Traffic to Automation Alley’s blog jumped by nearly 50 percent over the course of the last year, due in large part to some fantastic guest bloggers who have shared their insights into the world of tech and manufacturing. We’re thrilled to know our content is reaching you in the blogosphere and is being enjoyed by more business professionals than ever! This week, we’re looking back at our top 10 most popular posts of 2017.

Believe it or not, as a high school football coach, I see the same issues regarding communication and accountability arise on the football field as I do at most businesses. Sometimes an outsider’s perspective can yield a world on constructive feedback. Instilling effective change may seem like an impossible task at first, but business assessment and third party validation can make it achievable.

Selecting a marketing agency is a big decision, and often a quite perplexing one, especially for tech startups. To make an informed decision and greatly improve the likelihood of successful marketing, look closely at these 10 agency attributes.

Perfecting your elevator pitch comes down to knowing your customers, market and competition, says Eric Davis, Automation Alley’s technology investment analyst. In this blog post, Eric breaks down the five questions your elevator pitch must answer so that your message is clear to investors.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation shares how the First Capital Fund will develop, retain and attract tech companies with high-growth potential to Michigan.

Watch: Dom Holmes, Automation Alley’s manager of entrepreneurship and innovation discusses why the 7Cs™ program might be the right fit for your startup.

Automation Alley 7Cs™ client Vanderplaats discusses how the program has benefited their company.

As we near the end of 2016, we invite you to take a look back at some of the moments we were most proud of as an organization this year.

Automation Alley’s Executive Director Tom Kelly is an expert when it comes to helping startup companies transform their ideas into commercialized, marketable technologies and services. In this blog post, Kelly discusses why it’s so important for entrepreneurs to study their customers and prove their ideas in the marketplace before they seek funding.

Starting a business is no easy feat. It’s a costly and time consuming endeavor that requires entrepreneurs to be deliberate about how they manage their time and money. Here are five easy time hacks to help you increase your productivity at little to no cost. 

Successful businesses leaders know the value of building a great team — and keeping them happy. Here, Automation Alley’s Executive Director Ken Rogers serves up 10 tips for assembling, motivating and empowering employees. “On a day-to-day basis, the goal is always ‘team,’” he says. “A quality team will allow your business to flourish.”

Tom Kelly, Automation Alley COO and manager of the organization’s 7Cs™ program for advanced manufacturing entrepreneurs, discusses business valuation amid a shifting trend towards more cautious investors.

Tom Kelly, director of entrepreneurship for Automation Alley, shares our exciting new program for technology startups we call the Automation Alley 7Cs™.