Why site speed matters (infographic)
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How to become the Captain
Sometimes, people take a long hard look at themselves. They evaluate their goals, failures, and successes and stack themselves against their aspirations and their inspirations. It’s one of the healthiest exercises one can do, after all “know thyself” like Socrates says. When that person is an entrepreneur or business owner, they also take a long hard look at their business, asking themselves similar questions.
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State of the Eclyptix Union, Part 1
After a decently lengthy hiatus from blogging, it’s a new year and I have a fresh vigor for writing about things that are meaningful to me both as a person and as the CEO of Eclyptix. What exactly does that mean? It means that I’m going to write with more candor about personal development, what’s going on in tech and interactive and of course what gets me most excited –startups–. I’m not going to to lie – blogging for me has gotten boring and a bit arduous, especially in light of my constant workload. But don’t get me wrong, I’ve re-committed to write honestly about my day-to-day life, both as a person and as a CEO of an Interactive Agency
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How To Launch A Social Network – Part 2
First, try to describe your concept in one sentence with a few keywords. The thinking here is that you should be able to describe your web start-up in one succinct sentence so that you can then stick to this core concept when fleshing out the details of your site. Remember that oftentimes the more narrow in focus and easy to understand your start-up is the more potential it has to go viral. Think Google. People won’t talk about it if they don’t know what it is or why it would benefit them quickly enough.
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How To Launch A Social Network – Part 1
If you’ve been bitten by the social network bug, you’re not alone. You are joining the ranks of thousands of other entrepreneurs pining for a social network to meet the needs of particular niche or provide utility to an increasingly “social-spoiled” audience. Social networking, and I’ll talk about this in my next blog post, isn’t just for socializing. It’s not only for consumers and it isn’t simply about conversation. Social networking is a feature, not a product and as such can dramatically enhance and impact an e-commerce website, directory or content-driven site. Social networks have many faces. There are simple, turnkey social networks like Ning and custom, complex social networks like WhereToGetEngaged.com and of course THE social network, Facebook.
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Finding Investors for your Website – Part 4
Having a killer pitch is of utmost importance in securing investors for your project. It’s imperative you have a business plan, marketing plan and projections. It’s important to have an engaging executive summary. A project blueprint for the website is critical to investors understanding and feeling comfortable with the launch strategy. A logo for your business/website and any mocked up pages from the website helps tremendously. Essentially, the further along in the process of building out a successful website, the better off you are. The more you can provide in the way of blueprints, designs, coded pages, functional sections, or a beta version the higher your chances of landing investors are.
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Finding Investors For Your Website – Part 3
“Roughly speaking, investments break down into two forms: debt and equity. You take on debt when you borrow money from a lender, and pay interest on that investment. You are compelled to repay the money with interest over time. Or, you can take on an equity investment — in which you sell a portion of the company to an investor in return for cash or something else of value. Each source carries advantages and disadvantages. Consider them well before making choices, for finance decisions are hard to undo. It’s not enough to find lenders and investors; you have to pick the right ones. Try to find investors who bring more than cash to the table. Look for supporters who can help you with financial advice, technical assistance, or who can connect you with key customers. Seek patient capital from a sage who can listen to your problems over breakfast and set you straight by the time you reach the offices. ‘Capital raising should be an extending circle,’ says Scott Shaw, founder of the Austin Grill, a successful Tex-Mex restaurant in Washington, DC. He explains that you start small with an immediate group of investors who can help you directly. Then you gradually build on that platform, seeking larger amounts from people you come to meet and with whom you will probably have a more formal relationship. Shaw also counsels that you “listen to the capital markets.” They may be trying to tell you something about your venture. If you’re having trouble raising money, there may be a very good reason why. If you are going out to seek capital — and the associated advice — from people who may have more experience, it’s a good idea to listen to them! They may know something you don’t.”
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Finding Investors For Your Website – Part 2
It’s absolutely imperative to have a carefully thought out, researched and professional master business plan for your website. Equally important is a marketing plan. It’s also very important that financial projections and monetization strategy is incorporated into your business plan. Investors want to see your concept fleshed out, stacked against the competitive marketplace and thoroughly analyzed. The more information and context you can provide them, the more likely you are to ease any concerns they may have and preempt their otherwise imminent questions.
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John Ruskin Sums Up Our Pricing Philosophy
It is unwise to pay too much. But it is worse to pay too little.
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