Recent Posts

• Why Startups Should Create Customer Personas

  

  For startups looking to break into the market, identifying their customer is obvious. Far too often, however, startups tend to look at target audiences as one amorphous group that has the same characteristics, needs and interests. The problem with a … C

  by markevans - May 21, 2013

• Startups and the Art of Storytelling

  

  As brand journalism and content marketing become more engrained into the way that companies do business, storytelling is clearly becoming more important.

  by markevans - May 14, 2013

• Startups and the Art of Storytelling

  

  As brand journalism and content marketing become more engrained into the way that companies do business, storytelling is clearly becoming more important. There are a couple of reasons why this is the case. First, good stories are interesting, attractive a

  by markevans - May 14, 2013

• Should Startups Use Consultants?

  Earlier this week, the New York Times’ “You’re the Boss” column asked whether small and fast-growing businesses should hire consultants. The author, Clifford Oxford, opined that consultants should mostly be kept away: “This is the human factor o

  by markevans - May 10, 2013

• How Much Should Startups Spend on Marketing?

  How much should startups spend on marketing? It’s a difficult to answer question to answer because many startups think that anything spent on marketing is a challenge to justify, whether it’s $100/month for a digital tool or $25,000 for an … Continu

  by markevans - May 07, 2013

• How to be David When There’s a Goliath

  For most startups, being to market first with a new idea or service is a rarity and luxury. For everyone else, the market is usually dominated by one or two players, even if the market is still in the early … Continue reading →

  by markevans - May 01, 2013

• Startup CEO = PR Pro

  

  At a recent event, I was talking with a serial entrepreneur about the success of some mobile apps he had developed. “So, what’s the secret?,” I asked. “Great coverage from blogs and the media,” he said. “How do get them … Continue reading

  by markevans - April 23, 2013

• Seriously, Startups Shouldn’t Give it Away for Free

  

  Summary: It makes little sense for startups to give away their products for free. If a product has value, people should for pay for it. I was talking with a client recently about whether they should introduce a free version … Continue reading →

  by markevans - April 19, 2013

• Five Must-Haves for Startup Salespeople

  

  In a recent blog post, I talked about how marketing and sales are pretty much the same thing for a startup given the resources and responsibilities. It got me thinking about the best characteristics for a startup salesperson. Here is what … Continue re

  by markevans - April 16, 2013

• This Week in Canadian Startups (April 13, 2013)

  In the latest edition of “This Week in Canadian Startups”, things kick off with iNovia Capital’s Chris Arsenault on how the Canadian VC landscape has new energy. The newsletter also highlights 50 free services for startups, Kik surpassing 50 million

  by markevans - April 14, 2013