“It takes money to make money” is one of those cliches people tend to use right before they spend money for no good reason. People almost never say that when they can see, immediately, exactly how their investment is going to pay off. This phrase is frequently used by new business owners as they undertake their first marketing operations, because marketing done badly is almost always both expensive and ineffective. On the other hand, no business gets off the ground...
Tag Archives: marketing for entrepreneurs
An Entrepreneur’s Guide To ‘Give it Away’ Business Models
Delivering products and services for free can be a more than minefield for those without a good grasp of the underlying business fundamentals. The following overview of "Give it Away" business models reviews some of the ways in which free or low-cost products can help build businesses that turn a profit.
Using LinkedIn to Connect to People Quickly & Cheaply
LinkedIn.com, a site where business people can talk business to other business people safely.
Pitching Investors: Mastering the Story That Sells
By Doug Richard
Before You Pitch
Before we drive right into mastering the single most important skill you need to succeed in gaining investment from a pitch meeting, let’s have a two minute review of what you need to have in place before you get one. Assuming your intent is to raise funds for your business, your business should have either a track record of successful performance measured in cash, customers or market share. Alternatively it can have some kind of intellectual...
Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price
I have counseled and supported many thousands of entrepreneurs over the years, and something that never ceases to amaze me is how many initially enter the market with the intent of competing on price. Since I have an extensive background in sales and marketing, and since I've managed more than my fare share of sales teams, the idea of maximizing the number of low margin sales a business makes just seems completely insane. Startups rarely have the returns to scale or the marketing and sales efficiency to do large volumes of business profitably at a low price.
Marketing is All About Frames, So Put Your Products In the Picture
Marketing is about framing your product so it can be understood by your customers. It must be integrated into a narrative, a story so they can position it and you can attach it to things they want their products attached to.
Marketing’s Critical Dual Role: Acquiring Customers & Keeping Customers
Most new businesses work very hard to acquire new customers. They carefully identify their target markets, place thoughtfully considered advertisements in magazines, invest in trade shows and send out bulk mail. Online they develop attractive websites, create, test and deploy “more information” registration forms, run ads in search engines and publish SEO press releases. Those who sell products through distributors and/or resellers carefully choose their partners to ensure their products are presented to those customers most inclined to buy.
From a...
Low Cost Fast Growth Marketing Roundup
Last Thursday afternoon, University College London’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and business interaction, UCL Advances, welcomed the School for Startups team, led by Doug. The topic of the day was Low Cost Fast Growth Marketing and entrepreneurs from both UCL and from around the UK, braved the London weather to attend our event. The aim was to expand their knowledge and toss ideas across the table about how to improve their marketing both on the web and offline.
Low Cost Fast Growth Marketing, London, 25 February
Fast Growth Marketing: Doug Richard explains how to grow fast using low cost marketing. Click View Event for more details.
UK Startups Benefit Most from Inbound Marketing
The best way to market your business is to put it where people can find it when they are ready to buy.
