What are a few up-and-coming CPG startups in the US? Is there a list or organization of any kind for CPG startups vs the well-established guys?

2019-12-21T06:07:20-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: |

This is a Quora question.  My answer is as follows. AngelList and http://F6s.com have fairly comprehensive lists of startups. Although more heavily weighted towards tech, you will still find CPG's. https://www.f6s.com/programs looks like it has a comprehensive list of accelerator programs that startups can apply to. Some funds are CPG focused and you can go [...]

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My take on 3 characteristics that make for a great startup business idea

2019-12-27T20:14:26-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , , |

In my experience, a great startup business idea is one with 1, or better yet, 2 or even all three of these characteristics: Intellectual Property You have some sort of defensible intellectual property, like a process, a patent, data, expertise or a product. By defensible, I mean you can defend it from competitors copying, reverse [...]

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The 3 problem areas every consumer product startup encounters and how to prepare to overcome them

2019-08-19T16:19:01-06:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

There are 3 problem areas every consumer product startup encounters.  But there are ways to overcome them if you think ahead and build those solutions into your growth strategy. Problem #1:  Product-Market Fit This is the most classic problem every startup encounters. Does your product and it's benefits or outcomes it provides, fit with the [...]

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What is the best way to retain customers in hospitality/ retail business without a need of giving away free stuff and perks?

2019-12-28T16:20:56-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , , |

This is a question I received and here is my answer. I would think about differentiating your core product/service offering from everyone else. Don't be like everyone else. Identify who your customer is (or who you want your customer to be) and figure out what their needs/desires are and create your product offering to meet [...]

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Ask yourself this key question to keep emotions in check when making decisions

2016-11-24T17:32:00-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , , |

No one can help having a certain set of emotions for their business. It's not just an income, but often a significant source of enjoyment. Many businesses are an extension of the founders, owners and employees passions and interests and personal identity. Over time, our experiences with the business and the relationships we develop create [...]

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When multiple growth opportunities distract – part II

2016-11-24T18:42:53-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , , , , |

I wrote a post on this topic and want to add a few additional thoughts. I am working with three different businesses who are seeing great growth opportunities.  Two have recently been approached by investors, even though neither is raising money at this time.  All three have too many opportunities coming at them and are [...]

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When multiple growth opportunities distract, which ones do you choose?

2016-11-24T18:50:02-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: |

If you have many growth opportunities, that's good, right? Well, sort-of.  The trick is focusing on the best opportunities and not getting too distracted. Here's what I suggest to pick the right ones: Figure out who is your customer - the really loyal ones.  Develop a profile of who that is. Is that market big [...]

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Culture of Success

2016-11-24T18:54:33-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , |

I did not attend the 2013 Chick-fil-a Leadercast, but saw a post on key takeaways from the event and one caught my attention: Coach Mike Krzyzewski, head men’s basketball coach, Duke University: Don’t focus on winning. Focus on creating a culture of success. This will lead to consistent winning. What is a culture of success?  I [...]

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How fast should you grow your company?

2016-11-24T18:58:22-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , |

How fast should you grow your company? I get this question from to time by startup and early-stage companies. Assuming that there is demand for your product/service and the sales are there for the taking, here's my response: Competitive environment. Do you have a defensible competitive advantage, like a patent? Or, another way to look at [...]

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Great examples for using a strategy to attack from below

2016-11-24T19:03:42-07:00By |Categories: Strategy|Tags: , , , , |

Successful companies with well-established products are being threatened by newcomers. Winners don't lose when new rivals attack from the high-end of the market. They lose when startups attack from below.  The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen The point is that when an established company weighs the cost of new technology or talent against what it already has, [...]

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