If even established companies encounter occasional catastrophes, startups just getting a handle on their businesses will definitely experience a few bumps along the way. In fact, venture capital database CB Insights found that nine out of 10 startups fail due to practical reasons. These include the lack of a market need, financial instability, and cost issues. These cold … [Read more...]
5 Reasons to Outsource Your Payroll
Businesses are forever changing, whether it is through advances in technology or branching into new markets. However, one thing in business that will never change is the importance of paying your employees. While many businesses still choose to manage their payroll internally through manual bookkeeping or payroll software, more and more companies are seeing the benefits of … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Help Women Entrepreneurs to Success
Entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a real opportunity for women in the new economy and a driver of economic growth. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of women-owned businesses grew by 20%, whereas the growth in men-owned firms was 5.5%. Furthermore, the economic impact of women-owned businesses is just under $3 trillion annually in the United States, and creates 16% … [Read more...]
4 Simple Ways to Turn Your Hobby into a Business
What does it take to turn a hobby into a business? For many, the very idea can be daunting. Yet just as any journey begins with a single step, so too does the union between personal and professional fulfillment. Starting a business will require complete dedication from all business owners regardless of gender, but a number of specific opportunities cater to women in … [Read more...]
Get More Out of LinkedIn
Are you using LinkedIn to full effect? For most entrepreneurs, the answer is “no.” I’ve worked with and talked to hundreds of entrepreneurs and—generally speaking—most of them aren’t taking advantage of the potential of LinkedIn. That’s a real shame, because LinkedIn is a great place to generate leads and brand yourself and your business. In fact, of the top three social … [Read more...]
Drones Are Coming to a Business Near You
Twenty years ago we would have never imagined the possibility of using drones in private business since their only access and application were black ops military uses and CIA observations. As technology evolves, however, so does man’s imagination and application of such technology. Someone once said that necessity is the mother of invention, and I think in the drone’s case … [Read more...]
Sales Best Practices: How To Handle Your Competition
Competition is one of the most challenging obstacles any business has to overcome. According to McKinsey & Company, 85% of business executives believe their industry is more competitive than it was five years ago, while research from 24/7 Inc. shows that 79% of customers are willing to try a competitor within one week of experiencing poor customer service. So what are … [Read more...]
The Mechanics Behind the Art of Customer Acquisition and Internet Marketing Lead Generation
Almost every company has a website, and most companies with websites want them to generate sales leads. However, most companies with lead generation websites have only a vague or partial understanding of how marketing processes must be structured to turn website lead generation from a wish into an expectation. The Internet Marketing Lead Generation Ecosystem infographic … [Read more...]
Make a Plan for Community Giving: Passion, Plans and Philanthropy
The holidays have come and gone and so has the strong focus on charitable giving. In fact, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, more than half of all nonprofit organizations say that they receive the majority of their annual donations in the fourth quarter of the year. But we all know that the need for donations doesn’t go away just because the season … [Read more...]
Asking the Right Questions
I read recently that we should not ask kids, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Instead, we should ask, “What problems do you want to solve?” This line of questioning promotes thinking about the content of the work and the impact you can have on society. In the same way that this is a good method to frame things for children, it can also work for executives. I … [Read more...]