Joe Mimran, best known for launching the Club Monaco and Joe Fresh brands, has been a judge for three seasons on the CBC reality television series Dragons’ Den. After working in his family-run dressmaking business, Mimran and brother Saul hired designer Alfred Sung in 1981, and launched a line of apparel, fragrances, eyewear, homeware and […]
Given that the simple key to success of any startup is your ability to sell what you make, here are five critically important tips as to how startups can really make their sales machines fire on all (or at least more) cylinders. 1. Talk to accomplished sales professionals who know nothing about startups or your […]
2016 was a year less of personality-driven change, and more a year of big sea changes across industries. It was the year a lot of new B2B tech that has been hyped for years (analytics, B2B FinTech, MarTech) got real, the year big data got a little less big and the Internet of things exploded […]
Creating a marketing strategy is crucial for your startup, company or organization to address the right message to your buyers/users personas. It’s important to define a marketing strategy for your startup in order to have a marketing plan and be on the right path to success. How do you create your startup marketing strategy? Should […]
At a time when digital tools such as social media and content marketing are all the rage, some startups are discovering that going un-digital can be an effective approach to marketing. In the marketing world, it’s all about being digital active. Brands need a vibrant social media presence, ideally on multiple platforms. They need to […]
In the fast-moving digital world, the press release is widely viewed as an anachronism. Compared to sizzle and sexiness of social media and content marketing, the press release is a digital dinosaur. As Chris Hogg argued in an earlier post on B2B NN, why would anyone use a press release when they can tweet, share and […]
What’s ahead for startup marketing in 2016? Which trends will impact your B2B startup? In many cases, it will be more of the same: content marketing, social marketing and storytelling. If there is an underlying theme, it may be agility, flexibility and the ability to capitalize on opportunities to stand apart in an increasingly noisy […]
Starting in 2016, the U.S. and Canada are legalizing equity crowdfunding to allow more North Americans to invest in start-ups in return for company shares. Beginning Jan. 25, 2016, Canadian regulatory changes will legitimize equity crowdfunding in Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (British Columbia and Saskatchewan recognizes this trend earlier this decade). In the […]
In Africa, where roads are often impassible and conflict has put whole swaths of territory off-limits, the Internet is playing a pivotal role in bringing people together. With over 550 million mobile subscribers, Africa is more connected — by phone anyway — than Europe. There’s a good reason why mobile phones have become so popular […]
The Yukon may not be the first place one thinks of when it comes to startup scenes, but the partnership between YuKonstruct Makerspace Society and Startup Canada should help boost the arctic region’s nascent scene. The partnership, BetaKit reports, includes YuKonstruct and (co)space — both under the umbrella of the YuKonstruct Makerspace Society — and Startup […]
While Lauren Friese says there are no hard and fast rules for selling a business, she noticed the signs indicating the time was right to sell TalentEgg, the company she founded in 2008. Among the leading indicators were two factors: Friese recognized that her personal contribution to TalentEgg’s success was becoming less important, and there was […]
What can a funk-music legend best known for performing in diapers and singing about flashlights teach anyone about business success? After reading George Clinton’s recent autobiography, I learned from Clinton’s tumuluous life the driving forces behind being a star, no matter your vertical. Clinton is the founder of Parliament and Funkadelic, two super-groups during the 70s […]
In theory, mentorship is a positive concept. It is the opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with people looking for guidance, insight and encouragement. The reality, however, is mentoring requires an investment in time and energy. It is not as simple as connecting with an entrepreneur who wants some help. Like any relationship, a mentorship […]
Entrepreneurs often apply their life skills to their sales and marketing, and the acquired lessons from marriage are no different. The business professionals we spoke to explain how their marriage helped them become stronger entrepreneurs…and how running their own companies helped their relationships. Eric Gilboord, of Toronto-based WarrenBDC, helps Boomer-aged business owners to sell or transition out of their […]
One of the truisms of being an entrepreneur is eternal optimism. It is a necessary ingredient for anyone going into a high-risk venture. Even though the chances of failure are high, entrepreneurs believe they will be successful. This is what makes entrepreneurs so captivating– they are willing to take chances the rest of us would […]
To casual observers the Ultimate Fighting Championship is little more than a brute contest. Blood and teeth spill on the Octagon. However what the organization has done to elevate the sport of mixed martial arts over the last 20 years is remarkable…and offers lesson for any startup executive. For a fighter to be top-ranked in […]
Say you’re concerned about cyber-criminals hacking into your company’s back end. You’ve run risk assessments before but those reports take weeks to compile. You’re worried those assessments could come too late. What if you could diagnose cyber-security attacks in real-time and be notified immediately of potential solutions? Those are the questions a new Israeli startup will gladly […]
It seems Canadian entrepreneurs have a lot to learn when it comes to financial management. According to Intuit’s 2014 Canadian Financial Literacy Quiz, four in 10 small business owners lack basic financial knowledge. The good news is that at least some of them recognize the fact that they could use a little help. More than […]
Customer referrals are one of the most powerful endorsements a business can obtain. Personal endorsements generally carry more weight than other routine marketing channels. While a flashy ad may catch attention and even generate a sale, this sale is not necessarily going to convert to the buyer becoming a loyal customer. Especially if the customer […]
By now, many of us will have read Ev Williams’ tirade against click-bait. He’s certainly not the first to argue for a greater focus on engagement instead of just the click, and the ensuing discussion reflected a fundamental need to broaden how we view the very statistics that serve as the benchmark for online success. […]
