10 Entreprenuer Mistakes: Which ones do you make?

10 Mistakes that Start-Ups Make

I'm guilty mostly of:

#3 (spending too much time on features, not enough on benefits) 

#4 (to niche or not to niche)

#5 (needed a market/customers before I launched passionately)

Which of the 10 do you struggle with the most? Why?

Are Attending Conferences Worth Your Money?

Conference Attendance 101

I've gone to many conferences only walking away disappointed. I used to believe the main dish was the speakers, but you can only listen to so many people talk before being completely brain dead (and not remembering a thing).

What if you changed your approach? Instead, you planned who you wanted to talk to and what you will say when you converse with him/her. Consider a conference a place to "bump" into people intentionally and build your network. It's about quality, not quantity, so plan to continue the conversation after the conference has come and gone. 

What do you think?

Stop! Don't Cut That Training Budget

Original Article

Even with profit loss, the last thing you should cut is your budget. Instead invest in your current workforce by spending money on training. Your employees will feel valued and appreciated which translates to better customer service for your customers. 

+ training = + engaged employee = + customer-employee transaction = $$$

Sell Your Vision

Do you like to sell? I sure don't. Whether you're a worker or the boss, sales is part of the job. What if instead of selling your product or service, you sold your vision? How would that change your approach? 

People want to be inspired. Marketing is motivating people to act on their desires. If you can paint a picture about how life will improve with your product/service, you have a customer.  

People want to know where you will take them. Would you get in a car without knowing the destination? Vision is direction. Show people where you will take them so they can decide whether to follow you.  

People buy visions. Nike promises better performance. Apple sells the "cool" factor. Disneyland enhances your happiness. We buy the perceived effect a product/service will have on us. 

Vision gives us hope. We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Vision is a combination of passion and direction. Vision lies in your heart. Sell your vision and people will get on board with you.

What vision are YOU selling?

Waiting Sucks

Whether it's traffic, long lines or following a slow foursome in front of me at the golf course, waiting sucks. In business, slow times are discouraging and makes us question what we are doing...  

 

...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. [Romans 5:3,4; Bible]

 

Think about this. When you "suffer" it can build your ability to persevere through tough times. That perseverance strengthens your character. Good character gives you hope for the future.

 

When I'm struggling, I find it difficult to see outside of my circumstances. When things go slower than I would like, I get frustrated. That frustration makes me feel like there's no hope. 

 

What if I took a different approach?

What if I looked at my "down time" as an opportunity to grow? 

If I can deal with the slow times, then I become a stronger person. Simply changing my perspective gives me a new sense of hope. 

 

I'll probably never enjoy waiting, but I can choose to shift my view on it. Sometimes life throws tests at you now to prepare you for greater opportunities in the future.

 

What are YOU doing while you wait?