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Meet the Expert: Kurt Duska

Sustainability is a buzzword that isn't going to fade away anytime soon. Sustainability focuses on addressing current needs without jeopardizing future generations' ability to meet their own. Economic, environmental, and social sustainability—also informally known as the three P's … profits, planet, and people—are the three pillars of sustainability. Every business and industry will be impacted.

Meet the Expert Rand Fishkin, Founder and CEO of SparkToro 

They say, “Timing is everything”.  Well, if you are developing a SaaS product, your timing couldn’t be better! Over the last decade, computing has become more distributed, portable, and personal due to the popularity of the software-as-a-service (SaaS) models of distribution. 

Entrepreneurs focus on launching new products, but they also need to think about markets. Who will buy your product? What problem does your product solve? During this 1-hour, pre-recorded webinar, you will learn the elements of building a marketing plan for your new business.

Every entrepreneur has a story to tell about their business startup journey. Started in PA features conversations with entrepreneurs who share stories on “why” and “how” they got started. You will hear how they are growing, in knowledge, talent and experience. What were their biggest challenges, biggest surprises, lessons learned and what is next?

In this session, we chat with CEO, Dr. Wei-Shin Lai of Acoustic Sheep where they design and manufacture helpful personal care products like SleepPhones®. Like many idea-solutions they started from a personal need. In March 2020, Acoustic Sheep in response to COVID-19 mask mandates discovered most masks were a poor design fit for those with beards and with glasses fogging up.

Every entrepreneur has a story to tell about their business startup journey. Started in PA features conversations with entrepreneurs who share stories on “why” and “how” they got started. You will hear how they are growing, in knowledge, talent and experience. What were their biggest challenges, biggest surprises, lessons learned and what is next? Engage with us, ask questions and enjoy inspiring and amusing chats with a variety of CEOs, Presidents and founders who started a business in Pennsylvania.

Sure, you do your financial accounting for your taxes. But are you using the powerful information embedded within your company's financial statements to manage its life and growth? 

Ben Franklin Venture Investment Forum is presenting its next webinar on December 2, 2020, entitled, "Using Your Company Financial Statements as a Management Tool.”

Every business begins and grows based on the answer to two questions.

1. Who is your customer?
2. What is the problem your product or service solves for these customers?

The customer discovery process begins by querying potential customer segments and getting feedback to all the issues they bring to your attention. The insights you gain help to create ideal customer personas and value propositions.

Returns can quickly make or break your bottom line in ecommerce.

But returns are far more than simply a cost to minimize. Returns are deeply engrained in the ecommerce customer experience, and they represent an opportunity to satisfy a customer who almost got what they wanted. 

During this webinar, Matt Blevins from ReturnLogic will explain how you can ensure a superior post-purchase experience through your return policy and process. He will even reveal how returns data can unlock immense value in your business via insights related to products and customers.

Once you know that raising equity is the best way to fund your company’s growth, how do you do so effectively? There are a lot of ways you can shoot yourself in the foot when attempting to capture the attention of investors. How do avoid these mistakes?