Start Now Pittsburgh – Promoting Start Up Businesses

Using Online Webinars To Promote Products And Services

September 20, 2021September 19, 2021 by Start Now

Long before the internet existed, whenever businesses wanted to get together with others to discuss or promote their products and services, or to train their staff, a meeting called a seminar was arranged. The format would tend to be one or two speakers making a presentation to a live audience which could number several hundred in larger seminars.

Today, seminars still happen, but the onset of the internet has spawned an online version of seminars called webinars. Now, we are not here to challenge nor vouch for the merits of ‘webinar’ being the name conjured up to describe online seminars. What is more important is their use by businesses and the many ways that webinars can be used to promote products and services.

What Is A Webinar?

For those that have never heard of or been on a webinar, they are online presentations that the audience views on their PC, laptop or mobile device and the information being relayed is presented by one or more organisers of the webinar. Just think of a Zoom call but instead of speaking to one person, you present it to hundreds.

Webinars are relatively simple to create with the main equipment needed being a microphone, a webcam (optional), presentation slides (e.g. PowerPoint), and a script so that you can describe what is on the slides. In addition, a webinar platform is needed which acts as the conduit between the presenter and the audience. The most popular webinar platforms online include GoToWebinar and Webinar Jam.

In most cases, webinars are presented live and there is often an opportunity for the audience to ask questions via a chat box. However, they can also be set up to replay, or to be broadcast automatically on a loop several times per day, every day.

7 Web Design Factors That Can Help Build Your Brand

September 20, 2021May 5, 2021 by Start Now

Almost every business has a brand of some kind, even if is a simple sign with their logo above the door of their premises. What cannot be said with absolute certainty though, is that every business has branded itself effectively. This is especially the case when it comes to how a business has failed with its web design in enhancing its brand.

Sadly, poorly designed websites have the opposite effect and either make the branding confusing or worse, harm the brand. Read on and you will discover 7 highly effective web design factors that can boost your brand and ensure that whoever visits your website knows your branding, and remembers it.

Value Proposition

Your business’s value proposition is what your business stands for, and indicates to those who might interact with your business what the benefits will be. It can be summarised using short value statements, which are easy to remember by anyone who reads them. When it comes to your web design it should incorporate your value proposition in as many ways a possible, including having a page dedicated to it, and your statement published where ever it would be appropriate.

Your Logo

One of the core branding elements is a logo, which makes it especially puzzling why so many companies do not utilise it as much as they should. Assuming you have an existing logo that was professionally designed, this needs to be included as part of the overall design theme of your website. It can be on every page, or at least on those pages where reemphasising your branding is important such as those where there is some action taken by visitors.

7 Email Copywriting Mistakes You Must Avoid

September 20, 2021January 3, 2021 by Start Now

Any business not using email marketing is missing the opportunity to benefit from one of the most effective digital marketing tools available. Email marketing is extremely cost-effective, and its ability to help businesses build relationships with prospects and to sell its products and services is second to none.

As with any marketing tool, email has to be used properly, and if not, the results will most likely be poor. This might be why some businesses have turned their back on email marketing claiming it does not work. It does work, but not if the way it is used is counter to what email marketing experts suggest it should be used.

A fundamental error that often occurs is a business using the wrong copy within its emails. A well-written email that follows effective copywriting principles is key to an email campaign being successful. Unfortunately, many email campaigns are sent containing copy errors, and here are 7 of the most common.

Not Using Emails To Build Relationships With Your Subscriber List

We have this first because it is by far the most important point we wish to make. If you are not using emails to build and augment your relationship with your subscribers, then you are failing to appreciate why you are emailing them in the first place. Without building relationships with them, your subscribers will not see any reason to open your email and will have even less reason to click on any links they contain.

Poorly Optimised Subject Lines

Coming a close second is the mistake of having poor subject lines. The subject line is the most important few words of your entire email. Why? It is the subject that will entice your subscribers to open the email rather than binning it without opening it. Get the subject right and your email open rate will soar.

How Apps Empower Users to Weigh Their COVID-19 Risk

September 20, 2021November 19, 2020 by Start Now

When you venture out for the day, you check your weather app to see if storms are on the way. If there’s a storm system moving through, you bring an umbrella or raincoat, just to play it safe. The forecast helps you plan for the day, anticipating problems that might come your way.

NOVID, developed by Carnegie Mellon University professor of mathematics and Expii founder Po-Shen Loh, applies the same principle to the probability of encountering COVID-19. Users can see, in real-time, the immediate threat of COVID-19 in their circles monitored by degrees, in the style of “six degrees of Kevin Bacon,” Loh joked.

Because NOVID helps pre-detect risk, opening the free app is less about telling someone they already have COVID and more about informing someone of their risk of contracting it so they can make better decisions about how to avoid it. Loh hopes the experience can give back some autonomy to users when it comes to understanding how the disease spreads and the risks associated with their choices.

Fresh Fest Digi Fest

September 20, 2021July 2, 2020 by Start Now

Fresh Fest Digi Fest

Saturday, August 8, 2020
12:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Fresh Fest in the nation’s first Black beer festival and second best in the nation, according to USA Today. The annual event showcases the country’s most talented Black brewers, along with breweries from across the globe in collaboration with Black artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, and business owners.

These imaginative partnerships include brew collaborations, label designs, and/or food pairings for a new beer released exclusively at Fresh Fest. Established in 2018 by the Drinking Partners and Black Brew Culture, Fresh Fest attracts thousands of craft beer industry veterans and connoisseurs as well as novices from across the country to enjoy unique beers, ciders, and spirits while celebrating the Black diaspora.

But Fresh Fest is more than just a festival; it is a community initiative that seeks to economically empower the Black community by promoting and providing access, opportunities, and representation in a $119B industry with less than 1% Black ownership or employment. To accomplish these goals, Fresh Fest offers symposiums, live events featuring Black artists and musicians, digital education, and community outreach programs, to name a few.

IQ Inc Virtual Tech Trivia

September 22, 2021May 22, 2020 by Start Now

IQ Inc Virtual Tech Trivia
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Add to calendar: Google Calendar · ICS

We are very excited to announce that IQ Inc will be hosting it’s first ever Virtual Tech Trivia on Tuesday, June 30th from 5:30 – 6:30 PM.

Quarantine has affected us all in one way or another and a little taste of normalcy and fun can go a long way during these strange and difficult times – which makes this event more exciting to host than ever for us.

Expect much of the same format that we’ve had in the past – 3 rounds of 10 multiple choice questions that are a mix of technical and pop culture questions, formatted so that most anyone can participate. In the event of a tie – we will have a numerical tie breaker questions – the closest to the correct number wins!

The event will be done via TriviaHub – a live group trivia hosting application run along side Zoom meetings.

How Tea Made in a Small-Town VFW Is Helping Rebuild Haiti’s Forests

September 21, 2021May 21, 2020 by Start Now

Mark Sotomayor won’t get to walk at commencement this week, but it’s fair to say the Grove City College senior is a few steps ahead of most of his classmates when it comes to a post-college career.

Sotomayor is the CEO and founder of Treecup Tea, a small-batch tea company based in Evans City, a small town roughly 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.

“The two main things, flavor-wise, that set us apart are unique global flavors as well as healthy, low-calorie brews,” he said in a phone interview.

Founded in 2017, while Sotomayor was a sophomore, Treecup’s motto is “buy a tea, plant a tree” — for every bottle of tea that is sold, Treecup plants one tree in Haiti’s deforested Artibonite Valley.

Sotomayor, an entrepreneurship major, said he was drawn to social entrepreneurship both as a way to differentiate the brand in the marketplace and as a way to motivate himself beyond the pursuit of profit.

How to Hire the Right Candidate. There are lots of options. That’s good – and bad – for startups

September 21, 2021March 5, 2020 by Start Now

Team development is everything in the beginning. If a startup doesn’t staff wisely, the ship can quickly flounder. But finding a great hire is no easy task in a saturated job market, especially when the perfect candidate might not be looking for a job. Despite a vast sea of online job boards, tools, and applicant tracking systems, hiring remains a struggle.

Think of a superhero movie. The mission is just too daunting for the protagonist alone. The hero will search through their directory of fellow superheroes, rebels, and those with complementary skill sets. As the team is assembled, it becomes clear that some recruits are already engrossed with other work, see too much risk in the proposed job, or have unsettled business with one of the team’s members.

Something that a successful protagonist never does is settle.

The team is going to assist in developing a vision, reaching goals, and even setting limits. That’s why it is so important to reach for the best. In the early stages, a startup will likely begin with active recruitment — the process of attracting prospects that often are not seeking work. If the vision of the startup is strong, shows promise, and inspires the prospect, they might be unable to resist the temptation of an intoxicating new career journey.

“When you’re a startup, you’re not going to be able to compete from a compensation perspective with Amazon and Google, or the other big banks. So you can’t lead with that package,” said Craig Markovitz, an entrepreneur and assistant teaching professor of entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. “What you can offer people is an opportunity to really make a contribution to see the results of their labor and commitment — and that’s really the kind of person that you want.”

Pittsburgh Startup Bets Pop-up Childcare Can Transform the Workplace

September 21, 2021February 18, 2020 by Start Now

Flexable aims to help employers accommodate workers with kids.

As any parent knows, finding suitable childcare is a drain on your time — and your bank account.

But one Pittsburgh-based startup is looking to alleviate some of the worries associated with finding someone to watch your kid when the nanny’s car breaks down or off-site daycare closes.

Pittsburgh-based Flexable is a B-to-B service that sets up flexible childcare at workplaces, networking events, and conferences, working with employers to provide on-site childcare to their employees.

“Childcare has always been something traditionally in American culture that rests primarily on the parents themselves,” said Priya Amin, one of Flexable’s co-founders. “So this is something that is new to a lot of organizations, to see themselves as being part of the solution.”

Employers offering on-site daycare isn’t new — a few well-known companies like Campbell’s, Patagonia, and Nike have been offering similar services for years — but the trend is growing. Early studies show that having childcare in the workplace improves employee performance and can significantly boost retention rates. Plus, parents won’t lose a day of work due to a school closure or because their au pair falls ill.

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