New York/Asian Entrepreneur, Chef, Food Personality and former Lawyer ‘Eddie Huang‘ shares his ‘out there’ experiences of a young adult coming up in the world of entrepreneurship. His advice is inspirational, funny and really down to earth.

A great perspective from Eddie for those who need a little inspiration to follow their dreams.

Entrepreneur Eddie Huang – Follow Your Dreams (Inspirational Talk)

There is a lot to learn in business from a classic movie  like ‘The Godfather‘. This film is cram packed with advice to take on board when dealing with the hard knocks of business (minus the violent actions that take part in the film).

Read on for business advice we can all take from the classic film ‘The Godfather‘.

Make Them An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Obviously. One of the best ways to get what you want in business is to tailor your product to your customer’s needs. And this works for managers, too. If you want to incentivize your employees, there’s often a way that you can make your request primarily beneficial to them and the company both. Barring using horse-headed death threats as a strategy, make sure that when you want a certain result, you make the incentive good enough to warrant it.

Trust No One

Whether you’re a bona fide wise guy or not, it’s wise to watch who you trust. That’s not to say that you should be suspicious of everyone all the time, it’s that the only person whose decisions and actions that you can safely rely on are your own. Even being in business with people for years doesn’t mean that you can trust them, but you can trust them to be themselves. And whether you’re running the underground or just the office, that’s another key lesson to learn.

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

Well, maybe not your enemies. More like your competitors. It’s important to have a good idea the landscape of your market competition, both larger and smaller than you. And when there’s an industry-wide issue that could improve your field, do yourself a favor and be the one to lead the charge to unity. You’ll stand out among your competitors while also improving things for all involved when you’re the one to get a group to band together faster than you can say “five families.”

Patience is a Virtue

Don’t expect for things to blow up for you overnight — it takes time to build a mafia empire strong business. And this advice goes for both rookies and veterans: quality comes from patience, planning, and having a great product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6YBnIE2-zc

Always Have A Plan

When you’re running an international crime syndicate, you’ve simply got to have a plan. It’s not profitable to do things willy-nilly, with no discussion or lack of a business model. It’s probably best to avoid a business plan that involves gunning people down in the street, but appropriate foresight, planning, and action can lead to, ahem, legitimate business success.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j2ONndiFdA

Learn from Your Failures

Failure happens. Even to mafiosos. Let this fact lead you, and give yourself permission to fail. But also let yourself learn from your missteps, as it’s possible to turn any short-term failure into long-time success. If you lose some guys in a gun battle, or lose money from a dirty double cross, you know how crucial it can be to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, regroup, and move forward. Also, what kind of job did you say you had, again?

Loyalty Matters

One of the most important lessons to take from the Don is that loyalty is key. In this day and age, economic security is a spectre — but it’s paramount to remember never to bite the hand that feeds you. Whether you have a boss or have to deal with distributors, it’s always best to be loyal to your higher-ups and those who depend on you. It’s as simple as this: the better everyone does, the better everyone does.

Respect Must Be Earned

While loyalty is important, respect must be earned. Make sure that you’re commanding respect, and not just because of your great work product. If you act with dignity and put integrity first on your value list, you’ll see how easy it can be to build up mutual respect with co-workers, superiors, and those in other areas with whom you have to work. Additionally, take caution to respect respect: it’s easy to build up, takes time to cement, and can be gone forever in a flash.

Business Is Personal

Tom, don’t let anyone kid you. It’s all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of sh-t every man has to eat every day of his life is personal. They call it business. OK. But it’s personal as hell.And there you have it. Michael Corleone said it best, and it’s the honest truth: business is made up of people. People who care, people who create, people who perform, and everything in between. The great thing about a business is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but its parts are people — and those are pretty great, too.

Guest Post By: Online Business Degree

Keep an eye on these ten new startup companies as they change the landscape of business in 2012 and beyond:

Pawngo

Pawngo brings the pawn shop from the street corner to the online sphere. As more and more people feel the economic pinch, they are turning to small loans to help them through and until now there have been very few options for loans outside of online payday loans if one turned their search online.

Pawngo fills the gaps by allowing people to obtain small loans in place of physical items that they can ship to the company in exchange for the loan.

Pawngo has been running for less than 6 months, but has already loaned out more than two million dollars all across the country. Based in Denver, and started by CEO Todd Hills, this company is backed by venture capitalists Dayligtht Partners and Lightbank.

Taskrabbit

Taskrabbit was formed in 2008 and is based out of San Francisco but currently operates for four states. It is a task-for-pay portal website where day laborers can easily find work and people who have odd jobs that require work can easily find workers.

TaskRabbit has generated over a million dollars a year in revenue, but the CEO has stated that he wants to keep the company small and local in order to maintain a great relationship with his customer base. If these relationships are maintained and they maintain a steady growth, this site can soon give Craigslist a run for its money.

 Adaptly

Adaptly brings you the easiest method of advertising and increasing the engagement of social networks. Adaptly is a platform which allows large agencies to create and analyze their advertising campaigns. It allows companies to best take advantage of the uniqueness of each different social platform, such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

Art.sy

This company provides a great new way to discover art. They feature some works by some of the top artists in the country and the leading galleries in the industry. Inspired by the Human Genome Project, Art.sy is powered by the so-called Art Genome project and happens to be run by a team of art historicans.

Art.sy have gathered the intelligence of hundreds of experts in order to create a very powerful search experience based on more than 800 characteristics. This startup website is sure to make a huge and powerful impact on the way both art industry insiders and the lay public come to view and to understand both contemporary and historical art.

Codeacademy

CodeAcademy.com brings you a very fun and very simple way to learn code. The creators of this website launched this project in August of 2011. Since then more than one million people have come to experience this site and learn computer code, including New York City major Michael Bloomberg.

Divide

Enterproid’s Divide is an online platform athat allows companies to manage their own IT needs without the expense of hiring new team members. More specifically, Divide gives companies the opportunity to build their own devices and to manage their own work persona without having to compromise their employees’ privacy. This way, employees can utilize their own devices for both their work and their personal needs.

Fab.com

This is a wonderful marketplace to discover new but surprising everyday designs. Fab was started in 2011 and boasts both a website and a mobile app portal which offers very exclusive access to a plethora of designs which are curated for both the website and the mobile apps on a daily basis.

Fab.com is known to showcase new and emerging designers and to highlight the very best of the top-rated design brands around. For this reason, this site is on the verge of a breakout as people search for the very best designs in the world and are constantly searching for a central portal wherein they can meet their design needs.

Fancy Hands

FancyHands.com looks like it’s on the verge of going public in 2012. They offer a means by which people can find US based virtual assistants and as the economy spirals downward, people are always looking for new means of work. This site is brilliantly positioned.

Loosecubes

Loosecubes is a worldwide office shared community, which connects people with workspace with people who need it. Again, the poor worldwide economy makes this site very greatly positioned for a breakout in both revenue and popularity.

SideTour

This is a community marketplace where people can both find and post very singular activities and experiences.

Sidetour redefines the personal walking tour and gets people outside and experiencing the uniqueness of each other’s lives. In a hyper-digital world, people are craving these unique human real world experiences and SideTour gives it to them, making them a potential breakout company in 2012.

Article By Joel Brown

A number of experienced and well driven Entrepreneurs have been known to have a great fitness and workout routine. This is believed to give entrepreneurs ‘the edge’ at the same time keeping them fit and well in tune for a busy and balanced lifestyle.

David Feinleib, co-founder of five startups and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, is a classic example of a fit and driven entrepreneur. He has been training for The Ironman Triathlon for the last 7 months and has used the training to help him become a better entrepreneur.

Here is a run down on what you to can learn from endurance and fitness training as an entrepreneur.

• Dedication. “If there’s one thing I hear over and over when I tell friends and colleagues about my training routine, it’s how impressed they are by my dedication. Building the endurance required for an Ironman means putting in the hours every day. Having built five companies, I’ve seen just how much dedication building a startup takes. Ironman training has renewed my ability to dedicate.”

• Rhythm. “Entrepreneurs know this as the hum of a high functioning startup. It’s when things are buzzing. Everything is humming. It’s that “It’s working!” feeling. I can feel this rhythm during certain swims, rides and runs. It’s when my legs are moving just right, when I’ve got the right amount of energy, when I’m firing on all cylinders. Things are flowing. When I have that rhythm, I try to memorize what it feels like. It’s what I’m striving for every day as an athlete and as an entrepreneur.”

• Go big or go home. “I’ve run marathons before and done some longer triathlons. But I didn’t understand what real training was until I committed to do an Ironman. You can build a little startup, but if you’re going to build, go big. Go really, really big.”

• Schedule. ”To train for an ultra-endurance event requires a schedule. It means committing to that schedule and sticking to it. There’s no ‘I’ll just get that workout in tomorrow’ or ‘I’ll reschedule that Saturday ride.’ Because there’s a limited amount of time between now and the race. The same holds for startups. Great pitches, great products, and great teams don’t just appear overnight. They take time to build. It is that commitment to investment of time that creates value.”

• Pacing. ”Training for an Ironman is like making deposits in the bank over time–you have to deposit enough so you can make a withdrawal on race day. There’s no cramming. You can’t just put it all off and do it at the last minute. It means hard work every day.”

• Inspiration. ”A lot of people comment on my dedication and discipline. Yet training is something I look forward to. I can’t wait till my next workout. I look forward to long Saturday rides around Marin and on the peninsula followed by a run. Hard as they are, I love my long Sunday runs. These are not activities I dread — quite the opposite. I draw inspiration from them, much as I draw inspiration from building great teams and great products.”

• Time. ”Training 90 or more minutes a day means time really matters. Lounging around with friends is a great luxury when time is limited. It means that when people are late or fail to deliver on their commitments, I think really hard about whether I want to continue working with them.”

• Energy. ”Endurance activities require the right fuel and constant fuel. So do startups. You have to feed the engine at the right time — too much fuel too soon and you’ll bog things down. Wait too long to feed the engine and you’ll run out of energy and bonk.”

• Internal drive. ”You might think that training for an Ironman is an external goal — something that requires external validation or motivation. It isn’t. I started training because I wanted to get back in shape. I wanted to be operating at my personal peak. I wanted to push my limits in business and in life. I’m by no means a natural athlete. A commitment of this level cannot come from the outside — it must come from within. The same holds true for building a game-changing startup. It must come from an internal desire to operate at your absolute best.”

• Team. ”A lot of people view triathlons as an individual event. That is certainly true on race day, when although there is encouragement from friends and fellow racers, it all comes down to you and how much and the kind of preparation you’ve put in. But every moment leading up to the race is a combination of individual and team effort. Without my friends from the SF Tri Club, the challenge of riding 80-100 miles would be nearly insurmountable, not to mention incredibly lonely. With them, it is social, fun, and inspiring.”

• Break things into chunks. ”I don’t think about a hundred mile training ride as a 100 miles. Sometimes I break it into thirds. Or I think in segments — easy first 20 followed by a tough tough hill climb, then an easier 10. Same for startups. You have to build success in steps.”

• Confidence. ”The thing about redefining your limits is every time you break a limit and reach a new one, you build more confidence. That confidence lets you break the next limit and the next limit and on and on. Redefining your limits is what makes great athletes — and great entrepreneurs.”

The CEO of “Virgin”, Sir Richard Bransonowns over four hundred companies and is estimated to be worth US$4.2 billion dollars. Now in his sixties, Branson’s business ventures range from Airlines, Formula One, Cosmetics and Space Exploration just to name a few.

It’s plain to see that Richard Branson knows a thing or two about achieving the ultimate success. So we have decided to share what can be learned from this widely successful, charismatic and respected entrepreneur.

Richard Branson’s 7 Success Tips To Live By

Saying “Yes!” is Fun

What makes Sir Richard Branson unique is that he is entertaining. He often defies conventional wisdom, pushes the envelope, and says, “Yes” more than he says, “No”.

One of Branson’s many books is entitled, Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons in Life and Business. This flamboyant attitude towards business is a primary reason he has become a corporate iconoclast and continues to amaze, and overall – create value and make money.

If You Are Going to Dream, Dream Big!

For a man who started out with his own local newspaper and record store to an airline and telecommunications magnet, Richard Branson knows how to dream big. He has built eight billion-dollar companies and there are no signs of slowing down. Branson’s grandest project that is blowing everyone’s minds is Virgin Galactic, a ship for suborbital space travel.

In addition to space travel, Branson continues to dream big with his Virgin Oceanic project which offers deep sea travel. It is in hopes that people can soon see the lowest trenches of the oceans. It’s hard to think one can dream much bigger than that.

Having Fun is Fun

Richard Branson gets asked what the secret to his success is regularly. He replies that he has no secret. He just works hard, works smart, and above all has fun doing it.

“Have Fun, Work Hard and Money Will Come” – Sir Richard Branson
“When it’s Not Fun, Move On” – Sir Richard Branson

Branson states that as soon as he stops having fun on a project, it’s time to move on. A life is too short to be unhappy.

Always Take Risks – Calculated Ones

It seems Richard Branson’s lifestyle can be construed as irresponsible and brash. Branson is highly intelligent and while pushing the envelope, the risks he takes are always scrutinized before committing.

While Branson likes saying, “Yes”, his decisions always come with extreme due diligence which is standard in any business venture or acquisition, especially in the numbers Branson is known for dealing. One of Branson’s mottos has always been, “Be bold. Don’t gamble.”

Live for the Moment

Live for the moment. It’s a cliché however resoundingly applicable and true. Often aspiring entrepreneurs forget to live and enjoy the things life offers them. Because hard work and long hours are a part of entrepreneurship, these people need to live for the moment and enjoy the experiences life throws at them.

Branson says that even dedicating 80 hours a week to a business still allows for a few hours of fun. Don’t forget, people can have fun at work too.
Branson encourages people to still have goals outside business. In 1997, Branson participated in a race around the world in a hot-air balloon. He says people still need to live their lives as best as possible.

Always Give Respect

Respect in business was an attribute Richard Branson learned early in his career.

In his first meetings with Japanese businessmen in the early 80s, Branson was amazed at the politeness and the respect they gave young Branson despite his shaggy-sweater jean-wearing appearance. The Japanese taught Richard to always treat everyone in your business with respect, not just those that you need to impress. Someday you could be doing business with them.

Give Back

Another commonly used cliché is that money is the root of all evil. Unlike living for the moment, this does not have to be true. Many of the largest charity organizations were founded by very successful entrepreneurs who had very humble beginnings.

Richard Branson believes the true meaning to life is to help others; to make the world a better place to live for all living creatures. I’m sure most would agree.

Here is a final word that resonates clearly. “Success can take off without warning.” Richard Branson has experienced a few dark hours; where he thought he was finished and hope was fading fast. However like many successful entrepreneurs they believe they make their own luck; and the harder you work the luckier you get. Success can come in a blink of an eye.

An award-winning sitcom might seem like the last place to get business advice for successful people, but it’s funny what every entrepreneur can learn from The Big Bang Theory.

For those who are unfamiliar with the series, it revolves around a group of socially challenged science geeks named Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh who differ greatly from Penny, an attractive and outgoing girl-next-door.

The hilarious situations the characters have been through have revealed the gang’s loveable qualities and serve as valuable lessons successful people can learn from.

#1: Don’t Hog All The Work

When Leonard comes up with an idea to develop a smartphone app with the gang, Sheldon tries to seize control of the project.  After appointing himself as the chief executive, financial, and operating officer, Sheldon gets himself fired for being a control freak.

In the business world, you can only do so much by yourself. While devoting long hours is a given, you need to figure out how to make the best possible use of your time.  Being hands-on is important, but learn how to entrust certain functions of your company to the other people in your team.  This way, you can focus on the other areas of your business.

#2: Don’t Overthink Everything

In one episode, Leonard was seriously considering what would happen if he asked Penny (who previously broke up with him) out on a date.  Although it seemed that it wouldn’t work out after all, it turns out that the date and the events that followed were all in Leonard’s head. Realizing that he thinks too much for his own good, Leonard actually asks Penny out and eventually start a new relationship.

To coin a phrase from a famous athletic brand, there will be a time when you need to “just do it”.  If you’re venturing into business without previous experience, don’t be afraid to learn from the mistakes you’re going to make along the way.

Although you can make an educated guess about what will happen after you launch your product or service, you can’t predict everything. Nonetheless, you need to get out there and give it your best shot after you’ve done the necessary groundwork, such as market research and discussing your sales strategy with your team.  Only then will you see the big picture.

#3: Technology Is Your Friend

To supplement her income, Penny gets the idea to start a home-based business by making handmade hair clips.  With the help of the guys, she gets her startup off the ground by launching a website (with Leonard’s help) and end up filling out a thousand orders.

What every entrepreneur can learn from the Big Bang Theory is that the internet can level the playing field for those in the business world.  With the right tools in place – such a well-developed sales website and viral marketing through social media – you can go up against the big players in your niche. Make sure to keep abreast of the latest technological trends in sales and marketing which you can use to your advantage.

#4:  Learn The Importance Of Being Organized

As a theoretical physicist with a number of degrees under his belt (Ph.D. and Sc.D to name a few), Sheldon has established himself as an authority in his field. He owes this to the fact that he’s highly organized and systematic with his work process and daily routine.

Although Sheldon’s love of being organized often borders on the obsessive (and is often a source of the show’s humor), successful people can extract real-life lessons from his characteristics.  Having a well-defined workflow that clearly maps out all the aspects of business will greatly help tighten up your operations and keep things from “slipping through the cracks.”

#5: Learn How To Be Flexible

On the other hand, Sheldon’s strict adherence to routine can be impractical at times and often clashes with Leonard (whom he shares an apartment with) because of his constant inflexibility.

Although it’s vital to have a system in place, what every entrepreneur can learn from the Big Bang Theory is that there will be times when you’ll need to improvise during unexpected difficulties.

As mentioned earlier, you can’t anticipate all the possible scenarios you’ll encounter, so you’ll have to think on your feet from time to time. That’s why it’s important to be adaptable because more often than not, your unique circumstances won’t be covered in the manual.

Entrepreneurs know that change is the only constant in life. If they want to stay relevant and profitable, they should always keep their eyes peeled for the hottest business opportunities in the market.

Ongoing trends in the world influence consumer demand, so being aware of them will help you stay afloat and take advantage of the most promising niches to look out for. Today we feature 10 New Business Opportunities Every Entrepreneur Needs To Be A Part Of Before It’s Too Late.

10 Hot Business Opportunities For Every Entrepreneur

#1: Biomass Energy

It’s no secret that protecting the environment has increasingly become important over the last two decades. That’s why more and more companies have become motivated to “go green” through alternative energy sources like biomass.

The idea is to convert biological material such as organic waste streams, garbage, and discarded plant materials into something useful like renewable energy sources. They can even be repurposed for manufacturing industrial chemicals and biofuel.

Companies like Integrated BioChem make animal feed out of scraps coming from fruit and vegetable processing plants, while Rwandan social benefit company Inyenyeri creates biomass-based fuel pellets as a clean-burning energy source that prevents the need to harm the environment.

#2: Crowd sourcing Mobile Apps

Gone are the days when you had to hire a team of full-time employees and have them physically present in the same office to work on a project. With the trend known as crowdsourcing, people from all over can be invited online to work as independent contractors and complete a series of jobs with their shared expertise.

Companies like Gigwalk and Roamler have developed mobile apps as a portal for millions of smartphone owners to make money on the side by completing small research tasks like product surveys, collecting pricing information or taking pictures of real estate properties.

#3: Coffee Companions

Java lovers aren’t left out in the cold when it comes to hot business opportunities. Coffee Joulies is one such product targeted at the caffeine crowd. They’re coffee bean-shaped stainless steel shells whose natural properties keep your beverage at just the right temperature for a longer period of time while preventing you from burning your tongue as well.

MummyMug is another innovation that spill-proofs your drink to make it easy to enjoy coffee even with small children around. Using a patented self-closing lid mechanism, you’re free to sip away on your drink without the risk of the contents accidentally scalding curious toddlers nearby.

#4: Coffee Franchises

If you want to take things to the next level, why not franchise a coffee business altogether? It’s become increasingly common for cities and towns to have a high density of coffee shops, and this means that the public demand for their caffeine fix isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

There are plenty of companies out there who specialize in helping interested entrepreneurs take advantage of the many business opportunities found in coffee – do some online searching to find one best suited for you.

 #5: Music Mobile Apps

People love smartphones because they can take calls and carry their favorite tunes on the go. This is why music-based mobile apps are all the rage nowadays as it taps into this need, making it one of the most promising business opportunities out there.

Imeem for instance, is an Android-based streaming music app that allows users to create a highly personalized mix of tracks which you can even download to your phone. iPhone owners thirsty for the newest indie music love OurStage, a smart mobile app that allows them to rate the latest music which is then used to make future recommendations for its users.

#6: Cloud Storage Mobile Apps

Anyone who uses a computer for work knows how crucial it is to back up their important files since losing them could spell disaster. This is why online storage providers like Dropbox and Sugarsync are a hit because of the peace of mind they offer. Now that they’ve gone mobile, their apps are a favorite for many smartphone users as it allows them to conveniently access their mission-critical documents and files from their handheld devices.

#7: Gaming Mobile Apps

The enormous success of like Angry Birds has proven that more and more people are depending on their smartphones to satisfy their gaming needs. Just one commute during the rush hour is evidence of the number of people with their heads buried in their phones, playing games to pass the time.

Thus, the market’s huge potential for exponential growth in the coming years makes gaming apps one of the most promising business opportunities.

#8: Looking Your Best

Recent studies have shown that products and services related to personal grooming and fitness have increased even in the face of recession. Surprisingly, it’s becoming more and more evident that people still want to be slimmer and better-looking in spite of the current economic woes we read about in the news.

As such, it’s a very good idea to look into barber shops, beauty salons, exercise programs and anything else that will help consumers look and feel young.

#9: Pet Care

Based on current market trends, people are not only interested in taking care of themselves – they also want to give their pets a little TLC as well.

Shopping malls have become home to a growing number of pet grooming salons and owners are constantly in need of pet need providers such as nutritionists and even kennel builders. Personalities like Cesar Milan have become popular among owners who need a trainer to keep their pets on their best behavior. Thus, books and training courses on the subject matter have also turned into one of the fastest-selling products in the world!

#10: Online Sharing Platforms

When people have unused assets lying around, the best way to make money from them is by renting it out to other people. There has been a wide increase of online services which allows users to loan their cars, bicycles, and even living spaces such as houses or vacation homes. It’s obvious then that providing people with an online portal to do this is one of the hottest business opportunities to look into!

As an entrepreneur you need a very good grasp of the world’s current trends, and the possible route of events that are unfolding all around you. How does this impact your entrepreneurial pursuits? Well here we feature 8 crucial reasons why you should travel while you can, better yet, while you are still young.

Read on and share your comments on what you have learnt as an entrepreneur through your adventures around the globe.

 What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Travelling The World

1. See the world as it is

Richard Branson is one of the bravest living entrepreneurs today. One of his most interesting words of advice would be to “be watchful”. Watchful of what? Well travelling can open your eyes to many things. It gets you on the ground, you get a feel for the culture as it is, speak the native language, immerse in the societal elements of the very country you are in. Lurking behind these random experiences are business ideas. Be watchful.

2. Importing and Exporting Ideas

The human race might have countless ethnic origins, but they do have some very common needs. When you travel around you see these glaring differences in behavior, customs, ethics, and other things. But you can also see  common grounds where you can build your business model on. A business idea taken out of its original location where it has already reached a level of saturation can interact with a new market that finds it new and worth the try.

3. Cross Cultural Improvement

A travelling entrepreneur sees the world in a viewfinder. It allows him to enhance his business instincts and form interesting business ideas that go above and beyond what he sees every day. Travelling allows for new experiences, a new take on activities that are often taken for granted back home. An entrepreneur who travels a lot can also see a better way of doing things. This too can become a business framework for your business ventures later on.

4. Find Fulfillment and significance

Travelling can also motivate entrepreneurs to address a pressing social issue to places that they visit. Will and Chris Haughey where inspired with their toy company Tegu with Honduras’ staggering poverty. It pushed them to action and enabled them to create one of the most innovative wood block toy ideas to date. Their entrepreneurial success is complimented with a sense of fulfillment that knows no monetary value.

5. Learn New Things

A travelling entrepreneur must avail themselves to new ideas. The worst thing that they can do is to have a closed mind and just “sniff” around the local scene. Shunryu Suzuki once said “in a beginner’s mind there are a lot of possibilities; in an expert’s mind, there are few”. A budding entrepreneur must travel while they are still young or young at heart, a novice in his entrepreneurial journey. Being “young” can refer to one’s physical age, or it can also refer to your years of experience in the business world.

6. Create business value

Travelling the world is exciting. As an entrepreneur, this excitement has a unique dimension – seeing the world through a different lens. This can mean having a better perspective while handling your business, its processes and its selling points. Kenneth Cobonpue is a well traveled young entrepreneur. Through his education in the US and Germany, he was able to provide new value to local materials for his furniture business based in his home town Cebu, Philippines. He was able to redefine modern furniture by putting in new value to traditional furniture making and materials. This is just an example of what ideas where created by an entrepreneur while travelling and channeling his experiences into his business development.

7. Re-evaluation of business practices

As an entrepreneur, you already have instituted ways of managing your business. By travelling around the world, you will be able to reassess these practices objectively. This can be about your employee benefits program, organizational development interventions, leader succession programs, even advertising and marketing. By going around the world you pick up little inputs that can do a lot for your business back home. You really cannot improve things without any point of reference of what it could and should be.

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Right now I am in Bali, Indonesia. This country has opened my eyes to what is going on out here in the real world. This country is so beautiful yet so full of people just scraping by in life on the streets.

We barter with them over shoes and clothes, some shoes and watches sell for 20 USD, to them this is a lot of money. To us it is not much at all. Their average Cars cost $15,000 USD and they make around $50 a day at most, some not even $10 a day so buying a motorcycle for a family of 5 is all that they can afford in their lifetime. These people are living in bad conditions selling on the street and creating anything they can for a loose dollar or two in our money, yet they put their skills to work creating and replicating things that western companies create and sell for 100′s of dollars.

This shows you that no matter what situation you are in, if you are resourceful enough, you will find a way to make it through life.

Travel Quotes To Live By:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

There are clear parallels between the world of sport and business. Those who rise to the top often share similar character traits such as determination, a strong ‘will-to-win,’ a crazy work ethic and the ability to function at an exceptional level both individually and in a team situation. What lessons can an aspiring entrepreneur or business owner take from their business careers?

Below are five lessons from some truly amazing sportsmen who made successful transitions from the world of sport to the world of business. We have focused on those who made more money and continue to do so from their off field/off court businesses than they did from their sports salaries.

David Beckham

David Beckham would readily admit that he is not the best ever footballer (soccer to our US readers) to play the game but he definitely shares traits with those who could more readily substantiate that claim.  His commitment and work ethic are well-known, representing England with his best performance when his last minute free kick sent England to the World Cup Finals, during the World Cup qualifier versus Greece on October 6^th 2001.

It was when his transition into business that David Beckham truly excelled. When Beckham joined LA Galaxy after leaving Real Madrid in 2007, the 5 year deal was for worth $250 million and included sponsorship and merchandise sales.

Lesson from David Beckham:

Think global and be prepared to go where your products services are best appreciated. e-commerce means that small businesses (even sole traders) can trade internationally.

Magic Johnson

A true superstar on the court in the NBA period we informally refer to as ‘Before Jordan’ Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson often had moves that left his competitors drooling. This did not change as he transitioned into a very successful business career.

Under the banner of Magic Johnson Enterprises he owns Burger Kings, T.G.I. Fridays, Magic Johnson Theaters, 24-Hour Fitness/ Magic Johnson Sport health clubs in poorer communities that lacked these establishments. In April 2011 he also purchased 3 radio stations in the Phoenix, Arizona area.

Lesson from Magic Johnson

Commercial opportunities are not limited to one type of consumer. Get to know the dynamics of your market and use them to your advantage.

George Foreman

When George Foreman was counted out in the historic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight against Muhammad Ali on the night of October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire he could never have imagined the magnitude of his ‘comeback’ and that it would not be in the ring but outside it.

In 1995 Foreman partnered with household-products maker Salton and helped them sell almost 100 million George Foreman Grills. In 1999 he sold the rights to his name to his grill-making partner for $137.5 million. He has introduced a clothing line and cleaning products line.

Lesson from George Foreman

You have to take risks to reap the rewards. Putting his name to a grill was quite a risk for the former world heavyweight champion.

Tony Hawk

It’s not an overstatement to say that for many people, Tony Hawk “Is Skateboarding”. It was Hawk who landed the first ever “900″ at the X games—two and a half spins in mid-air and created around 80 new tricks and yet his business moves have proved to be just as amazing.

Hawk owns Birdhouse, one of the largest skateboarding companies in the world and started his own clothing line – Hawk Clothing. He has established sponsorship deals with Six Flags, Kohl’s, Infospace, Adio shoes, Jeep and Sirius Satellite Radio, but his best application to date was the launch of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Video game in 1999 in partnership with Activision. The game quickly became a bestseller making his company the No. 1 action-sports video game franchise. He has also published his autobiography which also became a bestseller.

Lesson from Tony Hawk

Embrace technology to expand your brand.

Venus Williams

Venus  ’Ebony Starr’ Williams is well known for exploits on the tennis court having amassed 43 career singles titles including 7 majors but her form is just as impressive in the business arena. She is the CEO of V Starr Interiors, an interior design firm founded by Williams in Florida after she completed her associate degree in Fashion Design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In a separate deal Venus partnered with retailer Steve & Barry’s to launch her own fashion line ‘EleVen’.

In 2009, she became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins, a professional American football team, along with her sister Serena Williams. She has also co-written a book, ‘Come to Win; on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession’, which was highly placed (5^th) on the New York Times bestseller list.

Lesson from Venus Williams

Build business ventures around your passions and continue your professional development.

We hope that you have found this information inspiring.

Guest Blog written by Mike Pitt, Founder and CEO of Marketing Fundamentals Ltd www.marketingfundamentals.com

As an Entrepreneur, you often need to start from scratch, go up against the corporate big guns, and take massive risks. Its not as easy as it sounds, that is why we have decided to share with you the 10 Top Entrepreneur Essentials For Bulletproof Success.

Read on and share with us any other pointers that you may have come across in your adventures as an Entrepreneur.

Top 10 Tips For Bulletproof Success

1. Be passionate about life, as well as your business. Entrepreneurs who have passion in business, as well as their life, may drive us all batty, but there is never a dull moment. These moments are always being transformed into options to be explored. They make life interesting and an adventure, and everyone loves an adventure.

2. Be delightfully authentic and honest. Authentic entrepreneurs are destined and determined to have fun, as well as move forward in business. They have an unerring confidence that’s inspiring yet attainable. They savor relationships, and are generous with themselves and their smarts, so they attract a savvy following.

3. Be revered for an amazing positive attitude. Rather than cave when things get tough, optimistic entrepreneurs go analytic, looking for pivots that keep their goals in sight. They are disciplined, upbeat thinkers, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, and know how and when to laugh it off. A negative attitude takes everyone down.

4. Be warm and completely accessible. Warmth comes from your smile, and facial expressions that indicate genuine interest. Investors and partners look for entrepreneurs that will look them straight in the eye when speaking, and give their full and undivided attention while you’re speaking. Everyone looks for “rapport talk” rather than “report talk.”

5. Have impeccable manners and flair. Entrepreneurs who are always looking for opportunities to be gracious and considerate are going to be liked, admired, sought after, and trusted. In business, that means staying connected, showing up on time, with no signs of boredom or preoccupation. It’s not always about you, so dress and talk for them.

6. Be competent and confident. Competent people accomplish more in business because they’re driven by a pronounced sense of purpose. They are willing to put themselves on the line, and have confidently done their homework to know what it takes. They are reliably consistent, and unafraid to ask for help.

7. Able to just “get it.” Entrepreneurs who “get it” are emotionally attuned to peers and customers, so that their gut-level instincts become informed judgments that move the business forward. “With-it”-ness takes work, like reading the right blogs every day, challenging yourself to stay abreast of the latest technology, and social media marketing.

8. Have a big bandwidth. Can you talk, with equal engagement and respect, to your company’s CFO and the guy who pumps your gas? Look for opportunities to praise and nurture the people with diversity. Get comfortable out of your circle of interest and expertise. Go for that black belt in networking.

9. Be vivid virtually. Developing a superior virtual presence requires a mastery of several mediums – phone, email, text messaging, as well as handwritten notes – but the payoff is undeniable. But don’t overuse virtual communication to the exclusion of face-to-face time In all cases, don’t forget your sense of aplomb, mastery of tone, and the spell-checker.

10. Build and use a board of advisors. The right board is a group of individuals who may not know one another, but know you, and know your business domain. Plus, they need to be willing to put their brains and their expertise at your disposal as long as you need it. No entrepreneur is an island, so take the initiative to build and use an advisory board.

Article By: Martin Zwilling

Only one in four companies in the US are run by women. Does this mean that women aren’t cut out for the suits, ties and big decisions? This subject has been debatable for a long time so we are are here to clear the scene with 7 cold hard facts as to why women make great entrepreneurs.

We can see this comment section turning into battle of the sexes as we type this, haha. Enjoy this post and dont forget to chip in your 2 cents worth.

Do Women Make Great Entrepreneurs? Read On:

1. Women possess strong communication skills and social intelligence. The digital economy requires these skills, and women enjoy a slight edge over their male counterparts (according to numerous studies). A stronger network means they will be better resourced throughout the life of the venture. By leveraging their connections, they will have to reinvent the wheel less and learn fewer lessons the hard way.

2. Female-owned companies tend to offer family & friendly benefits. These include such perks as job sharing, parental leave and telecommuting. They argue that their more worker-friendly policies boost morale and lead to less turnover, less absenteeism and higher productivity.

3. Women also make good listeners. One study found that the collective intelligence of a group rose if the group included more women. They have open minds. They’re not autocratic.”

4. Women start companies to better balance their work and family lives. Wealth is not their primary focus, so most remain smaller. But there are exceptions, like Martha Stewart (Omnimedia), Ruth Furtel (Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse), and Lillian Vernon, which make big money.

5. Women collaborate. Women have worked well together since the earliest female enterprises, whether dividing grains in the village or working in quilting bees. Even some of today’s cultural stereotypes have legs, for instance, women’s joint trips to the restroom!

6. Female owners are more likely to have positive revenues. They prefer lower risk opportunities, and are willing to settle for lower returns. Some women feel that pushing profits is “not polite.” More women entrepreneurs are single person businesses, while men tend to have more employees. Researchers have begun focusing on the relationship between testosterone and excessive risk, thus evaluating whether groups of men spur each other toward reckless decisions.

7. Females aren’t afraid to ask for help. Many men (not all) have difficulty asking for help when it comes to something like their very own business. Pride can sometimes get in the way. But most women don’t have a problem admitting that they’re not sure how to accomplish a certain task or what needs to be done next in the building-a-business game. This can sometimes provide an advantage in a well-spring of knowledge from sources that help ground their business more quickly.

If you haven’t already, make sure you checkout “The 7 Reasons Why Men Make Great Entrepreneurs“

We have found it, the Entrepreneurs Bible! No not really but this is what it would look like if it was ever created. Here are the 20 Great Tips for the budding entrepreneur, taken straight out of the “would be” Entrepreneurs Bible.

25 Great Tips For Entrepreneurs

1.    It’s rare when someone is their word; treasure it in others, cultivate it in yourself
2.    Call AND email – the squeaky wheel gets the grease
3.    Hold yourself to a standard of behaviour and business
4.     Live & breathe your pitch – know your story, know your vision and preach it
5.    Pay attention to detail
6.    It truly is win/win – don’t work with folks who think about it any other way
7.    Find a mentor – Don’t be too proud to ask for advice from great ones when you really need it
8.    Don’t bang your head against the wall – go with what works and continue to innovate
9.    Be kind but firm
10.   Avoid isolation – Expand your network and never get caught in the corner.
11.   FEAR:  False Expectations Appearing Real
12.    You always have a choice
13.    Say it in 30 seconds or don’t say it at all. - Be clear on what you need.
14.    Perception is reality – you’re always creating an impression
15.    Everything is a negotiation, even if you don’t think it is
16.    People hear what they want to and usually only remember the negative
17.    Don’t be a victim of your own B.S. - Don’t talk the talk unless you can walk the walk
18.    Have the difficult conversations – they’re always worth it
19.    It goes by fast and your health is the most important thing – take care of it/make it a priority
20.    Those old business axioms are true, e.g., take time to hire and be fast to fire
21.    The path to hell really is paved with good intentions
22.    Learn under fire. - Pressure will mould you, don’t let it break you.
23.    Generosity looks good on
24.    Never point out your flaws but do admit to your mistakes
25.    Focus – Keep your eye on the prize!

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