Stuck? Time to Improv! The Startup Launchpad

https://www.cortexstl.org/sq1/ Ben Molina from Square ONE talks about boot camps, incubators and accelerators for Startups Startup Programs: Boot Camps, Incubators, Accelerators Mary Scott interviewed Ben Molina from Square One to discuss the differences between boot camps, incubators, and accelerators for startups. Ben explained that incubators are for idea-stage businesses, accelerators for esta...

https://suzanneshpall.com Suzanne Shpall from Suzanne Shpall Consulting with advice on where to spend the first money on your new business. Startup Fund Allocation Strategies Mary and Suzanne discussed the challenges and strategies for startups when allocating their first funds. Suzanne emphasized the importance of focusing on activities that validate product-market fit and drive traction, such as...

http://www.traverstraining.com/ Rhonda Travers from Travers Training on Attracting Talent Startup Talent Attraction Strategies Mary and Rhonda discussed attracting talent for startups, focusing on the employee lifecycle from hiring to retirement. Rhonda emphasized the importance of a clear digital presence, particularly on LinkedIn, to attract Gen Z candidates who expect instant gratification. She...

Daniella Tedesco fromNextRound, Bespoke Impact Philanthropy talking about a new way of funding startups. Mary Scott interviews Daniella Tedesco from Next Round Philanthropy about their innovative funding model that combines philanthropy with startup investments. The donor-advised fund model allows investors to make tax-deductible contributions that are converted into equity investments in early-st...

https://businessriff.com https://www.slpl.org/ptrc-2/ Eleanore Chadderdon from the St. Louis Public Library talks about Patent and Trademark Resources for Startups Library Resources for Entrepreneurs Mary Scott introduces Eleanore Chadderdon from the St. Louis Public Library as the guest speaker for the session. The topic of discussion is the resources available at public libraries for entrepreneu...

https://conversionalchemy.net/ Chris Silvestri from Conversion Alchemy talks about the Messaging Gap for Startups Aligning Messaging With Audience Needs Mary and Christopher discussed the messaging gap that many startups face, where they focus on their product or internal knowledge rather than aligning their messaging with their audience's needs and motivations. Christopher explained that effectiv...

https://maikosakai.com https://businessriff.com Maiko Sakai from Airtight Concepts talks about Using Quizes to Generate Leads for Startups Quiz Design Strategies for Startups Mary and Maiko discussed the differences between quizzes and surveys, emphasizing that quizzes focus on the user's experience while surveys focus on organizational data. Maiko advised startups to create engaging quizzes tailo...

Maartje van Krieken from The Chaos Games Consulting talks about 'turning business chaos around" The main topic of their discussion was to provide tips to startups on how to prioritize and increase productivity amidst chaos. Decision-Making Hygiene in Startups In the meeting, Mary and Maartje discussed the importance of decision-making hygiene in startups. Maartje emphasized the need for clear deci...

Chukwudum Chukwudebelu from the ChumEffect talk about the Developmental stages of a Startup Developmental Stages for Startups Mary and Chumze discussed the concept of developmental stages for startups, with Chumze sharing his personal experience of launching a business prematurely and reflecting on his mistakes. Chumze explained that businesses go through different stages, like babies, toddlers, t...

Shawni Jackson from the Women's Business Development Center talks about WBENC certification for women-owned startups WBENC Certification for Women-Owned Businesses Mary Scott from BusinessRiff and Shawnee Jackson from the Women's Business Development Center discussed the importance of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certification for women-owned businesses. Shawnee explain...

Mel Lambert from the Kirkwood Public Library talks about Library Resources for Startups Mary Scott and Mel Lambert discussed the resources available at public libraries for startups, emphasizing the importance of asking librarians for information and the availability of industry data, market analytics, and digital resources. Mary also encouraged startups to book a call with her Library Resources f...

Pooja Arshanapally from The Content Repurposer talks about AI prompts for Startup Content Quick recap The meeting focused on the use of AI prompts for startups to create content, with Pooja sharing her experience and insights on developing an AI tool for generating website copy. Pooja emphasized the importance of starting small, using AI for repetitive tasks, and understanding the market through p...

Carmen Williams from Global Teams talks about How to Actually Let Go & Delegate D elegation for Business Success Carmen Williams from Global Teams discussed the importance of delegation for business success, particularly for startups. She shared her personal experience of hiring a virtual assistant to handle LinkedIn marketing, which helped her focus on discussions and ideas. Carmen emphasized...

https://businessriff.com https://scaleblazer.com Laura Burkemper from ScaleBlazer talks about Pain Storming & other ways to approach a challenge Mary and Laura discussed various brainstorming and problem-solving techniques, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives and teamwork in entrepreneurship. They highlighted the significance of these techniques in identifying unique solutions t...

Regina Crandall from the St. Louis County Library talks about Small Business & Nonprofit Conference Regina and Mary discussed the benefits of attending the St. Louis County Library's small business and nonprofit conference, highlighting the library's extensive business resources, networking opportunities, and community building. They also discussed upcoming conferences and events, with Regina...

https://www.joshdixcounseling.com/career-and-workplace-challenges https://www.joshdixcounseling.com/training Josh Dix from LeadershipXD talks about Staying Sane Wearing All the Hats Mary Scott and Josh Dix discussed the challenges of wearing multiple hats in a startup, emphasizing the importance of mindset shifts, delegating tasks, and maintaining a healthy relationship with work. They also highli...

William Jordan from Justine Petersen talking about Credit for Startups Establishing Business Credit for Startups Mary and William discussed the importance of establishing business credit for startups. William clarified that starting a business does not automatically create business credit, as it requires affirmative actions to establish. He emphasized that business credit is separate from personal...

http://websitesthatwin.com/ Philippa Gamse from Websites That Win talking about the Importance of Web Analytics & What They Mean. Web Analytics Importance and Top Metrics Mary and Philippa begin their meeting, briefly discussing Mary being snowed in at St. Louis. They then prepare for the recorded portion of their conversation, which will focus on web analytics. Mary introduces the topic and P...

Saida Cornejo Zuñiga from WEPOWER talks about the KIVA program for startups Mary Scott and Saida Cornejo Zuñiga discussed the Kiva program, a partnership between WEPOWER and Kiva, which provides 0-interest loans for entrepreneurs with no minimum credit score or business plan required. Saida also mentioned that We Power focuses on supporting black and Latino entrepreneurs SummaryKiva Program for En...

https://www.linkedin.com/in/frupinter/ https://fru.plus/ Fru Pintér, branding expert, talks about Creating a New Category to Market Your Brand. Creating Unique Branding Categories Mary welcomed Frupinter for a discussion on creating unique categories for branding. Frupinter explained that many businesses have innovative ideas that don't fit traditional branding strategies, thus necessitating the c...

https://www.yarusiholdings.com instagram : jasonyarusi Jason Yarusi from Yarusi Holdings talks about how to start a Real Estate Investing business Real Estate Investing Journey Discussed Mary Scott from BusinessRiff interviewed Jason Yarusii from Yarusi Holdings about his journey into real estate investing. Jason shared his story of leaving college with a business degree, feeling lost, and eventua...

https://linktr.ee/deborahivanoff https://TheBEINGCoach.com Deborah Ivanoff The BEING Coach, talks about Mastering the Overwhelm for Startups Managing Overwhelm in Startups and Entrepreneurs In the meeting, Mary Scott and Deborah Ivanoff discussed the topic of overwhelm in the context of startups and entrepreneurs. They identified three signs of overwhelm: feeling overwhelmed by too many tasks, dif...

https://parux.com Ken Mocabee from Parux talking about Falling in Love with the Problem Startups' Focus on Problem Validation In the meeting, Mary Scott and Ken Mocabee from Parux discussed the importance of startups focusing on the problem they aim to solve rather than just an idea. Ken emphasized that many startups fail because they haven't validated their idea or considered potential blockers a...

https://businessriff.com https://www.roniibartles.com/ Ronii Bartles, Business Strategist talking about Doing Less to Gain More Prioritizing Revenue-Generating Activities Discussed In the meeting, Mary Scott and Ronii Bartles discussed the importance of prioritizing revenue-generating activities and cutting back on "busy work" that doesn't contribute to revenue. Ronii shared her personal experienc...

https://www.modinc.ca Joseph Pinho from MOD INC talks about Monetizing Your Fans & Community https://www.modinc.ca is the B2B website tailored to businesses and brands to work with on fan art licensing opportunities. https://www.modfanart.com is the fan facing site focused on fan artists and designers to submit and showcase their fan art for potential licensing opportunities. We'll also be hos...