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Do you remember the image during the credits of the movie Forrest Gump, where a feather is floating through the sky, being carried in whatever direction the wind would take it? That is a perfect visual of what not to do, when trying to build a business.  Business success requires an almost religious level of focus on the goal at hand, while not letting the whims or pet projects of our customers, investors or employees blow us in different directions. The entrepreneur that can keep the team focused and not easily distracted is the one that will most successfully get to the finish line.  What is focus? Read More……

We all want to achieve incredible things in 2017. We want to have a bigger impact, create more growth and reach new business heights.  Creating this isn’t going to happen by accident, it’s going to happen because you make it happen.  In order to do that, you have to show up like never before for your goals and dreams. So how are you going to do that throughout the year? Over the years of building the Female Entrepreneur Association, I’ve come to realize that there are some key things we must focus on in order build the business success we desire.  As you work toward your goals, take these four steps to make your vision a reality. Read More……

When Peter Makin opened Brilliant Books five years ago, he quickly realized his business wouldn’t survive in this remote locale if his only customers were local buyers.  In the summer, this small town five hours north of Detroit is a haven for tourists and summer residents who are drawn to the state’s wine country. But after the fall colors fade and the sapphire waters of Lake Michigan chill, the region’s population slumps by as much as 40 percent for much of the other nine months of the year.  But even as the summer visitors disappear, Brilliant Books is still thriving as a result of robust online sales.  Read More……

In the competitive start-up world, even the shrewdest entrepreneurs — with the latest and greatest gadgets — can find themselves thrown unexpectedly into legal quagmires that could derail or blow up a dream before it gets off the ground.  Sometimes it’s a simple oversight. Other times, a fresh-faced business owner tries to save a few dollars by ignoring such issues as liability, patents, copyright and taxes. But many of these business-killers are not only foreseeable, but preventable as well, experts say. And several who have paid heed have avoided potential business land mines. Read More……

The first big blast of attention could have easily ended the Rudolph brothers’ business dreams.  This was their chance to impress the restaurateur Joe Bastianich and the chef Tim Love, stars of the CNBC reality show “Restaurant Startup.”  They thought they had the perfect concept: Banza, a chickpea-based pasta. But on national television, they absorbed insults over package design and the brand’s name. More damning, the hosts questioned whether the young entrepreneurs even had “a real love or understanding of how your product tastes for your consumers.” Read More……

It’s a question we all get asked every year: Where are you going to watch the Super Bowl? More than 100 million people tuned in to the Super Bowl broadcast last year, a record number. Many of those viewers chose to watch the big game at bars, parties held at friends’ houses, or even at events hosted by their employer. Read More……

Whenever I have spoken with entrepreneurs, every one of them seemed to be troubled by similar questions when it came to building their teams. I have put together this piece by trying to answer these questions.

How important is it to find the right people?

It is extremely important to get the right people for all key roles. This isn’t easy at all and calls for conviction’ and follow through. What constitutes a key role at different stages of a startup may be different, though. Every wrong hire sets you back, forces you to fire-fight, waste time on things that you aren’t supposed to be doing, and prevent you from doing the things you are supposed to be doing. Read More……

Since 2010, the number of social media users have more than doubled, increasing activity on social media platforms and reducing the average organic reach of social media posts. Building a strong brand on social media isn’t as straightforward as it used to be five years ago – but it has become even more important.   About one third of the world’s population is now active on social media, making social channels high-potential targets for marketers to reach and engage important audiences. But you can’t follow old approaches in today’s scenario, because –

  1. New social networks are commanding audience attention (Snapchat has grown by 300% in 3 years), and your target demographics may now be frequenting them.  Read More ……

You’ll need to get quicker and more agile. And then you’ll have to tap into the power of already-established, credible voices within the communities you hope to capture.

There’s never been a better time to be a trep. That’s because the ability to sell and create brand awareness never has been more robust. At the same time, this is the worst time for entrepreneurial marketers to sell products and services. Consumers are more fickle-minded and more distracted than ever before. Brands and marketers alike face the bigger challenge of capturing the consumer’s attention without breaking the marketing budget. Here are five predictions to keep in mind as you prepare and finalize your marketing plan for the coming year. Read More……

 

There’s an old saying about first time entrepreneurs — they don’t know what they don’t know.  It can be both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, this ignorance can work in your favor. First time entrepreneurs have the advantage of unchecked optimism, wide-eyed enthusiasm, and they aren’t slowed down by the apprehensions that caution more seasoned entrepreneurs. But more often than not, this ignorance holds them back. If you’re a first time entrepreneur with an early stage business, there are mistakes that you are making right now that are preventing your business from taking off — mistakes that you probably don’t even realize you’re making.  Read More……