As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, many entrepreneurs have faced difficult pivots over the past few months as they adapt to new social distancing regulations and the changing needs of their customers. One of the biggest trends is the shift online, as more businesses that would not have considered themselves “tech companies” before are…
Entrepreneurs in 2020 have access to a growing range of increasingly powerful marketing tools. But amidst all of the other responsibilities that come with growing a venture, how much marketing do founders need to do, and which tools are the best use of their time and resources? The Blank Center kicked off this semester’s series…
When you are considering starting a venture, how do you know if your business idea is worth pursuing? While the support of friends and family is always a great start, you’ll want more confirmation from your target market before investing significant time and resources into the project. Drawing upon his research and experiences as a…
At the core of any successful startup is a strong understanding of its customers. Throughout this semester’s #How2Tuesdays series, we’ve heard from experts that many startups fail because they never truly put themselves in their customers’ shoes to design a problem-solving product. So how can founders go above and beyond to serve their customers? Earlier…
Aside from pitching, one of the most important skills for an entrepreneur to master is negotiation. Entrepreneurs find themselves negotiating across all aspects of their venture, from raising funding to convincing co-founders to join their team. The Blank Center recently had the privilege of welcoming one of the foremost experts in entrepreneurial negotiation, Samuel “Mooly”…
New services ventures face an uphill battle as they work towards building their credibility and winning early clients. In a competitive services landscape, what can founders do to ensure that their businesses have the best chance for growth? As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Babson Global Entrepreneur in Residence (GEIR) Akhil Suresh Nair MBA’18 led…
Although all startups are unique, new ventures consistently face some of the same crucial early choices, such as adding co-founders and taking their first outside funding. If you knew which approaches to these choices give startups the best chance to succeed, would you change how you grow your venture? This past Tuesday, #How2Tuesdays moved from…
What comes to people’s minds when you talk about your startup? Whether you know it or not, these recurring sentiments are the beginning of your venture’s brand. As founders, how can we start to shape a positive brand for our companies? Branding expert Doug Fox of Brand Fox told us that it is imperative to…
The generation of early sales is critical for startups. Securing initial customers validates the need for your idea and provides the necessary funding to keep the business moving. But for entrepreneurs who don’t have a finished product yet, or solopreneurs who will be juggling the role of salesman with other key responsibilities, the sales process…
Across all sectors and stages of entrepreneurship, founders will all inevitably have to pitch their ventures. But not all pitches will come in the traditional form of a rehearsed presentation for investors or competition judges. Whether it’s on the biggest of stages or an in an impromptu encounter with their dream investor, how can founders…
