It worries me when I hear a (budding?) entrepreneur use words like "reliable" and "consistent" and "income". Entrepreneurs know there are no such guarantees on the road to potential success. As well your statement "may take time" also indicates that it's just a matter of time. In many (dare I even say MOST) cases your big idea will flat out fail. Sure, some people get lucky and hit it big on their first outing... But the wise ones know that luck was a HUGE factor. And they hold no such expectations for future endeavors to succeed or pan out that quickly. I say none of this to discourage you. On the contrary - these things are the reasons why being an entrepreneur is so amazing. -Most people fear failure and as such will avoid even trying. -Most people give up after their one big idea doesn't start cash-flowing immediately. -Most people have an aversion to risk so they take the path of (seeming) least resistance. Entrepreneurs aren't "most people". Entrepreneurs embrace risk. They do everything they can to MITIGATE that risk - but they also know that "sure things" are for suckers. Entrepreneurs move forward with confidence and passion but also do so knowing that there are no guarantees. They may have to hold down a "j-o-b" while pursuing their vision. It might takes years. They may spend nights and weekends toiling away. But they do so knowingly and willingly. The answer to your question - how to do it - is just to DO IT. Start taking action today. In my opinion - a better question to ask is "What can I do to increase the probability of turning my idea into a business - a profitable reality - one that creates value for the marketplace while kicking off profits to me, the owner?" Find a great mentor or coach and then just go for it. I sincerely wish you the best of luck!

I'd suggest that there is no "should". The beauty of being an entrepreneur is that YOU get to decide what success is. In fact - In the system I use with entrepreneurs you learn to define "success" for yourself and build it into the requirements of your business model.

Follow how http://growthhackers.com/ has done it / it's Q&A plus a resource for links and community. Pure brilliance.

There is a legendary example of this: Jack Dorsey being the CEO of both Twitter and Square simultaneously. Yes, it is possible to hold two jobs. It's even possible to be the CEO of two billion-dollar companies. It's far from easy, but it's possible with an extreme dose of discipline and time management. I heard Jack personally tell the story of how he managed his time at a fireside chat he did in New York. The closest I can get to an online article that talks about it is this: http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/13/technology/dorsey_techonomy/ Take a look at the way he splits the days of his week into themes. Each of his 6 working days has a purpose. Monday: Management meetings and "running the company" work Tuesday: Product development Wednesday: Marketing, communications and growth Thursday: Developers and partnerships Friday: The company and its culture Saturday: (no work) Sunday: Big picture strategy But he then goes next level and splits his time between two companies by alternating mornings and afternoons in each office. The article mentions him working 16 hour days – 8 hrs at each company – but when Jack told the story himself, he said he was splitting mornings and afternoons between the companies. Monday Morning = Twitter Monday Afternoon = Square Tuesday Morning = Square Tuesday Afternoon = Twitter Wednesday Morning = Twitter etc This might be an approach you can think of taking. It means you make it clear what your schedule is, when you will be working on different aspects of each job, and then be incredibly disciplined about sticking to the schedule so other people can accommodate and work with you.

Great question. Check out this link: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Do-I-have-to-File-a-Tax-Return%3F PLEASE go speak to a professional about this. You might call one of the tax dudes here on Clarity (go figure...). In the past I have always filed a return -- even if taxes were not owed. It buttons things up nicely.

Can you segment by the demographic markers for the prediabetic users and then co-relate to similar groups in the prediabetes iPhone population?

I would focus on getting the consumer MVP done. Sounds like you already have conducted some interviews for the other two segments. If that is the case, then focus on developing a story highlighting the pain points and benefits for the payers and health system based on the interviews you have conducted so far. You can be upfront with them and let them know that you are still doing customer development especially on those two segments.

This depends upon where you are in the start-up continuum. If you are still in search of a viable business model (i.e. the start-up phase) then the "multiple hats" scenario is spot on. In this phase the key is to discover that which is repeatable and scalable. In other words - to put your energy and resources into discovering things like: -Who your market is -What your positioning is -What your offers are -What your pricing model is -Where your market is (aka what channels to use for inbound and outbound marketing) -etc Warning: It would be a mistake to think you already have these things figured out when you haven't. In my experience - mastery of these "basics" are what separates successful businesses from floundering ones. And no offense - but if you are only at $1.1M in gross revenues then it seems to me like you are just beginning to figure these things out. Due to the need for flexibility in this phase (some call this being "agile") you are best served by a team that is willing and able to do what's needed. There will likely not (yet) be any "established" positions. And with (gross?) revenues of only $1.1M it would seem that you wouldn't require a large team anyway. [I suppose this depends upon your current business model - so I apologize for making this assumption.] Once you've discovered a viable business model - then it's time to build systems (since you will only then know all that goes into making the sale). These systems will help you efficiently and effectively scale and repeat. It's at that time you would start creating "positions" (aka jobs) and hiring staff to do what you discovered works. All in all - Much depends on where you are right now in order for me (or anyone else) to provide you with more specific direction. I'd love to talk this through with you if you are still looking for assistance. Best of luck!

Depending on the market, a bank is going to look at a combination of low-cost customer acquisition (particularly in strategic growth segments), mass-market desposit mobilization, credit portfolio growth and fee-based income. The respective weight of these, in terms of relative importance, will depend on the bank and its strategic objectives. It will also vary based in whether you are talking to an acquiring or an issuing bank. The best way to approach a bank is therefore to identify which core business element your startup is best positioned to support, and which bank is likelier to find the value prop attractive. I would suggest talking to the head of retail banking, the head of credit business and the head of acquiring business.

Build a body of work in the form of a blog. Much depends on the size and scope of your company, but branded journalism can really make a huge difference.....

No. There is no way to build a billion dollar business without a management team. The founding team of a startup is a very significant part of the evaluation of any early-stage investor. Furthermore, regardless of the business of the app, there are critical business decisions and actions required of any business. It doesn't mean that engineers can't fulfill the business roles and responsibilities (although at some point, this is likely the case), but it means that as a business grows, management responsibilities are required to run the company.

ASK THEM TO SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS... Don't overthink it. When you find people who ask questions on Quora or Clarity or LinkedIn (or a zillion other social media platforms) respond to those people that "if you want someone to start working on solving that problem, tell us what you want...". Then point them to ASTU. Cool?

I don't know about 100, but my very first three clients came through thought leadership articles. I believe that referrals and SEO kicked in after that for a good mix of sources.

When a credit card is used to make a purchase/payment the cardholder has the ability to chargeback that transaction for up to 180 days with the issuing bank. If they have not received the product and/or service as promised they will contact the issuing bank.

YES! You certainly can sell a services business; and, if it is positioned and prepared properly, for pretty great returns too. There are a number of different exit strategies available to you, not ALL of them acquisition. For instance; we have helped service business owners transition (exit) from their business without selling the business, but instead by retaining a minority interest and receiving large (7 figure) royalty checks for years after their departure. That said, IF acquisition is what you want each of the dozens of strategies available to you really begin with identifying prospective buyers, understanding their motivation for acquisition and pivoting your company into alignment with those motivations. I explain the process in more detail here: http://www.zerolimitsventures.com/cadredc Hope this helps! Good luck. Steve

I can refer you to several third party platforms that provide this service: www.referralsasquatch.com allows you to create an incentive based sharing system, www.sweettoothrewards.com is similar but more tailored to a full 360 loyalty program. Additionally, www.referralcandy.com has a different form of pricing that may suit your needs because it allows you to pay as you go; with no setup fees. Hopefully these few recommendations will be enough to get you atleast considering different options. Feel free to call me with any questions or implementation advice.

I thought questions was for ... questions...sure I'll send an email when I have time.

Focus on the more difficult side of the marketplace. For instance, if you think it'll be easier to get suppliers, then focus first on getting buyers - always be working on your toughest problem (aka your biggest risk). You'll find some great blogging on Marketplace and Platform topics here http://platformed.info (read the ebook too!)

Yes. Who I would recommend would depend on what you'd like to see happen. Are you building only for iOS, or only for Android, or both? Will you have a bunch of content/stuff in your app or just a little? Are you thinking game or non-game app? Do you already have a big fanbase or would you be trying to build one while building the app? It's easy to save a bunch of money on mobile development if you know how, and even easier to overspend. Making an app can be a ton of fun or a major headache. I'd recommend the fun. So if you want an outside perspective, give me a ring.

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A typical and ubiquitous problem faced by any small, medium business is breaking the status-quo. The problem often fails to get resolved due to the sales/number focused approach envisioned by the organization. As a matter of fact, deciding around future enhancement (s) requires a lucid understanding of existing challenges/limitations around internal-external process, people, strategic road map, market trend and insights. Why accounting is not giving you a real projections is because, may be, you aren't evaluating your existing functional process and people around changing dynamics and contemporary niche modus-operandi. May be you should focus on enablers than end numbers. Hope this will help. Please feel free to reach out to me for support that you may need. Thank You.

Recently, I've hit a "tipping point" where I have enough content (blog posts, podcasts, interviews, etc...) that companies now regularly seek me out for advice. "To be known, you must teach" - Nathan Barry After I wrote "This is a web page" (http://justinjackson.ca/words.html) I was contacted by VPs at Coca-Cola and Google. They weren't offering me work: they just wanted to say they enjoyed my writing. Writing, and amplifying your content, is one way to get your foot in the door.

Kudos to you for seeing the value in great copy. I love that you mentioned 37signals, which is an organization that's made copywriting part of almost everyone's jobs (or so they've shared on their blog). MailChimp and Zendesk are two others that people often point to re: great copy that builds a brand and differentiates; Groupon is another awesome example of really, really tonal copy that people actually read (which is more than half the battle). MailChimp has in-house copywriters, including Kate Kiefer (https://twitter.com/katekiefer), and so does Groupon. I'm not sure who writes for Dropbox or Zendesk, though searching companies on LinkedIn can often reveal little-known in-house geniuses. The startups you mention have a certain style and tone that I have to say is different from what you'll normally get with a "direct response" copywriter, though by all means check out the link David Berman submitted to you because you never know. I recommend that, to achieve the slightly funky, funny-ish copy you're looking for, you seek out a conversion-focused copywriter with a creative and UX background. You need someone who's totally at ease adopting a new voice / tone and using it appropriately across your site and in your emails; less experienced copywriters might be heavy-handed with the tone, which often gets in the way of the user experience (e.g., button copy that's tonal can lead to confusion). Be careful, of course, not to push your writer to be exceptionally creative -- because a little touch of tone goes a loooong way for busy, scanning eyes. Here are some great freelance copywriters you could consider: http://copyhackers.com/freelance-copywriters-for-hire/ The link to Neville's Kopywriting peeps is also great. Before hiring, ask to see a portfolio or get a) links to websites they've written and b) a zip of emails they've written; if a writer is accepting clients, they'll usually showcase their work on their website. Check out their blog and tweets to see if their voice comes through in their own writing. Don't hire bloggers or content creators for a job a copywriter should do. Don't hire print copywriters for web work unless they do both. And when you find a great copywriter, trust them... and don't let them go - because 10 bucks says, they're in demand or about to be.

I'm going to be making some assumptions with the hope that my answer will be helpful to you (if the assumptions are correct) and others. 1. Make sure YOU are "running" all marketing. By this I mean that those you hire should be following your strategy - not creating it. They should be communicating the message you crafted - promoting the offer(s) you created - managing the brand you cultivated. In other words - don't abdicate marketing strategy to anyone you hire. 2. Depending on where you are in the start-up continuum - pick one in-bound and one out-bound marketing venue. Those will ideally be the lowest investment / highest potential ROI venues based on your market (this presumes you know your CAC and margins). If you are choosing content marketing as one of those venues then run your campaign(s) and keep track of the metrics. 3. Hiring, in all cases, starts best when you know what that position has to do for and in the business to help create value and to increase profits. I like to create a Position Contract that outlines what's required of the position so everyone involved knows what's expected. With those things in mind - my answer to your question is to hire experts in the specific areas you've identified as the venues you are going to invest in. Get specific and avoid the generalist - at least until you've identified one successful (read "profitable") in-bound and out-bound venue. Best of luck!

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