One of the most common issues facing my solo-entrepreneur clients is frustration, often followed swiftly by fatigue. Suddenly swamped by so many roles, so many decisions, so many tasks, while trying to conserve expenditure – weariness sets in. What started as a dream business idea, to hone and drive further, has now become a 24/7 job, with no escape route. You realize you’re … [Read more...]
Are You Ready to Turn Your “Side Hustle” into a Business?
Side hustles are generally born out of necessity or passion. They tend to maximize our skills and capacities or release our creativity. Converting a side hustle into a business is often a slippery slope because whether your side hustle is born out of necessity or born out of passion, the realities of formalizing a business can be disheartening. A side hustle that generates … [Read more...]
Connecting Women to Investors at Capital W: The Boston Women’s Venture Summit
Investor and businesswoman Sheryl Marshall started working with women-owned businesses and women venture funding in 1999 after spending years working in financial services where she fielded tons of calls from women looking for capital. She recalls, “Back then, only 2% of venture funding went to women-owned businesses, and most of that 2% went to iVillage.” This lack of … [Read more...]
How to Find and Hire the Greatest Talent for Your Startup
If the time has come to add more talented bodies to your startup, you know this added responsibility comes with many new areas of uncertainty. Where do you go to find the best talent? How much should you pay? The hiring process comes with many questions and gray areas. Consider the following 6 tips for finding and hiring the best talent for your startup. Create a Company … [Read more...]
How To Launch A Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
We live in the age of the entrepreneur. And, thanks to the number of crowdfunding platforms available, it’s possible for anyone to launch a business idea, product, or concept without access to traditional resources. Nonetheless, it will take more than a great idea and a few strategies to successfully crowd-fund a campaign. Below are a few tips for generating a memorable and … [Read more...]
Failure is ABSOLUTELY an Option
“Failure is NOT an option,” says many an entrepreneur. But that's just a lie; failure is always an option. Every entrepreneur has failed at many things. Everybody fails. In business, and for every entrepreneur, failure has been a critical part of their path to success (whether they remember it or not). Failing gracefully and learning from failure is much more important than … [Read more...]
5 Questions to Ask to Learn if Being an Entrepreneur Is Right for You
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in today’s business community. I am living proof. Having established a business consulting firm 14 years ago, the reason we have survived is because we embrace this joie de vivre. If you are tired of working for someone else, or you are looking for a different strategy to balance work and home life, becoming an entrepreneur and … [Read more...]
What’s Hot for Startups? [Infographic]
The world of startup business has changed significantly in recent years, and BusinessMBA.org recently released an infographic that explains what's hot in the world of startups in 2013. Startup Success or Failure? Here are some statistics about startups from the infographic, which will give you some perspective before you dive into all of the data: Chance of success for a … [Read more...]
Inside the Mind of a Startup Entrepreneur [Infographic]
Do you have what it takes to be a startup entrepreneur? Did you know that 75% of startups fail? It's rarely easy to build a company from the ground up, but it can be done. A new infographic from Top Management Degrees (shown below) sheds some light on the startup entrepreneur mindset and offers tips and warnings for anyone traveling the startup entrepreneur path. For … [Read more...]
Will Your Startup Business Fail? [Infographic]
What are the chances of success for your startup business? Did you know that in 2005 just 47% of startups were still in business after five years? Did you know the startup businesses that are more likely to fail are independent restaurants, retail stores, direct sales businesses, and consulting a business services companies? The news isn't all bad for startups though. When … [Read more...]