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You are here: Home / Archives for 2019

Archives for 2019

The 4 Pillars of Good Business Team Building – Running Your Business

May 17, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Building a successful business requires a top-notch team. However, extraordinary teams don’t happen by accident. They occur only with intentional team building. Read on to find out more.

When it comes to creating a world-class business, you will always need a great team. This is true whatever the field, sector, or discipline you are working in.

A good team starts with good individuals who understand what is important and are good at what they do. But those individuals become a great team only when team building gives them opportunities to create a real and effective camaraderie.

Professional team building firms produce real results. Moreover, they base their designs on ideas tested in the fiery intellectual furnaces of scientific rigor. These companies produce amazing courses and event options, some excellent examples of which you can see if you click here. These programs are based on four core principles. These are principles that, when properly understood, can turn your group of excellent individuals into a truly well-realized and hyper-harmonized team.

Goal Setting

Goal setting is of course a staple activity of every well-organized business. Goals provide incentive, clarity, and direction for all your effort and energy.

When the team as a whole understands that their contributions are not just distantly absorbed into the entire business, but are in fact something they can see as measurable to the success of the team, they have an incentive to try to better understand one another. This leads to the team being more interconnected and brings more harmony overall into the workplace environment.

team building outside

Role Clarification

One of the key watchwords of a good team is the concept of interdependence. If your team members think they can get along just fine by themselves and they don’t need anyone’s help, they have no incentive to work well together. This is generally not true, as very few businesses work well in the fashion of individuals moving in parallel. Additionally, it’s not conducive to the kind of social atmosphere that makes a workplace effective.

Clarify everyone’s roles and responsibilities to the point where every individual understands who they are dependent on, and who depends on them. Then the team will gel together more effectively. Moreover, such clarity motivates workers to do the best they can.

It is classic Golden Rule logic applied to team building. Just as you know how frustrating it is to be dependent on someone who is not pulling their weight to give you what you need, you in turn do not want to be that unreliable person for someone else.

Problem Solving

There is no business in the world that will not, at some point, come across some kind of conundrum that will require some degree of innovation. This includes everything from logistics timetables to software design or even customer care optimization. All kinds of businesses face all kinds of problems. Therefore, it is essential to cultivate a problem-solving attitude in your office. This is where effective team building comes into play.

While we most often remember the Einsteins and Musks of the world, the truth is that problems are best solved when teams come together and offer differing perspectives and advice.

Exercises where teams work together to solve a problem give a valuable sense of shared accomplishment. When team members feel safe and able to share ideas freely in the goal of working toward a singular problem, the team, working together, can accomplish much more than can people struggling to solve issues on their own.

RELATED ARTICLE: CREATING A GREEN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT IS EASY

Interpersonal Relations

Colleagues do not need to be friends all the time. However, it is more than helpful if they can at least be friendly. Team members who do not feel some level of social bond run the risk of being unwilling to work together. Likely, this is not because they do not need each other, but because they do not want to associate with one another to any significant degree.

However, team building exercises give people time to get around these issues. People get more chances to feel more at ease with each other. In this way, team building sessions can smooth things over so that everyone can find a way to work together in the manner of, if not friends, then at least friendly colleagues.

Team
Building Will Benefit Your Business

Team building is something that has been scientifically shown to benefit a wide range of businesses. It is an essential component of any sound management strategy. Take care with its application, choose occasions that will appeal to a wide audience, and you will be in command of a group of people whose work together will be effective and powerful moving forward.

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20 Places to Find Online Entrepreneur Courses

May 16, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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20 Places to Find Online Entrepreneur Courses

A well-chosen entrepreneurship course can equip you with the skills you need. They help you develop your idea or concept into a viable business venture. Many courses also provide ongoing resources. They help turn your dream into reality. And they help you avoid many of the common pitfalls that affect new start-up owners.

The United States’ home to many of the world’s best universities and most successful businesses. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone there are so many excellent courses here. And an aspiring entrepreneur pick from them all. Take the ones allowing you to make the most out of your business ideas.

Online Entrepreneur Courses

Here are 20 entrepreneur courses you can study online and on your own time.

Entrepreneurship Essentials Certificate – Harvard Business School Online

This online entrepreneur course teaches you to develop ideas into viable business plans. So the month-long course teaches you to develop a concept and then refine your business strategy. But the course also covers raising the necessary capital to expand your business.

Wharton’s Entrepreneurship Specialization – University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)

This beginner’s level course covers the conception, design, organization and management of brand new businesses. And you can take it through the online learning platform Coursera. The program consists of five modules. And it takes two months to complete. But the package also includes guidance from Wharton’s top professors.

Launching an Innovative Business – University of Maryland (Coursera)

This entrepreneurship course offers an in-depth three-month look at the entrepreneurial mindset. But you will also learn how to identify innovation opportunities. And you’ll see the steps needed to bring innovations to the marketplace. Then use this to establish a competitive advantage.

Career Success Specialization – UC Irvine (Coursera)

The Career Success course offers a flexible schedule. And this allows you to work through the four modules at your own speed. Because otherwise it would take three months of full time study. The program teaches you essential skills for the workplace. So it could also improve your ability to find work.

Business Design for Social Impact – Parsons School of Design

This entrepreneur program costs over $2,000 for a six week course. So this makes it one of the more expensive of its kind. But you can expect some of the best modules available for budding entrepreneurs. Develop the skills to prototype and validate a proof of concept. Build leadership skills. And create effective business models.

Inspired Leadership Specialization – Case Western Reserve University (Coursera)

Use this eight-month business leadership course to learn important concepts. You’ll learn to develop ideas and concepts. But you’ll also acquire the skills necessary to inspire and engage other people. And this will improve your team’s performance too. Work at your own pace. Each module costs approximately $50.

LinkedIn Brand-Building and Lead Generation – Udemy

The LinkedIn marketing course takes just one day to complete. And it costs $200 in total. But you’ll often find it heavily discounted. The course focuses on creating a great LinkedIn profile. So this helps build a brand and generate email business leads.

Sustainable Business Enterprises – University of Illinois (Coursera)

The course makes up part of the Global Challenges in Business Specialization series. And the program looks at current challenges and opportunities facing firms in the area of environmental sustainability.

Entrepreneurship: How To Start A Business From a Business Idea – Udemy

This course stresses entrepreneurship fundamentals. And the cost equals little over $200 for two full days’ worth of courses. But you will learn stress-free strategies to quickly turn your idea into a successful business.

Innovation: From Idea to Marketplace – University of Maryland (Coursera)

Use this two-month entrepreneurial innovation course to learn to bring innovations to market. And use it to develop insights into the creative process. Learn the skills to go from original idea to finished product. And master all the steps in between.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Certificate – Babson College (edX)

Discover the secrets of the entrepreneur mindset. And learn to create value for your stakeholders. This course covers a variety of business settings. The entrepreneurial mindset certificate takes four weeks of study to obtain. And it costs just under $100.

Entrepreneurial Operations: Launching a Startup – Babson College (edX)

This Babson College and edX collaboration focuses on the role of operations in launching a start-up. And you’ll learn the potential operational risks. But ultimately you’ll discover how to successfully launch your own start-up business.

Build a Shopify Dropshipping Business from Scratch – Udemy

You can take this program through online learning site Udemy. And you will learn to start your own business using Shopify. But the course offers even more. You’ll also get advice from a six-figure e-commerce Shopify entrepreneur is also part of the experience.

Innovative Ideas for New Companies – University of Maryland (Coursera)

This one-month online business course helps identify and analyze entrepreneurial opportunities. And you’ll learn to improve your entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll also improve your strategic decision-making. And the course even includes a module about building innovative business models.

New Venture Finance – University of Maryland (Coursera)

Learn about acquiring start-up funding. This course aims to demystify key financing concepts. And it will help aspiring entrepreneurs get the safe and secure funding their businesses need.

The Essential Guide to Entrepreneurship by Guy Kawasaki – Udemy

This one day course involves learning directly from a successful entrepreneur and investor. And you’ll discover how to launch a company with confidence and avoid the common pitfalls. The course usually costs over $100. But you’ll often find it heavily discounted. And it also offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

Killer Business Ideas: Complete Workshop – Udemy

This business ideas workshop includes 7 hours of on-demand video. The course features 13 modules. And it offers 65 downloadable resources. The course takes just two full days to complete. But course creators also claim you’ll learn to become a business idea machine in that time.

Intro to Entrepreneurship: Get started as an Entrepreneur – Udemy

This online entrepreneur course makes big claims. It offers everything you need to know to become a successful entrepreneur. The course features two full days of video and courses. And you’ll also get resources. The course costs under $225. And you can expect big discounts to be available.

Entrepreneurship Acceleration: Scaling Your Business – Emeritus

Emeritus and Wharton University of Pennsylvania offer this advanced entrepreneur course. And you’ll find it costly. You’ll pay around $2,500 for everything. But this gets you a three-month program. It focuses on developing an idea into a commercially viable business venture.

Entrepreneurship Capstone Certificate – University of Maryland (Coursera)

Individual modules for this program cost around $50 each. But this two-month entrepreneurial course teaches you to integrate tools and concepts from other courses. And eventually you’ll learn to develop a comprehensive business plan.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “20 Places to Find Online Entrepreneur Courses” was first published on Small Business Trends



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Use LinkedIn to Get More Customers – Content Marketing

May 15, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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When you use LinkedIn effectively, even your second- and third-level connections become prospective customers.

If you are an entrepreneur looking to grow your business and attract more customers through the Internet, you are probably active in various social networks. Facebook and Twitter are the networks that most people think of when it comes to generating sales. However, we often overlook the potential of LinkedIn.

As you know, LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. In 2017 LinkedIn had more than 450 million users, and it continues to grow. The point is that LinkedIn is a social network for doing business. Moreover, it can generate a large number of qualified leads with much less effort than other networks. This is one reason there are now helpful tools for LinkedIn automation.

How can you use LinkedIn to grow your business? Just follow these five simple steps.

RELATED ARTICLE: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WILL HELP YOU TO HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND

#1: Optimize
Your LinkedIn Profile to Appear in More People Searches

If you want your future clients to find you easily within LinkedIn, you must optimize your profile. To do this, include keywords for which you want to appear. This will bring your profile to the top of searches when someone searches for people like you on LinkedIn.

The keywords are the terms by which potential clients can find you. For example, if you sell your services as a coach to help companies increase their sales, “coach” and “sales” are the keywords that you should use throughout your profile.

But where should you use them, exactly? In the following sections:

Title

The title is a section to which LinkedIn gives more weight when positioning candidates.

Tag Line

Briefly describe what you offer your customers. Be sure to include your key terms in a natural way.

Professional Experience

Describe the projects and clients with whom you have worked. Here, try including your key terms several times. This will help LinkedIn to position you better.

Skills

Ask your contacts to validate skills related to your key terms.

LinkedIn 2

Endorsements

Use
recommendations that include key terms naturally. Including these terms
here will reinforce your positioning.

Interests

Include your key terms here. The more the better, because LinkedIn will take them into account when it comes to positioning you.

Use These Tricks

With these tricks, you can more easily get LinkedIn to position you near the top for the keywords that you decide to optimize in your profile. Another added benefit is that Google will also position you well in searches that your potential customers conduct in that famous search engine. That’s because LinkedIn is a website that Google holds in high esteem.

Therefore, optimize your profile, and you will start receiving more visits in a short time.

#2: Publish
Articles in Pulse

For a little more than a year, LinkedIn has allowed users to publish articles that you can share with your contacts. These articles are ideal for adding value to your network. Moreover, they capture the attention of potential customers.

Therefore, post relevant information to your market niche regularly. Usually, one article a week should suffice. For example, you could publish articles related to how to increase sales.

Additionally, at the end of each article write a short biography that indicates what you do. This brief bio should also contain a link to your website, as well as indicate the products or services you offer.

Conclude with an invitation to connect with you through LinkedIn. In this way, you facilitate connecting with potential clients, some of whom will contact you after reading your article.

#3: Take Advantage of LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn groups are a real gold mine of information. There are LinkedIn groups for almost everything. Locate those groups in which your target customers meet and begin to establish a relationship with them. Do this by:

  • Sharing relevant content with them.
  • Discussing your publications. This helps to provide your point of view as a professional.
  • Recommending actions they can take to improve their businesses.
  • Sending them emails with information that may interest them.

The more active you are, the more visibility you will have. Best of all, the more you will be perceived as an expert. This alone will increase your chances of attracting customers.

#4: Contact
the Right People

Unlike other social networks, LinkedIn allows you to connect directly with your potential customers. Then you can add them to your network of contacts, greatly facilitating your business. All you have to do is use the people search and start contacting potential clients.

Although there are professionals who prefer to create a network of trusted contacts by connecting only with people they know, we recommend that you connect with everyone. Why? It’s simple. If you want to attract customers you need maximum visibility.

In short, the wider your network of contacts, the more chances you have for your contacts to share your content with their own network of contacts. Therefore, the greater reach you have. This will undoubtedly increase your chances of connecting with potential customers.

What’s more, you will be surprised at how even your second- and third-level connections receive LinkedIn notifications, even by email. This all works to your advantage.

#5: Keep Your LinkedIn Contact Network up to Date

Not only is it important to expand your network of contacts on LinkedIn, but it’s also critical that you maintain it in a natural fashion. Therefore, try to get to know your contacts on LinkedIn—in person.

Check your network of contacts periodically and remind them that you are still there in case they need something. If you become a valuable person to them, the chances are that your contacts will recommend you in turn to others, which will increase your business.

Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business Opportunities

Using LinkedIn, you can grow your business exponentially in only a short time. This platform allows you to find potential customers and share content with them. Your customers, in turn, share your content, generating new business opportunities for you.

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Hershey’s Is Changing the Design of Its Iconic Chocolate Bars for the First Time Ever by Adding Emoji

May 15, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Emoji will be featured on Hershey’s bars for a limited time this summer.


May
15, 2019

2 min read


Hershey’s will add emoji to its chocolate bars for a limited time this summer in what will be the first time the company has changed the look of the iconic treat. And let’s just get this out of the way: the poop emoji will be featured.

The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Emoji Bars will come in six packaging designs, will feature 25 of the icons and come in standard and snack sizes.

Image credit: Hershey’s

“Our classic Hershey’s bars were made to be shared with others,” Kriston Ohm, senior manager of Hershey’s brand, said in a press release. “By adding an emoji design to each pip of chocolate, we hope that parents and kids are inspired to share a chocolate emoji and make a connection with someone new.”

Related: This Young Entrepreneur, Who Has Raised $6 Million, Is on a Mission to Kick Sugar Out of Candy

Citing its own research, Hershey’s said that 87 percent of kids would want to share the Emoji Bar with others. The bars have a suggested retail price of $0.99 and the snack size bags of $4.09.

Hershey’s, which will turn 125 this year, has had steady revenue for the past few years, with a reported $7.791 billion in 2018. Candy Central, a candy supplier, says that the Hershey Bar is the fourth most popular chocolate bar in the world.

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How new leaders can step out of the shadow of a legendary CEO

May 15, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Five game-changing practices to help those waiting in the wings succeed. For further insights, read “Succeeding the long-serving legend in the corner office.”

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5 Leading Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Advice for Bootstrapping a Business

May 14, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Work with those you trust, pick the right business, and roll up your sleeves, say Kara Goldin, Tai Lopez, and others.


May
14, 2019

5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


About 42 percent of startups fail because there’s no market need for their product, and almost 30 percent don’t make it because they run out of money. So, what does it really take to succeed in business, especially when you’re bootstrapping? We asked these top entrepreneurs and Advisors in The Oracles, including Hint Water’s Kara Goldin, investor Tai Lopez, and designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliott, to let us in on their secrets.

1. Surround yourself with people you trust.

1. Surround yourself with people you trust.

Kara Goldin

Image credit:

The Oracles

When you’re bootstrapping a business, it’s paramount that you work with people you really trust. We self-funded initially so that we could stay true to our vision and control the quality of our products no matter what the conventional wisdom dictated.

People told us unsweetened flavored water would never work, but we were determined to help people lead healthier lives and remove all the ingredients that contradicted that goal, like sugar, diet sweeteners, preservatives, and more. Now we are the No. 1 independently owned non-alcoholic beverage company in the U.S. —Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Inc.; creator of The Kara Network, a digital resource for entrepreneurs; and host of the “Unstoppable” podcast; follow Kara on Twitter and Instagram

2. Calculate your VRIN score.

2. Calculate your VRIN score.

Tai Lopez

Image credit:

The Oracles

Select a business idea that will generate cash flow quickly, which you can estimate with a VRIN score. “V” stands for value, meaning it’s something many people want. “R” stands for rarity; so the market is not flooded with that exact product or service. “I” stands for inimitability, meaning your ideal customer can’t do it on their own. “N” stands for non-substitution; so no one is doing anything similar.

Rank those factors on a scale from 1 to 10. If the average isn’t eight or higher, it won’t have a positive cash flow for a while. For example, consider the NBA. People love it, so its value is high. It is the only professional basketball league in the U.S., so it’s rare. I can’t get people together to play basketball and entertain me like that, so the inimitability is high. Can I substitute other things? Yes, I could watch football, baseball, or hockey instead. So, non-substitution might be a seven out of 10. But the overall average is high, which is why the NBA is a multibillion-dollar industry. —Tai Lopez, investor and advisor to multiple multimillion-dollar businesses, who has built an eight-figure online empire; connect with Tai on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube

3. Get your hands dirty.

3. Get your hands dirty.

Emily Current and Meritt Elliott

Image credit:

The Oracles

Roll up your sleeves! One of our mentors always talks about how a successful business starts with leaders who are both the “chief cook” and “bottle washer.” No job is too small or insignificant in a startup.

If you start this way, you’ll have a full understanding of how your organization works from the bottom to the top as you grow. This also sends a message to your team to think outside their job responsibilities, be comfortable doing tasks below or above their pay grade, and pitch in whenever, wherever, is needed. —Emily Current and Meritt Elliott, co-founders and creative directors of the global lifestyle brand Emily + Meritt and women’s apparel line THE GREAT; follow Emily and Meritt on Instagram

4. Master direct response marketing.

4. Master direct response marketing.

Rudy Mawer

Image credit:

The Oracles

Even if you are low on funds, my No. 1 tip is to master direct response marketing or find someone who has and give them a key role in the business. For five years, I struggled with my business and stayed around six figures. Once I mastered direct response marketing, where consumers are prompted to respond immediately to your pitch by signing up for a newsletter, for instance, I grew to multiple millions in less than two years.

Since then, I’ve used my direct response marketing techniques to grow another million-dollar business and help dozens of others scale to tens of millions. Like sales, I believe direct response marketing is a vital skill to master as a business owner, or at least understand. —Rudy Mawer, founder and CEO of ROI Machines and RudyMawer.com; Facebook marketing and ad expert, who built a multimillion-dollar business by age 26; connect with Rudy on Instagram

5. Burn the ships.

5. Burn the ships.

James Daily

Image credit:

The Oracles

When Hernán Cortés arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, in the 1500s, he ordered his crew to burn the ships. Forward was the only way off the beach; there was no turning back. After advising and running a number of businesses in a variety of industries, that is my advice: burn the ships.

If you are trying to start a business while keeping your old job, don’t. Quit your job so there is no going back. If you see so many opportunities you can’t decide which to choose, pick one and burn the ships. Trying to be everything to everyone will never get you where you need to go. Do just one thing you’re passionate about, and do it better than anyone else.

Don’t let your ego and sense of control take over. Be willing to let go. Make it easy for investors to help grow your company by being willing to burn the ships again and move forward. —James Daily, founding partner of Daily Law Group, which helps high-profile clients with fiduciary abuse litigation, including fraud, crisis management, and business and family disputes; connect with James on LinkedIn

Want to share your insights in a future article? Join The Oracles, a mastermind group of the world’s leading entrepreneurs who share their success strategies to help others grow their businesses and build better lives. Apply here.

For more articles like this, follow The Oracles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.



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5 Key Things All New Startups Need – Business Ideas

May 14, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Featured image from Yay Images

Is your business a startup? If so, you’re probably making plenty of mistakes and learning a lot every single day. That’s because every owner of a new startup is charting new territory. Plus, all startups need a lot of love and attention in the beginning.

Keep reading to learn about five major things new startups need right off the bat.

1. Startups Offering a Wanted Product Make It

Quite possibly, it’s your product that inspired you to launch your startup. For example, think of the startups that have become the mega companies of our day: Apple, Hewlett Packard, and Amazon, to name only a few. They all started small. However, they all had something unique to offer the world.

So what is your product? Does it meet a need or a want in the marketplace, even if it’s a need or want that people don’t yet know they have?

Once you have a great product in mind, your next step is to dive in and find out all you can about the industry your startup will be a part of. Next, learn about the people who will want to buy your product.

2. Customers Are Your Startup’s Lifeblood

Basically, without customers, your startup won’t survive.

However, gaining customers’ attention isn’t always easy, no matter how great your product. So one of the things all startups must do in the beginning is reach out to customers. You can make this process easier and less expensive by using VoIP communications to contact prospective customers.

3. An Enthusiastic Team Will Take You Far

Your employees are the heart of the business. You need a committed and dedicated team of experts who believe in your product. Working together under your leadership, they will shape your business.

So choose your team carefully. A few well-chosen, talented, and positive souls will make all the difference in your company’s success.

startups

4. Startups Need Sufficient Financing

Most new ventures need some financing in the beginning. Therefore, unless you have some savings of your own to kick things off, you might need to pull together some funding.

How will you get the money you need for your company’s expenses and expansion? Start by asking family and friends for help. Draw up a business plan, and approach banks and other lenders if you must.

RELATED ARTICLE: LOOKING FOR FUNDING IDEAS TO START OR EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS?

If your company’s story is compelling, you’ll have an easier time with getting positive responses. Plus, if you’re responsible about paying your debts as you go, lenders will continue to want to fund your journey when you need it.

Keep in mind that many business owners start their companies as a side gig while they work for someone else for a while. This, too, can help you to have the financing you need while you’re getting your company started.

5. A Positive Outlook Is the Most Important Thing

One of the most important things any startup owner can do is to be positive and think like an optimist, even if you naturally tend to see the glass as half empty. If you’re viewing the world through a positive lens, you’ll see more opportunities and have a better chance of seizing them as they rush past.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW DO THE WORLD CUP GAMES AFFECT THE WORLD OF BUSINESS?

This doesn’t mean you ignore the challenges and pretend they aren’t there. It does mean, however, that you approach each challenge as a hurdle to overcome, not as an obstacle that will stop you in your tracks.

A Final Word About Starting Up

Every startup is different, and each one has its own path. While there is no single correct way that’s right for every business, keep these five things in mind and your company will have a better chance of achieving success.

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6 Types of Online Marketing Your Business Needs – Online Businesses

May 13, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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In today’s digital world, adding a mix of online marketing channels to your overall advertising campaign is an absolute must. For one thing, considering the massive number of mobile users who pull out their phone anytime they need an answer to a question, recommendation for a restaurant, or instructions for a recipe, you could be missing out on a ton of business if you’re lacking a strong online presence.

RELATED ARTICLE: ONLINE MARKETING: HOW IT CAN HELP YOU SAVE MONEY AND BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

However, before you go pointing your arrow all over the World Wide Web, shooting your efforts in any and all directions, learn where you should focus your online marketing for the best results. These six different channels will provide the highest return on investment—scoring you the most conversions at the lowest cost.

1. Content
Marketing

You’ve heard the saying, “Content is king.” We’ll explain why.

For starters, an array of useful and shareable content establishes your brand as a trustworthy expert in your industry. This helps build customer loyalty.

Long and Informative Content Is Best

Plus, the copy itself provides opportunities for search engine optimization (SEO). This happens because of the way you can use keywords and contextual link building. Therefore, try to make your blog posts long and informative. This will earn you the highest rankings. Plus, don’t forget about elements such as title tags, headers, and metadata.

RELATED ARTICLE: SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION: HOW IT CONTRIBUTES TO MARKETING

2. Pay
Per Click Advertising

PPC advertising falls under the umbrella of paid search engine marketing (SEM). This type of online marketing gives your website a shot at appearing at the top of Google’s search engine results page (SERP).

Being at the top of the SERP can be extremely powerful for business. However, even though PPC is one of the most measurable channels of online marketing, it’s also one of the trickiest. Consider enlisting the help of skilled PPC management for the best strategy implementation and the highest return on your dollar spent.

3. Social
Media Marketing

You know those sponsored ads you scroll past on Instagram or Facebook? Those are paid for by companies who use analytical data and insights to target your profile with their specific advertisement. That’s because something about your online profile signals that you might be a qualified lead for what they’re promoting. From sidebar ads to promoted Tweets, most paid social media marketing revolves around a unique cost per acquisition.

online marketing 2

Pro Tip:

If free advertisement sounds like music to your ears, remember to take advantage of the online marketing you can do on social media without the hired help of an account manager. Even the least tech-savvy of business owners can figure out how to snap and share photos. In other words, you can easily boost brand recognition and connect with your customer base by way of social media.

4.
Conversion Rate Optimization

Generating traffic and getting more visitors to your site is only half the battle. Once they arrive, your goal is to then convert them into paying customers. This is where conversion rate optimization (CRO) efforts come into play. Examples of CRO strategies might include the creation of lead magnets, email blasts, landing pages, calls to action (CTAs), heat map analyses, and more.

5. Email
Campaigns

We just touched on emails as a method to improve CRO. However, this channel of online marketing deserves a category of its own.

This is because of the importance of customer relation management (CRM) for business success. Basically, you need to nurture the buyer’s journey without being forceful. Moreover, you need to remind them about your company before they place you on the back burner. At the same time, you must not come across as overbearing.

Find That Sweet Spot with Promo Codes

Finding the sweet spot between too little communication and too much spam is a delicate balancing act. However, a great way to make your emails seem less annoying is to include promo codes that sweeten the deal.

6. Search
Engine Optimization

We saved this one for last because of how broad and all-encompassing the term “SEO” is.

The biggest difference between SEO strategies and paid search or paid media channels is that SEO is organic. In other words, with this type of online marketing, you can’t pay a fee to have your ad or profile featured online. Rather, you have to earn your ranking through integrated campaigns, link building strategies, and reputation management.

RELATED ARTICLE: YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

Online Marketing Leads to Lasting Results

There are many different approaches you can take toward digital marketing on the Internet. Start by creating a blog and building a social media profile, then optimize your site. Finally, convert your visitors into happy customers you retain for life.

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This Young Entrepreneur, Who Has Raised $6 Million, Is on a Mission to Kick Sugar Out of Candy

May 13, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Tara Bosch started SmartSweets when she was 21 so she could enjoy candy every day.


May
13, 2019

3 min read


For Tara Bosch, her business SmartSweets will be the future of candy — it’s just a matter of “reverse executing against the future.”

“That conviction has helped us to move forward and overcome the challenges that come with the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship,” she said.

Related: When Her Mother Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, She Started a Popcorn Company to Raise Money for Research

Bosch, who admits she’s a “candy addict and a sugar fiend,” founded the company in 2016 when she was 21 after a conversation with her grandmother. The 89 year old said she had regretted consuming so much sugar over the years, which caused Bosch to reflect on her eating habits.

“That sparked my quest to explore finding a candy I can feel good about,” she said. “It opened my eyes up to sugar, and the shocking reality of what it’s doing to us.”

She dropped out of school (the semester had already ended), ordered a gummy bear mold off Amazon and started testing recipes in her basement kitchen. Three months and more than 200 iterations later, Bosch had a product she felt she could take to the market.

Image Credit: Courtesy of SmartSweets

“I watched Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den religiously, but I didn’t have the confidence to act on any ideas because of my unhealthy relationship with food,” Bosch said. “The second I turned 13, I got a job at McDonald’s and Domino’s and was working full time, but I didn’t have the confidence at that point to actually believe that I could create something for the world.”

Related: The Makers of Exo Cricket Bars Are Launching a Line of Cereal That’s High in Protein and Low in Sugar

SmartSweets products are made without artificial sweeteners and colors. Each serving of the candy — it has products that are substitutes for gummy bears, Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish — only contains three grams of sugar (a serving of typical gummy bears has about 19 grams of sugar). SmartSweets can now be found in 10,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, including Whole Foods, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and GNC (the company expects that number to double by the end of 2019). Bosch initially funded SmartSweets from her savings. The company says it has raised a total of $6.1 million.

“There’s really no limit to what you can create,” Bosch said. “The vision for SmartSweets from day one has been to become the global leader in innovating confectionery products that kick sugar. We’re focused on innovating non-chocolate and just taking candy that consumers already know and love and bringing it back to their everyday lives.”

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Meet the Working Mothers of Cannabis

May 12, 2019 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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In honor of Mother’s Day, Green Entrepreneur takes a look at some of the working mothers building the cannabis industry.hj


May
12, 2019

7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


Raising a family is never easy, especially when you’re an entrepreneur trying to launch a business. Not only do you have to worry about providing for your family financially, but there’s also the struggle of trying to balance your work life with the emotional needs of your family.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Green Entrepreneur talked with three of the countless working mothers of the cannabis industry to learn how they manage to make it all work.

Erin Gore of Garden Society

Erin Gore is a mother of one and the founder and CEO of Garden Society, a cannabis wellness brand for women. Gore, educated as a chemical engineer, spent much of her career in the corporate world working for the consumer goods manufacturer Henkel in a management position.

However, despite the trappings of success, Gore wanted more for her life. Not only did Gore feel unfulfilled in her job, but it also consumed much of her time and made it difficult to start a family.

“I had a really great corporate career,” recalls Gore, “but under the surface I was unhappy.”

Frustrated with her lack of fulfillment, she decided to take a leap of faith and start her own cannabis brand. For Gore, starting her own business had less to do with finding financial success and more with building something that valued her as a wife, a mother, and (most importantly) a woman.

Although starting a business and starting a family may seem like two opposing goals, for Gore, the opposite is true. Because she owns her own business, Gore is able to spend her mornings with her 19-month old son before heading into the office; a luxury not afforded to many working corporate jobs.

However, while entrepreneurship affords a certain degree of flexibility, there are times when sacrifices must be made, as when Gore recalls an incident where she had to cancel an important meeting because of a family emergency.

“I once had an investor flying in to see our facilities and my son had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin. My husband was out of town, so I had to call that investor and tell them ‘I’m sorry, I can’t meet with you, I have to take my son to the doctor.”

Fortunately, the investor, who also happened to be a mother, was understanding, but Gore says that these are the kinds of choices that entrepreneurs have to make.

One of the ways that Gore has been able to balance her work and her family life is by seeking out those and surrounding herself with those that have similar values and life experiences, a sentiment shared by Beth Stavola, the Board Director and Chief Strategy Officer for iAnthus Capital Holdings Inc. (CSE: IAN).

Related: The Canna-pocalypse of Small Brands Is Upon Us – But All Is Not Lost

Beth Stavola of iAnthus Capital Holdings

Beth Stavola is a mother of six, with five girls and one boy ranging between the ages of 22 and 11. She got her start in cannabis in 2012, when she was approached by a deal broker to invest $1 million in MPX Bioceuticals, a medical cannabis company based in Arizona. Although Stavola initially intended to serve as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, she was forced to take a more hands-on role when her business partner proved to be unreliable.

Undaunted, Stavola was able to steer her company through troubled times and eventually the company was acquired by iAnthus, upon which she was appointed to her new position as Board Director and Chief Strategy Officer. According to Stavola, one of the benefits of entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry is that not does it allow you to be more flexible with your schedule, but it also allows you to be more flexible with your employees as well.

“I’ve been known to rock a baby for one of my employees during a conference call or to run out of the office to pick someone’s kid up,” Stavola says. “Everyone goes the extra mile when they feel they’re taken care and that their family is being taken care of.”

Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to make family time with a heavy work schedule. That is why Stavola always makes it a point to have at least one family meal on Sunday night, regardless of how disparate their schedules may be.

“Sunday dinner is always a must at my house,” Stavola says with a chuckle. “No one is allowed to have an excuse for Sunday dinner.”

For working mothers hoping to make it in the cannabis industry, Stavola suggests surrounding yourself with good people and doing your best to take care of them. One entrepreneur that does just that is Liesl Bernard, the founder and CEO of Cannabizteam, an executive search and staffing company for the cannabis industry.

Related: The Cannabis M&A Boom Is Looking Like the Dot.com Boom. Here’s How to Avoid the Bust.

Liesl Bernard of Cannabizteam

Bernard is a mother to two sons, one 15 and the other 18. Because of their age, it can sometimes be difficult for her to sync up her schedule with theirs, which is why Bernard makes it a point to see sons off to school in the morning.

For nearly two decades, Liesl Bernard served in various positions at Robert Half Executive Search, one of the world’s largest executive staffing firms. In 2016, Bernard noticed the explosive growth in the cannabis industry and saw the need for an executive staffing firm.

“I said ‘if I don’t do it now, someone else will,’” Bernard recalls. “So I took all my savings as a single mom and started Cannabizteam.”

As an entrepreneur, Bernard greatly values the freedom that her job affords, and she does her best to provide that same freedom to her employees. At Cannabizteam, employees can work from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. in the office and from home in the afternoon if they want to.

According to Bernard, working in the cannabis industry is particularly attractive to women because it is not quite as rigid as other corporate jobs. “I think the cannabis industry, in particular, has a lot of benefits for women entering the space because, there’s a lot of creativity that goes into it,” Bernard says. “It’s also not as structured as some of the other industries that are out there.”

Bernard goes on to say that mothers hoping to make it in the cannabis industry should not underestimate themselves. While most people tend to focus on skills such as cultivation or extraction, there is a great need in the cannabis industry for people with diverse skill sets, from accounting to plumbing.

“I would encourage anyone looking to get into the industry to do it sooner than later,” Bernard says. “A little experience goes a long way in the cannabis space. Today, anyone with two years’ experience in the cannabis space is highly valued. There are so few people with cannabis industry-specific experience.”

Related: We Have a Problem: The Cannabis Industry Is Losing Women Leaders

Being a mother is hard, especially when you’re an entrepreneur, but that does not mean success is impossible. Although the cannabis industry might not be perfect, Gore believes that its relatively young age helps make it easier for mothers and women in general, to have a higher degree of control over their destinies.

“The beautiful thing about the cannabis industry,” says Gore “is that it is in its infancy and so you can create the future you want. It’s not as limiting as other industries.”

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