Blog: Jef Lippiatt

Why Would I Believe You?

I'm sure you've thought about this question before during the middle of a conversation. You may or may not have said it out loud as well. Being believable is important when presenting to any group of people, but we aren't going to focus on you or your business venture being believable. We are going to focus on the believability of others in your circles of influence.

Influence is a key word, because it can be a positive or toxic. It is important to understand how those surrounding you impact you on a short-term and long-term basis.

As entrepreneurs and new business ventures we believe in our ideas so strongly we start avoiding naysayers (it's okay to admit). The issue is when you keep that mindset on an ongoing basis. You may directly or indirectly burn some bridges with that approach. The goal is understanding your bias and surrounding yourself with people you do trust.

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A Look At Lunadesk

When you think about managing your venture, what comes to mind? I'm guessing you may have started making a mental list, probably things you wish were running more smoothly. No doubt, there are lots of things to keep track of when managing your business on a daily basis.

Lunadesk is a Service as a Service (SaaS) that enables you to manage your business efficiently. They provide a hosted solution for managing your business so you don't have to worry about the details. We haven't used their service, but we think they could be a valuable asset to help you run your business. Bonus, they are a fairly local resource being located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Let's briefly look at what Lunadesk has to offer.

Cost: $8/employee/month - Discounts are available for larger businesses. The cost also includes features that are added in the future.

In their own words they have this to say: Read more…


What's Your Teamstory?

I recently discovered "Teamstory". It is an app that is really a social network specifically for startups and entrepreneurs. The app is intuitive and the group that has put it together is still working hard on building out more features and functionality.

What makes this a functional and useful social network? First, Teamstory listens, they have and are making improvements made by their community members. Their customer service is great and timely at that. Second, the startups and entrepreneurs within the network are engaging and helpful.

Some what does this social network offer? You can most a "thought", a "moment" or a "link". Yep three simple things. A thought is really just a question, a quote or what's on your mind. A moment is a picture with a caption and a link, you guessed it, is a way to post links with a caption as well. It's really quite simple and elegant. You share the story of your startup with other startups.

Teamstory is still in its early stage but it is growing. I'd advise you jump on a…


Are You Listening?

When your customers talk to you, do you hear them or listen to them? There are subtle differences to look for between hearing and listening to your customers.

I will use a tongue-twister I came up with a while back as a great example.

Tai Chi, Chai Tea

The phrases when said quickly sound very familiar, but have very different meanings. If you are only hearing your customer you may incorrectly interpret what they say.

Are you ready for the ultimate one test quiz to find out if you are hearing or listening to your customers?

1. Are you tracking and taking action on feedback from your customer base?

If you answered, "No", do you understand why things are falling through the cracks? Hearing is a passive activity. You don't have to actively be paying attention to hear what someone is saying. This behavior can create several potential customer service related issues.

  • Customers may think you are actively ignoring them, and that leads to customer frustration and potentially losing loyal customers. This could…


July Peers & Beers Meetup

We relaunching our happy hour meetups as Peers&Beers. Join us at the Tattooed Moose this Thursday, July 17, from 5:30 PM until whenever. RVSP for free to let us know you are coming.

If you can't make this one. Keep your eyes peeled for details on the next one. We will rotate between different areas of Charleston, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston in the coming months.

We look forward to connecting with you in person. As always if you have thoughts or feedback reach out to us on twitter at @StartChucktown