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Why your startup needs a content strategy (& how to build one that scales)

Entrepreneurship
May 2, 2025/by
Why your startup needs a content strategy (& how to build one that scales) A content strategy for startups begins with a simple truth: Every piece of content needs a purpose. I learned this lesson the hard way when managing my first startup blog. Armed with enthusiasm but no real plan, I spent three months writing what I thought were brilliant posts about industry trends. When I finally dug into our analytics, I discovered our most-shared article had exactly seven readers. Three were my team members, and the other four were probably bots. That’s why a content strategy for startups isn’t just about creating content — it’s about building a system that attracts the right audience, nurtures trust, and drives actual results. Unlike paid ads, which stop working the moment you pause your budget, content marketing builds momentum over time, creating a sustainable engine for growth. In this post, I’ll share how to build a content strategy that helps your startup scale, even with a lean team and limited resources. After working with dozens of startups, I’ve discovered what truly moves the needle — and what just creates busy work. Table of Contents What is content marketing for startups? What makes a startup content strategy different? Why do startups need a content strategy? How to Create a Startup Content Marketing Strategy Startup Content Strategy Tips What is content marketing for startups?...
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CPG Design: A Look at Viral Trends + Real-World Examples & Strategies

Entrepreneurship
February 25, 2025/by
CPG Design: A Look at Viral Trends + Real-World Examples & Strategies Graza. Fishwife. Brightland. These brands represent some of my favorite CPG designs. Marked by bright colors, bold fonts, and creative illustrations, this style of packaging is now moving beyond specialty stores and into big retail aisles. “If you walk into almost every major retail chain grocery store in the U.S., there would be at least one product that we designed, if not two,” says Mike McVicar, co-founder of Gander, a Brooklyn-based design studio. To help you create catchy consumer packaged goods (CPG) designs, I’ve gathered insights from Mike that you won’t want to miss — as well as CPG design tips and real-life CPG branding examples to serve as inspiration. Table of Contents The CPG Design Pendulum The Downside to a Trending Style Differentiating CPG Brands Through Design 5 CPG Branding Examples 7 CPG Design Tips for Creating Attractive Packaging The CPG Design Pendulum In the late 90s and early 2000s, good design wasn’t a priority for consumer packaged goods (CPG). Packages with call-outs and stickers that scream “33% less fat” were the mainstream, a style that Mike endearingly described as “over the top, ugly, and kind of extra.” When the 2010s rolled around, branding design went to the other extreme — the blanding trend. Packages became too minimalistic and generic, often featuring sans serif fonts and pastel colors....
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My Advice for People of Color Looking to Break Into Tech

Entrepreneurship
October 10, 2024/by
My Advice for People of Color Looking to Break Into Tech Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Switching careers can be daunting for anyone, but the challenges can feel particularly overwhelming for people of color.  The tech industry, while brimming with opportunities, presents unique hurdles that must be navigated with determination and strategic planning. The path is riddled with obstacles, from battling imposter syndrome to upskilling through certifications and boot camps and learning the industry's language without a technical background. However, with the right mindset and resources, these challenges can transform into stepping stones toward a fulfilling career in technology. In this piece, I’ll explore common challenges people of color might face when breaking into tech and offer my advice for overcoming them based on my personal experience in doing the same. 1. Battling Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome is a pervasive issue that affects many professionals, and it can be especially prevalent among career switchers of color in tech. This feeling of self-doubt and uncertainty about one's abilities can be crippling, often leading individuals to question their place in the industry. I vividly remember the day I completed my Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) program. While the certification equipped me with a solid...
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The First 5 Things I’d Do if I Were Starting My Business Over Today

Entrepreneurship
September 27, 2024/by
The First 5 Things I’d Do if I Were Starting My Business Over Today Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better. A habit that has woven itself through many facets of my life, like parenthood, my health, and entrepreneurship, is a consistent check-in I like to do with how I’m growing. I often call it a ‘life inventory’ where I scoop up everything I’m working on, learning, and feeling, and ask myself about what’s going well and what needs to shift. Inevitably, I spend a little bit of my check-in time wandering back down memory lane to the beginning stages of starting my business. With over a decade’s worth of experience, successes, trials, and a whole lot of teachable moments, it’s normal to wonder what I might’ve done differently if I knew then what I know now. While I could wax poetic about all the things I wish I could share with my 20-something self, the advice I would give for starting my business is rather simple. ‘Keeping it simple’ might be the best way to summarize what I’ve learned about almost everything in life. So, take a step back with me to those early days while I share what I’d do first, without overthinking, if I was starting my business over today. Maybe you’re looking for a fresh start in your business or a little insight from a seasoned entrepreneur as you start...
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Challenges Faced By Native & Indigenous Entrepreneurs [Data + Expert Tips]

Entrepreneurship
September 12, 2024/by
Challenges Faced By Native & Indigenous Entrepreneurs Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. For many Native entrepreneurs, it’s not active discrimination that proves the biggest issue in getting a business off the ground. In fact, per a recent Breaking the Blueprint HubSpot Blog survey, many Natives don’t feel like their heritage figures one way or the other into their entrepreneurship challenges. Instead, it is the generational disadvantages that accompany past discrimination, such as a chronic lack of credit and capital access, alongside new issues like discoverability and scalability. It’s unfortunate that these challenges can pose significant hurdles to entrepreneurs and business people looking to find success. But they are survivable. I reached out to Native and Indigenous Entrepreneurs to hear their direct takes on these challenges and ask their advice for rising above and overcoming them. Here’s what they had to say. Top Challenges Faced by Native & Indigenous Entrepreneurs Respondents to the survey I mentioned above were asked to name their three biggest challenges. Roughly 56 percent of respondents pointed to financial issues such as raising capital or budgeting, while 33 percent cited growing and scaling their businesses as a major issue. Lastly, getting the word out and building awareness...
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7 Expert & Data-Backed Trend Predictions for 2024

Entrepreneurship
December 20, 2023/by
7 Expert & Data-Backed Trend Predictions for 2024 It’s that time of the year… We asked a few badass colleagues and expert Trendsters what they think will be huge in 2024. Here’s what they said: 1. Niche Sports  Sara Friedman, Senior Writer of The Hustle Pickleball has grown into a national craze, with courts and other related businesses popping up everywhere. In 2024, more niche sports will follow. Source: Google Trends, six-month rolling average Games like badminton, racquetball, croquet, and spikeball will see increased popularity through activity bars, facilities, and clubs. These sports will be used to fill vacant shopping malls and offices that are too difficult to flip into residential space. Badminton, where players use racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net, might be the next big hit among Gen Z and Millennials, per Pinterest. 2. The Menopause Market Arlene Battishill, E-commerce maverick, Shark Tank trailblazer The market is finally recognizing women ages 50 and older as a huge demographic with a lot of disposable income. One way this trend will manifest is through the continued growth of the ~$17B menopause market. Globally, menopause causes $150B in lost productivity. It’s a big pain point for half the population, and a huge opportunity for businesses. There’s already been an influx of products created for perimenopause and menopause care, with celebrities and influencers in the mix. But the market is still ripe for disruption.   3. Leaner Tech Startups Dan Layfield, Subscription business expert, ex-Uber, ex-Codecademy This year, many tech companies course-corrected their...
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3 Native Entrepreneurs in Different Sectors

Breaking the Blueprint, Entrepreneurship
November 21, 2023/by
3 Native Entrepreneurs in Different Sectors Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. It’s no secret that Native entrepreneurs face an uphill battle when starting up their businesses. Indigenous businesses have hurdles at nearly every step of the process, whether it’s a lack of access to credit, trouble getting technical assistance or training, or a cultural barrier between investor expectations and business owner goals. Yet some business owners persist anyway, climbing over whatever obstacles are ahead to succeed in their respective fields. Native entrepreneurs have moved into a multitude of industries with profitable, impactful businesses amid surges in federal and tribal support, and Indigenous people are seeing themselves represented in more swathes of the business world. In this post, I’ll introduce you to three native entrepreneurs you need to know about. Three Native Entrepreneurs in Different Sectors 1. Amber Buker, Totem Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma tribal member Amber Buker knew she needed a bank specifically focused on Native American needs and experiences when she discovered an “invisible gap” in traditional banking while trying to buy a house. Buker ran into rejections from major banking institutions, primarily because none of them were aware of, or at least did not implement, the available federal...
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49 Essential Small Business Stats You Need to Know

Entrepreneurship
October 7, 2023/by
49 Essential Small Business Stats You Need to Know Small businesses are the lifeblood of any economy. Mom-and-pop restaurants, corner stores, family-owned shops, boutique tech firms, and other ventures drive economic growth, foster innovation, and generate employment opportunities. These businesses are the beating heart of the community. They provide essential services and goods, adding a unique flavor to local markets. 2023 continues to illustrate the importance of small businesses as they navigate through challenges and seize new opportunities. In this article, we delve into the nitty-gritty of small business statistics for 2023 and provide insights into their triumphs, tribulations, and trends. General Small Business Statistics Small Business Owner Statistics Industry-Wise Small Business Statistics Financial Small Business Statistics Jobs in Small Businesses Statistics Small Business Marketing Statistics Small Business Technology Statistics Small Business Challenges Statistics General Small Business Statistics Most businesses are small — 99.9% of American businesses. (SBA, 2023) Small businesses pay 39.4% of the private sector payroll. (SBA, 2023) There are 33 million small businesses in the United States. (SBA, 2023) From 1995 to 2021, small businesses created 17.3 million net new jobs, accounting for 62.7% of net jobs created since 1995. (SBA, 2023) Business owners primarily go into business because they are “ready to be their own boss” (28%) and overall dissatisfaction with corporate America (23%). (Guidant Financial, 2023) Small businesses generate 32.6% of known export value. (SBA, 2023) Small businesses employ 61.7 million Americans, which equals...
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5 Inspiring Indigenous and Native Entrepreneurs to Know About

Breaking the Blueprint, Entrepreneurship
June 9, 2023/by
5 Inspiring Indigenous and Native Entrepreneurs to Know About Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Native entrepreneurship often occupies two worlds. Aspiring Indigenous business owners navigate historic barriers to traditional financing and growth — while building culturally informed, sustainable ventures. This challenging climate hasn’t stopped these entrepreneurs from entering nearly every industry imaginable to make an Indigenous imprint on the world while supporting themselves and their communities. Some Native business owners build on cultural touchstones like tribal art and stories to launch design studios and art shops. Others address long-time systemic hurdles to credit by stepping into the financial sector, bringing an Indigenous perspective to the issue that often proves crucial in addressing it. Still, others make waves in industries where Native participation registers just a fraction of a percentage point, such as in engineering and architectural design. Inspiring Indigenous and Native Entrepreneurs to Know By examining the stories and advice of these powerful voices in Indian Country business, we can light a path for even more Indigenous entrepreneurs to follow after — and continue an ever-improving cycle of breaking free of poverty and systemic discrimination. Let's dive into these incredible leaders' stories. Chad Johnson (Cherokee,) The Akana Group Agriculture is a staple...
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