Fear is a company’s food: It comes in many flavors, but it must be swallowed for the business to live. The trouble is that many of us learn to be picky eaters from an early age. Although we’re curious about what happens when we put our hand on a hot stove, we don’t attempt it — we know we risk hurting ourselves. While our early risk aversion protects…
When you’re a business owner, the sale of your company can be one of the most bittersweet experiences of your professional career. But if you expect to enjoy more of the sweet and less of the bitter, it’s crucial to avoid committing certain all-too-common mistakes. The Three Mistakes You Want to Avoid Selling a business is a challenge. It doesn’t matter how big or small, successful or unsuccessful,…
When you hear the word “automation,” what do you picture? A self-driving car? A factory free of human workers? In reality, those applications represent an exceptionally small share of small business automation. The production and operation functions are actually the two least automated functions, according to a QuickBooks study released last April. So what are small business leaders automating? Among the 66 percent of those using automation tools, most…
If you’re overwhelmed by your list of duties, blaring music might help. It turns out that tunes can make you a more productive worker. To be sure, if you need to really concentrate, you’ll have to go light on the lyrics to get the full mental-boosting power of melodies. You might want to turn to songs between — rather than during — lengthy tasks. However, you can be…
Co-working is growing in popularity — even major companies are claiming office space in these centrally located and shared spaces. For entrepreneurs, though, co-working spaces are about more than just convenience; these community offices solve a number of the major challenges that independent businesses face. By moving work to a shared space, entrepreneurs cut costs, build connections, and create conditions that allow them to scale up as needed,…
Big businesses are big for a reason — they’re getting something right, usually when it counts the most. Moreover, they’ve already found their footing after making it through the early days of uncertainty and instability. That successful leadership journey alone counts as an invaluable lesson for smaller business owners. You can learn a lot by studying exactly what big businesses have done right, even if their circumstances might…
Whether you’re new to investing or transitioning to a full-time investment business, there’s no need to rush. Investing in real estate can be profitable; however, it takes time to build a strong portfolio and generate a real profit. Here are four tips for a smooth transition to a full-time investor role: 1. Calculate risks carefully. At some point in time, every investor ends up with a bad deal,…
Sometimes, personal drive and education need a boost. If you’re struggling to achieve your goals in 2019, you may need a mentor. Even the most accomplished college graduates recognize that education rarely provides all the answers for the real world. According to recent research from Gallup, only 36 percent of college graduates strongly agreed that their degrees provided the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed in the…
Becoming a professional is a lot like having kids: You’re never quite ready. No matter how hard you studied or how many part-time jobs you held, you’re going to feel lost. Rest assured, though, that everyone felt that way once. The difference is that some have had years of experience, learning their strengths and building relationships. They’ve established some self-confidence. There are no shortcuts to that stage, unfortunately.…
Mentors and mentees alike agree that mentorship is an effective way to learn. So why, according to the Association for Talent Development, do just 29 percent of workers have access to a formal mentoring program? The trouble, unfortunately, is that many companies see mentorship as a private matter. Despite the fact that ATD’s survey showed that nearly six in 10 talent development professionals think mentoring achieves development goals,…