Blog: Jef Lippiatt

Unconventional Meetings

2013-10-28 by Jef Lippiatt

Let's face it many or all of us have been part of an unproductive meeting. And there are plenty of reasons meetings get off topic or lack focus. Important meetings can be derailed from having a positive impact, and some of those reasons are listed below.

Lack of structure - no agenda or one lacking clarity
Lack of guidelines - no set meeting rules
Lack of perspective - not the correct set of attendees
Lack of information - not enough information provided ahead of the meeting
Lack of time - not enough time scheduled to cover information in detail

Most meetings suffer from one or more of the listed conditions. The question becomes, how do we change this and make meetings more productive and outcome focused? We need to apply unconventional methods of meeting with one another and small groups.

Things To Try

Offsite Meetings - Think about scheduling a team meeting somewhere other than your typical work environment. This can help spark conversation on areas team members may feel too pressured to openly disc…

Fast Financial Forecast

2013-10-08 by Jef Lippiatt

I recently came upon two similar yet different interesting financial projection apps. They are simple to use and do not require any login or credentials. Both resources are single page sites that take less than a minute to tweak. Keep in mind these are not intended to be feature rich or all inclusive. The sole purpose for these resources is quickly giving you financial forecasts of how much money you will make or need to make based on other factors you plug in or change.

Stand to Make - Cost - Free -This app puts your inputs into a contextual paragraph explaining what you will make based on your pricing, number of sales, length of time and payment provider fees. Since I encountered this app several weeks ago, they have added additional payment providers for even more accuracy.

Your Rate - Cost - Free - This app takes your inputs and lets you know what you should be charging at an hourly rate to make the amount of money you are targeting. There are only 3 inputs for you to change, how much you want to make,…

Startup Georgetown

2013-10-07 by Jef Lippiatt

Georgetown, South Carolina recently had its first ever Startup Weekend. It was also the first Startup Weekend in South Carolina. Great news, for the local area entrepreneurs. We (Startup Chucktown) were unable to make it there, due to scheduling conflicts, but we hope to make it to the next one they host if possible.

If you are unfamiliar with Startup Weekend and their events, they are structured to bring people together in teams under specific business ideas that are pitched at the beginning of the event. After a fast paced weekend of brainstorming, building and collaborating the ventures are pitched again at a panel of judges and prizes are awarded for the best ideas and presentations.

The reason I am just now writing about it is that Georgetown has become a talking point in a recent Inc. Magazine article about collaboration (How Collaboration Can Spur Execution). I encourage you to read the full article as it covers some good points.

The main point that I want to touch on that is also mentioned within…

Recurring Results

2013-10-04 by Jef Lippiatt

This topic has been on my mind for a while, but recently it resurfaced during a great discussion on Twitter. Let me be clear, if your venture isn't on Twitter, you should really consider jumping on board. The main reason is because it is a real time platform to find, engage and service your customers.

If you are looking to increase your results or just keep your results consistent, you must proactively engage with your customers. Keep in mind that with the speed of technology you are no longer the sole voice of your brand. Your customers will greatly influence how your venture is perceived by others. That may seem like a jarring thought, but if leveraged correctly your users can be another positive voice for your business.

Ways to Drive Customer Engagement:

Loyalty / Reward Programs - This type of engagement can be as simple as a punch card with a free or discounted item after a specific number of purchases. Loyalty rewards help drive a consistent customer base back to your business. The complexity and c…

Mount Pleasant Possibilities

2013-10-02 by Jef Lippiatt

Our close neighbor, across the Ravenel bridge, has some interesting options that startups and entrepreneurs should keep in mind. Both resources they offer are fairly new to the area. Mount Pleasant has both a business incubator and a business accelerator.

The business incubator Biz Inc is actually sponsored by Mount Pleasant itself. The business accelerator The Harbor Accelerator is a separate venture but has partnered with Biz Inc. Each of these have their own unique positions and features to explore.

Biz Inc - Cost - $250/month - The town provides the businesses with a cubicle, phone service, Internet and access to a conference room. A business can locate in the incubator for its first 12 months of operation. After 12 months they are encourged to find a permanent space within the community.
The Harbor Accelerator - Cost - $0 - The cost is free, however, this is a program you and/or venture must apply to and they must offer you acceptance into the program. The program they offer is a 14 week intensive co…

← Previous Next →