Recent Updates

Estimating your start up costs and getting to grips with cash-flow forecasting can be daunting for any first-time entrepreneur or small business owner, yet a new survey shows it may take less funding than you think to launch a new business. The survey also confirms that successful entrepreneurs have a tenacity and tolerance for uncertainty that helps new businesses thrive despite starting out on a low budget. Andrew Martins shares here key findings from the research, which "sought to understand ...

The greatest opportunities in life come from taking risks. Not all risks will pay off yet allowing fear to keep you in your comfort zone rather than embracing risk as an opportunity to succeed means you're probably sabotaging your best chances of success. Here, Amy Vetter shares three TED talks that explore risk taking and how celebrating failure, accepting rejection, and gaining the confidence to take on bigger and bolder risks will help you "seize opportunities when they arise and perhaps...

Motivation underlies every aspect of human behavior and it's the driving force that keeps us moving forwards to achieve our goals. "Whether you're working on a big goal or just trying to get revved up for the day, getting and staying motivated can be a challenge," writes Gwen Moran. And what motivates one person may not motivate another. Here, Moran shares some top tips to help you identify the key factors that motivate you to do your best work and how to use them to your advantage to keep ...

It's never too early to think about your exit strategy and the sooner you start planning the better. While it's not easy to think about your exit when you're just starting out, having an exit strategy worked out in advance helps you structure and develop the business to achieve the best exit for you and the company. And a solid exit strategy is something every investor will be looking for. "The earlier you establish your exit strategy, the clearer the vision for you and your company becomes," wr...

There are more opportunities than ever for starting your own business and while you need passion, persistence, and dedication to succeed, there are plenty of free or low-cost resources available to help you get to grips with the practicalities of starting and growing a business. Starting with the most basic question: Why do you want to start a business? Matthew McCreary shares here everything you need to know about starting a business in this 12-step guide to becoming a successful business owner...

Achieving important life goals is a challenge and we often get in the way of our own success. Making plans for the future and how we're going to change our lives for the better is the easy part; building new habits and overcoming adversity is more difficult. And we're prone to giving up at the first hurdle if we focus on the destination rather than the journey that will get us there, says Emre Kadıoğlu. In this blog post, he shares some top tips for creating a journey you'll enjoy by embrac...

You're a go-getter. You've spent months, if not years, getting your startup off the ground. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you've done most of it on your own. But, regular tasks like recruitment, hiring, payroll, benefits plans and employee care are slipping away from you, and there's that nagging voice in your head that's telling you that you need some help. Yet, you don't think your startup is quite big enough for an HR (human resources) department. So, what do you do? In this article, we'...

  Leveraging social media to establish your brand is no longer an option; it's an essential part of your overall marketing strategy. And, as the world's largest social network, Facebook is the leading platform for promoting and growing your business. To reach your target audience and acquire new customers, you need to understand how the platform works and apply best practices to get the most out of the marketing opportunities it offers. Here, Megan Conley shares the ultimate guide to creati...

Following cues from cognitive psychology helps designers create products that are easy for people to understand and use—and you can incorporate the same elements of cognitive design into your presentations to maximise their impact on your audience. While we all have different personalities, preferences and motivations, there are some general principles of cognitive psychology that most people respond to and applying them to your next presentation will help you deliver a more "persuasive, interes...

Your personal brand is how you present yourself to the world and it plays an important part in marketing yourself to potential employers, clients, business partners, or investors. Personal branding is all about the impression you make on others and, as such, it's important to remember that everything you share socially contributes to your personal brand. Every tweet you send, every status update and photo you share on social media, and every public comment you make, all reflect your values, atti...

The better you understand your target market, the better you'll understand how and where to reach the people most likely to buy your products or services. Defining your target market is one of your most important tasks as an entrepreneur as it lays the foundation for every aspect of your overall marketing strategy. "The right target market increases your chances of success because you can communicate better with a well-defined group," writes Tim Berry who shares here his top tips for accurately ...

It's said that more than 50 per cent of new businesses fail within the first five years, yet the five-year survival rate of startups that participate in business incubators or accelerator programs is reported to be between 75 and 87 per cent. Accelerators can also help cut the cost of launching a startup by as much as 50 per cent, writes Kate Harrison. Here, she interviews Dawn Lippert, CEO of Elemental Excelerator—an accelerator in the non-profit sphere—to discover how it differs from othe...

Entrepreneurs often spend much of their time consuming information when it might be better spent putting their ideas into action. With 24/7 access to free online courses, blogs and podcasts making it easier than ever to further our education, "constant reading, researching, and learning can give aspiring entrepreneurs a false sense of accomplishment," says Aytekin Tank. Here, he explores the importance of stimulating your creativity by approaching each new venture with a fresh curiosity, re...

Many people stay in an unfulfilling career, or continue working at a job they're not enthusiastic about, because they want to retain the salary, benefits or status it confers. They dread Monday mornings and Friday afternoons can't come soon enough. When work plays such a big part in our lives it shouldn't be "this negative thing that people resent," says entrepreneur, blogger, and podcaster Darius Foroux. Here, he shares here three questions you need to ask yourself to help you fi...

To reap the rewards of running a successful business you need to be prepared to take some risks. While entrepreneurs are known for being more risk-tolerant than most other people, there's a big difference between taking calculated risks and being reckless. Here, Brian Marcel shares four questions to help you think about risk well before you launch. He also shares the steps you can take to minimise risk and overcome some of the financial and other challenges inherent in starting your own business...

While the increasing complexity of the social media landscape can be daunting for entrepreneurs and small business owners, there are plenty of tools to help you monitor, measure, and manage your performance across all social channels. To reach and grow your audience you need the right tools to sift through all the data, extract the relevant information, and convert it into valuable insights, writes Alice Oh. To help you decide which is the best solution for your business, she explores ...

Taking care of your startup's accounting functions in-house can not only be a headache but a time-consuming task that eats up a lot of your resources. Whether it's payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit card reconciliation, inventory and budget reports, bank reconciliation, or payroll reconciliation, accounting can often be too much for the small startup to handle. How do you know you need help? Here are five signs it's time to outsource accounting. #1: You have no time left for ...

Proving to VCs that your business is worth investing in can be a daunting process. Apart from being able to deliver a persuasive presentation with a carefully crafted pitch deck, you also need to be prepared for some tough questions. Some of the most important questions are the ones that don't get asked aloud and knowing what investors may be thinking about during your pitch will help you answer them proactively. Here, Larry Kim shares the questions Parul Singh—a principal at the venture ca...

When it comes to leading a more organized and productive life, it's often the smallest changes to your daily habits that create the biggest impact. Yet the most frequently recommended tips and tricks for boosting productivity may not work equally well for everyone. So the first step in your plan to become more productive is figuring out what works best for you. And the second step is turning productivity into a sustainable habit. Here, tech founder and CEO Isa Watson shares her top tips for putt...

A lot has been happening over the last 12 months and the continuing slew of political, social and technological shifts looks set to bring "a whole new set of challenges and opportunities for marketing and PR professionals in the 12 months to come." This blog post from The Work Crowd looks back at the accuracy of their predictions for 2018—about fake news, greater convergence between PR and marketing, next generation video, GDPR, and purpose-driven marketing—before looking ahead to the fresh chal...

With the increasing demand from consumers for more authentic and meaningful relationships with brands, storytelling and in-the-moment style content, AI-driven personalized customer experiences, creative social ads and omnichannel marketing are set to become increasingly important in 2019. "The brands that are successful in delivering personalized experiences to their audiences are the brands that are likely to thrive with their social media strategies in the coming year," writes Brian Peters. An...

To thrive in today's digital world businesses need to harness the power of social media to increase brand awareness, boost engagement, build customer relationships and ultimately drive sales. Social media marketing isn't just a cost-effective way of growing your business; it's one of the most effective ways. Yet each social media platform presents unique challenges and choosing the right platforms, tools and strategies can feel overwhelming for small businesses. Here, so...

People generally offer their advice with the best of intentions, yet following it may not always be the best course of action for your business. As an entrepreneur, being open to learning from other people is essential. Yet rigidly following their advice—or trusting someone's judgment when their interests or values may not align with yours—could lead to costly mistakes, missed opportunities or even a failed business. Here, 15 entrepreneurs share some of the worst advice they've received together...