You can approach Airlines for co-branding, ask shops in Airport to promote the app, ticket booking sites to promote your app in signature of the mails they send .. there are lot of avenues. What exactly are you trying to build. Call me if needed. I am consulting architect with 14 years of experience in building iOS, Android, Windows Phone mobile apps, windows and web apps that scale.

Yes. That is the whole purpose of the USPTO filing system. Whoever is first to file gets the mark. There is common law usage which they could argue but first to file is generally upheld.

The resume's purpose is to Get You The Interview. Not get you the job. It can't do that. So anything that helps you Stand Out and get that callback for the interview is fair game. I don't even recommend using a resume anymore. Develop online content and get it in front of employers who have the power to hire you (CEOs, not HR). I absolutely would put your backpacking experience as a line item high up on your resume. I did about 60 information interviews with hiring professionals and found that they scan--not read, note--the top third of Page 1 of resumes. If you don't sell to them in that small space why they need to talk to you, your resume goes in the trash. So get your punchy stuff in up front. I'm an expert in unorthodox jobhunting and getting companies to create jobs with zero competition, custom-made for you...frequent radio interview guest on the topic, and have had four companies do this for me during my career. Resumes and cover letters are totally outdated, but you're free to keep using them if you like.

First, when you make enough sales face-to-face, hire someone to manage social media for you. You don't have to do it like everyone else, but you need to have a presence online to be a serious contender in the marketplace. Even people who meet you face-to-face may be less enthusiastic about buying from you (or even suspicious) if they can't find much about you online. Here are some of the more successful approaches I've used to increase "face time" with clients and prospects: 1. Book speaking engagements and speak on subject matters where my expertise can shine through. Chambers of commerce, civic organizations, trade associations, etc. 2. Join a meet-up group or, better yet, start your own. Figure out what kind of networking your prospective clients want to do and give them an opportunity to do it. You'll create value for them and fill your Rolodex with leads. 3. Join a chamber of commerce, networking organization, or trade association and (emphasis here) take a leadership role. Chair a committee. Run an event. Organizations like these have hundreds or thousands of members. Only a percent show up. A smaller percent actually gets a lot of business from it. Which small percent? The ones who take an active, visible leadership role. I'm sure we could come up with a lot more if we could talk specifically about your business and industry. Please set up a phone call if you want to brainstorm.

Teaching. Set up some sort of online, or even better, night course at a local college. Charge for it. By teaching, you set yourself up as an authority on the subject. The more you teach, the more people see you as the person who knows those most on the subject. What you'll get out of it is more business referrals and more clients. Seems weird, and most people will say "you'll be training your competition!" but in fact, you won't. Just because you teach someone how to use a camera, it doesn't turn them into a professional photographer, but it does form a relationship of trust and knowledge between you and boatloads of potential clients.

Have an interview plan. What is the purpose of the interview? Don't be wishy-washy. Your two questions today could have used a lot more detail. I do many of these (and am an expert guest) on my blog at http://www.salestactics.org. Here's an example of several: http://www.salestactics.org/sales-expert-interviews/ Write out your questions beforehand. Of course one or two new questions will occur to you while conducting the interview; ask them, too. But have your base set up. Think about your request from their perspective: WHY would they want to participate? Yes, people want to be cooperative and helpful. But No, they do not want to create content for you (for example, I am asked to be interviewed all the time by people who are compiling such expert interviews to then SELL them...why on earth should I give them content so they can make money with it?!). So be clear about your purpose. You really must be looking for expertise, not digging for a job. Fake purpose will be seen through immediately and it will hurt your reputation. Collecting a series of these interviews online around a specific topic is a great differentiating factor for job hunting, however. This is positioning.

If I understand your question correctly, you are asking about information interviews. That is the term. People are cooperative and like to show off what they know (I'm doing it right now!). So let them. This isn't hard. Nearly everyone you call will be open to at least talking with you on the phone for a few minutes. You may have to schedule a time to call back or meet in person later, and that's fine. So say there's a job you want to do, you think, and you'd like to find out more about it. The funny thing is, the same job done at different companies can be totally different experiences because of cultures. So it's best to talk to three or four people doing that job at separate firms to get perspective. To find these people is not difficult. You can use LinkedIn. Or you can use a simple method called the Little Unsure technique, where you ask the receptionist, "Hi, I'm not sure who I should speak with...I'm looking for the person who does [whatever role it is]. But again, I'm not sure who that would be there..." and trail off. This method is very effective. You may get voicemail. 3/4 times the person you're calling won't be available to take your call. Don't take it personally. Leave a quick message or call back later now that you have the name. For messages or live answers, say you are doing some research, are interested in the role they have and are wondering if it's right for you. If they could speak with you for about 15 minutes, it would be very helpful. If now's not a good time, when would work? Have your questions ready. They may want to go ahead right now. I have had employees get time for such interviews in person approved by their boss...again, people want to be cooperative. Once in awhile you may find someone who is "too busy". Simply move on. No big deal. That person is probably not a fit anyway. The higher you go in larger organizations, the nicer the people you'll find. How did the leaders in most organizations get there? The Sales career path. They know all about cold calling. The appreciate it. Nearly all of the success factors here are getting past your fears. These fears are simply not valid. They don't hold true in the real world. Nearly everyone is flattered someone would ask their opinion. Go find out whether this job is really something you want. And you'll also find out what kind of different corporate cultures exist...which will play a big part in your job selection, if you're smart. Don't be in "I'll Take Anything" mode. Start sorting.

Develop executable strategy and prioritized action list... The devil is in details of course. And lots depend on the field and type of business you are trying to build. I mentor a lot to startups and formal accelerator programs. Glad to discuss if there is an interest.

By far, it is managing cash flow. You need to be VERY good at it. There is an extremely fine balance between the speed you can invest and the speed at which you get new customers (i.e. revenue). And it is very easy to tip it of one way or another. If you are too risk averse, you will not invest enough and grow too slowly and be overtaken by market, if you take too many risks, you can be broken and have to shut down ... as said, very fine balance!. But mastering this balance will equip you with extremely useful skills that will prove invaluable for later stages of your startup and that, from my point of view, people that try to get funding as soon as possible don't fully develop. So face the challenge with a brave face! :)

Hi, I've worked with start-ups, SMEs and corporates serving both the public and private sectors. I have 25 years of experience managing projects, programs, operations, engineering and technology-driven change and have served in both leadership and advisory roles internationally. Here are some essential things to think about when prioritising ideas: Why do it? | Does it align with vision, goals & values? | is it the most sensible next step (thinking holistically)? | is there something else with a better ROI | what's the opportunity cost (ie what can't be done if you do this)? | does this help remove critical uncertainties ie reduce risk? | is there an associated health, safety or environmental issue | when does it need to be completed? | will this help build momentum and commitment? | what are the dependencies? | can it be properly resourced? | are there clearly defined, measurable success criteria? | does this have the required level of executive support? | how well does it align with other initiatives? | do all key stakeholders agree on the emergent priorities? Feel free to come back to me with questions. Also, if you have a particular context I can get more specific. Cheers, Trevor

That would depend on what you're trying to accomplish and who you are as a manager and individual. Off the top of my head I can tell you that Podio, Asanna and Basecamp are all popular project management tools. Which one you use really depends on you and the features you want. On a personal level I use Trello which I make work for me. It has the features I want and allows me to display information that seems logical to me. I suggest that you play around with all them and find which one works best for you. If I'm off the mark and you're asking about a specific system I suggest scrum. Although scrum is most talked associated with building agile products I've successfully used it on a wide variety of projects technical and non technical. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Assuming it's a startup with high growth ambition with real potential, the most common thing to offer is equity from the company (or company to be registered later). The amount of the equity you should offer depends on the stage at the startup development http://www.startupcommons.org/startup-key-stages.html The earlier it is the higher is the risk of that equity to have any real value, as well as the time that it would materialize. The other factor is naturally for how long and how much of time usage would you be expecting from the mentor, as well as how valuable you consider that mentoring to be on the success of the company. The good thing about equity arrangement is that if both party see the value on doing this, also the reward to benefit from the relationship is aligned via equity arrangement. Generally in startup mentoring, many serial entrepreneurs are quite happy to offer some general advise for free as part of their "giving back", this they will typically like to do as part of their own networking or presentations in a startup events. I would say that if they are in the event, they are available, so just be brave enough to ask. However, beyond simple one off advises, if you feel you need to build a longer relationship, it's better to not expect the availability of the good mentors to have time available without some arrangement either directly or via some accelerator program or similar. For short term need you can naturally always opt in for a simple cash transaction and even use same model over period of time "as needed" bases. Now clearly something like Clarity offers as easy as it can get solution for this. Optionally you could setup a simple "monthly fixed fee" as well. In case it's for something else than startup that basically have these generic models available, then you may think of something similar, where you share some of the upside (what ever that is) with the mentor. If it's totally something out of "traditional business" like life coaching, you could simple offer you own skills, contact network and time in return, assuming the would be a match in what the mentor (or his/her business, network etc.) would have use for. Something that is easy for you, but not so for the mentor.

Well, it depends on your skills and what kind of portfolio your clients ask for. I can share some comments if you are a content strategist, UX engineer, or a technical communicator. You can prepare custom portfolio, such as content inventory or gap analysis, or a quick guide from whatever apps you use in routine. For example: (a) If you blog, prepare an ‘inventory’ of how you planned this blog, your branding process, and calendar (if any). (b) If you manage any facebook or G+ brand page, prepare a quick guide to share how you post media, moderate the page, and see insights and analytics. (c) You can prepare a story of how you plan and structure your resume (digital or paper), the conventions and styling, and the branding. (d) Prepare a UX report for gap analysis and optimization scope, for any app you use (ToDo, Emails or for anything). I always recommend NOT to use your portfolio from past employers. Create your own custom portfolio, and show the value. Need more directions? I can discuss more on a call.

In my experience, no entrepreneur is fully prepared for the journey they are embarking upon when they start a new business endeavor. You simply can't have everything you need before you begin this journey. Being an entrepreneur is about being resourceful, or as Paul Graham puts it, being "relentlessly resourceful". You'll need to solve problems as you go and you can't anticipate every hurdle you're going to have to overcome. Ask people around you if they would describe you as resourceful. Ask yourself this question. It is the one skill that every entrepreneur needs to have. That said, I think you can try to stack the deck in your favor before you begin. Money, knowledge, a head start on your product or service idea before you go full time, the right partners, and the support of your significant other are all things that will greatly benefit you. In the end, you're going to have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make your business endeavor a success. You're also going to have to be willing to work hard and live an unorthodox lifestyle while you are getting things started. If you're not looking for this kind of life and you don't want to give up a lifestyle that you've become accustomed to or if you don't have the confidence that you'll be able to figure it out as you go, then you may not be ready yet. I've always thought that you never really know what you are capable of until you are put in a position where there is only one way forward and failure is not an option. In this respect, sometimes I think it's worth a try if starting a new business endeavor is something you've thought about for a long time. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there to see what you can do. I know my experience of starting a business was one in which I didn't have many things going for me, but I still managed to find a way to make it work and find success. Work hard. Don't give up. Strive to be the best. Do whatever it takes. You can do it!

Here's a system a masterminded with Joel of Buffer (pun intended). General rules: Break the session into 3 parts and set time limits. Stick to one mastermind group partner for each session. Take it in turns for each part of the session. Prep: Have your achievements and challenges list ready before the meeting 1. Spend 10mins celebrating "achievements" from the previous week. Can be big achievements or small. doesn't matter as long as they're meaningful to you. 2. Spend 5 mins doing "reflections". These are your reflections on the challenges you had last week. 3. Challenges: 25mins. Express your "challenge" and let the other person lead you to a resolution through a series of guided questions as part of a discovery. Note: It is imperative that your partner never gives you an answer but only asks guiding questions. Joel's company uses this system amongst all his staff and the company just got valued at $60m. You can read about it on techcrunch or on his blog. If you want more detail on how to run a successful MMG or want to hear the story of how he and I spent a year doing this every week for a whole year. You know where to find me. :)

Im sure you'll will find many diff approaches but overall your main goal, once you contact, is to always be accessible, friendly and build relationships. Even if your relationships are thin, they are better quality leads for business than you simply walking into a business pitching your product. When pitching your product: Always focus in value, talk to your soon to be clients as if you deal with the issues first hand and this is how you solve them... Don't discuss pricing unless asked. Offer any help or guidance in selecting services even from the competition if they want.. Sell yourself as a rep from a company that is paid to help not sell... This approach works wonders if you can pull it off.. If you have less time during intros or pitching local retail shops you have to be more direct but still aim for a relationship than a quick sale before you move on next door. Learn a bit about their business like busiest hours, popular item or service...after your intro simply offer them more time when they are less busy with clientele to come back to talk about fuckng a certain issue (with a product you represent) :) Hope it helps a bit.

In my personal experience, I believe it is better to serve this as a PDF, since not all users will trust ZIP downloads. And even if you ZIP the PDF, when a user opens that file, it will still open it in browser if that's the way their machine is configured. Best to stick with true pdf.

I can relate to where you're coming from for a couple of reasons. One, I love technology, yet I define myself more as a creative person who loves to write. As an employee, I was on both sides of the fence. For many years I was a software developer and systems analyst. And I've also been copywriter and a merchandise assistant in the fashion industry. I was always looking for the place where I fit. I've spent time in corporate--ended up hating the bureaucracy and politics. And contracting/volunteering in non-profits, which have their own challenges. Running a business isn't for everyone, so it's good that you realize it might not be the path your want to take. A lot of people do it because they believe it will lead to freedom. But it can be another trap if running a business doesn't fit your temperament. My suggestion would be to take your time right now. Do some work within yourself to be honest about what you're drawn to, and what is a complete turn off. Don't just run to something to get away from something else. It might take a while for you to define the right move. I'd start by writing out what you dislike and what you like when it comes to work and self expression. Sounds simplistic, I know. But you'd be surprised how much comes out if you take the time to write it out. Or speak it into a recording device--whatever it takes to get it out of your head. Don't be afraid to make a mistake while you're figuring it out. Every new opportunity doesn't have to be the "be all and end all." Once I made the move out of IT, I became a contractor and also did freelance writing. Not being a full-time employee allowed me to have an income while not being committed fully to a company or job. Perhaps your ultimate answer will be to do something on the side, while you work full-time in an environment that allows you to grow and do good work. Or perhaps the freelance/contractor route will click. You'll have to give yourself space to figure out what's right--what makes sense for your peace of mind and for your financial needs. It's okay if you follow your own path. It just may take a while for you to figure it out what's right for you and how to create the fulfillment you're seeking. For myself, I accept that my path will not be a straight line. In corporate I had a career path, and I knew what every step would be. That's not true now, and sometimes it can be unnerving not to know. But I've found that it works better for me to have the flexibility, and I'm wiling to accept the "uncertainty" that comes with it. That's why you have to have an idea of what you want and what you're willing to live with, so you can express yourself in the world and feel good about it.

It stands for allowing someone to continue doing or use something that is normally no longer permitted (due to changing regulations, internal rules etc.)

Long story short: they should be written in your tense, since they are actually written by you, on your behalf. When asking an acquaintance for an intro, make sure you provide enough context for your acquaintance to justify making the connection: - clarify how you're connected; - mention the name of the startup and ways to look it up; - include a very concise outline of what your startup's capabilities are and what you've achieved so far; - end with a call to action. Your acquaintance can then either forward your email entirely or use it to quickly put together a separate message based on the information you've already provided.

https://www.filepicker.io/ is the best thing that you can integrate with this app which suits your requirement. If you are the owner of the app, you can integrate it very quickly. If not, you can suggest the app owner to do it Feel free to call me if you need more clarification. I am consulting architect for few companies in US and India on mobile, web and windows/linux/mac apps.

It's not the number of people visiting your website, it's the number of people returning, that matters; especially when you are talking about online client experience. Consider yourself your client. What would you want? 1. Easy to reach services? 2. Clear design? 3. Your friends following the brand? Fill in the blanks. It's not just about the information anymore, because there's plenty on the Internet. The presentation, the ease of getting it and relevance matters, when it comes to online experience. Lastly, and most importantly, what your client online really seeks today in the crowded world of Internet is personalized attention! Reply to him/her. Get in touch and build relationships.

The petal diagram is great for new markets: http://steveblank.com/2013/11/08/a-new-way-to-look-at-competitors/

Ensure your profile was compelling. Build a business page. Join related Google groups. Contribute to those conversations. Follow influencers in the space (sometimes they follow back, though the follow first strategy works better on Twitter). Write blog posts and share those on Google+ (and other social networks). Use other social networks and tell those followers you are also on Google+. Ensure your web site has prominent icons showing that you are on Google+ (and other networks). Ensure your Google Authorship is setup on your Google+ page and your blog. Look for other blogs in your industry that are open to guest blogging and post articles on there as well. Ensure your Google+ Authorship is linked to those. Ensure your author bio/profile on those other sites (or footers in the articles) link back to your Google+ page. Post previews on YouTube (if your courses have video material). Share those on Google+. Link your YouTube channel. Links in YouTube video descriptions to e-mail sign up landing pages. Build custom landing pages for various circumstances. Of course you're going to want to then push people to your site for the e-mail opt-ins. So keep tasteful notices on your blog/site so when people read your content they can sign up for your newsletters. I personally am not a fan of popups in people's faces. Tasteful banners and fixed position panels that tuck away at some edge of the screen are great. Give away resources in exchange for e-mails. Have some free PDF that would be useful and meaningful to people? Maybe it follows up on a blog post even. Provide a page that requires people to fill out your e-mail list form in order to download the document. In your case you might want to give away a portion of a course or something. Maybe your e-mail list highlights other courses. So now you just gave someone something of value and are leading them to more value (that they should be happy to pay for that next time around). Twitter has lead generation campaigns that work quite well and integrate with MailChimp. I know you said Google+, but you should seriously look at multiple networks. Then I'd look into ads on social networks. Extremely targeted. Small budget. This works well for optins and as a byproduct you get your name out there and do get followers from those types of campaigns as well (even though what you get charged for is leads and the goal is leads - it still brings you some followers). To sum all those steps up: You need to generate content that people enjoy so they are more interested in signing up for your e-mail mailings. People want a reason. You use Google+ (and other networks) to reach out to people beyond your normal web site traffic. You get into circles and communities within these networks (and other sites) as well. Though don't blatantly spam.