Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives’ Post

A startup requires the same major job functions as a large company. The only difference is that the founder often has to fill every one of them personally. So it's helpful if the entrepreneurial package includes skills in product development, sales and marketing, finance, operations, business development, fundraising, and so on. The more of these skills the founder has, the better the company's chance of succeeding. #skills #startup

🚀 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮?  🧨 If you’re looking for a roadmap to launch and grow your startup, our Startup Blueprint newsletter is designed just for you! We’ll deliver critical insights and actionable weekly tips to help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey. Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up: ✅ Step-by-step guides from idea validation to scaling ✅ Expert advice on funding, branding, and customer acquisition ✅ Real-world success stories to inspire your business growth ✅ Tools to help you avoid common startup pitfalls 📩 Don’t miss out! Join our community of North American entrepreneurs and start building your business today. 👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e5-N-Pzd

Unique headlines if you want to write a post on entrepreneurs: 3. "Left a high-paying job to start a company." 2. "Farmer's son making it big in the startup world." 1. "Dropped out of college to build a company."

CEO cents The Pack And Startups Key Startup Hires Are Like QBs 6’4” Heisman finalist 1st round Must be right call as no time to redo Dig deeper QBs are often coach killers Can they stay long enough and step up in the pocket? Tough guy or used to no blitz? Locker room leader or primadonna? Selfish? Looking for stats? Or wins? Quick twitch or bad decisions? Slow? Sometimes the 5’10” or the skinny guy or 1-AA QB is better. Think Tarkenton, Favre, Romo, Brady (slow). Who chose Mahomes? Better yet, Purdy as Mr Irrelevant? Really? Huh!! Green Bay gets QB right. Are you a startup Packer picker? Conclusion: Hire for talent, ‘tude and have the correct system. Sandquist Consulting

If you’re pitching your startup, and you spend more than about 15 seconds on your Advisors slide, that’s too long. It’s not helping you, and it may be hurting. Here’s three reasons why. ¶ Photos of accomplished people are a dime a dozen - and that’s all you’ve proven you have. ¶ Founders talk way too much about their advisors’ 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀, when what actually matters is how much 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 they bring to your business. Have they invested money? Have they introduced specific customers? If your advisor has already made a big difference in your startup, then say that - tell a story about a contribution they’ve made, not about how many IEEE awards they’ve won. ¶ There’s an important exception: if you’re working with a “superadvisor” - someone who’s been an early advisor to a long string of successful companies - then their reputation alone is worth something and may help you get funded. But on the other hand, someone like that has investors they’ve made money for before; so if you’re pitching me, and introducing a superadvisor I don’t already know, the obvious question is why haven’t their go-to VCs already filled the round? Note I’m not saying (at all) that it’s bad to have advisors - quite the contrary. Recruiting effective advisors and using them well can be a huge force multiplier. But if I see 100 pitches, and each presentation shows 5 advisors, only a fraction of those are real difference makers (and they aren’t always the most credentialed). Founders who have those advisors don’t have to go on and on about their advisors’ resumes, as their companies will stand out anyway. Be one of them.   

The Power of Building the Right Community in Your Startup When it comes to launching a startup, there’s one key element that often gets overlooked: community. It’s not just about your product or service—it’s about the people who rally behind your vision and help shape its future. Creating a community within your startup isn’t just about gathering people—it’s about selecting the right individuals who align with your mission, values, and long-term goals. Whether they’re team members, early adopters, or mentors, the right people can propel your startup forward in ways you never imagined. But choosing wisely is key. Here are a few things I am learning about building a strong community: Shared Vision: Surround yourself with people who believe in what you’re building. Passion drives innovation, and having a team that shares your vision creates a foundation of trust and motivation. Diverse Perspectives: Bring in individuals who can challenge your ideas in a constructive way. Innovation thrives on diverse opinions, backgrounds, and skill sets. Commitment to Growth: Ensure your community members are committed not just to the startup’s growth, but to their own growth as well. The best communities foster learning, mentorship, and collaboration. Trust and Integrity: You need people who you can count on through thick and thin. Startup life is unpredictable, and having a reliable, trustworthy community is what will get you through the toughest challenges. At the end of the day, your startup community will either be your greatest strength or a potential weakness. The proper selection of who’s involved can make all the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving. Choose people who believe in your vision and are committed to growing alongside you. DM me to Join my community within the Lawn Care Industry to help develop the future of Lawn Care! #CommunityBuilding #StartUpLife #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #SharedVision #GrowthMindset #SuccessThroughPeople

Yes - to visually see the steps via value stream mapping and continuously improve is a fundamenta skill. Learn it!

Start ups are fascinating! Maybe from the outside people think they're easy, the truth is, building a start up is extremely hard and challenging, it's like riding a roller coaster, you have these scaring falls, 90 degree up hills, some loops in the middle, and when you think you're finally getting to the easy part, it starts again, never ends. Events full of entrepreneurs fill me with joy, every single person there is thinking and working to solve a real life problem. Of course they want profit, some want to become unicorns, some others dream about Wall Street, and that's OK, they are still solving a real life problem creating impact beyond profitability. Start up founders find ways to make our life easier, safer, less lonely in some cases, more fun in others, they bring good ideas to life. I always tell my entrepreneur friends how proud I am, and remind them to be careful not to die of success, and by this I mean, never stop planning, looking at your numbers, bringing the right talent, assessing yourself with experts. The learning process never ends, it's part of the roller coaster. Thanks to the team of Rockstart Latinoamérica for supporting the #startupvenezuelasummit . It is awesome to see the impact of bringing great speakers together and providing a stage for local entrepreneurs to pitch new solutions.

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, with many challenges and setbacks along the way, yet limited resources and the lack of a strong network and support system. Mentorship can bridge that gap and provide the much needed support to grow and scale your startup. This is why Startup Grind is launching a FREE Mentorship program for entrepreneurs. Three startups will be selected and will be mentored by a team of industry experts. Here's why mentorship for entrepreneurs is not just valuable, it's essential: - Wisdom Transfer: Mentors offer insights honed through experience, helping you navigate challenges with clarity and confidence. - Network Expansion: Through mentors, you gain access to diverse networks, opening doors to opportunities you might never have found alone. - Accountability & Support: A mentor serves as a guide and cheerleader, holding you accountable to your goals while offering unwavering support. - Personal Growth: Beyond business acumen, mentorship fosters personal growth, challenging you to expand your perspectives and embrace new ways of thinking. Dont miss out on this opportunity. Link added here to apply: https://bit.ly/4aUqSt9

Building a strong founding team is the cornerstone of startup success. Embrace diversity, shared vision, effective communication, and adaptability to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. In this post, we highlight the 4 key factors when hiring! 💼 #StartupSuccess #TeamBuilding #Entrepreneurship"