Unchained Entrepreneur – Business Advice

Business today, whatever your field, is crowded with entrants. What can you do to access customers and hold attention in an environment filled with competitors? One strategy to help grow your business (and your personal brand) is to become an expert in your field. Here are 7 strategies you can use to become an expert [...]

Effective email writing is a skill that is often overlooked in today’s fast-paced business environment.  I’m sure you’ve received your share of long, rambling email communications.  Unfortunately, we’ve all probably been guilty of sending such emails in the past. The fact is, email is a critical communication methodology.  As such, you need to be crafting [...]

Cash flow is the lifeblood of an operating business. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs never learn about cash flow – and the differences that exist between cash flow, booking revenues and paper profit. Cash flow is the fuel that allows your business to continue operating and, more importantly, achieve growth. By managing cash flow effectively, you can [...]

Recently, I was at a small investor conference in Boca Raton. At the pre-cocktail hour I ran into an acquaintance of mine. David had been to this event before, and he had already “worked the room” prior to my arrival. We chatted together and move around the venue. The CEO of one of the presenting companies came up to chat with David. He turned to introduce us, and I saw a look of panic flash across his face. I knew immediately that David had forgotten this gentleman’s name. Stepping into the breach, I introduced myself directly, saving David some embarrassment.

Forgetting someone’s name has probably happened to all of us at some time or another. I have a fairly good memory, and I’m usually OK in small meetings. Nonetheless, at larger events, it’s easy to end up in a situation where you’ve forgotten a name – and it becomes quite evident. While not catastrophic, it’s not an impression any of us want to give.

Remembering names is a skill that can give you an advantage in both social and business circumstances (not to mention save you a great deal of embarrassment). Interestingly, a great deal of research [...]

Whether you are a budding entrepreneur, an established business owner or an ambitious employee, one aspect of life remains constant – the need for credibility. In all walks of life, your experience and the ability to develop a “trust factor” among your relevant stakeholders has become ever more important – particularly in an era when information can be researched (or disseminated) at lightning fast speed across the web.

Here are several categories to focus on, along with specific tips, when looking to build credibility.

Gaining Experience

Of course, you can’t put the cart before the horse. The fact is that every bit of experience that you can add to your personal and professional biography is of value. To that end, you can actively seek out opportunities to add substance to your background – which can then be touted using some of the tips mentioned later in this post.

1. Volunteer With Organizations. There are literally thousands of organizations at the national and local level that you can get involved in. Naturally, business focused organizations – chambers of commerce, networking groups, urban revitalization groups and economic development centers to name a few – may be your preferred venues at first. These types of organizations have a direct linkage to the type of credibility you are seeking to build. However, many other deserving not-for-profits are in regular need of assistance. If you provide substantive assistance in areas that are readily transferrable into the business arena, you’ve built experience and credibility. Of course, sitting on the Board of Directors or Chairing a Steering Committee is ideal. Just be sure that your goal in volunteering includes a desire to truly help the organization in addition to helping yourself.

2. Help At Conferences. Identify a conference that you are interested in attending and get in contact with the organizers. Offer your service to help run the event. Ideally, you want to work with speakers or attendees, or develop collateral materials or other similar high-level tasks. Nonetheless, even assisting with basic logistics (setting up speakers’ tables, audience chairs, etc.) can be worthwhile. By volunteering at a conference you reap several benefits in addition to building your credibility – you get to [...]

Goals are the underpinning for any success. Your business, your athletics, you hobbies, your life itself are all keyed off of goal setting. Every successful person I know is incredibly goal oriented. Successful individuals determine their desires and focus intensely on achieving them.

The last twenty years have seen an explosion in goal setting evaluation. Indeed, a number of studies have shown empirical evidence that written goal setting provides significant improvement in achievement.

If you accept that goal setting and seeking is so valuable, you must be asking yourself “Why don’t more people set clearly defined goals?” I will tell you that even I am astonished by how often I encounter individuals (particularly entrepreneurs) floundering about in pursuit of some ambiguous “success,” rather than following a road-map that ends in specific goals. I think there are three primary obstacles that prevent people from focusing intensely on goal setting.

1. They Don’t Know the Importance of Goals. Before you read the preceding section, how critical did you think it was to set goals in your personal and business lives? It seems that most people don’t realize the value of goal setting. Most Americans receive no formal education regarding goal setting in either high-school or college. Given this, many people are raised in households where goal setting is effectively non-existent. As adults, many individuals work in environments and socialize with friends where goal setting is never discussed or addressed. Still not convinced? Make a list of your family, friends and colleagues. How many people on your list do you think regularly engage in goal setting activities?
2. They Don’t Know How. Once someone understands the power and value of goals, they often find themselves facing another obstacle – what to do next. I received a Bachelors Degree from a well regarded institution in Washington, D.C. and a MBA from one of the top ranked schools in the nation. In six years of post-secondary education, not once did I receive any instruction in regards to goal setting. It seems clear that one of the major reasons for lack of goal setting is that people don’t know how to set goals in the first place. Please note, I’m talking about properly constituted goals (see below). Almost everyone has daydreams or wishes. A desire to “be rich” or “famous” or even “happy” is not a goal, however. The lack of a process and framework for goal setting holds many people back from determining and achieving their goals.
3. They Don’t Want to Fail. The third primary reason for the lack of goal setting [...]