In a recent post on the importance of good listening, I received a comment from Jeff Hahn, who agrees with my premise on how listening can improve your business success and your personal relationships. Jeff wanted to extend the premise to our elected officials operating out of Washington, DC. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how right Jeff is. Read more »
Where Not to Look for Money — And Where You’re More Likely to Find It
Entrepreneurs can save time and angst by looking beyond banks and other mythical sources of startup capital. One of the major obstacles entrepreneurs face in starting a business is raising the money they need. It can be the most time-consuming, frustrating and disheartening factor in launching a new venture. Save yourself some energy and angst by not looking to sources that conventional wisdom would suggest as logical places to find startup capital. Instead, focus on more realistic prospects. Here is a list of places you shouldn't be looking for money, followed by where you're more likely to find it. Read more »
7 Tips on Barter for Small Business
Barter, an $8-12 billion dollar industry, is one of the businesses that flourishes in bad economies, as it offers entrepreneurs many opportunities to acquire things they need and want for no or little cash. Here are some of the things you should know about Barter, a great Bootstrapping activity. 1. It is the exchange of […] Read more »
DON’T BE BULLIED BY YOUR LAWYER
9 THOUGHTS IN DEALING WITH A LAWYER There are many occasions in the life of a Small Business where a lawyer is needed. . .a rental lease. . .a royalty contract. . .an employment contract. . .a business partnership. . .an investor, a lawsuit, etc. Small Businesses rarely have a full-time lawyer and staff, so […] Read more »
Entrepreneurs Love Risk?
This myth seems to emanate from the media portrayals of entrepreneurs, likening them to old gun slinging, sneering, arrogant cowboys just looking to find and attack risk. My experiences and those of most successful entrepreneurs I’ve met indicate the exact opposite: small business owners with their own money on the line look to minimize, avoid, […] Read more »
Curiosity – A Key Entrepreneurial Trait
Most of us will agree that creativity is a key element in a company’s growth and sustainability. This applies to small and large companies, start-ups, and service or product companies. Without creativity, you are susceptible to becoming a me-too company, which will lead to lower profit margins, loss of market share, and eventual demise in […] Read more »
Rebounding from Setbacks-A Wow! Video
My definition of Entrepreneurship is “The recognition and pursuit of opportunity without regard to the resources you currently control, with confidence that you can succeed, with the flexibility to change course as necessary, and with the will to Rebound from Setbacks.” (This definition is primarily from Professor Howard Stevenson of Harvard Business School with some […] Read more »
No Can Become a Yes in Selling
Would you believe NO can get you a good Yes? Yes, it’s true; sometimes NO is the keyword for successful selling. In all negotiations and selling which falls into that category, you need to understand the other person’s needs, job responsibility, and goals. One of the major responsibilities of a buyer is to get the […] Read more »
ENTREPRENEURS–TIME TO BE THANKFUL
Whether you’ve had a difficult year in this current environment or have been one of the fortunate ones and prospered, it would serve you well to pause and take stock of all the things you should be thankful for. Be thankful you are in your own business and your own boss. Millions of people aspire […] Read more »
HIRING AND FIRING—DIFFICULT TO DO
Your Growth Can Depend on It Most small business owners will agree the quality of the people they hire is critical and can help make or break their company. It however, is not an easy task to find and hire the right person, particularly if you have a limited budget. Here are some things […] Read more »
FUNNY TAKE ON HOW ENTREPRENEURS ARE BORN
This past Saturday, November 6, Scott Adams the creator of Dilbert wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal and showed us why he is one of the iconic humorists of our time. His hilarious take on how Bad Management spawns new start-ups has much truth in it. I thought I should share this article […] Read more »
LISTENING INSTEAD OF HEARING
Why is it that in most business and social encounters the mouth is employed much more than your two ears? Many people think they are listening when they are just hearing. If your ears are healthy, hearing is an automatic anatomical response to sound in your vicinity. It takes no effort or skill. On […] Read more »
Passion Required To Start and Grow a Business
PASSION−A key attribute to overcome adversity and build a business. Every attribute and skill can be learned except passion. I would not recommend that anyone start a business unless they have a passion to do so. Passion is the wild card in overcoming many obstacles facing fledgling companies. To name a few: inexperience, knowledge shortfalls, […] Read more »
2 New YouTube Videos to Help Small Business
On September 13, I was invited to speak to the Entrepreneurial class of Professor Danny Warshay at Brown University. Professor Warshay taped the session, and I have edited out two segments to make my YouTube debut on offering practical tips to Small Business that are within the ability of all entrepreneurs. Here is the description […] Read more »
15 Attitude Attributes for Entrepreneurial Success
Knowledge, skill, talent, and to some extent, resources are important success components for Small Businesses. However, many competitors have equal or more of these components than you. The key to overcome competition and attain absolute success is mental, which is reflected in one’s attitude and is totally controlled by the individual and requires no cash. This holds true in most human endeavors besides business like sports, the arts, politics, etc. How many times have we seen the underdog team or player win over the more talented opponent? The difference is attitude. Read more »
MISTAKES CAN BE A POSITIVE
Everyone makes mistakes at one time or other. Some more than others. The question is how does one deal with their mistakes? Many get depressed, defensive, and overly cautious. A better response is to use every mistake as a learning experience. Delve into the why’s it was made and the how’s to avoid them again, all the while keeping your head up and maintaining your energy level. Read more »
WHEN HIRING A CONSULTANT, BEWARE OF . . . .
At some point in the growth or even start-up of your company, you may want to hire a consultant to educate or guide you. You may rightly want the consultant for their expertise in myriad disciplines like advertising, management, a specific industry, social media, branding, etc. Read more »
FALL IN LIKE—NOT IN LOVE
I am all for entrepreneurs and would-be ones to be enthusiastic, compassionate, and believe in their new product, ideas, or company. However, these emotions and the actions they elicit need to be tempered by the reality of the situation. Read more »
Energy – An Important Entrepreneurial Attribute
One thing I’ve noticed, in my conversations with entrepreneurs over the years, is the incredibly high energy levels most of them possess. It would be interesting to find out whether they’ve always been that way, or whether they started working at higher energy levels as the amount of fun and reward in their lives began to increase after they started their own business. I’m convinced that, within reason, physical activity generates more energy than it consumes. Read more »
Write Your Business Plan in Pencil
The smartest entrepreneurs plan on growing and are prepared for change. I have a few words of advice for first-time entrepreneurs, as well as seasoned business owners looking to hit a new stage of growth. My advice is this; write your business plan in pencil. I realize this may be difficult for all you non-golfers, but doing so will illustrate two important principles. Read more »