[Year in Review 2020] The Top 10 Books of 2020 for Entrepreneurs

Undoubtedly and unfortunately, the biggest development of the year 2020 was the coronavirus pandemic – with triple shock effects in health, economic, and social spheres. Though a big setback to many firms, a side-effect was a boost to digital adoption and hybrid business models. See our reviews of the books Pandemic Inc. and Coming Back from COVID for insights on business resilience.

The selection of our Top Ten Books this year provides advice for business models, leadership, tech trends, design thinking, startup ecosystems, storytelling, and connecting to a larger purpose. Read more.

He’s an Inspirational Serial Entrepreneur and a Founder’s Best Friend

Sam Kamani and his effervescent personality have sparked tens of thousands of founders. How? They’ve all read his book, “The 30 Day Startup.” His second book, “Business in the Time of Corona,” was recently released and offers insights on the value of pivoting with guidance as to when and how to best do so. That kind of advice is critical for founders who are typically not flush with cash and often naive about what’s involved, “The biggest disconnect is that founders start with an idea for a solution but the most successful founders start with a problem to solve. All founders get so fixated and have tunnel vision on their own product that they forget about the problem they need to solve,” says Kamani. Read more.

More Entrepreneurship, Less Recidivism Among The Formerly Incarcerated

Recidivism is a big problem in the U.S. Research shows that, within three years of their release, two out of three formerly incarcerated people are rearrested and more than 50% are incarcerated again. In New York, 53% of formerly incarcerated inmates are rearrested within three years.

Since finding steady, gainful employment is difficult for this population, such statistics shouldn’t be that surprising. Read more.

Are you ready to franchise your business or put your recently franchised brand on the right track?

Utilizing a hybrid coaching/consulting approach, the Franchise Foundry team develops and deploys effective short and long-term solutions in franchise management & operations, change management, traditional & digital marketing, relationship & business management technology and domestic & international franchise development. Franchise Foundry also assists franchise brands in raising capital and exploring merger & acquisition opportunities. The company has an expanding list of client brands across various industry segments, with its primary goal of positioning clients with unique, differentiating propositions to stand out in today’s highly competitive business environment. Learn more.

4 Future Trends That Represent Massive Opportunity

Staying on top of trends is how entrepreneurs succeed. I love reading and researching data to understand what’s to come. Sure, no one can predict the future — yet, but excited for the time when AI will do that for us — but trends are our best bet when it comes to projecting where business is heading.  

Not many years ago, we were predicting the rise of something called a smartphone and becoming comfortable with the idea of wide-scale digital subscription services with monthly fees and cars that drive themselves. Now the iPhone and Netflix are part of our everyday lives. Read more.

“ Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Steve Jobs, Co-founder, CEO, Chairman Apple Inc.

10 Tips for Performing Franchise Due Diligence

For many, purchasing a franchise will be the most significant investment they’ll ever make, and no one should ever buy a franchise without performing the proper due diligence. Whether it be looking over the Franchise Disclosure Document or talking to advisors, it’s imperative to really dig in and do the research required to get a full understanding of the brand and the franchise requirements. Read more.

Forget 2020: Mark Cuban’s Secrets to Focusing on the Future

Mark Cuban knows what he would do if he were starting over today. That is if he wasn’t a globally recognizable billionaire in his early 60s, if he were instead a fresh-faced 20-something just out of college or someone looking to make his way in the world, Cuban would focus his time and energy on one thing: voice computing. He would learn everything he possibly could about scripting for Amazon and for Google Home. He would build a business around teaching both at-home consumers and commercial enterprises how to personalize and customize their voice-activated devices. Read more.

Why Entrepreneurs Need To Talk About Their Mental Health

72% of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues compared to just 48% of non entrepreneurs. That’s according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health. 49% of entrepreneurs deal with mental health issues directly while only 32% of others experienced them. Similarly, 23% of entrepreneurs have family members who face these issues compared to just 16% of others with family members who face these same types of issues. Read more.