessings

It’s always a great practice to share your blessings with other people. This is not only a form of giving back to the community or to the people who have helped you to become who you are now, it also brings you closer to God and lessen your enemies. Sharing your blessings helps you build a more positive environment where people are collaborating and working harmoniously, helping one another to succeed in life.

The post How to Launch Your Startup in 7 Easy Steps appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

One day, he told me, “If you’re strong everywhere, it means that you’re strong nowhere. You need to gather intelligence, determine the enemy’s most likely avenue of approach, and orient your defensive position toward it. If you try to defend everywhere at once, you’ll fail.”

I’d offer similar advice to startups. The constraints of capital, talent, and time already leave you vulnerable to the competition’s every move. Trying to position yourself as a one-stop shop just spreads your resources even thinner. The question then is, why do so many startups still try to be all things to all people so soon out of the gate?

Too Big Too Soon

Startups often feel pressured to look bigger than they are. They want to show that they’re at the cutting edge of technology and get the attention of customers by promising a combination of features beyond anything that’s available on the market.

But buyers have become more and more savvy. They can smell even a hint of nonsense from a mile away. This is why they’re increasingly likely to conduct extensive research before making a purchase, which can mean requesting to test out a product before they buy it. When buyers realize that companies are overpromising and underdelivering, it damages the company’s reputation and lowers the likelihood of future success.

Every successful startup excelled at one thing first before expanding into other features. Netflix, for example, became the best in on-demand DVD rentals, while Amazon became the best online bookseller. The same can be said for Google with search, Facebook with connecting college students, and Uber with black car ride-sharing.

Since dominating in its core competencies, Netflix now excels in streaming services and creating proprietary content. Amazon is doing something similar — with the addition of selling all physical goods and offering cloud-computing services. Google still provides search, but has added email, video calls, maps, and even self-driving cars to its roster. Facebook connects people regardless of school affiliation and also runs a marketplace, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while Uber has branched out from a black car service into UberX and UberEats.

When you have nailed down your core competency and built it into a successful business, subsequent product lines must compliment your core business as part of a comprehensive corporate strategy in order to continue growing in a profitable and sustainable matter. Consider WeWork, for example, which had carved out a strong niche in the shared workspace market. The company began investing in more than just office space, moving into retail, housing, preschools, college campuses, food startups, and a wave generator for inland surfing.

That’s a lot of positions to defend — and a confusing corporate structure. That’s why it was no big surprise when WeWork recently pulled its IPO. The company also just received a $1.75 billion line of credit from Goldman Sachs to help clean up its debt and keep the ship afloat.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

More Isn’t Always More

Adding features to match every perceived customer need is tempting. Logic would tell you that more of a good thing means an even better thing, but when it comes to startups, that’s simply not the case.

When my startup was pitching our product, which is smart camera software used for gun detection, to a large global company, the company pointed out that one of our competitors also uses computer vision to detect guns — on top of behavioral analysis, license plate reading, healthcare analysis, abandoned object recognition, people tracking for retail, and seemingly countless other applications. They asked why they should go with us when all we do is gun detection.

I knew of the competitor they were referencing. I knew the company was roughly the same size as us, so I understood a bit about their true capabilities and limitations. And I know that it’s not possible to be good at everything at once. 

I said, “If you need a bunch of bells and whistles, ask yourself whether it’s realistic for a seed-stage company to deliver effectively on all of these promises.” I suggested they hold the company’s feet to the fire and test the products rigorously before making a decision.

3 Questions for Staying Focused

As a startup founder, you need to ask yourself three questions when looking to improve your offerings, and the answers should help you maintain a sharper focus on your core competency. Otherwise, you risk losing sight of your target audience and expanding too far too soon.

1. What is the most critical customer pain point we want to solve?

For the most part, your answer will fall into one of four fairly broad categories: cost, productivity, ease of use, and assistance. Cost obviously involves a financial problem, like overpaying for a product or service. Productivity centers on time — or the lack thereof. Ease of process involves making a complicated matter simpler, and assistance is all about support. 

Invest in the research to uncover where your customers’ biggest pain points lie. Then, understand how your product or service can best solve that problem only. The first step in staying focused is zeroing in on one pain point and knowing you will need to maximize your offering’s ability to solve it.

“If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution.” – Steve Jobs

2. Are we building a valuable solution to this pain point? 

Once you’ve established the problem your offering will address, you should determine whether what you have to offer is actually the best way for customers to solve it. Can your product or service take them easily from point A, where they have the problem, to point B, where it has been significantly remedied or entirely solved? If not, it’s time to pivot your strategy and improve your offering to better deliver that one solution, rather than just adding bells and whistles.

3. Are we using feedback to improve?

Nobody knows a pain point better than consumers. Once your product or service is in people’s hands, welcome their feedback with open arms. The more input you can gather, the better. 

You can use the feedback directly to build your development road map, allowing you to improve upon your product or service in the way customers most want to see. Hearing from customers themselves is the only way to know the true extent to which you are solving your customers’ problems. 

To bring the most value to your customers, focus in rather than expanding out. Startups form around solving problems in the first place, so the attention should remain on finding the very best solution. Focus on what you’re good at and master this area before moving into other uncharted waters. That’s the foundation of success.

Have you thought about starting a business? If so, what part of this article resonated most with you? Share your thoughts below!

The post 3 Questions Your Startup Needs to Answer in Order to Maintain Focus appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

How do you make that choice? Keep reading; we’ll walk you through 3 workplace trends to see if they’re worth the hype for your startup.

1. Do you need a ‘fun’ office? Probably not

We’ve all heard about Google’s legendary campus and the perks therein: free meals, massages, work out classes, and more. We also know not everyone can be Google. There’s always a lot of buzz about ‘fun’ office spaces. But are these benefits worth it? Increasingly, no.

In an article from Forbes, they found that workplace perks aren’t a top reason people enjoy working for a certain company. Quoted from the article, “Workplace perks aren’t…what make or break the decision for talent to stay and deliver great work. Instead, it’s the thought behind the workplace perks that counts.”

Don’t make flashy workplace perks a priority, especially if you’re a small business. Build your team carefully and treat them well, but don’t try to attract talent with superficial perks. If your team isn’t doing meaningful work or they’re not compensated fairly, a fun office won’t matter.

“The most essential quality for a good team is trust.” – Dina Kaplan

2. Keep boundaries as the boss

Another stereotype about startups is a more casual leadership style. CEOs and executive leadership are informal and don’t treat their team like subordinates, but instead, treat them like peers.

This leadership style encourages collaboration, which is definitely a good thing for startups. However, there’s a reason why businesses have traditionally been more formal. Setting boundaries in the workplace is a crucial part of your success, long term. If your team starts to view you as a friend, they might slack off or not take feedback seriously.

The key here, as it is for many things, is balance. Make sure your team feels comfortable bringing problems to your attention, and leave your ego at the door. However, make sure you are the authority figure for your team. You need to be able to inspire and lead, as well as focus and give direction. That beanbag chair might not do the trick.

3. Remote working is worth it 

This trend is becoming so popular, it might not be considered a trend for much longer and might just become a regular part of the workplace. People want more flexibility than what an in-office 8 to 5 position gives them. Millennials in particular, desire flexible work environments more than other groups, and they currently comprise more than half of the job market.

You need to weigh the pros and cons of flexible office hours to find out if they’re a good choice for your startup. Remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing here. You can compromise by instituting flexible PTO, leaving early on Fridays, early start/early leaving or vice versa.

You’ll want to work together in person on a regular basis, to encourage collaboration and establish company culture. But allowing people to work from home when they need it is a huge perk and will make a substantial difference to talent you want to attract.

“Your company should act as a springboard for ambitious employees, not a set of shackles.” –Richard Branson

Follow trends that make sense for your business

Trends become popular for a reason, but sometimes that reason doesn’t make sense for your startup. You need to use your better judgement and structure your company in a way that will sustain long term growth.

Establish firm leadership roles, allow flexible working hours up to a point, and make sure not to fall for the allure of ‘fun’ work places. If you make the right choices and think things through for your business, you’ll come out on top.

The post 3 Startup Workplace Trends You Need to Carefully Consider appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Most consumer brands these days collaborate with influencers to grow their business. Why? Because these individuals have built a lot of trust behind them, they can promote your product or services to their audience and get them to trust your brand. This is a huge sales-driving strategy, especially for new and upcoming businesses.

Collaborating with influencers is still a relatively new marketing strategy and there’s a lot of room for errors. Startups need to know how to collaborate with influencers and build real relationships with them, otherwise, they will end up wasting their limited budget. That said, if you manage to find the right influencers, the quality of customers you will get is generally higher.

Here are some ways startups can make use of collaborations effectively and build their brand’s presence and growth:

1. Engagement is more crucial than the follower count

To make sure your marketing campaign delivers results, examine how an influencer’s audience reacts to their posts, instead of looking at the number of followers they have. If people comment on posts or send shoutouts to your product or services, it shows that they are aware of your brand.

Generally, influencers with high follower count tend to receive fewer interactions when they post. People who are interested in such semi-famous individuals only see them as eye candy and don’t really take their product recommendations seriously as it is not relevant to their daily lives.

Consumers usually tend to relate more to someone with, say, 12k followers and as such, they are more likely to take their product suggestions seriously. It is also often recommended for brands to associate with as many micro-influencers as possible. Micro-influencers with 2-10k followers are not approached by brands that often, and can become willing and happy promoters solely in exchange for a free product from your brand.

“People do not buy goods & services. They buy relations, stories and magic.” – Seth Godin

2. Look within your fans

Find influencers you wish to collaborate with by searching among your current fans. One of the best ways to do this is by determining the type of social channels your consumers are more likely to use. If your company has customers and social media channels already, find individuals who love your product/service, ones that have more influence among their peers.

Remember, you are looking for the popular girl in college, not the Kardashians. While we all know the Kardashians can sell out dresses and products in minutes, it is not easy for most brands to afford these megastars, even more so for startups.

You are left with thousands of influencers, scattered across a number of channels, each charging a different price for promoting your brand. And often, they don’t have much evidence that their content can actually drive sales. This is why finding popular individuals who love your product and collaborating with them can help considerably in driving your brand awareness amongst their peers, which is also your target market.

This strategy is not only great for startup companies with a tiny marketing budget but also drives endorsements from the heart and not the wallet.

3. Pay for performance, not posts

Rewarding influencers for a set number of shoutouts or posts is the easiest way for brands to waste their money. In such instances, the brand manages all the risks of a failed campaign and the influencer is not encouraged to make use of their imagination and creativity. While this marketing format is comparable with the traditional magazine and TV placement, it is being replaced by paying influencers on a performance basis.

Not every influencer will want to collaborate this way, but there are some who will. You just have to put in some effort to find them. For example, the influencer market in the US is more mature as compared to the UK. In the States, there are more influencers who are willing to partner with brands that reward them on a performance basis.

Also, the cost in different industry segments varies and is related to the ones on digital marketing platforms. E.g., hyper-casual games cost around 1 dollar per download on iOS but increases to 3-5 dollars for e-commerce and shopping apps. And although Facebook provides instant scale to brands, influencers offer an endorsement.

“People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.” – Mark Zuckerberg

By implementing these tips on your next marketing campaign and following a well-articulated strategy, you can build a successful startup.

Beauty and fashion companies may have been the first ones to collaborate with influencers but the industry has changed. Influencer campaigns are starting to become a major part of the marketing strategy of most consumer brands, including paid media and public relations.

However, people are becoming more incredulous of conventional advertising as well as influencer promotion. If you want your influencer campaigns to be successful, you should find the right influencers, ones that love your product genuinely, and have an authentic interaction with their audience.

The post How Your Startup Can Effectively Collaborate With Influencers appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.