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5 Things to Research Before Working With a Startup

You've poured your heart and soul into building your company. Make sure any newcomer you bring into your business has done the same -- and has the processes in place to protect your investments . When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get in over your head. Taking something from concept through execution to successful brand never sounds easy, but there’s always something you overlook at first glance. Even the most seasoned entrepreneurs work with others to cover their bases. Niche startups and outsourcing exist precisely to fill business-needs gaps in specialized expertise. It’s also why software as a service (SaaS) solutions are as popular as they are, and why there always will be new, agile startups hitting the field. Working with a startup is very tempting. Smaller businesses are more likely to cater to your needs rather than offer you a one-size-fits-all option. Smaller shops can focus on customer service, with potentially less on their bottom line. The

9 Low-Budget Marketing Strategies Every Startup Can Afford

Many cash-strapped startups abandon the "superfluous" investment of marketing. Big mistake, because marketing can actually provide that cash. Startups face many challenges, but none as precarious or life-threatening as the struggle to remain cash positive. The  Minority Business Development Agency  (MBDA) estimates the average cost to start a business to be  in the neighborhood of $30,000 ; and there’s significant variance in this figure, with some businesses starting out for just a few hundred dollars and others requiring upwards of millions. But, remember: These numbers are only startup costs. In addition, new companies have to pay thousands a month in team salaries, office-leasing fees, raw materials and other ongoing operational costs -- all while struggling to secure enough revenue to stay afloat. Caught in this dire financial balancing act, most entrepreneurs end up abandoning investments they come to view as superfluous, such as marketing and advertisi

Meet The Startup That's Pulling Trackable Data From Your Company's Culture

Culture Amp was founded in 2011 (Photo courtesy of Culture Amp/www.cultureamp.com) Startups talk about culture all the time. Building it, championing it, spreading it. Its importance is recognized by the broader ecosystem because it represents a key foundation to growing a company. Businesses are encouraged to create a workplace that facilitates both employee empowerment and prolific performance. But the challenge of building such a culture is rooted in a lack of trackable data. If culture isn't measured, how can it be deliberately improved? An Australian startup called  Culture Amp  is addressing this problem by giving companies analytics and data on their culture. Culture Amp is an “employee feedback and analytics platform” founded by Didier Elzinga, Jon Williams, Douglas English and Rod Hamilton. By using “research-backed surveys,” Culture Amp collects data on teams by asking for honest and relevant feedback. The responses given by employees, which boast an “80%

Note ban: New-age startups exult, claim jump in digital transactions

The demonitisation may also push more people online, make India "data rich" and facilitate a transparent credit ecosystem, according to experts India deciding to scrap existing currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 is being welcomed by the country’s fledgling fintech and online commerce startups like manna from the heavens. They’ve rushed to capitalise on the hype around the cash crunch people are facing by promoting their own cashless payments and related services. Many have claimed big jumps in the volume of transactions they now see on their platforms, as India’s smartphone-toting English-educated urban households look at digital payments more seriously. The other choice is standing in long, serpentine queues at banks to exchange their old notes for the freshly minted versions that the government has released. “OptaCredit has seen a 300 percent increase in loan applications after the government’s announcement of banning Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currenc

Asia's Startups Need More From Their Co-Working Spaces

Most of the biggest companies in Silicon Valley started either in a garage or a shared office. For startups, however, spending money on expensive offices can be the death of the business. So from corporate serviced offices to cool co-working spaces, the startup community has seen a transformation of the workplace in the past five years. Many will point to the benefits of co-working, which include lower set up costs than setting up your own premises for business and the networking opportunities. Co-working does aim to help entrepreneurs connect to other entrepreneurs, but in many of the co-working spaces I have worked in across the world, most of my fellow entrepreneurs prefer being in their own office. Whilst test driving We Work in San Francisco, I observed that rarely did founders speak to other founders and very little collaboration was actually carried out. Spaces in the open office setting, where collaboration is intended to take place, was often noisy, and most of the time,

Indian Banking: As India's Banks Stop Lending, Borrowers Turn To Alternate Lending Startups For Capital

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel  Rahul Bhaskar, does not possess a credit card nor does he have relevant credit history. A 23-year-old software engineer, he has been denied a Rs 20,000 ($300) loan to purchase his favorite smartphone by more than one bank. To fulfill his dreams, Rahul has decided to borrow money from local startups such as Cashe and SlicePay. The above example is not just one incident but rather a pattern that has emerged over the past few years; India has witnessed a spike in bad loans and non-performing assets that has resulted in more vigilant traditional lenders, especially nationalized banks. This cautious environment has increased the demand for alternative means of lending for small businesses and individuals. According to startup research platform Tracxn, last year 64 alternate lending startups were founded in India, and this year has seen birth of 34 of such firms – making India third ranked in terms of startups facilitating personal lo