Blog
Dispatch Efficiency, Drive Service and Track Results with FoundOPs
Today's featured member, FoundOps, is the easiest and most efficient way to run a field service company. FoundOPS is a revolutionary new approach to managing your field service company. In one, easy to use cloud based system, we've incorporated GPS technician tracking, drag and drop dispatching, and intuitive customer management. What inspired you to start your company?The beliefs that:1) The majority of field service in this country is conducted by small, hard-working companies. (Your plumber is most likely a small business, not McDonald's Plumbing.)2) Small field service companies possess significant opportunities for process optimization that can increase profit margins and decrease pain. (Typically, these...
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How To Hire the Best Employees For Your Young Startup
This post originally appeared here.Hiring your first staff as a young entrepreneur and business owner is crucial to determining how far you go with growing your company. You have certain challenges as a young business owner looking to hire great talent to work for you. The earlier you know of these challenges and how to overcome them the better for you.What possibly could be the challenges you will likely face as you go to get the best possible hands for your startup;1. You Will Not Be Competitive Enough Financially:Unless you come across a generous investor at the early stages of starting your company chances are that you may not have the resources to offer the sort of wages to attract real top talents to your startup. That is a problem...
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How To Win Disrupt, Tips From Getaround
This post originally appeared here.Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from TechCrunch Disrupt winner and Getaround co-founder Jessica Scorpio on her experiences at last year’s TechCrunch Disrupt New York.For those of you who are planning on attending the conference this year, the last remaining tickets are still on sale, and companies who want chance to join the Battleground can apply for a couple of open spots in Startup Alley. Review the full agenda here.Winning TechCrunch Disrupt in 2011 was an unforgettable experience that will undoubtedly remain a highlight of my entrepreneurial career. After winning the prestigious Disrupt Cup and Audience Choice Award, we signed up thousands of cars,...
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Kick back, relax and let your stress go with a Yellow Leaf Hammock
Today's featured member, Yellow Leaf Hammocks, is a social enterprise that encourages Americans to “Do Good. Relax.” by kicking back in an insanely cozy handwoven hammock.Based in California, Yellow Leaf Hammocks combines a classic design aesthetic, sophisticated textile engineering and extraordinary craftsmanship to provide a relaxing retreat right outside the front door. Read our interview with Founder & Chief Relaxation Officer, Joe Demin.What inspired you to start your company?I’ve always believed profitable businesses could also do good in the world and, like a lot of people, I was feeling pretty disgusted with the “profit at all costs” mentality on display in the news and on Wall Street....
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3 Excuses to Grab Coffee With Other Entrepreneurs
This post was written by Tim Jahn, co-founder of Entrepreneurs UnpluggdI’m a huge advocate of getting out, meeting people, and collaborating with others. I believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, and the more we help each other, the more we’re all going to get where we hope to be.One great way to meet, help, and learn from others is to get together for coffee (or water, in my case — I’ve never liked coffee). There are 3 main reasons I think you should get coffee regularly with fellow entrepreneurs:Get a fresh perspective on your business. I’m constantly amazed at the fresh perspective others bring to my business. Every time I have coffee with a fellow entrepreneur, they suggest an idea...
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Promote, Support, and Celebrate female entrepreneurship with Project Eve
Today's featured startup, Project Eve, is a social media platform supporting, promoting and celebrating female entrepreneurship and women-owned business. Project Eve's global social media platform helps female entrepreneurs and business owners connect across cultural, social and geographic barriers to interaction. They currently offers an online social network, an opt-in newsletter, “Caffeine Break,” and a business directory. Read the following interview with co-founder, Kim Oksenberg. What inspired you to start your company?The idea for Project Eve emerged from Kim Oksenberg's (one of our co-founders) failed attempt at launching a different startup. Meridith Dennes, Eve’s other co-founder,...
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9 Deadliest Start-up Sins
This post originally appeared here and was written by Steve Blank.Inc. magazine is publishing a 12-part series of excerpts from The Startup Owner’s Manual, the new step-by-step “how to” guide for startups. The excerpts, which appeared first at Inc.com, highlight the Customer Development process, best practices, tips and instructions contained in our book. Feedback from my readers suggested you’d appreciate seeing the series posted here, as well.Whether your venture is a new pizza parlor or the hottest new software product, beware: These nine flawed assumptions are toxic.1. Assuming you know what the customer wantsFirst and deadliest of all is a founder’s unwavering belief that he or she...
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Starting Up? Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes
By Abbie Steinbacher, CEO and founder of My First Yoga.The opposing forces of the economy tanking and technological advances soaring have created a prime environment for first-time entrepreneurs. That said, “entrepreneur” has become a buzz word associated with the few startup founders we’ve watched become millionaires, and even billionaires, overnight. As the media catapults these successful entrepreneurs to celebrity status, the separation between “us” aspiring entrepreneurs and “them” — the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world — grows. This growing separation can cloud your entrepreneurial pathway with unnecessary mystery.From my experience as founder of the kids’ yoga...
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PitchBurner is the leading platform for coordinating engaging business plan and idea pitch competitions.
Today's featured member, PitchBurner, is a platform for managing the logistics of unique business plan and quick pitch competitions as well as many other types of events.PitchBurner provides an ecosystem where competition admins can manage every aspect of their event from one interface. Things like organizing submissions, creating a customized microsite for promotion, getting judges involved, and providing a way for feedback and scores to be shared online to participants all take place inside PitchBurner. We work very closely with colleges, universities, and organizations to create events that have a big impact on communities and get people excited about growing a business or idea. Read our interview with Founder & Managing...
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Help your family stay safe and healthy with Safety Mom
Today's featured startup member, Safety Mom, offers in-home safety consultations to look for hazards, review emergency plans and discuss how to make a home safer.Alison Rhodes, The Safety Mom, has exploded onto the national scene as the preeminent voice on safety, wellness and healthy living. From environmental toxins and healthy eating to sports injuries and cyber bullying, The Safety Mom is always on the lookout for the issues facing children – newborns to teens – as well as the entire family. After experiencing the death of her child from SIDS, Alison became committed to saving children’s lives. Over the years Alison has expanded her career platform to include a gamut of vital issues facing families. Read...
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The perfect gift for DC Area women this Mother's Day, I AM Modern Magazine
Today's featured startup, I AM Modern Magazine, is the DC region’s only lifestyle magazine designed exclusively for women.I AM Modern Magazine is comprised entirely of reader-generated articles that are specific to the interests and needs of Metro D.C. residents. I AM is not only a magazine, but is tied inextricably to the community. I AM utilizes a multimedia platform and has a vibrant and involved women readership for both the print and online editions, producing the only publication that directly targets this valuable and expanding demographic: suburban women and moms.I AM helps businesses minimize advertising costs and effectively streamlines their marketing efforts to reach their most valued target markets. The I AM...
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5 Free Tools to Boost Productivity and Profits
By Rishi Shah, CEO of Flyingcart.comWhen starting a new business, two things you probably don’t have much of are money or time. You have a million things to do and no money to make it happen. I know — I was there when I launched my Internet business six years ago. Here are five powerful free tools that I used to get things rolling:WeeblyWeebly is the best thing that ever happened to creating websites. It is easy, fast and, best of all, free. My favorite part about Weebly is how easy it is to maintain. You can make ongoing changes on a regular basis, like updating your address, adding customer testimonials and changing your prices. If you already have a website but haven’t updated it in years, consider...
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