Doug HoweJun 15, 20212 minProtecting Your Trade SecretsYour intellectual property (IP) can come in many forms: patents, copyrights, trade secrets and trademarks among others. This post will...
Doug HoweMar 23, 20212 minBeing Seized by the “Better Mousetrap” SyndromeOne of the “5 - P’s” of Marketing is “Product.” The product development process needs to be guided by marketing-oriented staff that have...
Doug HoweFeb 15, 20212 minENTREPRENEUR’S COMMON MISTAKE #1: Having insufficient start-up and operating fundsThe most important element you must include in your business planning is determining the amount of funding that will be required to get...
Rusty ShafferFeb 13, 20215 minWhat's the difference between a business incubator and a business accelerator?If you’re an entrepreneur looking for guidance or investment it can be a daunting task to figure out the many players in the arena. There...
Doug HoweFeb 8, 20212 minSEGMENTING YOUR MARKET: 10% of a watermelon, or 90% of a grape?If I were to ask you, “What would you rather have – 10% of a watermelon ... or 90% of a grape – how would you react? Think about this,...
Jeffrey Sheldon; patentpend@gmail.comFeb 6, 20212 minPatent Protection: You Get What You Pay ForIs our Covid economy the real mother of invention? It appears to be. Whether it's because of a lost job or a slashed salary or working...
Rusty ShafferFeb 5, 20215 minCan you "learn" to be passionate about what you're selling?Often when I speak, people ask me where I get my passion from for certain topics, ideas, products, business techniques, etc. The short...
Doug HoweFeb 2, 20212 minHaving A Product That Is Never “Ready” For Market: taking too long to get your product to marketA frequent error that start-ups make is taking too much time getting the product into the marketplace. In typical fashion, our start-up...
Doug HoweFeb 1, 20212 minPractice Guerrilla Marketing: Use inexpensive yet highly effective tools to achieve successWith any start-up, we want to conserve that ever-precious commodity – cash. Guerrilla marketing tools and techniques represent a basket...
Doug HoweFeb 1, 20211 minTHE UCSB TEST: Here’s a sanity check for your creative ideas and messaging.THE UCSB TEST: Here’s a sanity check for your creative ideas and messaging. First, the UCSB test has nothing to do with the California...
Rusty ShafferDec 22, 20202 minWhat if Your Business Could Talk to You?In many of my discussions with new entrepreneurs, I'm constantly asked, "How do i....(fill in the blank)," or "What should I do with...
Rusty ShafferDec 22, 20203 minLooking Behind the Value-Prop CanvasIf you're familiar with the value proposition canvas you know that parts of the canvas are filled out with answers to yield an idea's (or...
Rusty ShafferDec 22, 20205 minBeware of Shifting Pain PointsI recently left a 30-year career in the musical instrument business. I invented the Fretlight® guitar in 1989 and built a company around...