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"That can't be a legal parking space..."
"Because if it was, someone would already be parking there." If you're always pessimistic about new opportunities, you should probably stop driving around. Opportunity is often where you decide it is.
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HourlyNerd is an online marketplace that connects small and mid-sized businesses with MBA students who can provide part-time and freelance work.
Cancelled
Fired Called out Humiliated Embarrassed Crashed Unfunded Indicted though innocent Typos found Unappreciated Late Underbid Found out Outclassed Defeated Satired Criticized Out of cash In debt Underdressed Out of tune Underwhelmed Out of your league Unprepared You can avoid all of these failures by doing nothing. Or you can risk these failures and start making a difference. Which will you choose? This hotel used to be a bank.
That conference organizer used to be a travel agent. This company used to make playing cards. Perhaps you used to be hooked on keeping score, or used to be totally focused on avoiding the feeling of risk, or used to be the kind of person who needed to be picked... "Used to be," is not necessarily a mark of failure or even obsolescence. It's more often a sign of bravery and progress. If you were brave enough to leap, who would you choose to 'used to be'? Start your first business doesn't have to be hard, do it this way -
Start with the smallest possible project/product/service in which someone will pay you money to solve a problem they know they have. Charge less than it's worth and more than it costs you. Repeat. Q. What I need to consider to ensure I am financially prepared to quit my current job?
A. It makes perfect sense to look at some hard numbers before quitting your current job. Here are 6 steps to follow: 1. Save at least six months’ expenses Unless you have another source of income already in the bag (or you’re going to be relying on a partner’s income), quitting your job without a safety net is a bit reckless. Consider six months’ of living expenses a comfortable minimum to put in the bank before you quit. This figure holds true especially for those going the entrepreneurial route in high tech, as you can’t expect angel funding the moment you get your bright idea for an app or startup. Also, practically the average job search takes about four to six months, so it's best you prepare a plan of action, like in 2. below. 2. Plan to live on (much) less If the planned career change is important, you simply can’t “afford” to hold it hostage because you’re resisting a lifestyle change. Financial scholars call this the “hedonic treadmill.” That is, human beings adapt quickly to the achievements and lifestyle advances they make, and happiness peaks as we level off to the new normal (or think of it as the fiscal equivalent of new car smell wearing off.) But you don’t have to travel all the way back to Ramen Noodleland. Consider incremental changes: a cheaper apartment, a less expensive car, fewer nights and lunches eating out. The more you can cut back, the further your savings will go; the same amount of money required for six months can last perhaps twice as long and give you more breathing room. 3. Ramp up to takeoff Consider this - seasoned musicians in the studio don’t merely jump into a tune. They’ll play four or five bars in warm up mode so that when the song actually starts, they’re right on beat and in sync. Likewise, a job shift isn't something you should approach abruptly. Start making your plans weeks or even months before you leave your current gig. 4. Seek counsel from others who have done it Use your social network (especially LinkedIn) to get advice from others who’ve faced the same situation. Here you’ll find financial mentors especially helpful as you develop a checklist of moves to make. Some questions to ponder and ask:
5. Always leave on good terms You may not love your job. Heck, you may hate it. But resist the urge to let your boss (or any of your coworkers) know that. If you were a good employee, your old employer may be your best safety net as you go out on your own. If things don’t work, you can always beg for your old job back. To smooth over your departure, give plenty of notice. If you’re going out on your own, more than two weeks may be appropriate. And when your boss asks why you are leaving, emphasize the opportunities you want to pursue, not the job you’re trying to escape. 6. Ask yourself twice if it’s the right move While it's exciting to pursue your passion, you should do so with financial wisdom. You can’t accomplish the transition otherwise, period. But properly prepared money-wise, you’re in the best position possible to go for it. There are two options for any business to engage customers -
1. Contracts You and the customer sign a contract, it is filled with rules and conditions, loopholes and fine prints. The goal is clear - do something now so to deliver as little as possible in the future. This is about the past. 2. Handshakes In a handshake engagement, either party can claim loopholes and has no commitment. The consequence is clear - if you disappoint us in the future, there will be no more handshakes. This is about the future. The best marketing in the world doesn’t remind people how great the company is or how great the product is.
The best marketing reminds people how great they are. Do you want to send, request and accept payment? If you use any of current payment processors, you will end up paying a percentage of the amount plus a small fee.
With Dwolla, you can get it done either FREE (for amount less than $10) or $0.25 per transaction, that's it! 1. People => Problems => Solutions => Impact => More People
2. Product => Prospects => Persuasion => Sale => More Products Which one is better? What's the next thing you will do?
Is it the most important thing? Or just the easiest thing? Or maybe the most urgent thing? Did you ever spend time thinking what's the most important thing to do next? Find a peer group of people with similar dreams, goals and views.
They are people who will push you in exchange for being pushed, who will raise the bar and tell you the truth. They're not in your business, but they're in your shoes. Finding a peer group and working with them, intentionally and on a regular schedule, this could be the biggest boost you dream needs from being a dream to an action. A great idea is worthless unless you can understand and communicate why it matters to people.
The difference between a good idea and a commercial success is context, think about the following three questions:
Do you have so many ideas that you don’t really know which one to start first?
The only thing you need to do is to stop thinking. Just pick the one you feel most comfortable with, start it now! In order to be successful in business, you need all of your energy focused on the one thing you are going to do, because you need to do it extremely well! You don't need more time ... you just need to decide then act.
Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.
― John Wooden Q. I own a small business, how to target my local customers?
A. The best and easiest way is to list your business at local listing sites. There are maybe a hundred or so local listing sites, but not everything is created equal, just make sure your business is listed on some of the biggies:
Or you can pay Moz.com $49 a year so they can push the listing to all the local listing sites. For entrepreneurs, the difference between impossible and nearly impossible is huge -
If it's impossible, just avoid it. If it's nearly impossible, commit to making it possible. Remember, if the work is easy, it's not for you! For entrepreneurs -
If you tell your customers that "you can get this from anyone, but please consider me", you probably won't go very far ... What if instead, you create a reputation as the person or organization that can honestly say, "you can't get this from anyone but me?" Remember, if the work is easy, it's not for you! The internet defaults to "sort by popular", thanks to Google search, user reviews, social medial likes ...
But when your choices default to the populars, you are letting the crowd making the choices for you. In investing, this is called herd behavior. In business, this will lead to commodity business. Being popular usually is not the same as being important, or often, not the same as being good. For entrepreneurs or simply anyone, the most precious asset is time.
There are countless tools and online resources that enable us to get more done than ever before. For some of the best ones, you can find from the following book: Work Smarter: 350+ Online Resources Today's Top Entrepreneurs Use To Increase Productivity and Grow Their Business The resource in this book will help you uncover the secret weapons used by some of the top entrepreneurs and make the most of your time. Best of all, it's currently FREE at Amazon. Entrepreneurs, if you want to build an effective tribe, here are the 3C's you need to heed to -
Connection What do you stand for? Are relationships being built, or is this merely an ATM? Commitment There's no cliff. This is a mission, a journey, a cultural convenant for the long haul. Will you be here tomorrow and next year and ten years after that? Conversation It might feel like a broadcast tool, but it's not. The tribe thrives when it talks to itself, not when it merely listens to you shout. For entrepreneurs, it's actually quite easy to add value - do extremely hard work for your clients.
If the work is easy, it's not for you. Q. I am an experienced business consultant (not IT consultant), where can I find freelance opportunities?
A. While there are a few well known IT (with some business coverage as well) free lance sites, we haven't seen many freelance sites for business professionals, except recently we found two young companies popping up with venture fundings, they are:
Both are online talent marketplaces for experienced business professionals in fields such as strategy, finance, marketing, etc. You can easily find many shiny words in a person's resume.
But it's rare to hear an employee say "Follow me". When you have the guts to say "Follow me", you will find no shortage of followers. |
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