Starting a business is not an easy task. Neither is it easy to maintain confidentiality over its most sensitive aspects.

An entrepreneur is an individual who is able to convert an idea into a profit-generating business. It can be tough to do this successfully. One of the chief reasons is that other people can so easily steal and use your ideas—if you are unwise enough to disclose the details heedlessly.

For this reason, you will need to take precautions. It is of vital importance to play your cards close to your vest. Below are some ways of doing so:

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Maintain Confidentiality with Non-Disclosure Agreements

Among the ways you can protect your business ideas are to prepare a non-disclosure agreement for your employees and business partners to sign before they begin working with you.

Keep in mind that the information or idea you’re basing your business on has value. It’s every bit as valuable as currency, maybe even more so. Insist that your employees sign a non-disclosure document agreeing that they will not share information about your business with anyone, especially your competitors or anyone who might become your competitor.

For another example, let’s say you are working with other players on a single business idea. Each person in the group will contribute to the implementation of that business idea. You therefore need to disclose your idea to them to the degree that they can add to it with their own ideas.

However, if they have not agreed to respect the confidential nature of their work with you, they might decide to sell that idea elsewhere. With a nondisclosure agreement they will be obligated to keep valuable information about your business private.

Keep Your Business Idea Unique

Yes, it can be great fun to share about your ideas, almost as much fun as playing slots for free in the comfort of your own home. After all, you’re excited about your ideas—so excited, in fact, that you’ve started a business based on them. But don’t let your excitement get the better of you. Don’t tell anyone and everyone about your great new ideas. That’s just not smart.

Remember that if you make your idea public, then it is no longer your idea. If everyone can learn about it, someone else besides you could choose to implement it before you do. Keep such vital information private until you have fully executed your idea.

Share your best business ideas only as necessary and only with a few people you know you can trust. Keep access to vital information about your business within a small, tight circle.

Protect Your Intellectual Property

If your idea is truly unique and you believe it has great potential for generating profits for your company, it might be smart to register it for a patent. With a patent, your idea will be protected under the law as your intellectual property, at least for the foreseeable future. However, the process of obtaining and maintaining patents is an expensive one and not a wise choice for most small businesses.

It is not easy maintaining confidentiality around your business ideas. However, it is necessary if you want to retain possession of those ideas. When you’re starting a business, it is vital that you keep your sensitive information private.

Cost-effective marketing solutions can communicate the substance of your business and put you on the road to success.

For example, a focus on content marketing doesn’t have to be a huge expense. But it can give your business a much-needed boost. Just focus on providing quality content and the results are sure to follow.

When you upgrade your online content marketing to maximize SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you can be sure that you’re making the best use of your marketing budget. Such a strategy will give your business the cost-effective, long-reaching advertising it deserves. Additionally, you can employ SMO (Social Media Optimization), guest-blogging, and Google Reviews.

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Cost-Effective Marketing Solutions Maximize Return on Investment

Many business owners allow costs to restrict their marketing strategies, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

Often, a single marketing expense can yield multiple benefits, maximizing effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) while minimizing the financial outlay. It might take you a few trials and errors to find your balance with this strategy, but by using your imagination and being creative you’ll eventually produce the results you’re after.

Expensive Architecture Versus Cost-Effective Architecture

Here’s an analogy that illustrates these points. You could purchase a top-of-the-line structure for your business’s base of operations. You’ll have all the modern amenities, the comforts required to make the daily grind less difficult to bear and prime construction designed to stand the test of time.

Going this route will provide some cushy pluses, to be sure, but will the additional expense ultimately yield the advantages your business could most benefit from?

Alternatively, you could take a completely different route. You could decide that substance beats style in the long run. In this case, you might consider prefabricated options for your business’s home base.

According to FidelitySteel.com, a maker of prefabricated metal buildings, “Any building that has been engineered or fabricated in a factory before shipment can be referred to as classic, pre-engineered, prefabricated, or prefab.”

Consider the advantages:

1. Prefabricated buildings are relatively inexpensive.

For example, aircraft can be stored in expensive buildings, and in most airports they are. However, some airports use less expensive options which essentially do the same job. Some of the best aircraft hangars are of the prefabricated variety. This is a cost-effective solution that additionally has great longevity.

2. Prefabricated buildings are constructed to withstand the elements.

Some even have an aerodynamic design known to stand the test of time. After all, Antarctica’s bases are mostly prefabricated structures.

Do you see what we’re getting at here? When it comes to architecture for your business, you have plenty of options. Some of those options are better than the most expensive ones—at a fraction of the cost.

You’ve Got to Work up to Rocco Moto Status

Marketing likewise benefits from substance over style. For evidence of this principle, just think of a Tommy Hilfiger ad.

For another example, take Rocco Moto, which produces designer clothes. As part of their branding efforts, this business employs top-tier, ultra-stylish—and most likely ultra-expensive—marketing. Ironically, though, their marketing choices limit their market. Only a select few can afford a pair of pants that cost as much as a low-end computer.

If you want your offerings to be available to a wider market than theirs, you’ll need to price your goods and services accordingly. In this way, the price itself acts as a marketing attraction. While your business is gaining traction in the marketplace, you’ll want to depend on other cost-effective marketing options, too.

After a while, once your business has gained enough momentum, you might choose to turn to high-end marketing for promoting, say, your new designer line. Perhaps you could even market that line under a new, trendier name that ropes in more affluent clients.

In other words, by employing cost-effective marketing solutions, at least in the beginning, you might just find that you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Are you thinking of moving your business to another location but you’re uncertain as to where? Which city would be a smart move for a young, business-savvy entrepreneur like you?

Haven’t you heard the latest news? Atlanta is a new up-and-coming business center as well as a vibrant entertainment capital.

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Atlanta Is Booming

According to the latest studies, the city of Atlanta is becoming one of the most culturally diverse and economically profitable cities in the US. In recent years, Atlanta’s economy has been on the rise and there’s no stopping it. Atlanta has boomed, first as home to such giants as Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines, and more recently as the business center for large corporations such as Home Depot, UPS, CNN, Bellsouth and many others.

The Georgia capital is attracting people from across the country, and more and more people are moving to this city because of the culture and commerce. If you look into everything Atlanta has to offer, it’s easy to see why.

Atlanta features one of the highest rates of job growth in the US, iconic landmarks such as the Alliance Theatre, the CNN Center and Michelin star restaurants, to name a few.

The rise of the city’s star is especially true with regard to the world of entertainment and film. The Washington Times has nicknamed Atlanta the “Hollywood of the South.”

The City in the Trees

Another of the city’s nicknames is the “City in the Trees” because of its foliage. The climate is fairly reasonable, with mild winters and summers that aren’t too hot.

Real Estate in Atlanta

There is also a lot of transit between Atlanta and other major US cities like Los Angeles and New York. As a result, there’s a rise in Atlanta’s population, which has resulted in higher real estate valuations and better living conditions.

This basically means that smart property investments could bring you a greater profit later on. New luxury condos opening in Atlanta could be the direction in which to invest your savings. You can buy a condo to live in or you can rent it out through an agency and have secure income every month. Think of it like another paycheck to look forward to every month. There are many real estate agencies which can help you find reliable tenants.

But even if you decide to change the scenery once again, sell your property and move your business to another city, Atlanta’s economic trends will bring you an increase in your property value. Basically, selling your condo could make you more money than you had invested in it. That’s why you need to be careful in choosing the right location before you buy a condo. That right location would ideally be in the heart of Atlanta.

Benefits of Owning a Condo

There are many benefits of owning a condo. By owning a condo, not only do you secure a roof over your head, you also have a comfortable place from which to conduct your home-based business. You also gain access to clubhouses, golf courses, swimming pools, tennis courts and fitness facilities that you otherwise might not be able to afford.

Another benefit of owning a condo is living within a community that would be perfect for all those who always wanted to be a part of a big family.

About the Author

Tamara Stanojević is an influencer marketing pro with brownboxbranding.com. Tamara is passionate about building authentic relationships and helping businesses connect with their ideal online audience. She keeps her finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving digital marketing world by writing on the latest marketing advancements. And she focuses on developing customized blogger outreach plans based on industry and competition.

Many of us don’t see ourselves as marketers, but it is something we have to do, and we have to be good marketers to grow our businesses. The only way to be good at something is to enjoy it, so let’s take a new look at marketing and see if we can become enthusiastic about the process.

What Is Marketing?

Marketing is traditionally seen as preparing the ground for a sale, which is how many of us still see it, but many marketers use a much broader definition.

Marketing “is an ongoing communications exchange with customers in a way that educates, informs and builds a relationship over time. The over time part is important because only over time can trust be created,” says Renee Blodgett, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Magic Sauce Media.

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Marketing activities provide value to the prospect and help build confidence, and when you start to look at marketing as a giving activity, you might see it differently.

When you break down the definition above there are five components:

1. Ongoing
2. Communication exchange
3. Educates and informs
4. Builds a relationship
5. Builds trust over time

Ongoing Marketing

Marketing happens over an extended time-frame. It takes time to build trust in someone who has a vague interest in your services and move that person to become a customer or client eventually.

You need systems in place that can automate some of the early-stage contacts.

You can use web scraping to generate lists of possible leads and then task your team with developing them using social media channels.

Using an autoresponder to send messages to those who subscribe to your email list is a prime example of automation. You do the work once, plan your sequence of enticing emails that includes some of your best secrets, and every subscriber receives the same messages.

You can delegate much of your daily social workload by using social media automation with applications such as Hootsuite or PostPlanner. These tools mean that your employees and freelancers can post to your company Twitter and Facebook accounts, freeing up your time for more personal contacts.

Communication Exchanges

Email is perfect for sending messages, but few subscribers are going to reply to automated emails. You need a better way to engage prospective leads. Social media helps with engagement and is an essential part of the mix, but it is not enough.

You need a medium that encourages two-way conversations.

Webinar software will let you arrange virtual meetings and seminars with contacts from all over the globe.

You can use webinars in different ways:

• Briefing scores of attendees, while taking written questions
• Discussion groups, where the active mic is passed to participants in turn
• One to one meetings, even if you are in different countries

Using webinars for marketing lets you hold two-way conversations with groups of varying sizes. Attendees can type in a question as an issue arises, and you have a few ways you can answer: You or an employee can type in an answer immediately; you can respond to the question as part of your presentation; or you can start a private chat.

Whichever way you choose, the questioner gets an immediate response, and you gain kudos for being the person with the answer. If you opt to start a private chat, then you have a marketing opportunity you can use to build trust and move that person down your marketing funnel.

Marketing that Educates and Informs

Your marketing should be educational and informative rather than promotional. When your prospects take in your marketing messages, they perceive you as the expert in the area. They think that if you are willing to give away all that you do, then your total knowledge must be infinitely greater. Therefore, they think that you must be THE industry leader.

Webinars let you demonstrate your passion, and it is that which will set you apart from your competitors. Passionate business leaders win the sale because the pleasure you take in serving customers’ needs is infectious. Pleasure beats Amazon prices because it is hard to attach a monetary value to the way you make the customer feel.

Building Relationships Through Marketing

Your company is just one among scores in your niche. Build relationships with prospects, just like traditional high street stores in small towns do. The people you build relationships with will feel loyalty towards you. When they are ready to buy, they will come to you.

Use your email auto-sender to inform subscribers of your webinars. Perhaps offer them exclusive virtual meetings with you and your team. Exclusive meetings show how much you value the invitees and move your relationship forward.

Building Trust over Time

It takes time to build trust. Multiple contacts are necessary to convert a lead into a prospect and thence into a buyer.

Email is the skeleton you will use to build your business-customer relationships, but nobody does business with a skeleton.

Webinar platforms like ClickMeeting are the musculature that can give those relationships substance, make your company unique and enable your business to respond to customers’ issues, concerns and questions.

I am just one of those people that is constantly trying to stay motivated. I love business and working hard but some days are just not as good as others – and that’s the way it is.

Ryan found Jean-Claude’s words to be very uplifting and inspiring and I did too. I watched the entire video and honestly, Jean Claude seems to say something I have always felt. Most successful people are that way because they DIDN’T know they could not do something. In other words, they just did it, figured it out and found success. They didn’t listen to all the educators and naysayers that told them they could not be successful. They didn’t necessarily follow the rules or the guidelines. They just thought something and then went out and did it. He could not be more right.

In fact, most of the people I know, who are successful and running their own show, are that way precisely because they did NOT let anyone tell them they could not find success that way. That doesn’t mean no one told them no. It simply means they did not listen.

I agree with Jean-Claude 100%. Don’t ever let anyone stop you from following your dreams. As he says in his video, “You have to do whatever it takes, as long as you are not hurting anyone.”

Here is a short paragraph Ryan Oakley about how he was motivated by Jean-Claude Van Damme in the following YouTube video.

Source: Ryan Oakley

I just watched this incredibly uplifting speech made by world famous Action Movie Star Jean Claude Van Damme and it deeply moved me to get off my butt and move forward to create my own success story by making even more money online! Everybody who is looking to create their own home business should take a look at this video and really push forward your plans for your own home business success story!

We hope you will watch for yourself and leave comments!!

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If your home office is starting to feel cramped but you can’t afford to rent a dedicated office, maybe it’s time for you to think about setting up shop in a coworking space.

Coworking spaces are shared work spaces that you can use as and when you need to. You can rent a desk or a dedicated office on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis. There’s no need to sign an expensive and restrictive rental agreement. You can run your business from a coworking space without breaking the bank or losing your mojo.

Each coworking space is different in its layout and amenities, but most offer workers a kitchen (kitted out with plenty of free tea and coffee), all the office supplies you’ll need and a range of events—from yoga sessions to business master classes.

The flexibility of coworking also means that as your business grows you can easily scale up. As you need to, you can rent more desks or offices. Most coworking spaces offer virtual offices, too, and you can rent out meeting rooms on an ad hoc basis.

What’s more, you’ll be part of a community of like-minded souls. Coworking spaces attract freelancers, entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses—all of whom have a drive to thrive and succeed in whatever they do.

How Can You Get Started?

Finding a coworking space that matches the needs of your business is vital. First, you need to work out what you want in terms of location, amenities and space. Also, some spaces specialize in specific sectors or run business development programs and incubators.

Next, you need to come up with a shortlist of coworking spaces that fit the bill. Book a tour of potential spaces to see if they match your expectations and needs. Sancar Ayalp, head of partnerships and business development at NYC-based The Farm Coworking, said: “During a tour, make sure you chat with the people in the space. It’s important to make sure the community is a good match for the ethos of your business.

“Also, check out the events on offer at a coworking space. This will give you a good idea of the sort of work that’s done there and the opportunities such a space could offer you,” Sancar added.

Maximize Your Time

When you start working at a coworking space, view it as an opportunity to grow and further develop your business. Here are five tips for maximizing your time at a coworking space:

1. Introduce Yourself

It’s an obvious point, but on your first day make sure you introduce yourself and your business to your fellow coworkers. A coworking community is a networking goldmine. Use it.

2. Go to a Few Events

Whether it’s a “lunch and learn” session or an exercise class, try a couple of events to find out more about the space and further integrate yourself with the community.

3. Use the Community Manager

Most coworking spaces have a community manager who can help during your first few days while you’re finding your feet. A community manager is also a great source of information, too. Whether you have a question about the space, its community or your business, make sure you make full use of their knowledge.

4. Consider a Work Exchange

A work exchange is a great way to network and a cost-effective method of getting what you need for your business. For example, if you’re a marketing company that needs a new website, try to find a developer in the coworking community to work with on this project. You could then repay the favor by helping the developer market their business more effectively with a killer social media campaign.

5. Run an Event

Once you have settled in, consider hosting an event at a coworking space. You’ll have a ready-made audience with the coworking community and help on hand from the space’s management team. It’s a great way to showcase your expertise and drum up extra business and interest in what you do.

Coworking spaces are passionate about seeing their communities succeed and grow. You’ll never be faced with the loneliness of a home office, the unprofessional atmosphere of a coffee shop or the high cost of an office rental again.

Instead, you’ll be part of a vibrant community in a space filled with amenities and expertise that you can use in a highly flexible manner. It’s a win-win-win situation all around.

About the Author

Gemma Church is “the freelance writer who gets tech.” A journalist, copywriter and blogger for the science and technology sectors and editor for the NYC-based specialist healthcare and tech space The Farm Coworking.

We’ve discussed before in this blog about how to come up with the funds you need to start or further your business. One of those ways is by using trading software to invest in the markets. If you’re considering this method, read on to learn more.

First off, just know that there are advantages and disadvantages to using trading software. One thing to realize is that even the best auto trading robot isn’t perfect. Once you understand this then you can focus on the things that really matter when it comes to trading stocks on a regular basis. In this article, we look at some things you need to remember when using trading software.

When Trading Software Misses the Mark

Clients all too often come to me distraught because the trading software they were using missed the mark and led them to lose a lot of money. When I ask them why they were relying on a piece of software alone, they answer, “Well, it seemed better to rely on software than on a person.”

The flaw with that logic is that software cannot always react as quickly as a human could to the ever-changing aspects of the markets.

When something tragic and unexpected occurs, the markets may shift violently and without any real warning. Because of these rapid shifts, lots of people suddenly lose lots of money. That’s because their software can’t respond quickly enough to avoid damage.

For example, the “in or out” vote in the UK sent shocks waves around the world. All predictions were suggesting a definite call for the UK to remain in the European Union, yet the opposite happened. This unexpected event immediately caused currencies and other commodities to fluctuate.

Have a Human Backup Plan

Believe me, it’s always a good idea to have a person that you can fall back on to help you with your investing.

If you’re totally dependent on trading software to make your trades, mechanical and electronic failures can ruin you.

To give an example, let’s say for a moment that you are starting a trade. You are in the process when you lose power or your internet connection goes down, leaving you stuck. As a result, you don’t know if your order went through or not.

But if you have a human backup, you can call your broker to take care of the trade for you, possibly saving you from a big loss because of a mechanical or electronic failure.

Weigh the Pros and Cons

So, if you are wondering if trading software is right for you, take a moment to look at both the advantages and disadvantages. Find out more by talking with people who use trading software. Learn from them the issues they have when it comes to using software in their trading activities.

Make your decision cautiously, as the methods you use for your trading activities can affect your overall finances.

Work from Home with Apple Home Advisor Jobs

“Make your passion a profession” is what Apple says the job can mean to you.

Are you looking for a way to make money from home? Do you like helping people, using technology and providing excellent customer support to others? Would you like to find a way to work from home so you can be serious about your career, but also be there when you family needs you? If so, you might want to look into what Apple Home Advisor jobs could mean for you.

You will Receive Training & an iMac Computer

They are willing to train you and provide you with an iMac computer and headset. You will need to provide a quiet and distraction-free work space, an ergonomic chair, a desk and a network connection.

While they do say that working from home is not for everyone, they also say, “if you’re confident, disciplined, and self-motivated, home can be a place where work and life don’t clash — they collaborate.”

You will be answering Apple customer support phone calls from the comfort of your own home. You will help callers with their issues, show them how to use their new phone, product or camera and so on. If you have a knack for technology, especially Apple products, you are already home free.

There are other Benefits than just being a part of Apple

Apple says even those who work part-time receive a robust benefits package, including product discounts and paid time away.  They also offer resources to help you promote your own career development. They suggest helping you is helping them because the kind of work you will be doing for Apple in the future may not have been invented yet. Pretty amazing to think about.

Click the image above to be directed to the Apple Home Advisor Video

To get more information on just what Apple Home Advisor Jobs can mean to your life, go HERE

If you are looking to buy a franchise and have read my post on “How to Vet a Franchise,” you will most certainly want to know the 2017 Top 500 Franchises according to Entrepreneur Magazine.

Check out the Entrepreneur Site to see the entire list and how they determine their rankings

Source: Entrepreneur.com

I am all for empowering women out there. This is a very inspiring video and article from Entrepreneur.com about a group of women who decided to start a women’s life style blog and just did it! They started out with a bang and continue to be successful through great thought and effort. I found it very inspiring and I hope you do too!!

Danielle Moss was at the tail end of her 20s, working odd jobs, when she decided to move from Los Angeles to Chicago. It was in the Windy City where she met Alaina Kaczmarski, who shared a love for blogging. The two dreamed of creating a site directed at women like them. From there, The Everygirl was born.

Five years later, The Everygirl is one of the top lifestyle and career destination sites for women. Moss shares the lessons she learned on making her own career and what led to the success of The Everygirl.

Related: This Chicago Photographer Helps Beef Up Brands Where Art Meets Science on Instagram

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