20+ Gifts for the Entrepreneur in Your Life

The holidays are almost upon us—do you have all of your gifts ready?

I’ll admit, I only just finished ordering presents for everyone on my list (and I’m crossing my fingers that they all get here on time!).

But maybe you’re still feeling at a loss for what to get the entrepreneur on your list. After all, they’re starting a business (or maybe running one); they need something that will make their life easier.

Or, maybe you’re the entrepreneur—feel free to share a link to this post with your friends and family (hint hint). We won’t judge.

For entrepreneurs who need to keep track of great ideas

1. Moleskine notebooks

A classic, and a favorite around our office, these sleek, handy little notepads were suggested multiple times!

They come in multiple sizes and colors, both lined and unlined, to suite a variety of note-taking styles.

2. A Moleskine Evernote Smart Notebook

Taking the beloved Moleskine one step further is their partnership with Evernote, which allows you to digitize your notes.

Essentially, Moleskine has created a line of notebooks with specially lined pages that, when photographed with the Evernote app, become searchable, digital versions of your handwritten notes. A must for entrepreneurs who like to keep things old school, but would also like to integrate Evernote’s great technology into pen-and-paper notes.

3. A whiteboard with markers

For entrepreneurs who love a good brainstorming session, why not a nice big whiteboard?

With to-do lists a mile long, a whiteboard is something any budding entrepreneur would appreciate.

4. Some great pens

These Sharpie Fine Point Pens are a favorite around the office, and they would make a great gift for any entrepreneur—maybe with a few Moleskines? Just don’t use them on that whiteboard!

For entrepreneurs who want to learn more

5. A great book (or several) on entrepreneurship

Where do we even start? We’re huge fans of Lean Planning here at Palo Alto Software, so “The Lean Startup” is definitely a good place to start, as is “The Art of the Start.” A few other great reads: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, and Rand Fishkin’s “Lost and Founder.”

6. A Kindle

With so many great books on entrepreneurship, a Kindle or other e-reader might be the perfect gift for an entrepreneur. With a seemingly endless amount of ebooks, they’ll be able to enjoy your gift over and over again.

For entrepreneurs who are ready to start and run their businesses

7. An annual LivePlan subscription

We’d be remiss in not recommending our own business planning software here; a subscription to LivePlan would make a great gift for the entrepreneur who needs to write a plan to seek a loan or investment.

But, one of LivePlan’s superpowers is actually in better business management. Connecting LivePlan to Quickbooks Online or Xero puts mere mortals in the driver’s seat with an easy to use business dashboard at their fingertips. It’s the gift of no more spreadsheets.  

Between December 3rd and 19th, 2018, we’re offering a LivePlan gift card option, perfect for the holidays. Click here to check out.

8. A Square card reader

If you know that your favorite entrepreneur is planning on accepting card payments and needs a small, convenient mobile payment processor, why not look into giving them a Square card reader?

The process of accepting payments can be a hassle, so anything that solves this problem is bound to make a fantastic holiday gift.

If you’re not sure Square will fit their needs, you can read more about our favorite payment processors here: The Best Mobile Payment Processor.

9. A subscription to Evernote Premium

Evernote’s free service is great, but a budding entrepreneur (or even a more seasoned one) would likely appreciate the increased functionality of Evernote’s premium edition, which lets users turn their notes into presentations, sync across their devices, access notes even when offline, and more.

For entrepreneurs who need a boost to take on the day

10. A great coffee-making set up

Late nights and early mornings are inevitable for entrepreneurs. How about making that process easier with some great coffee? An Aeropress coffee maker, the ever-fancy Chemex, or my personal favorite pour over method all make great cups of coffee. Pick up some beans from your favorite local roaster, and you’re in business.

11. A Hydroflask

To keep their coffee or tea toasty, a Hydroflask is a great gift. These vacuum-sealed wonders keep hot things hot and cold things cold, and won’t spill in a bag or backpack, which is great for entrepreneurs on the go.

For entrepreneurs who need to stay connected

12. A portable wallet charger

I am notorious for being suddenly unreachable due to a dead phone, and this can be a real issue for someone starting or running a new business. This thin, portable charger fits easily into a wallet, making it possible to stay connected at all times.

13. A backup phone battery charger

On that note, any type of backup phone battery is a solid bet. If you’re running a business or in the process of starting one, it could mean more than a small hassle if your phone is constantly dying. Check out Digital Trends’ list of the best portable phone chargers.

For entrepreneurs who like to take chances

14. An executive decision maker paperweight

In the same vein as the magic eight balls we all remember from childhood, this amusing paperweight will make any tough decision for you. (We at Palo Alto Software take no responsibility for any negative fallout that may result from leaving important business decisions up to a paperweight, however.)

For entrepreneurs that need to relax

15. HeadSpace or Calm App subscription

A meditation app can be just enough of a reminder to take time out and breathe in the new year. Too much stress can lead to burnout and can make the challenges of growing a business seem insurmountable. Just a few moments of calm each day can really help.

16. A miniature zen garden

A fun addition to any entrepreneur’s desk, this mini zen garden is a cute way to take a break from a busy day. Give this to your favorite stressed-out entrepreneur—they may roll their eyes at you, but they’ll secretly get a kick out of it.

17. A yoga class pass

Another fantastic way to help your favorite entrepreneur relax is the gift of yoga. Simply head over to your local yoga studio (preferably one close to their place of work or home) and pick up a pass or a gift card!

For entrepreneurs who have it all (or who don’t like clutter)

18. Something intangible

Celeste Peterson, our director of people development, says maybe a thing isn’t the right choice. “Some business owners don’t want more stuff to clutter their busy lives,” she says.

“Get that person a gift card, subscription or membership for something they need, and save them some money and time. An Audible membership so they can listen to books on the way to the office, or a gift certificate to their favorite lunch cafe might be perfect.”

For entrepreneurs ready to establish a social presence

19. A decent camera

While potentially one of the more costly presents, a camera will greatly help any entrepreneur who is looking to improve their social presence, allowing them to take great shots for their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter feeds, or upload Youtube videos. To get started, check out this list of the top cameras for bloggers and small businesses.

20. An octopus tripod

Another great addition to any entrepreneur’s social media arsenal is this flexible, light tripod, which works both on flat surfaces and oddly shaped ones. It works with both a traditional camera and includes a cell phone mount, making it easy to take anything from product pictures, to marketing videos on the go and from any angle.

For entrepreneurs who need to tune out

21. A pair of noise-canceling headphones

Whether it’s a busy office or a noisy coffee shop, to get work done sometimes you need to block out the noise around you. Some noise canceling headphones are a huge asset when it comes to working distraction-free.

Bose is considered by many to be the gold standard, but there are plenty of options. There are even those that aren’t necessarily billed as noise canceling but still do a pretty nice job, like my personal favorite Sony MDRXB950AP/H Extra Bass Smartphone Headset (I’m wearing them as I write, and I’m a frequent busy coffee shop-worker).

For accident-prone entrepreneurs

22. A washable keyboard

Accidents happen, but for an entrepreneur in the throes of planning or running their business, they can be hugely inconvenient. Spilled a cup of coffee? Little one knocks over their juice? This washable keyboard will be a lifesaver.

For entrepreneurs whose offices could use a little help

23. A Bluetooth speaker

To help liven up a new home office, a Bluetooth speaker like this one from Bose is a great bet. Larger versions would also make a great gift for an entrepreneur who is opening up a small shop and needs help setting the mood.

24. A dose of (non-cheesy) motivation

Whenever I need great prints, I turn to Etsy. Some of my favorites, which are sure to brighten up any new office and inspire greatness? This sweet floral-themed print, this bold, awesome statement, and one of my personal favorite quotes on a mug, courtesy of Ron Swanson.

25. Something fun and playful (and, yes, a little nerdy)

Check out sites like ThinkGeek and UncommonGoods for cute, unique gifts that would brighten up any workspace. My favorites? This BB-8 desk lamp, or this set of mini Harry Potter characters, which would look awfully cute on a desk.

For entrepreneurs who have an exercise habit (or would like to build one)

26. A GPS watch or other activity tracker

If your favorite entrepreneur is a budding fitness enthusiast, they might appreciate an activity tracker like those made by Fitbit, or a GPS running watch if they’re a runner. I personally use a Garmin GPS watch and a Fitbit Flex 2 and love them both.

For entrepreneurs on the go

27. A nice laptop bag

Making travel to and from work and meetings easy, a sturdy, professional looking laptop bag is a must-have. Timbuk2 messenger bags are always classic and sporty, and I’m a big fan of this canvas and leather messenger or this felt one.

For entrepreneurs who need to look sharp

28. Design-it-yourself button-down shirts

I’ve never seen anything quite like OriginalStitch, which allows you to customize shirts to create seemingly endless combinations. Does your favorite entrepreneur have lots of meetings, presentations, and networking opportunities coming up? This could be a great, unique gift.

For entrepreneurs who never stop planning—even in the shower

29. Aqua Notes waterproof notepad

I’m not sure what it is about a good shower, but sometimes the best ideas come at the strangest times. This cute waterproof notepad means ideas won’t ever go forgotten because they couldn’t be written down.

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TaylorMade Teases 2019 #ScrewFace Driver

In what surely must be the latest example of coincidence within the golf equipment world, on the same day that Callaway’s Epic Flash line of drivers landed on the USGA’s conforming clubs list, TaylorMade released a short teaser video for its upcoming 2019 drivers.

Promising that, on February 1st, #EverbodyGetsFaster (that’s the official hashtag), TaylorMade revealed the face of its new models. While you can be sure that Twist Face persists, 2019’s twist (I booed myself) is a pair of red screws positioned in the low heel and toe of the face. Isn’t that interesting?

2.1.2019.#EverybodyGetsFaster pic.twitter.com/t4yKvwk8qV

— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) December 3, 2018

Racecar wheels, jet engines, and some sort of flaming reaction. Oh my, that is fast.

Let’s be real, far too often golfers behave like fish. That is to say; we’re easily distracted by shiny objects and sometimes bite on things we shouldn’t. TaylorMade knows this, and so it also knows that doing something that hasn’t been done since the days of persimmon  – like putting big screws in the face of a driver – is sure to attract attention to its face technology in a year when face technology will be all the rage.

Behind the screws will be a story about faster, and more to the point, more consistent ball speed, across more of the face. That’s how you, me, and everyone else is going to get faster. TaylorMade will talk about how it made the face so fast, it needed the screws and other structures to help slow it down and bring it back under the USGA limit. Every brand has told a version of this story at one time or another, but in golf, everything old is perpetually new again. Along similar lines, TaylorMade will recycle a story from the Adams XTD driver and say that every face is individually inspected and measured to ensure that CT is at the USGA limit at multiple points.

Depending on your predilections, the screws might be cool, but I’d wager that what’s closer to reality is that whatever difference-making technology there is, it’s mostly out of sight. Inside the head, the face will feature variable thickness, goo-filled structures – pockets of sorts – which is how TaylorMade will say it can better control CT. The screws, not unlike Cobra’s Space Port, they’re the visible bits to raise awareness of what you can’t see. That’s my thinking on the subject anyway. I’m open to being proven wrong.

An updated track weighting system is also said to be part of the package.

The Next Big Thing or the Next Big Bust?

TaylorMade very well could be setting the trend with the next big thing, but I’m not without my concerns. Feedback from industry insiders and experts can be summed up in two words: Structural failure. What happens when a golfer hits the ball on the screws? No matter how far from center the screws may be, they’re going to get hit, and the thinking is that the screws may weaken the surrounding titanium and cause cracks. We’d wager TaylorMade has put the new design through its paces, but the same was probably said about the original M series drivers (crowns cracking), and several generations of face slot irons (slots splitting), so there is some legitimate quality control history with new TaylorMade technologies that should rightfully raise eyebrows.

It also remains to be seen what the weight penalty is for adding screws and goo to the face. It’s certainly possible that TaylorMade has made the technology weight-neutral, but at a time when everyone else is scrambling to remove weight from the face and push mass lower and deeper, it’s at least interesting that TaylorMade appears to be adding forward mass. Reality to be determined when we can get the new heads on our Auditor CG gauge, but one of the near-universal truths in golf equipment design is that structures bring with them mass penalties.

Finally, to the best of my knowledge, nobody has asked TaylorMade what they mean when they say at the limit. Technically that’s 239 microseconds, but with tolerances, it’s possible to push it a bit further. Even the most aggressive brands, however, tend to play in the low 240s. Much higher, even if you’re still below 257 microseconds, and the USGA is likely to issue warnings and start digging a bit deeper. Nobody wants that. Point being, while consistency across the face shouldn’t be downplayed, it needs to be made clear that you can’t measure your way to a ball speed breakthrough.

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It should go without saying that it’s a little early in the game to say whether or not the #ScrewFace (that one’s not official) technology works. The early performance reports on the new drivers (reportedly M5 and M6) have been universally excellent, with the M6 being the more noteworthy of two. Those without the proverbial skin in the game that we’ve heard from rates the TaylorMade stuff a touch higher than Callaway’s Epic Flash, which I suppose is a good sign for TaylorMade. Caveat emptor; early reviews are almost always positive. Actual reality will be determined once consumers get involved.

If nothing else, the early comparisons illustrate how myopic the industry tends to be with respect to the marketplace. It’s a reasonable assumption that the new gear from Callaway and TaylorMade is going to be good, but to talk about this in binary terms is silly. It’s by no stretch one or the other. As we discussed in our recent podcast, 2019 is shaping up to be the best year for drivers ever, and if the conversation in your head doesn’t include PING, Cobra, Mizuno, Srixon, Wilson, Titleist, PXG (and a qualified fitter), you’re doing yourself a disservice.

As we inch closer to the start of the buying season, my advice is this: Don’t be a fish. Shiny things don’t matter. What matters are mass properties and ball speed. Everything else is just a distraction, and it can be far too easy to lose sight of that when 95% of what passes for innovation in golf equipment is just clever marketing.

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How to Create a Unique Value Proposition

This article is part of our Business Startup Guide—a curated list of our articles that will get you up and running in no time!

If you’re starting your own business you’re probably already thinking about what sets you apart from competitors in your space. Coming up with your unique value proposition (UVP) or unique selling proposition (USP) creates a strong foundation for all your marketing messages and strategies for engaging new customers.

This article is a handy guide that will define what a UVP is, and help you write your own.

What is a unique value proposition (UVP)?

Your UVP (also called a unique selling proposition, or USP) describes what separates your business from your competitors. It should explain how your solution solves your customers’ problem, the specific benefits, and why your target customers should choose you over the competition.

In a nutshell, your UVP covers: how your product or service works, what makes it valuable, and why it’s better than the rest.

Your UVP should be front and center on your website, and it should be completely free of jargon—it’s like a very short elevator pitch that someone who has never heard of your company before would understand immediately.

Your UVP is what makes you competitive

Every competitor in your field is vying for attention. From marketing plans to advertisements, consumers hear a lot of noise.

To cut through this clutter and turn your target audience into loyal customers, you need a value proposition that mere mortals can understand easily—and remember. You want your customers to hear your name and think, “oh, that’s the company that does (your unique solution).”

How do you create a unique value proposition?

Finding a value proposition takes some time and legwork. A real UVP is more than a clever tagline. For it to be meaningful, you have to know your customer and your business. Plus, you have to understand how your product or service fits into our consumer-driven world.

So while your UVP is probably always in the back of your mind, don’t write it based on what you think is true about your solution and your customers. Do some research and testing so that you are sure.

And for that matter, keep testing. Once you’ve come up with your UVP and put it all over your marketing materials and website’s landing pages, it might be tempting to set it and forget it. Keep testing it over time—the more your business grows, the more you’ll know about your customer’s pain points and how your solution helps them.

4 questions to help you create your value proposition

1. Who are your customers—your target market?

First, you need to figure out who your customers are. Who will buy (or is buying) your product or service? A lot of first-time business owners want everyone to be a customer; this is a rookie mistake. Marketing to everyone is the opposite of marketing to your target market. If you try to appeal to everyone, your business and product will get lost in the noise. An example of this kind of mistake is a shoe company trying to market to everyone with feet! You’ll waste a lot of time and money that way.

Instead, hone in on exactly who your audience is. Do some market research—both based on your existing customers (if you have them) and other populations you think might be good potential customers. You want to know and understand their pain points—the problems they have that you might be able to solve.

But you’re also interested in their demographic information, income statistics, and family makeup. How old is your target audience? Are they male or female? What kind of income does your target audience have? Get specific. What does your target audience do on the weekend? What kind of music do they listen to?

You might think these last questions are a bit far-fetched, but you want to create a buyer or user persona of your target audience. A buyer or user persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer—but it’s a very useful tool to help you hone your messaging and who you consider to be a part of your target market.

You can’t create a unique value proposition alone in your basement, either. You have to test it. Run it by a small group of customers, or people you think are in your target market to ensure your it resonates with customers you’re trying to reach.

2. Why should customers buy from you instead of a competitor?

To separate yourself from your competitors, you have to know who they are and what they stand for. Research your competitors inside and out, from their mission statement to the types of employees they have. You can only set yourself apart if you know what’s already been done.

Putting together a competitive matrix can be a helpful way to visualize how you stack up against them. Don’t make the mistake of assuming you don’t have any competition. Every business has competition, even if you’re in a brand new industry. When you’re writing your UVP, see if you can articulate why your customers should buy from you instead of your competitors in ten words or less. If you can’t, keep revising.

3. What need or pain point does your product or service solve?

Write down how your business or product solves a problem or alleviates a pain point for customers. Can your product do something that other products can’t? Does it save time? Is it more affordable than other products? What about your product or service makes it must-have for customers—why can’t they live without it?

Take that list and cross off any need pain point that your competitors can claim to address too. Your competitive matrix might be helpful here. Below is an example of how a competitive matrix should look, and we’ve also discussed how to create a competitive matrix in more detail in this article.

This exercise is meant to help you find areas where your business is different than others. Simply having the best product or the best customer service in the market isn’t enough differentiation.

Remember, every business thinks they have the best product. Take some time to figure out how your product meets the needs of your target audience in a way that others can’t.

4. What’s your mission? What do you stand for?

What does your business stand for? It’s a big question, one that takes some time to figure out. Once you have a solid and clear answer, see if your mission overlaps or coincides with the list of things that sets your business apart. Now you’re starting to hone in on your value proposition.

Once you’ve done your digging, write down a few different possible value propositions that fit your business. Again, this isn’t going to be something you whip up in 20 minutes. Write a few down, stew on them for a bit, and refine them. Ask yourself if someone could read your UVP and think it’s talking about another company. If the answer is yes, you have a selling or value proposition, but it’s not unique yet.

Rework it until you have one succinct sentence that makes you stand out from your competitors. What do you want your customers to remember about you when they hear your brand or product name?

4 examples of great value propositions

One of the best ways to learn is by example, so let’s take a look at a few businesses that have created unmistakably unique selling propositions.

The Mast Brothers Chocolate

This duo of bearded, lanky brothers creates chocolate bars by hand. Their dedication to their craft alone is unique, but the brothers have infused their love of old-time traditions into their business.

When they need to purchase more cocoa beans, they charter a wooden sailboat to stay true to their pioneer-like roots. Now that’s a unique position you can market.

Dollar Shave Club

This online business sells and ships razors and blades to its audience for a buck. They poke fun at the fancy, vibrating 10-blade razors that are on the market today and encourage men to go back to basics.

But, don’t think that means they’re selling an inferior product. Their slogan is: “Our blades are f***ing great,” a tagline that points to (but isn’t the same as) their selling proposition. Remember, if other companies can also say their product is “great,” you have a catchy tagline, not something that sets you apart from the competition.  

Ellusionist

Here’s a business that created a value proposition by catering to a very specific audience. Ellusionist is an online store that sells playing cards to magicians.

Some of the decks are marked, others have a vintage appearance, but the variations are meant to build showmanship for its unique target audience.

Palo Alto Software

Shortly after publishing this article, one of our readers asked if we could share our own USP. Bplans is a resource offered by Palo Alto Software, so here’s what Noah Parsons, our chief operating officer, has to say about our UVP:

For Palo Alto Software, our goal is to provide entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and know-how to help them grow faster and better than their competition.

We’re not just in it to make a buck—we actually want to help people succeed in business as much as possible. Our commitment to entrepreneurs is shown in our thousands of pages of free content that helps demystify the complexities of starting and running a business.

We also provide simple yet powerful tools for entrepreneurs so they can focus more on doing what they love and less on trying to build and understand complex reports and spreadsheets.

3 tips for creating your UVP

Julie Cottineau, the former vice president of brand for Virgin and current owner of a brand consultancy BrandTwist, offers a few parting tips to remember.

1. Don’t try to please everyone

You want a well-defined audience. “Don’t be afraid to alienate a few people along the way. Brands that target everyone, connect with no one,” she says.

“The biggest mistake businesses make is casting too wide a net, for fear of leaving anyone out. Women 25 to 54 is not a valid target segment, it’s a census box.”

2. Differentiate yourself from the pack

“In my practice, I think of a USP as a twist. Something unique, unexpected, and meaningful that can set you apart from the pack,” she explains. “A USP is any aspect of your brand or business that is different from the competition and can be communicated to your audience to encourage people to try your brand or switch from another brand.”

Whatever your value proposition is, it has to be something that the competition can’t claim, or at the very least something they don’t use as a marketing tool.

3. Make a connection

One of the best ways to create a successful selling proposition is to make a connection with your audience that pushes them to act.

“It’s not about shouting louder. It’s about marketing smarter. Creating compelling messages that connect with consumers, engage their hearts (not just their minds), and turn them into loyal brand ambassadors who will help you get the word out and build your brand,” says Cottineau.

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TPT Shafts: The Good, Bad and the Reality

The equipment portion of the golf industry is an often over-caffeinated, hype-filled cacophony blended with some real news, some fake news, and opinion-based facts masquerading as fact-based opinions.

Certain segments of the market are shadier than others, and there’s an argument to be made that graphite composite shafts is among the most dubious categories.

That’s all to say, it can be a real mess, and without a roadmap to navigate it all, consumers play right into the hands of OEMs pedaling new and improved product which plays on a consumer ego long been convinced that new and improved invariably leads to longer and straighter – or at the very least, somehow better.

Within this context, shaft newcomer TPT (Thin Ply Technology) merits a deeper dive as it presents a viable argument its offerings are legitimately different than every other shaft on the market. While the company line is that those differences make for a superior performing product, there are plenty of questions surrounding the durability of its $500 shafts.

During testing, the MyGolfSpy staff broke two TPT shafts (one in play and one during routine profiling), multiple failures were reported during forum testing at GolfWRX, and over the summer, there were frequent reports of tour players snapping TPT shafts.

The most notorious example happened during the first round of the Australian PGA Championship last week, John Senden’s prototype TPT shaft snapped during his swing on the par-5 9^th hole. The video shows the shaft break toward the butt section of the shaft, which is where it seems a majority of the failures in TPT’s LKP model occur. It’s one thing when a shaft snaps on the range, but when it costs a professional strokes and ultimately money, it becomes a much larger issue.

Senden is far from alone. In the rare convergence of golf and baseball, Jason Day reportedly keeps his TPT shafts on a pitch count whereby he replaces it after a certain number of swings. I believe that might be an industry first. Rod Pampling, Patrick Reed, and others have had TPT shafts break on them at one time or another.

Listen to the sound as Senden’s shaft snaps and he hits the ground with the club. Ugh. pic.twitter.com/Wwqjc5EVRD

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) November 29, 2018

That said, with Vijay Singh’s victory at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship this November, TPT has a baker’s dozen of worldwide wins. Moreover, TPT’s technology is just as viable at the consumer level where players of all swing speeds are finding surprising amounts of increased distance while also decreasing dispersion, according to former tour player and current instructor, Jon Sinclair, who sits on TPT’s advisory staff.

So, is TPT the next coming of high-performance shafts or is the product simply structurally unsound? It might not be an either-or proposition.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

At the 2017 PGA Show, I met with Sebastian Sebayang (Director of TPT Golf) and Francois Mordasini (Chairman and Co-founder) at a small table on the concourse outside the main exhibit hall. It’s likely we could have pooled the entirety of our Twitter followership and not cracked triple digits. Literally and figuratively, TPT’s presence sat beyond the periphery of the market and other than its co-branding efforts with David Ledbetter, it was just another new company with a semi-interesting story – not unlike dozens of other companies looking to gain some traction at the industry’s annual meat market and hob knob.

Chiefly, what TPT claimed to offer was a technologically superior production process which could create the most consistent shafts in existence – a bold position for a company which stuck a $700 price tag on a shaft without a typical PGA Tour profile. TPT’s first shaft – which Lydia Ko bagged in 2016 before signing her equipment deal with PXG – offered a mid-launch/mid-spin profile geared toward players with moderate swing speeds. At the time, TPT promised it would deliver a beefier shaft in late 2017.

It was a faith-based business plan, built around a proprietary process a decade in the making. TPT’s cutting-edge robotic technology worked in Formula 1 racing and was a dominant force in the competitive sailing market. Success led TPT to look for opportunities in other areas. “I wanted to see if I could make a golf shaft,” Francois told me.

At a fundamental level, the only necessary question to ask of any new product is, “Is it better? Does it offer some segment of players a performance benefit which doesn’t exist without it?”

There’s plenty of redundancy in the shaft market, which is illustrated by the reminder one industry veteran offered me…” There are only so many bend profiles (in shafts)” The salient point being while OEMs like to highlight what are often minute differences in specs, design or material usage, shafts invariably fall into one of several bend profiles, and shafts with similar profiles offer largely similar performance.

Other than LA Golf Shafts impending fractional ownership model, players aren’t compensated for shaft usage, so if there’s an opportunity for a new company to make inroads without fronting a bunch of cash to gain tour exposure, this is it. That said, just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s likely. There is also the primary challenge of gaining validation in a retail fitting environment because giving away product to tour pros doesn’t pay the bills. It’s a delicate balance – one which requires a product to win on both the launch monitor and on the course – and even then, there has to be a coherent marketing approach which gets the product into players hands and on a fitter’s wall.

It’s an uphill battle in all directions, but it can’t account for the serendipity of current world #1, Justin Rose bagging a TPT shaft en route to three worldwide wins in late 2017, including WGC-HSBC Champions in China and Turkish Airlines Open in back-to-back weeks. Several months later, Jason Day picked up a win at the Farmers Insurance Open with TPT shafts in both his driver and 3-wood. Most recently, wins #11 and #12 came courtesy of Bryson DeChambeau at the Shriners Hospital for Children’s Open and Hyowon Park at the KPGA A+ Life Hyodam Jeju Open. Including Singh’s aforementioned win in early November, that’s 13 professional wins and counting in less than two years.

That’s a hell of a tagline for an infant company which jumped head-first into the deep end of the pool dominated by Fujikura, Mitsubishi-Chemical and Project X.

Equally impressive is TPT’s quick ascent into the premium custom fitting segment of the market. In 2018, TPT increased its number of authorized U.S fitters from 24 to 75, 39 of which came via an agreement between TPT and Club Champion to carry TPT’s full line of shafts in each of its retail locations.

Internationally, Sebayang reported a 400%+ increase in the number of authorized fitters, from 25 to 136. In total, TPT started 2018 with 49 authorized fitters and will finish with 211, a figure which will continue to increase incrementally based on TPT’s growth estimates.

TPT’s rapid surge into the premium shaft market is remarkable by any metric, and if there’s a single message, it’s that TPT can give players like Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day and Patrick Reed something which they may not get from any other OEM.

NOT ALL RAINBOWS & UNICORNS:

Growing pains are inevitable. It’s the reason hindsight has perfect vision, and final papers are preceded by rough drafts. That said, at a certain point pain can become indicative of a larger problem, one which merits further investigation.

Depending on who you ask, TPT’s first generation of shafts either break at a rate high enough to justify steering clear of the brand entirely or symbolize the kind of bumps in an otherwise smooth road that invariably arises when a fresh brand tries to disrupt the status quo. As usual, the truth is likely somewhere in between.

For its part, TPT claims it’s 2018 failure rate is .06%, the vast majority occurring with lower torque models aimed at higher swing-speed players.  At face value, the number shouldn’t raise concern, however; the context always matters. When a tour pro snaps a shaft in front of a range full of fellow pros, it becomes less about the single shaft and more about how many others saw it happen.

At least one major club manufacturer declined to move forward with adding TPT to its upgrade catalog after the shaft reportedly failed its quality control checks, while a tour rep for another company told MyGolfSpy that he won’t let his players near TPT product.

While there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest TPT shafts can offer performance benefits, many are taking a more cautious, wait and see approach while acknowledging the uniqueness of TPT’s process and what it could mean for the industry as a whole.

Hoyt McGarity, CEO of TrueSpec Golf, has some experience with the brand and has decided that until the durability issues are addressed, he’s sitting this one out. “We just broke so many of them,” McGarity told MyGolfSpy.

In this case “so many” is 9 or so shafts over several months, which again may not seem like a lot, but considering typical failure rates, the clientele with which McGarity tested TPT’s shafts and the environment in which the breakages occurred, it was a deal-breaker. Additionally, McGarity felt the ultimatum to carry all of TPT’s 16 different SKU’s was too big of an ask given the spotty track record.

That said, McGarity remains optimistic on TPT’s future because he sees what the product could become and by hiring credible industry veterans like Jeff Meyer as its Technical Director (30 years with Aldila and G Loomis) it’s clear TPT is working to find solutions.

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At roughly the same time, TPT named Jon Sinclair as its US-based Technical Advisor. Sinclair and his team work with dozens of PGA Tour and Web.com Tour professionals, utilizing a variety of cutting-edge technologies (e.g. GEARS, AMM 3D, 4D Motion) to study how player’s motion patterns are impacted by different shaft parameters (weight, torque, balance point, profile). Sinclair believes TPT’s technology could permanently alter the shaft landscape.

“The consistency is a game-changer,” Sinclair told me, though he notes it’s far from a finished product. “If there’s a problem, I’m very straight with them.” Part of Sinclair’s role as an advisor is to provide objective feedback even when it means confronting some brutal facts. While he’s all about optimizing performance for elite players, he understands consistent performance only matters if players trust the product.

Durability is often a sacrifice made when pushing the limits of performance, and if there’s a fatal flaw in TPT’s first generation of shafts, it’s that the company didn’t accurately assess how its shafts would hold up under a wide range of conditions and higher than typical swing speeds.

To its credit, Sebayang reports TPT has made changes both in material structure (improved resin and a new nearly weightless layer of material) and its automated processes, which should improve the durability of its shafts.

“What’s most important at the moment are our quality control tolerances (increased by 200%), which involves both the continued refinement of our automated shaft manufacturing software and our proprietary machinery. We’re also working with an engineering school in Switzerland to develop a new machine to improve quality control. It’s something we’re creating from the ground up to allow us to “see inside” each of the shafts we create after production to ensure that they are perfectly concentric and homogenous.” – Sebastian Sebayang

Nick Sherburne, co-founder of Club Champion, admits there are some advantages to being the only major premium club fitter currently offering TPT’s full slate of shafts, though the durability issues haven’t gone unnoticed. Because of the current price point ($500) it’s not a high-volume item, and Sherburne was reluctant to give TPT any particular praise beyond its status as “another one of our high-end vendors.” He also suggested TPT would be wise to find a more cohesive approach in educating potential consumers on its proprietary and unique in the golf industry manufacturing process.

REASON FOR INTRIGUE & SKEPTICISM

TPT is a proxy for the argument that, in spite of the tight boundaries within which the USGA requires OEMs to operate, opportunities for performance improvements still exist through materials and processes which weren’t originally intentioned for the golf space. With new possible answers, however, comes a new set of unknowns.

TPT’s proprietary Thin-Ply Technology is a prime example. Unlike the standard table rolling method, TPT’s automated process can independently control every shaft parameter and hold it to exacting tolerances. Theoretically, TPT could produce custom fit, one-off shafts for individual players based on specific swing characteristics. Because other OEMs don’t have the same technology, the product is difficult to reverse engineer which creates a quandary for competitors. In the short term, it’s convenient to pick the low hanging fruit of early breakages as evidence the technology is unproven and thus far, unreliable. After all, it’s unlikely Justin Rose would swap his TPT shaft for Mitsubishi’s Tensei Orange after three wins at the end of 2017 unless there were a serious problem.

It’s not unusual for new technology to be less than perfect out of the gate. The industry consensus, even among some of its competitors, is that TPT will eventually crack the durability problem.

If that happens sooner rather than later and more top players like DeChambeau put the shafts in play and start winning with them, then what?  If that becomes more the norm and if TPT follows through on its guarantee of added distance, improved accuracy and unrivaled consistency for any significant percentage of golfers, the story becomes far more compelling.

Until then we’re stuck in this equipment purgatory where product failures are a bit like Regan’s differentiation between a recession and a depression which paints the former as “where your neighbor loses his job” and the later as “when you lose yours.”

It’s a problem, the magnitude of which depends on how close the individual is to the source – that is, if it’s a problem at all.

So where does TPT sit with consumers? Give us your thoughts.

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Starting a Nonprofit: A Step-by-Step Guide

The Palo Alto Software team, volunteering with local nonprofit Mackenzie River Trust.

This article is part of both our Nonprofit Business Startup Guide and our Business Startup Guide—curated lists of great articles that will get you up and running in no time!

Starting a nonprofit is one of the most rewarding ways a person can spend their time— and it also requires thorough planning and solid dedication.

When you first have that great idea for a charitable organization that could really make a difference, you are likely full of enthusiasm and energy—and it’s key to channel that energy into practical action, so you can move full steam ahead to make your vision a reality.

In this guide to starting a nonprofit, we’ll give you the tools you need to learn how to get up and running.

1. Conduct a needs analysis

First, do some legwork. There are already more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. alone, so the first thing you should do is verify that some other organization isn’t already serving the need you’ve identified. The process of verifying that there’s a market or demand for your organization’s mission is called a needs analysis.

You’re looking to answer the following questions:

• Is any other nonprofit organization already serving your target audience?
• How many people actually need the service you plan to provide?
• Who is your target demographic—who needs what you’re offering? What do they really need or want?
• Is a 501(c)3 the best way to meet the need?

SWOT analysis: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats

One way to get started is to do a SWOT analysis—(Strengths Weaknesses Opportunity Threats). Here’s a free SWOT template you can download. If possible, ask other people for their input—potential board members, other people in your network who have started nonprofits.

Market research: Find out if there’s a real need for your service

In addition to doing your SWOT analysis, this is a good time to do some market research, both on your target population (the people you think need what you’re offering) and potential donors.

Until you’ve actually spoken with (or surveyed) those audiences, you haven’t validated that there’s truly a need for what you’re offering. Your goal in this process is to discover what’s really there—you may find that the need in your target population is different than what you thought it was.

Or you might discover that the need actually exists within a different demographic. The point here isn’t to simply prove your assumptions—it’s ok if you find that you need to make some adjustments to your plans.

Read up on IRS nonprofit compliance

This is also a good time to understand what it means to have nonprofit 501c)3 status in the eyes of the federal government’s internal revenue service. The IRS publishes a nonprofit compliance guide that’s worth reviewing early on, so you’re clear on what’s required of that type of organization.

2. Decide on a name and write your mission statement

Deciding on your charitable startup’s name is an important initial step. You’ll need it to be finalized prior to incorporating your nonprofit or filing any other official paperwork.

Do some research to make sure no other charitable organizations or for-profit businesses are using the name you’d like to use. At the very least it will be a hassle if you’re constantly competing with another organization for brand visibility—or answering messages from confused donors or clients.

Rogaski says developing a name and logo that you are happy with is time well spent because of the pride it instills when promoting your organization. You want to be able to hand someone your card or refer them to your website with confidence that they will like what they see.

Now that you’ve verified that your organization’s services and mission are truly needed by your target audience, and decided on a name, it’s time to write your mission statement.

Keep your mission statement short, and make sure it holds up when you ask:

• Does it distinguish you from all other nonprofits?
• Read your mission statement and three other examples (in your niche) to an employee, board member, or someone receiving your services. See if they can identify which one is yours. If not, go back to the drawing board.

3. Build your board of trustees

If you don’t yet have any staff or volunteers, your first board of directors or trustees will play an important role in helping you get your nonprofit off the ground. Your trustees may be able to help you take some of the initial steps toward making your status as a nonprofit organization more official.

Every U.S. state requires that a nonprofit forms a board of directors, who assume governing responsibilities and liability for the organization. For most states, a single person is considered the minimum requirement for a board, but in some states as many as three people are necessary.

The National Council of Nonprofits has a great guide on reasonable responsibilities and expectations you might have of your board members. They also make some solid recommendations on putting together an orientation for new board members to set the stage for their role with your organization.

4. Write your nonprofit business plan

Nonprofits need a good business plan just as much as for-profit companies—maybe even more. Here’s a guide to writing a business plan for a nonprofit, and a free downloadable business plan template that can help you get started. The process of writing your plan (sometimes called a strategic plan) will help you think through all the different aspects of your organization. Plus, if you’re planning to seek a business loan for larger capital expenses, like building or remodeling, every bank will expect to see your business plan.

Lorrie Lynn King, founder of the international women’s health nonprofit 50 Cents. Period., says, “In fact, you are starting a small business. Nonprofit administration and programming require business acumen, financial planning, strategic planning, and people management skills—sometimes all at once.”

But it’s not just about getting a bank loan. Business planning is about making sure you know where your organization is going and how you’ll get there. “It is absolutely crucial to have three-year plans for both the program and administrative sides to your organization, with measurable outcomes,” King says. “Know where you want to go, then create the map for getting there and make adjustments along the way.”

A nonprofit business plan outline

A nonprofit business plan will include many of the same sections of a standard business plan:

Executive summary

Make sure your executive summary includes your mission statement. You will want to have a written overview of what your vision is for your organization.

Products and services

Are you making a life-changing product at little to no cost for a population in need? Are you providing an essential service to your community? Your products and services are what you’re delivering to meet a need.

Market analysis

Doing a market analysis will help you better understand the population you intend to serve, as well as your donor base. Doing this type of research should also give you a good handle on competition, both as far as who else is offering what you’re offering, but also in terms of who you’re asking for philanthropic support.

Management team

Who is going to be on your management or leadership team and your board of directors? What are their duties, and what do they bring to the table?

Annie Rogaski, founder of the Silicon Valley nonprofit The Club offers this tip: “Form a strong board that works well together but brings different perspectives and creates an environment that encourages discussion of those different viewpoints, to arrive at the best decision.”

Financial plan

Your nonprofit’s financial plan is essential. Just because you’re not focused on generating a profit doesn’t mean it isn’t critical to put together a plan for how you’ll sustain your organization, deal with cash flow, and even grow in the future.  

King advises: “Start a funding and a savings reserve for your organization the minute donations start rolling in. Create a system of paper trails and transparency.”

Beyond setting an initial plan for bringing in funds, you’ll want to set up and monitor a few key financials on a regular basis. It might make sense to run your financials on Excel spreadsheets for a while, but think about your long-term plans for accounting. Using a cloud accounting system like Quickbooks Online or Xero can help you stay organized. Plus, if you connect it to a business dashboard solution like LivePlan, it becomes much less time consuming to put together financial reports for your board meetings.

As you get the ball rolling on your new nonprofit, it can be helpful to check out completed nonprofit business plan examples for reference while you build your own.

Your nonprofit business plan will act as your guide, allowing you to make strong decisions with measurable outcomes. Business planning is one of the foremost tools for building and growing a successful nonprofit.

5. Complete your bylaws, file incorporation paperwork and for 501(c)3 status

In the United States, nonprofits have to meet regulations and requirements at both the state and federal levels. When it comes to how to start a nonprofit, this may be one of the more complicated steps.

While there are 29 different categories of 501(c) organizations, the most commonly created is a 501(c)(3) organization, which is defined by the IRS as “charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, or preventing cruelty to children or animals.”

The majority of nonprofit organizations in the U.S. will fall into the category of a 501(c)(3) organization, which makes them exempt from federal income taxes. (It is important to note that employees of these organizations are still required to pay income taxes.)

It’s best to get a jump on filing for tax exemption early, as this process can take up to a year.

“There is a way to get expedited review if there is an urgent need that your nonprofit fills,” Rogaski says. “Don’t feel limited by the particular categories they identify—if you can communicate to the IRS the urgency for your nonprofit, you may be pleasantly surprised by the response.”

In addition to filing for tax exemption, you will need to register or reserve the intended name of your organization, and file articles of incorporation as a nonprofit. The specifics of this process will vary from state to state. Every state has a State Charitable Official from the national association that you can contact for more detailed information about what you will need to prepare.

It’s always a good idea to retain the services of a lawyer familiar with the nonprofit creation process, too. Knowledgeable advisors will be invaluable as you prepare your filings at both the state and federal levels.

6. Create a fundraising plan and get to know your donor base

Every organization has to keep the lights on, and nonprofits are no exception. Your organization will require a minimum amount of money just for operations on a regular basis, not to speak of special projects or unforeseen growth or expenses.

Typically, nonprofits rely largely on donations for this money and having a committed donor base is going to be essential to your organization. Ask yourself if you really know whether there is financial and community support for your proposed nonprofit. Who is the person that becomes a member of your organization, or that donates their money? Developing a user persona can be a helpful tool here.

If this is the first time you’ve ever done fundraising or nonprofit development work, consider doing some online courses on how to build a fundraising plan. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is a good place to start, though there is a cost to join. Also, you might seek a board member with experience with fundraising to help guide your initial efforts.

A key factor will be branding and marketing. Part of instilling confidence in your organization will come from choosing a good name and logo. You’ll also need to consider how you’ll reach your donors and explain the importance of your message.

How will social media, websites, videos, and so help potential donors and your target population understand what makes your organization great, and worthy of their money?

Rogaski has some words of advice on branding your new venture. From her experience, it takes time to get it right. “It took us about three months of meeting regularly, brainstorming names, to decide on our name (which stands for Connect Lead Unite Build) and to have the logo designed,” she recalls.

Of course, a strong social media presence is essential to gaining media recognition. “I cannot stress the power of networking and social media enough,” King says, noting that her active Twitter feed has landed her interviews with CNN and her local NPR station. She also makes good use of her business cards: “I never leave home without a stack of my cards, even if I’m just in yoga pants and running to the store.”

But remember to start your branding and fundraising plans with some research—understand who your prospective donors are. Talk to them, if you can, and understand what drives them so you can put together a campaign that resonates with them. And keep in mind that many donors will want assurance that you have been granted your 501(c)3 status so they can write off their donation on their taxes.

You may also want to look into grants. GrantSpace has some great resources on how to find grants for your organization. Keep in mind that grant applications take time to write. They usually come with reporting requirements, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the same grant next year. Also, check out Foundation Center for lots of information on grants and fundraising in general.

7. Hire your first staff or find volunteers

Really, your board of trustees are your first volunteers. From there, you’ll probably find that there are still skill gaps within your organization, or that you just can’t get everything done yourself. Maybe it’s time to find a volunteer to help out.

Start with putting together a brief description of the role you need to fill and how much time per week you think it might take. Then get the word out. Depending on the type of volunteer work you’re offering, you might use a service like Volunteermatch.org to list your opportunity. Or you might put it on craigslist, or advertise in a high school or college newspaper.

A word of caution: if your need is fairly involved or requires a specific skill set, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask a potential volunteer to do an initial project before you commit them to a longer-term project, just to see how it goes.

Volunteers can be really helpful, and many nonprofits are primarily volunteer driven. But now or at some point in the future (when your finances allow) it might be appropriate to consider bringing on full or part-time paid staff. Here’s a guide to hiring your first employee.

8. Keep your eyes on your mission

As your charitable organization takes shape, make time to review both your mission statement and your business plan. Because you’ve been hard at work getting things up and running, it might seem like everyone around you should be able to recite your mission (and bring it to life) in their sleep. But it doesn’t hurt to keep your mission at the fore of every conversation you have around services, finances, and hiring. “Does your next move support our mission?” is a great question to ask frequently.

Review your business plan, especially the financials, regularly. Set milestones so you know you’re on track, and can recalibrate if you ever find that you’re not meeting your goals.

Keep in mind that your strategic plan is your roadmap to actualizing your mission out in the world. Use that plan as a tool to set you in the right direction and ensure that your nonprofit is sustainable well into the future.

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First Look – 2019 Callaway Epic Flash & Epic Flash Sub Zero Drivers

Callaway Epic Flash

Not that a few pics haven’t already leaked via Instagram, but you know you’re inching closer to a new release when the USGA greenlights a new driver. Given that it’s been nearly a year since the launch of Rogue, I think just about everyone who even loosely follows the golf equipment industry could have predicted that something new was in the Callaway pipeline, and so here you go.

For 2019 Callaway will offer up the Epic Flash and Epic Flash Sub Zero drivers. And while I don’t have any definitive proof – at least not from the USGA – I’m going to go ahead and assume that an Epic Flash Draw will follow, and I’m not ruling out an Epic Flash Star either, though that 4th one is less certain.

Epic Flash Sub Zero version 1

Callaway hasn’t shared its technology story with me just yet, but the most obvious point to share is that both the standard and Sub Zero models share a rear-placed, multi-position, sliding weight system. We’re all familiar with draw vs. fade settings by now, but it’s also worth pointing out that these types of systems also allow you to more closely align the CG position with your typical impact position. If you tend to hit the ball a bit on the toe, the fade position might generate more ball speed. The same holds true for the draw position for golfers who favor the heel a bit.

As you’d expect all models feature Callaway’s now signature Jailbreak technology, while the Sub Zero models are again differentiated by a forwardly placed weight. This time around, the Sub Zero doesn’t appear to offer any forward/back swap-ability, though the design certainly suggests that additional weights will be available for swing weight and other tuning purposes.

As has become typical for Callaway, the USGA has cleared 3 version. It’s a safe assumption that two of them will be for tour use only, so let’s not all freak out about too many models and whatnot.

Epic Flash Sub Zero version 2

Pricing and Availability

Given recent trends, I would expect Callaway to start teasing Epic Flash in the coming weeks via its social media channels with the official information dropping in early January. I’d wager the actual release date will be sometime after the PGA Show, so let’s call it late January to early February. Finally, while I don’t have confirmation from Callaway, you can expect the Epic Flash series to retail for over $500. In fact, I think $550 is a safe assumption. If that sounds insane, bear in mind that the trends you saw with Titleist and Wilson will continue. Average retail prices are going to be up industry-wide for 2019. We expect TaylorMade will also break the $500 barrier with at least one of its 2019 models.

Epic Flash Sub Zero version 3

More information as it becomes available.

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