8Jul
The Right Way to Do a Cold Call

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cold call, phone call
Cold calls often come with a negative connotation. However, when done correctly cold calls can successfully turn into lucrative business opportunities. As an entrepreneur you will have to make many cold calls, whether it be to a potential investor, supplier, distributor, etc. The goal of a cold call should not be to close a deal or get an investment. To the contrary, it should always be to open a line of communication with the other party. These 6 tips will teach you about the right way to do a cold call.

  1. Do your research-

Before making the call make sure you know as much about your prospect as you possibly can. If you are looking for an investor check to see if they have invested in other start-ups in the past, their interests, the industry in which they work, etc. In order to appeal to your prospect, this will help you frame your approach for the best outcome. This includes answering questions such as, what is the goal of the call? What can you offer the person at the end of the line? Why should they care? And why is your solution worth their time?
 

  1. Focus on starting a relationship-

Don’t sell anything, other than yourself, on the first call. The first call should be about the early building blocks of a relationship. This means that you should not be trying to get an investment. Making a good impression will be worth it down the road, even if you do not get the investment or partnership you desire. On this first call you should be introducing yourself and your business. Briefly explain why your business is worth the attention of this party, and work towards booking an in-person meeting. Describe your talents, ask questions, and more importantly, carefully listen to what the person on the other line is saying. They may casually mention things about themselves that will allow you to build better rapport down the line.

  1. Look for a second-degree connection-

Having a mutual acquaintance will help you with credibility. People are likely to take calls from others when they have been recommended by someone they trust. Prior to conducting a cold call, check your network to see if you know any of the same people. If you are on good terms with your mutual acquaintance, ask them to put in a good word for you. Also, ask people in your network if they know anyone offering what you are looking for. If you get to their voicemail make sure to mention referrals, as it is likely to lead to a call back for you.

  1. Get to the point-

Time is money. People are busy and usually have their days planned out. An unexpected cold call may interfere with what they have scheduled. Make sure you are efficient and quick to get to the point. Prepare your talking points beforehand, and address only the matters that will spark enough attention for a second meeting.

  1. Get to the second meeting-

Once you’ve shared enough information to pass the introductory stage, ask to book second meeting. If your prospect seems to have a busy schedule offer to email a slide-deck summarizing what you’ve just discussed until you are able to meet again.
 

  1. Keep records-

Document those you’ve called, for what reason, when you called, and how many calls have resulted in scheduled appointments. Doing so will not only keep you organized, it will allow you to keep tabs on cold-calling techniques have worked and which have not. Furthermore, a “no” from a prospect, can simply mean a “no” for the time being. This will let you know which prospects you can follow up with in the future.

Cold-calling can seem intimidating. But, if done right, it could lead to a promising partnership. Do not be discouraged with rejection either. Many opportunities can arise in the future with these same prospects, and you’ve also garnered many tools and lessons along the way. Just remember to be informed, quick, and efficient.

21Jun
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence

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intelligence, emotional In a room full of equally smart people the one who stands out is the one who appears as most interested. Emotional intelligence is probably one of the most underrated entrepreneurial skills. It was brought to mainstream attention by Daniel Goleman, in his book, Emotional Intelligence. It is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and diffuse conflict. Technical skills and expertise is  the foundation of the product development stages. Conversely, a high degree of emotional intelligence is what will keep an entrepreneur’s company afloat. Networking, presenting, pitching, and working with others, all require a high level of emotional intelligence. Here are 3 important reasons why emotional intelligence is arguably just as important, if not more, than IQ.

  1. Building better relationships:

    The relationships you build will be the reason for profitable present and future opportunities. Relationships with business partners, employees, customers, and investors will drive the quality of work created, the workplace environment, and the appeal you have to potential investors and stakeholders. Building healthy relationships in the workplace means understanding the diversity in people’s behaviours, and adapting accordingly.

  2. Stress management:

    Emotional intelligence is said to moderate the relationship between mental health and stress. Being an entrepreneur isn’t the most stable of jobs, and the unexpectedness of it all can cause a tremendous amount of stress. People with high emotional intelligence can better reduce stress because of self-awareness. Goleman explains that self-awareness allows for people to identify the moment when stress is likely, and therefore calm-down before their stress becomes unmanageable. As well, empathy and social skills allows emotionally intelligent people to better communicate how it is that they are feeling and find solutions to such problems.

  3. Understanding your brand:

    Emotional intelligence is crucial for successful marketing. This is two-fold. For one, a marketer must be able to empathize with his target market. A person with high emotional intelligence will ask the right questions in order to understand the needs of customers. these questions relate to customer expectations, emotional factors that drive the need for the product at hand, and satisfaction that customers receive from the product. At the same time understand that your brand, must too, have its own emotional intelligence. In this day and age people define themselves based on the clothes they wear, cars they drive, the jobs they have, etc. It is the responsibility of the brand to represent its customers and adapt to the customers’ changing phases and behaviors.

Some can develop higher emotional intelligence through exercises and training. Google has even started giving emotional intelligence courses to employees. But let’s be realistic. For some it is just not that simple, and that’s perfectly fine. In such a case, entrepreneurs can benefit from partnering with individuals who have what they lack. It is important however to acknowledge that your IQ will only take you so far. At the end of the day, once you’ve developed a great product, what will draw investors, employees, and customers to your company is your emotional intelligence. You will have to communicate effectively with investors, overcome challenges and diffuse conflict in the workplace, and empathize with customers, all while managing your emotions, stress and other responsibilities. As the old saying goes, it takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.

18Apr
The Challenges of Being a Social Entrepreneur

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social, entrepreneur
Let’s start off by addressing that being an entrepreneur is difficult. However, being a social entrepreneur brings about its own set of challenges and obstacles. It combines social impact with sustainable business growth. Social entrepreneurs are faced with having to solve or alleviate a real-world issue while also maintaining positive financial performance. . Here are  the two main challenges social entrepreneurs face. Though considered challenges, many have overcome them in the past.

1. Competing on prices while having enough money to make a social impact
In order to remain competitive, social enterprises need to take advantage of creative pricing strategies. Social entrepreneurs need to establish a pricing strategy that will consider price point, allowing for enough revenue to serve their chosen cause, without compromising their customers’ expectation of their product. Though social enterprises have to overcome additional challenges when pricing, they can use original pricing techniques that are not as readily available to other start-ups. Social entrepreneurs should strategically highlight their cause and mission. Socially conscious consumers who agree with this mission will be willing to purchase at a higher price point in order to support the cause. Furthermore, bundling will incentivize sales. Shoe company, Toms, has made great use of this. For every shoe sold, a pair is donated someone in need. In order to build and grow brand equity, social entrepreneurs should also look into certification. For instance, being certified as fair trade, or B Corp will help maintain a positive reputation and better positioning.

2.  Quantifying your impact
Measuring impact for social entrepreneurs can be complex. Not only do you have to establish metrics for your business performance, you have to measure your social impact to prove credibility, as well as attract investors and potential business partners. Impact investments are investments that not only yield financial return, but social and environmental return as well. With the rise of the number of social enterprises, credible organizations have developed frameworks to standardize the calculation of social impact. The IRIS Framework consists of an organization’s description, product description, financial performance, operational impact, and product impact. If your mission is to have impact on a global scale, The Global Impact Investing Ratings System (GIIRS) gathers a range of information with regards to company’s work, size, sector, and region.  These assessments are carried out annually and validated by the GIIRS.
Many resources are available to Montrealers looking to take a step into social enterprise. Luckily, numerous grants, and funding opportunities are available, that do not require giving away equity or paying back an investor. YES Montreal, Futurpreneur,  Quartier de l’Innovation and  PMEMTL  all offer workshops and/or grant opportunities for social enterprises in the city, just to name a few.

With millennials harnessing the wave of activism and social awareness, social entrepreneurship has risen for the past decade. They are working towards incubating ground-breaking innovations, alleviating life-threatening issues, and pioneering some of the future’s most resourceful projects. While it is true that many obstacles can interfere with business operations, the key is taking advantage of the resources available your given city and finding creative ways of overcoming these challenges.

27Mar
5 Must-See TED Talks for Entrepreneurs

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TED Talks have a unique way of inspiring people to follow their dreams. TED Talks entail more than just watching people speak about their experiences. Viewers get a boost in creativity, and more importantly, exposure to perspective on a matter they hold near and dear. The words of another fellow entrepreneur that has gone through your struggles can introduce you to new strategies that you may not have thought of. Here are the 5 TED TALKS that every entrepreneur must take the time to watch. Take a gander, hopefully they will provide quality insight!

  1. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

This TEDTalk by Simon Sinek explores the idea of leadership and why some people are better at inspiring action than others. Starting with examples from Martin Luther King’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement to Apple’s leadership in the business world, Sinek examines patterns that seemingly predict the success rates of various leaders.

  1. Navi Radjou: Creative Problem Solving in the Face of Extreme Limits

This TED Talk by Navi Radjou is about how to make something extraordinary out of very little (or nothing, in some cases). It’s a good one if you’re running short on runway. It’s also insightful if you don’t know how you’re going to do this while keeping your day job.

    3. Seth Godin: How to get your Ideas to Spread
This TEDTalk by Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.

  1. Linda Hill: How to manage for collective creativity

This TEDTalk by Linda Hill is perfect for entrepreneurs trying to maximize the creative potential of their top teams. Exploring different tactics as they are used by some of the world’s most respected and most created companies, Hill examines the root causes for creative greatness.

     5. Bill Gross: The single biggest reason why startups succeed. 
Bill Gross attempts to quantify all the reasons why one startup might be more successful than another. As a serial entrepreneur and a mentor for other startups, Gross has had much experience in the business world. He’s seen great businesses fail and questionable businesses succeed. This experience drove him to quantify exactly why these differences exist.

13Mar
Finding the Right Location for Your Business

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Finding the right location for your business is one of the most crucial tasks you’ll have to undertake as a business owner. The matter no longer solely questions the physical location of your business, but also whether a physical location is even needed. It’s a difficult decision that requires you to take into consideration almost all aspects of your business functioning, whether that be cost and revenue, or branding. There are many moving pieces to this puzzle. Here are the most important factors you should consider when looking for a business space.

1. Demographics of an Area.
When considering demographics, you should think about two important angles. First, you should think about who your customers are and how close they are to your location. This is critical for some service providers and retailers but not so for other businesses. The demographic profile that you have for your target audience will allow you to make this decision. The area you plan to establish your business in should be attractive to members of your target market. This, will be more important to some business owners as opposed to others.
For instance, those working in retail or the restaurant business should take this more seriously than those working in legal offices. The accessibility of your location to members of your market should be one of the first things you consider. Secondly, you should consider your community. Is your customer base local, and does a percentage of it support your business or match your customer profile? When choosing communities that are largely dependent on a specific industry, you need to be careful because a slump can be bad for business.

2. Look Out for Nearby Competition
Finding the right location is serious business. There are many factors to consider in your decision making and often times it will require compromise. Whilst a perfect business location is different for every business, covering these crucial areas will certainly give you the best chance of beating the odds and keeping your business on track for future success.

3. Consider the Foot Traffic of the Area
Foot traffic is simply the presence of movement of people walking around in a particular space. It is important for businesses since it refers to those exposed to commercial establishments, whether they are walking or driving by the building. While this may be of more importance for businesses in retail, it should not be undermined by those running offices. Accessibility is important regardless of your industry. It is crucial that you consider the kind of foot traffic you need, and do a scan of the area to see if your goals and foot traffic line up. Remember, not everyone who comes by your business is going to leave with a purchase. So the more people you have in proximity, and the more accessible your business is to the general public, the higher your chances of turning a profit.

4. Look at the Success of Other Businesses in the Area
As the old saying goes, you are who you surround yourself with. Have a look around the area to see how successful the businesses in the area are. If businesses in the area are booming, chances are the traffic they bring in the area will help you out. It can also mean that the area you are in is up and coming. On the other hand, if businesses aren’t doing well, you should probably rethink your move. For one, you shouldn’t be too confident as to carry the burden of reviving the area.
5. Is the Building High Quality with a Good History?
Surroundings aside, you should examine the property itself. Whether it is in good shape or needs renovation matters. Establishing whether the property management company undertakes responsibilities over common areas matters as well. In order to make proper assessment speaking to previous and nearby tenants is a must. If the property requires too much work and money, this is can be a red flag depending on the area and the cost associated. Additionally, if you are buying a large piece of land make sure to check the Registry for servitudes or other rights attached to your property.
6. How Much Would It Cost Monthly and What Does the Lease Look Like
Rent can be heavy burden to businesses located in hot-spot areas. What you must pay particular attention to is not just the cost, but the measures you will have to take if ever you want to get out of your lease. Make sure to read all details in order to see if there are any restrictions to the things you can do to the property (ex. Artwork on your walls, staying open after a certain hours, etc.)
7. Check for Adequate Parking and Accessibility
There is nothing a person hates more than driving around to look for parking, just to realize their time is better spent elsewhere. Being located in an area with enough parking isn’t mandatory. But if this is not the case, make sure the area is easily accessible by public transit. This is not only important for your customers, but for your employees as well. Subsequently, if you decide to create or buy an existing parking lot, make sure it is well taken care of.
8. How Does Your Business Plan to Operate?
This is all about figuring out your style of operation. Are you going casual? Professional? Formal? The area you where you will set up shop, especially for restaurants and retailers, has a lot to do with the vibe you are putting out. You must make sure that your style of operation and the area you are in are compatible. It must be in line with the demographics and audience you are working with.

Finding the right location is serious business. There are many factors to consider in your decision making and often times it will require compromise. Whilst a perfect business location is different for every business, covering these crucial areas will certainly give you the best chance of beating the odds and keeping your business on track for future success.

 

13Mar
Ugo Smoothies

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13Mar
Jewish Businesses Changing the World

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12Mar
Jewish Businesses Changing the World

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10Mar
Daniel Blumer Co-Founder Revols

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4Mar
Why Investors Like Startups Focused on Solving Social Problems

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The social impact of businesses has been held to the highest of regards in the past decade. Part of the reason for that is millennials have grown up with a more socially responsible mindset than previous generations. Though this has now become today’s norm, many entrepreneurs have gone the extra mile by making solving social problems their main focus. Companies such as Thread International, TOMS, Belu Water, and CellInk are just a few example. With unfortunate social problems making news headlines, one thing is for certain, solving social problems has become what the corporate world would refer to as “good business”.

An uneasy relationship has always existed between investors and entrepreneurs when social problems were in question. If you planned on utilizing socially friendly practices the hope was that it did not excessively affect your profit margins, and if you’re main focus was solving a particular social problem the worry was that you wouldn’t be making enough revenue. All this to say that many investors were hesitant to put too much focus in such businesses. However, with changing societal climates, we are in the midst of a shift. What we see today is that investors no longer have to choose between money, and their values. Hence, the rise of sustainable investing. The reason for its rise in popularity amongst interested investors is simple. People want to make a difference, and figuring out which companies are truthful to their social initiatives has become easier to monitor.

Sustainable investing is a term for investment approaches that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and their impact. Point in fact, after the controversial era of banking secrecy, sustainable investing has come to the forefront and become one of the fastest growing segments in finance. It is an opportunity to make money and make a difference in the world. By acknowledging its importance and popularity, organizations have further facilitated and incentivized investments in companies focused on solving social problems. For instance, PME funded company Co-Power, identifies energy efficiency projects that generate, or are expected to generate steady, predictable revenue streams by either selling clean power or by reducing energy consumption.

With societal consciousness becoming of increased importance in today’s corporate culture, investors have begun to fish out companies promoting such agenda simply for positive PR. Genuine social impact companies integrate doing good into everything they do. Successful social impact ventures balance for-profit work with community-oriented resources. Failing to do so diminishes credibility and increases customer mistrust. Therefore, entrepreneurs should make a habit of working with institutions and platforms that help verify and certify social impact, examine their supply chain, look for like-minded investors, and build a team that understand the importance of its principles. Act on your beliefs instead of just talking about them.

Making the world a better place and making money can go together. Startups focused on solving social problems endure many challenges that other businesses might not. However, it is important to remember that this is a better time than ever before to appeal to investors. Assuming millennials continue to make social responsibility a priority when it comes to where they work, what they buy, and whom they support, it is safe to say that many investors out there are open and willing to contribute to a greater good.