With consumers spending more than ever online, it’s no wonder why so many entrepreneurs are joining e-commerce marketplaces in droves. Consumers around the world spent $900 billion at online retailers in 2020, according to report from the Mastercard Economics Institute. Up to 30% of that shift is expected to be …
This post first appeared May 7, 2021 on the Sucuri blog. In this post, we look at how to use WPScan. The tool provides you a better understanding of your WordPress website and its vulnerabilities. Be sure to check out our post on installing WPScan to get started with the …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff discusses an excellent resource for entrepreneurs who need free, high-quality coaching and mentoring: SCORE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Tune in to the Business Beat, below, to learn more about the mentoring services offered …
You’ve finally decided to embark on the entrepreneurial journey of your dreams and be your own boss. Congratulations! Now that you’re in the planning stages, you’ve likely started thinking about how you’ll fund your dream company. While bootstrapping isn’t for everyone, starting a business with your own funds keeps you …
Let’s talk WooCommerce payments providers. The payment process is one of the most critical parts of the online shopping experience—your customer has browsed your store, made their selections, and is ready to checkout. It’s time to get paid! Now all you need is a quick, smooth checkout process for customers, …
If you’ve seen a tap dancer perform in or around Miami, chances are it was Natasha Williams — or maybe one of her students. A resident of Little Havana, Natasha fell in love with tap when she started taking lessons at age seven. After attending a high school for the performing …
This is a follow-up to – You Don’t Have to Be the Best to Win Big in Life. In that post, I suggested that anyone can be successful by following a few guiding principles. One of these principles is to be lucky. Hmmm… You might be skeptical, but being lucky …
The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst that accelerated innovation and change in almost every industry. What used to take some businesses five years to accomplish remarkably took them only five months during the pandemic. From online grocery retailing to working at home remotely and shifting to an online model, businesses …
Mastering the art of networking will do more than bring your brand an immediate bump in business. As you network, you’ll develop connections and find mentors who’ve gone before you. The best way to master the art of networking is by embracing the spirit of the endeavor. The goal isn’t …
Let me start off by asking you a question. How many of you have switched toothpaste brands over the course of your lives? How about deodorant, shampoo, or motor oil for your car? Have you ever thought about what makes one brand of these items different, or better, than the …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff shares a recent Axois survey indicating that young engineers and recent college graduates are looking to Miami, Houston and Philadelphia as hot spots to start a career, rather than San Fransisco, New York or Seattle. This news comes on the heels of last …
Lee Drozak operates WP Site Success, a WordPress-focused agency based in rural Pennsylvania. Catch up with Lee on Twitter and LinkedIn. The who: Given a business name is so central to a brand, we tend to put a lot of importance on it. How did you arrive at a name, …
Building a website sometimes becomes a race to cram the most features into the final product. This rings especially true when it comes to eCommerce, where massive amounts of bells and whistles have become the standard. This methodology can produce mixed results. In some cases, all of the fancy functionality …
The following is excerpted from “Choose Your Customer: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive” by Jonathan L.S. Byrnes and John S. Wass, pp. 141-145 (McGraw Hill, May 2021). You are what you sell. Your customers are the front-wheel drive that pulls you through your marketplace. All too …
Markdown provides a convenient way to add formatting to a plain text document, while leaving it in plain text. It’s simpler and faster than adding HTML markup, and doesn’t have the lock-in of using something like Microsoft Word. The syntax was created by John Gruber way back in 2004 and …
If you’ve got gorgeous art your audience loves, don’t just settle for presenting it through prints. Instead, use mockups and show them what your work would look like in their apartments. Therein lies the magic of poster frame mockups. Used by both artists and graphic designers, mockups open new possibilities. …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff shares exciting news from the National Retail Federation (NRF): retail sales are beginning to rebound, and the NRF predicts a strong acceleration of the U.S. economy in 2021. Tune in to the Business Beat, below, to learn more about the National Retail Federation’s …
When you think about social media, what comes to mind first? It’s likely that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are your first thoughts. Perhaps you also thought about TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube or Reddit. It’s hard to keep up with the many new social media apps sprouting up on a regular …
OneStream and StockX are two of the most recent unicorns to emerge out of Detroit’s thriving startup ecosystem. OneStream provides B2B corporate performance management (CPM) software, while StockX offers resellers a marketplace to sell shoes, electronics and other products. Despite differences in their products and target audiences, the two companies …
Social media is one of the most important tools in a small business owner’s toolbox. In addition to having a social presence, regularly posting to keep customers engaged is effective in spreading organic word-of-mouth — but making sure those same posts get maximum reach and visibility is just as essential. …
Social media is one of the most important tools in a small business owner’s toolbox. In addition to having a social presence, regularly posting to keep customers engaged is effective in spreading organic word-of-mouth — but making sure those same posts get maximum reach and visibility is just as essential. …
On today’s episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff interviews four entrepreneurs who share their startup stories: Tania Shah, Erin Nobles and Lisa Sigman of In The Know Legal; and Kristen Denzer of Tierra Encantada. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here Tune in to the …
Building a great website takes more than just a beautiful layout and slick functionality. It also requires a healthy dose of communication between a designer and their client. Because, without client input, how can you possibly achieve a project’s goals? Ideally, you’ll have a single point of contact to gather …
Recently, I heard on a podcast that 1 in 5 American workers changed jobs last year. That seems like a lot to me, especially during a recession. I thought everyone would try to hold on to their current job as hard as they could during an economic crisis. That’s what …
What is true business agility? StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here In today’s fast-moving global economy, business agility is paramount. New technologies are disrupting the business landscape. Customers, partners and regulators all have pressing priorities. Communication and collaboration are becoming ever more complex. …
In the past decade, machine learning has moved from scientific research labs into everyday web and mobile apps. Machine learning enables your applications to perform tasks that were previously very difficult to program, such as detecting objects and faces in images, detecting spam and hate speech, and generating smart replies …
On today’s Business Beat, Jeff welcomes back Ryan Landau, founder of Purpose Jobs, to discuss another hot startup company right here in the Midwest: Vroom, an e-commerce company that allows consumers to buy and sell cars online. The New York City-based company is opening up an engineering office right here in …
We built the Hub by GoDaddy Pro to streamline workflows and shave time off tasks that typically eat up a workday. But we aren’t done yet. You can keep track of our progress here, as we regularly publish our updates to this platform custom made for web designer and developers. …
How did you get your start in tech? For too many young students, this career path quickly reaches a dead end, due to a lack of computer education and other technological resources. It’s why GoDaddy Pro is partnering with Radix, the domain registry behind .tech, for the #MyStartinTech awareness campaign. …
For the last five years, Dan Grech has been teaching entrepreneurs in Miami how to use the internet to grow their businesses. His clients are as eclectic as the city itself, ranging from long-established restaurants and hip new bakeries in need of a digital presence to boost online orders to …
There are countless articles on the web about how to A/B test your website and optimize it post-launch. While these guides are helpful, we recommend you do one better: apply conversion thinking in the planning stage. Doing so after your website has launched is a bit like building a house …
Sheyne Branconnier operates Smile MEDIA, a full-service web design, development and marketing company with offices in Boston, Dover, NH and Exeter, NH. Catch up with him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The who: Given a business name is so central to a brand, we tend to put a lot of …
Kelly Dempsey climbed the fashion ladder on season 14 of the hit show, “Project Runway.” The only self-taught designer that season, Kelly made it to the finale and showed off her fearless, unique style and creative approach to clothing. Show mentor Tim Gunn has even gone on record in a …
E-commerce trends emerging from the pandemic From steel buying to online retail, e-commerce has quickly developed into a sophisticated new growth space for business due to the COVID-19 pandemic pushing business operations online. In fact, moving sales mostly online is now essential for many companies to stay in business. So …
StartupNation readers save up to 50% off during Dell’s Small Business Month, running May 3 through May 26. From laptops, desktops and must-have accessories, StartupNation members save an extra 5% to 10% on Dell-branded solutions. Visit www.Dell.com/StartupNation to access these savings or call 855-900-5548 to chat with a Small Business …
Let’s face it. Gutenberg still has room to grow. As WordPress developers and designers, you will have to grow along with it. And while you might have tried it before, it’s getting constant updates to improve its functionality and effectiveness. If you try Gutenberg and it doesn’t quite do what you need …
A strategist, educator and venture developer, Southfield native Monica Wheat has dedicated her career to venture capital, but what truly sets her apart is her dedication to improving Detroit’s startup community and making it more inclusive to women and girls. When in high school, Wheat attended camps to learn about career …
On this morning’s Business Beat, Jeff welcomes Ryan Landau, founder of Purpose Jobs, to discuss the rise of startup companies in the Midwest. Landau is dedicated to building the startup ecosystem in the Midwest by connecting startups with top talent, and has a particular passion for Detroit tech startups. Tune …
Yesterday, I received the following email from a customer, whom I had spoken with on the phone earlier when she was having trouble with a discount code: “This company is a true old fashion customer service company. They have been helpful and a delight to work with. We highly recommend …
Mentors reduce your learning curve by years through mastering the best of wiser, more experienced role models. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here These 11 entrepreneurs share the number one piece of advice their closest mentor ever gave them: Time is the most …
On this morning’s Business Beat, Jeff welcomes back Ryan Landau, founder of Purpose Jobs, to discuss Clearcover, a hot InsureTech company based in the Midwest that’s one to watch. Tune in to the Business Beat, below, to learn more about Clearcover: “Clearcover is just another signal that by basing yourself …
Based in Detroit, Floyd is a sustainable furniture startup founded by Alex O’Dell and Kyle Hoff. On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the company announced it raised a $15 million Series B funding round. The round was led by Walden Ventures with participation from Beringea, La-Z-Boy, 14w and JPMorgan Chase. This brings …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff chats with Jerome Brown, co-owner of Detroit Soul, and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Detroit program alumnus. Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation launched the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic growth by providing them with greater …
One of the most popular methods of fundraising for a startup is the use of crowdfunding platforms. With crowdfunding, people choose to make a donation through an approved funding platform to help raise money for a specific venture or project. If you’re considering crowdfunding, it’s important to have an understanding …
Emmanuel Stinson operates Wesley Chapel, FL-based emSite Solutions, delivering software solutions, cloud computing, data transformation, logo and branding, and network connectivity. Catch up with him on Facebook and LinkedIn. The who: Given a business name is so central to a brand, we tend to put a lot of importance on …
Why is there so much talk about “young” entrepreneurs when the most successful companies (the top 0.1% based on growth of the first five years) are founded by individuals at the average age of 45? Call me a cranky 38-year-old, but the data seems to prove what seems like common …
More than 5,000 web designers, developers and other Makers of the Web from all over the world registered for Expand 2021. The compact, two-day schedule saw speakers delivering insights on how to start, grow and thrive online. If you missed or want to relive any of the highlights from our …
Running a business is hard work, and nothing is more challenging than trying to secure the funds needed to start a new business or keep things running smoothly. It has become increasingly difficult for entrepreneurs to get funding from traditional banks, because of the hoops that they make business owners …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff discusses the recently released Small Business Recovery Report conducted by Kabbage, an American Express Company. When asked which milestone would best indicate their business has recovered from the pandemic, the number one response of those surveyed was paying their employees their full wages. Tune …
Website Security from GoDaddy Pro prevents attacks and provides effortless malware cleanup with all the tools you need to protect your clients’ sites. That means less worrying about security, and more focusing on efficiently delivering results to clients. We make it easier to protect clients’ websites Bundled with all the …
Plenty of side hustles can earn you a bit of side income, but only some have the potential to reach six figures per year, especially if you’re working a full-time job, too. After growing my own side hustle to multiple six figures per year, I’m going to share how to …
So, you want to start your own business — in which you are your own boss and you’re in control of your professional destiny. You’re mentally ready to become an entrepreneur, but the question is: Are you financially ready? Making the leap from side hustler to full-time entrepreneur is a big …
Searching for a small business loan can feel a little bit like hitting the dating scene. You’re researching lenders wondering, “Will they like me? Or will they reject me?” Working at Nav, where we’ve played matchmaker between thousands of small business owners and lenders, I’ve observed several key steps small …
Elon Musk famously announced in an open letter in June of 2014 that Tesla would “not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.” In Musk’s words, “Technology leadership is not defined by patents… but rather by the ability of a company to attract …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff and Paul W. Smith discuss the 2021 Midwest Venture Showcase, a partnership between the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) and InvestMidwest, which will showcase 57 companies actively seeking funding to an audience of top-tier investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and business executives. The virtual event runs April 27 …
You’ve heard it before: “Fortune favors the bold.” Or the ever-popular, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” There’s also, “The only way to fail is to start.” And my personal favorite and go-to: “Learn from your mistakes.” Here’s Why Taking Risks is Good for BusinessAll of those pithy, motivational statements focus on one …
There are several different ways a startup founder might fund his or her business, including series funding, crowdfunding, loans, venture capital and angel investments. Bootstrapping is another option. As an entrepreneur, investment advisor and consultant to startup founders, I understand that each startup is different. There is no one “best” …
Conventional wisdom recommends optimizing your success in the web design business by splitting income into three buckets: project work, recurring revenue, and passive income. A reseller program is the perfect example of passive income. By reselling services provided by others, you earn commissions on initial sales, and even better, on …
Starting a new website project is exciting. But if you’re a freelance or agency business owner, you likely know that creating a new WordPress website from scratch is time-consuming. By learning how to clone a website and create a web stack or website blueprint, you can cut down that time …
The idea of starting and running a business for any reason other than profit may seem counterintuitive to some. But a growing number of businesses around the world are turning that idea on its head, and showing that business can — and should — do more. During 2020, a 23% growth …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff shares a great story of entrepreneurial success happening right here in our region. The company is Detroit’s own Bloomscape, helmed by founder and CEO, Justin Mast. Tune in to the Business Beat, below, to learn more about Bloomscape’s success: “Our vision is to …
Showing and telling are both essential elements in any rewards-based crowdfunding campaign. Nevertheless, without the show, you’ll never get to the tell — let alone the sell. Crowdfunding is an excellent way for entrepreneurs to test the concept of their product or service and determine market need (or lack thereof). Rewards-based …
With two-thirds of Americans worrying about job security and more than half looking for new careers, web designers and developers still have great gigs. This data comes from survey results we released in February 2021, polling 500 web designers and developers. Americans love the lifestyle afforded by a career in …
On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff shares an important adage for all aspiring entrepreneurs: find a niche and fill it! To reiterate the importance of finding a niche, Jeff discusses the startup success story of Avery Stempel, founder of Collar City Mushrooms, a store in Troy, New York, that’s …
If you’re building a new business to last, it is extremely important that you focus on your company’s ethics from the very beginning. Why is it so important for entrepreneurs to focus on company ethics and transparency? There is a growing segment of active and informed consumers who vote with …
With the upcoming Google Page Experience update, search engines will favor websites with excellent user experience and performance. If you’re starting to get frantic messages from clients, you need not fret! I’m here to share learnings from my agency and run through the latest SEO techniques that will keep your …
The following is excerpted from “Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results” by Josh Linkner, courtesy of Post Hill Press. When you think of the most influential leaders in the $366 billion global footwear industry, you probably imagine luxe designers such as Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, or …
All businesses require funds to operate. Maybe when you first opened your doors, you used your own savings or received microloans from family or friends. But as businesses grow, it’s sometimes necessary to obtain outside financing. The majority of business owners usually opt for traditional bank loans or loans from …
If hosting events, scheduling appointments or listing digital content is a central activity for your startup, you have more choices than ever when it comes to the tools to use to run your business. But how do you figure out how they all fit together? These days, companies are looking …
Your productivity is our priority! Dell Technologies is here for all of your technology needs to help employees get more done. StartupNation readers can save an additional 5% to 10% off on select Dell-branded solutions April 19 through May 3 during Dell’s Quarterly Business Sale. To be connected to a …
This article was original published on Nov. 21, 2017, and updated on April 16, 2021. Websites have become even more important to businesses and freelancers following the global lockdown from COVID-19. People are now choosing to frequent a website instead of the brick-and-mortar alternative. More than ever, you need to …
Integral components in the language of web designers and developers, it’s easy to gain a topical understanding of hex codes and RGB colors, and then move on. However, even if you know how color codes work, it’s worth looking closer at the science and history behind them. How color codes …
The 2021 Midwest Venture Showcase, a partnership between the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) and InvestMidwest, will showcase 57 companies actively seeking funding to an audience of top-tier investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and business executives at the virtual event on April 27 to 28, 2021. The Midwest companies in the Showcase …
On this morning’s Business Beat, Jeff welcomes Dr. Craig Everett, finance professor at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School, who shares details of the Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies competition. Built to help great companies succeed, the contest provides the opportunity for companies seeking funding outside of major investment areas like Silicon …
On this morning’s Business Beat, Jeff discusses Fortune’s recently released 100 Best Companies to Work For, which includes a local Detroit business in the top five! Tune in to the Business Beat to find out which businesses made the list of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For: Tune …
Having a secure website is one of the best ways to establish consumer trust. When users see that padlock icon in their web browser’s address bar, they can breathe a bit easier when inputting personal and financial information. That’s why encrypting data transfer via an SSL certificate is so important. …
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly everyone on the planet in some way. One of the hardest-hit groups is small business owners, with recent reports showing that more than 100,000 small businesses have closed permanently due to the pandemic. And if your business is still standing, you might be wondering …
Do you really need to be a great leader in order to become a great entrepreneur? The question of leadership, and how much it actually means to entrepreneurs and their startups, is a hot topic up for debate. Some argue in favor of entrepreneurs becoming leaders first. They may argue …
One surprising difference between Deno and Node.js is the number of tools built into the runtime. Other than a Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL) console, Node.js requires third-party modules to handle most indirect coding activities such as testing and linting. Deno provides almost everything you need out of the box. Before we …
The ability to organize content is one of the most important functions of a content management system (CMS). It offers us a way to clearly define what belongs where. This impacts everyone from content creators accessing the back end to users navigating the public-facing website. And of course, search engines …
