Entrepreneurship Archives - Page 10 of 23

3 Fast and Easy Ways to Kick-Start the Growth of Your Business!

Business growth is one of those terms that is thrown around a lot nowadays. For me, this used to simply mean increasing revenue.

As a business owner myself, I’m focused. My eyes are ‘on the prize’.

However, in my pursuit to continue to grow my own businesses, and start-up new ones – I have come to a realization. Actually a few… And I’d like to share these three quick tips that I hope you seriously consider taking on board, so that you can start growing your business a little faster in today’s market.

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The Importance of Innovation in Business and Why You Need to Get Busy – NOW!

Over the last month or so the importance of innovation in business has become more and more obvious to me.

I’ve come across a handful of people either trying to completely copy one of my business models, duplicate my online content (from this blog), blatantly copy the design of my Facebook branding and even had someone rip footage from one of my YouTube videos, and include it in a video to promote their business elsewhere online!

I’m left thinking “Really? C’mon. Get original, already..!”.

I appreciate that its tough to come up with a ‘truly’ original ‘idea’ nowadays, but knowingly copying, or ripping off someone else’s idea, or business model is not gonna get you anywhere.

Knowing the type of people that read my blog, I’m sure we’re all in agreement on this point!

Benefits of Innovation in Business

It’s easy to copy what is seen as working in today’s market. It’s a tough game out there nowadays, and anything you can do to help kick-start your new business, blog, WebTV show, podcast, service, product or digital magazine in a positive manner is understandable.

However, I’m a big believer that the advantages of innovation in business go way beyond just doing well, or making money!

It’s about creating the right kind of persona as an entrepreneur. It’s about moving and shaking in the right circles. It’s about ‘killing it’ live on stage, in the boardroom, over the dining table, or on the golf course.

The benefits of being innovative in the way you startup, grow and develop your business far outweigh the benefits you’ll enjoy by simply copying someone else’s idea, or model.

Why is Innovation Important in Business?

Why shouldn’t it be? Why is it important that you water indoor plants daily; that you keep the tempreature of your tropical aquarium at the right setting; that you workout regularly?

Since I launched this new site, just 6 weeks ago, I’ve taken the following steps to stand out from the crowd, re-brand myself and generally make a statement:

The site is 100% customized – there is no other site out there like it.
I created a 7-Day Bootcamp course to help reenforce my entrepreneurial philosophies on building businesses in the 21st century.
Backing it all up, I launched the New Business Manifesto, along with a customized video to help promote it.
I’ve provided free website critiques, as well as replied to every single comment posted on the blog.
My Facebook page has grown at an awesome pace, down to my interaction and giveaways.
Plus much more!

I feel good about making these moves, and I have a lot more planned in the next few months, too.

Advantages of Innovation in Business

It’s easy for me to rant and rave a little about this – and don’t get me wrong, I’ve got this! I’m not all that concerned by any of it – but, I do see this trend of cutting corners, copying, etc. developing more and more nowadays, which is why I decided to create this post on the subject.

As an entrepreneurial network, we need to respect original ideas, business processes, market concepts and so on. If we don’t we leave ourselves wide open to being spanked ourselves – probably when we’re doing well, and it’s really going to sting!

And here’s the thing… Exactly how innovation helps business, depends on your business model.

If you’re running an online business, creating mobile apps or selling informational products via your blog, being seen as an innovative sort will help you immensely, of course.

If you own a pet store, then you might not have to be SEEN as an innovative person, but if you can inject a certain amount of innovation into the way you market and promote your business in the local community, not only will you get more business, but you’ll also be respected as a local entrepreneur.

Conclusion

There are always going to be those that copy and duplicate what you have done, because you’ve done okay for yourself doing it. Get over it. Life goes on.

The big difference between those business owners that continue to crush it, and those that merely taste ‘the crush’ (is there such a term?! well, there is now!), is how you conduct yourself in business. How you promote, market, sell and look after your customers.

Get busy being innovative my friends. Stand out for the right reasons, and the rewards will come to you over and over again…

What do you think about the role of innovation in business? Do you place the right amount of focus on the importance of innovation in business, when it comes to your own activities? I’d love to know your feelings on this important subject. Comment below.

Website Pick-Me-Up: 3 Subscriber’s Get a Good Grillin’ from Me! (Video)

Earlier on in the week, I posted a status update over on our Facebook Community, asking for people to volunteer their websites for a bit of a ‘beat down’!

I was astounded with how many people submitted their sites for public critiquing, but also happy to see so many great site authors following me online – even though they are doing just fine on their own, by the looks of things!

I’d love to have the time to go over every site in detail, however, I don’t. After scanning all of them, I selected these three that I felt were almost there, but needed a few tweaks in place, in order to get to the next level.

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10 Top Tips for Working with Virtual Assistants (Infographic)

Infographics are big business. On average they cost around $500 to create (if you want them to be good), but the ability for them to be spread all over the internet is insane – I mean serious viral stuff!

I’ve seen them popping up more and more this past year, and not one to ignore a trend, nor what a trend seems to be delivering for those that jump on it (Neil Patel recently attributed 2,512,596 visitors to his sites via his infographics!), I thought I’d give it a whirl myself.

This first cool infographic of mine (I have a few planned) points out ten simple, but a lot of the time ignored, tips for working with virtual assistants, a subject I know, well, a few things about!

Enjoy this interesting infographic and please comment below letting me what you think, and if you feel doing more is a good idea, or not – before I spend any more money!!!

🙂

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7 Ways to get Your Inbox Under Control and Regain Your Entrepreneurial Sanity!

Email is probably the biggest time-sucker for every and any entrepreneur working hard to create, build and run a business in today’s economy.

I’ve struggled with it myself in the past, but I’m happy to say I now have it very much under control – and it was all because of a handful of steps I incorporated into my daily work life.

A couple of days ago my buddy, Leslie Samuel published a post outlining changes that he was making in order to better manage his time and especially communication with followers and customers. This prompted me to shoot this video, which I hope will help bring some calm to the entrepreneurial storm, known simply as ‘Inbox Hell’.

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#NewBusiness Chit-Chat: Legacy. How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what I want my legacy to be. What do I want people to say about me when I’m gone?

What kind of influence will I have on my kids, in regards to how they create opportunities and shape their own lives?

A little morbid, perhaps – but, lets face it… We’re all only here for a certain period of time, right?! Are we happy to just waffle through life, fundamentally wasting it? Or do we want to create something, do something that will make a difference – in any way. Doesn’t matter if it’s business related, or not.

In an effort to get to know you, my readers, viewers, visitors, etc., better than I already do (some of you more than others, obviously), I’d love to be able to hear from you on this topic. Ask yourself the following questions:

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The ‘New Business’ Manifesto

Throughout the course of a normal week, I’ll receive hundreds of questions from small business owners and startup entrepreneurs on the subject of starting and growing companies in today’s incredibly fast moving business world.

A lot of the time they are via our Facebook Community, and I’ll reply there directly. Sometimes its on Twitter, and some times via email. Bottom line: I freakin’ love hearing from you – regardless of how you reach out. So, please don’t stop!

One thing that I really love is the fact that the large majority of these messages come in from people that have already taken and finished my free training course, the ‘New Business’ Bootcamp, giving them a great kickstart in the process!

But, growing a business in today’s market is not just about learning how to blog, podcast, how to utilize online video, or work with virtual assistants (to name a few of the subjects tackled in the bootcamp). It’s also just as important to have the right mindset, than it is to have the skills!

We need to encapsulate EVERYTHING that we should ALL be about, in regards to changing the way we startup, market and build our businesses in today’s economy, so I bring to you, the ‘New Business’ Manifesto!

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10 Simple Steps to Unleashing the Thought Leader Within You!

Every entrepreneur in their right mind should be working their tail off to be seen as a thought leader – someone who innovates and leads – in their industry.

In the ‘olden days’ of business, this would have meant putting in those 10,000 hours that everyone assumes you need to clock-up to get yourself to ‘expert status’ in a chosen niche. However, as I’ve been saying time and time again recently – things have changed.

We’re no longer in the 80’s, where the thought of small businesses having a client base all around the world was just as far fetched as the idea of being able to converse with those customers using something as ridiculous as ‘electronic mail’ – even though email is now the number one ‘tool’ used in business every minute of every day.

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