You have 90 seconds to pitch an investor about your new, incredible business idea that’s going to change the world and make millions of dollars. How do you do it? Simply break your story into five parts using this guideline of how I’d want to be pitched:

• What is it, who’s your target and what’s the value? (20 seconds)

  Get me excited. Focus on the value of your service rather than the features. Tell me quickly what it is, who your target market is, and tell me how it’s going to help them do something better, faster, or more easily. Focus on value and the void you’ll be filling.

• Pricing model? (10 seconds)

  How much does it cost and how do you plan on making money? Recurring revenue or one-time fee?

• Why is it unique or buzzworthy? (20 seconds)

  What makes your product or service unique? Why will anyone care? What are you going to do to get people talking about it?

Who you follow on Twitter has a tremendous impact on what you get out of Twitter. There are people tweeting great information on every topic available and there are also people out there using it just for fun. If you are follow the right people (see our previous post on the top entrepreneurs to follow), you increase your chances of finding solid tips and advice.

We’ve gathered 14 tweets from smart people around the web, offering some simple words of wisdom on startups:

• Tech startups – be careful about “geeking out” on sales calls. You’re selling solutions to problems not technology. @byosko



• Just finished a call with a CEO who is delaying fundraising till he gets more traction. Very smart. You can’t raise $ without validation @startupcfo

• Avoid analysis paralysis…been noticing we talk a lot about the interpretation of data, not whether to act…this is the way to do it. @MikeMcDerment

If you have ever asked us a question on Twitter, you may have noticed the response coming from an account other than @Grasshopper. Our goal is to provide good information for entrepreneurs, answer questions about the company and service, promote our customers and let everyone know what is happening here at Grasshopper without cluttering the main account.

So what Twitter accounts do we own and what are they for?

• @Grasshopper

  This is where you will find all the news and information on the company along with business and financial tips for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

• @GrasshopperBuzz

  Run by Ambassador of Buzz, Jonathan Kay, the GrasshopperBuzz account gives you news on Grasshopper, answers customer questions and helps our customers with press opportunities.

• @GrasshopperCare

  Have questions on set up? Can’t find the number you want? GrasshopperCare is run by our support team and are there to solve any issues you may have.

TiVo and DVRs have forever changed television advertising. With viewers now able to fast forward through commercials, companies need to create enticing ads that make us want to watch them. Personally, I only stop to watch a new Geico spot or something odd that makes me think “what was that?” as I fast forward through commercials.

So when we started creating our new TV commercial, we knew it needed to not only raise brand awareness, but also needed to give viewers a reason to stop, rewind, and watch it. And I’m not talking about gimmicks like intrusive ads as you fast forward or hidden/subliminal messages. I’m talking about real, good commercials that make you go “hmmm.”

Special guest post by our very own mascot and star of the new commercial, Gary Grasshopper:

Well, I finally made my television debut in the new Grasshopper TV commercial and I gotta say, I look pretty good! Check it out as I take a drive through the mountains, work from the local cafe and even go sky diving…all the while showing you how easy it is to use my Grasshopper virtual phone system.

Look for it to air next week on Bloomberg, MSNBC, Fox Business, CNN, CNBC and more!