Even the best laid plans can unravel. And when they do, it’s easy to trip over the loose strings. Worse, good intentions can sometimes blind us to missteps, impeding our ability to anticipate bumps in the road. How can a savvy entrepreneur with a thoughtfully designed business roadmap stay on track in the new year?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at how you can use the discovery process to gain a better understanding of your business’ internal processes and mechanisms, the revenue models, audiences, and markets that suit your business objectives, and the strategies that have proven most (and least) effective in reaching those goals. However, a huge…
How would you rate your current marketing strategy? If you’re like many small business owners, you haven’t had time yet to sit down and develop a strategy at all. It may be that even without a business strategy, your business is moving along at a respectable pace. But if that’s the case, how much more…
Brands do not operate in a vacuum – or at least, most brands don’t. If they did, there’d be no need for branding at all. People would recognize the products you produce and sell as entirely unique and innovative, and the brand name that you so painstakingly chose and trademarked would become the default name…
Imagine going out for drinks with someone who spends the entire evening talking about himself. No matter how much he has to offer, if he doesn’t seem interested in learning about you, your life, and your values, it’s unlikely you’ll be interested in spending another evening in his company. It’s easy for an enthusiastic business…
Has the rising cost of gas had a negative impact on your business’ profits? Have you realized with dismay that your market has become overrun (and your profits been dashed) by copycat competitors? Or have you had the bewildering realization that your business is growing faster than you’re able to support it?
When the economy takes a nosedive, you may discover that your wildly popular cafe transforms into a lonely hole in the wall. If your brilliant app gets knocked off the app store’s featured list because fans have moved on to the next best thing, your startup will feel the loss financially. And if your competition…
If you’re like most Americans, you could use more time. Between long work weeks, which are still the norm despite Tim Ferriss’ best efforts, family and household responsibilities, sleep, and a wee little smidge of recreation, most of us feel pressed for time. And so we do what any good modern human does: we seek…
Design is all about order – glorious order! But there is some truth in the old saying about creative minds being messy minds. After all, whether you’re a designer or baker of whimsical cupcakes, if you’re a creative entrepreneur, your mind is (hopefully) filled to overflowing with a constant stream of brilliant ideas. So how…
It’s hard to imagine, but as of 2015, 1 in 2 small businesses still have no business website. The reasons given for this oversight may appear varied at first glance: People don’t find me online. People don’t use Google for the sorts of merchandise/services I offer. People already know about my business. All of my…