How to Change Hair Colour in Photoshop

STEPS-
1-Open picture in photoshop CS6 or any other version.
2-Create new layer.
3-Select Soft light
4-select brush tool.
5-Now select any color of your choice.
6-Fill color in hair.

7 Simple Tips to Attract Advertisers to your Blog

Your blog may have established excellent Public Relations, might have obtained great Alexa ranking and huge traffic. Even with all this, attracting advertisers to your blog is a definite challenge. Here are a few simple tips that will help you attract advertisers to your blog easily.

Place Your “Advertise With Us” Banner

Place an “Advertise with us” banner on your blog, either on the top or the side bar. When advertisers click the banner, they should be able to get the following information:

• Your blog niche
• Your updated blog’s status including Alexa rank, Traffic and Page Rank or your site.
• Your rates for advertisement space
• Your preferred payment mode
• Contact page for advertisers

Stick To A Niche

Advertisers benefit more by attaching to a blog that’s devoted to a specific niche. Adhering to a specific niche helps advertisers reach their target audience.

To establish and reinforce your niche, make sure you publish high quality, niche-related articles on your blog regularly. Update your blog on a daily basis; search engines will index you higher when you do this and this makes it easy for advertisers to find you as well. I usually prefer staying to a niche.

If I am writing at my weight loss and diets blog, I will write only on best weight loss programs, diet programs like edits and related niches. It’s better to be niche specific

Use The Banner Space

If you don’t have any paid Ads on your site, place house or partner Ads in the same space. Alternatively, you can put up a free product or service Ad, without direct URL, tracking tags or affiliate tags.

This encourages competing companies to approach you for Ads. Be sure to request for full campaign performance disclosure, which will let you know how many clicks took place, how many leads got converted and so on.

Display Your Site’s Visitor Statistics

Allow you potential advertisers to view your site’s statistical information such as unique visitors over a month, the total number of impressions and so on. You can also make sure to display your Alexa ranking and Google PR ranking.

Demonstrate Your Understanding Of Your Users

Make sure your advertisers can see user demographic information such as percentage of male and female visitors, geographic placements, marital status and family size of visitors. You can obtain this information by doing site polls or surveys, or even get the info from Quantcast.com or ComScore.

Write A Detailed ‘About Us’ Page

Your advertisers must be able to read about you and know how you really are and what your site is about. Explain why you are a subject matter authority in your blog niche, and why your readers should read your blog.

Keep your pages and your blog as professional as you can; bashing products and people can put away serious product companies from advertising with you.

Say No To Google Adsense

If you are already making money using Google Adsense , you might balk at this advice. However, the fact is that Google ad sense tends to bring down your site’s value, making it look unprofessional.

You can solicit solid product and service companies to advertise with you instead of using Google Adsense. Well in case Adsense is earning you a considerably good amount, you may want to ignore this advice .:)

7 Simple Tips to Make Your Business Web Site Attractive to Clients

Your web site, especially its home page, is a face of your company. It is extremely important for small businesses and the number of clients depends on the impression your web site made on them. Here are 7 tips how to make your web site more attractive and easy-to-use for its visitors.

1. Simplicity is the main key
There are lots of features available for web sites nowadays, you can implement your most unordinary ideas with their help. But the problem is that now the sites become overfilled with plenty of unnecessary elements and information. When the client comes to the web site for the first time — the big amount of stuff will distract him and there is a big probability that he will immediately leave this site.
So one of the most important things you should do — is to build a simple web site with easy-to-understand and well organised structure. And the front page must be the simplest page that would tell about your business. It may be a picture or a slogan, that will help visitor to understand who you are.

2. Proper structure
Usually people want to tell everything in one page and it looks very big, the scrolling bar is getting smaller and smaller and it seems that the text will never end. Of course visitor will not read it all and there is a big probability that he won’t even read more than first several sentences. It is very annoying and people would rather leave your site and visit another one where there is less information and it is more decent and informative for them.
So try to avoid endless texts and big amount of unnecessary pictures. You can separate this information to some categories and if the visitor gets interested in one, he will link to that page.
Also, it is a great idea to have a site map page where user will get the full information about all the categories and sections of your web site.

3. Showcase your products/services
The main purpose of your web site is to tell the visitors about your company and the products/services you offer. So it is a great idea to show the pictures of your products. You may create a section where people will see the new product releases.

4. Socialise
If your company is active on Twitter or Facebook, you can make a live feed of your posts, or even make your own widget on Twitter and embed html on your web site. Every time you post something in Twitter, the feed on your site will be updated to. But in this case you should stay active – the users will know this way that you are constantly developing.

5. Design should fit your brand
Everything in your web site must be associated with your brand and logo. So when you design your site, you must make it in one concept, the template, color scheme and logo should fit your company. But also don’t forget to make the layout of your site and easy-to-use and understand and SEO friendly.

6. Get in touch with your clients
It happens that no matter how much supplemental information or details about your product you provide, it’s just not enough. Some of your customers are just going to need more help. Make it easy for them by providing answers to frequently asked questions and by placing your company’s contact information on your website. Visitors of your site should be able to find a way to contact you from every page.
Another great good idea is to place a contact form on your web site, where people could leave their message for you. You can use online web form generator to build a personalised form and embed it on your site. There is a wide variety of online form builders, some of them can be used for free (e.g. PHPForms, pForm).

7. Use your imagination
Make the design of your site unique. There isn’t any need to embed a lot of features in your site, you can place a simple picture or animation that would be funny and catchy and will be then associated with your brand/company. With its help people could link to some section of your site he needs.
Image Credit:Balbuena

TOP 10 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

#1: Steve Jobs, Apple

 

"Believe that things will work somehow out... follow your intuition

and curiosity... trust your heart even when it leads you off the

well-worn path... You have to trust that the dots will somehow

connect in your future... The only way to do great work is to love

what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't

settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find

it... Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They

somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else

is secondary."

 

#2: Oprah Winfrey, Harpo

 

"What I know for sure is that if you want to have success, you

can't make success your goal. The key is not to worry about being

successful, but to instead work toward being significant - and the

success will naturally follow... If you do work that you love, and

work that fulfills you, the rest will come. And, I truly believe,

that the reason I've been able to be so financially successful is

because my focus has never, ever for one minute been money. Would

you do your job and not be paid for it? I would do this job, and

take on a second job just to make ends meet if nobody paid me.

That's how you know you are doing the right thing."

 

#3: Tony Robbins

 

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new

action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided... The most

important thing you can do to achieve your goals is to make sure

that as soon as you set them, you immediately begin to create

momentum. The most important rules that I ever adopted to help me

in achieving my goals were those I learned from a very successful

man who taught me to first write down the goal, and then to never

leave the site of setting a goal without first taking some form of

positive action toward its attainment."

 

#4: Ted Turner, Turner Broadcasting

 

"All my life people have said that I wasn't going to make it... You

can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win."

 

#5: Anita Roddick, The Body Shop

 

"Whatever you do, be different - that was the advice my mother gave

me, and I can't think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If

you're different, you will stand out."

 

#6: Tony Robbins

 

"For changes to be of any true value, they've got to be lasting and

consistent. Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first

thing you must do is to raise your standards... If you don't set a

baseline standard for what you'll accept in life, you'll find it's

easy to slip into behaviors and attitudes or a quality of life

that's far below what you deserve... Whatever happens, take

responsibility... The only thing that's keeping you from getting what

you want is the story you keep telling yourself."

 

#7: Chris Gardner, Gardner Rich & Co.

 

"Find something that you love. Something that gets you so excited

you can't wait to get out of bed in the morning. Forget about

money. Be happy."

 

#8: Donald Trump

 

"I was relentless, even in the face of total lack of encouragement,

because much more often than you'd think, sheer persistence is the

difference between success and failure."

 

#9: Isadore Sharp, Four Seasons

 

"Whatever you do, don't ever use a crutch, and don't ever think of

having an excuse for not having said, 'Yeah, I did my best.'"

 

#10: Trip Hawkins, Electronic Arts

 

"One quality of entrepreneurship is just persistence, not giving up

because you have road blocks and also not giving in because other

people tell you that you're nuts. You are nuts and you should be

proud of it. Stick with what you believe in."

What to Do When Friends Want to Be Co-Founders

inShare23

If you’re an entrepreneur with any track record of success, you’ve had those awkward conversations at parties that start with, “Wow I’d love to be where you are,” and wrap up with, “any chance you could use a good… [salesperson, training manager, archivist, dentist] in your organization? Ha Ha Ha.”
It’s easy to laugh back and say, “I’m afraid we’re full up right now, but if you’re serious, send us your resume and we’ll let you know if we need a dentist in the near future…”
It’s much more difficult to turn the discussion if a friend wants/hopes/expects to join you in creating and running the business. She might have been there when you came up with your brilliant idea, listened as you honed it into the start of a business plan, and cheered you on when you came up with just the right product name. You’ve seen your friend as helpful and encouraging while your friend sees him or herself as part of the business.
Unfortunately, by the time you realize the situation, your friend is making plans to provide start-up space in his basement or her rec room and has been telling everyone about this great new business he’s starting with a friend. There’s no great way to handle the situation, but here are some thoughts as you move through the process.

Consider it. Maybe your friend would actually be a good partner. Ask yourself the following questions: Do your perspectives mesh while staying different enough to encourage discussion and debate? Can you spend a lot of time with your friend without getting bored or irritated? Can your friend fulfill many roles? Does your friend have all the desirable business partner traits: responsible, reliable, hard worker, good with people, rich aunt?

Be fair. Is it possible that all of those great ideas and plans really did come from both of you? Consider whether you’re not unjustly taking all the credit. If your friend has already been acting more like a partner from the start, guess what, you have a partner!

Check your pronouns. Have you been saying “I” or “we?” How about “us” or “our?” Has your friend slowly been changing his pronoun usage to include “our” instead of “your?” If so, you might start changing those pronouns back to the first person and see if your friend gets the message without either of you having to face “the big discussion.”

The big discussion. This is by far the hardest option. Feelings could get hurt, and you risk losing a good friend. But even if you bricked and you inadvertently painted an inaccurate picture of the situation, honesty is best. Have that difficult discussion about how each of you will proceed before you startup. In many ways launching a business is like getting married, you don’t want either to end in divorce.

5 Tips for Surviving Your Startup’s First Year

inShare40

One of the riskiest times for any business is when it has just begun. In the first two years, three of every ten startups expire, the SBA reports. By five years, half those startups are history.

The SBA doesn’t say, but I would wager the majority of those early flameouts happen within the very first year, or just after. Often, I’ve noticed, newbie retailers sign a one-year lease. They hang on 12 months since they’re obligated to pay rent that long anyway. Then the minute that expires, they dry up and blow away.

How can you improve the odds that your startup will survive that tough first year? Here are five key steps to take:

1. Talk to customers. Doing market research at the start can help you avoid so many mistakes. You’ll have the right offer, at the right price, in the right market.
2. Choose your location carefully. Whether it’s a great website URL that’s easy to remember or a retail location with enough foot traffic, make sure your business is where it needs to be.
3. Keep expenses down. Look for every possible way to save. This will allow you to keep going longer, hopefully until revenue starts to cover your nut. Hire interns, trade services, postpone purchases, or pick up a broom and do it yourself. Do it all yourself, for as long as needed.
4. Plan for problems. The only thing as sure as death and taxes is that unexpected issues will crop up with your baby business. Sit down and think about everything that could go wrong — then, make a plan for how you will survive each possible scenario.
5. Analyze how it’s going. Even though it’s hard to find time in those crazy startup days, it’s important to stop and look at your numbers to see where your business is headed. Is that where you want to go? If not, change course. Most successful startups went through multiple iterations before they found their groove.

7 Ways to Develop a magnetic Personality

1. Leave a Comment on Their Blog (if they have one). This is something that doesn’t take long and believe it or not it can make somebody’s day, especially if the person is a fairly new blogger. Make sure it’s a well articulated positive comment instead of just saying it’s a nice post.

2. Send them an Email. I’ve started to get at least one email a week with somebody telling me they appreciate my blog and have found it really makes my day. It’s really great to hear that  and I feel compelled to do something nice for those people because they’ve made me feel good.

3. Tell someone you appreciate their friendship. I don’t think we express our gratitude for our friends enough. We’re so caught up in our world of information overload, that we forget a small gesture expressing your appreciation for somebody can really go a long way. Friendship is one of those things that we really shouldn’t take for granted, but too often do.

4. Write Something Nice About them on their Facebook Wall. It’s funny, but feel like the only time we really go out of our way to say something nice on Facebook to somebody is on their birthdays.  Imagine if you wrote something nice on all of your closest friends walls for the next 30 days. You’d be spreading a lot of positive energy.

5. Compliment Them on Something Unique. Unfortunately compliments have gotten to a point where they can be a bit insincere and seem as if you are saying them just to get something. So, if you do decide to do this, then make sure it’s something really unique that you are complimenting somebody on.

6. Radiate Warm Positive Energy. This is something that is kind of an unspoken thing and something that you just give off. There are things you can do to control your own energy, which really are just a function of focusing your own mind on all the positive things in your life. I think all people give off an energy or a vibe and I think all other people can sense that. Whether you have ever talked to me or not, just from reading my writing you form certain impressions about me on an unconscious level. As a result you’re either drawn to me or not.

7. Participate in a High Adrenaline Activity Together. A few nights ago I was watching a documentary called This Emotional Life.  In one part of the documentary, there was a couples therapist who was doing research in what makes people bond. One of the interesting things he discovered was that those couples who tended to participate in a an exciting activity together tended to have more affection towards each other.  To me, this isn’t a particularly brilliant insight. It’s basic conditioning at work. Do something that makes you feel good and you’ll connect it to the other person. That is why I love the idea of somebody catching their first wave when they’re with me because I know that their life will be changed forever, and they’ll link that up with me :).
All of this really is about being sincere and genuine. If this is done in such a way that it comes across manipulative, then it won’t work at all.

How to Deal with Negative Thoughts - 6 Quick Tricks..

• Challenge them. When we are stressed out or sad we project our inner state to the outer world. And everything around us starts to seem joyless and gloomy. It is natural that during our “down’ times a lot more negative thoughts race through our mind. All you have to do to end this negativity flow is tell yourself, “STOP!”. Your mind will be so shocked that for a whole 2 seconds it will actually stop thinking at all. This is your opportunity to counter your negative thoughts. Just recall the situation in which you feel self-confident and calm. Visualize it in great detail. Bring that feeling of joy, pride and satisfaction to the front of your mind. This will help you take your focus off the negative thoughts and look at the problem more objectively.
• Reframe them. Things are rarely as bad as they seem at first. Avoid jumping to conclusions. Look at the big picture. Will this situation or problem matter in a week? What about in a month? Or a year? Is it really worth getting so upset and stressed out over it? If your answer is “no” there is no point in getting yourself worked up over it. Use the energy to find solutions, not to mull over of what has gone wrong.
• Segregate them. Negative thoughts have an ability to drag more negative thoughts behind them. After a while you might feel overwhelmed, helpless and depressed. That is why it is crucial to stay clear on each separate issue instead of letting them become one big jumble.
• Look for the positive. Often, if we just let our mind calm down and really reflect on the current negative situation, we might discover an opportunity to turn the situation around. I have got to be honest with you, only some problems later become positive opportunities, but most problems become valuable lessons that we can learn from.
• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, do not  be afraid to voice your concerns. It does not mean that you have to be rude, overly critical or sarcastic about it. Always communicate your problems or concerns in an open and respectful way. For example, if your friend is making jokes about you being overweight, you might feel reluctant to address them directly and ask them to stop doing that. But on the other hand, if you do not do anything about changing this situation your resentment will most likely build up and it will definitely weaken your friendship.
• Search for the reasons. If someone is being rude to you or is treating you badly, try to find an explanation WHY they are doing it? Maybe they have had an argument with their spouse, or have had a stressful day at work, or something really bad happened in their life that has made them become this way. 99% of the time when people initiate negativity, it is just a reflection of their inner state expressed externally. And you just happened to be in front of that expression. It is not about you! It is about them and their insecurities.

How to Manage Stress - 10 Useful Tips

Stress is a normal part of life and usually comes from everyday occurrences. Here are some ways you can deal with everyday sources of stress.
1. Eliminate as many sources of stress as you can. For example, if crowds bother you, go to the supermarket when you know the lines won’t be too long. Try renting videotapes rather than going to crowded movie theaters. Clear up the clutter in your life by giving away or throwing away the things that get in your way. A garage sale is one effective way to do this.
2. If you are always running late, sit down with a pencil and paper and see how you are actually allotting your time. Say it takes you 40 minutes to get to work. Are you leaving your house on time? You may be able to solve your problem (and de-stress your life a bit) just by being realistic. If you can’t find the time for all the activities that are important to you, maybe you are trying to do too much. Again, make a list of what you do during the day and how much each activity takes. Then cut back.
3. Avoid predictably stressful situations. If a certain sport or game makes you tense (whether it’s tennis or bridge), decline the invitation to play. After all, the point of these activities is to have a good time. If you know you won’t, there’s no reason to play.
4. If you can’t remove the stress, remove yourself. Slip away once in a while for some private time. These quiet moments may give you a fresh perspective on your problems. Avoid stressful people. For example, if you don’t get along with your father-in-law but you don’t want to make an issue of it, invite other in-laws at the same time you invite him. Having other people around will absorb some of the pressure you would normally feel.
5. Competing with others, whether in accomplishments, appearance, or possessions, is an avoidable source of stress. You might know people who do all they can to provoke envy in others. While it may seem easy to say you should be satisfied with what you have, it’s the truth. Stress from this kind of jealousy is self-inflicted.
6. Laborsaving devices, such as cellular phones or computer hookups, often encourage us to cram too many activities into each day. Before you buy new equipment, be sure that it will really improve your life. Be aware that taking care of equipment and getting it repaired can be stressful.
7. Try doing only one thing at a time. For example, when you’re riding your exercise bike, you don’t have to listen to the radio or watch television.
8. Remember, sometimes it’s okay to do nothing.
9. If you suffer from insomnia, headaches, recurring colds, or stomach upsets, consider whether stress is part of the problem. Being chronically angry, frustrated, or apprehensive can deplete your physical resources.
10. If you feel stress (or anything else) is getting the better of you, seek professional help — a doctor or therapist. Early signs of excess stress are loss of a sense of well-being and reluctance to get up in the morning to face another day.

8 Tips for Managing Your Cash Flow

Introduction

“Happiness is a positive cash flow” goes an old business saying. Happiness is hard to find and hold on to during an economic slowdown like the current one. The very term, “economic slowdown” states the problem:  cash is not flowing as freely as it used to. We’re in a drought, and every one of us has to conserve cash carefully. Here are a few tips for managing your cash flow.

Analysis

1. Monitor your cash flow daily. Check your bank balance online. Create a cash flow projection spreadsheet in Excel or the free Open Office spreadsheet module. Search Google for “cash flow projection template” and you will save a lot of set-up work. The cash flow projection will tell you the difference between when you think money is arriving and when it actually arrives. The difference may alarm you. Even the best customers slow their payments during lean times, making yours leaner. Usually, they don’t tell you they’re holding on to that check for a few more days.

2. Collect payment efficiently. If your payment terms are net 30 days then begin collection action on day 31. Some companies send out payment reminders a week before a due date. Don’t be afraid of losing slow-paying customers. It wouldn’t bother you to get rid of a slow-moving car. Don’t worry about “looking desperate," either. It’s better to be happy with a positive cash flow than to look happy with your own past-due notices.

3. Choose your customers carefully. Generally speaking, the bigger the customer the longer he thinks he can get away with not paying you. I have a two-person client who pays me twice a week via Paypal. I once had to call the Chairman of Time about a $150 invoice that was over 90 days old. FedEx delivered that check by 10:30 the next morning. That’s another tip:  C-level executives care about their companies’ reputations. Front-line staffers often care only about their performance reviews.

4. Offer discounts for prompt payment. The accounting term, “2% 10, net 30” on an invoice often moves it to the top of the accounts payable heap. It means that the customer can take 2 percent off the invoice amount if you receive payment within ten calendar days of shipping goods or completing services. Otherwise, the full amount is due by day 30 after shipment or completion. Taking advantage of this 2 percent discount gives the customer a 36.7 percent annual rate of return on their money, something that will grab his or her attention if they're awake at all. The math proving this startling rate of return is pretty simple; you may want to include a note about it with your introduction of such a discount, or even on every applicable invoice:

Amount of discount/Discounted Price  X  Number of days in the (accounting) year/number of days paid early

“2% 10, net 30” works out as follows:

2 divided by 98 = .020408
360 divided by 20 = 18
18 times .020408 = 36.7percent

Of course, you lose at the same 36.7 percent rate when you offer discounts, so use this carrot sparingly!

5. Have credit lines lined up before you need them. The time to arrange a line of credit with your bank, credit card company or other lender is when you don’t need it. That’s when your balance sheet and cash flow projections look most comforting to the lender.

6. Check credit backgrounds. You should run credit checks on new customers applying for credit. To be extra safe, check the credit reports of all significant customers — say, those who provide 80 percent of your revenues — even if they are currently paying you on time. It’s better to know about a company’s payment problems beforehand. As another old saying goes, “In God we trust. All others pay cash.”

7. Cut internal costs ruthlessly. Switch to a free checking account. Change phone and Internet service providers. Renegotiate your lease when it comes due and don’t be afraid to reject rent increases. Post “turn off lights” signs on all light switches and install compact fluorescent bulbs. Replace the free coffee pot with a vending machine. Buy recycled printer cartridges and go pick them up yourself instead of paying delivery charges. If there’s a coupon-clipper in your family, it won’t hurt to have that person take a sharp look at where money goes in your office.

8. Face reality, no matter how unpleasant. When your cash flow projection says you are headed for negative numbers, act immediately. Don’t bank on that big deal coming through just in time, it is unlikely that it will. Once you get behind on your bills, with late fees and interest piling up daily, it becomes even harder to get ahead again. Face problems while they are ahead of you, not when they’re on top of you.
-taken from http://www.focus.com

100 Important Advice for young Enterpreneurs

We wanted to create an article addressing some of the problems start-up companies and young entrepreneurs have. So we asked!
“What do you wish you knew before you started a business?”
1. I wish I would have known how unpredictable things can be at ALL times. I read a lot before starting my business and realized unexpected things happen, but never did I realize the frequency in which they do. You really need to learn how to adapt everyday to things you may not have forseen waking up that morning. – Scott Fineout, http://www.607magazine.com
2. Before going into business I wish I knew the importance of having an established “Advisory Board”.  Having a mentor is one thing but having a counsel of people who are not only experts in various business
related functions but are also cheerleaders and coaches for your success is another. – Kellie L. Posey www.keleventsllc.com
3. I wish I knew about the value of keeping it simple. Starting out young with plenty of energy and great ideas led me down many paths of distraction. Instead, by focusing first on what sells, why and at what price and then staying true to that over time, I would have saved a lot of headaches, time and supported profitability a lot sooner. The saying KISS is popular for a reason and particularly applicable when you’re an entrepreneur. - Deborah Osgood www.bdki.com
4. The one thing that I wish I knew before starting a business was how much time you spend learning – it is constant – from self development, to business basics, to social media, – talk about wearing many hats! Oh my and thought motherhood was challenging. I love to learn new things but had no idea it was going to be like this. You have to learn how to act, how to present, how to close, how to keep in contact, how to prospect, and how to keep customers! – Michelle Morton http://www.sochomebusiness.com/
5. Focus on yourself as much as your product/service. The recipe is only as good as the Chef preparing the dish. – Mujteba H. Naqvi http://www.bonvoy.com
6. That whatever my start-up budget is… I should have multiplied it by three - Aliya Jiwa http://spunkystork.com
7. The most important, and costly, lesson I had to learn is that in order to grow in a good economy, and in order to survive in a bad one, it’s necessary to understand that one person can’t do it all. It requires the efforts of a team (sales, accounting, production-service delivery, management, etc.) to be effective. Too many young entrepreneurs, myself included, feel they can do it all. That’s a huge mistake. – Tom Coalson http://www.tomcoalsonconsulting.com/
8. Financially, I learned that you should get incorporated and need to have a great accountant that specializes in small business taxes.I also discovered that success is easier to achieve if you learn from people that know more than you instead of going it alone. – Eddy Salomon www.WorkAtHomeNoScams.com
9. I wish I would have known that the hardest part of owning and operating my own business would NOT have been how to create revenue on a monthly basis. I wish I would have hired a full time IT guy and a shrink to manage with my sales force! – Bradley W. Smith http://www.debtfreeassociates.com/
10. I really wished I developed more social skills early on to spend more time developing relationships. Networking has been key to bringing in more business and I had practice this social ability more, then business may have come sooner rather than later. – Ali Allage www.boostlabs.com
11. The best thing i did is to outsource all my administrative tasks. Now i have enough time to focus on other important tasks. – Gagan http://www.fortepromo.com
12. Never pay full price for anything online (office supplies, stock photography, services, etc.)–always Google for coupons. – Bill Even www.TheComingWave.com
13. Location, location, location. It really is true! – Tanya Peila www.tanyapeila.com
14. Finding the right Accounting / Financial Manager right up front was our biggest learning and biggest mistake. Completely changed our financial performance and caused us to hit a wall we should have avoided. – Mike Cleary http://www.abcom-inc.com
15. I wish I knew how much general information I would need to know and how long the process would take. Almost three years later Im still in the “set-up” phase to my business and teaching myself all about websites, graphic design, business law, bookkeeping, customer service, etc. - Leslie Boudreau http://www.inn-photo.com
16. It’s important to get customer validation early on. You can have the greatest technology, or website, or service, or whatever, but it’s ultimately meaningless if you haven’t verified that there are actually customers willing to spend money on or around what you do. - Adam Rodnitzky www.reteltechnologies.com
17. Business partnerships are like marriages and should be entered with the same care.  Like marriages, there are a lot of assumptions about what the partnership is/is not and communication about those will lead to better success. - J. Kim Wright www.CuttingEdgeLaw.com
18. I wish I had known how few true entrepreneurs there are out there. Every time I thought I had a kindred spirit with whom to share experiences, lean on for support and provide support to them, it turned out that they were looking for a paycheck. Find a partner and a kindred spirit BEFORE you launch.  – Tom Reid www.certifiedKsolutions.com
19. Small business owners should carefully reflect on how they can tastefully build referral sources through all contacts, and how to utilize social networks, including the vast resources of the internet, to build a referral base and, in turn, a client base. - Jay Weinberg http://www.jayweinberg.com
20. I wish I knew how important it is to never rely on anyone else. I  wasted a number of years “networking” in hopes of people referring  business. It never worked. My career took off when I assumed  responsibility for every aspect, including marketing and sales. – Rob Frankel http://www.RobFrankel.com
21. I did not realize the level of sacrifice that would be required to become not only an entrepreneur, but a successful entrepreneur. Don’t get me wrong, it is worth every single second, but I had no idea that friends and family would not be able to relate. – Amber Schaub http://www.rufflebutts.com/
22. I wish I had understood how little time I would have to do the things that I need to do in order to “produce” and to make money. Make sure that you spend your time and your energy on the revenue generating matters. Spend the money necessary to get help. Pay someone else to take care of all of the admin stuff. – Francoise Gilbert http://www.ITLawGroup.com/
23. I wish I knew how hard it was to manage employees and have good, competent help. I also wish I knew how to market, advertise, and work these social media tools. - Jamie Puntumkhul http://jlpeducationservices.vpweb.com
24. Have a serious exit strategy & plan prior to opening doors. As an entrepreneur I was ready and willing to take the plunge to open my own company, but didn’t realize I had to structure my company around the exit strategy (i.e. make it sellable and transferable, and self sustaining without my everyday presence). - Christopher N. Okada www.okadaco.com
25. With my first companies I wished I had lined up a client and received a commitment to buy before I jumped in the water. – Patrick  J. Sweeny II http://www.odintechnologies.com/
26. I wish that I would have known that my MBA wasn’t necessary to be an entrepreneur. I started business before and thought the MBA+ would give me a better insight to prevent me from making mistakes but I believe you either have it or you don’t. – Janice Robinson-Celeste www.CelesteStudios.com
27. I wish I would have known how expensive running a business is – mainly payroll taxes, medical insurance, etc. We researched all of our fixed costs, however, the more we billed out, the less we keep. – Marian H. Gordon www.yippeeprinting.com
28. Find the very best, most knowledgeable people you can afford and hire them with not just salary, but incentives. The better the people, the better the job done and advice given. – Ric Morgan American Business Arts Corporation
29. Several years after starting my business I learned that the best source of advice and peer support are fellow entrepreneurs, especially those who have attained the level of business success to which I aspire. – Charles E. McCabe http://www.vaceos.org
30. I wish I had understood the value of investing in high-level talent. As a start-up, it’s scary to think about hiring someone whose experience demands a higher-level salary. So you tend to hire less experienced individuals, but they typically don’t bring the intellectual capital or business savvy that can help you grow faster. – Susan Wilson Solovic www.SusanSolovicOnline.com
31. Starting a business is like getting married, you think you know what youre getting into and that youll be better then the median, but when it comes down to it you have no idea. – Summer Bellessa http://elizamagazine.com
32. The biggest thing I’ve learned and wish I would have known before I had started our company is the difference between sales and marketing. Everyone says sales and marketing together like they’re the same
thing. They’re not. - Scott D. Mashuda http://www.RiversEdgeAlliance.com
33. I wish I would have known how important a real business plan was, a marketing strategy, and exit strategy were. You should really plan your first two years and have a hit list of sales/marketing opportunities that are interested before you take the leap. – Ben Wallace www.innovative-memories.com
34. Probably the most important thing I wish I had realized earlier was how little I knew about how consumers bought things on the Internet. I have been a web developer for years and knew all about technology, but little about marketing and getting inside the mind of the consumer. – Sara Morgan http://www.custsolutions.net/
35. You can’t put your life on hold while waiting for your venture to hit.   I have tremendous regret  around all of the family events, vacations, and time with friends that I missed because I was working on getting my film/company off the ground. - Pamela Peacock http://www.shadowlightpictures.com
36. Admittedly, we went into GiveForward knowing we’d have to be flexible and patient. All of the good books tell you this, but no one really tells you how emotionally draining that wait can be. – Desiree Vargas www.GiveForward.org
37. Hands down without a doubt no questions asked – effective marketing. It truly does not matter how great your product or service is unless someone knows about it you are still behind the start line. – Leanne Hoagland-Smith http://www.processspecialist.com
38. I thought if I had a great product and an attractive, functioning website customers would come.  Boy, was I wrong!  In the online world its all about SEO! – Semiha Manthei http://www.firststeporganic.com/
39. I wish I’d have known that the only thing important in business is building a product that someone will buy. That’s it. It’s real easy for first time founders to get caught up in visions of grandeur – but in reality, the only things that matter are having a great product, and having customers that will pay actual money for it. - Brett Owens http://www.chrometa.com/
40. Business books and all the education in the world can give you the foundation for starting a business, But they cannot show you the cold hard truth about how difficult it can be to start a business. – Michael Grosheim http://www.thesocialtweep.com
41. One thing I wish I knew right off the bat is the benefit of networking.  I spent a lot of time trying to tackle everything on my own, but its really important to reach out to fellow entrepreneurs, complimentary businesses, family and friends for advice and support. – Cailen Ascher Poles http://www.cailenascher.bravehost.com/
42. I wish I had known how important it is to outsource to other  professionals instead of trying to do everything myself, and  ultimately not always doing everything correctly. – Jennifer Hill www.jhilldesign.com
43. I wish I knew exactly how important it is to prioritize tasks and goals. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the last few months is to prioritize what is important, in order of its proportionate worth. It is easy to do the little things that make you feel like you are accomplishing something, but it is the big important things that need your full attention – even if it is uncomfortable. – Evan Urbania www.chatterBLAST.com
44. I was naive enough to think that if I had a great product that helped  people and at the same time had the lowest prices available for the  products we did sell that word would spread and people would be  excited to use our product. – Chris Sorrells www.ErgonomicsSimplified.com
45. I wish I had known that you dont need to be right with your first iteration of your business plan.  Young businesses naturally deviate from their roadmap as the founders ideas about what will work get tested by reality.  Smart entrepreneurs listen to the feedback they get and adapt. – Matt Lally http://imaneed.com
46. I wish I’d understood the incalculable value of having just the right executive assistant, someone who can leverage your time and actually be an extension of yourself. - Barry Maher www.barrymaher.com
47. I wish I had more marketing skills to take my business to the next level.  At this point I have to hire someone as I am super limited in this area. – Deb Bailey http://www.powerwomenmagazine.com
48. I’ve learned that I can’t micromanage everything, no matter how much I want to. Sometimes you have to delegate certain responsibilties to others. Not only did this help keep me sane, but it was good for team building amongst employees. – Lev Ekster www.cupcakestop.com
49. I wish someone would have explained the difference between sales verses marketing. – Tom Pryor WWW.SBDCEXCELLENCE.ORG
50. I wish I knew depth of the thought process needed in starting a business, especially on a personal level. I wish I understood how my thoughts would affect my business. – Jennifer Ann Bowers http://rosebridgecreations.com
51. I wish I understand “cash flow”. I figured that as long as I brought in lots of business, the business would be great. Cash is king and always keep MORE of it than you forecast or expect to need. – Ryan Kohnen www.ryankohnen.com
52. I wish I had taken a class, or gotten practical experience in, using business accounting software. The investment would’ve been minimal, and it would’ve saved me (and my accountant) hours of frustration. Additionally, I wish I had spent a few bucks on an accountant to set up my books properly. – Shane Fischer www.fischer-law.com
53. What I didn’t know then was the value of networking. You never know where business will come from. And having friends and acquaintances from political, business and social circles may prove to be your best new business referral! – Melissa Stevens www.fkmagency.com
54. I wish I completely understood what “cash flow” meant and how important it is to live within a budget and how important it is to hire the correct people, rather than just able bodies. – Kelly Delaney www.cakes4occasions.com
55. The one thing that I wish I would have known before going into business more, was my own strengths and how I use them on a daily basis. – Jason C. Raymer http://www.bluegrassautoglass.com
56. Trademark/ Copyright info – 3 months after we had started one of the businesses we had to completely scrap all the branding and build a totally new site, social media, EVERYTHING due to a legal issue regarding trademark. – Sarah Cook http://www.RaisingCEOKids.com
57. I wish I knew how to proficiently do marketing via the web, newsletters and blogs. The other key thing is to get the right coach. I eventually used www.onecoach.com, headed by John Assaraf of “The Secret”, who finally helped me pull my business together. – Nancey C. Savinelli www.naturalhealthctr.net
58. I really had to understand the “basics” of business and how to capitalize on the small opportunities to given to me and turn them into “larger than life” success stories. – Darren Magarro www.thedsmgroup.com
59. I wish that early on I had sought out more business leaders in my field. It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I realized the value of the knowledge to be learned from veteran industry players and how it could help me grow my business. – Jim Janosik Aladanmediagroup.com
60. I wish I had seriously thought about branding and the longevity of the brand. Looking back, I should have thought about what was going to define my company, what would be a look that would last for years and not go out with the trends, and what image I wanted my customers to see when they first started researching my company. – Katie Webb http://www.becomeintertwined.com
61. If you have taken the time to think through things (price, service, contracts, delivery) don’t be so quick to change it up just because a Client wants you to. – Joni Daniels http://www.jonidaniels.com/
62. I wish I knew not to expect things to happen for us. Often times, we were waiting to get lucky and not making our own luck. We learned that nothing is going to get handed to us on a silver platter and if we want it, we have to go out and get it. – Ben Lerer http://www.thrillist.com/
63. At the time of founding it I was so focused on survival I didn’t think about the exit strategy. – Laurence J. Stybel stybelpeabody.com
64. I wish I’d know how much easier it is to build a business around an established market that’s already looking for a solution to its problems rather than trying to build the market around the business I wanted to start. – John Crickett http://www.businessopportunitiesandideas.co.uk/
65. How challenging it is to get people who request our services to pay. Since we are a nonprofit/community organization, everyone thinks our services are free because of grants or corporate giving. – Candi Meridith www.GoodForYourself.com
66. You have to have to have some sort of passion in order to be successful. But no matter how much you want to believe it, doing what you love because you love it and doing what you love as a business are different. Don’t expect every day to be bliss. – Andy Hayes www.travelonlinepartners.com
67. I wish I knew it didn’t take tons of money to get started, so I would have started it sooner. I think that holds a lot of people back. – Candy Keane http://www.ThreeMusesClothing.com
68. When I was opening my first business, I made the near lethal error of leasing a business location without a plan. Once I got in the location I had to do three times the amount of marketing necessary just to contend with the competition. I spent more on marketing than I would have spent on the extra rent of a better spot on the street I was on. – S. Zargari www.assuranceadvertising.com
69. I would have spent more time selecting the most qualified technical resource by interviewing more people more strenously to ensure we got the most talented resource for our money…both short term and long term – Jennifer Myers Robb http://www.hergameface.com
70. Get a coach – someone who can walk you through the jungle to get you to the gold. Why bother flying blind, when others have blazed the trail before you? Starting a business without a coach is like getting in the car and driving. Sure you can move–and fast–but using a map is so much smarter than not. – Richard J. Atkins HTTP://WWW.IMPROVINGCOMMUNICATIONS.COM/
71. I wish I’d known it would not be enough to know my stuff cold. (I’m a subject matter expert, but the same would apply to someone with a product.) You have to really know (or be willing to learn FAST) how
to market yourself and have a plan to do it. – Judy Hoffman www.judyhoffman.com
72. I just wish I knew how much free goods I would have to give out in order to promote my products. – Jacqui Rosshandler www.eat-whatever.com
73. I wish I knew that there was a fine line between self-employment and un-employment. Second, I wish that I knew more about the competitiveness of my type of business and had spent some time interviewing people who were successfully doing what I wanted to do. – Cyndi A. Laurin www.guidetogreatness.com
74. I wish I had known that starting a business would give me so much happiness, and worry. I knew that it would be hard, but I had no ideas of the hills and valleys that would come with being a business owner. – Shay Olivarria www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com
75. I knew that starting a business was going to be a lot of work, but I didnt know much work and that it was going to go slower than I had expected.  I wish I had known that there was going to be a lot that I didnt know, but that its ok because Ive figured it out (and am still figuring it out!) along with way. – Grace Bateman http://www.perupaper.com
76. Everyone will not be happy or supportive of you starting a business or succeeding in it, and that’s okay, as you do not need their nod, their vote of confidence or their praise… you have your own. – Anahid Derbabian www.integritycommunicationsco.com
77. Don’t work with your spouse. If you want to wreck a marriage, be together 24/7 with one person exerting power over the other. – Susan Schell http://www.citadeladvisory.com
78. Relationship Marketing – I wish I had understood the importance of staying connected with past clients and nurturing relationships with current clients. Your personal life, your spiritual life and your professional life is all about the relationship. – Sandie Glass http://www.sandstormideas.com/
79. I wish I would have realized earlier the importance of having a core group of target customers. Find a handful of people and build a trust with them. Test various products and services on them and eventually use their passion and your business to fuel evangelism to grow as you refine your business model. -
Dayne Shuda http://huntingbusinessmarketing.com
80. If you’re young, and especially if you’re a woman, you may be tempted to undersell your product or service – or worse, give them away – in order to get into the game. Don’t. Set up a pricing structure that’s in line with your business plan and allows you to grow your business. – Ruth Danielson http://www.msmarketintel.com
81. I wished I had learned about the need for business systems and process documentation and why they are important. I have found they are a life saver to developing a work environment that thrives since everyone in the company knows what they are supposed to be doing and can easily reference the steps. – Adam Sayler http://arthurwinn.com
82. What I wish I knew before I started a business was a really great business advisor! Most of us go into a business with a big heart for the product and lots of excitement. Few of us really know how to run a business. – Kelley Small www.smolakfarms.com
83. I wish I knew how long it would take to build a steady stream of clients and establish strong relationships with customers and vendors. - Alexis Avila www.preppedandpolished.com
84. I didn’t take into account what being a home business owner would mean I mean I’m in my house a
lot! I have to eat 3 times a day and there are very few delivery places where I live – so making a mess in the kitchen 3 times a day, and cleaning the office myself. – Maria Marsala http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com
85. I wish I had known how demanding entrepreneurship is on the entire family. It took me months to realize that they were giving as much or more than me by picking up the slack around home and giving me space to pursue a dream. – Carrie Rocha http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/
86. To be patient. When I first started, I expected results instantly. I’d get frustrated when things didn’t work the way I planned. Luckily, I didn’t have any hang-ups about failing, so I kept trying new things
and slowly built upon those things that worked. – Naveed Usman http://www.theusmangroup.com
87. How much money would I make in the first couple years of operation.  Obviously, this answer would of told me to find a steady job and do this on the side until I really got it going 3-4 years later. – Marc Anderson TalktoCanada.com
88. I wish I knew that cash flow wasn’t the same as profits, that employees are not paid friends and that you should always trust but never let anyone open your bank statements. – Anne-Marie www.brambleberry.com
89. The one thing I wish I had done differently is not spent money on advertising offers that don’t pay off. This is business people don’t often do things out of the goodness of their heart. I’ve learned to be a lot more skeptical of “opportunities” I get offered. – Adrien TheNakedHippie
90. One piece advice I would give to people just starting up that I wish knew is that success is less about the idea and more execution. Don’t wait until you have the great idea or have refined all the plans, just get something up and start iterating. – Ben Hatten www.legalriver.com
91. How important it is to network, instead of attempting to fly solo. Fortunately, my belated learning didn’t negatively impact my company for too long but the soaring would definitely have occurred
sooner had I considered the value of self-promotion. – Marlene Caroselli www.caroselli.biz
92. I wish I knew how much my time was really worth and the best way to set my rates. I made an early mistake by charging too little and booking myself so tightly that I didn’t have enough time to work on some projects the way I wanted to and I couldn’t hire anyone to help me because I didn’t allow for the added cost. – Susan Bender Phelps www.OdysseyMentoring.com
93. I wish I knew the importance of networking when I first started my web design company. It took me a few months to realize that referrals and networking are the best types of leads. People want to do business
with people they like! – Becky McKinnell www.iBecCreative.com
94. First, that being successful causes growing pains that are a major headache. A good headache to have, but difficult challenges nevertheless. Second, it would have been nice to know it can take a year or so for things to take off. Starting a business can be frustrating in the beginning and you really have to be determined to succeed. – Nick Veneris Xomba.com
95. Dont listen too closely your friends who might be good business people but who have never started a business.  They mean well, but their assumptions are way different as an employee of a company than they could ever be as a principal shareholder in a business. – Elizabeth Pitt CaregiverNeeded.com
96. I wish that someone had told me that managing a business isn’t about numbers, but rather all about people skills. During my first management foray I fell face first in the dirt. People called me a micro-manager because I got too much into the nitty gritty of how to do the job rather than allowing them to find their own way. – Steve Richard www.vorsight.com
97. I wish I had known that starting a business requires you to ride an emotional roller coaster.  You can go from the highest highs to the lowest lows in a matter of hours because a startup company always seems be on the verge of either collapsing or taking off like a rocket.  Now making my business grow is all the more exhilarating because I survived demoralizing low points to get it off the ground. – Alex Andon http://www.jellyfishart.com
98. That it is OK to trust your instincts — even when they are not necessarily backed up by years of finance/accounting or business school credentials – Jenn Benz www.benzcommunications.com
99. Less time spent on paid marketing/advertising efforts and more time screening and building strong partnerships with influential journalists, writers, editors and television producers. – Philip Farina http://www.farina-associates.com
100. I now know that businesses are extremely organic & have a way of taking on a life of their own – now I know that though things don’t always work out as planned, there is always another opportunity around the corner…understanding this from the beginning would’ve saved me a lot of stress! – Rina Jakubowicz http://www.rinayoga.com
Now that’s a lot to take in before you start! There are a lot of hardships, problems and things to consider but to sum it up I think Kat Gordon of www.maternalinstinct.net says it best “In short, I manage my own destiny. And I’d have it no other way.” 
-taken from http://under30ceo.com

How To Motivate Employees

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Think of the last time you were around someone who was really enthusiastic; did that enthusiasm spread to you? The same will happen with your employees. It has been shown that motivated employees do a better job and perform at a higher level; the success of your business relies upon this. Figuring out what motivates your employees begins with looking at yourself. Do you appreciate time with family, recognition for a job well done, or the opportunity to learn new things? Likely, your employees appreciate these things too.
Every person is different, so interact with each employee and find out what it is that drives him or her. This can be done by listening to them, observing them, or simply asking them. In the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, author Daniel H. Pink writes that the crash of Wall Street is a striking example of the dangers of motivating employees strictly with gobs of cash—so don’t just throw money at your people. If you run out of money, you’ll run out of help.
Employees prefer a boss that is empathetic and has concern for their staff. It’s as simple as getting to know your employees and learning the little things like the names of their children, their alma mater, or achievements in their lives they’re especially proud of. If you are sincere in your actions, it will show and pay off. If you have to set aside time for these interactions to take place, do so. A good example is online apparel company Zappos. Often hailed as the most employee-friendly business out there, Zappos maintains its high level of employee satisfaction because CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) really cares about making his employees and customers feel good.
Every business owner should delegate tasks. Delegation includes conveying responsibility and authority to your employees so they can carry out certain tasks, but the trick is to let the employee decide how they’re going to do that. This increases self-confidence in their ability to do their job and results in more fulfillment and motivation. Along with delegation, performance management is absolutely necessary. This involves creating a career plan that allows both you and the employee to evaluate their production, aim for goals, and track achievements. This keeps you in touch with your employees and available for feedback. During the performance appraisal meeting, be sure to outline how the employees’ efforts directly affect and benefit the company. If a particularly important goal is met, celebrate it. Without ongoing acknowledgement of success, employees become frustrated, skeptical, and even cynical about efforts in the organization.
-taken from http://www.youngentrepreneur.com

How To Get Your Small Business Website Higher In Google’s Search Results

A great start to increasing your page’s ranking in search results is by adding links that point to your webpage. When links that point to your page have the relevant keyword text in them, it will automatically rank higher in search engine results. For example, a link with the text “Cheap Shoe Store” pointing at your site will result in a higher listing if a visitor searches for “cheap shoe store” than if the link simply says “click here.” Improve the rank of your site by increasing the number of high-quality sites that link to your page (Google calls these “important” pages). If your page has 100 quality links leading to it, it will rank higher than another page that has only 20 links. Considering this, it’s only logical to get as many links pointing at your page as possible. From here, check out PageRank, Google’s way of deciding a page’s importance. PageRank is an algorithm that assigns numerical weighting to each element of a hyperlinked set of documents. Though this isn’t the single best tool, it is an important one.
Google also gives weight to the title of your page. A title is the text that is sandwiched between the HTML
-taken from http://www.youngentrepreneur.com

How To Optimize Your Website For Search Engines

In order to optimize your website, you need to ask yourself three questions:
1. How are people searching for my products and/or services?
2. Which sites are winning for those searches and why?
3. Which searches can I “win”? (This question shouldn’t be hard for nichepreneurs.)
From here, identify some search phrases for your website that are potentially winnable. Comb through your page and look for keywords that already coincide with the keyword phrases you’ve come up with. It’s advisable to dedicate one page of focused, well-written, and useful content for each keyword family you choose. (A good example is a page from an encyclopedia.)
Every page on your site must have a unique HTML title tag, meta keywords tag, and meta description tag. From here, follow W3C recommendations for HTML document structure. Begin the body copy of your page with your keyword phrase, and repeat it as needed as the theme of the page throughout your copy. Feature your keyword phrase prominently by including it in headers and making it bold or italics. Next, use text navigation on your site, and use the keyword phrases you have selected as the links. If you cannot use text navigation, include a footer on every page using text links. It’s ideal to build a text site map and link to it from every page of your site, as well as organizing navigation according to the importance of your keyword phrases.
If your site has several pages, link to the most important pages from every page of your site, and link to the other pages from section header pages and the site map. The last step will be to establish your site by submitting to the major directories, The Open Directory and the Yahoo! Directory, then build your link popularity by submitting to web directories, search engines, and requesting links from related websites.
-taken from http://www.youngentrepreneur.com

Three Ways to Get the Media to Pay Attention to Your Young Company

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Whether you’re starting a new company or launching a new product, most young entrepreneurs want to grab the microphone and tell everyone. And that’s totally understandable. It’s only natural that what occupies — in some cases, 90 percent — of your waking life is the first (and usually only) thing you talk about.
This “I’ll talk to anyone who will listen” mentality isn’t a bad thing necessarily. After all, it’s logical to want to spread the word about your new venture any and everywhere. But when it comes to taking your story to the media, doing so can actually be detrimental. Oftentimes, you may find yourself making a whole lot of motion, without making much progress.
It’s like customer acquisition. Do you want to chase 100 “maybe” customers that probably aren’t going to care about your awesomeness and only win a handful? Or would you rather go after 20 potential customers who are more likely to respond to your pitch because your product or idea is more relevant to them?
Seems like a no brainer, right? But you’d be amazed at how many young entrepreneurs go the “cast the widest net” route. Instead, here are three tips on how you can effectively — albeit indirectly — win over the media.
Think small batch. Find 20 reporters, bloggers, producers, outlets and influencers who both have the eyes and ears of the audience you seek (a.k.a. your target customer) and who will most likely want to open your email. Then, do some harmless stalking: Follow them on Twitter, set up some Google alerts for their names, read their content and socialize it. Finally, and this is the clincher: Look for uncommon connections. I once ultimately landed coverage in The Washington Post for a personal finance-management site thanks to a common experience involving black widow spiders and camping on the Mississippi River. Seriously. Basically, you’ll want to find legitimate opportunities to interact with them in a non-pitchy way.
Why this works? You’re showing that you’re a part of the community. And when the time comes for an actual pitch, you’ll have built up some cred that will at least get your email opened.
Start early. Know how many cold-call style “official launch” pitches a reporter or blogger gets per day? Too many. It’s overwhelming. To combat that, start making your soft introductions early. Even when you’re thoroughly not ready for public unveiling, ping your small batchers and tell them what you’re up to and where you’re headed. And most importantly, seek their input.
The idea here is simple: The influencers you’re trying to connect with know your space. And more often than not, they appreciate an entrepreneur who seeks their input before clamoring for coverage. It’s sort of like dating. Would you ask someone to come home and meet your parents just days removed from your first date? Or would you take some time to get to know them, share things, and build an actual relationship? Point is, start early, be subtle and seek input.
Offer to Participate – Ask your small batchers if their outlet/blog is open to guest articles/posts. If they are, propose an idea. It’s important to note though that your idea is going to have to be nonpromotional and original. You’re not going to get to write some glowing review of your company or product. And you can’t just cut and paste an old blog post of yours. Instead, pitch an idea or trend that’s relevant to your space, the reporter’s beat or the outlet’s focus areas — and offer up a fresh perspective.
The value here? Not only does penning a guest article increase your credibility, but it also strengthens your relationship with the reporter, blogger, media outlet, etc. And down the road, that’ll be valuable.
-taken from http://www.youngentrepreneur.com

How to Decide if a Job or Entrepreneurship is Right for You

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It’s a perennial question for college graduates: Should you cling to the stability of a corporate job or try for your dream with entrepreneurship?
To be sure, many young people today aren’t flush with job offers upon graduation. But for the lucky ones who do have a choice, the question of what to do is no less though. And in these rocky economic times, it’s likely an even more stressful decision.
So what should you do? Besides the obvious questions of whether a company offers healthcare and retirement options, here are five factors to consider:
Structure versus flexibility: Big companies have the infrastructure and policies to keep it running well. Your position would likely be highly structured with specific duties. There will be regular performance measures and goals for every department. Everyone is taught his or her level of authority. If rigidness keeps you focused, this may be a good choice for you.
Smaller firms, particularly startups, invent and reinvent themselves as they grow. Goals are fluid and a new opportunity can completely change the company’s direction. If you like to do new things every day and you’re not afraid of change, this type of company might be your best fit.
Focus versus multitasking: With a larger corporation, you’ll likely have few dedicated tasks to complete. You’ll only interact with certain people and departments and your work may have a lot of routine. Because of the company’s large size, you will be able to focus on one project or responsibility and rely on others to complete their responsibilities.
A startup doesn’t have enough people to allow any one person to focus on just one task or problem at a time. You may be pulled out of your current project to help another area that needs an extra pair of hands. Chances are that every day will have more projects and work than you can complete. You will have to constantly prioritize the work that needs to be done.
Plentiful resources versus not enough: Generally, large companies have the resources to meet their goals. Office equipment, supplies and services such as FedEx are available as needed. Someone comes by every day to deliver and collect mail. There’s an internal team that can solve any technology problems. Legal and other support is also available.
Startups don’t have enough of anything. Every dollar needs to go in about 20 different directions. Often you need to make do with limited equipment and supplies. If you’re lucky, there’s a computer geek on the team who takes care of problems when he or she has time.
Growth versus survival: Large corporations can go for years before they notice that they’re in financial trouble. Six quarters of million-dollar losses can be absorbed without affecting anything much other than stock prices. Eventually problems will lead to layoffs, but not until they trim the travel and training budgets. The focus is on increasing revenue — and survival is assumed.
Startups, by contrast, are always in some form of survival mode. Sales are critical, expenses are carefully monitored and a decision such as attending a conference is carefully weighed. Owners know that they may be only one or two clients away from closing their doors, even as the business progresses.
Risk versus reward: Initially, the large corporate option looks very inviting. Salaries may be bigger, benefits are richer and stability is the order of the day. But over time, the potential for advancement is limited to the capabilities and structure of the firm.
At riskier startups, stability can seem unattainable, while salaries are generally lower and benefits may be nonexistent. There’s no guarantee that the company will be around a year from now. But — and this is a big but — promotions can happen quickly, along with raises or bonuses. And if you can get some equity in the company, the rewards could be amazing.
-taken from http://www.youngentrepreneur.com