Getting Started

One might ask, “Is becoming a Entrepreneur really a thing? Does it really work?”. Short answer – yes. It can work for everyone that has the drive to start their own businesses. For one thing, it isn’t easy. In the beginning, you may think you don’t have the motivation to start or think of ways you may fail. Don’t worry, It’s normal. It happens to everyone and at some point you wonder, ‘Is this really worth it?’ Short answer – yes, it is. If you’re having trouble finding that motivation and support, Geoffrey James, a contributing editor for Inc.com, lists 57 ways to motivate yourself and accomplishing your dream on being an entrepreneur.

57 Ways to Motivate Your Inner Entrepreneur

How to WOW Investors

It’s time to present to investors. For anyone that’s asked to borrow money, you know this part can be a bit nerve wracking. For me, I hate doing it, but sometimes, it has to come to that. When it comes to your business, unless you have a family member that’s willing to give you money to get started, you think about getting some investors. The tough part is convincing them why your business would be beneficial to them to take the time and invest. Here are 5 ways to get investors on your side:

1. If you’ve thought about how much money you’ll need to get started, double that number. Things happen and you may run into a problem and need more money. Be sure to cover all your bases so you won’t have to ask them again.
2. Research, research, research. Give them a realistic number and not just a random number from out of the sky. If your competitions, new and old, are asking for $20,000, don’t ask for $200,000. This makes investors think you don’t know what you’re doing and have done no research in your revenue.
3. If you’re the only owner with a bunch of investors, you will be known as a miner shareholder. You won’t have a majority of the say in your business but don’t become that owner that allows investors to take over. Although you should respect new ideas and suggestions by investors, you should still stand up for yourself and help with making decisions.
4. Don’t show doubt and weakness. Show that you’re passionate for what you do and be confident. Showing off weakness gives off the idea that you’re not sure you want to be in the business and you may give up when the slightest thing goes wrong.
5. With all the research you’ve done, bring all your documents with you. Financial papers, business plan, floor plans (if you have any), and documents you may have. This shows you’re prepared and investors get the sense that you have the right head on your shoulders.

These key points can change the way your approach investors when meeting them. Investors are an important part when it comes to business planning. Just follow these steps and you’ll be on your way!

Mashable: Social Media Marketing

Mashable- Events

The audience for this article is for adults looking for events to help their social media connections and business. The author claims that these events are the go-to events to learn and entertain. The author claims that these events are the best events to go to when it comes to business education. The author justifies why these are the best events and why they are important to check out. I don’t have any additional questions for the author. I feel as though she pinpointed each event and gave good explanations. The article does show professional knowledge about the subject.

Marketing Trends

The audience for this article is for young adults and adults that needs to gain better marketing skills. The author gives you reasons why you need better marketing skills and what you can gain from them. The author does justify the claims because with better skills, the better you can be at your business. Questions about each skill and how you can achieve them and the results they can bring. I want to know how introverts can make that first step of getting out there and bettering skills when they’re too afraid. The article does make a contribution to the professional knowledge of the subject.

Marketing Skills

The audience for this article is for adults who deals with the marketing side of social media. People that gain from the social exposure of social media marketing. The author shows the marketing strategies some websites have made and the response/outcome they received. The author does justify the claims. This raises questions of how someone can marketing their business on the web and what may work. I want to know how these companies come up with marketing strategies. I want to know how they recover for a certain strategy that doesn’t receive goos outcome. This article does make a contribution to the professional knowledge of the subject.

Money habits

Money is important especially when starting a business. It takes a lot of investing and budgeting so you won’t end up bankrupt or running into any type of money trouble before you can even get your business started. Realsuccess.net has a great article about some smart money habits.

If you know how to watch your spending in your personal checking account and make sure that you don’t overspend, doing so for you business won’t be a problem. When it comes to overspending on your own personal use, it’s one thing but overspending when it comes to your business, can put you in the red zone. That’s one reason why your business can fail and put you in a huge whole that can take a while to get out of.

You may have to take out a loan or your already have loans you’re paying off. Some people like to take all their loans and consolidate them into one loan and pay it off monthly. Look at your loans and choose what decision is right for you. If you have loans with a low interest rate, you may want to consolidate them and pay monthly.

Investing is also a huge part in business. Most people don’t know who investments work or think the more you invest, the more money you’ll make. That’s the #1 thing people make a mistake on. Before you do anything, do your research. If you want to buy a new pair of shoes, you wouldn’t go to the store, pick out a shoe and try it right? You look at the different shoes, try them on and get a feel of them and then make your decision. Investing is the same way. You have to invest wisely. Don’t automatically invest in something that you here from someone on the street or a friend recommended. Look into the stock market and understand how it works. Once you do lots a research, then look into some investments you’d like.

These are some important habits that you need to get into before starting your business. Being able to manage your money and investments gives you the ability to really understand how money works and can hopefully keep you out of debt.

Business Plan

Podcast

Guess what? I’ve started a podcast for those of you that want to take this blog on the road! I’ll be uploading a podcast every week. We’ll discuss everything entrepreneur related and I’ll even take some questions from YOU! If you have any topics or have questions you’d like to discuss in the podcast, go ahead and submit some ideas. Thank you for reading and listening!

Podcast Episode 1

What makes a Good Entrepreneur

Many people wonder if they’re fit to become an entrepreneur. There’s never a definite answer when it comes to that. There are many different ways to find if you have what it takes. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, we all have the same characteristics when it comes to entrepreneurship :

1. Do what you enjoy: When it comes to starting out as a entrepreneur, you have to love what you do. That’s one of the secrets in succeeding. When the passion and drive isn’t there, you won’t get very far.
2. You understand the importance of time management: Things can get crazy, especially at the beginning, which is why time management is very important. Plan things accordingly. If making a list day to day helps, make a list. Sticking to a list can help you manage your time wisely.
3. Invest in yourself and your business: In the beginning, you may not have a lot of money to spend or you think you shouldn’t spend much. When it comes to your business, you have to invest. Spend on what will help bring business to you. In the long run, you’re helping your business become successful.
4. Organization: Keep everything organized. Many things can arise and not being organized can make things even worse. Organization is key and makes things go much more smoothly.
5. Know when to be persistent without being obnoxious: Working for yourself never has a closing time. Being an entrepreneur myself, I’m always on the go and when you’re meeting with family, friends, or strangers, conversations can go from topic to topic. At some point, you will end up talking about what it is you do. With that, you may attract someone and may have a potential customer. If doesn’t hurt to promote yourself, but don’t start off a conversation being obnoxious. That can turn someone off.
6. Manage your finances: You will have to spend quite a bit of money when it comes to promotion, investments, supplies, and anything  to keep your business afloat. This is when you need to learn how much you’re spending and how much you’re bringing in. Don’t spend more than you should on things that don’t benefit you or your business in the long run.

If you know how to do most of these, you’re on your way. If you have trouble in certain areas, there’s a saying, “Practice makes perfect.” There’s always room for improvement so don’t ever think if you can’t make something work the first time around that you should give up. Always try again.