Tips | Advice
In the last year, I have expanded my company into three separate international markets: Singapore, the USA and the UK. While we have only officially launched in Singapore, I have spent enough time in each region to become aware of the massive diversity in culture, social protocols and ways of doing business that is unique […]
With so many channels to market these days, communication has become a two-way dialogue rather than a one-way push, though many big businesses have yet to accept this. The outdated marketing techniques still employed by many big businesses is handing a clear advantage to those startups and small businesses that are agile and adapting to […]
When GO1 raised our first seed round I went into negotiations knowing next to nothing about raising funds. But on the other side of the table, the investors that I spoke to did this every day. And that makes it dangerous. One of our first investors turned out to be a shark. Fortunately for us […]
We’ve all seen the grim statistics: more than 90 percent of startups fail. It’s widely acknowledged that many of these failures are caused by “rookie mistakes”. Yet, having worked with hundreds of startup founders as a mentor and investor I continue to see the same mistakes made again and again. At the same time I […]
As the innovation capital of the world, Silicon Valley has given birth to some of the world’s most successful start-ups. Organisations that have grown to be the big brands infiltrating every aspect of our lives – Netflix, Facebook, Apple, eBay, among them. There are many more. It makes you wonder, is there something in the […]
I often find it frustrating when I hear or see people from startups actively chasing the help and financial support of an accelerator. For those that don’t know, startup accelerators offer funding initiatives, mentor programs and other resources for startup businesses. It’s not to say that these are not useful, far from it. As I’m […]
Today’s startup culture is faster paced than ever, and CIOs play a crucial role in keeping the company on an even keel. It isn’t just about aligning the company’s technology strategy with its business strategy anymore. Any CIO worth their salt needs to be bringing innovative ideas to the table and actively engaging with stakeholders […]
For many Australians, our passions go well beyond our day jobs – and turning them into viable business ventures has never been easier. Last year, my company’s research found that 1 in 4 small business owners started their venture as a side project while being employed elsewhere. And research commissioned by the NBN revealed that […]
When starting out in business, there are a million and one things to think about. One that can often get overlooked is the protection of designs. It is essential to have protection on all business designs, and it’s something that businesses often don’t think about until it’s far too late. I learnt this the hard […]
Industries are at danger of disruption when the status quo is not just complexity, regulation, a lack of transparency and waste but also an absence of collaboration, according to Karen Lawson, CEO of corporate accelerator Slingshot. She spoke to Dynamic Business about how collaborating with start-ups will help a corporate to survive ‘the wave of disruption’. Lawson explained […]
If you’re reading this, you probably already think your business needs the boost that PR can give, but here’s the big question: How do you go about getting the media to write about you? Well, you have two options. The first is to hire a PR agency, which will set you back at least $4,000 […]
We now live in a subscription economy, where offerings are both digital (e.g. Netflix, Spotify) and physical (e.g. Birchbox plus local start-ups Bellabox and Lust Have It) . From the consumer perspective, subscription boxes are a convenient and hassle-free way to receive the products that are meaningful to them. For businesses, it’s a potentially lucrative model – […]
Is your start-up gaining momentum to the point that work is piling up and your small team is struggling to keep up? Outsourcing a few tasks might be just what your team needs to concentrate on their field of expertise and achieve the best possible results. Deciding what to outsource might be one of the key decisions you’ll make […]
On recent business trips to Silicon Valley, we’ve met with a number of investors, lawyers and other advisers who are active in the start-up community. These meetings have yielded some very interesting lessons for Australian start-ups, particularly those seeking to expand into the US market or take on US investors. Here are the key highlights: 1. […]
Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America is doing nothing if not gaining more media attention than any other President in history. America has taken front stage in the crazy politics game and the world is on the edge of its seat watching every move intently. For the most part, initial reaction […]
Starting a business is a undertaking that’s usually accompanied by a range of feelings from excitement and anticipation through to fear and stress. There’s a lot of work to be done, and most of it inevitably falls on the shoulders of the entrepreneur behind the venture. But, there are incredibly helpful apps and online tools out there […]
In February 2016, Brett Kaplan – a veteran of the corporate world – ‘flew the coop’ to become CFO of online home services marketplace Oneflare. Founded just five years earlier by serial entrepreneurs Marcus Lim and Adam Dong, the fast-growing Sydney tech start-up provided the enterprising South African with relief from an itch big business […]
Choosing a business structure is, well, tricky business. If you are thinking of starting a business, you should first weigh up the pros and cons of each business structure to figure out which one best suits your needs. This is an important step that shouldn’t be overlooked because it affects many aspects of your business […]
It’s likely that at some stage in your career you’ve dreamt of running your own business, due to the perceived flexibility, but haven’t yet taken the entrepreneurial plunge for one reason or another. Perhaps it’s job security, budget constraints, or just a general fear of the unknown – all valid reasons for hesitation. Fortunately, there’s a […]
Powered by an entrepreneurial engine, start-ups pursue rapid growth off the back of a product or service with a large potential customer base. While a start-up’s offering may be innovative, disruptive even, plans for growth could be derailed if inexperience at negotiation prevents them from, say, locking in those first crucial investors or clients. Here’s how your start-up can negotiate like a pro: Know […]
