Diving into Entrepreneurship? Start in the Shallow End. I talk with a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs who are interested in being their own boss but wonder if they “have what it takes.” I always answer the question the same way: Of course they do. Anyone can be an entrepreneur. Really, all it takes is perseverance and a willingness to learn. Still, it can feel daunting to know where to get started—especially with hyped-up language like “leap of faith” and “take the plunge.” But guess what? Entrepreneurship has a shallow end, and it’s perfectly fine to wade in there as long as you’d like. There’s no need to incur a lot of risk or endure a lot of anxiety. So if you’re interested in running your own show at any point in the future, here are five easy, small, and safe things you can do (starting this week!) 1. How many entrepreneurs or small business owners do you know? 2. All entrepreneurs, even aspiring ones, need idols—other business owners to look to for inspiration and motivation. 3. 4. 5.
Progress is all about taking small steps regularly. 6 Essential Plans Every Business Needs : Managing. Business planning advocates will tell you that every business needs a full-fledged business plan, which is certainly true if you're going to February 03, 2011 Business planning advocates will tell you that every business needs a full-fledged business plan, which is certainly true if you’re going to seek outside investors or a small business loan.
While it’s beneficial to have one even if you don't seek outside funding, the reality is that many successful businesses launch and grow without a full, formal business plan. However, few businesses succeed without any planning whatsoever. Planning isn’t something you do just to say you’ve done it and have paper proof. 1. The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is where vision meets reality. It’s not a long and complicated process. What do we do best? Don’t dwell on it. 2. Simply put, where will your money come from? Break it down to the day and to the employee. 3. 1. 2. 4. Marketing requires a gestation period. 5. 6. IBM 138 | 5 Ways to Accelerate your Internet Business Training. The Must-Have Leadership Skill - Daniel Goleman. By Daniel Goleman | 3:19 PM October 14, 2011 “We hired a new CEO, but had to let him go after just seven months,” the chairman of an East Coast think tank complained to me recently.
“His resume looked spectacular, he did splendidly in all the interviews. But within a week or two we were hearing pushback from the staff. They were telling us, ‘You hired a first-rate economist with zero social intelligence.’ He was pure command and control.” The think tank’s work centers on interlocking networks of relationships with the board, staff, donors, and a wide variety of academics and policy experts. Why does social intelligence emerge as the make-or-break leadership skill set? As I’ve written with my colleague Richard Boyatzis, technical skills and self-mastery alone allow you to be an outstanding individual contributor.
That was brought home to me yet again reading “Making Yourself Indispensable,” by John H. So how do you spot this skill set? Small Business Denver. So you have started a business and been operating for an extended period of time. But where do you go from here? The South Metro Denver Small Business Development Center understands that today’s entrepreneur has many different responsibilities and tasks from day-to-day, and often does not have time to continually review their business plan and direction.
We are here to help you maintain a successful operation. We have a number of services available to entrepreneurs who are currently operating their own business, including: FREE, confidential, one-on-one consulting with our experienced small business counselors. First, make rice. Baby Boomers: Exercise Your Entrepreneurial Independence. Small Business Kit For Dummies Cheat Sheet. Cheat Sheet Owning and running a small business calls for a variety of skills, perhaps foremost among them organizational.
If you’re going to incorporate your business, you need to explore the differences between becoming a C corporation and an S corporation. And if you want to attract investors or even apply for a loan, you’d better be familiar with the key elements of a business plan. How to Organize Your Small Business Records Dealing with the paperwork is a large part of running a small business. The following table suggests essential file drawers to label in an actual file cabinet or two and what must-keep information to file in each: Differences between C and S Corporations for a Small Business A corporation is a separate legal entity formed under a state corporation law.
The following key points characterize C corporations: Limited liability: Generally, the shareholders, officers, and directors of the corporation aren’t personally liable for the corporation’s debts and liabilities. Re-Careering – What Are My Transferable Skills? RetirementJobs.com Staff Writers Where Did My Career Go?
The economy of the past few years has taken a brutal toll on occupations and industries employing large numbers of age 50+ people. Some of these sectors may come back in time, and others may not experience a significant recovery in our working life. Even if you’ve not lost your job, there is the possibility that you may be looking for a new occupation before you retire - if you’re ever able to retire. You may have a lifetime of excellent work experience in an industry or occupation that no longer exists or offers few opportunities for employment.
If you’re in this situation, it’s time to take inventory of something of immense value to you and potential employers – your transferable skills, capabilities and knowledge. You may also become so discouraged that you convince yourself that your experience and skills aren’t valuable any longer. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Does Experience or Skills Get You the Job? “I’m a school principal. Run your own race. The rear view mirror is one of the most effective motivational tools ever created. There's no doubt that many people speed up in the face of competition. We ask, "how'd the rest of the class do? " We listen for someone breathing down our necks. And we discover that competition sometimes brings out our best. There's a downside, though. If you're going to count on the competition to bring out your best work, you've surrendered control over your most important asset. If you're dependent on competition then you're counting on the quality of those that show up to determine how well you'll do.
Self motivation is and always will be the most important form of motivation. 20 Questions Before Starting a Business. 'Accidental entrepreneurs' must ditch costly habits. Starting a Business With Little Money: A Frugal Guide to Small & Home Business Start-up. Do a quick search on Google for a “small business start-up checklist” or a “guide to small business start-up” and you’ll get back many really informative articles (a few of which I will reference here). But what if in your case there is very little money available to turn your idea into a viable, operating business? Moreover, what if your available time is limited because you are trying to start your new business while simultaneously going to college or working a day job?
Though the trite truism “where there’s a will, there’s a way” certainly applies here, those looking to start their own businesses must still come to terms with their current financial, economic, and market realities. The following series of posts will offer a step-by-step guide to small or home business start-up, small business start-up tips, and a whole bunch of business resources specifically targeted to the budget-strapped, time-strapped entrepreneur.
I have a few goals in mind with this series of posts: Hall of Fame | Technosailor.com. A few weeks ago, Brian Clark of Copyblogger.com confided in me that he was leaving DIYThemes, and splitting paths from the embattled Thesis theme and lead developer Chris Pearson. He agreed to do an interview with me exclusively about this news. This is the entire transcript of that interview. Technosailor.com: Brian, thanks for agreeing to this interview. Obviously, the timing of this announcement and interview are interesting considering the discussions that have been happening in the WordPress community as it pertains to licensing and DIYThemes, the creator of the Thesis theme. You’ve been with DIYThemes since its inception and have championed the theme. Brian: Chris Pearson and I have been discussing an amicable way to split for the last 3 months.
The reason for the split is more fundamental than that one issue. Technosailor.com: Well, when you say “our relationship with the WordPress community,” that’s got to mean the GPL issue, right? Brian: Okay. But the law is not the point. Rules for Entrepreneurs: Do One Thing Well | Technosailor.com. This article will take approx 3 minutes to read. Photo by bartb_pt on Flickr I have been an entrepreneur for just shy of 5 years full-time. Before that, I was engaged in entrepreneurial “things” for the previous 6 years. 4 companies. I am not a perfect entrepreneur and some would argue I’m not even a successful entrepreneur since I haven’t had a successful exit yet.
However, the odds on favorite number that people in the startup community like to throw around is that 9 out of every 10 startups fails. I can say that in all of my years in this world, I’ve learned a number of things. Today I’m beginning a series (revisiting an old theme from years ago when Steve Fisher wrote the “Venture Files” track on this blog – before I simplified to a single channel site that is updated far less often than it was then) providing some “rules”, as I see them.
As of now, I have six rules to share from my experiences. Focus Your Efforts Examples: Don’t be Google Google+Google BuzzOpenSocialOrkut That’s right. Rules for Entrepreneurs: Compete and Collaborate | Technosailor.com. This article will take approx 2 minutes to read. Photo by Roger Barker on Flickr. Google and Apple are not only competitors… they are collaborators.
Indeed, Apple and Google both offer top level smartphones – The iPhone from Apple and the assortment of Android devices by Google (Google not only has its own phones but is the main proprietor of the Android open source project). In the same world, Samsung and Apple are rivals (and becoming even more rival-ous) with competing smartphones (Samsung runs Android) sparking ferocious lawsuits back and forth, but Samsung is also a major supplier of parts to Apple. This segment of my continuing series on Rules of Entrepreneurship is all about knowing when and how to compete and when collaboration is a better option. They are not mutually exclusive. This is a natural segue from my last post where I suggest that entrepreneurs focus on doing one thing well. Principle: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel Full stop. What? Why re-invent the wheel? Collaborate Compete. Five Basic Rules for Startup Success. Are you planning on starting an online business?
I bet you want to be successful just like every other entrepreneur thinking about starting a business. Don’t worry it is not only you; no one starts a business to fail. However, many of them don’t do their homework before starting a business, hence majority of them end of failing after they burn through their initial capital. I bet you don’t want to be one of them. The basic rules I’ve outlined below should guide you to become a successful entrepreneur. Choose the right business Just like any other businesses, you should ask yourself if you are getting into the right kind of online business.
You need to understand who you are and what you are capable of. Know where you are headed – yes the route! I bet you don’t like driving around without knowing where you are going. Know the basics of an online business If you are not a tech savvy and you don’t know much about online business, you should at least try to answer the following questions. Talker's block. No one ever gets talker's block. No one wakes up in the morning, discovers he has nothing to say and sits quietly, for days or weeks, until the muse hits, until the moment is right, until all the craziness in his life has died down. Why then, is writer's block endemic?
The reason we don't get talker's block is that we're in the habit of talking without a lot of concern for whether or not our inane blather will come back to haunt us. Talk is cheap. Talk is ephemeral. We talk poorly and then, eventually (or sometimes), we talk smart. Writer's block isn't hard to cure. Just write poorly. I believe that everyone should write in public.
Do it every day. If you know you have to write something every single day, even a paragraph, you will improve your writing. The second best thing to zero is something better than bad. Write like you talk. (Update: Ira Glass agrees.) Passion and achievement: The undeniable link! Thinking of a Name for Your Craft Business. Deciding on a name for your craft business ought to be one of the easiest things to do!
It can be, however, surprisingly difficult. The name that you choose will be at the heart of your business identity and is a major part of your branding. Here are some tips for picking a name for your craft business: Business Name = Name of Website, Blog, Email etc When deciding on a name for your craft business remember that you ideally want the same name for your website, blog, email etc. This will help to reinforce your brand identity and help your customers to find you on what ever venue you are using to sell your work. Even if you don't sell online, you may want to in the future or may at least want a portfolio website.
Say What You Do It can be a good idea for your business name to say what it is that you do. Easy to Remember Make sure that your craft business name is easy to remember - and if you have a website, that the address is also easy to remember. With New Technology, Start-Ups Go Lean. How to start a business while you're still working. 6 Things Your Business Needs More Than Cash : Money. Cash-strapped business owners can tell you their biggest, greatest, most-pressing need: cash. Right? Cash is essential. You've got to pay ve April 12, 2011 Cash-strapped business owners can tell you their biggest, greatest, most-pressing need: cash. Right? Cash is essential. But is cash the answer for a business that is struggling, either to make it (in general) or to make it to the next level, to make a profit, to increase the bottom line, to thrive rather than merely survive?
Seems like a simple answer. But cash alone will not save a business, nor cause it to succeed. 1. We'll assume you already have one—or many—and it's the premise behind your business. No enterprise can exist for itself alone. 2. Your business without a market is merely a hobby. The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers. – John Egan 3. If your target market truly wants and/or needs what you sell, then you have your demand. 4. But good decisions must be followed through with action. 5. 6. Five Tough Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Ask about Growth - Rosabeth Moss Kanter. Home Based Business | solopreneurs Seven ways to grow a home business. Frugal Small Business Start-up Tips: Step 4- Determining Your Location.
CEO Sundays: Starting A Business When You Have Kids. Defining quality. No such thing as business ethics. Tribal knowledge that needed to be made portable