BZKICKS (the blog) - Latest Comments in Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

New York Limousine — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:39 -0000

This is great post . I have got some nice example from this article. Basically I use PPC but it is not profitable . Thanks

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

massagers — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:42:27 -0000

You suppose to start blogging! I think the excitement has lessened now, Right!

Robert

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Discount Sunglasses — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:21:26 -0000

I read the post and agree with you on every single point what you are saying in it. yes there is a scope to run a small business

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

boston moving help — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:59:25 -0000

You know what, because I am spending too much cash because of buying things that are non sense, I was forced to move to a smaller house just to pay my debts.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Live Lead Transfer — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:52:43 -0000

I absolutely love your post! Especially the part wherein it focuses in cash spending. Kudos!

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

bzkicks — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:24:56 -0000

Yeah, four is my fav. Every startup has one. For that matter, every org has one or a few.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Tracy Lucas — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:19:05 -0000

Added you in return on Twitter, and wound up here via morbid curiosity. :)

Great tips... I actually emailed a link to this article to my former business partners, just because some of these ring so true, and I personally KNOW the guy from numero four.

I'm still laughing...

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Kite board — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:21:38 -0000

I completely agree with you on this, there is a great scope for established small businesses.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Sarunas — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:44:53 -0000

Loved your post on cash spending, your ideas should be implemented by existing businesses as well.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Robert Stanley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:29:33 -0000

What I hear you saying is... A light-weight CRM like HighRise is ok but don't go overboard on expensive software, process and tricky work flows. Use Aweber to compliment but not replace CRM and vice versa.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

brandon zeuner — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:59:06 -0000

actually, icontact and aweber are email marketing tools. I am not suggesting to use these exclusively from CRM, but in conjuction. I am saying use a cheaper contact manager like HighRise with an email marketing tool like icontact or aweber. I come from the over-packaged CRM and contact management space (ACT! & Saleslogix). The mid-market CRM apps are too bulky and too expensive for startup. You don't need it. Yes, at some point your list does get valuable, but you are probably a more mature company with mature processes. My opinion, but hey, you know what they say about opinions. :)

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Robert Stanley — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:47:33 -0000

@ Brandon Costly from a PPC perspective I assume? Landing pages are easy enough to create and fusestats.com has free heat maps. I suppose it would depend upon how much testing you do and how unique (long tail) your niche is.

Perhaps your talking larger scale than what I have experienced? I have personally spent a couple hundred bucks testing and such but I am unsure about what a "real" PPC campaign looks like.

This debate might include using CRM to replace Aweber or Icontact, Zoho.com for example (cheap). At some point, isn't your client list a valuable asset?

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

brandon zeuner — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:05:59 -0000

Hey Robert,

I am not totally opposed to a sound PPC campaign. I believe it needs to be supported with quality conversion in place. Landing pages and microsites, even PURLs, that are constantly being A/B tested. It does get costly for startups though.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Robert Stanley — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:05:27 -0000

@eamon / brandon, What about the whole PPC, landing page, mailing list concept? That is a valid process for finding and marketing to customers. Some CRMs have this capability within.

P.S. Tend to make use of advice regarding Advisors / Mentors in your post.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

brandon zeuner — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:31:23 -0000

Eamon, you are exactly right. startups are not mature enough for full blown CRM. CRM is around to optimize processes and every startup that i have seen is lacking in this area. Thanks for commenting.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Eamon — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:17:44 -0000

I agree, in particular, about your point about CRM. I used to work for a large IT multinational. CRM worked well there because of the processes. But in a small organization you don't have the same kind of processes (which in a way is a good thing, as you can be more entrepreneurial / flexible). Useful / interesting post.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Sean Gross — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:25:59 -0000

Z, been here for a while but part three really hit home for me. I almost whole heartedly agree with every single point. Great article and keep it up.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

brandon zeuner — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:58:15 -0000

Hey Ryan, thanks for reading and commenting. It's great to have someone of your stature and PR experience validating these points. Also, good to know that PR mindsets are shifting on go-to-market and hybrid cash/equity deals. Thanks, Brandon

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Ryan Zuk — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:47:53 -0000

Z, the Startup Series is a nice read and your marketing and PR suggestions fit given the new rules for (and evolving characteristics of) startups you've been sharing. Communications is a build that needs to be in lockstep with a start's true objectives (and budget realities). These functions can ramp rapidly when you have experienced folks on board. Hybrid incentives also seem a fit for attracting, qualifying and motivating the right practitioners too.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

brandon zeuner — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:54:49 -0000

Hey Aithne, thanks for reading and commenting. I bet you do a lot of reading on bed rest. Best of luck with your surgery. I'll be thinking of you. I am glad I was able to help you pass some time. see you on plurk!

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Aithne — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:47:02 -0000

New reader here, even though we've had each other added on plurk for sometime now. I just wanted to say this is well wrote. Even for someone such as myself who is currently a stay at home mom on medical bedrest 'till surgery - I found myself sucked into the article and making notes for the future.

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:29:07 -0000

Heath, thanks for the comment. i think your tweet pointed something else out as well. When a say "No CRM" i am really saying this to startups only. Startups have very immature processes and CRM is geared towards automating mature processes. If you get past the point of immaturity and need to implement CRM then it means your are growing. this is a good thing. This is where Sugar, Salesforce.com and MScrm (to name a few) come into play. On that same note, just don't implement technology for sake of implementing technology. Make sure you find an expert like Heath so they can understand your processes, make recommendations and implement CRM on top of it. Thanks, Heath!

Re: Dumb Money/Good Money (Start Series 3/6)

Heath Flicker — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:12:35 -0000

BZ, great job with the post and the series. While the post/series is directed at startups I think many established small business can benefit as well. Current economic enviroment has many small business looking to reinvent themselves and this is good info for that process