As 2014 is coming to an end, entrepreneurs everywhere are preparing to enter 2015 with a plan to reach new heights. Whether that means starting a new business, or continuing to improve an existing one, creating a solid roadmap will help you achieve your goals faster and more effectively.
We’ve compiled a list of our best, and most helpful posts of the year. This list is packed with knowledge from already successful entrepreneurs, methods on how to raise funding, how to grow a startup team, how to keep your business focused and more. Use this wealth of knowledge while creating your plan for success in 2015. Here are the 10 best posts from 2014:
1. Cheap and quick startup tips for the non technical co-founder
“More often than not, an aspiring entrepreneur without any technical background will find it much harder to start a tech startup. Although it is getting easier to pick up programming skills with platforms like Codecademy, Khan Academy and the likes, learning enough technical skills to be proficient enough for your tech startup still take a long time.
So what can a non-technical founder do?”
2. Do one thing well. Identify your one thing like this
“Startups need to do one thing and do it really well in order to stand out. Unfortunately, finding that one thing you should do really well is a simple question that’s extremely difficult to answer. With the myriad of requirements from various stakeholders, it’s hard to zero in on a focus without getting pulled in different directions.
So, how can you find out what’s the core of your business?”
3. The Basic Components of your startup financial model
“Creating a Financial Model forces an entrepreneur to plan very specifically how their business will work, how users and customers find and use their products, and how those processes create revenues and costs.
As tempting as it might be to outsource this project, it is important to create your own model in order to organize your thoughts, and quickly take action. Constructing your own model will help you predict potential obstacles, make calculated decisions, and see how the business will perform with a given set of assumptions.”
4. 25 Inspirational Quotes on Building a Strong Startup
“Entrepreneurs are pulled in so many directions that they oftentimes forget to nurture the most important components that make for an enduring company. From hiring the right team to configuring costs, founders must continuously focus on the key ingredients proven to help startups prosper. To revive your focus, we’ve compiled a list of quotes from lucrative entrepreneurs who’ve discovered what it takes to launch and sustain a successful business.”
5. Startup Lessons Learned at Google - It’s all about data
“Thomas Korte is a veritable expert in the world of startups and entrepreneurship. He is the Founder of AngelPad, a startup accelerator based in San Francisco and New York. Despite having only been around for a few years, AngelPad was named by MIT’s 2014 Accelerator Research as the #3 U.S. Accelerator, and was recognized by Forbes Magazine as a “TOP 5 Global Accelerator” in 2012.
However, before founding AngelPad, Korte worked at Google for 7 years, and was Google’s first International Product Manager. In this second installment, filmed at the 15th Founder Showcase, Korte discusses Google's emphasis on making decisions based on data rather than opinions.”
6. [Infographic] Which is the right startup funding option for you?
“When running a startup a hurdle that most, if not all founders have to overcome is how to fund it. Raising funding is a challenging task for any founder, whether they are trying to do so from friends and family or venture capitalists. This infographic that we've designed explains the most common funding options for startups and what you need to obtain them.
In summary 5 types of funding are covered in relation to how difficult they are to obtain.”
7. Startup Misconceptions: You should never tell anyone your idea
“Entrepreneurship is hard. REALLY hard. But with countless tales of how entrepreneurs made it big with almost nothing, it’s easy for a budding founder to jump into the startup world full of unbridled enthusiasm.
Luckily, Startup Misconceptions is here to clear up the myths, delusions, and fancies surrounding entrepreneurship, with useful advice from experts. So, sorry if we rain on your parade, but we believe a successful entrepreneur is a prepared entrepreneur. You’ll thank us later.”
8. How to know when you have a winning idea
“I recently attended a private seminar on the subject of building a “lean” company that was being held at Stanford College. The main speaker of the event was Tristan Kromer, a major lean startup advocate and product coach for companies such as Swisscom, StumbleUpon, and many more. This event was aimed at Swedish entrepreneurs, as the Swedish startup ecosystem is currently seeking ways to grow and expand its resources. The room was filled with about 50 Swedish entrepreneurs that had all either successfully launched companies or were part of the team of small companies, all set to learn some of the best techniques from the “Lean Startup Methodology.” I was lucky enough to interview Tristan after the event and gain some valuable insights, but the seminar itself held some great information as well.”
9. A Guide to Startup Employee Equity
“Founder Feedback gives you insight from the startup trenches.
In a post on his SoCal CTO blog, Tony Karrer, Founder and CTO of TechEmpower, Founder and CTO of Aggregage and organizer of the LA CTO Forum and Startup Specialist Network, shares stories based on his experience working with over 30 startups over the past 15 years.”
10. How to raise $100K in your first day of crowdfunding campaign
“Kickstarter campaigns are often employed by entrepreneurs to showcase their products online through videos, graphics, and text on one page. Founders can set funding goals and deadlines, obtaining backers (supporters) who donate money to help creators launch their product or creative project.
Some campaigns fail miserably using this tactic to raise funding, while others soar pass their goals. However, the Founder Institute has birthed a rare Founder who falls into the latter category, raising $200,000 within a month of launching a Kickstarter campaign, rocketing far beyond the $40,000 goal.”
