Every entrepreneur's dream is to create the next big name success story like Amazon.com, or Google. While everyone should dream big, the reality is that most startups fail precisely because they're trying to become the next big name success. The real secret to entrepreneurial success lies in Strategic Entrepreneurism where you design a company specifically to be acquired by a larger one. That's why the founder and CEO of several successful high-tech startup companies, multi-millionaire Jon Fisher, has written down his success principles. Strategic Entrepreneurism shows entrepreneurs how to design their companies towards the path of least resistance, maximum payoff, and lowest risk. Starting a small business and managing that company specifically with the end goal of selling to a large company is something many entrepreneurs think about but rarely make a priority. Our interviewee today, Jon Fisher, believes that doing so offers Founders and their investors the greatest chance of success. In this interview, we discuss how to blend the needs of the company with the needs of their customers and ways entrepreneurs can structure their companies to be better acquisition targets. Take a look at his book here.
Comparing and evaluating small business merchant account providers who will process credit cards for your small business can be a daunting and confusing task. Aside from understanding all of the common fees such as the "discount rate" and transaction costs, you also need to understand how your money is handled and which processors are offering the best deals - without getting ripped off in the process. Here we discuss all the questions you should be asking your credit card processing company, including using a Credit Card Processing Merchant Account Cheat Sheet to ensure you are asking all the right questions and making an well-informed decision. Thanks to CardFellow.com for their help with this information.
Writing a business plan for your startup is one critical piece that most small business owners fail to take. In this interview, we talk with Bill Bartmann about his thoughts on how to raise startup funds for a new business in a recession, why he doesn't ever recommend friends and family for startup up capital, and some of the things he feels helped him start several profitable companies. Find out more about Bill Bartmann at BillBartmann.com and BillionaireU.com
Dawn Ellinwood opened her first small business just 7 months ago - a high-end hair studio in Northern San Diego County. In this episode, we talk to Dawn about the challenges of getting started, how she's bootstrapping her way, and the difficulty in starting a small business in a down economy. We also talk about how she is getting business from reviews at Yelp.com and Kudzu.com. Find out more about Dawn and her business at www.UbuntuHairStudio.com.
