StartupNation Blogs

So you’ve got some ideas, a decent prototype, and a couple customers to boot…now what?  Sadly, many would-be entrepreneurs fail at running a business before they even start.  The complexity of a business plan, lack of funding, and an army of competitors all create a standstill that causes those flames of business freedom to flicker.  [...]

Summer is finally here, and there are a lot of great movies to see. It got me thinking about how “Indiana Jones,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man,” and others have a lot to teach us about PR. For example:
1. Act Fast.
Super heroes think and act quickly to get results so the next time reporters contact you, give them the [...]

Mondays just fail to register for me when I don’t hear the stopwatch on Sunday evenings. I saw this segment on Plumpynut for the second time on 60 Minutes. I’m glad this topic has come around again, and felt just as dumbfounded as to why this is such a difficult problem to solve this time [...]

As you start your new business you need to think about your health insurance and its costs.  If you have left an employer that offered you health insurance then you will be offered COBRA.  Typically, COBRA can range between 102%-150% of the cost of the group health insurance.  If you are healthy, the best thing to do is [...]

If you are working on your own publicity efforts, there are a few sites that can help you build buzz while saving money. When you get a moment, check these out:
http://www.helpareporter.com/
By simply registering your name, e-mail address and company name on this site, you’ll get access to some great reporter requests.Â
Peter Shankman, a publicist who [...]

Good evening Startup Nation visitors! Today we begin a 15-part, five week crash course that will help you decide whether or not franchising is the right thing for you. Starting your own business can be extremely daunting.

What is the right business for me?
How do I get financing (or do I even need financing)?
Home based? Retail? [...]

Whether you’ve established a small business, are in the midst of launching one, or simply considering it for the future, it’s certain you want at least one thing out of this investment: success.
Starting and running a small business isn’t a cakewalk. It’s hard to believe, but over 50 percent of small businesses fail in their [...]

I love to admit it, Rich Sloan is right.
Do all of your research diligently, assess the landscape of the market, finely define the project at hand, painstakingly lay out a time schedule, assign specific tasks to specific people, stay on top of the process with regularly scheduled meetings, set deadlines and gather feedback from team [...]

Kroger Co. shareholders rejected five shareholder-sponsored proposals — all opposed by the board of directors — at the company’s annual meeting Thursday in Cincinnati.

Kroger Chairman and CEO David Dillon that the company was already following or moving toward many of the policies promoted by the proposals but that the company disagreed with the methods proposed.
Cincinnati-based [...]

Similar message to my Fish Sticks post about people’s likelihood to do the right thing, if just given the right information….

WorldChanging book review:

 

“Authored by two Univeristy of Chicago heavy-hitters, Economist Richard Thaler and Law Professor Cass Sunstein, Nudge explores the policy implications of behavioral economics, a field describing the irrationalities of human behavior. Taking [...]