How To Improve Your Payment Process Step By Step

According to research, 68% of UK consumers have abandoned an online retail site because of the payment process. This could be because the process seemed long, complicated or insecure, or simply because the customer didn’t have the required payment method to hand when it was time to pay.

Streamlining your payment process will help to ensure that customers go the distance and complete their purchase. Keep reading to find out more.

1. Boost security.

Security is one of the most important elements of the payment process. A huge 89% of Brits are worried about online security. By visibly boosting the security of your site, you can help put your customers’ minds at ease and take the stress out of shopping online.

There are a number of different ways that you can make your site more secure. One of the best things you can do is invest in an SSL certificate. This will encrypt the data that’s sent between your website and your customers’ computers, helping to keep sensitive information out of the hands of hackers.

It’s also a good idea to use a payment processor with a high level of built-in security. Select a processor that allows you to use CVV2 verification for credit and debit card payments and ensure your chosen processor is PCI compliant.

Place as many official logos on your payment page as you can. These could include Paypal, credit card and antivirus logos, as well as logos that show your business is recognised or accredited by an industry body. These official symbols can go a long way when it comes to reassuring customers that your site is legitimate and that their payment details are secure.

2. Give your customers choice. 

The last thing you want is for a customer with hundreds of pounds worth of products in their shopping cart to abandon the process because they don’t have their credit card handy. So the more choice you can give your customers when it comes to payment, the better.

Instead of only taking payment via debit and credit cards, try to include a few other options like Paypal in your checkout process. As well as helping to encourage customers to take that final step and complete their purchase, it also makes your ecommerce site more accessible to customers from other countries.

3. Keep it simple. 

57% of the people who abandon an online purchase at the checkout phase do so because they find the process too complicated. Try to keep your payment process as simple as possible by getting rid of unnecessary forms, and try to avoid asking your customers to click through multiple pages to complete the action. The quicker the process is, the more likely customers will be to make it to the end, so make sure you remove any steps that aren’t absolutely necessary.

4. Tokenization.

A great way to make your payment process more secure and boost customer confidence is to use tokenization. A service like the Oracle payment processing system uses tokenization to help protect customer information. This can dramatically improve the security of your site and help to make the payment process even smoother.

5. Go omnichannel.

Just 15 years ago, customers used an average of two touch points when buying an item. These days, shoppers use around six touch points before making a buying decision. Ensuring your online shop has extensive reach across multiple channels is therefore very important if you’re going to give your customers what they want.

Work to integrate your online and offline payment processes. You could do this by asking customers to create accounts so their shopping baskets are accessible from all of their internet-enabled devices. You could also allow customers to reserve products online and pay for them in store. Giving your customers an integrated online and offline shopping experience, and making it easy for them to browse your products from multiple devices, should help to make the payment process easy for everyone. 

6. Check for glitches.

Glitches and errors on your website, especially in the final phases of the payment process, can easily put customers off. Make sure you go through each page of your site on a regular basis to ensure there aren’t any major faults with the payment process. If you come across any errors or glitches, make sure they’re fixed as quickly as possible.

Streamlining the payment process is incredibly important if you want to get more from your ecommerce site. Take a look at your online shop today to see if you can improve then customer experience and boost profits in the process.

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Why Young Entrepreneurs Should Also Be Investing (And How To Get Started)

Young entrepreneurs often get involved in entrepreneurship with the hopes of long-term financial success; they want to make enough money to live on indefinitely, sell the business for a fortune, or retire early after reaching a certain landmark. However, even with the best business, there’s no guarantee of success, with about half of all businesses failing in the first five years.

Instead of pouring all your time and financial assets into your business, it’s better to invest at least a portion of your capital and income in other assets—and it’s relatively easy to get started.

Why Invest?

Investing has several advantages, even when compared to the potential return of investing in your own business:

Consistent, compounding returns. Investing wisely should net you a path of stable, consistent returns. With the power of compound interest working in your favor, even a meager regular investment could quickly add up to a fortune. Your business’s growth curve won’t nearly be as stable, and if you wait too long to start investing, you might miss out on years’ worth of compound interest.

Volatility protection. There’s no guarantee your business will be consistently successful over the course of its growth. You might see a few years of prosperity, followed by a few years that threaten to close the business forever. Investing is an easy way to protect yourself from that volatility, giving you an alternative source of growth (or even income) to help you scrape by.

Variety and exposure. Investing also gives you the opportunity to take advantage of a variety of investments, including the stocks of other companies and real-world commodities. This increases your chances of finding success with a high return, and also gives you the chance to learn more about the market in general.

Types of Investments.

There’s no one right way to invest. In fact, there are dozens of investment types you can consider, such as:

Stocks are the gold standard for investing, since they’re relatively easy to understand and can be used to invest in companies of all sizes and in all industries. You can aim for stocks with high growth potential, or choose ones with a steady quarterly dividend to use as income.

Bonds are a way to loan your money to a business or organization. They come with a lower, but much more predictable rate of return and are mostly considered a “safe” investment. They often serve as a complementary investment to stocks in investor portfolios.

Futures trading is a bit more volatile and exciting, so it isn’t for everybody. Here, you’ll make contracts to buy or sell certain assets for a specified price in the future; it comes with higher risk, but much higher reward potential.

Funds and ETFs. Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) allow you to invest in a pool of different assets, such as 100 different company stocks within a certain industry. This is a good way to reduce your risk and ensure a steadier rate of growth, but depending on the fund, you might also pay a management fee.

Ultimately, the best course of action is to invest in a diversity of different assets, so you can minimize your risk and see a more stable growth curve.

Getting Started.

If you aren’t sure how to get started, these are the steps you’ll need to follow:

Set your goals. Everyone will have slightly different investment goals. Some investors seek a high return, favoring high-risk, high-reward approaches, while others would prefer a more casual, predictable mode of value investing. Setting your goals in advance will guide you to the right decisions.

Choose your assets. With your goals in place, you can choose which assets you want to focus on. Bonds and funds tend to be more conservative, while stocks and futures tend to be more aggressive (depending on how you trade them). Pick one or two to specialize in instead of trying to master them all.

Learn what you can. Spend some time on online forums, and talk to other people you know who have years of investing experience. The more you learn, the more intelligently you’ll be able to trade any asset. And if you can, use an online practice platform to commit a few trades with imaginary money, so you can see how it works.

Choose a brokerage platform. There are many online brokerage platforms to choose from, and most of them offer similar functionality for a similar price. However, you may have a personal preference based on a platform’s UI and accessibility, so shop around before making your final decision. Once your account is set up, you’ll be able to add money to it and start making trades.

No matter how much potential your startup has, you’ll be best served investing at least some of your income in other assets. It’s the best strategy for your future and one that you can draw on, regardless of how well your company performs in the future.

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5 Tips For Stress-Free Business Travel

 

As an entrepreneur who has goals of growing a startup into a flourishing business, networking plays a catalytic role in accomplishing key objectives. There’s the need to pitch investors, build partnerships with suppliers, meet with prospects, and maintain healthy relationships with customers. In many cases, this means business travel.

The problem with business travel is that it’s traditionally filled with friction and contention. From delayed flights and lost luggage to navigating traffic in a new city, there are challenges at every turn. But it doesn’t have to be this way! With a little planning and preparation, business travel can be stress-free.

Making Business Travel Easy and Effortless. 

Tiring, disorienting, stressful, anxious, and erratic… these don’t have to be the words that define your business travels. Instead, you can have enjoyable and productive experiences that push your business forward.

The following pointers will help: 

1. Keep a Bag Packed.

One of the biggest stressors of travel is packing. You always feel as if you’re going to forget something, which puts you on high alert and ratchets up your stress level.

“If you’re going to be traveling routinely, it’s worth buying duplicates of key items and leaving them in your travel bag, versus remembering to repack them after using them at home,” entrepreneur Patrick Gray writes. “For me, this is things like laptop and phone chargers, toothbrushes, and basic toiletries. I rarely forget these necessities since I have a travel set that’s always in my suitcase or laptop bag.”

2. Pack Carry-On Only.

Unless you absolutely have to, you should avoid checking luggage at all costs. Not only does it add time onto your trip, but it also opens you up to the risk of having the airline lose your luggage.

Think it’s impossible to fit everything you have into carry-on luggage? Think again. You get one suitcase and a personal item, which means a briefcase or backpack. If you can’t fit a few outfits, a couple pairs of shoes, some toiletries, and a laptop into this space, you need to reevaluate your priorities. You’re going on a business trip, not packing for a 14-day European vacation. 

3. Try a Charter Flight.

Considering that the airport is typically the most stressful part of travel, have you ever thought about chartering a private jet? While it’s definitely more expensive than flying commercial, it comes with numerous benefits. Not only do you avoid the issues of delayed flights, checking luggage, picking out seats, and waiting in long airport security lines, but you also get to enjoy a relaxing flight without screaming children and obnoxious seat partners. 

4. Create Space in Your Schedule. 

Be strategic with how you set up your schedule on a business trip. When planning your itinerary, create breathing room between meetings and engagements. This gives you a buffer should things run late. It also provides some time for you to take a quick nap in your hotel room, prepare for your next presentation, or grab a bite to eat. 

5. Ditch the In-Flight Movies.

Whether you’re flying commercial or chartering a private jet, you usually have the opportunity to watch a movie during the flight. As tempting as this may be, you can find a better way to spend your time.

For example, it would be wise to use this time to brush up on your presentation or pitch. The more prepared you are, the less stressful this part of the trip will be. If nothing else, you can utilize the flight time to take a nap and rest up for what will be a busy few days.

Focus on the Details.

It’s easy to get so caught up in the big picture that you forget all about the smaller details. However, when it comes to business travel, it’s typically the finer details that have a major impact on the larger experience. Spend time paying attention to these elements and you’ll enjoy much faster, safer, and more efficient travel.

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[ADV] Best Smartphones In 2018 For Business Owners

In this world of technological reforms, we know how important it is to have a smartphone that can help you both in your daily life and help run your business. If you want to give your business a boost than buying the right smartphone can help you in managing your business. For your convenience, we have collected information regarding some of the best smartphones for business owners.

We hope that this guide will definitely help you in choosing the right smartphone which will help your business as well.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus.

• Dimensions: 158.1 X 73.3 X 8.5 mm
• Screen size: 6.2 inch
• Resolution: 1440X2960
• CPU: Snapdragon 845/ Exynos 9810
• RAM: 6GB
• Storage: 64GB/128GB along with micro slot card support up to 256GB
• Battery: 3500mAh
• Camera: Rear Dual 12MP Front 8MP

It is considered one of the best smartphone of 2018 up till now. This phone is well equipped with all the powerful components along with a 6.2-inch QHD Super AMOLED infinity display. Plus it comes with Samsung’s Knox security which will keep your data super secure with its fingerprint reader, iris scanner and face recognition. Samsung has done a lot of consideration on S9 to make it one of the best smartphones available and it can be seen clearly in its camera it works exceptionally well in both daylight and darkness. Other than this Samsung has introduced loud audio speakers by Harman which have Dolby Atmos support.

Blackberry KEYone.

• Dimensions: 72.5 X 149.3 X 9.4 mm
• Screen size: 4.5 inch
• Resolution: 1620X1080
• CPU: Snapdragon 625
• RAM: 3GB
• Storage: 32GB with micro slot support up to 2 TB
• Battery: 3505mAh, Li-ion
• Camera: rear 12MP front 8MP

Blackberry has been an all-time favorite among businessmen all over the world. Blackberry has kept its reputation for serving its customers with highly secure and capable cellphones. This legacy continues with Keyone’s amazing physical keyboard like the old Blackberry’s.

But unlike other smartphone companies, Blackberry doesn’t only rely on Google for the security of its user’s data. It has its own team of experts to ensure the safety and security of software as well as your data. Apart, from this Blackberry keyone doesn’t compromise in its performance at all no matter how much tasks you are doing at a time, it keeps things running smoothly all day long helping you in managing your emails, sorting out spreadsheets or entertaining yourself in leisure time.

iPhone 8.

• Dimensions: 138.4X67.3X7.3mm
• Screen size: 4.7 inch
• Resolution: 750X1334
• CPU: A11
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage: 64/256
• Camera: Rear 12MP Front 7MP

iPhones are famous for their simple user-friendly interface and the huge quantity of characteristic business apps it can run just at your fingertips. iPhone can easily support all sorts of apps like qustudio etc. iPhone 8   is one of the latest models present in the market which are offered by Apple. It is much better and improved now; it is faster, smarter and is water resistant too plus it is cheaper than iPhone X. Security is an all-time advantage of buying Apple devices, all iPhones are highly secure and you can be sure that your data is safe. iPhone 8 has one of Apple’s latest processors which gives it enough power to run a wide range of business tasks quite easily.

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5 Ways To Build Interest In Your Startup Before Launch

Building interest in a brand before it launches is important. The more excited your potential customers are about your brand, the more likely they will be to buy your products or services when they officially launch.

Here are five effective ways to build interest in your start-up before you launch.

1. Connect with Influencers.

Once you have determined your target market and their interests, you need to figure out how to reach them on a level that really engages them. Connecting with influencers is a great way to accomplish this goal.

Influencers have the power to shift the public’s perception about your brand. These can include politicians, bloggers, journalists, educators and even other business owners.

The earlier you can get influencers on board, the better.

2. Hold Giveaways and Contests.

Everyone loves a good contest or giveaway. Give potential customers some motivation to sign up early. Doing so will allow you to start building a rapport early on while keeping your costs down.

Giving away products through a contest or giveaway will also give winners a chance to get familiar with your product and spread word about it to their friends.

But in order for the promotion to be successful, it must have a clearly defined goal. Is your purpose to:

• Raise awareness?
• Generate more leads?
• Demonstrate your brand’s missions and values?

Make sure that your giveaway has a clear and meaningful goal going into it.

3. Host a Launch Event.

Generate some buzz and hype for your brand by hosting a launch event. Just like with contests and giveaways, your event needs to have a clear purpose. And you need to invite the right people. In addition to members of your target audience, you also want influencers and journalists in attendance.

Along with food and music, you may also want to have games or a photo booth. Photo booths are particularly popular at launch events because people share their pictures on social media along your brand.

As The Wow Factor, an events organizer, explains, photo booths can often be wrapped in brand information, which helps build awareness.

When planning the food, games and whatever else you want to include, be sure that you keep your target audience in mind and cater to their tastes.

4. Create a Webpage and Sign-Up Form.

Before your brand launches, create a pre-launch website and a sign-up form. This will allow you to get a jumpstart on your list and create an aura of intrigue. It will also give you the chance to gauge customer interest early on – before you’ve officially launched.

Make the pre-launch page as simple as possible, and make sure there’s a clear call to action included.

In the months and weeks leading up to your launch, try not to give away too many details about your service or product. Build up suspense. The more information you give, the less excited your target audience will be about the launch.

5. Create a Story for Your Brand.

Every brand needs a story. What’s yours? If you have a unique one, that can certainly generate interest in your company.

When building your brand’s story, make sure that you empathize with your audience’s emotions. Simplify your story, and make sure that you tell the same story everywhere.

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Think Like An Owner – And One Day You Will Be

by Keith Martino, head of CMI and author of “Expect Leadership”

Jerry wasn’t your average engineer.

While his college classmates fascinated on academics, Jerry raced down the sidelines snagging sizzling passes for the Baylor Bears. Soon he scored a much sought after intern offer from NASA and bought an acoustic guitar to serenade the boot scooters. What could have been more thrilling than to see an inspired young man from Shreveport, LA reaching for the stars and achieving success?

But, ultimately talent is finite, youth is fleeting and good looks are quite common.

As he rose through the corporate ranks, the traits that made Jerry his company’s most valuable player year after year had little to do with his athletic prowess or his love for a catchy tune. Jerry’s secret formula was his priceless perspective. His worldview.

Jerry thought like a business leader. Every day. In every situation. And when the opportunity presented itself, Jerry overcame all the challenges of an economically distressed childhood to buy majority ownership in his company. Jerry thought like an owner and became one.

Could you do the same? Could you propel yourself into another universe by changing the way you approach your job. We believe you can. We hope you will. But, hope is not a strategy.

As it turns out, there is no average engineer. There are only engineers who think like employees and engineers who think “like a boss.” The daily choices you make are indicative of the path you’re on. So test yourself while there’s time to adjust and ramp up your game.

Here are twelve questions you can quietly ask yourself to predict your outcome.

True or False:

_____ I do what is right for my customer, company, and team regardless of personal sacrifice.

_____ I press forward with good ideas, even if they are unpopular.

_____ I aim for goals higher than any manager will set for me.

_____ I do not give in to group pressures simply to avoid confrontation.

_____ I consistently give truthful feedback to customers, superiors, and teammates.

_____ I adhere firmly to a code of business ethics and moral values.

_____ Change always brings opportunity. Stagnation limits opportunity.

_____ I practice a disciplined approach to self-improvement.

_____ I have a method for prioritizing my opportunities today.

_____ I successfully make others enthusiastic about opportunities that require extra effort.

_____ I transmit a sense of purpose about all that I do.

_____ I am accountable for my actions and accept responsibility for my mistakes.

If you answered true to nine or more of these statements, you are on the right road to wind up steering your own endeavor. If you answered false to three or more of these statements, you’ll likely always report to someone else. It’s all a matter of your objectives.

Jerry knew from early in life that he wanted to reach his full potential, whatever that might be. I have no doubt that if you asked him today, he’d tell you that he’s still in the relentless pursuit of excellence. In other words, he isn’t done! He’s still streaking for the goal line.

Baylor University recently built a stunning new stadium in Waco, TX with world-class amenities. On any given Saturday night, you’ll find Jerry up in the stands. His heart is always in the game. And if you wander up to Jerry, ask him if you should aspire to own your own company. He will likely chuckle, wish you much success and suggest that you will have to make that decision for yourself. But regardless of your goals, Jerry will say, “be the best YOU that you can be.”

 

Keith Martino is head of CMI, a global consultancy founded in 1999 that customizes leadership and sales development initiatives. Martino is the author of Expect Leadership, a series of leadership books – The Executive Edition, in Business, in Engineeering, and in Technology. He has also published three sales handbooks, Get Results, Results Now, and “Selling to Americans“. After more than 20 years and numerous awards at FedEx, Xerox and Baxter Healthcare, Martino and his team provide world-class counsel and proven web-based tools that produce consistent results.

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Want To Win Over Employees? Learn To Listen Like A Leader

by Leslie Peters, author of “Finding Time to Lead: Seven Practices to Unleash Outrageous Potential“

My team and I recently led a two-day training course at a 120,000-person company. At the beginning of courses like these, we always ask attendees: “What do great leaders do?”

Do you know what makes it into the top three answers 90 percent of the time?

They listen.

Great leaders listen.

It sounds so simple, right?

One of the most observable traits of a great leader is that they listen more than they talk. And they don’t just listen; they listen well. But today’s most successful leaders listen in ways you’d never expect. They tap into three distinct levels of listening to connect with the people around them: faux, focused, and epic listening. Each is good in its own way. 

Level 1: Faux Listening.

The first, and most common, level of listening is faux listening. This is when we look like we’re listening (we might even be leaning in and nodding — things we’re taught to do to demonstrate that we’re listening) but, in our heads, we’re thinking about what we’ll say, or about a story that relates to what the speaker is saying, or about a witty or insightful comment we can make about the issue at hand.

In this moment, we’re thinking about ourselves and how we appear to others. We’re not listening to what the other person is saying.

Sometimes faux listening is fine. Talking about where we’ll go for lunch, or when we’ll have that meeting, or how we feel about a particular sports team or movie — these are topics that benefit from the give and take of personal stories and associations. Sometimes, though, this level of listening is not enough.

Level 2: Focused Listening.

When someone is talking to us about the importance of a project or a situation a team is dealing with, a different kind of listening is key: focused listening.

Focused listening happens when you’re taking in each word and thinking about what these words mean to the person who is speaking them. You’re not thinking about what you’ll say in response, and you’re not waiting to jump in with a similar personal story. You’re only listening.

Picture how you listen when someone is giving you directions or telling you how to get that equation to add up in a spreadsheet. There’s no room for your mind to wander. There’s only room for listening.

Focused listening is a powerful leadership tool because it provides space for people to work through issues on their own. As a leader, encouraging your people to work through issues is often the best support you can offer, both in the moment and for when your staff needs to solve problems in the future. Statements like, “Tell me more about that” or “Wow. What did that look like?” can help a person continue his or her exploration of a situation. Nine times out of ten, people will come to their own answers, and these answers are always better than the ones you would have given them.  

Level 3: Epic Listening.

The third type of listening is epic listening, the deepest level of listening.

Epic listening is when you tune in to the emotional state of the person talking. You hear the words, but you also get beyond the words to what might be motivating the person to speak them. Epic listening is most useful in times of intense effort, crisis, sadness, agitation, joy, or pride.

Epic listening enables us to get at the real issue, instead of spending time dealing with the symptoms of the issue. Epic listening can save tremendous time and effort.

One of the leaders in our training told a story about how epic listening saved her weeks of frustration. One of her direct reports came into her office agitated and ready for a fight. He told her that his counterpart in another division wasn’t getting work done, and it was making it impossible for him to get his work done in the time allotted. He was angry about the timing of the workflow, his people were frustrated, and everyone felt the goal was ridiculous anyway.

This leader recognized an opportunity to tune in to his words while simultaneously tuning in to the emotions and motivations behind them. She quietly listened as he told her about all the things everyone was doing wrong and about what was ridiculous about everything in the company. When he finished, rather than jumping in to solve the issue (or telling him to stop whining), she calmly replied, “It sounds to me like you’re really overwhelmed.”

He sighed, sank into his chair and said, “I am really overwhelmed.”

They were then able to have a conversation about how to tackle these feelings, which included how to deal with his counterpart and his team’s frustrations. By focusing on the core issue, this leader was able to help her employee manage the stressful situations swirling around him on his own.

Three Simple Steps to Expert Listening.

Listening isn’t easy. People in leadership positions are, by nature, problem-solvers, and it can be hard to hold back from jumping in to help. But there are three simple steps you can use to launch your listening practice:

1. Start by simply noticing how often, when someone else is talking, you’re thinking about what you’ll say in response. You might be surprised.

2. Cultivate the art of asking questions that encourage people to continue with their thoughts. Use simple questions, like: “Tell me more about that…” or “I’m curious, what do you think motivated you to take that step?” or “What do you think you learned?”

3. Picture your brain as a whiteboard. When you start having thoughts about a story you can tell or a comment you can make, wipe it clean like a whiteboard. Stay focused on the person talking and clear your thoughts.

Each level of listening — faux, focused, or epic — is a conscious choice. Now that you know there are different levels of listening, and that each has its place, you can choose which to use when. It’s worth the effort!

 

Leslie Peters brings a no-B.S., straight-talk perspective to leaders in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, including U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, Flexera Software, and NeighborWorks America. She is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Facilitator at Elements Partnership, a consulting practice that helps people and organizations get unstuck, and is the author of “Finding Time to Lead: Seven Practices to Unleash Outrageous Potential“.

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How To Become A Successful CFD Trader

It’s true, starting as a CFD trader is much more relaxed than some other types of trading and indeed involves a much lower capital, to begin.  But, that doesn’t mean you can jump in, feet first, without any planning and start making a load of money.  The key to success, with CFD trading, is all in the preparation and plans you put in place.

Here are some top tips to becoming a successful CFD trader.

1. Do your learning.

One of the most common mistakes people make is they read a few blog posts and think they have it all figured out.  They jump into trades and lose all their money – quickly.  The key to being successful at CFD trading is in the learning and education that you obtain beforehand.  You might even want to sign up with a platform that offers a dummy account to practice your trades before you use a single penny.

Learning to trade is also an ongoing process.  After studying hard, you grow in confidence and start making a few cautious trades.  That’s great – but keep up with the reading and watching educational videos because there is always more to learn in this forever evolving industry.

2. Find the right platform.

The platform you trade from is also essential for many reasons.  You want to look at the costs involved with the trades and the ease of withdrawing your money.  You want to see how secure the platform is so that you can rest assured your money isn’t going to be stolen.  And, you also want a platform that offers friendly help and advice.

One example is Weiss Finance which offers a wide range of markets for CFD trading, articles, tutorial videos and even an economic calendar to help with learning and 24/7 security and assistance to help with any problems you encounter.

3. Have a trading plan.

As part of your education in CFD trading, start creating a trading plan.  It will govern your trades and help you to decide what to do at any given time.  It will cover everything from what markets you want to trade in, what kind of stop losses you will put in place and how you will protect your capital to continue trading.

Your trading plan will develop alongside your experience.  You learn new approaches, ideas that worked, or didn’t, and new markets to try.  As you expand your knowledge, you can amend and update your trading plan, so it is always current and relevant.

4. Take it slow.

One of the top reasons that people stop CFD trading is they go all in too fast, blow their capital and have nothing left to trade.  Some of the best advice is to take it slow, make gradual small gains that add up.  Then start trading from your earnings, preserving your capital just in case.  Hoard that capital because every penny of it can be leveraged for a much more considerable amount, so you need to make sure you protect it.

While trading slowly, also keep control of your leverage.  Again, it can be tempting to increase it when trades are going well but things can turn against you, and that capital can be consumed.  To keep trading, make sure you give yourself a slow and steady path to success.

5. Diversify.

Finally, as you get the hang of an asset, or a better understanding of a market, don’t be afraid to diversify carefully.  That way if one market takes a big hit, you won’t feel the blow as much.  Learn about new assets and markets the same as you did your original one and follow your trading plan.

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Top 5 Must-Haves For Your Business Website

In today’s world of commerce, if you are not taking advantage of the multitudes of potential customers online, then you may be missing the boat. There has never been another type of commerce that has grown and expanded so quickly as the online buyers market. There is almost nothing that you can’t buy online anymore, and getting your company in the mix is vital to your business’s growth and survival.

Creating a website is no longer just work for the computer genius. There are several customer and user-friendly platforms available that can help you to construct a simple but effective website in under an hour. There is no need to be fancy when you are just starting out, but there are some things that you must include if you want your business’s online presence to be successful.

Logo & Tagline.

One of the first things that new business owners consider is what their logo will look like and whether or not they will have a tagline for their business. Your chosen logo should be the most prominent thing on your website so customers can easily identify you. Not only should it be located at the top of the page, but it should show up in several places for consistency.

Contact Information.

Every web page should have easy access to your immediate contact information. Whether that is just a phone number or a list of your physical address, email and fax, it must be easy for a potential customer to find. If you have a store or a physical location of any kind it is a great idea to include a Google map pinpoint locator. Once you have your original webpage set up, you should consider having a dedicated contact page that customers can get to easily.

Easy Navigation.

When customers are looking at your site for the first time, it is important that they be able to navigate easily around to gather information. Make sure that there are no areas that are confusing or that may lead to dropped links. Design your site menu to be simple and efficient, allowing your visitors to move around your site with ease.

Quality SEO Content.

Quality is the name of the game. If the content that you have included on your site is not good, relevant or easy to read you can lose visitors very quickly. There is no need to go over the top, but you should want for your site to look professional and organized. Talk to a marketing expert like Digital Monopoly SEO Services to ensure that your content is reaching the right audience and that your search rankings are solid.

Reviews & Testimonials.

Customer reviews on your site are the first line of inquiry for many customers. Potential buyers want to know what real customers of your business have to say about their experience. If you don’t include any reviews, it may cause visitors to be suspicious about your level of professionalism. Make sure that new customers have the opportunity to hear from others what your business can offer them.

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[Interview] Meet The Founder Of Empower Cocktails, Tiffany Hall

In an industry that primarily targets men — leaving women out as an afterthought — Empower Cocktails is disrupting the distilled beverages market as a woman-owned company that puts women’s empowerment at the heart of their mission.  While cocktails are the face of the Empower Cocktails brand, its greater intention of serving women is at heart.

Empower Cocktails CEO, Tiffany Hall has not only begun to fill that space in beverages, but she has also utilized the Empower Cocktails platform to partner with several non-profits that champion women’s initiatives including the Voss Foundation, Dress for Success Boston, Kicked it in Heels and the Metro-Manhattan Community Foundation to name a few.

Following a whirlwind of major cocktail impact, Hall opens up about running Empower Cocktails, how it’s empowered her as an entrepreneur, and how her dreams have fueled her for living her life purpose:

What fuels you in your work as the CEO of Empower Cocktails?

TH: The Empower Cocktails brand was a dream of mine. I am amazed and grateful for how this vision has manifested. Seeing people purchase our spirits every day and watching as distribution continues to grow, motivates me to continue to deliver a great product.

How has Empower Cocktails empowered you as an entrepreneur?

TH: Empower Cocktails is my first entrepreneurial venture.  The brand has empowered me to believe that with unwavering focus and determination — as well as a supportive network of family, friends and work colleagues — anything is possible. As the CEO of Empower Cocktails, I learn new things about managing the business each day. It has helped me become a more confident business woman.

What do you hope will be Empower Cocktails’ legacy?

TH: I hope it serves as an example to big beverage companies that women deserve to have products that they identify with and should have multiple choices for consumption. Making these changes in major industries shifts how we see ourselves, and how products are marketed. Empower Cocktails will continue to be a change-maker. As a woman CEO, I also want to leave a legacy that empowers women to pursue and achieve their dreams in the entrepreneurial space and beyond.

How have movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp inspired you as a leader?

TH: As I continue to build the Empower Cocktails staff, these important movements encourage me to ensure that all employees feel safe and a part of a healthy environment free of harassment and fear. Empower Cocktails is a safe space that empowers all employees to speak their truth.

What were your dreams as a young woman?

TH: I had very specific dreams about the career path I wanted, whether it be going into law, marketing or business. But I’ve always known that my life’s purpose was to empower women and have an impact on my community. No matter what job roles I’ve taken in life I knew that would always be part of what I do. As the CEO of Empower Cocktails, it’s now everything I do.

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Three Customer Discovery Tips For Building An Innovative Company

by Joanna Malaczynski, founder of DESi

If you are building an innovative company, you will have to spend a good chunk of your time on customer discovery.

Here are three tips for you based on my discussions with entrepreneurs who have come before you:

Take Time to Understand the Needs and Expectations of Your Customers.

Before you do anything else, you need to take time to understand the needs and expectations of your customers on an ongoing basis as you develop your product and business. Pete Girard, Co-Founder of Toxnot, can attest to the importance of this.

Toxnot is a sustainable product and supply chain management software used by manufacturers and designers to eliminate problematic chemicals from their products. Girard explained that understanding what customers truly want — and why — requires personal conversations and is an essential part of successfully developing new features. To this point, Girard noted, “we implemented a customer success team to help with on-boarding, to really listen, and to learn from our customers.”  

Girard also stated that a number of his potential clients sell products to large retailers, and that these large retailers can significantly drive the demand for sustainable products. Girard believes that understanding what these influential retailers expect of their suppliers today and in the future is an important component of understanding how to help his own customers future-proof their product lines.

Girard’s experience illustrates that customer discovery needs to take place on an ongoing basis and is an educational process for your business. It also is not limited to what your customers demand today, but what they anticipate they will demand tomorrow based on their market ecosystem.

Engage with End-Users.

If you are in a B2B business, it is quite likely that your customers’ customers are end-users of a product. Engage with those end-users. You will build stronger relationships, gain credibility, and help your customers succeed with their customers.  Which means you are more likely to succeed as well.

Charles Dimmler, Co-Founder of Checkerspot, understand this process.  Checkerspot is a materials company that creates solutions for outdoor brands looking for sustainable and high-performance materials for their products. Checkerspot’s customers include outdoor equipment and apparel manufacturers.

Dimmler sees the role of his company as being two-fold. The first is to create innovative high-performance materials and solutions for his customers. The second is to understand the desires of the end-users of his customer’s products. “We want to be much more intentional about the design of materials and product development,” he says, “an important part of that is knowing what end-users will want, even if they cannot readily articulate it.”  

Consumers do not always know what is possible. How would they predict that they will love hazelnut gelato if they have only been exposed to vanilla ice cream? The same is true for the performance features that go into outdoor gear and apparel. Dimmler believes that formalizing a customer discovery process that includes the end-user is key. By building relationships with end-users, Checkerspot can bring more value to its customers — i.e. the brands that sell high-performance outdoor products to the consumer.  

You can become more valuable to your customers as well if you start looking at the end users.  Ask your customers questions about them. Go talk to end users directly. The more you are willing to invest in this process, the more it will pay off for you.

Approach Customers as Potential Business Partners.

Your customers are not only your customers; they are your stakeholders in the success of your business. They can also be your best business partners. This is especially true if you are looking to scale your business, as Scott Bolin, Co-Founder of Tethis, can attest.

Tethis is a company that makes a sustainable and high-performance absorbent ingredient for diapers. This product is the eco alternative to the status quo (a toxic petrochemical) used by major diaper manufacturers. Tethis is in the process of developing a pilot facility to scale production of its product in order to conduct hundreds of diaper trials that will help the company develop the perfect eco-absorbent formula for the modern diaper. Bolin is looking for a diaper manufacturer industry partner to help him scale to production. His search for the right partner includes asking some of the following questions: Do they have the resources to invest in his company? Do they have the mindset to help him carry the project forward? Do they have experience leveraging technology and collaborating in a partnership? Do they have the willpower to make a change?   

When looking for potential customers and partners, Bolin advises innovative companies to “check your assumptions” because for any given industry, market and customer, there will be unique priorities and approaches to doing things that will likely not align with your personal ideas and expectations of what is important and relevant. It is key to understand these priorities and approaches and get on the same page, if possible.  

Bolin’s experience illustrates that when shopping for a potential partner, you want to engage in the same type of discovery you would engage in when developing your customer base. Understand your prospects’ business, their m.o., and the qualities that make them a good match to you.  

 

Joanna Malaczynski is the founder of DESi, a consulting firm that helps innovative companies gain market traction. She brings her clients fifteen years of experience in industry research, customer discovery, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to DESi, Malaczynski founded EcoValuate, a software company that helped consumer brands green their products.

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Wilkins Finance Cryptocurrency Predictions For Summer 2018

If there’s one thing for sure with cryptocurrencies, it is that nothing is certain and something unexpected is always happening.  In the last year, Bitcoin has seen some astonishing peaks and troughs in value.  Other currencies have had a rocky time too.

So, what does summer 2018 hold in store for the newcomer of assets?

Reviewing the market.

Last year, people started to realise that cryptocurrencies were here to stay and had real-world applications.  People began to use them to make purchases, and trading in them was strong.  Bitcoin led the way with spectacular increases in value in the last quarter of the year.

But there was still caution, and it proved to be wise.  After reaching over $13,000 at the start of 2018, it was down to just $6,900 by the end of March – meaning it had lost almost 50% of its value.  Nor was it the only currency to suffer – Ripple saw a 77% decrease while Ethereum saw a drop of 47%.

Why the volatility?

While it may seem strange that there was such volatility in the market, there were a lot of obvious factors that influenced the changes.  For example, regulators in countries such as China and South Korea started to toughen up on cryptocurrencies while in the US, there was a move by the SEC to try and gain control over the cryptocurrency market.  In fact, around the world there seemed to be a new passion for regulation.

Advertising bans were also painful for the value of cryptocurrencies.  Some of the hottest names in the online advertising world decided to stop the advertising of cryptocurrencies including Google and Facebook.  It made it harder to get more people to show interest in the currencies.

An improvement in summer?

While there’s no doubt that the world of cryptocurrencies felt the chill of winter, spring has already seen a steadier period, and this has led to positive outlooks for traders going into the summer.

For example, Bitcoin remains top of the pile and is a favourite for CFD trading as well as investing.  Most experts are forecasting that it will have a modest increase by the end of the second quarter but by the end of the year, the growth could be over 150% of its current value.  The question is – will it stay at that price into the following year?

Another, with a potentially sunny period ahead, is Ethereum.  Most experts think it will finish the quarter around 24% up on the start of year price, while by the end of the year it could be as much as 110% up from the beginning of year figures.

Not so hot for the summer.

Not all cryptocurrencies have such a bright future forecast – assuming the experts are right!  Ripple has had a terrible time of it so far, and although experts are predicting a rise, it is a modest one of around 10%.  Longer term the picture isn’t much better with some thinking it could fall by the end of the year by about 15%.  However, it does have a strong fan base who could help push it to a broader audience and combat this prediction.

Litecoin is a steady option if you are looking for a little less volatility.  An increase of around 15% by the end of the quarter is predicted with a rise of approximately 50% by the end of the year.

Whatever cryptocurrency has caught your attention, don’t forget the importance of a stable, dependable platform for your trades. Wilkins Finance offers a range of big name, and lesser known cryptocurrencies, to trade on the site with excellent security and plenty of advice and tips to help maximise your efforts.

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How To Save Money On Video Marketing

by Roman Daneghyan, Chief Marketing Officer of Renderforest

Video marketing has become essential to every business out there, no matter whether it is a small startup or a big corporation. However, if big corporations have fewer issues with allocating budget to their video marketing campaigns, it can really be troubling for the small companies. Especially when you are new in video marketing, it feels like you are going up against millions of professional videos which have a high potential to beat you down. Which is why it is natural for you to be tempted to make your videos as perfect as possible. Imagine all those great things that you could include in your video which you your audience will love, and it will help you increase your sales and conversions. But then you look at your budget, and all the dreams about the perfect video fade away.

I am here to tell you that not everything you imagined for your perfect video has to disappear. In fact, there are many ways to keep most of them.

There are several ways to make videos depending on how much budget you have.

Use your smartphone to shoot a no cost video.

No cost videos are the ones where you have to spend $0 on production. These are the simple videos shot using something as simple as a smartphone. You do have one, right? Most of the smartphone cameras are able to shoot in really high quality. But, even if you end up having a video which has cost you nothing and of a little lower quality than a professional video, so what? Let’s be honest here, many small businesses run a big part of their marketing on social media and use it to connect with their audience. And, on social media professional videos aren’t always the ones that get more engagement, but those that are honest and real.

Use videos from your audience.

This is actually a great way to create videos that will have the most emotional connection to your audience and will cost you absolutely nothing. Spend some time watching the videos created by your clients or followers and once you find something awesome, share it. You will be surprised by the reaction of your audience. The owners of the shared videos will not only be thankful to you but also will share your posts. And if you are lucky, their friends will share those too. And boom, you will see your engagement skyrocketing.

Use online video making platforms to make both low-cost and professional videos.

Another way of approaching this everyday challenge of low-cost video making for marketing purposes is turning to online video making platforms for help. Some platforms will give you the opportunity not only to make videos with tons of graphics and animation but also add your live-action videos and mix those up with graphics and animation. However, if you choose to use either only graphics and animation or only edit your live-action videos, you are more than welcome to do so. The best part is, online video makes are extremely easy to use and you can put together a video in a few minutes and still end up having a professional video for free or for a very low of a cost.

Use the talents of your team to shoot live-action videos.

If you still want to hire a crew and go deep into the traditional live-action video making process, no problem, that as well can be done with a small budget. Try to use your existing team to make a video. There is no way that your project manager is only good at managing projects. Find out the other talents of your team and use those. Hire someone else only when you feel you won’t be able to complete certain tasks using your team’s skills.

You may say none of us are actors, and hiring a cast is too expensive. But wait a second, maybe you don’t even need a human cast. What if you use puppets instead of people? That’s just a thought, it doesn’t have to be that way.

This will not only beneficial from the financial perspective, but also will become a great team building activity for your team.

The most important thing in saving money on video marketing is being creative and trying to find alternatives of whatever has a high cost in the production process. Just keep in mind that not all the videos have to be on the same level of professionalism. Consider the audience, the platforms on which you are planning to share those and be flexible.

 

Roman Daneghyan is Chief Marketing Officer of Renderforest, an online video production platform for creating professional broadcast quality videos. As a content marketing specialist, he enjoys very much sharing the experiences he’s gained along working as a marketer and helping other entrepreneurs succeed.

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What You Need To Know About Marketing To Millennials

Millennials constitute the largest part of the work force. Like previous generations, they have their own set of attributes which make them different. Businesses globally are aware of their dominant purchasing power.

Connecting with millennials is not like reaching other categories of demographic. They are well integrated into the digital world. Therefore businesses need to have a different approach towards millennials while marketing.

Here is what businesses need to know when marketing their products and services to millennials.

They are different.

All millennials are different. They are not like previous generations. They are one of the most diverse audiences businesses can get. They can be found in each social class and different types of industries such as fashion and management. From middle class professionals to single mothers, millennials are divergent in nature. Businesses must think of them as segments instead of demographics.

They are well connected.

Millennial generation is the first of any generation to progress with easy access to technology. They are accustomed with always being connected. Most individuals of this segment utilize a multitude of technological devices at one point in time. They tend to feel useless without constant access to the Internet making them highly dependent on this facility.

Brands from across the world must maintain consistent communication with millennials. Businesses must have a capability to provide support to them whenever in need. They are always present on digital mediums so the 9-5 lifestyle would not work in this scenario.

They utilize social media exponentially.

Even the beginners can figure out the fact that millennials are spending more time on social media than ever before. Businesses must maintain presence on social media to reach this audience. Companies must always look forward to new ways to interact and engage on different social media channels.

However, not every social media website is suitable for every business. Platforms like The Millennial Marketers can be utilized to target millennials on the social media app, Instagram.

They are progressive.

Millennials are highly progressive and are moving fast at an incredible rate. This is primarily because of the mobile revolution. Rise of mobile usage means that they are well connected anytime and anywhere.

This has transformed marketing into an omni-channel concern. Strategies of retail must adapt to this trend in order achieve success. There is no demarcation between offline, online and mobile strategies. They all are merged under one umbrella.

Loyalty is not easy anymore.

Millennials are looking forward to changing all the time and they do not stick to one brand all the time. Brands must now stop relying on idea that they can attain absolute loyalty from their customers. In fact, marketers now should work harder to win it and hold onto it for a long time.

But this doesn’t mean that millennials are disloyal. With implementation of effective and consistent strategies, many brands and businesses have retained customer loyalty in a successful manner.

In conclusion, brands and marketers are changing their strategies to ensure customer loyalty, as that is the main driving factor to long term success in business.

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Tips To Manage Your Business Finances Effectively

Healthy cash flow is paramount to how successful a business will be in the long term. There will be times where a company sees peaks and troughs in income, and these aspects all need to be considered to ensure a business can ride through the changes faced in the industry. Small mistakes along the way can lead to more significant consequences, and if not addressed and adjusted could see a business fail.

By looking at how your company manages cash flow and overall finances, you will see ways to improve and tackle issues as they arise. There will be times where situations cannot be predicted but having contingencies in place will help ride this uncertainty.

If you’re looking for easy ways to manage your business finances in a smarter way, take a look at these tips to get you back on the right track.

Basic accounting and reporting.

Without the assistance of intelligent accounting and finance software, it can be challenging to get a real snapshot of your finances on a daily basis. By recording information and analyzing the data, you will begin to notice patterns in consumer behaviors and spending. This software is also great for highlighting areas where you could save money, or see where funds are being wasted. By having an accessible tool that both management and workers can understand will ensure your business has the necessary information at the touch of a button.

Hire a professional.

When it comes to business elements such as tax, hiring a professional can make life a lot easier. Tax is a considerable cost for businesses and making sure you are able to claim every allowable deduction is crucial for lowering your bill. There also might be times where you need help with tax relief solutions, and speaking to an expert can assist in getting any debt sorted swiftly and with little hassle.

Look at sources of finance.

There will be several times in a business lifespan where finance will be needed for aspects such as expansion, service development and assisting cash flow. By looking at the options available, your company will be in a better position to manage its expenses during these fluctuating times. There are several solutions specific to requirements and deciding whether you need funds such as a cash injection or factoring solutions to free up receivables cash will ensure you get the best deals and finance for your needs.

Understand your business information.

There will be a lot of information from your business operations that help to make decisions for the day-to-day running. By understanding this data, you will be in a better position to make choices about wider elements of the business without feeling overwhelmed or under-informed about the current situation. Information can also be confusing to interpret so hiring the help of a finance professional can help you see through the numbers.

By managing your finances and getting a better grip on the reality of your business operations, you will be in a stronger position to move forward in your industry.

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How The New General Data Protection Regulation Will Affect Online Businesses

by Gabriel Shaoolian, founder of DesignRush

On May 25, 2018, the European Union implemented new Internet regulations called the General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR, for short. This new law has been the biggest overhaul in data privacy regulations in 20 years, according to the official site.

Essentially, the GDPR create a universal standard for online privacy, data and information gathering across all European Union countries – similar to federal regulations that standardize laws across all 50 states in America. All 28 EU countries must now collect, process and store consumer information in the same fashion, which basically gives more control to consumers, enabling them to give and withdraw consent more easily. The new regulations replace the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive and the 1998 UK Data Protection Act.

Although the GDPR applies to European countries, it doesn’t just apply to Europe-based companies. In fact, any businesses that provide services to people residing in Europe must adhere to the new regulations. This includes e-commerce websites that ship internationally, content news sites accessible in the European Union, social networks like Facebook and Instagram, and more.

Because of the changes, you may have noticed new cybersecurity and privacy popups on sites when you land on them, or updates terms of use sent to your email. This is due to businesses adhering to the General Data Protection Regulation standards. However, it seems like these new laws snuck up on us – particularly businesses based in the U.S. So, what do they really mean for your business and what changes will you have to make to continue with business as usual?

Businesses Must Specifically Ask For Consent.

Although it sounds a bit strange, businesses must specifically ask for consent to provide consumers and visitors with information – even if they click onto their website. Because of this, you may have seen some popups at the bottom of a web page asking for your explicit consent to view the content or received new “terms of service” emails informing you of the new policies and/or requesting you re-opt into email newsletters.

It’s important to note that businesses can’t just create one overarching request for consent that covers all forms of content, information collection, email delivery and more. Instead, each request should be separate and specific to ensure that consumers (or their legal guardians, if users are under 16 years old) understand what they are agreeing to.

Consumers Have A “Right To Be Forgotten”.

Speaking of consent, consumers have the right to be forgotten by a brand, aka completely revoke their consent to give information, receive communication and more. Many may remember this idea from the Google court case in 2017, which required the site to remove results from all search listings following a delisting request. The GDPR gives this idea a stronger foundation.

Because the GDPR aims to give control of information back to consumers, not brands, this means customers should be able to easily locate where they can remove their data and opt out of communication. Should they want to do so, businesses shouldn’t just remove them from lists but keep their information, but completely scrub their files if requested.

Companies Will Need To Prove They Are Protecting Data.

Business accountability is a hallmark feature of the GDPR, and one aspect that ensures compliance from all companies operating within the EU in some fashion online. Because the privacy laws are fairly complex compared to the previous regulations, there are several resources businesses can use to ensure they are fully compliant.

Some of these tools include a Code of Conduct or a formal certification from an accredited body. Although these are optional, they will likely make proving your compliance very easy in the future and could alleviate unnecessary stress should your site be audited for privacy and security by the EU.

Some of the data that companies must protect under the EU GDPR include:

• Consumer name, address, contact information and ID numbers.
• Banking and credit card information.
• Personal information, like sexual orientation, racial information, medical records, health and gene information, and political affiliations and opinions.
• Web and computer information, such as location, IP address, cookie data and RFID tags.

Data Breaches Must Be Formally Reported.

Another big feature of the General Data Protection Regulation is the requirement to report any data breaches to the organization. Prior to the GDPR, businesses weren’t necessarily required to inform individuals of all cases of unauthorized access or inform a particular formal entity, instead sometimes dealing with any hacks internally. Now, in cases of important hacks that risk consumers personal information or could damage their finances or reputation, businesses must formally inform the GDPR within 72 hours and any affected consumers. Although it seems obvious, this stronger tracking of cybersecurity is a key to a safer Internet for everyone.

Online Businesses That Are Not Compliant Will Be Penalized.

The GDPR isn’t just empty regulations with no follow though – businesses operating in the EU that are not complying with all regulations will be penalized. Most likely, this will occur in the form of a hefty fine — anywhere from €10 million to 4 percent of your annual global turnover – commensurate with your specific violation. Therefore, if you aren’t compliant yet but should be, it’s in your best interests to hop-to and ensure you are.

Conclusion.

Although the EU General Data Protection Regulation is a complicated set of rules, they only serve to make the Internet a safer place for businesses and consumers alike, which is extremely beneficial in this increasing digital world.

Existing businesses should work with accredited professionals to ensure they are covered in every GDPR aspect to protect their customers and stave off unnecessary fines. Meanwhile, new businesses and startups should keep GDPR regulations at the forefront of all business growth conversations to avoid having to backtrack and meet requirements retroactively. But hopefully, by adhering to GDPR regulations, online businesses will see less security and data breaches, creating a world wide web conducive to global business.

 

Gabriel Shaoolian is a leading digital trends expert, entrepreneur and founder of DesignRush, a digital destination to inspire creativity and the discovery of design and technology trends.

 

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Beating The Odds To Land A Startup Opportunity

by Randy Komisar and Jantoon Reigersman, authors of “Straight Talk for Startups: 100 Insider Rules for Beating the Odds“

From the outside, the startup world appears flush with opportunities.  New companies are formed daily, raising huge sums of venture capital to take on the incumbents and put your company out of business. The game is massive and dynamic.  So why do proven executives find it so hard to crack into the startup world?

The entrepreneurs founding these startups are by and large young and inexperienced business leaders. They may know technology, or markets, or strategy, but chances are they would never have qualified for a leadership position at your company, let alone have been your boss.

They favor doers over managers.  There is almost a disdain for professionals and experience, it ties you to the past not the future. They want “talent” not “executives”.  They will take a “10X” engineer any day over an engineering manager.

And they are more comfortable with people who look, talk and act like them.  Sh*t stirrers and glass breakers.  There is little room for order and process in their “disruptive” world.

Add to the unconscious biases against women and minorities a very real bias against age and you see the problem.  If they are successful they will need you, and people like you, to build the tracks and make the trains run, but for now, they are suspicious.

So how do you get into the game?  First, its important to respect what makes startups so different.  They are not businesses per se, not yet anyway.  They are products or services, they are engineering or marketing, they are equity or debt, but they are not yet businesses.  And they move quickly.  Frankly, that is there primary competitive advantage.  They travel light and fast.

Process is seen as the antithesis of disruption-scale creativity.  So you need to appreciate that management in a startup is not what is commonly viewed as management in a scaled operating company.  Forget what they taught you in business school.

Large companies win by managing complicated organizations and processes to achieve results; startups win by taking leaps of faith and sticking the landing.  When modern management techniques were invented in the early 20^th Century, hierarchical leadership was the ideal.  To translate the vision and ambitions of a leader or set of leaders down through the organization so even the lowliest production worker could contribute to success.

But in startups people are not the means of production, they are the means of creation. Minimally Invasive Management focuses on serving the creative talent by helping them set goals, resolve conflicts, communicate across functions and develop skills.  A Minimally Invasive Manager is not the old boss; they are a new servant leader.  Critical to success, but not the top of the food chain.

So where do you fit.  First, look for opportunities where you can add value in the creation of the business, not simply the running of the company.  Demonstrate that you are talent, not just a suit.  Show them that you can operate lean and mean.  That you have a passion for what they are doing and where they are going.  And that you are willing to take a step back; in title, in compensation, in status, whatever; in order to take two steps forward after you prove yourself.

Whatever you do, don’t directly import your old methods and tactics.  They don’t want to hear about how you did it at your old job, they want you to apply your experience to their situation and arrive at a bespoke approach to their challenges.

Where to start?  There is an infinite amount of media covering every new startup and venture capital investment.  Pour through it.  Look for products or services that excite you, because you will need to communicate that excitement to win them over.

Use your network to reach out to founders, leadership, investors and/or board members.  These are small, clannish organizations so don’t worry about tripping over formality.

Don’t just tell them about your qualifications, tell them why you want to work for them and what you bring to the table.  Show them you will make a real difference to their success. Be prepared to explain why your experience will benefit them and not be an impediment.  Convince them that you won’t need a staff or a big budget, but rather that you can roll up your sleeves and work the long days and nights to get where they are going.  And of course, when the time comes, remind them that you have the proven ability to scale.

Don’t wait for a job posting to make contact.  Be proactive.  And then be respectfully persistent.  If there is nothing for you at the moment, offer to advise or train their people, for free.  Startups like to “try before they buy” so use that to your advantage.  While they are scoping you out, you are making sure that this merry gang is right for you.  If not, no harm no foul, and no explaining away a mistake on your resume.

And the roles inside a startup change rapidly.  As the company scales and business takes off there are plenty of opportunities to assume more responsibility.  Don’t over-think the company’s prospects or the job specification; you can’t know the former and the latter will change rapidly.  Just make sure the role is one you can crush, and that it will lead to more opportunities down the road when you do.

The good news is that more and more startups are savvy to providing “game changers”, people whose experience can accelerate or amplify their success, with flexible and short-term roles.  So you can test the waters and not encumber yourself with a commitment you may regret later.  There are recruiting firms who specialize in filling such roles, particularly for finance, marketing and sales executives.

If you have the skills, perhaps you could volunteer to be a coach or mentor to their junior people already working in your area.  And if you are qualified, maybe you can join as an independent board member.  There are many ways to get your foot in the door.

In our book, “Straight Talk for Startups: 100 Insider Rules for Beating the Odds“, we present a broad set of entrepreneurial best practices that will further help you appreciate the differences between startups and operating businesses. As Elaine Paul, CFO of Hulu says; “This book accelerates your learning with advice from experts who’ve been there and done that. Read it cover to cover to save yourself from making rookie mistakes that upend all too many big ideas”.

*Originally published on ExecuNet

 

Randy Komisar is the co-author of “Straight Talk for Startups“. He is a venture capitalist with decades of experience with startups. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Monk and the Riddle“, about the heart and soul of entrepreneurship, as well as numerous articles on leadership and startups. He is also the co-author of “Getting to Plan B“, on managing innovation, and “I F**king Love That Company“, on building consumer brands.

Jantoon Reigersman is the co-author of”Straight Talk for Startups“. He’s a seasoned financial operator with extensive experience in startups and growth companies. He serves as Chief Financial Officer of publicly traded Leaf Group, a diversified consumer internet company.

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