Entrepreneurs Articles & News
How To Find Focus And Turn Your Talent Into A Thriving Professional Business
There are tons of books and articles available to help professionals start up their business, but few that give practical insights on how to nurture your business once it's out of its infancy. At some point, every self-employed professional reaches the same dilemma: how to build a strong brand and grow their business without taking on too many clients, undervaluing their expertise, or sacrificing their lifestyle.
The History of the Franchise Business Learning about Business Opportunities by Looking at the Past
Hair care has been around as long as humans have been on the planet. The earliest record of personal hair care dates back 2.5 million years ago, when brushes used to create cave paintings in Spain and France were adapted for use in hair grooming. Interestingly, many of the innovations in hair design that are still used today originated in the late 19th century.
What's Your Passion? Is There Something Genuine Online to Replace Your Job? The Timeless Question
PART 1. Like many others online, I started off with high hopes of earning money from the comfort of my home! My job is likeable enough. I can't complain about the money. I don't have any issues with the people I work with in a way that makes me unhappy. I'm pleased that I have a job. Many don't. It's just that often I would get that nigglingly unsatisfied feeling. That this job - and any job really - really wasn't going anywhere that I ...
Small Business Checks – Money Saving Options
When you go into business for yourself, there are many things to consider. What you don’t want to worry about is spending too much money on unnecessary items. Business checks are one of those things. They don’t have to be expensive. Your bottom line keeps your business going, and it is important to keep it that way.
Realism vs. Optimism in the Business Plan
The most important function of a business plan is to create interest among investors so that they write a check. In achieving this goal, business plan writers are often challenged by determining the proper level of optimism in their plan. That is, they must create a compelling story to investors while maintaining credibility.
Financial Issues in Business Startup
A primary inhibitor of business start-up is that few people have the financial cushion to give up a job for the uncertain income of a start-up venture. In a recent survey, about 30% of new business founders identified inadequate funding as their biggest hurdle, and a similar amount said lenders were too conservative. About 15% reported being unable to find investors, and a similar amount claimed a lack of collateral.
Confidence = Preparation + Courage
It always amazes me when I see someone on television holding a press conference – a lawyer outside a courtroom, a businessperson at the launch of a new product. Reporters ask hardball questions. The answers are given with conviction, without hesitation. The person being questioned exhibits supreme confidence. Where does that confidence come from? How do they get it? What lessons are there for those of us who also have to face difficult circumstances and need that same, high level of ...
Let's Not Forget About The Little Guy
Every business has to start somewhere. What truly makes this country great is the freedom of enterprenuership that every one of its citizens have. Capitalism at its best signifies the power of a single person to reach monumental goals and turning a simple idea into a huge corporation. But in our pursuit of this glorified state, have we snubbed the little guy?
Can You Hear Your Honeypots Calling?
Pooh, along with his friend Piglet, was lost in the forest. (They were led there by Rabbit, who was carrying out his evil plot trying to get Tigger to stop bouncing.)
Motivation and Commitment
Why do people start small businesses? The most frequently cited motivation for business start-ups is to allow the entrepreneur to achieve independence; money is secondary. Is this surprising? The other reasons named most often are that an opportunity presented itself, a person took over the family business, or the person simply wanted to be an entrepreneur. Identify your motivation.
Selecting a Venture
The basic rule is simple: "Find a market need and fill it!" The process of finding the need, and the method chosen to fill it are where the difficulties arise.
An Entrepreneur's Challenge
Living in the twilight zone has its advantages. In the early days of starting my business, I found the limitations of living in a rural area to be restrictive. However, later I realized that those limitations were not an obstacle that could stop me; they were only a challenge that would strengthen me. Since my business would be smaller, I would have the advantage of fewer employees and less strife in the processes of doing business.
What Makes a Person an Entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship is generally characterized by some type of innovation, a significant investment, and a strategy that values expansion. The entrepreneur is often quite different in mindset from a manager, who is generally charged with using existing resources to make an existing business run well. The roles of entrepreneur and manager are not necessarily incompatible, but entrepreneurs are seldom patient enough to be good managers.
The Business and Life You Want to Build
In the early days of my first consulting business, I knew I needed some sort of plan to give me the greatest chance at success. I took many a wrong step, yet in the end I managed to put a solid business together.
Venture Capital Negotiating Issues
When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues.
The Risks of Entrepreneurship
The "spark" for many entrepreneurs is seeing an opportunity that doesn’t yet exist. Ted Turner, for example, launched CNN because he perceived that people wanted more television news than they were being offered. It took a lot of patience on Turner’s part to realize the vision, but he had read the market in a way that few "experts" did at the time.
Business Ideas
Richard Branson, billionaire founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airlines, may be better known for his efforts to circle the globe in a hot-air balloon than for his business successes. He suggests that “Being an adventurer and an entrepreneur are similar… You’re willing to go where most people won’t dare.”
Business Planning Overview
The successful entrepreneur is generally more inclined, once a business idea is selected, to sharpen the concept by a detailed planning process. The result of this step is a comprehensive business plan, with its major components being the marketing "mix," the strategic plan, operational and logistical structures, and the financial proposal. The purpose of the business plan is to recognize and define a business opportunity, describe how that opportunity will be seized by the management team, ...
What is Entrepreneurship?
In discussing entrepreneurship and writing articles on the subject, I have found that it aids understanding when we begin by agreeing on exactly what the word means to us.
Competitive Edge
In his book, The Road Ahead, Bill Gates of Microsoft writes of “friction-free capitalism” made possible by developments in communications, chief among them the Internet and its World Wide Web. In this context, “friction” is everything that keeps markets from functioning as the “perfect competition” of economics textbooks. This friction can be a function of distance between buyer and seller, costs of overcoming this distance, and incomplete or incorrect information.
The Role of Statistics in Prospect Modeling
Identifying prospects has come a long way since the days of simple list buying. With the hype flying fast and furious, sometimes it’s difficult to sort out truth from fiction and to put things in the proper perspective. Without worshipping buzzwords, however, two of the most important developments in recent years have been the rise of statistics and databases. These have allowed companies to create more accurate profiles of their prospects, even giving rise to the term “prospect modeling” ...
The Business Leader as Ultramarathoner
Have you ever heard of an ultramarathon? A standard marathon is just over 26 miles. An ultramarathon is usually on the order of 50 or 100 miles, though there are some that span one thousand! Imagine the endurance required to run such a race.
Evaluating an Opportunity
Business opportunities are often based on broad trends, such as: • demographic, such as the "graying" of America (creating opportunities in health services, for example); • sociological developments, like the "green" movement, with its emphasis on recycling and environmental sensitivity, and; • cultural changes caused by changing economic conditions and technological developments. Opportunities can also frequently be found in current and developing business trends ...
Franchising Companies Need New Franchisee Checklists
When franchise companies are moving fast in the market place they must pay attention to the details. If a franchisor fails to give the required items as outlined in the franchise agreement to the franchisees on the prescribed timeline they risk legal issues and regulatory issues. In addition even if they do provide the items on time, there is a chance later that a franchisee may claim that something was not provided and they will use this to break the franchise agreement, sue or file a ...
Differentiation Strategies for Franchise Companies
With the growing number of franchise offerings recently it is difficult for the smallest franchise companies to compete. They generally do not have the advertising budgets to pick and choose which markets the franchise prospects will be calling from. Many rely solely on Internet Marketing; unfortunately 80% of such leads are not so good. On top of this obstacle they must compete with sales departments of larger franchise companies, which have lots of experience.
Franchisor Sample Grand Opening Launch for New Franchised Outlets
It is paramount that all franchising companies work hard in the critical launching of all franchises in their new territories. In this present period most franchisees come into the franchise systems with much personal debt and barely squeak by on their initial capital needed. One major error or mistake and the franchisee will fail due to under capitalization. Below it a sample outline and message to new franchisees; I recommend that you take a look at this and develop a policy and plan to ...
Enterprising Route is to Go Your Own Way
DON’T talk to me about education for entrepreneurs. They’re pouring far too much public money into it already - not counting the millions some well-known Scottish entrepreneurs are prepared to waste on it.
The Business of Being in Business for Yourself
Along with the freedom of ‘being your own boss’ comes great responsibility. If you’re a good decision maker, organizer, can work independably, have a good supply of common sense, are knowledgeable about your product or service, can stay motivated, have lots of energy, are resilient and imaginative and no stranger to discipline; then, you may be qualified for the task.
Do You Want to Just Survive or Thrive? (Part 1)
You’ve probably heard this, or maybe you will relate to this personally. Have you ever arrived somewhere and wondered, “How did I get here?” or “Why am I here?”
Message to Prospective Franchisees for Franchisors
Many franchise companies fail to send the proper message to their prospective franchisees. This is partly due to the over regulation and intensity of litigation in the industry. Smaller franchisors are generally hurt the most from these factors and consumer or buyers of their American Dream seem to feel slighted at a the impersonal approach. Many franchise company’s sales departments walk a fine line between disclosure laws and the information they are allowed to depart to the prospect ...