Outsourse Web / Mobile / E-commerce Design

Category: Academia

Why You Need Help Building Your Startup MVP!

Has anyone ever paid you for just an idea? Didn’t think so. It usually takes at least a solid MVP, right?

Since we set up our company in San Francisco, we’ve been focused on helping startups build their MVPs and we’ve heard thousands of potential clients tell us that they have “THE” next big startup idea. We agree with the philosophy out here that confidence is really an important tool and we also believe that the mindset of “Fake it till you make it” is definitely subscribed to by most Bay Area founders. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it’s something that we adore about working in this region. Having said this, our CEO Lex’s response has always been the same since day one:

“The idea is important, but it’s ultimately the execution, that sets successful products apart, and that’s where we come in”.

So why do you need help building your MVP? First, for those that don’t know, MVP is a startup term for “Minimum Viable Product” meaning a product that may not be perfect and ready to support millions, but it will get you traction and prove the concept enough to get you the meetings you need. MVPs are important because they help prove that you’re on the right track. The key with MVPs is being able to iterate on the product early on, quickly and efficiently.

Products naturally evolve during development with the more user feedback and market insight you gain. Hiring full-time employees takes time away from product development, fundraising and other important tasks for founders. If you wait as long as it takes to iterate several times and get it perfect, then you could be too late to the party and someone could have moved quicker to getting funded, and grown their team and passed you up. This is where services like ours come in, and help non-tech founders and other early stage startups with their MVP development, while they work on the business sides of things. Not only does this allow the startup to move faster, but it also ensures a better quality product and a lot less stressful nights leading up to your big pitch day.

What is unique about newer solutions like BuildaTeam is that we aren’t just freelancers 8,000 miles away that you are need to explain the requirements to. We help you define and optimize those requirements and align them with your business objectives, leaving the legwork of writing the code to outsourced expert teams. This help founders ship early stage products both on web and mobile. Today there’s more of a paradox of choice on who to trust with your software development than flavors of ice cream from the Ice Cream truck guy. You need to pick the right solution either hiring in-house or outsourcing but the fact is, you don’t need to be an incredible tech developer or software engineer yourself any longer as much as you need to be a really good manager. You need to find the right solution for your team, and move quickly so you can get it right, before you run out of cash.

“Unless you’re already an entrepreneur with at least one nine-figure exit behind you, the answer is no. The reasoning behind this is simple: People buy products, not ideas.” – From a recent Fox News article on a similar subject.

So if you’re in charge of a startup that is moving too slowly with development for your liking let’s chat. We can help. Email us: hello@BuildaTeam.io

November 6, 2016
5 Rules for Startup Media Engagement

If you’re a young startup, there’s little doubt that you’ll eventually need to get media exposure, one way or another. If you want to get noticed, and don’t have huge budgets for paid ad campaigns, then you need to know how to access and engage your target users through free media channels. Well we recently read an awesome, and actionable article on Forbes and since we at BuildaTeam.io are all about helping startups grow faster through unparalleled web and mobile development services, we felt it was only right to share the wealth. Below are some great tips for engaging through the different media channels:

Use Twitter….no seriously.

Our marketing guy always preached to us…”Make your own story”, so start there. Then find the fastest and most direct route to a journalist who will use it. Twitter has to be one of the quickest, easiest and most effective ways for an entrepreneur to find media opportunities. Just type #journorequest into the search box to uncover dozens of requests from journalists looking for help with stories on every business topic imaginable. You’ll be unlucky not to find at least one that relates to your business, so hit Reply, and tell them how you can help. Keyword there: HELP. Offer help, don’t just ask for help.

LinkedIn offers additional routes in. With a bit of research into the publications and business areas you are focusing on, you can track down the various journalists who cover them. Forget the rules about not sending requests to people you don’t know; busy journalists keep open house on social media

Be ready for the response…

If a journalist responds positively to your reach-out or Twitter reply, make sure you can deliver what you have promised them. Press releases are useful as background, but you’ll need to be available, sometimes at very short notice, to jump on a call to answer a few questions. Great images are a godsend to an editor, while a live website is essential, as they will want to check your business out.

Leverage the news

It isn’t just journalists who are always on the lookout for fresh angles on news stories to generate extra media mileage. Entrepreneurs can do it as well. Keep an eye on news within your own industry sector, and make yourself available via the channels outlined above, to provide insight for the relevant local, national and trade publications. Over time, you can become a ‘go to’ expert, and have journalists chasing you. And tune in to any opportunities to comment on broader issues, for example, how a cut in interest rates, or changes to employment legislation could affect small businesses.

But be ready to move fast – news travels like wildfire across social networks – and work on building a list of good media contacts; journalists and bloggers who write in the media space where you want your business to be seen.

It’s also worth looking several weeks and months ahead and earmarking annual celebrations, Valentine’s day and Halloween, not to mention the countless National Days of and World Weeks of, such as Volunteers’ Week or Mens Health Week. You may be planning something interesting or unusual and definitely newsworthy, that that ties in with the event theme.

For example, Bring Your Pet To Work Day is celebrated by working pet owners everywhere, but maybe it happens every day in your business. Readers will want to know how and why. These events are also highlighted on journalists’ calendars well in advance, and they will welcome a quirky business case study, or industry expert to give their story an edge. These are valuable, easy to find opportunities that will make your startup stand out, and get your story and your brand shared.

To read the entire article click here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2016/09/30/four-rules-of-media-engagement-for-startups/#5db31ff72ea8

Credit to Forbes, we love you!

September 30, 2016
How To Pay Freelancers. International Payment Options
With the boom of the digital world, businesses are global. They hire professionals from the global network. We believe in global talent and diversity. Though the skills, teamwork, and company vision may transcend easily across nations’ borders, payments do not.

Whether a company is hiring employees, both outsourcing and permanent hires, or partnering with other businesses, there is no global payment process. While we wait and hope for a universal digital currency, I want to share some interim solutions!

Below are my experiences with the top available options: different fees and tariffs for each, versatility and timeliness, and my personal opinion.
- SKRILL – One of the cheapest options available on the market.
We’re committed to keeping fees low.

Using your Skrill wallet to pay online at a retailer that accepts Skrill is free

Receiving money into your Skrill account is free

Uploading funds into your Skrill account is usually free – some options involve a small charge, which will be clearly stated. (7.0 % fee max. USD 1000.00 upload and 1.9 % fee max. USD 1139.69 upload )

Sending money to an email address or another Skrill wallet costs 1% of the amount sent, with the charge capped at $10

Upload money into the Skrill System using a bank account (3-5 days) or a debit card (limits apply) and then distribute the money within their network. A good option for smaller non-urgent transfers. Banned in mother Russia. Has API.
- PAYONEER – Another international payment method. Senders don’t need an account. A minimum of $25,000 sent per month gives you access to a company account with Payoneer – it also offers access to API.
The fees associated with the Credit Card Loading Service are dependent on the loading method:

1) Visa/Mastercard – Up to 3.75% (2-3 business days). This fee is used to cover the processing fees that Payoneer is charged by the credit card companies and payment processors.

2) ACH Bank Transfer – 1% (5-7 business days). This loading method is available for US accounts only.

The loader will be able decide who is charged the loading fee. Under the “Payment Method” section on the Send a Payment page, the loader will have the option to either pay the fee him/herself, or charge it to the receiving Payoneer account holder.

Since they introduced the ACH Bank transfer – this is one of my personally favorite options to transfer the money.
- PAYPAL – If all freelancers and companies you work with would have it – it would be a comfortable solution. Unfortunately it’s not available everywhere, and it’s fees are quite high, compared to other options.
If the fee is passed to you, it is 2.9% plus $0.30 USD of the amount you receive. For example, if you are sent $100.00 USD by credit card, the fee would be $3.20 USD ($2.90 + $0.30). This fee also applies if you click Request Money on the PayPalwebsite and request money from friends and family.
- WESTERN UNION – If you need to send money urgently, you can as well use WU. A $1,000 transfer to Ukraine would cost you $48 if you choose ‘Money In Minutes’ and only $12 if you choose a Bank Transfer (3-5 days processing time).
- MONEY GRAM – A transfer of 1,000.00 would cost you $35 if you are funding it with your US-based checking account and $96.00 if you are funding it with your Credit Card. The perk is:
When sending money to be picked up as cash, how long does it take for the money to become available for pickup?

Money is typically ready for cash pickup within minutes after the transfer has been sent successfully, regardless of the payment method used, subject to operating hours, availability, local laws/regulations and compliance requirements.
- GOOD OL’ WIRE TRANSFERRING – From your online banking portal you can initiate an international wire transfer. Usually $45 per transfer. Once money is sent – you have no control over it. Subject to review by the Federal Reserve. A comfortable option for B2B. There is no need to wait for the funds to load into some intermediary system. After the first transfer, which might take a little longer, the consequent transfers usually go out fast: within 2 – 3 days money is on the recipients side.
Please note, that all the services described above allow your recipients to receive USD on their side. There are also newer fin-tech services that use blockchain, bitcoins and currency exchange rates. These services would allow you to send money to your recipients in their local currency and at a very low rate. This is a very new field for me and I will be exploring it more. One of the services is:
- TransferWise –
If you’re sending up to 5000 USD, it will cost ( 1% per transaction) with 0 USD hidden charges in the exchange rate.

If you’re sending over 5000 USD, it will cost ( 1% on initial 5000 USD, 0.7% on anything over per transaction) with 0 USD hidden charges in the exchange rate.

OVERALL:

Don’t want to deal with international payments or hiring and managing freelancers? We can help you take outsourcing to the next level. Email us at hello@buildateam.io to get a free quote.
September 27, 2016
How to Use Confirmation Bias to Close More Sales Deals!
You’re biased.

Yep, we said it. You, and everyone else you’ve ever met have preconceived notions of what you believe to be correct or incorrect. These inclinations influence your decision-making process, whether you are aware of them or not. Your customers behave exactly the same way. Have you ever heard of Confirmation Bias? It’s one of the strongest biases you can have, because you don’t know you have it!

Now, all people have biases, and they’re not all bad. That’s why we say that BuildaTeam is the best web and mobile development solution out there, we’re biased! One of the most common biases is “confirmation bias,” which is how we interpret information in a way that reinforces what we already believe. It’s frequency and power is connected to our addiction to self-worth.

A great example of confirmation bias is how voters act during a United States Presidential election. The more people read and inform themselves about the presidential candidates, the more they tend to believe their candidate to be the correct choice, not realizing that they are subconsciously biased to absorbing information that furthers their existing stance. Salespeople can also fall victim to their own confirmation bias when they ask clients questions whilst pushing them in the direction of the answer they want to hear, instead of letting the client tell them what they need.

These deeply rooted, subconscious, cultural assumptions drive all purchasing decisions, and reinforce those decisions even after they have made a purchase. Talented Salespeople learn to utilize these subconscious cues to boost their deal closing power. Here’s how:
- 1) Give a Great First Impression: Successful salespeople focus on giving a great first impression. Your mom may have always told you that a first impression is everything, and that’s never rang truer than in sales. If you’re first impression is stellar, you’ve influenced your prospects to subconsciously continue to look for the positive in you or your product/service. Their brain will naturally seek out reaffirming information to the original assumption that you and your company are amazing.
- 2) Be Affirmative: Smart salespeople use affirmation messages within the customer journey to foster confirmation bias. By saying positively affirming messages to the prospect throughout the journey, you can subconsciously push them towards greater loyalty. Examples of this are: Our products are exceptional quality, or we have the highest standard in the industry.
- 3) Compliment Your Prospects: By rewarding your potential customers’ micro-decisions with praise as they progress towards purchasing, you can reinforce their confirmation that you’re the best person to work with. Tell them what a smart decision this is, or how impressed you are with the speed they work at. However, be cautious not to be overly flattering and ingenuine.
- 4) Emphasize the positive: Positioning things in a positive light, sometimes even trivial things that the customer wouldn’t even notice can go a long way. Examples: Is your product /service process painstaking, don’t say how hard it is, rather talk about how diligent your team is, or how it’s the most detailed product/service on the market.
- 5) Encourage Customer Reviews: Even after you’ve closed a sale there are ways to use confirmation bias to your advantage. If you encourage customer reviews and sharing post sale, not only will it help acquire new customers, but it will also increase subconscious brand loyalty in the review writer. Think about it this way, if a previous customer spends 10 minutes writing about how much they enjoyed working with you, you better believe you’re going to be top of mind for a while.
Always keep in mind that overdoing any of the above suggestions can put you at risk of sounding inauthentic and that you will not all of a sudden become a mind reading master simply by harnessing people’s confirmation bias. These strategies take some time to become accustomed to and should be tested thoroughly. .Let me know if these strategies have worked for you in the comments below. Best of luck out there.
September 23, 2016
7 Simple Tips for Increasing Online Sales
Are you in Ecommerce? Sell anything online? Well if you have an online store already we found some awesome simple tips for improving your revenue. Some of them may be “no brainers” but each are proven initiatives that will result in steady boosts in sales. If you don’t have your online store built yet, well we can help you get that done! Email us here for a free quote! We’d love to help. Check out the tips below:
1. Navigation: We must also ensure that the navigation links are correctly placed and help the visitors to go through the website quickly. We must try to reduce the complexity of the site, so as to make it more user-friendly
2. Validation & Testing the website: To avoid any types of code issues, validation of the website as well as site testing needs to be done by using different browsers to ensure that the website load is excellent for all the visitors.
To read the entire original article click here: http://staugustine.com/interact/blog-post/twyher/2016-08-06/7-essential-web-development-tips-increase-online-sales#

If you’re interested in learning more about how we save our web and mobile development clients time and money, let’s set up a call to discuss your project! Get in touch below.

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August 18, 2016