Engagement Is A Trip, Plan Wisely
As you move from the Development stage of product build into the Launch stage of the Entrepreneur Roadmap, you are going to find yourself making the sharp turn from inwardly-focused activities to rapid dives into marketing and demand generation. You’ll know you’re making this turn on your path when you find yourself caught up in
Wireframes or Prototypes… Worth the Investment?
Imagine explaining all of Facebook’s features to someone who has never used it. How would they remember how it all worked? Even if they could remember, what if their interpretation was different than what you said? The functionality of web and mobile applications, much simpler than Facebook, gets lost in translation often. There are plenty
Who, or What, is the MVP?
As an entrepreneur in our digital age, MVP is an acronym you will hear often. And, unless they’re specifically talking about you, MVP probably doesn’t stand for most valuable player. In fact, they more than likely mean minimum viable product. And by minimum viable product, they mean the product/project version you can release with the
From Try To Buy: Converting A Pilot To A Paying Customer
The goal of a pilot is to build up enough proof in your prospect’s mind that they can decide to purchase your product (or not). Contrary to what you might think—a valid and valuable outcome for an entrepreneur is to have the prospect choose not to buy what you are offering or you to choose
How To Build The Perfect Pitch Deck
Having an impressive pitch is a key component in raising capital. A great pitch can get an investor excited about your business and opens the door to the investors wanting to learn more and take you through a due diligence process. There are thousands of templates online that provide guidance on what slides to incorporate
When creating sales material, always answer the prospect’s question, “What’s in it for me?”
You’ve done it—you’ve completed this crazy sprint through the Entrepreneur Roadmap Methodology to Develop a product and get it out to the masses. Your weeks and months of hustling are done, and you can now sit back and watch as the customers fly in the door. Oh, if only it worked that way. Building a
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
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