It's a new year with new energy to find new customers and solve new problems. And, it seems, many are scrambling to find the perfect new way to find success. What if I told you that the manual for success wasn't built on anything new? Rather, success stems from a foundation of old fashioned basics. [...]
It’s the first full week of 2014 and I’m ready to get my groove on. For nearly two months I’ve been collecting data, analyzing the good and the not-so-good and making plans to offer easy access to the resources you need to market your message so clients and prospects will try, buy and refer your products [...]
While signs of economic recovery flirt with news headlines, unemployment staggers at nearly 9 percent and millions of Americans reluctantly accept early retirement severance without a desire to leave the workforce. Seasoned, energetic professionals often desire to turn unemployment into self-employment. However they get stuck hunting for the perfect first move. During the April 2011 StartUp Weekend Kansas City, keynote speaker Ben Milne, founder of Iowa-based Dwolla, told participants that the key to a successful million dollar startup is to “Simply start, then hustle.” He challenged all “to be really naïve; do what you think you cannot do.” Likewise, Infegy President Adam Coomes told the more than 60 attendees: “It starts with an idea. But in the end, it’s about just doing it!” So, leave the starting block, dive in and just do it. No matter where you begin, enjoy the journey. Let these Ten Commandments motivate you to launch or grow your business.
Small business owners often grapple with defining how to increase profit margins. Intuitively entrepreneurs generate ideas for business growth. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Rather than trial and error, try data-driven methods for business growth decision making. Here are seven tips for transitioning from a gut-feel business model to proactive planning processes.