In this day and age of cloud-storage, VOIP PBX's, and countless ways to work anywhere from anywhere, a growing number of people are choosing to start their businesses by going... (wait for it) ... no where.
From a corner in a finished (kind of) basement to the spare bedroom down the hall, office spaces are popping up in homes across the US at a rapid pace. Sure, it's a great way to keep overhead down, but are you falling into some bear traps and bad habits as well?
We love this post from Entrepreneur.com titled "8 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business from Home." From the 24/7 work schedule to spending too much time home alone, we really encourage you to check out this traps and the tips to get on a better, much more effective path.
Fostering the entrepreneurial spirit!
Showing posts with label starting a business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label starting a business. Show all posts
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Monday, December 23, 2013
Seven Ways to Kill a Perfect Pitch
The pitch is a crucial time for small businesses. It's stressful, sometimes adrenaline fueled, sometimes smooth. Make sure YOURS is with these great tips from Entrepreneur.com
Why do great startups fail to get funding? Often, it’s not because of a business shortcoming or how the entrepreneur presents the company. A wrinkled shirt or a poorly received joke make subliminal impressions. Sometimes, a minor flaw can derail the most well-rehearsed pitch.
To avoid killing your pitch and your growing enterprise, make sure you’re not committing these seven fatal errors:
Not Making Eye Contact. Most entrepreneurs spend a lot of time rehearsing what they’re going to say but don’t actually look at investors when they say it. Make direct eye contact to project confidence, openness, and credibility. When do you stop looking? When the investor acknowledges your gaze.
Why do great startups fail to get funding? Often, it’s not because of a business shortcoming or how the entrepreneur presents the company. A wrinkled shirt or a poorly received joke make subliminal impressions. Sometimes, a minor flaw can derail the most well-rehearsed pitch.
To avoid killing your pitch and your growing enterprise, make sure you’re not committing these seven fatal errors:
Not Making Eye Contact. Most entrepreneurs spend a lot of time rehearsing what they’re going to say but don’t actually look at investors when they say it. Make direct eye contact to project confidence, openness, and credibility. When do you stop looking? When the investor acknowledges your gaze.
Monday, December 16, 2013
12 Successful Entrepreneurs Share the Best Advice They Ever Got
From Entrepreneur.com-- some great advice to some of the current greats of business!
Being a successful entrepreneur frequently involves a series of missteps and mistakes before finally nailing the right idea or business. The difference, for many, between giving up and persisting through the toughest times can be getting advice from people who have done it before — and being smart enough to listen.
From investor Mark Cuban's dad telling him that there are no shortcuts to Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's realization that people actually enjoy helping others, we asked 12 successful entrepreneurs to share the best advice they ever got, discovering the lessons that stick with them to this day.
Being a successful entrepreneur frequently involves a series of missteps and mistakes before finally nailing the right idea or business. The difference, for many, between giving up and persisting through the toughest times can be getting advice from people who have done it before — and being smart enough to listen.
From investor Mark Cuban's dad telling him that there are no shortcuts to Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's realization that people actually enjoy helping others, we asked 12 successful entrepreneurs to share the best advice they ever got, discovering the lessons that stick with them to this day.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Now Is the Best Time for Women to Start Their Own Businesses
The following is a pickup from the PRNewswire, by Karen Terry, small business coach of Houston TX. Karen makes some excellent points re: the current climate. If you are interested in getting started, we also suggest you check out Jeff Lee's Business Builder Series webinar#1 with OED on 1/18: Starting Your Business.
HOUSTON, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Great Recession might be a dark cloud that actually has a silver lining for women who want to be their own bosses.
"There has never been a better time to start a new business," said Karen Terry, a women's business coach and mentor based in Houston. "Many women who work in Corporate America dream of starting their own business but are afraid. Other women who are stuck at the highest levels of their careers and have hit the glass ceiling wonder when they can be their own bosses. Now is the time."
"Many women are getting severance packages, or unemployment benefits, due to the recession. They can use those unexpected windfalls to finance their own business," said Terry, author of "Full Time Woman; Part Time Career." "Getting fired or laid off could actually be a blessing in disguise."
To help women entrepreneurs start their own businesses, Karen Terry has written a special report titled "The 10 Biggest Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make When They Start Their Business." To get a free copy, go to http://www.fulltimewoman.com/.
Here are some of her favorite business ideas:
1. For women who are still working at a corporation, create a financial safety net. Start saving money by skipping the extra coffee or newspaper. All that money adds up and can come in handy when you are running your new business. "It is hard to walk away from a steady paycheck. But it is easier if you know you can get by for a few months without having to worry about money," she said.
2. Get one new client before you leave your current job - if you can. "Every little bit helps. For a lot of people it is scary to quit a job and not have any clients lined up. Clients translate into income, which helps ease the transition to self-employment," she said.
3. Use your network. If you are going through a career change, don't assume you can't use your existing network. "Your current network already knows you and some of them may have needs in your new career field," she said. "Your existing network may surprise you. They might be doing things that you are not aware of and they might need to hire you."
4. Professional Development. You need to identify your skills. If you are weak in certain areas then take a class so you can become the best you can be. You aren't going to be successful if you have certain areas where you are weak. For example a lot of women aren't skilled in contract negotiations. "Some women tend to just give in and then they don't get what they want. It is important for a woman to hear from other women what they can do and what they can't do," she said.
5. Find out what your client wants and then create it. "This is an essential marketing strategy. If you create materials and hope your clients buy it, that's not a good strategy," she said. "A good business is created in response to a need in the marketplace, so you want to find out what they need."
6. Mentors. You should work with a women's business coach who has also had experience running a business. "A woman may be more aware of special programs for minority-owned businesses," she said. "Most men don't think about those opportunities." A list of such opportunities is printed in her book, "Full Time Woman; Part Time Career." "Business coaches also have a system in place to ensure client's success when starting a business."
Read the complete article and more about Karen Terry on PRNewswire.com.
HOUSTON, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Great Recession might be a dark cloud that actually has a silver lining for women who want to be their own bosses.
"There has never been a better time to start a new business," said Karen Terry, a women's business coach and mentor based in Houston. "Many women who work in Corporate America dream of starting their own business but are afraid. Other women who are stuck at the highest levels of their careers and have hit the glass ceiling wonder when they can be their own bosses. Now is the time."
"Many women are getting severance packages, or unemployment benefits, due to the recession. They can use those unexpected windfalls to finance their own business," said Terry, author of "Full Time Woman; Part Time Career." "Getting fired or laid off could actually be a blessing in disguise."
To help women entrepreneurs start their own businesses, Karen Terry has written a special report titled "The 10 Biggest Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make When They Start Their Business." To get a free copy, go to http://www.fulltimewoman.com/.
Here are some of her favorite business ideas:
1. For women who are still working at a corporation, create a financial safety net. Start saving money by skipping the extra coffee or newspaper. All that money adds up and can come in handy when you are running your new business. "It is hard to walk away from a steady paycheck. But it is easier if you know you can get by for a few months without having to worry about money," she said.
2. Get one new client before you leave your current job - if you can. "Every little bit helps. For a lot of people it is scary to quit a job and not have any clients lined up. Clients translate into income, which helps ease the transition to self-employment," she said.
3. Use your network. If you are going through a career change, don't assume you can't use your existing network. "Your current network already knows you and some of them may have needs in your new career field," she said. "Your existing network may surprise you. They might be doing things that you are not aware of and they might need to hire you."
4. Professional Development. You need to identify your skills. If you are weak in certain areas then take a class so you can become the best you can be. You aren't going to be successful if you have certain areas where you are weak. For example a lot of women aren't skilled in contract negotiations. "Some women tend to just give in and then they don't get what they want. It is important for a woman to hear from other women what they can do and what they can't do," she said.
5. Find out what your client wants and then create it. "This is an essential marketing strategy. If you create materials and hope your clients buy it, that's not a good strategy," she said. "A good business is created in response to a need in the marketplace, so you want to find out what they need."
6. Mentors. You should work with a women's business coach who has also had experience running a business. "A woman may be more aware of special programs for minority-owned businesses," she said. "Most men don't think about those opportunities." A list of such opportunities is printed in her book, "Full Time Woman; Part Time Career." "Business coaches also have a system in place to ensure client's success when starting a business."
Read the complete article and more about Karen Terry on PRNewswire.com.
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