Adding Entrepreneurial Aspects To Your Business

Entrepreneurs are business owners that are not tied to their service or product, but rather, innovation in and of itself. If you are a business owner that is looking for a breakthrough in your business here are some entrepreneurial traits to add to your roster.

Experiment 
Arguably the most important characteristic for an entrepreneur is innovation. Being able to take calculated risks, and being willing to work through the consequences with positive outcomes as well as setbacks is a cornerstone for progress.

Equal Footing
One of the best ways to foster inclusion and a positive company culture is through a simple and easy to maneuver company structure. A looser organization style encourages independence and builds clout between seniority levels. Forgo the rigid company hierarchy for a system that allows employees to feel important, valued and well supported.

Subtle Selling
Everyone is a salesperson. All employees from top to bottom should be so deeply committed to the business’ products or services and be singing its praises if and when given the opportunity. It’s essentially free commercials and endorsements.  

Give Equity
Ownership adds a new layer of participation for employees that is often overlooked by many business owners. Giving equity incentives is an amazing way to create clout and trust, adding a deeper sense of responsibility and investment.

Trust
Properly trained employees by virtue should have the ability to make decisions regarding their work. Micromanagement and lack of trust can very quickly deteriorate relationships in the workplace. Set your employees for success and then give them the opportunities to grow and learn at their own pace.

Communication
Open door policies are one of the pillars of successful entrepreneurial endeavors. Set an example for giving and receiving feedback with positive communication styles.

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TED Talks: The Best of TED for Business, Tech, Marketing and More

Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.”

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius

“I think it’s better if we encourage our great creative minds to live.”

Richard St. John: 8 Secrets of Success

“TEDsters do have fun working. And they work hard. I figured, they’re not workaholics. They’re workafrolics.”

Elon Musk: The Mind Behind Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity …

“Through most of our life, we get through life by reasoning by analogy, which essentially means copying what other people do with slight variations. And you have to do that. Otherwise, mentally, you wouldn’t be able to get through the day. But when you want to do something new, you have to apply the physics approach. Physics is really figuring out how to discover new things that are counterintuitive, like quantum mechanics. It’s really counterintuitive. So I think that’s an important thing to do, and then also to really pay attention to negative feedback, and solicit it, particularly from friends. This may sound like simple advice, but hardly anyone does that, and it’s incredibly helpful.”

Tony Robbins: Why We Do What We Do

“My invitation to you is: explore your web, the web in here — the needs, the beliefs, the emotions that are controlling you, for two reasons: so there’s more of you to give, and achieve, too, but I mean give,because that’s what’s going to fill you up. And secondly, so you can appreciate — not just understand, that’s intellectual, that’s the mind, but appreciate what’s driving other people. It’s the only way our world’s going to change.”

David Carson: Design and Discovery

” ‘Don’t mistake legibility for communication.’ Just because something’s legible doesn’t means it communicates. More importantly, it doesn’t mean it communicates the right thing. So, what is the message sent before somebody actually gets into the material?”

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Influencer Marketing: Finding the Best Influencer for Your Brand

You know what influencer marketing is and you’ve seen some great campaigns, but how do you get started? And how do you choose the right influencer not only for a campaign but for your brand as a whole? It’s not an easy task, but it certainly can be done using these tactics:

Influencer Demographic

Influencers can fall into different categories just like businesses do. Mavrck says there are four basic types of influencers: celebrities and YouTube stars, business executives and journalists, semi-professional bloggers, and everyday consumers. Each influencer demographic brings a different benefit to the table, whether it’s impressions, engagement, or conversions. Understand what each demographic brings to the table and define your goals. This will help you choose the type of influencer that will help you achieve those goals.

Set Goals For The Campaign

What do you want your influencer marketing to achieve? Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Or to reach a certain number of post views and other more qualitative benchmarks? Keep in mind that an influencer is going to be creating the content, so the qualitative measurements are going to be your goals, not theirs. Their goal is to create engaging content for their audience that is on brand and will bring them return as well.  

Relevance

Choose your influencer by how relevant their content is to the message or product you want to promote. Find influencers that match your brand and the products or services you provide. Form a relationship that is built to be mutually beneficial.

Check Post Frequency/Engagement

Once you’ve chosen some candidates, start seriously vetting them. Look at their follower counts, likes on posts, engagement from followers and engagement with their audience, as well as post frequency. Even if a page has a large amount of followers, if they only post once a month or less, they are not engaging their followers effectively, which will decrease your return. An influencer by definition should be posting frequently to prove their expertise. Generally across the board there are ideal frequencies to follow for peak social media success. Find an influencer that best fits your brand and is taking the right steps for success.

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20 Inspiring Quotes For Entrepreneurs

“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.” Teddy Roosevelt

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Vince Lombardi

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” Mark Twain

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”  Walt Disney

“For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. “Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it “eventually,” just do it and correct course along the way.” Tim Ferriss

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” Jerry Rice

“Everyone has ideas. They may be too busy or lack the confidence or technical ability to carry them out. But I want to carry them out. It is a matter of getting up and doing it.” James Dyson

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you’ll do things differently.” Warren Buffett

“Do or do not. There is no try.” Yoda [Star Wars]

“Done is better than perfect.” Sheryl Sandberg

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Chinese proverb

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Henry Ford

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” Mark Zuckerberg

“When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don’t put in the time or energy to get there.” Steve Jobs

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Alice Walker

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

“What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” Bob Dylan

“If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” Zig Ziglar

“Whatever you do, be different—that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.” Anita Roddick

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The Best Conferences to Attend in 2017: Tech, Marketing and Business

TechCrunch Disrupt NYC May 15th to 18th

Ideal for startups, TechCrunch Disrupt is for innovators, investors, tech fans and everyone in between, unveiling the latest in technology and key industry innovations. The Startup Battlefield puts early stage startups together to compete for the Disrupt Cup, cash prizes and the attention of investors.

World Business Forum May 31st to June 1st

Held in Sydney, Australia, the World Business Forum will host speakers including Arianna Huffington and promotes a “state of permanent beta”. Introducing new technologies and strategies is key to living in this state, and this conference empowers entrepreneurs, business owners and more to learn how to see new opportunities, use new tools and strategies and thrive with these changes.

Next Gen Summit June 2nd to June 4th

Specifically for the younger crowd of entrepreneurs, influencers and more, the Next Gen Summit was built for young minds by young minds in the entrepreneurial world. If you fit the bill for this niche opportunity, this conference in  New York City will be the place to be.

Confab Central June 7th to 9th

Minneapolis will hold the Confab conference for content strategy this June. Workshops, higher ed programming and great networking events for teams or individuals. With a focus on content strategy there are talks centered on UX, marketing, communications and more.

BlogHer June 22nd to June 24th

A conference specifically  for female content creators (bloggers, marketers, social media influencers etc.) this event is being held in Orlando, and  invites the fans, brands and other content creators to meet, collaborate and get inspired through networking with other attendees, workshops, and keynote speakers.

Summit November 3rd to November 6th

This invite only event in Los Angeles connects leaders in nearly every space, from technology to arts and culture, hosting thoughtful, well-rounded and meaningful discussion about the world we are living in. Keynote speakers at Summit 2017 include Kobe Bryant, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, CNN’s Van Jones, Jane Fonda, Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and more. This impressive lineup of great minds will replace the Summit-at-Sea conference cruise.

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Entrepreneur vs. Business Owner

Popular culture has really taken a liking to business and entrepreneurship lately and it’s shining a light on the diverse career options. Along the lines of my blog “Small Business vs. Startup” the next logical step would be to look into the two types of leaders in each type of business venture.

Entrepreneur

Definition: A person who brings his unique idea to run a startup company, a market leader the first to start such a kind of enterprise.

Key Characteristics:

• Rapid Growth
• Passion
• Innovation
• Market disruption

Business Owner

Definition: A person who starts a business on an old concept or idea, a market player.

Key Characteristics:

• Profit
• Existing
• Longevity
• Market share

Entrepreneur vs Business Owner

In layman’s terms, an entrepreneur is an evolved form of a business owner. Generally, entrepreneurs are much more interested in the actual business side and market disruption as they are looking at the big picture, whereas a business owner tends to have more of an emotional attachment to not only the business but what the business provides to them (work/life balance, freedom to choose the work they find important). The ideas coming from business owners tend to be specialized, very to the point and highly specific.

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5 Types of Side Hustles to Make You More Money

If you’re looking for a way to make money outside of your everyday job, getting started with a side hustle is an obvious first step. But the decision of what your side hustle could be may not be so obvious to you. From using your professional skills, to just helping out around the neighborhood, the options available to increase your income are limitless!

Freelance Work

Use the skills in your professional repertoire and work doing UI/UX design, writing, developing various sorts of web pages or apps, all types of creative work (photography, voice acting, animation or illustration, video editing/production), data mining, and consulting for multiple business needs (HR, legal, finance, internet security). Or if you have a great idea and an entrepreneurial spirit, creating your own startup company.

Hobby Work

If you’re a pro at makeup, cooking and baking, music, or have any hobby you could make into a lucrative business, you can use that skill to make money while having fun at the same time.  Successful YouTube personalities can become millionaires, and just about any hobby can be shared via online content. Sell baked goods or handmade products at local farmers markets, craft fairs or online. With the right mindset, you can make any hobby a profitable side project.

Home Care

Lawn care businesses aren’t just for kids. Find jobs that you can do around your neighborhood. Yard work, gutter cleaning and interior work like house cleaning or holiday decorating, even moving services and odd jobs like baby/pet/house sitting are all options.

Investing

If you aren’t afraid to take risks and are good with money and numbers, investing might be for you. Getting involved with real estate, penny stocks, peer to peer lending or even using an investment app like Robinhood, Betterment, or Ellevest (specifically for women) can all be used to make money by trading, buying and selling.

Renting/ Sharing Economy

The sharing economy has started to take over as a means to make money, especially in the millennial demographic. Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb really kickstarted the movement, but now you can rent out other belongings including your camera, bike, car or even boats. Keep your eyes open for sharing resources that work for you!

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New Year Resolutions For Your Business

The holiday season is officially over, and it’s back to business as usual. But does it have to be? New Year’s is just another day on the calendar and away from the office, but it can also be a great reason to reevaluate if all the habits of the past year have really been working for you and your small business. Here are some hacks to try to give you an edge in the coming year.

Learn Something

It’s really a new age for education, from podcasts, online tutorials, to infographics, education is literally at the fingertips of anyone interested in learning, and often times free! Taking a little time to hone a skill, or learning new aspects of your market will prove invaluable.

Do Inventory

Survey, ask questions, do what you need to too know where you and your business stand with your customers, your associates and your employees. The new year is the perfect time reevaluate what needs your meeting and missing with the people that matter most.

Set Goals

The internet is full of statistics on the importance of goal setting. Having a clear and concise finish line with incremental benchmarks along the way make even the longest races seem manageable, it’s the same in business.

Automate

Do yourself and your employees a favor and automate all the services you can. There are businesses who have the sole purpose of automating processes and freeing up time for your employees to do more meaningful work. Try them.

Mix It Up

Make an effort to try something new once a month. Be it a new marketing strategy, company policy or otherwise. Take small calculated risks and see how they pan out. Often times even if they aren’t the “right” kind of change the bring a new and fresh perspective you otherwise wouldn’t have had.

Self Care

Last but definitely not least make sure to fit in employee appreciation whenever you can. My company does a monthly birthday party, others do happy hours ect. Boosting employee morale and workplace satisfaction does wonders for productivity, innovation and company loyalty. The internet is full of statistics on it, check them out.

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10 Qualities of A Successful Leader

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

—Barack Obama
What does it take to be a leader? Is she someone who brings to light the various issues and solves them? Is she someone that orates the mind and desires of the masses proactively and very well? Maybe she’s someone who knows what the followers want and helps manifest the norms. As a leader myself, I understand that leaders are born and made, inherited and natural; here are ten more qualifying traits of inspirational leaders that make the individual a powerful personality:

1. Plenty of Foresightedness

Managing a group is no easy task. Crisis happens and managing it should be the forte of a leader; foreseeing such situations should be one of the most important qualities of a leader. Foresight helps a leader make decisions ahead of time and can avoid mishaps, which will lead the team towards a path of development and progress.

Citing an example here would be that of Rupert Murdoch. The market monopoly created by the genius was the baby of his foresightedness, making him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in this world and placing his company as the second largest media house in the world.

2. Undying Hunger to Win

Leaders have an undying hunger to exceed expectations and successfully complete their promises and tasks. They are consistent and probe into areas never before treaded. Such leaders have a natural zeal and zest to learn and unlearn, helping them gain more knowledge and information as seen through the behavior of the masses they lead.

3. Always Committed

Lead by example. Motivation comes best when a leader is committed to their promises, duties and tasks, working alongside the rest and showing them that there isn’t a mountain high enough that cannot be conquered. In doing so, leaders earn respect from teammates and motivate them with energy and a zest to win!

Leaders stick to the commitments they make, which makes them fair and reliable, trustworthy too. In turn, their team is motivated to bring more to the table; following the leader. President Obama with his Obama Care health policies are proof enough on the commitments he made for the general public.

4. Be a Source of Inspiration

Leaders across the world understand the importance of getting to the root level and inspiring their teams. They generate enthusiasm amongst their teammates, which helps focus them on future goals and current issues at hand. Acknowledging human behaviors, downfalls and efforts on a personal level are some of the sources of inspiration every world leader in the past has shown.

Mohandas Gandhi, began the Quit India movement and the famous Salt Walk, which inspired Indians to do away with western produce and products and instead honor and promote indigenous handicrafts and products. He became an inspiring icon to the world.

5. Persistent by Nature

One of the best examples of persistence in leadership would be that of Henry Ford’s story back in the 1890s. This was a time when the Ford Quadricycle was launched with four large wheels and an engine powered by ethanol.

The Quadricycle was never a success, but that didn’t stop Henry Ford from making it to the top charts later on. Ford Motor today is the number one choice amongst the crème-de-la-crème and the who’s who of the motor vehicle world; Henry Ford today is one of the wealthiest and most well known leaders of the world and persistence got him to where he is!

6. Recognizing True Potential

Leaders are those that surround themselves with great minds and people with great thoughts. Citing an example here would be the life of Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was an icon that looked for talent in unknown places and unique ways. Quite often, Steve Jobs, when visiting college campuses to deliver a lecture, would notice potential employees participating in the talk and personally interview them; hiring them thereafter for their unique and very powerful innovative visions and thoughts.

7. Authenticity is Their Cup of Tea

To be etched in the minds of millions. One of the most important leadership traits for world leaders is authenticity. No power plays, no muscle pulling or arm-twisting. Clear intentions and consistency proves authenticity.

Embracing diversity in all forms, being unique by displaying strengths and areas of weakness, understanding your own identity and knowing how to delegate roles and responsibilities, whilst making your own contribution towards success is what authenticity is all about.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is an example of an individual filled with empathy, an embracer of diversity and someone that knows his own areas of improvement and strengths that help the economy go forth. 

8. Fear Isn’t Their Middle Name

Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, in his days as a youngster always was belittled by his aunt for not knowing how to swim when the family met for summer vacations. On his way back home one summer, Richard requested his dad to stop by the flowing river their car was about to cross. The next thing his dad saw was young Richard jumping into the river and swimming away—a bet he took with his relative and won. Cut to the new-age, Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic are names to reckon with. Being fearless is a trait that those who sit in their comfort zones don’t understand.

9. Understanding and Owning Up to Your Drawbacks

In recent times, Amazon was under the spotlight for supplying ‘unauthorized versions’ of famous books on Kindle. Needless to say there was a negative backlash by the masses, which caught the company in the red.

Amazon didn’t shirk away from its responsibilities, but admitted in a press statement its fault. Citing CEO Jeff Bezos, Amazon, the honcho went ahead to personally apologize and make amendments on the same lines calling the incident “stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles.” Proof once again that no one choked to death on their own pride by apologizing.

10. Outstanding positive behavior

Leaders do what others wouldn’t, and in outstanding ways too. From displaying individualistic traits to positive attitudes, there is always that X Factor in leaders which makes them stand out. Leaders stand out to support you when others walk away, or don’t watch your back when the tough times come calling.

Citing Ralph Nader here, “I start with the premise that the function of a leader is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” In short, leaders go the extra mile to make you feel special, wanted and recognize your competency and skill levels that help motivate you to perform better.

Wrap

The world stands in need of liberating leaders and not herds that follow masses. Be an inspiring leader and start afresh in your own small way.

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