Hiring staff to take care of your IT, human resources, and accounting may not be feasible for your startup. This is why it's very beneficial for startups to hire a business service company. If you're currently in the market for an outsourced team, take a look at this checklist for finding a business services company which will work well for your needs. Know your need Before finding the right fit, you first need to know what your needs are. Make a list of the tasks you need help with. Create a pr...

Climate change, political unrest, and corporate disruption are today's reality. Those who may have doubted that change was necessary now recognize that evolution is required for survival. The question is now HOW to change. Business transformation for future success requires: ​ Executive commitment to change for future relevance and value to customers Deep understanding of customer's future needs, directions, and challenges Collaboration with eco-system partners or value network to maximize the v...

As the owner of a startup, your time is at a premium. You know that everything takes a lot of time, and when you're rushing from one task to another, some things might fall through the cracks. This is where outsourcing comes in. While you spend quality time building your business, you let others do the support work. We run into many young startups who don't think they are large enough or established enough to outsource. In this article, we'll take a look at why you are big enough to outsource ev...

People working as a freelancer is not a new thing. Contractual workers have been around for a long time. They get paid for their output, not by the hours. They get payment for their work, but there's no benefit. This labor model isn't a modern concept, but it is slowly but surely taking over full-time jobs. This is called gig economy. The emergence of the term gig economy was a response to the burgeoning demand for more freelance workers than regular employees. So while working as a contractor f...

Hiring new team members for your startup is a lot like marketing your company, but many businesses don't approach it this way. If you want to hire the absolute best candidates, you want to make sure your job posts are attracting the right job seekers by providing them extra information to help them decide whether or not to submit a resume. This involves using your marketing skills to craft your job postings. Here are a few ways startups can attract better talent by improving their job postings. ...

Generating leads can be difficult for new and seasoned startups alike. This is where content marketing comes in. Let's take a look at a few lead generation tips for startups and how you can use your content to build trust with potential buyers. Content marketing According to one report, nearly 90% of marketers are using this tool in their marketing strategy. What exactly is content marketing? It's when you create and distribute content consistently that users find valuable, relevant, educational...

While the disruption of traditional businesses is often attributed to technology growth, the real driver of today's transformation to a digital world is customers - with increased demands for convenience and choice. Through innovations made possible by the power of technology, consumers have easy access to a broad range of choices.For example, via car sharing apps we can now easily choose between Uber, Lyft or taxi service - based on cost and convenience. With increased ease of daily activities ...

Two of the most important things you can do for your business are to build relationships with your customers and engender their loyalty. One of the best ways to do this is through online communities. You want to encourage your customers to feel like they're a part of something special. This in turn encourages their loyalty. Here are a few reasons why you should consider building an online community around your brand and some suggestions for making this happen. Communities increase retention rate...

Digitalization allows entrepreneurs to disrupt traditional markets and deliver new services overnight. However, over 85% of new initiatives fail. Success for Amazon, GE, and global entrepreneurs starts with clarity of mission, market and customer needs plus the definition of the business model and market approach to creating value. For example, Amazon's mission to build a place where people can find anything they might want to buy was the foundation behind their start as online bookseller throug...

The 2018 edition of Viva Technology, the global event for innovation, startups and digital transformation is shining the spotlight on African startups. Technology is revolutionizing Africa, say the Viva Technology organizers, and nation states will be showcasing their current success stories and future potential. A dedicated Afric@tech zone will host up to 50 startups from four key sectors and African startups will also be demonstrating their expertise in various labs and challenges held through...