The BV Blog

Venture, Reinvented: Help Drive Sales, Then Invest

[fa icon="calendar'] May 27, 2016 3:45:22 PM / by Scott Sorochak posted in Sales, Marketing, Venture Capital

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The world of venture capital as we know it is changing. Dating back to its birth in 1957, venture capital has largely been about the repetitive cycle of raising capital from limited partners (LPs) and investing that capital in startups whom are believed will maximize returns for the LPs and venture fund. Since then, venture has remained the same for the most part, even with the introduction of Crowdfunding. This permitted individuals to invest in securities-based crowdfunding transactions subject to certain investment limits, similar to VC’s, but still largely focused on the investment, not on the operational elements of the business.

The one thing that has changed and become more increasingly difficult for VCs is finding the right (read: the best) startups to actually invest in. The playing field has gotten larger, and more players are being added every single day. What’s more, and only marginally arguable by percentage points, 75% of all startups fail - making the investment decision, carry even more weight than ever before.

So how do you reduce that risk? One of the answers is why I joined Blarney Ventures...Incorporate proven high quality, high volume lead generation programs along with sales expertise that drives revenue first and THEN invest.

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Blarney Ventures Helps Zirtual Grow New Revenue by More Than 500%

[fa icon="calendar'] Jul 27, 2015 6:19:22 PM / by Stephen Barone posted in Sales, Marketing

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Zirtual is a provider of U.S. based, dedicated virtual assistants. Capitalizing on the sharing economy popularized by companies like Uber and Airbnb, Zirtual uses collaborative consumption to offer a high quality virtual assistance service for the 99%. They are truly revolutionizing task management, and are helping entrepreneurs, professionals, small teams, and busy parents be more productive.

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The Five Reasons You Will Fail in 2015

[fa icon="calendar'] Dec 17, 2014 11:55:42 AM / by Matthew Iovanni posted in Sales, Company, Marketing

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It’s that time of the year when people start making resolutions. Many people will buy a gym membership, while others will quit drinking (or some other vice). At work, people are talking about how next year will be better than the current year. Business is 20% ideas and 80% execution and often times I find companies have great intentions without any capacity to bring them to fruition. To that end, here are the five reasons your business will gain little to no additional traction in 2015 than you did this year.

Not using CRM properly

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Passing the Reputation Reins to Consumers

[fa icon="calendar'] Dec 11, 2014 12:09:16 PM / by Gwen Wiscount posted in Sales

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Welcome to the App and Internet generation, where consumers control a company’s reputation.

Growing up in a family business, it was instilled in me that, “The customer is always right”. I struggled with this working principle in my early years as a teenager, when it was apparent the customer was clearly wrong in certain situations. However, I quickly learned to swallow my two cents, and then smile and agree, knowing exceptional customer service will keep the customer happy and keep them coming back---spending their dollars!

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The Art of Sowing in Sales

[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 17, 2014 3:19:38 PM / by Gwen Wiscount posted in Sales

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Last week I had to turn down trivia night with my Crossfit girls and pass on Thursday wine night. Why? Because I had some sowing to do.

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5 Reasons Why Sales is Awesome

[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 5, 2014 12:27:34 PM / by Matthew Iovanni posted in Sales

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I am not sure what Zig Ziglar tape I listened to back in the day but I vividly remember the point he makes - which is that salespeople have one of the most important jobs in the world. Everything you have and will ever have is the result of someone selling it to you at some point. Salespeople remain one of the greatest connection points between the product and the customers they benefit. Inventors with amazing discoveries would have their inventions piled up in closets and warehouses if not for the work of salespeople who bring that magic to consumers worldwide. In To Sell is Human, Daniel Pink argues that, in today’s world, we are constantly in a sales position - whether selling our kids on why they need to finish their homework or selling our ideas to our colleagues and collaborators at work. Sales is something that is woven into the very fabric of our daily lives as we try to influence decisions and gain traction around ideas or efforts.

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Want to Get to the Top? Then Stay to the Left

[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 28, 2014 8:03:00 AM / by Gwen Wiscount posted in Sales

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Have you ever stopped to think about the purpose of an escalator? Let’s take the concept of stairs, getting from the bottom to the top, and make it more efficient. That’s the premise of innovation and creation, how can we take exhibit A and make it better, faster, stronger, etc.  Yet, when we are in shopping malls or sports venues everyone is just hanging out, riding the escalator to the top.

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The Crazy Story of Starting My Own Company

[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 27, 2014 1:06:00 PM / by Matthew Iovanni posted in Sales, Company, Marketing

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Eight months ago, I was in a really good place, professionally speaking. At age 30, I was running the sales and marketing programs for a 100MM-dollar-a-year middle-market environmental services firm. I sat on the board of the company and had direct involvement in most major decisions within the firm. Our CEO was a brilliant businessperson whom I very much admired, and the guy had serious drive.

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