Our product stalled for 4 years by getting this wrong and it wasn't until the founding CEO of Netflix showed me how to set proper KPIs that we finally started making gains on optimizing our product. Based on your interest in angel investors, I assume this is an early stage startup and most social networks don't try to monetize very early. If you're not trying to drive ads, subscriptions or other revenue yet, your KPIs (key performance indicators) will primarily be: - week-over-week growth rate - engagement (frequency, recency, stickiness) - retention - referral rate Y Combinator suggests that a 5-7% week over week growth rate is good, while 10% is very strong. If all of your growth is organic, any of these numbers would be interesting to most angels after about 6+ consecutive weeks, especially if you can explain how you have systematically driven those numbers up using data. If it's all paid acquisition, your cost per acquisition, engagement, and retention will be the numbers they focus on. Engagement should be a factor of frequency, recency, and potentially, time spent on site. The level of engagement that you want would depend a lot on what kind of social network you are and how people are engaging. If you increase logins by forcing people to check messages that they ultimately won't find valuable, they'll quickly lose interest in your network. It's possible that the ideal engagement rate is determined by seeing what level of engagement results in the best retention and referral rates. When you roll out monetization, you'll add new KPIs. What they are will depend on your business model. If you are ad-supported, some of your KPIs might be month-over-month growth of ad impressions, incremental improvement to click rate or your effective revenue per thousand impressions. If you are subscriber-supported, you will measure other metrics entirely. It's important to know what the final, most important KPIs are. At my streaming music company, our most important metric was the average number of songs completed per user per month. We made the obvious observation that, if we got more people to turn on music in the first place, we would increase this number. We implemented our most popular channels as options on the homepage instead of making people navigate to find their favorite channel. Our activation of new users skyrocketed but nearly all of them selected a broad genre channel like Rock instead of the niche Shoegaze channel they would really love, and our engagement and retention plummeted. So, the metric we were trying to improve through our test did, in fact, improve, but the health of our business declined further down the funnel. You gotta get these right. Let me know if you want to talk through your situation.

Interesting question and thanks for asking. Being REAL in yourself is the first step to connect to your subconscious self. Mastering the subconscious self makes your purpose more clear with clarity. Goals are personified and outcome is happiness.

A good starting point for determining valuation is 3x your annual profits. That said, you may find a 1 - 2X variance up or down depending on the type of product(s), the category or categories you sell in, your total number of SKUs, etc.

Hi, You need to hire a cold calling expert that will contact the companies and schedule a meeting to close the deal. Email me at kvirtualservice@gmail.com

Hi: Sounds like you have a compelling idea, but I’m wondering about the validation work you’ve done? Have you talked to people in the market segment you’re targeting and confirmed that there’s a gap that needs filling? Confirmed that current alternatives aren’t doing the job to their satisfaction? Once you’ve done that, for your initial MVP, do a very basic one (I’ve talked to people who did one on PowerPoint) and take it out and show it to people in your community. Ask them what they think of it, what’s good, what’s bad and what’s needed. Then, ask them to be part of the founding member group — with some modest incentive. Then, do the same with your beta — ask real people to check it out and give you feedback — and loop them in as founding members. Then, once you release to the real world, you have a collection of founding members who can reflect interest and validation of your idea. If you wish to discuss, send me a PM through Clarity for 15 free minutes. Cheers, Kerby

From my experience, crowdfunding is hardly/if-ever effective as an actual fundraising tool for the vast majority of entrepreneurs (particularly if there are actual goods being manufactured and delivered.) But what it can be used for effectively is a tool to gauge and show interest in your business product/service. So if you can get people to participate at a certain level you can take those "pre-sales" to your potential investors and show some level of possible market validation or interest. so I'd leverage crowdfunding more for that "community interest" piece, rather than actual funds being raised.

One Tree Hill Collection, a development comprising 14 houses by Singapore- listed construction and property group Lum Chang Holdings, is scheduled for launch soon. It is not just any landed housing project, however. “Located right smack in prime District 10, in the vicinity of luxury residences such as The Marq on Paterson Hill, The Colonnade and Cliveden at Grange, One Tree Hill is a highly desirable estate,” says Peter Ow, director of property at Lum Chang Holdings. “It’s accessible from Grange Road, Paterson Road and Orchard Boulevard.” Lum Chang therefore decided to develop a luxurious development befitting its prestigious address. K2LD Architects was selected to design the houses at One Tree Hill Collection. “K2LD has a track record for designing luxury houses, especially Good Class Bungalows,” says Ow. “That’s why we chose them.”

As the owner of your business, you should never feel threatened by the loss of an employee. Have a straightforward conversation with the employees to let them know that you are willing to take action if necessary. Work on assertive communication techniques that will help you hold the space. In my experience, some of the most challenging staff I have managed, have thrived after I have reset the expectations. As far as the threat of losing his, keep your feelers out for a possible replacement and start building the systems and processes you will need in place to train the replacement in the shortest amount of time. I work with entrepreneurs to build their businesses, address risk and strategy and work on leadership. I'd love to discuss this more with you and answer any questions you may have. Feel free to set up a call with me.

Very simple, when your investment in PR gives you positive ROI. How to do it - you need to learn how to evaluate PR from two aspects - a. convert all business information into the financial term of costs and benefits and perform a costs and benefits analysis. b. a major milestone can be achieved or an obstacle to be overcome when applying the PR. "The goals and methods are always clear and straight forward but the paths/ journeys are always curving"

I find this is one of the toughest questions to answer, we are not looking at how to sell or how to at impress people - all these can be learnt. We are looking at when the willing parties just in time to meet each other (i,e, the buyer just in time want to buy the office space that you have and willing to sell). We are looking for the right time to execute the ripe situation. The timely quality information is the trigger point. Given the deficiencies in reaching out the ideal customers in time, there are two common approaches: 1. increase reach out capabilities - to convert more quality leads 2. improve inbound management - to nurture customers and prospects so as to realise sales. Combine the advancement of technology and modified marketing strategy, the gap of serving wrong prospects can be narrowed. You should try different ways to collect real leads/ database (remember the more the better but make sure real and are prospects based on your customer profile). Look for places where you can capture quality leads regularly at low or reasonable costs. Build a nurturing and maintaining model by using a simple CRM (many very good CRMs in the market at zero or low costs). This is the place where the right customers can be nurtured (now - s/he may be a buyer or referrer) As for the right companies, you can follow the above same approach, but your criteria will change accordingly. Hope the above can help you. :)

Last year, I made six-figures from consulting on the side (while I had a full-time job). Here's how I did it... I think a lot of "wantrepreneurs" overcomplicate the process of starting a business, and just throw up their hands because it can seem overwhelming and complicated. A lot of my work came from referrals. By simply finding one person who needed help, I was able to two additional clients who needed help (that came recommended by the first person). The first person found me on LinkedIn, so I would look into optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Search around for consultants in your industry and see how they write their headlines and biographies especially. If you want to scale to a large company, it first starts with one client. And snowballs from there. One great tip I've heard is whenever you have a client, ask them "I don't spend anything on marketing because I want to spend all my time helping you. So I rely on my clients to give me more referrals. Are there 3 friends you know who would be interested in my services?" I think you can grow a sizable consulting business through referrals only. Most people overcomplicate thinking about Facebook Ads, hiring a bunch, and other things. Walk before you can run!

I believe the correct answer is B. We are looking at the relative frequency of letters, and you are choosing a random sample of books to count it. With respect to a random sample, we sample from a population. We like to randomly select a sample from a population. Thank you.

Almost all my clients have the same issue as yours. So your challenges are not unique. While making positive business progress is a wonderful thing, external growth must come with relevant similar pace of internal growth. It seems that you are using the same old management approach/ style despite your business has grown from 1 or 2 people into current size. It is no more purely a number game now, mismanaging people will lead to loss of knowledge, valuable customer, profits, and growth potential. Your backyard is having fire currently means your internal support team is having some challenges and you may have uneven growth in some business functions - immediately you should investigate the following areas: 1. Review your management approach/ style and system 2. Review whether you are capable to manage C-level employees. 3. Review your human capital policies and culture diversity 4. Review, whether you have clear/ appropriate a) accountabilities, b) roles and responsibilities, c) committed budget, d) monitoring and control system, e) KPIs, etc 5. Revisit your mission/ vision/ expectations, adjust if necessary. 6. Review workflows and communication models to identify what has triggered the conflict(s). I think the above should help. Upon making the reviewing, you may already have action plans. If you still have problems, feel free to drop me a message

Hello, The first step is to get the idea validated and opportunity assessed. It is important for an entrepreneur to invest time and energy in idea which has potential of getting transformed into sustainable business. I'd be happy to assist you move forward in your journey. Drop a message/schedule a call or you may further write to our incubator at startup@xlarise.com for extensive support

You need to be doing three things with the initial money you make .. You should be looking into updating your "toolbox" with sensible purchases… KNOW that buying that particular tool will make your product better, or better yet, give you a edge on your competitors… do not buy something because it feels logical for the business you do... Your purchase has to have an immediate impact on your next order... Secondly, but some aside... make sure that you have a little fall back money... there will be tough times.. there will be less tough, if you prepare.... and third... REWARD yourself....or others .. make having your back.. let it be noticeable that you are making money... it doesn't have to be a Rolex.... … have a story about how you spent your first hard earned cash.

Doing forecasting need to determine: 1) the sources of revenue and the revenue drivers 2) the classification of costs and the costs drivers 3) the nature of costs and their patterns Then you develop profit and loss + balance sheet + cash flows forecast. With the above basis, you can perform the cost of customer acquisition per type of revenue per year; the cost of customer acquisition & maintenance / total lifetime revenue for ROI or NPV; break-even, the margin of safety, contribution per sales type; ROCE; market sensitive test; etc. If you adopt the above, you will somewhat be getting things in the proper place.

Did you know that having an fancy expensive website doesn't do it either...I mean you can pour thousands of dollars into a website... but without traffic, it wont be worth it... Find you target demographic.. Schools, Community Centers etc... and go old school... HANG UP A FLYER!.... that will get you going... if your product is awesome... the organic word to mouth method will get you students... So two things.... do not be afraid to go OLD SCHOOL... and be sure that your product is of quality...

NDA's are certainly a must have for new startup companies, especially if you are developing intellectual property. I would recommend consulting with an attorney that is licensed in your home state. Attorney's have very strict client confidentiality obligations, so you won't need an NDA with your own attorney, but you will likely need one for employees, vendors and other subcontractors.

1) First, selling something doesn't always have to be through testimonials or referrals. If your product -here commercial office space - makes sense, then, people will be interested. When I started my marketing agency, the first client I acquired was a big LED supplier in China and I did it by: a)Giving a practical solution to his problem b) Being professional at every front c) Referring to my industry experience (not clients) 2) There are many things you can do to connect with potential clients in your local region. Here are a couple of them: 1) You can highly target ads in your region 2) You can create a killer office space introduction video 3) You can channelize your current network to get introductions I think reading this B2B marketing blog I wrote couple of weeks ago will help you: https://www.upreports.com/blog/marketing-growth-strategies-hacks/ Need further advice? I'm just a call away!

psychological fatigue that's basically the reason entry level jobs fail to get higher positions the lack of motivation makes them psychologically fatigue if companies we have motivational speakers gift courses to everyone an entry level jobs they would be able to have more productive staff

I would suggest first contacting an independent consultant for Financial Education Services. They have been instrumental in my community.

Hello: Great that you have some traction in this marketplace. Now you’re looking to grow. Your best resources for determining where expansion makes sense are your current customers. They know you, know what you offer and hopefully have a level of comfort with your business. So reach out and: * conduct a brief (3-5 question) survey on their needs outside of office/desk space * talk to your best clients personally to discuss their office-related challenges * meanwhile, are you doing everything you can do to build up your client base? Lastly, given the knowledge you’ve built up around the office/coworking space, perhaps it’s time to explore acquiring your own property to run. If you wish to discuss, send me a PM through Clarity for 15 free minutes. Thanks, Kerby

Hello: That first toehold in the market can be the toughest to get. Especially when you’re working two sides of the street. Validating your idea is essential, but that means you’re in a listening phase more than a selling phase. Don’t simply write a blind email or two and wait for a response. You are the key to winning business in the early stages—your idea, your passion about the idea and your drive behind starting the business. So on the university side, zero in on a handful of schools—ideally nearby—and get face-to-face meetings with relevant people. Go in ready to hear what their pains are—based on your question perhaps around connecting with corporations? Work some queries around the space you’re addressing within your conversation but do not pitch your solution. Similarly on the corporate side, connect with relevant individuals—is it those in charge of training? You’re right, they’re busy, so a face-to-face might not work, but cold calls certainly can. Develop a concise script that focuses on listening (broad, open-ended questions) and start dialing. It is a numbers game, but you can help yourself by approaching mid-sized and smaller companies as well. If you wish to discuss, send me a PM through Clarity for 15 free minutes. Thanks, Kerby

Email is likely a poor choice for this. Reminds me of the guy who goes to a bar + tries to hook of with strangers. To many steps missed between initial meeting + hoping into the sack. Repeat/Persistent business builds on relationships. Rather than email, go speak at local events. When you're comfortable, go speak at any of the 100s (1000s if you count all weekly https://Meetup.com groups) of E-Commerce industry conferences/events. Affiliate Summit + PubCon come to mind. If you've never done marketing by speaking at conferences, you can book a call with me or likely many others. Once you get the hang of this, you'll laugh about any other type of lead generation... well... if your funnel contains big ticket items. If you're working with small ticket items, you still won't use email. You'll use paid traffic, targeting your perfect client.