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Written By Elyse Ball Customer discovery is the building block of everything we do at UARF. From our online pre-accelerator Starting Line to our 20-team I-Corps cohorts to every startup I’ve ever sat on the board of, we wholeheartedly believe that interacting directly with customers on a regular basis is the best way to make sure that a product, service or business idea is actually worth pursuing. Like any skill, customer discovery takes time and practice to master. Luckily there are some resources to help you level up your customer discovery capabilities. My favorite is Giff Constable and Frank Rimalovski’s excellent book, Talking to Humans. Why do I love this book so much? It’s short – only 87 pages. It’s concise. And it’s free for students and educators to download at talkingtohumans.com. I have read it about 10 times. Every time I read it, I learn something new. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways: 
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Written By Shannon Marshburn  Without customers, businesses would not function. It’s that simple, but why does it seem so difficult? After all, customers are everywhere, but the customers that desperately need your product can be hard to find. I often think we are so lucky to be doing business today with social media as a marketing outlet where you can reach the whole world with your content! The hard part is that now that we have the whole world marketing their products right beside us, how do we stand out and find your customers?
 Written By Nick Glavan
Last week, I attended the VentureWell OPEN virtual conference, which brought together innovators and educators from across the country and beyond to share research, experiences, best practices, trends, and tools to better prepare entrepreneurs and their advisors for navigating early-stage startup challenges. My favorite panel was candidly titled, “Screw Ideas” which presented an illuminating manifesto for developing entrepreneurial thinking in a new way. Most entrepreneurs are familiar with the term “ideation” and may consider it the first step of building a startup. It often feels like the most fun step too, where we get to think up a new solution beyond the current offerings to solve a problem. But what if we were to cut off the love affair with ideation? The panel pointed to the serious negatives of ideation, especially it’s tendency to marry an entrepreneur to a theorized idea super early in the process. This typically leads to instances of halting progress when founders are inflexibly attached to a solution that is not novel nor impactful for the intended users. Ideation creates an environment where an entrepreneur acquires tunnel vision for advancing only their initial idea, rather than pivoting or adjusting to create a true solution for the market. Written By Xul Perez
If you are deciding what type of entity would be the best option for your new business, an LLC or a C Corporation could be your best option. Understanding the similarities and differences between them can help you make that decision. First, the similarities. Both the LLC and a C Corporation are separate entities distinct from their owners. Both, when properly operated and in compliance with Ohio law, provide their owners with a personal liability shield against debts or claims made against the business. The assets of the business and its general liability insurance may be used to satisfy claims, but the owners’ personal assets like their home and bank accounts are “shielded.” This is a huge advantage over sole proprietorships or general partnerships where the owners are personally liable for claims against the business. Written By Elyse Ball  It’s starting to feel a lot like spring. The weather is a balmy 65 degrees, tiny plants are shooting up from the ground, and there’s only a 50% chance it will be snowing again by the weekend. Since spring is associated so closely with cleaning, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to clean up one of the most essential parts of any business: branding.
We know consistency is key when it comes to branding, so take a few minutes to clarify the brand choices you’ve made and reflect on whether anything needs updating. If you haven’t done so already, you might want to organize all the key choices you’ve made about your brand in a short “style guide,” using UARF’s Style Guide template. Click here to download the guide!  Interview By Elyse Ball
“Dream Big. I am 60-year-old inventor who sold and launched a product in the middle of a pandemic,” says Jamie Peltz, Founder and CEO of Dirty Laundry. Perseverance and positivity are major themes for Jamie, whose startup that takes the hassle out of laundry with its patented Forget Me Spot® stain pretreatment patch. Jamie recently shared her story with UARF's Elyse Ball, highlighting how she fought through setbacks before and during 2021 to launch her product in Meijer stores across the Midwest. Tell me a little bit about your background. Jamie: I’m a problem solver. After 17 years of working for a corporation, I found myself unemployed in 2007. I saw this as an opportunity to follow my dream to become an entrepreneur. It was a simple vision: I wanted to create a company where I could work with my friends doing the things we like to do. Over the years this foundation evolved to creating opportunities for people I know and people I continue to meet. Forget Me Spot is the second product to launch after successfully launching SureSwatch Temporary Paint Swatches to The Home Depot and Ace Hardware.  Written By Shannon Marshburn
When you start your entrepreneurial journey, things can seem pretty scattered. Everyone's situation is so different. While your experiences are unique, we know how to help. Here you’ll find a curated list of fundamental resources and building blocks that can help you through long nights, brainstorming sessions, and times when staying motivated is tough. Create Your Perfect Music Playlists There are many scientific studies that praise the benefits of listening to music while working. Some of the benefits are improved brain function, boosted concentration and a happier mood. You can read more about it in a previous UARF blog. Take a minute to create your personalized playlist with your favorite songs to energize you and keep you working towards your goals. Click here to find some playlists that we created to share with entrepreneurs! Written By Nick Glavan  UARF is preparing for the first I-Corps cohort of the year. While the application is quite short, there are a few pivotal items that we look for in a stellar applicant. For this week’s blog, I wanted to highlight three ways applicants can stand out and show us that they are ready for the 7-week customer discovery program.
 Written By: Elyse Ball The first few weeks of 2022 have been invigorating for some and agonizing for others. 2022 promises to be the kind of year that yet again reminds us that there isn’t and probably never has been a “new normal,” that there are innumerable parts of the status quo that can benefit from being shaken up, and that creative people working together can accomplish extraordinary things. It’s also the kind of year that forces us to think not just about what we do, but why we do. For UARF, our North Star has always been to generate value for creators, innovators, researchers, and problem-solvers through quality entrepreneurship programs and startup support services. In 2022, we’re putting some specific goals and numbers to that aim.
Our goals are:
What does this mean for you? By Elyse Ball  This time of year, we’re all thinking about new year’s resolutions. In fact, I’ve already been asked about my new year’s resolutions – or lack thereof – three times in the last three days.
Rather than making up a few vague vanilla resolutions that we’ll forget by March, like “exercise more” or “drink less caffeine,” let’s make 2022 a year for great goals! These are goals that are specific, quantitative, and challenging, so they drive us to learn and accomplish more. What makes a goal great? |
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