Articles
Articles
Articles
Failure of Stewardship Was at the Heart of Wounded Warrior Project Firings
2424 Ray Hennessey Contributor Stewardship is an important aspect of leadership. No matter what you do when you lead an organization, whether it's a startup, a large business or a charity, much of your role is ensuring that the money and trust invested in you is spent prudently. There's an act of faith when someone donates money to your...
5 Tips for Hiring the Right 'Fit' Early in Your Company's Growth
1287 Malcolm Friedberg Contributor While contemporary management gurus may take exception to Iacocca’s narrow definition of management, all entrepreneurs eventually recognize that motivating other people is essential to success. And the job of being good at management never stops. In the beginning, when it’s just you and a partner,...
For Startups, It's Not Easy Being Green
1414 By Chad Brooks Despite a global push to cut greenhouse gasses, entrepreneurs trying to launch their own environmentally friendly businesses are finding a lot of pushback from those whose support they need most: investors, suppliers and customers, new research finds. The study, which was recently published in the Journal of...
How To Keep A Work Gap From Costing You The Job
1379 Anish Majumdar Life’s complicated. While some employers believe that all employees should have a “work first, life later” mentality, that’s just not always possible. I remember how becoming a Dad for the first time completely threw off my productivity. The combination of shock, sleep deprivation, and sensory overload...
Debunking the Myths Behind 4 Popular Leadership Styles
1325 Steve Tobak Contributor In Real Leaders Don't Follow, author Steve Tobak explains how real entrepreneurs can start, build, and run successful companies in highly competitive global markets. He provides unique insights from an insider perspective to help you make better-informed business and leadership decisions. In this edited excerpt,...
5 Simple Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Selling
0397 by Jeff Charles Many entrepreneurs are afraid of selling. It’s a pretty common fear. Chances are there have been times when you have been afraid of persuading prospects to become customers. There are plenty of reasons why entrepreneurs might be afraid of selling. You might be afraid of coming off too pushy. Maybe you’re...
5 Awesome Tools for Small Businesses in 2016
0312 by Brian Hughes Still managing projects with a Google Doc, tracking billable hours in an endless Excel chart, or juggling human resource benefits yourself? In 2016, resolve to put an end to the madness. From straightforward accounting solutions to intuitive social media management tools, these five apps empower small business and...
10 Truths Grounded Leaders Tell Themselves Each Day
0381 John Rampton Contributor When no one is around, I can vouch for the fact that leaders do talk to themselves. During those conversations with ourselves, we may be assessing an issue, thinking of a solution or seeing how a response should be best formulated when giving information to make sure it sounds the way it’s meant to...
Is Your Personal Brand Disruptive?
037 Karen Leland Contributor Disruptive. If you look at the dictionary definition of the word, there are two -- almost polar opposite -- expressions. They are: 1. Troublesome, unruly, badly behaved and undisciplined, or, alternatively, 2. Innovative and groundbreaking. I’ve worked with CEOs, leaders and entrepreneurs from both...
Growing Your Business When You Can't Trademark Your Name
080 Karen Leland Contributor As mom used to say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If you want to use your brand name as a domain name for a website – but someone else already owns that trademark – they can potentially dispute your use of that name online. Courts can and have, depending on the circumstances,...
5 Networking Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Actors
046 Karen Leland Contributor When Jona Xiao was 12 years old, she was cast as the lead in her school play Rappingstiltskin -- the rapping version of Rumpelstiltskin. “I loved making people laugh,” says Xiao. “At that moment, I fell for acting.” Shortly afterward, she heard an ad on the radio for a casting agency looking for...
3 Ways Successful Entrepreneurs Think Differently
039 Kimanzi Constable Contributor Your mindset affects what you believe is possible, and that will dictate what actions you take in your life and business. Your thoughts will either help or hurt your business. The way you think is one of your most valuable assets as an entrepreneur. Successful entrepreneurs understand this better than...
5 Ways to Foster Team Culture on a Startup Budget
062 Kelly Lovell Contributor A strong team culture is an integral part of successful ventures. A motivated team can translate into better work productivity, increased product quality, enhanced customer support and overall office spirit. Benefits like these are the reasons that the best places to work are those that foster team...
How to Create More Successful Habits for Your Business
042 Miracles in business don’t just happen. Opportunity never seeks us. Rather, we must seek it. Needless to say, the only way to make a goal become a reality is to stick to a proposition and see it through to the end. Seeing a task through to completion regardless of how difficult it is to achieve is the definition of grit...
This Startup Aims to Save Brands From Marketing Disasters
042 Laura Entis Entrepreneur Staff When Eran Eyal arrived at Techstars New York office on a balmy Tuesday evening in August, he was emotionally drained. It shouldn't have been like this -- as one of seven founders or founding teams selected to pitch their startups to a roster of experienced judges, he should have been confident and...
3 Factors Holding You Back From Massive Growth
028 Kelsey Humphreys Contributor I collaborate with many solo entrepreneurs and I must say, we are an interesting lot. A hybrid between the small-business owner and freelancer, we’re navigating new waters. Successful entrepreneurs often talk of the ever-elusive “tipping point,” where passive income is achieved and audience size...
How Looking Backward Can Help Companies Move Forward
030 Jeff Boss Contributor The end of the year is a good time to reflect upon where you are as a company compared to where you intended to be. In other words, did you meet your yearly objectives? If the answer is yes, then give yourself a pat on the back before asking the next key question: “How do we sustain success?” Conversely,...
10 Leadership Tips for Fresh-Faced Entrepreneurs
0366 Tanya Benedicto Klich Entrepreneur Staff In a market flush with startups, it’s tough to stand out. As a CEO, you likely work tirelessly for that “takeoff” moment by dreaming up viral marketing campaigns or pitching to key investors. But while focusing on external growth, it’s important to give clear direction to the people...
5 Ways Startups Make It to Year Two
028 by Smart Hustle Magazine Only 75 percent of new businesses survive past the one-year mark. That means that 1 out of every 4 businesses will close their doors before the end of year one. And while you would think that making it past year one gets you to the summit, the reality is that each subsequent year becomes harder to survive...
5 Steps to Handle Any Unforeseen Challenge
037 Anna Johansson Contributor As an entrepreneur, unforeseen challenges are going to constitute the bulk of your workdays. It might be something big, like a long-committed employee who decided to quit or a new competitor emerging in your area, or something small, like a deadline that’s getting pushed back due to technical issues....
6 Ways to Stand Out in a World That Won't Shut Up
025 Andrew Medal Contributor There are tactics to self-branding, content marketing and entrepreneurship that the general public just isn't aware of. It’s true. I learn more and more every day when I network, read, write and test. There are super creative tactics some entrepreneurs use to get their brands and companies ahead. Check...
13 Employee Management Systems for Your Growing Business
0384 As much as you might want to hold one-on-one meetings with each employee at your company, at a certain point, those meetings become unrealistic. That’s why we asked 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question: “What system do you use to check in with employees as your company gets too...
Pro Tips for Hitting the Pricing Nail on the Head
029 Robert W. Bly Contributor What should you charge for your product? Are you looking to create a low-priced item you can sell as a loss leader to bring in new customers? Or are you looking to create a high-priced back-end product to sell to your existing customers? To me, it’s more rewarding to command a higher price, charge...
Why I Helped My Mom Launch a Startup
012 Andrew Medal Contributor Anyone who has worked with my dev shop (Agent Beta) from 2012 to early 2013 as a client or employee most likely spoke to or received an email from Dana. Dana started off helping with basic clerical tasks, and eventually learned enough to manage certain aspects of project development. Dana is...
Hiring Overqualified Employees Might Be Good for Your Business
0378 By Chad Brooks Despite common beliefs, hiring overqualified employees isn't always harmful to your business, new research suggests. Although it has long been accepted that hiring overqualified employees is detrimental to an organization, new research finds that there are ways to negate the negative impact, according to a study...
Why Entrepreneurs Must Research Market Size
053 Louis Foreman Contributor "Everyone will buy this product!" This overambitious misjudgment underscores an all too common fallacy in the world of entrepreneurs: the entrepreneur's bias. After all, ideas quickly become "your baby," and no one wants to hear their baby is ugly. But this thought process, could be a costly mistake. Instead,...
7 Key Steps to a Growth Strategy That Works Immediately
143 Rob Biederman Contributor If only half of startups survive more than five years and only one-third make it to 10, what’s the one thing you could do to ensure your company is sustainable? The answer is to create a growth strategy for your business, of course. A growth strategy involves more than simply envisioning long-term...
Biggest Customer Service Complaints: Do These Sound Familiar?
059 by Rieva Lesonsky What are customers’ most common and biggest gripes about customer service? Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a survey to find out. Consumers were asked about their experiences with customer service in the past year and what complaints they had. Here are their top answers (customers were allowed...
7 Helpful Tips for Managing Older Employees
026 By Brittney Helmrich Age may be just a number, but if you find yourself in a leadership position where you're managing employees who are older — and potentially more experienced — than you, your job can feel pretty tricky at times. You've been given a leadership position for a reason, but qualified as you may be for your role,...
6 Signs You Are Not Ready for Entrepreneurship
122 Kimanzi Constable Contributor Despite all the beautiful pictures on Instagram, not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship can lead to a life of freedom, and benefit the people a business serves. Or, it can be a nightmare if someone isn’t cut out for entrepreneurship. It’s not a one-size-fits-all choice for...
7 Ways to Bootstrap Your Business to Success
051 Martin Zwilling Contributor Most first-time entrepreneurs seem to believe the myth that they need a minimum of a half a million dollars to start a business. At least that is usually the lowest number I see requested from our local angel investment group. In reality, over 80 percent of successful new businesses are self-funded for much...
The 5 Most Innovative Marketing Campaigns of 2015
020 Alp Mimaroglu Contributor This year has been saturated in outlandish political statement, heated sports controversies and some of the most innovative marketing campaigns to date. Mixing next-gen technology with tried-and-true marketing methodologies, 2015 ads covered new ground in the advertising realm. Although there were many...
How Well Do You Know Your Employees?
019 By Chad Brooks There is a good chance you don't know your employees as well as you think you do, especially when it comes to the perks they crave, new research finds. Employers and employees have different views on which benefits are most valuable, found a study from Robert Half. Specifically, 39 percent of executives said health and...
7 Smart Financial Steps to Take in 2016
0347 Marty Jerome Is this the year you want your financial picture to shine? We’ve got some good news: There are no tax increases looming, and the banking, housing and labor markets are solid. That means this is the perfect time to shore up your personal finances and prepare for the long haul. Here are some steps you can implement...
5 Steps to Protect Your Brand Trademark or Risk Losing It
048 by Kelley Keller You opened your business and trademarked your brand name, logo, and so on. Fantastic! You’ve taken the first step to ensure only you can profit from your brand. But registering your trademark is just the first step to protecting your brand. A trademark gives you the right to exclude others from using similar...
How to Prevent Return Fraud in Your Retail Store
019 by Rieva Lesonsky Retail returns are a trouble spot for retailers at any time of year, but at the holidays, the problem is especially significant. This year, the NRF expects holiday return fraud will cost U.S. retailers $2.2 billion, according to NRF’s Return Fraud Survey. Retail return fraud is on the rise due to many factors,...
For Managers, Future Success Will Depend on Soft Skills
030 By Chad Brooks While frontline workers have long faced the prospect of machines replacing their jobs, managers are now being forced to confront the same possibility. With intelligent machines and cognitive computing now capable of handling more upper-level jobs, managers will need to display a different skill set in order to prove...
10 Mistakes New Managers Make
1196 Jim Schreier During a seven year stint providing training in the entertainment industry, one of the challenges was extremely high turnover. Inexperienced employees, with only a few weeks of experience, were promoted to supervisory positions. Even though the company provided extensive training, it was spread out over months and...
Entrepreneur's 10 Most Popular Leadership Stories of 2015
0106 Laura Entis Entrepreneur Staff Successful entrepreneurship starts with successful leadership. The ability to create, inspire and motivate a team of people to pursue one shared goal is a powerful thing. It can also be a challenging feat to pull off. Luckily, we’re here to help. While no two leaders’ management styles are exactly...
Should Small Business Owners Ever Be Forced to Lie?
028 by Smart Hustle Magazine Like every profession, entrepreneurs sometimes find themselves caught in ethical dilemmas where they are forced to make decisions about what is right and wrong. A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that unethical behavior is typical of entrepreneurship, stating that, “Some entrepreneurs stay the...
6 Ways to Attract and Retain a Dynamic Millennial Team
034 Peter Voogd Contributor Millennials are poised to drive the future of business. The 53.5 million-strong millennial workforce has risen rapidly and surpassed Generation X to represent the largest share of the American workforce. Millennials offer truly unique skills and fresh, innovative ideas. They are highly educated, adaptable,...
How To Manage Without Being Mean (Is It Possible To Not Be Pushy?)
137 Kim Eisenberg Think about the worst boss you ever had. Remember what it felt like to go to work every day, knowing you had to report to someone who didn’t value your contributions and didn’t respect you as a person. Now, think about the best boss you ever had. The person who was tough but fair, and who made you feel like your...
7 Steps to Crafting Your Strategic Vision
08 Steve Tobak Contributor So you came up with an idea, got yourself some funding, developed a product, gained customer traction, found a market niche, and generated some revenue. Maybe even a lot of revenue. That’s great. You’ve gone farther than the vast majority of your peers. The problem is, you can’t just keep putting one...
Changing of the Guard: How to Develop a Solid Succession Plan
023 By Chad Brooks To remain successful for multiple generations, it's critical that family businesses have a solid succession plan in place. For a smooth leadership transition that allows for continued growth and innovation, family businesses need to begin laying the groundwork for the succession process long before it is needed,...
Are Too Many People Starting Non-Employer Businesses?
021 by Scott Shane In 2013, the number of American businesses without employees per thousand people rose by 0.4 percent to hit a record of 72.72 non-employers for every thousand residents, Census Bureau data reveal. In the same year, average sales at these businesses nudged down by 0.2 percent — about $80 (in 2011 dollars) — to...
4 Mad Methods for Making Your Brand Stick Out
022 Jeff Boss Contributor Everybody wants to be liked. The need for social acceptance is something we all long for and we feel conflicted when we don't have it. It’s natural to want to conform and avoid uncertainty. However, if we apply this theory to business then being unaccepted actually becomes a strong brand. For example, when...
Feel Like No One Likes Your Great Idea? Here Are 5 Reasons Why People Might Oppose It.
016 Jeff Boss Contributor Garnering support for a new business idea is as much about the art of the pitch as it is the science of the throw. As with any presentation, content may be king, but delivery is queen, and without the two mutually supporting each other, your business kingdom will lack support -- or strikeout...
'Learners' Make the Most Effective Leaders
025 By Nicole Fallon Taylor One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a leader is thinking you always need to have the answer. Yes, people look to you for guidance, but part of guiding a team means helping them learn and discover solutions for themselves, rather than feeding them the "right" answers — which may not even be right at...
4 Rules to Avoid the Game of Telephone When Leading a Virtual Team
014 Jeff Boss In kindergarten, there was the game of telephone -- which may have happened in high school for some. A message was sent from the leader and shared quietly from one person to another with the goal that the last message received equaled the initial message sent. But what typically happened? The message sent...
