micdotcom: 5 secrets to a launching successful startup...

micdotcom:

5 secrets to a launching successful startup company

Quietly daydreaming about starting your own company? Before you get too excited, though, you should know what you are up against: About half of small businesses do not make it to their fourth year.

We looked at businesses that soared and failed, and listened to serial entrepreneurs about what they wish they had known when they were starting up. Here are their secrets.

If you are a sole proprietor, find B2B partners — don’t reinvent the wheel. 

You may be offering your one-of-a-kind rum-dipped peanut-doodle cookies to market, but that doesn’t mean you need to build your own store and construct your own vending machines to sell them. Better to rely on existing infrastructure and expertise.

Be prepared: It will take longer to launch than you think — and there are no days off.

Contrary to what Tim Ferris is selling, there is no four-hour workweek for budding entrepreneurs.

“No one ever told me that I would be trading my 50-hour workweek for a 100-plus hour workweek when I first started my company,” Roger Bryan, of Enfusen Digital Marketing, told the Muse. “The one piece of advice I would give new entrepreneurs is to plan on investing all of your time and then some if you plan on being successful.”

Protecting yourself from liability — and getting insurance — can’t be an afterthought.

If you are selling food and someone gets sick; if you are giving advice and someone loses money; if you are selling a product and it is defective and hurts someone — you are liable.

Setting up a limited liability corporation separates you (and your personal money and assets) from your company’s money. Someone cannot come after your personal assets when trying to sue the business. 

Competition is good and advisers are a must.

Startup activity is growing: Entrepreneurship, as measured by revenue and number of employees, is up in 2016, according to the Kauffman index of startup activity. That follows an upward swing that started in 2015; in 2014 the startup activity index was at its lowest point in the last 20 years. This should motivate — not discourage you. 

Marketing isn’t what you think it is.

Let’s say your business is struggling and you have a little extra cash. Should you put it toward marketing or investing in technology? The smart money is on technology — and innovation.

Read more about all of these tips

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Down to zero: How this Ottawa entrepreneur plans to change the way you buy food

What Really Happens in the Project Management Recruitment Process

ebizworldwide:

Over the years I’ve been dissecting as well as discussing the project management employment procedure, providing recommendations, tips as well as tips on exactly how any project administration jobseeker can enhance their work hunting methods. Why? Well the main thing that has actually ended up being shateringly noticeable for many years is just how very difficult and also aggravating finding a new position has actually been for many in the job management field.

Here we consider each component of the recruitment process and also offer an insight to how all parties in the procedure may function. The purpose of this understanding is in order to help you comprehend why some points take place, exactly what you could do concerning it and also more notably to determine those points you can’t regulate which always contribute to the frustration.

Let’s begin at the beginning with the application process.

Application Process

For the jobseeker the application procedure ought to have to do with having a technique, understanding where to look for brand-new positions, being certain in your very own mind which duties you’re visiting opt for as well as preparing just how you’re going to make that technique. Distinction is crucial, as well as one vital element is guaranteeing your Curriculum Vitae is up to date and also is getting the job done it is supposed to do– providing the reader an understanding into that you are, what abilities as well as experiences you have and also just what you can do for them if they hire you. It can be a frustrating procedure, no question these questions are all too familiar– why do not I obtain any type of reactions to my applications? Why typically aren’t task summaries as well as details concerning the article extensive and detailed sufficient for me to make a decent application? Why don’t I get called around jobs I obtained? What am I doing wrong?

Let’s consider the other individuals while doing so– the recruitment agencies and also the company organizations that are searching for their next task administration expert, as well as why specific points happen.

• The utilizing organization has actually determined a demand and promoted the new function, without the best inner authorizations the role could be eliminated from the market at any kind of factor in the procedure. That’s why some functions you obtain never ever come to anything.
• An organization could make a decision to advertise a brand-new role straight (with the nationwide press, on the internet work boards as well as their very own websites) or make use of recruitment agencies or indeed both. That’s why you will certainly see the very same task advertised in several areas by different organisations. Generally, just apply via among the routes on offer.
• When an organization markets a part directly they could pick a variety of different means in which somebody can request a function, send out a Curriculum Vitae, complete an application type and so on. Application make it much easier for an organization to shortlist based on like for like applications as well as carry out competency based profiling. Applications made through application are generally a lot better for the job seeker, certain it takes even more time but you offer a better, notified and also detailed response.
• Job requirements don’t make excellent ads, commonly an organisation’s work summary will certainly go to 8 or 10 pages– all fantastic details for a work applicant to go through yet not wonderful for bring in people to apply. Numerous organizations lack the skill to condense the real needs of a role and also transform this right into a significant advert which will draw in the ideal quality of candidate. This can bring about frustration on all degrees as the “requirements” could be too open or closed.
• Recruitment recruitment agency promotions could be additionally be bad and doing not have in any kind of sort of information which permits you, the quite individual they desire to entice, to make an educated decision on whether this is the best part for you and whether you have the skills they’re seeking. There can be many factors for this consisting of that they do not desire other employment firms presuming that their customers are as well as making a straight strategy for the task. They might additionally lack the abilities to analyze the requirement as well as just duplicate as well as paste from an organisation’s inner job requirements. Even worse still the client could be “too active” to orient the agency on the real demand! As an effect we see numerous adverts which birth no connection to real placements available– there’s no context.
• Advertised functions could vary greatly in their popularity, some could draw in numerous applications whilst others may entice none. Whatever the situation that’s still not a reason for not interacting with a task hunter even if they were not successful– it’s just laziness as well as bad customer care, so cross them off your listing and also choose various other organizations instead.
• Letting a work candidate understand they are not going to be shortlisted for a placement is not the like giving comments as to why they just weren’t effective, it’s usually identified to be unreasonable for task hunters to anticipate any sort of organization to provide you personal comments on your application– job interview, yes, application, no.

Shortlisting Process

The stage of the process where your application has made it passed the initial portal, the organization wants you or the employment agent assumes you meet some of the crucial criteria. Bear in mind, it’s merely a paper fit presently, you still have to include those vital standards such as individuality, interaction abilities, professionalism, etc prior to being selected for interview.

• Agency screening meetings can vary considerably from a short checklist/tick-in-the-box Q&A to a more detailed exam right into your encounters. Even if you do not believe much of the recruitment expert asking the concerns, maintain it expert, upbeat as well as passionate, it’s greater than merely another hoop to leap through en route to purchasing a job interview. Remember they possess the process!
• More and also even more organizations are picking telephone meetings prior to inviting candidates in for a face to deal with meeting. Telephone interviews are just as essential as the main point– they’re seeking to see if there are enough matches on the key standards of the duty, that you come across well, and also to gain insight into why you made an application for the position. They’re additionally looking to avoid throwing away everybody’s time if you’re not a good fit.
• Now is an ideal time to obtain view of the a lot more thorough job description, and also if it’s an employment firm you’re dealing with, the name of the organisation who are recruiting. There is no excuse excellent enough for recruitment agencies not to inform you the business name at this phase, if it is refused, stroll away.

Interview Process

Making it via to the interview stage need to be regarded a success and you deserve a rub on the back nevertheless your effort in creating a great application pack. You understand that the organization assumes you are a great fit for their business as well as currently you’ve been asked to show what you could do for them. Carrying out well in meetings is a mix of a variety of aspects, good preparation, study, knowing who you are and also exactly what you do, interaction, self-confidence, enthusiasm, etc.

• An interview cannot be planned for without the complete job requirements (including individual specification), firm name and any insider info on areas like business society as well as values. Utilize your recruitment company to your advantage– ask for all products available, interviewers’ names, ask for a meeting prep work session, if a presentation is called for, bounce ideas off your representative as well as ask to evaluate it. Remember, your agent knows the thoes who will certainly be interviewing you so see to it you have this info too. Besides they have a mutual passion in you being successful!
• When you receive the phone call about the interview being set up straight from an organisation you have actually put on, be all set with a checklist of inquiries. Commonly you’re so satisfied at being chosen for interview that important inquiries start forgotten. Remember the 5 W and also H, that, what, where, when, why, exactly how. Who will exist? Who do you report to on arrival? What layout will the meeting take? Just what are you expected to bring? What examinations will there be? Where do I have to go? When will I have to be there? How will the meeting be performed? It is additionally an additional chance making an impression!
• Even at this late stage, new positions could be pulled as well as job interviews cancelled. This could occur because those authorizations were never ever ironed out at the start of the process, as the organization obtains nearer to working with a whole lot more people come to be included in the process (HR, line supervisors, departmental supervisors etc) and also rocks begin to become unchecked. There’s absolutely nothing you can do in this circumstance apart from remain in touch and see if the decision is reversed.
• It is also usual to become aware of people attending interviews who then receive no responses on their performance and it is totally inappropriate. It’s much easier to obtain comments from public market organisations because of their very own employment policies as well as procedures which dictate interviewed candidates will receive feedback. Keep pressing the Human Resources division up until you receive it.
• Feedback after your job interview when making use of a recruitment firm can be struck and also miss out on and also it’s not purely to the recruitment agent. Usually an organisation’s responses will be based upon the person who was successfully worked with as well as your comparison to them rather than individual responses on your performance. Often the employing organization doesn’t give feedback at all– they have actually made an effective hire so all their energies are concentrated on that. If you intend to test this status of employment, be relentless, polite as well as don’t offer up till you obtain it.

See the original blog post as well as various other guidance on finding a new task management job.

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Bains: Government Can Act As Boldly As Entrepreneurs

bloomberg-quint-fin-yahoopartner:

Oct. 25 – It’s one of the toughest and most critical portfolios on Parliament Hill – the innovation file. For the first time in Canadian history, we have a minister charged with exactly that. In a period of low-for-long growth, investment in people, research, and technology is a must in order to drive economic growth. In an interview with Bloomberg TV Canada’s Amanda Lang, Minister of Innovation Navdeep Bains says government can think and act as boldly as an entrepreneur, and that one of his next steps may be to set up an Innovation Office.

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gochelseaelaine: To live in Uganda is to define what it truly...

gochelseaelaine:

To live in Uganda is to define what it truly means to hustle. To survive means to constantly be looking for your next opportunity and juggling a handful of income generating activities at a time.

Teacher, facilitator, entrepreneur, agriculturalist - Daniel does it all. Walking down to his coffee and chili seedling nursery late this afternoon, he told me about the plots of land he’s invested in, the trees he has bought for future building, plans for his own chili growing and their market demand, the sprouting coffee nursery as a pilot program he plans so scale, how he is up at 6am every day to check on his printing business and then his welding shop across the road - all before he heads to teach all day at the secondary school.

But to thrive in Uganda means something entirely different - to take the time to greet every adult and child he knows by name. To take me to meet his mom before heading down to see the nursery beds. To laugh, tell stories, and talk about upcoming weddings as we bike back to the health center together as the day grows late. To have a whole community around him - his clan, his tribe - and have the time for the people within it.

In Uganda, the hustle is real. But the people are even more so.

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amexopenforum: Small Business Saturday by the NumbersThis year,...

amexopenforum:

Small Business Saturday by the Numbers

This year, about 500,000 small businesses around the country participated in the event, which attracted some 100 million consumers; the National Federation of Independent Businesses reported that 67 percent of consumers planned to shop small. And although American Express is notoriously tight-lipped about the incremental revenue generated by the promotion, anecdotally, at least, it seems business owners around the country are enjoying a modest windfall from the event. Read More

(via Small Business Saturday by the Numbers - US Business News - CNBC)

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freestateproject: NH, a good place to do business, in a sea of...

freestateproject:

NH, a good place to do business, in a sea of not-so-much. Still, with more movers, bet we could get that A upped to an A+.

I know where I’m from, before I moved to NH, the costs would’ve been so prohibitive, I wouldn’t have started my small business.

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"Many big companies are bad at matching people with projects that they’re good at or excited about..."

“Many big companies are bad at matching people with projects that they’re good at or excited about working on. In theory a big company has more people and more projects and so there is more room for matching, but in practice most big companies end up worse. A good manager at a small company who knows all the employees personally and who is also responsible for deciding what projects to do next can often do a much better job.”

-

Quora: What causes the slack at large corporations?

K. Freeman: Having primarily worked at smaller businesses, I can say that the matching problem runs through many kinds of businesses.  It’s hard to match if you have limited projects, or worse yet, even more limited bandwidth to complete those that you do have.  Ultimately, I’d love to see someone tackle a solution to help mitigate these issues for those who fall in the grey area of these two extremes.

(via krysfree)

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Managing Your Small Business Brand Online

aboutourwork:

We’ve all done it. Call it egosurfing, vanity searching, egosearching… we’ve all searched our own first and last name to find out to see what pops up. Whether we’ve done it for entertainment purposes or to manage your personal rep, it’s actually smart to do so from time-to-time to ensure that you maintain a positive personal image online.

When it comes to your business though, it’s critically important to know what’s being said about your business in the press, by your customers, and even your competitors… in real-time.

There are several tools that can monitor your business and its brand - for a price. Luckily Google has a handy yet often overlooked tool that’s been around a little while to help you monitor your business online called Google Alerts. And the good news, it’s free. 

Google Alerts is a monitoring/notification tool that monitors the web 24/7 for whatever keyword or phrase that you give it and emails you whenever it finds that phrase in a new web page, news story, video, or blog.

If you’re a small business, here are the top phrases to monitor:

Your Company Name:  If you don’t monitor anything else, monitor your company name. You need to know when your name is mentioned, whether good or bad - immediately. If a customer praises you, thank them. If your competitor says something negative, address it. 

Your Competition:  It’s always good to know what the competition is up to and setting up an alert to track them is a good way to know what they’re up to in real time

Your Business Partners:  Create alerts for your key business partners (customers, vendors, etc.) Whenever an alert pops up for them, be sure to let them know… good or bad. It’s an easy way to show that you care.

Google Alerts is a simple yet powerful tool to help monitor the reputation of your business online. It’s free, takes less than 5 minutes to set up and once you do, it’s in the background, only emailing you when it finds a phrase that you give it. Keep in mind though, Google Alerts only provides content from Google’s own search engine. 

Check it out today. Google.com/Alerts.

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amexopenforum: Click to embiggen (and see full...

amexopenforum:

Click to embiggen (and see full infographic).

Restaurant Math: Formula for Profitability

(via Restaurant Math: Formula for Profitability - OPEN Forum :: American Express OPEN Forum)

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Singapore's Big Businesses Overtake Small Firms as Job Creators

realemailmarketing1: 11 SEO Myths That Could Be Damaging Your...

realemailmarketing1:

11 SEO Myths That Could Be Damaging Your Business #Infographic

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Entrepreneur TV EP7: Lessons in Business From Daymond John, Ice Cube, Nick Cannon and More.

hauntedcollectionmagazine-world:

Entrepreneur TV focuses on entrepreneurs, startups and stars who have created their own products or launched their own businesses. You’ll learn success secrets from celebrities, productivity hacks from billionaires and more.

On the seventh episode of Entrepreneur TV, learn from stars like:
- Daymond John
- Ice Cube
- Nick Cannon … and more!

Ice Cube explains the importance of self-belief and hard work to overcome challenges, saying, “You can do anything you want to in this world – all you’ve got to do is do what it takes.”

Meanwhile, Nick Cannon visits Entrepreneur’s Manhattan office and defines an entrepreneur as “someone who jumps off a building and, on the way down, figures out how to land.”

Plus, we explore Pharrell Williams’ fashion company, which creates yarn from recycled plastic, and Daymond John sits down with Entrepreneur partner Bryan Elliott to talk about how we are all born with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Watch new episodes of Entrepreneur TV on REELZ, Sundays at 8am ET.

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The relentless drone invasion is moving from photography and deliveries to racing

Amazon Associates Study: 66% Loss in Profits since the Commission Change on March 1 2017

Amazon Associates Study: 66% Loss in Profits since the Commission Change on March 1 2017:

topicprinter:

I originally created and published this post on my super secret squirrel blog, but decided it would be a good fit for my favorite sub-Reddit as well:Truth be told, I actually hate the fact that I have to pen this article, because I really do love Amazon as a company, and use them a whole hell of a lot… but the truth must be told.So, for any of you out there living under a rock, Amazon has an affiliate program, which for so long, was the number one choice for most bloggers and website owners out there.I’ve personally been using the program for so long, that I remember the glory days of a 30 day cookie, and commission percentage increases that actually applied to your account indefinitely if I remember correctly… or did it reset after a year?I can’t remember if it was indefinite, or reset after a year, but my point is, when Amazon switched it to a monthly reset, well… I’m sure that really hurt and upset some peeps across the board, but at that time, I really wasn’t making enough to really care.Then the 30 day cookie change to just a measly 24 hour scandal hit, and that one I can assure you… I remember all too well.The question everyone was asking was: How the hell am I supposed to convert all these clicks into sales within a 24 hour period?Well, we still managed to do it, but I must say… there were many a days where I would daydream about how much money I was most likely losing, when ole Dick or Jane decided to buy their items the next day instead.Alright, enough living in the past, and reminiscing about the glory days as an Amazon Associate. Now it’s time to step into the painful present, and discuss Amazon’s latest tampering with their now fallen from grace affiliate program.Below, is a chart for February of 2017, and if you notice, I started it on the 4th instead of the 1st, which is a Saturday by the way. The reason for this, is because in March, for the first few days, I was still receiving sales commissions based off of the old model.Click here to View my Chart for February of 2017By doing this, I would make the analysis more accurate, and decided that a 7 day sample size was good enough for the study. Some of course would argue, that I should have waited to do this study with an entire months worth of data.I’d say you were right, but come on… these numbers show the true nature of things to come, so why wait until the end of the month? I will in fact, update the article, if enough people request it, but I’m sure you got your own analytic charts to cry over.Alright, so now I’m going to show you my analytic chart for March of 2017, and remember, this is just a 7 day sample, but they both start on the same day, and day of the week, which again, is a Saturday. This makes it as accurate as possible for a seven day study.Click here to View my Chart for March of 2017Yep, I know what you’re thinking… well that fucking sucks right?Oh, and that it does my friend… that it does, but again, this is what happens when you play in other peoples playgrounds. They are the gatekeepers, and they hold old the keys my friend. If you didn’t understand this going in, well… you probably do now.All in all, I suffered a massive 66% drop in profits, which equated to an $88.48 loss difference, for the same 7 day period from the month before the dreaded Amazon Associates commission update.All of this totally fucking sucks!I get that, but all we can really do is carry on… or move on.I myself spent the whole first half of my adult life in the United States Marine Corps, and one of the many many lessons I’ve learned while in, was that we must always adapt and overcome… no matter the situation.This is one of those situations my friend, and let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment… does Amazon really need us Associates?Fuck no they don’t, and they know full well they don’t.Another thing they know, is that the majority of all our affiliate commissions come from people buying items that had nothing to do with what was originally pitched to them, and now Amazon is making us, make them, buy all the stuff that is hard to move.Everyone knows that higher priced items generally shell out more profits, hence the reason why Amazon has increased the commission rate for luxury goods. Everyone also knows, that those items are much harder to sell.Amazon has incentivized their Pantry program with such a high and mighty commission rate, because guess what… what’s better than having people signed up to continuously purchase and receive consumable products each month?It’s the only thing stopping Amazon from fully dominating places such as Costco and Sam’s Club at the moment, so they decided to equip their army of affiliates with the right weapons, and (high commission incentive) munitions to accomplish their mission.Well anyway, I think we’re all at a crossroads at the moment, and now we have to make a decision. Do we play Amazon’s game, and help them conquer more of the retail world … or do we move on to greener pastures?I myself am still undecided, but don’t get it twisted… I am always looking for better ways to passively monetize my different businesses and hobbies.Please sound off in the comment section if the new Amazon Associates affiliate commission changes have helped you or hurt you?Will you be moving on to something else?If so, maybe you can give us some information as to what it is you plan on doing?

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digital-marketing-coach: Bye Bye Organic - Hello Paid!A...

digital-marketing-coach:

Bye Bye Organic - Hello Paid!

A mandatory aspect of your social media strategy includes paid media. 

Organic reach and engagement is pretty much dead.

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cognitivebusiness: New path to innovation: Watson Build for...

cognitivebusiness:

New path to innovation: Watson Build for Business Partners – CognitiveBusiness – Medium

Your chance to get an early start on cognitive app development

By Nancy Pearson, VP Marketing, IBM Cognitive

In an era where becoming a digital business can bring valuable differentiation, the degree to which you can innovate becomes increasingly important. A culture of innovation is a hallmark of business success.

How do you create this culture? That is not an easy question to answer, regardless of whether you are a startup or large global organization like IBM.

For us, we started on a path in 2016 by holding our first Cognitive Build internally. You can think of this as a hackathon on steroids. Over 8,000 teams went on an 88-day journey to build solutions harnessing the power of Watson APIs. We had top-down support from our CEO Ginni Rometty, a Kickstarter-like platform to handle feedback and groundswell of interest from across the globe (an unprecedented 75% of the IBM workforce engaged with the Build).

Read more:

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cognitivebusiness: Augmenting Art: Could IBM’s Machine Learning...

cognitivebusiness:

Augmenting Art: Could IBM’s Machine Learning Bring Back Gaudi And DaVinci? - Forbes

Here’s something to think about – if machine learning is about teaching a computer to think like humans do, can they be taught to think like a specific person? A great artist, maybe? And if they can think like a great artist, could they also create art like one?

To test this idea, IBM’s cognitive computing engine Watson has been tasked with trying to think like Antoni Gaudi, the Catalan modernist whose fusion of organic and orient-inspired architecture permeates his home city of Barcelona.

There, during the Mobile World Congress conference taking place at the moment, a team of designers from New York agency SOFTLab will create a sculpture, “informed” by Watson. In preparation the IBM machine learning system was fed hundreds of images of Gaudi’s work, as well as images related to Barcelona and its culture. Documents such as biographies, historical articles and song lyrics on the theme were then added to the mix.

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cognitivebusiness: Apptitude on VimeoThe Apptitude Video Series...

cognitivebusiness:

Apptitude on Vimeo

The Apptitude Video Series (vimeopro.com/ibmgbs/apptitude) showcases how apps in the growing library of IBM MobileFirst for iOS enterprise offerings work. In this intro to the series, dive inside the MobileFirst platform that all the apps are built and run on.

You can also browse videos by industry suite: such as healthcare (vimeopro.com/ibmgbs/healthcare), retail (vimeopro.com/ibmgbs/retail) travel & transportation (vimeopro.com/ibmgbs/traveltransport) and more.

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How to Use Instagram to Expand Business Reach Are you using...

How to Use Instagram to Expand Business Reach

Are you using Instagram to connect with potential customers? 6 ways to use Instagram to expand business reach! Sourced through Scoop.it from: rebekahradice.com

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metrocosmblog: The largest companies in the world, 2001-2016

metrocosmblog:

The largest companies in the world, 2001-2016

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ayeshaambreen: Want to improve your social media marketing?...

ayeshaambreen:

Want to improve your social media marketing? Practice these rules.

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