Tony Delmercado
- COO, Hawke Media
Boise
As seen in:
Hubspot Blog,
Entrepreneur,
Business 2 Community,
Glassdoor Blog,
Business.com,
SmartBrief,
Tech.co,
Convince & Convert,
Memeburn,
PR Daily
and
Digital Don Draper
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Tony Delmercado
Guest Opinion: High-speed internet access vital for Idaho’s thriving small businesses
n an age where digital connectivity is the lifeblood of economic growth and innovation, rural small businesses in Idaho find themselves at a crossroads. According to SCORE, the nation’s leading network of mentors to America’s small business owners and a partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, rural entrepreneurs are twice as likely as nonrural entrepreneurs — 19.2% vs. 9%, respectively — to cite lack of broadband/high-speed internet access as a technology challenge.
Guest Opinion: High-speed internet access vital for Idaho’s thriving small businesses
In an age where digital connectivity is the lifeblood of economic growth and innovation, rural small businesses in Idaho find themselves at a crossroads. According to SCORE, the nation’s leading network of mentors to America’s small business owners and a partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, rural entrepreneurs are twice as likely as nonrural entrepreneurs — 19.2% vs. 9%, respectively — to cite lack of broadband/high-speed internet access as a technology challenge.
Guest Commentary: Availability of broadband access vital for Idaho’s small businesses
In an age where digital connectivity is the lifeblood of economic growth and innovation, rural small businesses in Idaho find themselves at a crossroads. According to SCORE, the nation’s leading network of mentors to America’s small business owners and a partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, rural entrepreneurs are twice as likely as nonrural entrepreneurs—19.2% versus 9%, respectively—to cite lack of broadband/high-speed internet access as a technology challenge.
How to Attract and Keep Top Talent in 2017
The companies that have a hard time attracting top talent are those that can't differentiate themselves in the market. Don't let this be you. Free Book Preview: Coach ’Em Way Up Discover how to be an influential mentor through tips and advice based on the teachings of respected basketball coach John Wooden. Email Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy December 6, 2016 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Why Your Business Should Host a Party in Q1
Image credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock It can be tough to get back into the swing of work come January. The new year is the perfect time to recognize hard-working employees and make a fresh start by celebrating your people, company and mission. As the new year begins, people are coming down from the high of the holidays and facing the slump of the dark, cold days of January and February. It’s the perfect time for a company culture event.
We Grew a Company From 12 to 150 Employees in 4 Years. Here's What We Did Wrong.
Mistakes These are the four mistakes fast-growing companies typically make. Image credit: Thomas Barwick | Getty Images December 5, 2018 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Growing a business of any kind is a crazy ride. It’s fun and challenging and scary. I know because I was part of a team that did it. Our company grew from 12 employees to 150 in just four years. And that’s great. But, mistakes? We’ve made a few. OK, we've made a lot.
We Grew a Company From 12 to 150 Employees in 4 Years. Here's What We Did Wrong.
Growing a business of any kind is a crazy ride. It's fun and challenging and scary. I know because I was part of a team that did it. Our company grew from 12 employees to 150 in just four years. And that's great. But, mistakes? We've made a few. OK, we've made a lot. Don't get me wrong: A certain amount of hubris was driving us.
The Bigger You Get, the More Attention Your Culture Needs
In a great work culture, people are excited to work with their peers, even if the work is grueling. Here are five tips to create that kind of culture as you scale. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. In the age of the internet, cultural breakdowns don’t stay secret for long; companies like Nasty Gal and American Apparel can attest to that. Despite the obvious lessons to be drawn from their experience, how many startups actually paid attention? Not many.
Such Sweet Sorrow: 4 Ways to Leave Your Job Without Burning Bridges
You’re ready for a career change, but you’re not going to tell your boss until the last minute. After all, isn’t the standard operating procedure of jumping ship to sneak off for lunchtime interviews? Or duck out in the middle of the night, à la the Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts? As a COO, I can say neither situation makes for a seamless breakup.
How to Get Your Boss to Actually Listen to You
Bosses don’t know everything. Even the most empathetic leaders need feedback to understand the specific challenges their employees face. Unfortunately, plenty of workers — especially those new to the workforce — don’t feel safe being vocal. When they have ideas to contribute, they hesitate to share them; after all, they don’t want to risk potential repercussions. Ultimately, this environment leads to erosion of communication between team members and even entire companies.
Has Major Employee Churn Just Hit Your Company? My Experience Says It Will Bounce Back.
If a bunch of your employees just left, these four suggestions will get you through it. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. It hasn’t been Uber’s year -- or years, let’s be honest -- and its latest hurdle involves employee retention. Not only is the ride-sharing company struggling to find new recruits, but it’s also struggling to keep its current ones, according to a February 2018 Recode article.
How to Get Your Boss to Actually Listen to You
Bosses don’t know everything. Even the most empathetic leaders need feedback to understand the specific challenges their employees face. Unfortunately, plenty of workers — especially those new to the workforce — don’t feel safe being vocal. When they have ideas to contribute, they hesitate to share them; after all, they don’t want to risk potential repercussions. Ultimately, this environment leads to erosion of communication between team members and even entire companies.
Don't Lose Those Talented Team Members. 3 Ways to Hold on to Them.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Great talent doesn't always stick around. People are always looking for the next big opportunity, and if you aren't careful, you'll wake up one day and find all your best people in positions at other companies. While there are many ways to compete for great talent, the key is to make sure your people feel connected to your company and its mission.
3 rules for crafting a stellar event for your organization
To build a brand today, you need to be known for more than just your product. You want to become known as a company that will truly enhance its customers’ lives. Apple knows this; that's why its product reveals and Worldwide Developer Conferences are such extravagant affairs. The goal is to create a lifestyle that people want to buy into.
3 rules for crafting a stellar event for your organization
To build a brand today, you need to be known for more than just your product. You want to become known as a company that will truly enhance its customers’ lives. Apple knows this; that's why its product reveals and Worldwide Developer Conferences are such extravagant affairs. The goal is to create a lifestyle that people want to buy into.
3 Keys to a Great Event That Epitomizes Your Brand
Craft killer experiences that build affection and loyalty in your customer base. You can do that no matter what your budget. To build a brand today, you need to be known for more than just your product. You want to become known as a company that will truly enhance its customers’ lives. Apple knows this; that's why its product reveals and Worldwide Developer Conferences are such extravagant affairs. The goal is to create a lifestyle that people want to buy into.
Supportive AND Demanding: 4 Ways Great Leaders Can Be Both -- Simultaneously
When you build the kind of relationships that make your employees want to deliver for you, it makes the 'tough talks' a little bit easier. When people have heart attacks, it's important that they recognize that what's failed is an organ (or organs) in their body. They weren't the reason for the failure. Along the same lines, a screw-up by your team members doesn’t necessarily mean that they are at fault but rather that their work output is. In other words, criticism shouldn't be taken personally.
Reality Check: There’s More to a First Job Than Salary - Glassdoor Blog
Are you a job-seeking Millennial, or do you know one? My company, Hawke Media, employs mostly Millennials, and the negative press they get is unwarranted. Still, it’s common for folks fresh out of college to have lofty expectations when it comes to salary. A growing cultural mindset has graduates thinking if they know how to use social media, people will pay them a ton of money. I hate to break it to you, but that ain’t gonna happen.
How to Recruit an All-Star Recruiter
In the early days of building my company with my co-founder, I held the hiring reins pretty tightly. I knew the kind of culture I wanted—and I didn't trust anybody else to build it for me. When we got to about 50 people on staff, I asked our five managers to not only manage their teams and keep the business on the rails, but also to add one or two new employees a week.
3 Ways to Use VR for Recruitment in 2018
Most of the current hype around virtual reality (VR) – and there’s a lot of it – centers around gaming and entertainment. However, according to research by Tractica, business spending on VR will reach $9.2 billion by 2021. That forecast carries a lot of implications for various industries, but it especially affects human resources in all spaces. As a person who is passionate about finding talent and building teams, I’m excited about the potential uses for VR in the recruitment process.
3 Ways to 'Transcend the Tech' in Your Team's Communications
An overreliance on technology can make your culture suck -- here are three ways to keep it real. Join us Nov 9th in Los Angeles for a day of inspiration, networking and hear from Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jon Taffer, Carmen Electra, Apolo Ohno and more. Technology has obviously opened up our ability to communicate, both on a personal and professional level, day or night.
3 Ways to Amplify Your Brand With Strategic Partners
You don't have to do it alone. Forming partnerships with other companies will help your company provide value to them, share resources and complement your offerings with those of your partners. To found your own company, you must be an independent-minded, strong-willed individual. But the truth is you can't just go it alone in business anymore. No matter how big you get, every company needs to form strategic partnerships with other businesses.
'Get Sh*t Done' Is This Company's Rallying Cry. Maybe It Should Be Yours, Too?
As leader, you need to walk the line between aggressive work and supportive leadership. Here's how to do that. Hard work. Determination. Grit. Stamina. Drive. No doubt you’ve been taught that cultivating these virtues leads to success, and that seems to make sense on the surface. According to a State of the Workplace Productivity report by Cornerstone, 68 percent of employees surveyed said they felt there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.
3 Misconceptions That Are Killing Your Recruiting Efforts
More unique perks are popping up in workplaces every day: Nap rooms. Ping-pong tables. Kegerators (beverage coolers). . . Every company looking to hire great talent at least considers the value of seeking out, and loading up on, the "coolest" perks.Related: Your Startup Can Compete With Companies Like Facebook for Top Talent.
Under Review: Rethinking the Employee-Evaluation Process
If your company does employee reviews on a quarterly basis, you're going to need help keeping track of all those moving parts. Free Book Preview: Unstoppable Get a glimpse of how to overcome the mental and physical fatigue that is standing between you and your full potential. Email Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy July 21, 2017 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
4 Ways to Build Business Relationships With Knowledge-Sharing
Networking Creating a network of smart, ambitious people to share knowledge with is one of the best things you can do for your business. July 4, 2017 7 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. The fastest way to improve any overall ecosystem is to share knowledge. This is why Mastercard, for example, recently brought dozens of industry leaders together in Sri Lanka to explore better ways of mitigating the risk that digital security issues have posed.
4 Ways to Build Business Relationships With Knowledge-Sharing
The fastest way to improve any overall ecosystem is to share knowledge. This is why Mastercard, for example, recently brought dozens of industry leaders together in Sri Lanka to explore better ways of mitigating the risk that digital security issues have posed. By sharing lessons learned with its private sector and governmental partners, Mastercard aimed to glean insights into the local market from people on the ground.
How to Scope Out an Office That Fits Your Values - Glassdoor Blog
Compartmentalizing is so 2000. A slight blurring of the lines between work and home is actually the norm now, and office designs need to reflect that. Working in an office that reflects your own values is not only a possibility today, but it’s also an element you should seek out on the job hunt. Etsy wanted the design of its new offices, for example, to reflect its customers’ and employees’ attention to economic, social and environmental concerns.
How to Ensure Terminations Don't Negatively Impact Remaining Team Members
We’ve all heard of unexpected firings and poorly handled layoffs. The latest example was about as high-profile as it gets: When President Donald Trump fired the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey found out his status only when the news scrolled across a TV set while he was at speaking engagement. That must have been a bad day for Comey; but it wasn’t a great one for his colleagues either.
How to Ensure Terminations Don't Negatively Impact Remaining Team Members
Reader Resource Apply now to be an Entrepreneur 360??? company. Let us tell the world your success story. Get Started » We’ve all heard of unexpected firings and poorly handled layoffs.
Have You Outgrown Employee Management? Here's How to Let Go.
Earlier this year, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced that he was looking for a second-in-command to help him manage the company.
How to React If You’ve Already Reacted to New Overtime Legislation
Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor ratcheted up the salary threshold for overtime eligibility by more than 100 percent. Employers had until December 1 to comply, and many opted to give affected employees substantial salary bumps to avoid huge spikes in overtime compensation. That all came to an abrupt halt, though, when a federal judge blocked the rule nine days before it was implemented.
4 Ways to Overcome the Unique Challenges a Low Unemployment Rate Poses
Joblessness is at its lowest point since the Great Recession of 2008. For job seekers, this kind of climate creates a "buyer's market," allowing them to be more selective. Candidates want compelling reasons to join and stay with your team. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Joblessness is at its lowest point since the Great Recession of 2008, according to U.S. News & World Report.
3 Ways to Increase Client Retention Through Transparency
Here’s a news flash: The days of corporate silos and veiled marketing are over. No longer can a company hide its real intentions or results from investors or clients.
3 Tips for Making Social Responsibility a Priority at Your Startup
Free Book Preview: Unstoppable Get a glimpse of how to overcome the mental and physical fatigue that is standing between you and your full potential. Email Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy March 2, 2017 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Remember Hormel's acquisition of Justin's last year? If you were surprised at that news, you weren't alone. What could be stranger than the maker of Spam purchasing a vegetarian, organic brand of nut butters?
3 Key Steps to Expand Your Culture to New Cities
So, you're ready to expand: You've done the cost/benefit analysis, scoped out your next city location, acquired the capital and jumped in. Congratulations!Expansion is exciting and overwhelming -- much the way the early days were for you, when you first dealt with a lot of moving pieces.
How to Develop an Effective Internship Program at Your Company
How do you get a job without experience and how do you get experience without a job? Let’s address this age-old question from the business owner’s perspective: How do I find the best young talent to train and then retain them? The answer to both questions is a good internship program. One study from Georgetown University found that the starting salary for graduates with internships was 28 percent higher than for their peers without internships. That’s because they come prepared.
3 Ways to Incorporate Key Stakeholders Into Your Podcasts (and Benefit From It) by @tdelmercado
Podcasts nurture leads, meaning they nurture revenue -- especially when it comes to younger audiences. When Peter Jukes, creator of the podcast Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, asked a lecture hall full of college students if they read a newspaper, only three hands rose.
Building a solid e-commerce marketing pyramid
First focus on product, brand and building an effective e-commerce site, then turn to customer acquisition. E-commerce keeps growing. But to achieve substantial online sales, marketers need to follow the e-commerce hierarchy. Think of the e-commerce hierarchy as a pyramid — without the lower levels, what’s at the top isn’t stable. This pyramid’s base is threefold: the product, brand, and website.
Nervous About the New DOL Overtime Rules? 4 Steps to Implement Cultural Change by @tdelmercado
At the end of this year, new rules from the U.S. Department of Labor go into effect to provide overtime protection to 4.2 million salaried workers -- providing an estimated $47,476 for a full-year-round worker.While some companies won't feel a huge difference, others will be dealing with major cultural shifts as it becomes more expensive to squeeze lengthy weeks out of their salaried workforce.Related: Why Company Culture Is More Important Than EverEmployers may be worried at the prospect.
4 Tips I Learned While Mentoring 2,000 People
Like so many things in life, finding a dedicated mentor today may not be as simple as it was for previous generations. But it’s still just as crucial for your professional development. It’s no surprise that a whopping 82 percent of people acknowledge mentorship as a critical part of their continued growth — having a mentor can help you earn up to $22,450 more annually.
How to Keep Your Culture Intact When You Expand to Another City
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Say you’ve got a great business that’s growing in your city. Great team, great culture, great clients -- all the greats you need. For many founders, now is the time you might start to look outward. Where can you expand to continue to grow? Do you need to set up offices in other cities, or can you grow sufficiently from your current location?
4 Tips for Learning What Makes Employees Happy
Your intuition, like mine, probably tells you happier workers are better workers. When people are happy, they feel more open and creative and produce better results. That’s more than just instinct — it’s been proven. Economists at the University of Warwick found that while unhappy workers were 10 percent less productive, happy workers were 12 percent more productive. When companies spend time and resources supporting employees, they have happier teams.
3 Ways to Use Company Culture to Strengthen Your Marketing
We're searching for top company cultures to be featured on our annual list. Think your company has what it takes? Apply Now » In Los Angeles today, being pro-GMO (short for genetically modified organisms) in your food choices is akin to being pro-Communist in the 1950s. But meal-replacement company Soylent doesn’t care.
Which Came First: Culture or Growth? Hopefully, It's Culture
We're now accepting submissions for our 2016 Top Company Cultures list. Think your company should be on it? Apply Now » Startups that grow into big corporations share many of the same characteristics: They foster innovation, resilience, agility and passion.However, startups can’t successfully build on these crucial traits without the foundation of a strong company culture.
Email Marketing: There's a Good Chance You're Doing It Wrong
Email marketing strategies aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be, and getting them right is more important than you might realize.
Hitting the Bull’s-Eye: 3 brand lessons from Target
Companies are living organisms that need to keep moving to survive. Without a concerted focus on developing their organizations, owners can drown in the ever-changing market, dooming their companies to failure. Success comes, however, when companies like Target stay active and intentional by expanding their product lines, refreshing their brands, and acquiring new customers.
How to Start a Side Hustle Without Quitting Your Day Job
When people consider launching a new business, most imagine quitting their jobs, abandoning financial stability and risking it all. And, with heavy hitters as our role models -- people like Elon Musk and Richard Branson, who went "all in" and won big -- it's no wonder many of us believe theirs is the only way to do it. Paul Bradbury | Getty Images Related: 9 Ideas to Make a Side Income While Growing Your Business But if we do think that way, we are misinformed.
Convince and Convert: Social Media Consulting and Content Marketing Consulting
Listen to this blog post as a podcast: Need more and better leads from your content marketing? (I mean, who doesn’t?) Email marketing is still the go-to tool for getting and nurturing quality leads, engaging and escorting them all the way through your sales funnel. However, ask yourself, “How many commercial emails do I delete every day without even opening them?” That’s the same inbox calculus your potential readers go through, too.
How You Can Get Into Your Customers' 'Friend Zone' Via Email
Although email is one of the most effective ways to build relationships and nurture leads, only 21 percent of consumers surveyed said they had received memorable promotional emails within the previous few months. So what is the secret ingredient email campaigns can use? For startups, the key to capitalizing on email marketing is simply to get more personal and familiar with customers.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Tony
Contact Tony, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack