How To Uncover Hidden Opportunities

by Mel on May 6, 2013

How To Uncover Hidden Opportunities

Last year I was feeling stagnant. I had ideas I was working on to expand my business, but wasn’t 100% sure how to spark to the growth I craved. As someone who thrives on the known and feels daunted by the unknown, I felt blocked for sure.

One thing I definitely believe in is that when you put energy/effort in a direction, things will happen. Period. Thing was, I had been putting energy/effort into my company for a while, but I’d been doing it all on my own. The solopreneur syndrome where you don’t trust anyone to do anything as well as you, so you never ask anyone for any help, ever. You never release control of any part of your business thinking that’s the best approach, when in actuality, it’s the exact reason your growth has stopped. Sound familiar?

Entrepreneurs Unpluggd Needs Your Help!

by Stella Fayman on May 2, 2013

Do you love entrepreneurship? Do you dream of starting companies and relish listening to stories of others’ successes? Are you looking to learn from thought leaders in the entrepreneurship education space? Do you want to make a big impact and…

How Can Girl Scout Cookies and Charity Wristbands Help Your Startup?

by Tim Henningsen on May 1, 2013

How Can Girl Scout Cookies and Charity Wristbands Help Your Startup?

(photo credit) It’s not uncommon to get the random “you should check out X” or “they are doing Y but look similar” suggestion now and then. It usually comes up in an email exchange or conversation with people in your startup…

6 Key Aspects of Networking

by Guest Author on April 29, 2013

6 Key Aspects of Networking

Networking for business purposes has been around since before the U.S. was even a glimmer of an idea in the minds of our founding fathers. We all network. From our days on the playground, all the way up to our…

7 Overlooked Options for Financing Your New Start-Up

by Guest Author on April 26, 2013

7 Overlooked Options for Financing Your New Start-Up

Entrepreneurs are having a harder time than ever finding sources of funding for their new startups. The simple fact is that qualifying for a traditional small business loan is extremely difficult. New small businesses typically won’t qualify for a traditional loan because most banks are unwilling to underwrite an unproven, new business with no established credit. There are a few options, however, that are either overlooked or unaccounted for by new businesses looking for start-up capital.

The following are 7 of the most commonly overlooked options for financing any new small business startup:

The Importance Of Lean Analytics

by Guest Author on April 22, 2013

The Importance Of Lean Analytics

It’s time to go lean, entrepreneurs — or at least that’s what startup veteran, speaker and author Alistair Croll would tell you. He recently published a book called “Lean Analytics” that teaches aspiring business owners how to use data to test and refine their concept, before investing (and potentially wasting) money on an idea that will never sell.

There was a time when the business leader was the most convincing person in the room—think John Hamm in Mad Men. That’s because we didn’t have data, so we defaulted to whoever sounded smart. Today, the hard part is getting attention. So the economics have changed from “build it first” to “get the attention first,” Croll told me during an interview at my company’s Austin,TX-based office.

The Key to Successfully Transitioning to Your Dream Life

by Mel on April 15, 2013

The Key to Successfully Transitioning to Your Dream Life

I’m a professional skydiver. When I’m sky coaching, it’s full-ON. I’m talkin’ every minute of every day is filled with something intense, be it physical exertion, mental preparation, or social interaction. At the end of the day all I want to do is crash in my bed. And that’s what I do.

Now, this wouldn’t be a problem except that I’m building and running my life-coaching business as well… a business that requires my brain to function, requires me to connect with other human beings, and requires me to put the written word together in not just a coherent way, but an insightful one…

Calling All Entrepreneurs: Sometimes Talking is Better than Typing

by Guest Author on April 3, 2013

Calling All Entrepreneurs: Sometimes Talking is Better than Typing

We tap, type, scroll, refresh and slide our way through every day obsessed with the latest tweet, text or “Like” we see on our smartphones. For many (like me), it’s almost an addiction to stay constantly connected to the outside world through the smartphone.

Does My Business Need Growth Capital?

by Stella Fayman on March 29, 2013

Does My Business Need Growth Capital?

(photo credit) Ask most small business owners how they got started, and chances are you will hear a similar story of how they began by working out of their garage or basement, adding employees as needed, and eventually growing big…

How Wedding Planning Helped Me Better Build My Business

by Mel on March 27, 2013

How Wedding Planning Helped Me Better Build My Business

So I’m planning my wedding. It’s sweet. I’m loving it. Being an entrepreneur, I have the freedom to be highly engaged in the entire process, and I’m taking it on, full-on. Interestingly, the more I learn planning our wedding, the…