Tracking event hashtags on Twitter has grown a ton in popularity over the last few years, ever since Twitter exploded at SXSW. It’s easy to do using Twitter Search by inputting the hashtag for the event. It’s not a perfect system – sometimes there’s too much noise, spam creeps in, etc. – but it’s still […]
The Definition of Us
Startups change. It’s the nature of the beast. Ideas change. Plans change. Teams change. The one constant for startups is change. But how can a startup handle and excel through so much change? Some companies have a very strong system of corporate values in place. They use it as a definitive guide for everything they […]
Get a Copy: Definitive Guide to Corporate HR Blogging
Many years ago when I started blogging I wrote a lot about small business and blogging. How to blog well was all the rage back then, and I studied some of the greats, like Copyblogger and Liz Strauss. These days you see a lot more “how-to’s” for Twitter and social networking, but blogging still remains […]
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Cheesy, I know, but it’s early in the morning and I’m still shaking out the cobwebs. Extreme Venture Partners, a small Toronto-based venture firm focused on early stage startups, just announced ExtremeU, a 12-week summer program for 4 lucky startups. This looks similar to Y Combinator, Techstars and other similar seed fund incubators. Kudos to […]
Client Retention is the Key ROI of Great Customer Service
The question is this, “Can a company be too friendly?“ Mark MacLeod puts on his CFO-hat when asking the question, because he’s trying to figure out if there’s an optimal mix between great service and keeping costs down (by not having to hire tons of people to provide the support.) Mike McDerment throws his hat […]
Montreal Tech Entrepreneur Breakfast on June 9th
The next Montreal Tech Entrepreneur Breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th at 8am. Remember: The location is Boccacinos on McGill St. And for the first time ever we have 2 sponsors! Both Nestor System and Sun Microsystems are sponsoring this event. (Both have sponsored previous breakfasts too!) As a result of our sponsors combined […]
CEO Paralysis: the Microscope and the Telescope
Check out this tweet from @exectweets (I believe originally from Tom Stewart): CEO paralysis caused by trying to look simultaneously through a microscope at every cost & a telescope at the future It was too long to re-tweet effectively without having to edit it, so I decided to write a blog post instead. To say […]
Talking to Customers Must be Part of Your Startup Culture
Customers. Love ’em or hate ’em, we all need them. They’re not always right, they’re often elusive but they’re the lifeblood of any successful company. And that’s true for a business-to-consumer play (B2C) as much as it’s true for business-to-business (B2B) organizations. One of the risks in dealing with customers is only speaking to a […]
Top Down vs Bottom Up Business Models and User Acquisition
In the world of B2B (business to business) there are plenty of business model options. Most Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies use a monthly (or yearly) subscription model. In some cases they add layers of “price discrimination” where costs go up based on certain variables. The goal is to get more money out of customers that use […]
15 Quick Pitch Tips for Kick Ass Presentations
The pitch isn’t the only thing that will make your business successful; far from it. But it sure does matter when you have an opportunity to get on stage and present. Those opportunities may be few and far between, but you don’t want to blow them. And opportunities to pitch your business should happen all […]
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