Showing posts with label startups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label startups. Show all posts

Friday, February 20, 2009

Building Website Visibility

Creating a website for you business doesn’t matter if no one stops by to view it. Creating visibility for your website is very important, but can be tricky and time-consuming if you don’t know where to start.

Career Builder has a few tips that might help:
  • Use descriptive and informative text on each page of your website, choosing words that relate directly to your product, service or industry.
  • Highlight and feature your most important content first, in a clear, uncluttered fashion.
  • Ask other relevant sites to link to yours. One measure search engines now use to measure your site’s importance is the quality, and, to a lesser extent, volume of outside sites that refer to your own.
  • Be sure to create distinct titles for each of the pages on your website, and use your keywords in the titles.
  • Write descriptions that are clear, factual and free of excessive superlatives (best, cheapest, biggest). People prefer sites that are more factual and less “sales talk.”
  • If your geographic location is relevant, use it in your site and make it part of your list of keywords.
  • Don’t expect all search engines and online directories to find you. Many directories, such as the Yahoo! directory and the Open Directory project, offer paid submission options - take advantage of them.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Seven Steps to Successful Public Relations for Your Startup

PR is just as vital to your startup as marketing. It is an effective, almost always free, way to get your name out to the public. Startup Nation has a great checklist for creating a strong PR campaign for your company that is worth checking out. Here are the bullet points:
  1. Create an action plan
  2. Research the media
  3. Develop story ideas
  4. Prepare a media kit
  5. Write a press release
  6. Contact the media
  7. Get the word out

Friday, January 30, 2009

Writing Off Business Startup Costs

One of the benefits of starting a business is the ability to write off your start up costs as business deductions. However, many people feel that too many deductions send up a red “audit” flag to IRS. It can definitely be confusing to try to navigate what you can and cannot write off in regards to your start up costs, but Startup Nation as a great checklist that can get you off on the right foot. Here is an abbreviated version of their list:
  • Track your business startup costs – begin at the beginning.
  • Track your organizational costs.
  • Take an upfront deduction if you qualify.
  • Depreciate your initial equipment and furniture.
  • Get a tax benefit for merchandise you first bought for yourself.
  • Have a lot of startup costs? Put off what you can.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Eight Steps to Managing Your Business' Money

It takes more than a great idea and hard work to make your startup succeed. It can be easy to get so wrapped up in the actual work that you forget about managing your business’ money. This can lead to big – sometimes catastrophic – problems for your company.

Startup Nation has conveniently listed at eight, easy ways to manage your business’s money. Here is the abbreviated list:
  1. Forecast Your Future – Cash In, Cash Out
  2. Rationalize Your Revenue: Know Your Cost of Sales
  3. Cut Your Expenses
  4. Track Your Money Efficiently
  5. Give Credit to Your Credit
  6. Find Your Funding, But Be Ready
  7. Choose Your Bank Wisely
  8. Tame Your Taxes

Monday, December 22, 2008

Five Ways Small Businesses Can Combat Cyber Crime

With all the difficulties that innately come with starting and running a small business, there is one thing that is often unseen but can be potentially the most dangerous – cyber crime.

With new technology being used commonly among businesses both locally and globally, the risk of being a target of cyber crime has risen dramatically.

Startup Nation has a few tips on how you and your company can create a 'culture of security.'
  • Assess risk and identify weaknesses
  • Back-up critical information
  • Create a contingency plan
  • Educate employees
  • Implement a security agreement.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Five Steps to Creating and Licensing an Invention

Do you have a great idea and/or prototype that you believe could be thing that propels your business to the Fortune 500? A fresh invention – whether it be physical or web-based – is a great reason to launch a startup. However, you might not understand the complicated process of legally protecting your invention. Startup Nation has a great tutorial on the entire process. While I recommend reading the tutorial yourself, here are its five main points.
  1. Idea Conception
  2. Basic Invention Market Research
  3. Prototype Design and Development
  4. Protecting the Invention
  5. Licensing and Going to Market

Friday, November 21, 2008

Using Text Messaging to Reach Your Customers

Marketing your startup has never been easier or more cost efficient. With new technologies, reaching your customer base is only a touchpad away. Startup Nation has a great article on how to use text messaging (SMS) to reach your target audience. If you’re on the fence, here are some statistics to consider:
  • 18-29 year old consumers use text messaging more often than voice to communicate.
  • On average 94% of text messages are read.
  • 80% of consumers keep their mobile with them all day.
  • When given a choice 39% of US consumers — 76 million people — prefer text messages to radio or TV advertising.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Managing Inventory Assets for an Online Retailer

A great way to get a startup rolling is by jumping into the world of online retail. However, there are challenges that need to be faced since by becoming a virtual retailer, you also become a very physical warehouse.

Startup Nation has a good article about how to efficiently manage your inventory, no matter the size. They suggest:

• Grow into the space you’ll need.
• Don’t just store it; organize it!
• Consider outsourcing
• Take the “perfect” option.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Taking Your Startup Global

Taking your startup company into a foreign market can add growth, profits and excitement to your business. You just have to be sure that your business is prepared for the extra volume, additional costs and intensity of effort that can involve.

Startup Nation has a list of questions to ask yourself before going global. They are:

• Why are you considering expanding your business abroad?
• Are you ready for the complexities of a foreign market?
• Do you have the business down pat?
• Are you ready for the extra costs?

Sunday, October 19, 2008

The Tenets of Social Entrepreneurship

There are many perks of becoming an entrepreneur. Being your own boss, controlling your destiny, or watching your ideas come to fruition are a few examples. However, if you have ever thought that it would be great to help the world while at the same time helping your bottom line, I have found an article that you might find interesting.

The article goes into a lot of detail of social entrepreneurship, but here are the basic tenets that are presented:

• Figure out what you mean.
• Have confidence that you can do it.
• Follow your values to unoccupied niches.
• Build it on values, and people will come.
• Prosper first, and then start to give back.
• Don’t worry about generating hostility.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Five Questions to Answer When Building Your Website

We all know that it’s hard for a business to succeed in today’s world without an effective website. However, many startups might not know where to start when it comes to building a digital presence.

Well, Startup Nation has a few tips that will get you on the road to cyberspace success. They suggest answering a few questions before getting started:

• How are you going to measure success?
• How will your website help your prospective customers achieve their objectives?
• What are the competition’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What is your differentiation?
• How do you ignite your customer’s “wow factor”?

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Seattle's Startup Community is Booming!

There is no better time than the present to begin an exciting new career at a startup company in the Seattle area. Not convinced? Take a look at these facts:
  • Startup companies continue to grow in the Seattle area, well above the national average.
  • MetaTech’s low cost program helps startups afford top-notch recruiting services.
  • Salaries at startups are generally very good – high-end with stock options
  • There are a variety of startup companies in the area ranging from gaming to real estate to education.
MetaTech strives to keep our finger on the pulse of the local startup community. Whether you’re interested in beginning a career at a Seattle startup or you’re a company looking for fantastic employees, make your first call to us.

Monday, October 6, 2008

How To Be a Successful Employee at a Startup

Through our work with startup companies, we hear all the time the traits that these companies are looking for in their employees. Being the generous type, we thought it would be helpful to you and your job hunt to pass these hints along.

So with no further adieu...
  1. You need to be able to wear many hats. At a young company, you might have to work in roles that are not as well-defined as those at more established companies.
  2. You have to be a team player, a highly desirable quality when working with a smaller team.
  3. You need a broad range of skills that are often of interest to startups.
  4. A "can do attitude" is absolutely essential. You can’t wait to have information come to you, rather you have to be willing to go out there and get it
  5. You need a "can do attitude's" best friend - the ever coveted "roll up your sleeves and dig in attitude."
  6. Skills in an agile software development environment is very commonly desired.
  7. A career at a startup is excellent for some of the risk takers out there – equity in the company could be a big payoff
  8. And lastly, you have to be comfortable in a work environment that is much more flexible than the traditional workplace.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Eating the Elephant One Forkful at a Time

Startup Nation has an interesting series of articles that I think everyone will find useful, if not entertaining. They are a collection of tips, hints, and advice written by people who have started successful startup business from their college dorm rooms. If anything, this proves that space and resources can be overrated when it comes to forming a business nowadays.

Personally, I find the following quote to be spot on:

“My best advice is to think BIG! When you start your business you're tempted to see the entire scope of the project, break it down into manageable little forkfuls, and then eat the elephant one bite at a time.”

Monday, September 22, 2008

Expanding to China

If your startup company is looking to expand, why not consider China, the most enormous market in the world that has recently opened up to outside business?

While this may sound like a great idea, it is not as easy as it seems. While expanding into China can be a very lucrative venture it comes with its fair share of red tape.

Startup Nation has a very interesting article on the subject. It’s a great read whether you are ready to move your business eastward or you’re just interested in the idiosyncrasies of conducting business in the world’s most populous country.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Five Tips to Getting a Startup on Its Feet

Startup Nation is a good source for information on getting your startup company rolling. They have taken the time to lay out five basic tips for making your endeavor as painfree as possible.

1. Research: A good deal of fear stems from the unknown aspects of starting a business, so if you're not taking the time to research your business idea and the competitive market, you’re not taking one of the first steps in knocking out those doubts. Knowledge about your market, your targeted customers, your advantage, and your competition help you to question the basis of your business idea and business plan. You’ll gain much-needed clarity - and position yourself to be decisive about your opportunity.

2. Protect your idea: Reserve a website name, check with the Patent Office to learn about what steps you can take to protect your idea, take the steps to build up protections for your concept and idea before you even officially start up a business. If you haven’t yet, contact a reputable intellectual property attorney to walk you through what the process is for applying for a patent or registered trademark. Having these kinds of defensible advantages can settle your mind and set you off on the right foot.

3. Start part-time: Instead of making the leap from your current job to running your own startup “cold turkey,” consider keeping your job for security and start your business on the side part-time. This will help you avoid taking unnecessary risks and it will ease the transition financially.

4. Outsource: To keep the complexity of your startup to a minimum, consider outsourcing functions like accounting, payroll, information technology, public relations and more. Often its the overwhelming demands of starting a business that scare off many would-be entrepreneurs, but there’s simply no need to wear every hat in a business anymore. You might even want to outsource manufacturing, packing and shipping, and sales. Keep your strongest skills and most strategic activities - perhaps things like design, marketing, or customer interaction, just to name a few - in-house.

5. Be willing to fail: Come to terms with the fact that the best entrepreneurs fail, but don’t let a fear of failure be the reason you don’t start a business. If you’re smart you can limit those failures to small battles along the way, and learn incredibly valuable lessons from each of those failures. Losing those minor battles is okay, because the key is to win the war! Know that failure is something that’s just part of business - as it is in life - and that you can work through those failures on your way to success.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Say Goodbye to Cold-Calling

When it comes to generating leads for your business, cold-calling is so 1995. With today’s technology, all it takes to get your business’s name out there is an internet connection and little creativity.

Entrepreneur Magazine has an interesting article on this topic. They suggest writing a “free report” about a topic that is pertinent to your business. Once this report is completed, include a link to it on all of your marketing material. If this report is well-written and interesting, the leads should start flowing into your business.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

MetaTech's Placement Program for Startups

MetaTech has always fought for the little guy. To reflect this, we have launched a placement program tailored specifically toward startup companies. This includes:

- A flat recruiting fee of $5,000 per position. We have eliminated the costly percentage based fees that most staffing firms charge.
- We have an extensive technical screening capability conducted by our award-winning software engineers.
- We offer contract recruiting options at reasonable hourly rates.
- We can also offer our extensive technical screening service for your own candidate pipeline.

In addition to these great services, the MetaTech Blog will now be offering startup specific hints in tips in addition to our normal material. Helping people find careers or careers find people – that’s just one more way MetaTech is revolutionizing the staffing industry.