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Plan Your Business
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When is the Best Time of Year to Launch Your Business?
Is there such a thing as the “best” time of year to start a business? There are 30.2 million small businesses in the United States, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). While these businesses certainly didn't start up at the exact same time, I do wonder if there are certain times of year...
How to Achieve Startup Success from Day 1
The decision to take the leap into starting your own business is never an easy one, regardless of your experience or industry. But as venture capital (VC) firms grow, with the average seed deal growing from $1.7 million to $4.6 million in the last decade, more and more people are breaking into the startup ecosystem....
Unnecessary Expenses That Startups Should Avoid
Starting a business can be an exciting time, and the idea of being your own boss and doing what you love is alluring to many. However, with startups being so young, they’ll have additional deficits from their initial costs. While there are essential costs every business needs to pay for its day-to-day functions, it’s easy...
4 Things Entrepreneurs Need to Know to Successfully Launch and Monetize a Website
Launching your first website is exciting. However, figuring out how to turn that website into a successful business can feel like a grueling task. As an entrepreneur, you want your content to boost your website and brand authority in your industry or niche. The reality is, driving traffic to a new blog or website isn’t...
Why You Should Buy an Online Business Instead of Building One From Scratch
Good news. You can purchase an existing online business. Whether you’re using an online marketplace, personal network or broker, there are many avenues to purchase an online business. Some business owners no longer have the passion to run a business or a new venture may lead exiting business owners to a fresh journey. Whatever the...
How Main Street Businesses Can Learn From an Economic Downturn
The pandemic has had a major impact on the world economy with small and medium Main Street businesses taking the heaviest blow. But for those that managed to survive, it’s time to start preparing so you can turn the next economic downturn into an opportunity to get ahead of the competition. I’ll share some tips and...
5 Things Veterans Should Know About Starting a Business
Pursuing a second career after leaving the military can be challenging, which is why a growing number of veterans choose to become entrepreneurs. A 2018 study by the the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy reported that there were over 379,000 veteran-owned employer businesses in the U.S., and overall, 6.8 percent of all employer businesses...
9 Essential Skills You Need to Start and Run a Successful Business
It’s easy to feel under-qualified when you’re about to start a new business. It’s a huge undertaking! There are so many factors that play into whether or not your business will succeed. And, while not every factor has to do with your skills as a business owner, some of the most essential skills for starting...
5 Leadership Traits No Entrepreneur Succeeds Without
Entrepreneurs have some of the hardest jobs in the world. At an established company and with a competent team, leading is mostly a matter of keeping the rudder straight. At a startup, it’s another story entirely. Entrepreneurs wear many hats: the role of marketing, sales, day-to-day operations and more all fall on your shoulders. And once...
4 Tips for Writing a Standout Business Plan Financing Request
One of the most important elements of a business plan is a financing request, or the amount of funding your business is requesting of potential investors. Many entrepreneurs may worry they are asking for too much money, while others may not feel totally certain about the future of their company, especially nowadays. This leaves the...
The 5 Things Investors Really Care About When Reviewing Your Business Plan
A business plan is an essential tool for startups and, when executed correctly, it serves two key purposes: It provides goals and a roadmap for you to follow in order to build a successful company. It provides the format and information lenders and investors need to determine whether or not to provide funding to you....
How to Take the Leap and Change Your Life
The following is excerpted from “Jump: Dare to Do What Scares You in Business and Life” by Kim Perell, pp. 3-7 (HarperCollins Leadership, November 2021). It’s scary looking down. Especially when there’s a lot at stake. You know those decisions that make your heart race and your palms sweat? The ones that are so...
Building a Monthly Business Plan
While it’s important to create a 10-year business model, your real focus should be on your business plan for three years, two years and one year. Once that’s set, reverse engineer it to the quarter and then down to the month. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here How?...
What is Product-Market Fit? How to Leverage Customer Development to Move Your Business Forward
So, you've got a startup idea. The first major challenge you'll need to overcome is achieving product-market fit. So why do so many entrepreneurs leave this up to chance? Creating a product that solves a real problem starts even before you launch your business. This is the process of customer development; and too few entrepreneurs...
A 6-Step Checklist to Structure Your Business
You’ve decided to take the plunge and start your dream business. You’ve decided what your new company is going to do and have formulated your overall strategy. Now it’s time to complete a checklist of necessary tasks to set up and structure your business: Name your business You want to have a unique name that...
6 Recession-Proof Side Hustles You Can Start Today to Bring in Extra Cash
With all of the economic changes underway, you’ve probably been experiencing plenty of uncertainty recently. However, there’s still hope for aspiring entrepreneurs, as the side hustle scene is alive and well. In fact, it’s thriving! If you’re interested in testing the entrepreneurial waters, consider the following recession-proof side hustles that you can start today: Become...
The Advantages, Challenges of Building a Multi-Founder Startup
Running a successful startup is ultimately a team game—irrespective of whether you follow the single or multi-founder approach. At the end of the day, success depends on how efficiently you allocate resources to solve problems. At a multi-founder startup, this is an art form. As one of the four cofounders of Capchase, we were able...
4 Reasons Why Choosing the Right Business Model is a Make-or-Break Decision
When launching a startup, most entrepreneurs are focused on fine-tuning their product or service. While this is a critically important element of the process, successful entrepreneurs must first focus on choosing the right business model. Whether you’re turning a side hustle into a six-figure business or launching what you hope to be a major product...
5 Reasons Why Startups Need to Create a Crisis Communications Plan Now
A crisis can happen to any business at any time. While planning for a crisis may seem quite ironic, given that the very definition of the word is something that happens unexpectedly, it is incredibly important that business owners invest in creating a crisis communications plan. A thoughtful and well-crafted plan has the potential to...
Business Security Measures to Take Offline and Online
Ensuring the utmost security of your business serves a two-pronged purpose. The first and, arguably, more obvious purpose of business security is protecting your capital, whether it’s from investors or straight out of your pocket. The money you put into any enterprise has a better shot at growing if a top-notch security system is in...