I was asked recently as part of a Q&A to discuss how I deal with ‘difficult clients’ or customers. Having provided a short and off the top of the head response, this post is my reflections on this very interesting question: Starting Point : Choose your Customers Wisely As a freelancer, you…
Have you ever wondered does SEO, inbound marketing and blogging work for a small business? How important is SEO and content marketing within the marketing mix of a freelancer? I think that the answer is that it has been beneficial for my self employed consultancy and training business based in the West of Ireland. This…
I am not an accountant but I do my own accounts. I also work with clients on financial projections for their business plans. Finance is at the core of business and marketing. Cashflow is the core of finances. I have published an online course ‘Creating Financial Projections for a Local Business‘. A bonus module was…
Goal setting is a key component of strategy development but Strategy can not be simplified or dressed up as a process of setting goals – that viewpoint may lead to the creation of ‘bad strategy’. One of the central tenets of the superb book Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters, by…
The Business Model Canvas is a well-recognised tool for business planning for both Startups and established businesses. This article discusses the tool with specific reference to Social Enterprise citing examples of Irish businesses for each of the nine building blocks. BMC for Social Enterprise As I explained in this LinkedIn Pulse article entitled “Inspiring: Social…
I recently wrote two blog post articles for InspiredStartups.com with advice for startup promoters in terms of completing their application for Enterprise Ireland’s CSF. This short article outlines the key themes addressed by each post. What is the Competitive Start Fund? The Competitive Start Fund (CSF) is undoubtedly a significant component of Enterprise Ireland’s suite…
I received an email from Hubspot Academy around the 3rd week of December 2015. The email offered a free online programme to learn all about Inbound Marketing. After undertaking the programme, in short intervals over a few days, I successfully took the test and received my Inbound Certification as per badge on sidebar. This post…
Donncha provides two hour, half day and full day Negotiations Workshops. Please contact to discuss your requirements. I was recently asked by Maria Johnston, Operations & Enterprise Development Manager, DCU Invent Centre to deliver a two hour session on Negotiations at 10AM on Tuesday 10th November, 2015 for clients and startups. This post details what…
Last Friday (9th October 2015) was spent meeting new business acquaintances and talking to almost every startup promoter and supporter that I know in Galway. I attended 6 events throughout the entire day from 8AM till 9PM. Here are ten things (as recorded on Twitter) that I probably knew already but was reminded of: …
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This is the second part of a two part blogpost about books directly focused on Marketing for fast growth oriented startups. My most recent post reviewed the superb ‘Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers’ by Gabrial Weinberg and Justin Mares, 2014 and this post will review Startup Growth Engines: Case Studies on How Today’s…
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In December 2013, I wrote a blogpost selecting my four favourite Lean Startup books from the many books on the area of Lean Startup. Since then I have been on the lookout for books more directly focused on Marketing for fast growth-oriented startups. This article highly recommends two such books: 1. Traction: A Startup Guide…
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I have just finished reading Disciplined Entrepreneurship by Bill Aulet, Managing Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Published in 2013, it is a superb book (Book available in Ireland via Easons). This review does not seek to summarise the book – for that I suggest you read this excellent post ‘A book in 5…
In March 2015, I volunteered to become a joint Co-ordinator along with Conor O’Donovan of the Galway Startup Businesses Meetup which is now a subgroup of Startup Galway and rebranded as Startup Galway Pitches Meetup. The idea of the group is to provide a forum for early stage startups to network with their peers, with…
As you may know, I am a member of the SCCUL Mentors programme. This provides pro bono mentoring for small business in the greater Galway area. Managed by Ballybane Enterprise Centre, the SCCUL Awards is the undoubted highlight event of the year, while the Centre also hosts regular seminars on topics of interest to local…
Managing a startup business is NOT easy. Startup entrepreneurs have lots of balls in the air. Lean Startup books, theory and practice are brilliant but the question is which model or framework do you follow and when – and are they all relevant to an Irish startup situation? To address this dilemma Donncha devised the…
Being the Best in the World is seriously Underrated … Seth Godin The Dip You might be wondering how I came to read Seth Godin’s book, ‘The Dip – The Extraordinary Benefits of Knowing When to Quit (And When to Stick)’ published in 2007 early in 2015. He mentioned the idea of The Dip…
I am delighted to publish a Case Study of and testimonial for my work. It outlines in detail how I worked with a specific client to prepare a business plan for their business. It details the time involved and the process and methodology. What is the Case Study about? The document addresses in detail (19…
At the beginning of 2014, I wrote an article reviewing 2013 and setting out my business ambitions for the year. I wrote it firstly as a planning and review mechanism for myself; secondly, on basis that it might be useful for anyone in the same boat; and finally, to highlight issues that have to be…
2014 was a great year for my business thanks to all my wonderful customers! I want to take this opportunity to thank you for retaining my services – particularly all those repeat customers! I would also like to thank everyone who thought of me and mentioned my name when asked for assistance in areas which…
Looking to create a ‘customer persona’ to inform your marketing and promotion and wondering how? This post may be helpful as it firstly provides an example and then lists some questions to consider as you formulate a description of your Bullseye customer. Starting Point: Who is the Customer? Any discussion of marketing starts…
I was delighted to be asked by Kinvarra Business Network to attend a recent meeting to present on a topic of my choice within the area of Marketing. I prepared for a slot of about 40 minutes plus Q&A. 15 Marketing Takeaways I decided to title my presentation ’15 SME Marketing & Business…
I was delighted to be selected as one of the first contributors to new Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers blog – the post addressed ‘how to craft your value proposition‘. New Frontiers is Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme, delivered at a local level by Institutes of Technology and funded by Enterprise Ireland. I am delighted…
I was delighted to be asked by Liam Bluett and Michael Smyth of Ballybane Enterprise Centre to speak at their upcoming Autumn Business Seminar. It takes place in the Clayton Hotel, Galway on Wednesday 10th September at 6.00 PM with registration at 5.30 PM.The event will primarily provide a SCCUL Mentors Update by Colman Collins,…
I am often asked by startup entrepreneurs what makes a High Potential Startup Company or HPSU? as defined by Enterprise Ireland. While answering this question, I am struck by the fact that I am never asked the follow up question which I have often pondered myself: So how do the companies who are selected as…
I am often asked what text should be included in an investor-ready business plan under the section ‘Exit Strategy’. This is to answer the question for the investor, ‘How will we get our money back’. My general view on Exit Strategy is that it is a very difficult issue to answer properly because it is…
2019 update: I have written two blog posts on Crowdfunding. This one was written in early 2014 following a feature on Today FM on The Sunday Business Show. The original article is presented below. I wrote a separate blogpost in 2019 for the New Frontiers blog which featured a YouTube video interview with Derek O’Sullivan…
Today, I made a modest financial contribution as part of a Crowdfunding campaign to MediStori and I would ask everyone who reads this to seriously consider supporting this campaign – by making a contribution directly or telling someone else who would benefit from the product. The promoter is looking to raise €50,000 in the next…
I recently delivered a Training Workshop on Marketing. As the session concluded, I shared my format for a One Page Marketing plan – both options are free to download! The One Page Marketing Plan is precisely that – there should be no need to go beyond one page. It contains 7 elements: Business Goals SMART…
In my most recent post I stated that I firmly believe that knowledge of finance is a fundamental requirement for every small business promoter. This is part two of two blogposts on Finance for Startups. The first post detailed my ten top finance related tips for startups while this post will now look at financing…
I believe that knowledge of finance to include: an ability to understand and communicate your financial model; cost structure; revenue streams and route to markets; is a fundamental requirement for every small business promoter. This is a two part blogpost on Finance for Startups. The first post will detail ten things I have learned about…
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