Category: Entrepreneurship

Acceler8Success Cafe Thursday 11.5.20

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People, Business, Strategy: Defining The Pillars For Entrepreneurial Success

A fresh approach to establishing a new company begins with an optimistic mindset, followed by a strategic plan. Establishing your market position as an entrepreneur requires insight into your leadership style and characteristics, as well as an awareness of your personal brand and its position in the market. Having a solid business strategy that is aimed to define, stimulate and advance your company’s purpose, progress and profitability is also a key aspect of entrepreneurial success. 

Outlining and developing these pillars will highlight your organization’s value proposition and create brand awareness for a competitive advantage. Read more.

4 Small Business Lending Trends to Watch in 2021

Small companies have a big impact on the U.S. economy. Business Insider says small companies make up 99 percent of all private sector businesses and they employ 60 percent of all the workers in the country.

These companies are particularly vulnerable to cash flow issues, so fluctuations in the small business lending market are vitally important to the economy. What small business lending trends are affecting American entrepreneurs through 2021? Read more.

If you’re looking for a business lending source to help finance your start-up or manage your future wealth, contact us today. Benetrends Financial, a pioneer in the industry, has helped thousands of potential small business owners like yourself secure funding over the past 35 years. Learn more.

How Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Can Hire and Retain Top-Notch Talent

Lifestyle entrepreneurs who have built a business that suits their needs and feeds their passion are in the ideal position to make it in their industry. After all, it’s not just that they’ve chosen to do what they love – they’re experts who have taken their corporate experience and poured it into an innovative business model.

However, the time comes in every entrepreneur’s life when they realize that they can’t take care of business all on their own. And that’s where talent acquisition comes in. Read more.

The Best Small Businesses to Start in a Recession

Yes, you can still start a small business during a recession. Some small businesses even thrive in a difficult economy. These businesses are called counter-cyclical or recession-proof businesses.

Starting any small business during a recession is a baptism by fire, but if you can survive, you will thrive as the economy recovers. Read more.

This year’s theme is #VetBiz Resources in Your Local Community which highlights the breadth of free to low-cost entrepreneurial resources that veteran and military entrepreneurs can access right in their neighborhood. Find events near you.

Acceler8Success Cafe Wednesday 11.4.20

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11 Entrepreneurs Discuss 2020’s Biggest Challenges And Opportunities

There’s absolutely no doubt that 2020 has been a year like no other. Thanks to COVID-19, many businesses around the world have experienced loss of income, staff and general day-to-day operations. A large number of businesses have had to shut down, either temporarily or permanently. There aren’t many industries that will be heading into 2021 unscathed.

Entrepreneurs and start-ups in particular have had to face challenges they weren’t expecting – and many have had to change the way they operate, both internally and externally. Here’s how some top entrepreneurs have made it through: the challenges they faced and lessons they learned along the way. Read more.

The #1 Business Mistake That Can Ruin an Entrepreneur’s Personal Finances

I have been wanting to write this post for a very long time. Out of hundreds of business owners—either current or prospective—that I speak to on a regular basis, nearly one-half tell me they are about to commit the mistake I discuss in this post without realizing how it can set back their personal finances. In fact, you might consider this post a public service announcement, because the ease of making this mistake, coupled with its long-term effect on your personal financial well-being, is shocking.

I am talking about using a personal line of credit to fund your business. On paper, this process does not sound catastrophic, dangerous, or worrisome. In fact, it sounds logical and easy. Read more.

The Art of the Pivot: Heidi Clear, CenterPoint

What happens when your industry is completely stalled due to the pandemic? You pivot—which is exactly what Heidi Clear of Centerpoint did to keep revenue coming in and to show up for what was needed.

As the owner of a company that produces exhibits for some of the country’s biggest and most crowded trade shows, Heidi Clear’s operation was hit very hard at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. Read more.

How to Develop a Strong Online Presence for Your Startup

Founding a startup during COVID-19 has its share of challenges. If you manage to identify a need and finance the launch of your company in this tumultuous time, a new set of challenges awaits: bringing in new customers. Shifting consumer behavior means that you’ll want to look closely at your online presence and digital marketing opportunities as you launch, allowing you to gain traction in the current market, but also positioning yourself for post-pandemic success. Read more.

An innovative approach to funding your small business.

Benetrends Financial knows innovative funding – they were the first to introduce ROBS (Rollover as Business Startups) with their
Rainmaker Plan®.   While there are competitors offering similar funding solutions, only Benetrends has the breadth of funding opportunities and the experience to successfully launch the dreams of
entrepreneurs – 17,000 and counting. Available options.

31 Quotes About Fear

Don’t let the things you are afraid of—failure, change, adversity, the unknown—stop you from going after the things you want most. Instead, find the courage to do what scares you. Face your fears, and you’ll uncover new and great opportunities. And it will feel good. Read more.

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” 

Helen Keller

Are you ready to own your own business?

Are you thinking of going into business for yourself and learning how the choice of a franchise can “jump-start” the process and your earning potential?  Well, Franchise Foundry can help. Working with in-house franchise professionals you will work one-on-one in determining if you’re right for franchising and whether it is right for you.  If you determine that franchising is a path to consider, you will be introduced to various industry segments and ultimately, brands that could be a “right-fit” situation . . . all to help ensure your future success! Read more.

Acceler8Success Cafe Tuesday 11.3.20

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15 Big Hurdles You’ll Face as an Entrepreneur – And How to Beat Them

Throughout your career as an entrepreneur, you’re going to face obstacles. Roadblocks and setbacks like self-doubt, dropped clients and burnout come with the territory of owning a business, but they don’t have to get in the way of your success. Read more.

As Small Business Saturday is just around the corner we must keep in mind that franchises are also small business. Franchise owners are very much the same as Mom & Pop businesses across America having invested their life savings to achieve the American Dream of small business ownership. #ShopSmall and #ShopFranchise on #SmallBusinessSaturday. Thank you!

5 Tips to Keep an Open Mind

In the wake of an economic recession, being open minded can feel like a luxury. Our natural response is to tighten the belt and wait for the worst to pass. It’s in these times that our ability to remain receptive to new ideas, perspectives and solutions is not only important, but crucial. The world is never riper for innovation than in times of uncertainty. As an added bonus, those who choose to see the world as an abundance of opportunity see benefits beyond the economical. Read more.

How 2020’s Pandemic And Election Are Impacting Women’s Small Business

A recent study of 522 women small business owners across the 15 most populous states found 54% feared they’d have to close their doors for good because of COVID-19. The study, commissioned by Groupon and conducted by OnePoll, aimed to understand how women small business owners are meeting the challenges COVID-19 presents. Not surprisingly, 75% of women-owned small businesses have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. A fifth said they either plan to or already needed to lay off employees — and less than 10% said they plan to hire more people in the next year. Read more.

How Successful Entrepreneurs Handle Rejection

If no one told you you’re going to hear “no” as an entrepreneur, here’s what you need to know: You’d better get used to it. Whether it’s telling your spouse about how you want to quit your day job and start a business, or you’re going after small business funding, the one thing most entrepreneurs have in common is rejection. Selling anything (whether it’s the idea of entrepreneurship to a skeptical spouse or the idea of a loan to your banker) is hard. It’s not the rejection that matters. It is how you handle it afterward that will make or break your business. As sure as you set out to achieve a goal, you are going to experience roadblocks. Big or small, each “no” could take a chunk out of your armor, if you let it. Read more.

Join us this week as we celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week. We will be showcasing our nation’s military and veteran-owned businesses all week long. This year’s theme is #VetBiz Resources in Your Local Community which highlights the breadth of free to low-cost entrepreneurial resources that veteran and military entrepreneurs can access right in their neighborhood. Each day during NVSBW, we will highlight different topics related to the veteran entrepreneurship journey. We will also host various national-level events to align with each topic area. You can find a full list of events taking place across the country here. Also, check out SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza’s video kicking off the week and read the Presidential Message on National Veterans Small Business Week.

Acceler8Success Cafe Monday 11.2.20

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Proclamation on National Entrepreneurship Month, 2020

This month, we recognize the bold spirit of America’s entrepreneurs who continue to prove that the American dream is alive and more obtainable than ever before.  As we continue our great American comeback, we know that these innovative men and women will remain at the forefront of our efforts to create a brighter future for our country. Read more.

5 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Better Serve Their Potential Customers

If your startup or small business hasn’t been ocusing on customer service, the time couldn’t be better to put on a huge customer-centric push. However, you need to make sure you have the infrastructure, protocols and tools to be certain that your brand’s first impression is nothing short of powerfully awesome. Read more.

Business Unusual: 7 Unique Ventures to Consider in 2021

Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Join the crowd; in the United States alone more than 627,000 businesses launch every year. There’s something about the risk and reward that comes with entrepreneurship that remains attractive to many. Maybe it’s that we own a piece of the American dream along with our small business. Maybe it’s just that we’re finally our own boss. No matter, for many entrepreneurs, the gamble is almost always worth it, even if it requires the weight of small business lending to get started. Read more.

This Is Why Entrepreneurs Who Settle For ‘Good Enough’ Will Get Ahead

Sharon Peake, a psychologist and founder of Shape Talent, says that while a reluctance to delegate is not necessarily the preserve of entrepreneurs, when a business is ‘your baby’ with your name on the accounts, and your earnings directly impacted by the decisions you make, it is understandable that some founders don’t want to relinquish control. Read more.

Our goal is to help current and aspiring entrepreneurs architect a plan of continuous accelerated movement toward a pinnacle of desired success, even if and when previously thought to be unattainable. This process has been developed around our proven e-IDEA (explore, identify, develop, execute & analyze) methodology. Deployed effectively, it is key to sustainability and ultimately, to success… Acceler8Success! Read more.

How female entrepreneurs can deal with ‘mansplaining’ investors

One of the most common questions I receive as a female entrepreneur is if I am supported more by males or females in business. Throughout my journey, I’ve been blessed to have a network of supportive women, but also equally supportive men, from my mentors, family members, to colleagues who provided valuable advice and helped me take my business to the next level. Nevertheless, as might be the case with many female entrepreneurs around the world, we are often put in situations where we have to deal with “mansplaining”. The Oxford Dictionary defines mansplaining as: “the practice of a man explaining something to a woman in a way that shows he thinks he knows and understands more than she does.” Read more.

Acceler8Success Cafe 11.1.20 Sunday Recap

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Today’s edition of Acceler8Success Cafe is our Sunday Recap where we share links to each day’s newsletter and a preview of that day’s most popular shared article. We’re pleased to report that the relaunch of Acceler8Success Cafe has been a success as evident by the increasing numbers in views on and shares from our site, across social media and from the many messages received. Thank you to all our readers and previous and new subscribers for helping to put Acceler8Success Cafe on the road to success!

Monday 10.26.20

6 Habits of Highly Focused People

The biggest reason people struggle to focus is that they don’t understand what focus really is. Most of us think about focus like willpower — the effort you apply to keep your mind on one thing when it wants to go somewhere else. But this is only a tiny part of focus — and by far the least important. Read more.

Tuesday 10.27.20

Keep The Faith In Small Business

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of business closings peaked at around a quarter of a million at the end of 2008 but returned to pre-recession levels by the end of 2011. Nearly as many new companies were started in 2012 as in 2006.  And even in this year of a pandemic, the country has recently seen tens of thousands of new business starts each week. The 36th week of this year saw over 101,000 new starts, nearly double the same week in 2019. Read more.

Wednesday 10.28.20

83% Of Small Business Owners Report Optimism For 2021

A new sentiment survey of small and medium-sized business (“SMB”) owners describes their outlook for 2021 as optimistic despite the significant impact of COVID-19 on business performance throughout 2020. The report, authored by GGV Capital and Hello Alice, also suggests that business owners expect an uptick in hiring, technology purchases, and overall growth. Read more.

Thursday 10.29.20

5 Best Business Ideas for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a flurry of challenges, from finding small business funding, short-term business closures, quarantines, and mask-wearing to sharp declines in storefront traffic and more.  So there is no doubt that many entrepreneurs threw in the towel this year. Despite all of this, the data shows that 2021 will be a great time to go into business for yourself. Let’s take a look at some trends shaping new businesses next year and five of the best entrepreneurial ideas for capitalizing on them. If you’re considering starting a small business in 2021, there are some trends to consider before making your plan. Read more.

Friday 10.30.20

QSRs Benefit From Economic Growth

The U.S. economy grew at a record pace in the third quarter, reported The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 29). It increased 7.4% over the prior quarter and at a 33.1% annual rate—recovering about two-thirds of the ground it lost earlier in the coronavirus pandemic. Gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—jumped following a record decline from earlier in the pandemic when the virus and related shutdowns disrupted business activity across the country. Read more.

Saturday 10.31.20

The Weekend Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

So much has been written about the traits and skills one must have to be a successful entrepreneur that it’s easy to forget that sometimes it is the little things in life that lead to the greatest success. In Entrepreneur Habits, we provide you with simple yet effective habits that any fledgling founder can employ in their daily — or nightly — routine. With advice from top entrepreneurs and innovative practitioners, these creative customs can help put you on the path to progress. Read more.

Our goal is to help current and aspiring entrepreneurs architect a plan of continuous accelerated movement toward a pinnacle of desired success, even if and when previously thought to be unattainable. This process has been developed around our proven e-IDEA (explore, identify, develop, execute & analyze) methodology. Deployed effectively, it is key to sustainability and ultimately, to success… Acceler8Success! Learn more.

Acceler8Success Cafe Daily Weekend 10.31.20

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The Weekend Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

So much has been written about the traits and skills one must have to be a successful entrepreneur that it’s easy to forget that sometimes it is the little things in life that lead to the greatest success. In Entrepreneur Habits, we provide you with simple yet effective habits that any fledgling founder can employ in their daily — or nightly — routine. With advice from top entrepreneurs and innovative practitioners, these creative customs can help put you on the path to progress. Read more.

Inspire Brands buys Dunkin’ in $11.3B deal

The acquisition is easily the largest deal between two restaurant companies in 2020, and grows Inspire Brands’ footprint from 11,000 to more than 31,000 restaurants, edging it closer to heavyweight rivals like 50,000-restaurant company Yum Brands. Inspire will also gain over $1 billion in revenue and about $12 billion in systemwide sales, based on Dunkin’s 2019 year-end results. Read more.

Corner Bakery Cafe sells to Boston Market owner Pandya

Affiliates of Roark Capital Group have sold the Dallas-based Corner Bakery Cafe brand to Pandya Restaurant Growth Brands LLC, the companies said Thursday. The fast-casual cafe brand had been held been a Roark subsidiary since 2011. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read more.

Are you ready to own your own business?

21 Tips for First-Time Entrepreneurs

If you’re an entrepreneur, be an entrepreneur. Don’t listen to the naysayers. If you fail with one idea, start another. You’re an entrepreneur, no matter what, whether up or down, success or failure, you’re always an entrepreneur. Remember that. Read more.

Why You Should Build a Personal Reputation Before Starting a Business

Before you start a business, you should consider building a personal reputation. You might be able to do this naturally by accomplishing noteworthy achievements in your field. But for most people, that means going out of your way to build up a personal brand on social media. Why is your personal reputation such an important factor for success in entrepreneurship, and what steps should you take to develop it? Read more.

An innovative approach to funding your small business.

Benetrends knows innovative funding – they were the first to introduce ROBS (Rollover as Business Startups) with their Rainmaker Plan®.   While there are competitors offering similar funding solutions, only Benetrends
has the breadth of funding opportunities and the experience to successfully launch the dreams of entrepreneurs – 17,000 and counting. Learn more.

Our generation is redefining entrepreneurship

As they enter the workforce, young adults of today know what they want and they don’t plan on settling. This generation values equal opportunity to grow and to reach financial freedom. Young adults want to be the ones in control of their future and for most, entrepreneurship is looking like the path to success. Read more.

How To Scale Your Business In Tough Times

To say that Covid-19 has thrown businesses for a loop would be an understatement. Yelp recently reported that, of the more than 160,000 U.S. companies that have closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, 60% are now shut down for good. Read more.

“While we are in a challenging environment, you will find companies in every industry having their best year yet. Those succeeding are adapting, looking for the opportunity and using data to make fact-based decisions.”

Charles Gaudet, CEO of growth consultancy Predictable Profits

Our goal is to help current and aspiring entrepreneurs architect a plan of continuous accelerated movement toward a pinnacle of desired success, even if and when previously thought to be unattainable. This process has been developed around our proven e-IDEA (explore, identify, develop, execute & analyze) methodology. Deployed effectively, it is key to sustainability and ultimately, to success… Acceler8Success! Learn more.

Acceler8Success Cafe Daily Friday 10.30.20

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We must collectively commit to rebuilding the small business sector

The pandemic has reminded Americans of the outsized role small businesses play in our economy, employing 47% of the United States workforce, generating two-thirds of new jobs, and serving as a critical path to economic self-sufficiency. Yet, it has also revealed the fragility of many of these enterprises and the profound deficiencies in how they are supported by federal policies, private practice, and local action. Read more.

Living the Luxurious Entrepreneur Life with Grant Luxury

Entrepreneurship is essential for the business itself, but it also plays a heavy role in the economy. Firstly, it creates new job opportunities because a company needs employees to run the business smoothly. Secondly, entrepreneurship causes economic growth. Entrepreneurs bring new and innovative ideas to the market, helping society become more advanced and developed. The latter is one of the reasons why Grant Luxury molds people to be entrepreneurs. Read more.

Is Crowdfunding Right for You? Answer These 7 Questions to Find Out

You have an awesome idea and you need some money to get things started. Have you considered crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is a popular and increasingly approachable way to put your prospective product or business in front of millions of people, and thanks to the visibility of massive success stories, there’s a public perception that most crowdfunding campaigns end up being successful. The reality is, less than a third of all crowdfunding campaigns end up reaching their financial goals. Why? Some campaigns aren’t right for crowdfunding. Some aren’t properly planned. Some aren’t properly supported. Read more.

QSRs Benefit From Economic Growth

The U.S. economy grew at a record pace in the third quarter, reported The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 29). It increased 7.4% over the prior quarter and at a 33.1% annual rate—recovering about two-thirds of the ground it lost earlier in the coronavirus pandemic. Gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—jumped following a record decline from earlier in the pandemic when the virus and related shutdowns disrupted business activity across the country. Read more.

Pepperoni’s growing popularity among consumers is based upon consistency in delivering high-quality NY Style pizza, exceptional customer service and excellent unit-economics. Coupled with a strong branding program, technology integration and low-investment level, Pepperoni’s is positioned to be the next disruption in the Pizza segment of Franchising. Request info.

Robots Will Replace Humans in Restaurants Sooner Rather Than Later

Your best server or bartender could soon be replaced by a mechanical counterpart, says a new study from Ball State University. But that doesn’t mean your customers will like it. In her study, “How to Build a Better Robot for Quick Service Restaurants,” recently published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Dina Marie Zemke, an associate professor of residential property management at Ball State University, found that the overwhelming majority of respondents believe there is no stopping the robotic transformation of the food service industry, including quick-service restaurants (QSRs). Read more.

How Successful Entrepreneurs Handle Rejection

Some blessings can come from rejection. Many entrepreneurs have been rejected, only to come back stronger. Did you know Steve Jobs was fired from Apple before he returned to turn it into the icon it is today? Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was turned down 12 times before getting published. Don’t even get us started on Elon Musk, who was fired from PayPal before going on to co-found Tesla, SpaceX, and more. No one likes rejection, but rejection happens even to the best of entrepreneurs. That’s why it makes sense to learn how to handle rejection well and turn it into a learning opportunity for your business. Read more.

Acceler8Success Cafe Daily Thursday 10.29.20

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Every Company Needs an Entrepreneur in the C-Suite

Innovation thrives when it has power and status within an organization. To enable real innovative growth — and rapid response in the face of such crises such as Covid-19 — boards and company leaders must structure top organizational roles to give innovative efforts the resources and attention they need. In our work on business model innovation with over 100 large and medium-sized companies, we’ve found that companies looking for transformation have two good options: an entrepreneurial CEO or a powerful chief entrepreneur. Read more here.

7 Entrepreneurship Stages Will Propel You to Where You Need to Go

The road to becoming an entrepreneur is a journey, and it’s not a short trip. In my efforts to assist aspiring business owners like you, I find that too many see it as a short sprint to get over that one hurdle, like finding that innovative idea, or attracting an investor. In reality, I find that there are multiple stages to the process, each requiring a unique mindset and focused effort along the way. I was pleased to find a new book, The Entrepreneur’s Faces, by Johnathan Littman and Susanna Camp, which outlines the key stages and provides examples of real people making the transformation from one stage to the next. Read more here.

If you wouldn’t think about building a house without blueprints, why would you consider building a business without blueprints? Like plans for a home, business blueprints should include each component necessary for long-term benefit. Whether exploring franchise ownership or growing your brand via franchising, Franchise Foundry can help ensure you have the right blueprints specifically for you! Learn more here.

What Restaurant Sectors Thrived During The Pandemic?

Why did some restaurant chains sales thrive so quickly after the pandemic?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Lorn Davis, who leads corporate and product strategy at the financial data firm Facteus. The company has been reporting sales using debit card information since the start of the pandemic, and its weekly reports have provided some key insights into the direction of retail and restaurant spending. Davis discusses some of the sectors performing particularly well, such as chicken wings, and those that have a longer runway for improvement, like coffee. He talks about the factors that have influenced the sectors’ success and failure, and he discusses how consumers have changed since the start of the pandemic—and how much of that change could be permanent. Listen to podcast here.

Jersey Mike’s Subs CEO Peter Cancro to join MFHA President Gerry Fernandez to talk about the path to Black restaurant franchise ownership

Peter Cancro, CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs will be a keynote speaker at Restaurants Rise powered by MUFSO on its final day, Thursday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. EDT, in discussion on the path to Black franchise ownership, brought to you by PepsiCo Foodservice.

Cancro will be joined by Karim Webb, CEO of 4thMVMT and co-founder of PCF Restaurant Management — a franchisee of Buffalo Wild Wings — and Hugh Roth, senior vice president and chief customer and business development officer for PepsiCo’s Global Foodservice Division. The panel will be moderated by Gerry Fernandez, president and founder of the Multicultural Foodservice Hospitality Alliance (MFHA). TIME SENSITIVE: Read more here.

5 Best Business Ideas for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a flurry of challenges, from finding small business funding, short-term business closures, quarantines, and mask-wearing to sharp declines in storefront traffic and more.  So there is no doubt that many entrepreneurs threw in the towel this year. Despite all of this, the data shows that 2021 will be a great time to go into business for yourself. Let’s take a look at some trends shaping new businesses next year and five of the best entrepreneurial ideas for capitalizing on them. If you’re considering starting a small business in 2021, there are some trends to consider before making your plan. Read more here.

As Small Business Saturday is just around the corner please keep in mind that franchises are also small business. Franchise owners are very much the same as Mom & Pop businesses across America having invested their life savings to achieve the American Dream of owning a business. #ShopSmall and #ShopFranchise on #SmallBusinessSaturday.

Acceler8Success Cafe Daily Wednesday 10.28.20

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83% Of Small Business Owners Report Optimism For 2021

A new sentiment survey of small and medium-sized business (“SMB”) owners describes their outlook for 2021 as optimistic despite the significant impact of COVID-19 on business performance throughout 2020. The report, authored by GGV Capital and Hello Alice, also suggests that business owners expect an uptick in hiring, technology purchases, and overall growth.

Read more…

She Launched To Help Women Become Retirepreneur’s (Podcast)

Joi Disroe is the Founder and CEO of consulting company Retirepreneur 5.0. She recently launched the The Retirepreneur Podcast to help women 50 and older transition from the corporate world into becoming a Retirepreneur.

Read more…

Coupled with a strong branding program, technology integration and low-investment level, Pepperoni’s is positioned to be the next disruption in the Pizza segment of Franchising.

Learn more…

Venus Williams’ Advice For Entrepreneurs: Don’t Let Fear Take Over—Just Push Through It

Tennis champion and Olympic gold medalist Venus Williams has some advice for the more than 30 million small business owners and entrepreneurs across the U.S. struggling to find their footing in the new normal: Don’t let fear take over. It’s a lesson she learned at the age of 19 while competing with sister Serena, then 17, at the 1999 U.S. Open. Williams only made it to the semi-finals—her sister went on to win the tournament.

Read more…

How Incubators Help Entrepreneurs Succeed (Podcast)

Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires the right combination of factors, impeccable timing and often sheer luck. In her latest research, Wharton management professor Valentina Assenova examines what it takes to help entrepreneurs who need more luck than most — those who live in places where inequality is institutionalized and the obstacles to success are even higher to hurdle. Inspired by a trip to South Africa, Assenova tracked the improvement rates for small businesses in Soweto whose owners received help through an incubator.

Read more…

9 Tech Tools Your Small Business Needs to Scale

For entrepreneurs, any tool that helps do the job easier is a welcome addition. Choosing where to invest tech budget dollars and time to learn the applications are key decisions. As seen in the recent post, “Get Up and Grow: The Small Business Guide to Expansion”,  technology is a key area for business owners seeking to grow their business.

Read more…

15 Cities With the Most Successful Female Entrepreneurs

Nationwide, there are nearly 6 million female entrepreneurs who account for 7.7% of the female workforce, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. For many of these women, entrepreneurship offers more flexibility than traditional jobs.

Read more…

The Return to Work: Which Employees Should You Bring Back to the Office?

Since the nationwide shutdown in March, states have slowly and carefully allowed businesses to reopen. But many corporations have opted to allow their employees to continue working from home. While some employees view being able to work from the couch in sweatpants as a benefit, others are dealing with higher stress levels and difficulty focusing. Their productivity is paying the price. If companies can safely bring some employees back to the office, it could benefit both employees and the bottom line. The challenge that remains is effectively identifying who should return.

Read more…

Fighting loneliness can be especially challenging for entrepreneurs. Here’s how to find community during the pandemic.

Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs face a unique challenge. Without the built-in relationships with colleagues we’d have as workers in large companies, we are usually on our own. This professional independence might attract us to this career, but it can lead to loneliness. 

Read more…

Acceler8Success Cafe Daily Tuesday 10.27.20

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5 Best Business Ideas for 2021

There is no doubt that many entrepreneurs threw in the towel this year. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a flurry of challenges, from finding small business funding, short-term business closures, quarantines, and mask-wearing to sharp declines in storefront traffic and more. Despite all of this, the data shows that 2021 will be a great time to go into business for yourself. Let’s take a look at some trends shaping new businesses next year and five of the best entrepreneurial ideas for capitalizing on them. 

Read more…

Entrepreneurship Finds Roots in Families, Reveals GEM Report

Worldwide, 75% of entrepreneurs and 81% of established business owners are entrepreneurs, co-owning or managing their businesses with family members, according to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Family Entrepreneurship Report, co-sponsored by Babson College. The report also reveals traditional views of the founder as a lone genius may not be the case. Family members, whether parents and their children, siblings, cousins, or spouses, are finding strength and success building companies together.

Read more…

Interested in selling your business? Or possibly, buying a business. Well, Empire Business Brokers and Advisors of Texas can help. Working with current and aspiring entrepreneurs, investment groups, privately-held companies and family-owned businesses, representing both sellers and buyers, the Empire team offers a suite of business brokerage and advisory services including valuations, commercial financing, franchise sales and many others.

More info…

Entrepreneurship Lessons That I Learned Amidst The Global Pandemic

Entrepreneurship can be a tough and long journey for most of us, but it surely is a fulfilling one. More often than not, it’s a journey of perseverance, self-discovery and it’s an open secret that no year has been as testing as 2020. The world was presented with a huge unforeseen problem with no apparent solution: an ever-changing pandemic forcing global business communities at large to pause in confusion, panic, and distress.

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Keep The Faith In Small Business

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of business closings peaked at around a quarter of a million at the end of 2008 but returned to pre-recession levels by the end of 2011. Nearly as many new companies were started in 2012 as in 2006.  And even in this year of a pandemic, the country has recently seen tens of thousands of new business starts each week. The 36th week of this year saw over 101,000 new starts, nearly double the same week in 2019.

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Franchise Foundry represents a number of quick service restaurant (QSR) brands realizing year-over-year sales increases.- Low initial investment – Funding support- Site selection assistance- Small real estate footprint- Support & training- Multi-unit opportunities- Multi-brand opportunities.

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What is a Strategic Plan and Why You Need One

When you are starting or running your business, you need to have a plan that ties your current state to where you want to go. That plan cannot just detail the things you will do, but it must follow a strategy that sets you apart given the market conditions you are facing. One way to think about strategic planning is that it identifies any gaps between a current state and desired future state, and then dictates how to close those gaps – how to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To that end, various factors are taken into consideration in order to formulate an effective plan.

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Mark Cuban: These are the 2 books I’m reading right now

Self-made billionaire Mark Cuban has consistently attributed his success, in part, to his devotion to life-long learning. In fact, the “Shark Tank” investor previously called it “the greatest skill” to have. For Cuban, life-long learning means spending “four to five hours a day” reading, he told CNBC Make It in 2018. “I read everything I can. I don’t care what the source is.”

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