Landing Your First Customer In 4 Easy Steps
If you are following JumpStart’s Entrepreneur Roadmap methodology, you probably have a checklist where you are running down the items completed. MVP? Done. Website? Built. Pricing model? Check. Contracts? Ready to go. Customers? Not a prospect in sight. It feels that way sometimes—you spend so much time working on a product and all the things
8 Questions To Ask Yourself When Preparing For Fundraising
Starting your own business is challenging. No matter how unique your idea is, it’s unlikely to get off the ground without proper funding. Securing the necessary funding to start and sustain a business is one of the biggest hurdles that every aspiring entrepreneur faces. Within Northeast Ohio, there is a significant and growing number of
You’ve Launched Your product… Now Comes The Hard Part!
Congratulations! You’ve built and launched a product! Now it’s time for the heavy-lift… onboarding and adoption. Say hello to your new key function, Customer Success! A newer term that grew out of the concept of customer support, Customer Success focuses on proactive behaviors, specifically: Getting the user actively engaged Focusing on early usage Ongoing engagement
When It Comes to Startup Success, The Market Is King
Entrepreneurs and investors alike often haggle about which is the more important ingredient for startup success, the product or the team behind it. Is the idea the sun around which everything else orbits? Or, are there truly rock star personalities out there who can turn even mediocre ideas into strong startups? Almost everyone I’ve met
5 Things To Consider Before Starting A Business
Entrepreneurship has its perks. Owning your own business can put you in control of your life, your career and your financial future. But as any small business owner knows, entrepreneurship has its challenges too. It can be risky, stressful and even lonely, which is why JumpStart advisors are here to assist! JumpStart helps entrepreneurs start
4 Time- And Money-Saving Reasons To Create An Employee Handbook
Do you cringe when you hear the words employee handbook? Once labeled a tedious piece of HR paperwork, this tool has recently become an important piece of a company’s talent strategy. When used correctly, this tool will communicate clear expectations and guidelines to all employees. In this article, you’ll find out why it is important
Pilot Management Brings In The Test Data You’ve Been Seeking
Congratulations! You made it this far. You have interviewed hundreds of customers (not your family, relatives or friends) and know what they want/need/will pay for. You are sure (okay, you think you are sure) that you have a product-solution fit. You may have even found product-market fit. You and your team have invested time and
3 Steps To Profitably Price Your Product Or Service
As an entrepreneur, how do you set appropriate prices for your product or service? This can be a difficult decision to make—choose a price that’s too low and you may weaken profits but assign a price that’s too high and you may deter consumers. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer for how to price your
4 Keys To A Killer Sales & Marketing Funnel
If you’ve spent any amount of time digging into blogs or think pieces on the startup journey, you’ve no doubt run into the phrase ”sales funnel.” It’s a key part of building a company and may also be one of the most misunderstood aspects of building and launching a company. That’s not because it’s hard,
Video: The Market – Where Big Ideas Become Viable Businesses
Businesses start with an idea, but they grow only when customers are willing to pay for their products and services. In this recorded webinar, our panel of experts discusses entering the market, including topics such as: How to identify and refine your target market How to validate your business concept How to figure out the
Understanding and Analyzing Financial and Operational Metrics
As a business begins to grow at a higher and higher growth rate, ie. changing growth rates quarterly or monthly, management must pay close attention to the financial statements and key metrics used to measure business performance and manage cash. These metrics are called key performance indicators (KPIs). These statements, metrics and trends help determine
Success Despite Setbacks In FY 2020
There is no doubt 2020 has been a year unlike any other. Disruption and uncertainty have impacted our lives and our economy in ways we couldn’t imagine last year. Despite these challenges, we know our community will persevere because Northern Ohio is strong. In response to the challenges posed by the COVID19 pandemic, Northern Ohio’s