Bad Business Habits That Small Biz Owners Want to Break | Small Biz Trends

March 25, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Of all the bad business habits out there, which one would you most like to break? Micromanaging? Overspending? Procrastination?

Would it surprise you to learn that “wearing too many hats” is the bad business habit that 35 percent of business owners say they’d want to kick?

Yes, that’s right. Taking on too many roles and responsibilities is what more than one-third of small business owners said they want to change.

That was the top choice of bad business habits to break, in the sixth annual Brother International Small Business Survey, conducted by Wakefield Research.

We small business owners are notorious for wearing many hats. Apparently, quite a few of us do not see that as a good thing.

Ecommerce Product Description Writing Driving You Nuts? Here are 6 Ways To Describe Almost Anything | Getentrepreneurial.com

March 24, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There I was – stuck, staring at my computer screen and gritting my teeth. “All these calculators are virtually the same. All calculators add, subtract, divide and multiply.” I huffed, “How am I supposed to write different copy for 25 calculators that are all pretty much identical?”

Ever been there? Ever had several catalog or ecommerce descriptions or pages of copy to write that deal with products that are the same, but different? What’s the biggest problem? Knowing how to identify those all-important differences!

Strategy #1 – Create a List of Methods Used Before

One way to get around this would be to make a list of the different ways you have described products in the past. Then, you can simply refer back to your list for ideas. If you’ve written about USB speakers before, check your copy to see how you described them. Can some of that information be repurposed for current descriptions? Create your own cheat sheet.

Strategy #2 – Problem/Solution

What problem does the product solve? And for whom does it solve the problem? Here’s one example from Sauder:

Wanted: Women entrepreneurs | CNN Money

March 24, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

American Underground has a lofty goal — to become the most diverse startup incubator by the end of 2016.

Why the rush?

“Great business ideas aren’t getting the opportunity to come to market because the tech community of startups and investors lacks diversity,” said Adam Klein, chief strategist with the Durham, N.C.-based accelerator.

So by the end of next year, American Underground wants women and minority-led firms to make up more than 50% of its startups. (Currently, it’s 36% of the 225 startups.)

It’s not just lip service. Klein pointed to a variety of initiatives started in 2013 to aggressively recruit more female entrepreneurs to its three campuses.

There’s a nursing room at American Underground’s main location in downtown Durham. Networking, mentoring and cocktail hour events are scheduled before 6 p.m.

11 Major Spending Mistakes Many Entrepreneurs Make | Fox Small Business Center

March 23, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When first starting out, it often seems that simple things like monthly subscriptions will only help your business. But after the first few months—then years—the small costs can really add up. That’s why we asked 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question.

Q. What is one major spending mistake entrepreneurs make unintentionally?

1. Paying Too Much in Merchant Account Fees

One critical component in your business is how you collect money from your customers. A large piece of that for many companies is credit card processing. As someone in the industry, I know how costly it can be to make a knee-jerk decision to set up what is quick and has a simple pricing model, rather than finding a reputable rep to save you on fees.

Why Fraternities Have To Go | AskMen

March 23, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s time to end the Greek system on college campuses — even Will Ferrell says so.

In a public Q&A via the New York Times last week, the comedian said that even though he was in a fraternity — Delta Tau Delta — during his years at the University of Southern California, the racist behavior of Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers at Oklahoma University is “a real argument for getting rid of the system altogether.”

I couldn’t agree more. What began in the late 1700s as a small network of secret academic societies, in which young men at a few select colleges on the East Coast could gather and discuss topics deemed inappropriate by their institutions’ faculty and administrators, has devolved into a culture that not only condones abusive behavior, but in many cases demands it.

Small business tips | Business Insider

March 23, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s nothing quite like starting a business from scratch. It is one of the most rewarding — and challenging — things you can do.

After all, it requires putting everything on the line for an idea that may not resonate with the market, and there are plenty of potential missteps along the way. The risks are clear: Half of all businesses fail within the first five years, according to Gallup research.

To help you avoid that route, we have compiled five important tips to keep in mind when you do decide to start your own business.

Lessons from an entrepreneur: Start before you are ready | BusinessTips.com

March 20, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

I attended an entrepreneurship summit recently, where I was asked to help select and distribute an interesting award. Attendees were asked to write down something inspiring they learned at the summit and the best entry would win.

The majority of attendees entered the same mantra from an earlier speaker: Start before you’re ready. However, only one attendee went the extra mile and described what that principle meant to him. He applied the knowledge and was named the winner.

I was impressed by that because, of all the so-called entrepreneurs in the room, he was the real deal.

Thinking about this, I decided to look at my own entrepreneurship efforts (some successful and some not) to see how the “Start before you’re ready” mantra could apply to me. Here’s what I learned:

12 Ways Successful People Handle Toxic People | Entrepreneur

March 19, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Toxic people defy logic. Some are blissfully unaware of the negative impact that they have on those around them, and others seem to derive satisfaction from creating chaos and pushing other people’s buttons. Either way, they create unnecessary complexity, strife, and worst of all stress.

Studies have long shown that stress can have a lasting, negative impact on the brain. Exposure to even a few days of stress compromises the effectiveness of neurons in the hippocampus—an important brain area responsible for reasoning and memory. Weeks of stress cause reversible damage to neuronal dendrites (the small “arms” that brain cells use to communicate with each other), and months of stress can permanently destroy neurons. Stress is a formidable threat to your success—when stress gets out of control, your brain and your performance suffer.

How Do You Rebuild A Small Business After It Collapses? | Forbes

March 18, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Things could not have been worse for Bill Cromedy. His partners in the Philadelphia contracting firm had suddenly left, leaving him with little but the chair he sat in and a cloud of industry rumors about what had caused the company to split.

Cromedy knew that rebuilding the business would mean countless hours, as well as competing against his former partners. Cromedy could easily have walked away—many others would have. But now, just a few years later, Advantage Contracting is going strong once again, and the lessons he learned along the way continue to fuel his success.

How does a small business come back from such adversity? Cromedy began his path to recovery by looking inward. What he found can serve as a template for overcoming entrepreneurial catastrophes of any magnitude.

3 Reasons Why You Want Your Work to be Copied | Blinkist

March 18, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Nobody likes to see their ideas stolen, but in The Knockoff Economy, Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman offer some pretty compelling reasons why copying is more than just a big compliment.

That classic after-school snack. That crunchy adulthood indulgence. That chocolatey, curiously sandy sandwich cookie for the ages that was just made to be dunked in milk. What could be more original and distinct than an Oreo cookie?

Actually, the Hydrox.