Need Startup Advice - Am I the wrong Business Partner? Or is my Business Partner not fitting?
There are a couple of technical aspects to this which others can help you with. But the real issue seems to be a power deferential you are flinching at. What is the right answer. Let me remind you of one business model. It actually comes from gambling. The real issue is to be in the game. Winning means you get to continue to play and have all the dynamics of being in it. Losing means the game is over and you are in dead time until you can once again be in the game. What are you doing in a start up? I've known people who that's all they did. They liked the puzzle of it. Soon as it got going or didn't, they moved on. They aren't bureaucrats and hate the politics it demands. Is it only to get your dream going? Then what? Your friend got the game up and running and is likely to make all the mistakes a young new start-up does. Generally burn the people involved because the power change goes to their head. They get focused on the trappings of control and power. It is hard not to. There are books written about it now. Your friend sounds like he has good intention but other priorities. You sound like your starting to whine. Not good. It is an indicator your life isn't what you dreamt. He doesn't have your dream, it is just another box on his checklist. You can wait and see if it develops or get going with another person hungry and committed. You said he is successful now so wonder if his model is the one. The streets out there are littered with one hit wonders. The element of timing is as crucial as a luck factor. It doesn't always pay off again. It might continue to work, it might not. But that is his life problem. Yours is what working on your dream means to you. Your instincts are telling you, you don't trust he is being clean with you. How much time are you going to give before it is enough? It really is your call. When you sit down and are quiet. There seems to be a nagging up your neck. That intuition is what most successful people credit with saving them. It's your life. If he turns into someone you learn to despise even if he is successful, is that good enough?So do your homework and know you have to live with yourself on the could'a, should'a, would'a, packages. Pretend it's a year in the future both ways. Success and failure with and without him. As you get a glimpse, what outcome feels best. Good luck.
Do you have any feedback or advice on this start up?
When I normally am checking out a business I have no idea what they do I will look at the About section on their website. On your webite it says the following Our members will try to generated leads for your business for a stipulated time and they get points when they do so.Based on those points a rank list is prepared.Based on that rank list you can interview them for jobs in your organization.Bonus: leads get generated while the contest is running!So this is telling me your members will try to generate leads for your business. If I am a business, I need valid sales leads so the value proposition you are offering is not a convincing one to me. What tangible benefit am I getting if I join your site? What do you offer that's unique to me as business?
Where can I get investment advice for my startup business?
If you are starting a new business, you’ll have to make several decisions, including the ones related to investment. Getting professional advice at this time can help you in right decision-making. 121With is a platform where you can find various Business Coaches and connect with the right one who can guide you on the investment aspect and any other business-related aspect that you may need advice on. Since it’s an online platform, you can save your time and effort finding the right professional and get expert advice anytime, anywhere.
What advice, if any, do you have for someone starting up a clothing brand?
There are a lot of things to be considered before one starts a clothing brand. I would go about studying and researching these key infomations:Research on your target market. Be specific, find your niche.Find a great reliable manufacturer that accepts small order.Decides on your marketing strategies.Be clear on your brand vision and mission.Choose your business model. Are you going to retail your own products or distributing it to distributors.Create a story about your clothing brand. Be special.
What advice would you give to an ecommerce startup?
Here's a lot of know how from Spark Solutions - Ruby on Rails & Spree Commerce Developers experience:Michal Faber's answer to How do I create an online marketplace? Michal Faber's answer to What platform is best for building a scalable eCommerce solution with up to 10 million registered users, Django eCommerce or Magento? What are the things one should keep in mind while building such a web application?Good luck! :-)
What advice do you have for start ups seeking investors?
Investing in startup firms was something that was reserved for the investors having a strong venture capital. However, times have changed for startup businesses and investors. Two years ago, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted rules allowing companies to raise money through crowdfunding from anybody interested in investing. Since then, more than 1,000 businesses have filed with the SEC to raise money on online platforms and $137 million have been committed to these businesses, according to the Crowdfund Capital Advisors, a leading crowdfund investing firm. Not just tech firms, but startups have also been funded in 80 different industries, ranging from restaurants to salons and logistics companies.Presently, there are more than a million startups that seem to appear and die every day because the competition is severe and conditions are undefined. In addition, the increasing demands of consumers compel them to search for funding to be able to grow and become successful. Of course, not all of the startups need investments. However, a majority of startups really do, and investing in such startups is a big part of risk and uncertainty.Investors, nowadays have gained access to a wider range of investment opportunities. Currently, more investors are investing their money in startups with a hope of a promising future, which has led to an array of paybacks for both the business owners as well as the investors. With the advantage of achieving a remarkable return on investments, the following are the key benefits of investing in startups.
What popular startup advice is plain wrong?
Advice about the power of passion is wrong. Of course you have to be passionate - why else would you work those crazy hours and blow all that money. But the people whose companies crashed and burned were passionate too. Consider interviewing people who've been married for 50 years. I bet they'll all say they're in love. But so will the people who've been married 2 weeks and will divorce in the next 2 years. Or you know that movie about the guy who sacrifices everything building a landing platform for space aliens in his living room? He looses job, wife, kids yet still goes at it. Then at the end the aliens come to get him and they are friendly, super intelligent etc. Well guess what? They don't make movies about the guys who loose everything building a landing platform but in the end, the aliens don't come - he just dies homeless under a bridge. Lousy movie but happens more often in real life.In business (like in marriage or alien landing platforms) passion is necessary but not sufficient. That's the worst advice that's wrong. The other advice I commonly see that's wrong is wrong by omission not commission. It's the success story. Here's what I did that make me a success. Usually left out is the context in which that happens. Advice that works in one context may not work in another context. Advice that works in every context (buy low and sell high) is usually so vague that it's not very useful.