unfortunately, this is true as a vast majority of events offer no REAL value. It's simply a forum for folks to tell their story..not offer actionable advice.
I intent to host a different type of event - http://www.meetup.com/silicon, whereby attendees will learn real tactics on how to grow their business from folks that have done it.
From my view, sales is often a numbers game. In order to get x sales, y appointments must be set, z connections made. I am yet to find a good method for measuring this outside a CRM. Excel is good for about 50 contacts.. After that, it's a mess.
This process has been on the forefront of my mind quite a bit lately, as I am growing my company, Canyon Oak Partners (SEO/PPC/Design/Dev) and a supporting SEO Audit software offering (its in private beta).
At this point, the most important facet I wish to grow is the sales team. My partners and I are discussing the need and pros/cons of getting an office, as we all work remote right now. We also gather at my home (I have a spare bedroom as my office and we set up around the rest of the place) a couple days a week.
Our thoughts lean toward the social energy an office brings, but I love not spending the money on an office.
Do you have any advice on managing a remote sales team?
- Repurpose the top floors of parking garages to incorporate green space in urban centers
- Black Hole Taxi: Marketplace for on demand user video (eg - I pay you a fee to walk around the grand canyon)
- Open spaces that are free co-working CS learning centers for middle and high schoolers (I'm working on one in Los Angeles)
- Mixergy for the rest of business (eg. the BUSINESS of yoga, the BUSINESS of real estate brokerage, the BUSINESS of photography) not just how to do 5 new poses, hold a better open house, craft a better photo
I sat awkwardly around for a year and courted two technical co-founders..the first left to take his dream job with one of the valley hottest start ups. The other decided his own project took precedence, for good measure..its a good one.
But there I sat. Idea fleshed out..and I was ready ready to sell it.
I finally finally took option 2. I understand code and can manipulate wordpress enough to get by, but it certainly isn't my strength. I searched forums and reached out the top commenters and contributors of one in particular. Out of the 3 folks I connected with 1 was a fit. In four hours, he had the previously crafted code live on the net for us to refine.
I plan to be to market in a couple months and could not be happier. I enjoy paying my developer exactly what he wants and look forward to making him a partner sooner than later, if he wants.
Yes. To have a great big banner across the front page of techcrunch would be cool, big out of the budget for the moment. Are you aware of a nice list of startup/tech sites..with marketing a new startup in mind?
Is there a list of outages on other 'major' services of this magnitude?