Entrepreneurship Tips
The Top 26 Reasons No One Should Ever Support Donald Trump in Any Capacity
Posted by Robert Norton on
It continues to amaze me how ANYONE is willing to vote for Donald Trump. Sure, we need to get back to more conservative values (obliterate DEI, quotas and the out of control woke nonsense like pretending transgender people are normal and educating young children that this is okay), fiscal policy and reduce government by maybe 50%, or more at all levels. Do not get me wrong, I am 100% for equality of treatment of people. Just not equal outcomes. It seems our younger generation cannot tell the difference. Trump is clearly not very bright, is totally unethical, is a...
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- Tags: Human Resourses, Politics
If I Pitch an Idea to a Private Investor, What Happens If They Steal It?
Posted by Robert Norton on
Ideas are worthless. And it would be totally legal for them to steal them. Maybe you are confusing patents, copyrights and other intellectual property. An “idea” has no legal protections. And you can be pretty sure you are not the first one to have any given idea too. And if anyone can steal a single “idea” and replicate your business, it is a very bad business. What you need is lots more including many things like a business model, target market, product/service and hundreds of ideas. Companies need a team, plan and many protectable ideas. These are protectable intellectual property...
What Are the Best Practices for Building A Strong Team Culture in A Startup Environment?
Posted by Robert Norton on
Here is a short list, but there are many more things which come only from experience and feel interviewing. This is why it is best to have at least 15 years' professional experience before starting a company. Hire the best people you can afford, using stock options to find the ones that really care about the mission and will take submarket salaries to be on the mission. You need 3 key founders: Operator, visionary and sales/marketing head. All with 15 years' experience and long-term commitment. Ideally, willing to put in some cash too. CEO should screen first 100+ employees personally...
How can you ensure consistent customer service training for employees in your small business?
Posted by Robert Norton on
It all starts with a strong, documented values statement that is taken very seriously at every stage. This means enforcing it and using it as a basis for reviews, bonuses, and promotions in a visible way. Here are more key component of a process that will work: Training for employees in this and your company's value proposition. Including ethical behavior for long-term, mutual benefit. A win-win relationship with customers, not a transactional one. A culture of customer service. Employees are not allowed to bad mouth customers. That is attitude and can run off the rails if not limited. Use video...
How Can A Young Tech Company Compete Against Established Players In The Market?
Posted by Robert Norton on
Startups should never, ever, never compete with big companies. They must offer something different. “Differentiated” is the most important word in designing a startup market entry strategy. Look at this diagram and decide how you can adjust your company to be in the top right quadrant. Without that you have no chance of surviving, never mind profiting, because you will compete with companies 100 to 1,000,000 times larger than you with already developed marketing and sales channels and huge budgets. Only these kinds of companies will attract investors (needed to grow) and top employees because they know the...