The Psychology Of Design: John Roa Shares A Look Inside AKTA
“The cruel truth is that I’m not even a designer today,” said John Roa, founder of AKTA design studio. But if he was never a designer, then what made AKTA one of Chicago’s most sought-after design studios, and Roa one of Chicago’s most influential entrepreneurs? Roa’s journey was riddled with successes, failures and a carefully [...]... Read More
Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category
RECENT:
-
SEO Unplugged: Entrepreneurs Seek Advice From Experts
BY: Sonali BasakSearch-engine optimization (SEO) experts shared tips and technicalities Tuesday evening with a diverse crowd of entrepreneurs at Entrepreneurs Unpluggd at the Chopin Theater in Chicago. Though there was a vast range of tips, there were a few points that resonated amongst the three speakers. (1) Google matters (2) Content matters (3) Socialization matters “Free traffic [...]
read more -
Startups: Get Legally Aware; Tips From Tricia Meyer
BY: Sonali BasakWhen you have a bright idea with a ton of promise, it’s hard to imagine all the things that could go wrong… legally. Tricia Meyer has been an attorney and has been advising the start-up community in Chicago for more than a decade to help entrepreneurs cover their bases. The reason she understands an entrepreneur’s [...]
read more -
Nourish your network; Entice investors
BY: Sonali BasakAn intimate crowd of entrepreneurs, developers and investors gathered in the basement of Chopin Theater in Wicker Park Tuesday night seeking direction from startup and investment experts. The Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event, entitled “When, Where, How to Get Investors for Your Startup,” was led by Chicago entrepreneurs Stella Fayman and Tim Jahn. Ninis Samuel and Mike [...]
read more -
10 Questions to Ask When Looking for a Managed Hosting Provider
BY: Edward DomainChoosing a Hosting Provider can be a daunting task. You’ve made the decision that you don’t want to be in the “server” business and have embarked on the research process. Here are some questions that can help you qualify hosting providers you will be talking to. Like we say at Connectria Hosting, at the end [...]
read more -
7 App Marketing Strategies That Actually Work
BY: The Young Entrepreneur CouncilWhat’s the most effective strategy you’ve used to market your company’s app thus far? Why? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of [...]
read more -
7 Tools to Document Internal Processes in Your Startup
BY: The Young Entrepreneur CouncilWhat’s your favorite platform for creating a custom wiki to document FAQs or internal processes, and why? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps [...]
read more -
Know When To Fold ‘Em
BY: Kathryn HoughIn 2012, I learned many lessons about business and finance both in the startup scene and in the larger technology industry. Thanks to my work with Techli, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with the top legal, financial, product, and executive minds in America.
read more -
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Steve Wynn
BY: Kathryn HoughMany of the world’s best business leaders are ignored by the newest tech savvy generation of entrepreneurs, who would rather worship Steve Jobs and other geek heros like David Heinemeier Hansson of 37Signals or Jack Dorsey of Square and Twitter. Yet there is so much that tech entrepreneurs can learn from Steve Wynn’s journey too.
read more -
What Entrepreneurs Can Do In 2013 To Manage Risk
BY: Kathryn HoughPolsinelli Shughart attorney Brian Salmo offers tips to help entrepreneurs protect their IP and manage risk in 2013.
read more -
How Entrepreneurs Can Increase Productivity By Planning Ahead For 2013
BY: Kathryn HoughIf you’re an entrepreneur, it’s time to put away your mom’s famous Christmas cookies and get back to work today. While the rest of your 9-to-5er friends are on an extended vacation until 2012, you’ve got five days of distraction-free work between now and the new year.
read more -
The Inexperienced Angel Investor: A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing
BY: Kathryn HoughBeware the inexperienced angel investors, who are more like wolves in sheeps’ clothing than potential partners who will help your venture grow.
read more -
CEO Sundays: IP and Corporate FAQ’s For Tech Entrepreneurs
BY: Guest PostTara A. Nealey and Charles C. Vos, attorneys in the St. Louis office of Polsinelli Shughart PC, give advice to entrepreneurs about corporate IP.
read more -
How To Warm Up Your Cold Email
BY: Kathryn HoughAs the hustler half of the classic hustler / hacker startup team, I’ve employed all of these email tactics to line up an incredible number of high caliber meetings over the past month. The key is to warm up your cold emails. Here’s how.
read more -
How To Develop Customers Before Writing A Single Line Of Product Code
BY: Kathryn HoughIf you want to test your hypothesis and develop customers before writing a single line of product code, you’ll have to get out of your workspace and in front of real people who have real problems that your startup could potentially solve.
read more -
CEO Sundays: Make Your App Soar Over 700,000 Competitors
BY: Chris LuckHow often do you voluntarily see a movie that only earned one or two stars? Would you ever buy a new vacuum cleaner or coffeemaker that received a barrage of negative consumer comments? Customer reviews highly influence which products we choose to spend our hard-earned money and precious time on, and though apps may not [...]
read more -
CEO Sundays: Abby Ross On How How To Amp Your Apps
BY: abbyrossWhile smartphones abound, apps are flooding the technology and social media gates. There are apps to pass your time, document your time—in an array of eye-pleasing filters, of course—and save you time. “There’s an app for that” is a mantra of truth, and amid the vast sea of applications, it can be daunting to release [...]
read more -
Why Entrepreneurs Hate Wantrepreneurs
BY: Kathryn HoughOk everyone, I’ll admit it. I used to be a wantrepreneur. A wantrepreneur is someone who attends all of the startup events, meetups, and participates in online discussions about entrepreneurship without actually being an entrepreneur.
read more -
The Prospects Of Digital Learning
BY: Jeb OryThe concept of digital learning is taking over political discussions about education, and startups are rushing to fill the gap.
read more -
Ideas For Solving The Startup Chicken And Egg Problem
BY: Kathryn HoughWhat came first, the chicken or the egg? If you are running a consumer-facing startup, the answer has to be both.
read more -
Want To Build A Startup Ecosystem? Build A 24 Hour Coffeeshop With Free Wifi First.
BY: Kathryn HoughI’m writing this on a Saturday night at 11:00pm at a coffeeshop in the southeast neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It’s open 24 hours a day, it serves great lattes, and organic food, and the wifi is free. Oh yeah, it’s also packed with people working on something important.
read more -
The Startup Chronicles: A True Tale Of Customer Discovery
BY: Kathryn HoughWhen you hang out in the startup scene, it feels unnatural to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t have a smooth silver screen propped up between the two of you. I’ve found that shutting off my computer and getting out into the world to talk to potential customers has been the best business moves I have made recently.
read more -
YEC: 12 Tips for Introducing a High-Tech Offering to Improve a Low-Tech Industry
BY: The Young Entrepreneur CouncilMembers of the Young Entrepreneur Council answer the question, “What advice would you give an entrepreneur who wants to use a high-tech offering to improve a traditionally low-tech industry?”
read more -
E-book Marketing Basics
BY: Guest PostIn this digital age, a lot of people believe that “anyone” can write a book and publish it online. (Anyone can, but there’s a big difference between a thirty-page diatribe against The Man, complete with crayon-drawn illustrations, and a novel worthy of comparisons to Kurt Vonnegut!) But what happens after those eBooks get published? For [...]
read more -
How To Quit Your 9-To-5 To Work On Your Startup
BY: Kathryn HoughBy the time you read this, my desk at my 9 to 5 job will belong to someone else. Here’s how I prepared to leave my job to work full-time on my startup.
read more -
How Non-Programmers Can Get Hired By A Startup
BY: Kathryn HoughWant to score your dream job at a startup? Here is some advice from non-programmers and the founders who hired them.
read more
St. Louis City, County Join Forces To Support Entrepreneurs
Newsjacking: Bringing Companies Exposure With Viral Marketing
Hot Shot Email: Use your Domain Name