I received a message the other day from a high school classmate about what opportunities exist to invest in small businesses and startups when you’re not accredited. There’s no simple and easy way to do this, but I highlight some opportunities in this video. Watch on YouTube (Watch this Video on YouTube) Prefer to read …
How to Raise Money for Your Small Business or Startup – Sioux Falls Business Expo 2020
At the 2020 Sioux Falls Business Expo, I presented a talk that discussed various ways to raise money for small businesses and startups. Thanks to the help of Joshua Novak and Main St. Media House, I was able to record the presentation so that is can be distributed more widely. Here you will find my …
Four Instructions for Christian Business Leaders
Fourteen years ago, I made a decision that fundamentally changed my life. I chose to stop living for my own selfish ambitions and recommitted my life to Christ as a sophomore in college at Dakota State University. Through the work of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and West Center Baptist Church, I recognized that there was a …
Sioux Falls 2030: Four Hopes for the Startup Ecosystem
These thoughts are my own and are not necessarily those of the Startup Sioux Falls, the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship or any other organization I may be involved with. With the launch of the new Zeal + Startup Sioux Falls website, the merger between the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship and Startup Sioux Falls is now …
How Younger Donors are Changing the Face of Charitable Giving in Sioux Falls.
A while back, I was invited to participate in a focus group of business leaders for the Sioux Falls Brand project which is a collaboration of the City, the Chamber, and the Development Foundation to develop a consistent brand and logo to use when promoting the city. The consultants asked our group several questions about …
Web Push Notifications Are Changing and Marketers Must Adapt
For the last seven years, marketers have had the ability to send push notifications to website visitors directly through their web browsers using a technology called web push notifications. A website can issue a prompt to a user in their web browser asking them if they want to receive notifications from that website. If they …
How to be an Effective Non-Profit Board Member
There are more than 500 non-profits that have 501c3 status in the Sioux Falls metro. The IRS requires each 501c3 to have a governing board of at least three members to maintain their tax-exempt status. Some non-profit boards exist in name only and others are high-profile, high-effort volunteer roles that require a significant commitment but …
How MarketBeat Attracted 509 New Customers During with a New Year’s Sale
MarketBeat had a successful New Year’s sale that ran from December 26th to January 3rd. We’ve done this for the last few years and the results keep getting better every year. I’m not 100% sure what makes the window between Christmas and the New Year a particularly good time to promote our newsletter and software …
Moving is Better Than Shaking: What I’ve Learned about Personal Branding from Kevin Tupy
(Watch this Video on YouTube) A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend a Christmas party that entrepreneur Kevin Tupy held for his real estate and business development firm, Cresten Capital Holdings. It was held at the new Tavern 180 restaurant and the food was top-notch (try the Chicken Parmesan, you won’t regret …
My Quarterly Update: Q4 2019
It’s Christmas Eve as I publish this. MarketBeat’s work has largely wrapped up for the year. Our startup community events are on pause until mid-January. The never-ending buzz of social media has slowed to a crawl and my email inbox is surprisingly empty. Our kids are eagerly awaiting their Christmas presents and Micah is excited …