Managing Your Personal Finances As An Entrepreneur: 14 Tips | Inc.com

September 29, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

There’s no doubt about it that being a successful entrepreneur requires a lot of expertise in a lot of different areas. Arguably one of the most important aspects to becoming a successful business owner is having your finances in order; after all, with no money, you’ve got no business. So, to help aspiring entrepreneurs take their next step towards building their empire, we’ve asked 16 expert entrepreneurs for their best piece of advice for managing your personal finances. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Diversify!”Diversify. Diversify. Diversify. I know that’s canned advice you would hear from almost every other “financial expert,” but it rings especially true for entrepreneurs. Here’s something you might not want to admit to yourself: your entrepreneurial venture has a greater chance of failing than succeeding gasp!. By diversifying and placing funds into another side business, alternate investments, or just setting aside cash, you will give yourself breathing room in the event that you have to call it quits or need to pivot to another business. In my own experience, I have been able to diversify into other ventures that operate independently of each other and that has led to constant growth and more exciting opportunities.”–Jeff Rose, GoodFinancialCents.com

2. Plan For Inevitable Rainy Days Or Months

Hollywood Drone Approval May Blaze Trail for Farmers: DOT | Bloomberg

September 29, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Score one for Hollywood.

Six movie and television production companies convinced the Federal Aviation Administration that they are capable of safely using drones while filming scenes in the U.S., opening the door to broader commercial use of the unmanned aircraft.

The FAA today said it granted the six companies waivers from regulations on general flight rules, pilot certification and equipment mandates designed for traditional aircraft as long as they meet certain conditions for safety. The agency is working with a seventh company on a similar drone approval and has at least 40 additional waiver requests pending for commercial use of unmanned aerial systems.

Unstealable Bike | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

September 29, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Developed by three Chilean engineering students; Juan José Monsalve, Andrés Roi and Cristóbal Cabello, the ‘Yerka’ project maintains the design of an urban bike yet incorporates a closing frame device to improve security. To thieves, every lock can be broken whilst leaving the bicycle intact, the creators have a strong clamp out of the velocipede’s frame. This means that the only way to steal it is to break the lock and thus the two-wheeler completely. No more will you have to carry around a padlock as the Yerka tech uses the bike’s body as the securing measure, taking less than 20 seconds to set-up.

Two Little Words That Will Help You Sell More | Inc.com

September 26, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

“Yes, and … “That two-word phrase can deepen your relationships and make you better at sales. That’s the word from Isaac Rodriguez, CEO of Provident Loan, and an amateur improv performer. He learned “yes, and … ” as an improv technique for continuing or escalating a scene, but then discovered it was very effective in the business world as well. I’d never really thought about “yes, and … ” before he recommended it but now that I have, I see how it’s a surprisingly powerful tool. Here’s why:

Do You Really Invest in Yourself as an Entrepreneur? | Allbusiness.com

September 26, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’m writing this post from my new, shiny HP desktop. It wasn’t cheap, and I dragged my feet on the purchase for years, but I’m glad I bought it. I’m now more productive, and stressing less over slow load times. Are you like me? Do you find your business or your professional development to be the last thing you invest in? I think it’s a symptom of being a micropreneur. If we had staff complaining about their computers, we’d have to do something about it. But when it’s just us, we put up with faulty equipment and subpar technology just because we think we’re not worth it. Let’s change that.

How to Improve Your Business Credit Score | Businessnewsdaily.com

September 26, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you’re good about keeping your personal and business finances separate, you may think that the only credit score you have to worry about is your own. While maintaining good personal credit is certainly important if you’re applying for business loans, you may not realize that your company has its own credit score — and it’s just as essential to monitor.

“Businesses in the eyes of the law are treated like people,” said Jeff Stibel, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corporation, which provides credit-building and credibility solutions for businesses. “The smallest businesses tend not to incorporate or get a credit file, so they [think they don’t] have a credit score. Whether you’re proactively trying to get your score or not, it’s very likely that you still have one.”

4 Neuroscience Secrets to Remain Calm Under Pressure | Inc.com

September 25, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

Great leaders always seem to remain calm during situations that make mere mortals fall to pieces. Conventional wisdom says that the ability to remain calm is a character trait that most of us lack.

Neuroscience, however, has recently revealed that remaining calm under pressure is not an inborn trait, but a skill that anybody can learn.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Understand the biochemistry.The opposite of remaining calm is the state of “fight or flight,” a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival.

A “Yelp For Cops” To Rate The Police–And It Was Made By High School Students | Fast Company

September 24, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

Nine days after unarmed Michael Brown was shot by a police officer, and after days of police aiming tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, pepper balls, and beanbag rounds at protesters, a group of young students from Georgia released one response to the problem of police abuse: A new app that that lets citizens rate any interaction with a cop.

“We’ve been hearing a lot about the scary, negative issues occurring in the media, for example, most recently, the Michael Brown case,” says 16-year-old Ima Christian, who built the app along with siblings Caleb, 14, and Asha, 15, with help from Joshua, age 10.