Kevin Systrom talks about life after the $1 billion Facebook deal and why he thinks photo sharing can change the world. For many young entrepreneurs, a $1 billion exit would be a crowning achievement–and potentially the beginning of a long and very cushy retirement. Not for Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom. He still comes in to […]

Editor’s Note [This entry is part of a series on “civic consumption,” a new approach to harnessing the market power of communities to drive social impact, guest curated by Will Byrne, cofounder and CEO of Groundswell. In his recent article, Will Byrne focused on the power of civic organizations and community members to effect social change […]

On average, only 6% of a brand’s Facebook fans engage with its Facebook Page content. It looks as though Facebook might not be the effective customer engagement engine so many business owners have thought it to be. On average, only 6% of a brand’s Facebook fans actually engage with the brand’s Facebook Page via likes, […]

Here are three ways for you to squeeze the most networking opportunities out of business conferences. With thousands of attendees at a typical conference, networking time is a scarce commodity. In the past, I was lucky to get in touch with half of the potential suppliers, prospects, agencies and friends during conference networking events. With […]

It used to be, only big businesses could afford to let customers customize their products. But here’s how one small operation makes it work. You’ve probably heard of mass customization: It’s when businesses use e-commerce to let consumers order customized versions of products. The idea is to delight customers by providing exactly what they want […]

Sure, we’re all supposed to hire slow and fire fast. But hiring can become a real time suck. Here’s how to cut out the waste. Hiring a great team makes the difference between winning and losing, right? If only it were that easy. Seth Bannon, founder of the social fundraising platform Amicus, recently learned just […]

Follow these guidelines when you meet with customers and you’re much more likely to win their business. While a lot of business is conducted today over the Internet and the telephone, customers often want to meet you personally, just to make certain you’re the kind of person who can be trusted to deliver what you […]

The founder of 42Floors offers a crash course in e-mail etiquette for entrepreneurs reaching out to high-profile contacts. You think your e-mail in-box is out of control, right? Just imagine what VCs, angel investors, and other high-profile folks are facing. These extremely busy people must be buckling under an e-mail avalanche. But that doesn’t mean […]