Do These 7 Things to Get (and Stay) Motivated

How do you stay motivated and inspired? How can you keep your passion, your excitement, fired up? First things first… Make a decision to go all the way to the top. Up to now, you’ve thought about it. Up to now, it’s passed your mind. But now make up your mind to go all the way to the top, and your life will take off. It’s the most extraordinary thing.

Your life is like a shadow going up the dark side of a hill—until the moment you decide that “I’m going to be the best at what I do.” And suddenly you rise into the sunshine, and your life is forever after different—wonderful. Get serious. Don’t fool around anymore. Read more at Success.com.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Daily Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Again and again, I learn about someone who had committed suicide. As always the case, it finds me thinking about what may have been going through that person’s mind.

Personally, I can only imagine the ‘noise’ being experienced without being able to control the volume either to drown it out or to hear it better. It’s like what we’ve all done at one time or another… turning up the volume on the car radio when hearing a noise that wouldn’t go away or that couldn’t be identified or when turning up the volume was just to hear something more clearly, and at times, just because a certain song was playing — sometimes stirring up memories. There could be other reasons.

There are also times the volume is cranked up to ‘disappear’ into deep, personal thought, essentially, to just get lost in the moment. However, turning up the volume could possibly be a form of denial akin to putting one’s head in the sand. Isn’t it interesting that similar actions are done for various reasons and possibly, for different results? Yet, the action taken is often done impulsively without nary a thought as to the action being taken and certainly with no thought as to the consequences thereafter.

Here is a quote about suicide from an episode of Yellowstone as John Dutton tries to reason with his son, Jamie who is sitting alone in a field with a gun in his hand…

John Dutton : “You know the thing about suicide, you don’t just kill yourself. You kill every memory of you. This’ll be all everyone remembers, Jamie. Every second you spent on this earth will be reduced to how you chose to leave it.
Ultimately, how do we help others to help them think through what it is that’s on their minds before it’s too late? How do we help others toward better mental health, a necessity for better decision-making and in understanding and managing emotions? Of course, I really don’t know. It’s just hard to grasp the why in these situations. It’s all difficult to comprehend.“

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1–800–273–8255

How to Start a Business in 2021 Debt-Free

Everyone associates entrepreneurship with hard work and oftentimes, debt. For many small business owners just starting out, this is probably the case. While hard work may be unavoidable, there is a funding solution that can help ease financial burdens.

What’s the solution? In a word, ROBS. So, what Is ROBS Funding?

It’s a common misconception that you can only use your retirement funds to purchase investments like publicly traded stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. In reality, you can use most retirement plans to buy a business—tax-deferred and penalty-free.

Known as a ROBS (Rollover as Business Start-ups) strategy, this funding solution is designed using long-standing provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) which allows entrepreneurs to use money from a qualified retirement plan to purchase or recapitalize a business. This program is similar to buying stock in a public company, except instead you’re investing in your own privately held company. Read more at Benetrends.com.

How to See Beyond Your Past When Creating a Business

I see Ava Johanna, a spiritual business coach and meditation coach, on the other side of my Zoom screen. She looks like Malibu Barbie and has a charming, purposeful glow. As we begin our interview, her husband pops in and asks if she’d like a sandwich. She peers up and says, “Just a half one.”

The ease with which she accepts the sandwich is simple yet poignant enough to make me think about her core message: Everything we desire is possible, as long as we’re open to receiving the abundance that the universe is willing and eager to give us. Johanna and her husband manifested their dream home just a few days before our interview. This is a huge milestone for anyone but for Johanna, having a near oceanside home is even more meaningful. Some 15 years ago, Johanna was living in Los Angeles in a completely different dimension. She was homeless. At age 16, Johanna and her family were evicted from their house, their car was repossessed, and they bounced from friend’s house to friend’s house for over 18 months in the Calabasas/Agoura area. Read more at Entrepreneur.com.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love, then make that day count!” – Steve Maraboli, ‘Life, the Truth, and Being Free’

Texas Led Nation in Economic Development Wins in 2020, According to Site Selection

Texas continues to dominate the nation when it comes to total economic development project wins, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lone Star State took the top spot for the ninth year in a row on Site Selection Magazine’s list of best performing states for economic development by total number of projects. That’s earned Texas the publication’s Governor’s Cup award once again. 

Texas logged 781 projects in 2020, down from 859 qualifying projects the year before but still more than any other state as the U.S. grappled with the effects of the pandemic. Read more at Houston.org.

With many individuals, families and corporations relocating to Texas, it’s no wonder Texas is a hotbed for entrepreneurship and business ownership. If you’re interested in exploring the business landscape and opportunities within the Lone Star State, please contact us for a complimentary consultation. Text “TEXAS” to (832) 797-9851 or send an email to info@franchisefoundry.com.

A Simple Trick to Boost Your Productivity

Prioritizing is essential to success and happiness, but systems for prioritizing can be convoluted. Just using the system can suck away energy from actually getting things done.

Here’s a simple way to prioritize: Of all the things you currently have the energy for, do the thing you’re normally least likely to do. Read more at PsychologyToday.com.

Cold shower? The routine of the most productive people when they wake up! (Author: Daniel Colombo)

Perhaps for those who are used to saying to themselves when they wake up “five more minutes” when the alarm goes off under the fluffy duvet and the warmth of the bed, this idea seems far-fetched. However, it is not something new and many of the most productive executives in the world apply it: get up immediately, without hesitation, very early, and take a cold shower.

This is a practice known since ancient times: Hippocrates, the Greek doctor born in 460 BC, considered the greatest of all time, recommended it to his patients as a remedy for many diseases. At this time, Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the first athletes to refer to his practice of taking cold showers for muscle recovery; And also the singer and actress Lady Gaga was shown in photos in a variant of the cold shower: she takes ice baths. Read more at Entrepreneur.com.

Daily Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

“It’s not unusual to see your stress and anxiety levels rise during stressful, challenging times. When you feel these levels rise – slow down, breathe slowly, breathe deeply. Separate yourself from the moment – get up from your desk, take a walk, listen to music, go sit in a different chair and close your eyes or just stand outside and distract yourself with sights and sounds of nature. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Allow your mind to drift to your happy place. Smile. Do this for 20-30 minutes and you’ll find yourself relaxed and with a sharper mind. You’ll also find the ability to circumvent the thing or situation that interrupted your focus in the first place. Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!”

3 Tips On Surviving The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster (Author Celinne Da Costa)

Frank Song is a former Wall Street investment banker, private equity investor and confidential strategy advisor to businesses, high-net worth individuals and politicians. He believes that controlling your emotions is vital to succeeding in business. From sleeping on the floor at Walmart to becoming the founder of an eight-figure international business conglomerate, he shares: “Emotional control is one of the most critical factors to not only surviving the entrepreneurial roller coaster, but to thriving in it. This is for one simple reason: it is the foundation of being able to make good judgement calls,” he says. Read more at Forbes.com.

Creating Boundaries When You are Launching Your Business (Regina Lawrence, All the THINGS podcast)

During today’s episode Regina Lawrence talks all about creating boundaries in your business. She talks about the importance of your “why”, how to set boundaries and how to communicate your boundaries. Regina chats about:

• Why it’s important to focus on your “why” when creating boundaries
• How to actually create boundaries in your business and personal life
• How to communicate boundaries to the people around us
• and so much more!

Listen to this episode at All the THINGS podcast.

The Crisis According to Albert Einstein

“Let’s not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress…

Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born form the dark night. It’s in crisis that inventive is born, as well as discoveries, and big strategies. Who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome. Who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent, and is more respectful to problems than to solutions. Incompetence is the true crisis…

The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There’s no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It’s in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch. To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism. Let us work hard instead…

Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it.”

Acceler8Success: Connecting the Right Brands, People & Opportunities

The uncertainty of 2020 created the perfect time to diversify and expand. After all, it’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. To that end, Acceler8Success Group was formed mid-year, building upon Acceler8Success principles and methods that have proven successful since 2014.

Widely recognized as industry leaders & experts, Acceler8Success Group leadership have extensive experience as entrepreneurs in small business & restaurants, as senior-level executives within nationally recognized brands, and as franchisees within successful franchise systems. 

Members of Acceler8Success Group along with Strategic Partners have earned designation as Certified Franchise Executives, Certified Franchise Brokers, Certified Business Brokers and Commercial Real Estate Brokers. Positioned to deliver services within the U.S., Canada and other Global markets, languages spoken include: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Russian.  Learn more at www.Acceler8Success.com

3 Tips From Founders for Preserving Your Mental Health (Author: Joely Simon)

After only six weeks of working in his company’s newly purchased office space, Isaac Rudansky, founder and CEO of AdVenture Media Group, sent his employees home to avoid the spread of Covid-19. He lost 35 percent of his clients in the first three weeks of the pandemic.”I’m actually an optimistic person, but this was a really dark period,” he says. “Oftentimes, when you’re dealing with feelings of depression and stress, it’s impossible to look at a longer horizon.” 

So rather than look forward, Rudansky looked back at the past five years. Even through the peaks and valleys, he saw that his life and career had trended in a positive direction.  That perspective gave him the confidence to move forward. Read more at Inc.com.

How Business Owners Thrive in Uncertain Times Using The 80% Plan (Author: Melanie Benson)

No matter how good an entrepreneur is at planning out their growth steps, sometimes life throws a curve ball. A family illness or death can derail an owner’s focus for months. An unexpected economic downturn such as the 2009 credit debacle can change people’s buying patterns overnight. A launch that was planned meticulously fails, and with that failure a significant financial windfall goes up in smoke. Or, as we saw in 2020, a global pandemic can put the entire world into a tailspin, shutting down in-person experiences and multiple industries for over a year. Read more.

Daily Message From Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

“I continue to be amazed that some people, and more than you might imagine will go to great lengths to intentionally convince others their ideas or what they’re doing won’t work. Their actions are based upon some deep jealousy or envy that they’re not involved or doing it themselves or even just had the initial ideas or contribution to the same but never acted upon it. Instead of showing support with words of encouragement or helping to champion the ideas on behalf of the friend or colleague or offering another set of eyes and ears should the need occur, they work extra hard to cast negativity, often proactively, almost as a campaign of sorts – yet, still trying to come across as a trusted friend or colleague. I wonder how many fantastic ideas have gone by the wayside as a result of these selfish actions. So, I highly recommend to stay committed to your ideas, believing in your own thought process and thoroughly evaluating opinion, suggestions and recommendations of others, and taking them with a grain of salt or heeding their advice as your gut feeling let’s you know which path to follow. Listen to your initial thoughts and follow your intuition. More importantly, follow your vision and fuel your passion with relentless commitment because that’s what it will take to turn your ideas into successful endeavors. Remember, don’t let anyone take away your dreams.”

12 Resources and Communities Entrepreneurs Should Follow for Industry Insight and Tips (Small Business Trends: The Young Entrepreneur Council)

Staying tuned in to the pulse of your industry is key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Public groups, online forums and the like are among the most valuable resources for gathering and contributing industry information. But if someone is looking for in-depth insight into their business niche, locating the right groups where this discussion occurs is the first step. To help you find them, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) respond to the following question:

“What’s one public-facing online group (e.g. a specific Facebook group, forum, etc.) that you recommend entrepreneurs follow for industry insight, business management tips, growth hacks, etc., and why?”

Things Women Entrepreneurs Need to Do (Author: Meena Ganesh)

Amidst all the challenges and obstacles brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been one positive aspect: a reset – a global one at that. The temporary pause has given the world an opportunity to reflect and deliberate on several things. From observing clearer skies during the lockdown to #BlackLivesMatter, many things that probably were taken for granted in a normal course came to the fore. The other catalysing change during the pandemic has been the acceptance of remote working models, and shift to digital interactions, all of which have brought about a levelling of the business environment – especially for women. Women entrepreneurs have emerged and how with their sheer passion, in-depth understanding of customer needs, and the thirst to excel in what they do.There are certain things which have proven effective over time for successful women entrepreneurs of today and can play a key role in business growth for the emerging leaders across industries. Read more.

Surge of Startups: Entrepreneurs Emerge During Pandemic (Author: Pafoua Yang)

A recent study says Americans started 4.4 million business last year, that’s 24% more than the year before. The New York Times reports the coronavirus crisis may have sparked a boom in U.S. entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial growth is also happening in the northwest suburbs (Minneapolis). Those facing economic downturn and job loss are now becoming their own boss. Read more.

With many individuals, families and corporations relocating to Texas, it’s no wonder Texas continues to be a hotbed for entrepreneurship and business ownership. If you’re interested in exploring the business landscape and opportunities within the Lone Star State, please contact Franchise Foundry for a complimentary consultation. Text “TEXAS” to (832) 797-9851 or send an email to info@franchisefoundry.com.

How Two Female Entrepreneurs Managed To Grow Their Business During Covid-19 (Author: Jennifer “Jay” Palumbo)

Between 1997 and 2017, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 114%, a rate 2.5 times higher than the national average. Although women-owned firms represent 39% of all companies, they’re responsible for only 8% of employment and 4% of revenues. This is particularly noteworthy given the recent report, which stated 140K job losses for women this past December due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For many women, having transversal skills and an entrepreneurial mind can help keep them employed and enable the further advancement of increasing the number of females in leadership roles. Read more.

Hustling Entrepreneur Strives to Build an Empire Following the Footsteps of His Family

Michael Russo is the ultimate embodiment of a “hustler.” Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, Michael was intrigued at how his father, both grandfathers, and uncles could make a living at their own pace. He aimed to achieve the same flexibility and have time in his hands. But unlike those before him in his family, Michael wanted to be the “new age entrepreneur,” tackling several industries simultaneously with tenacity and passion.

Michael saw the importance of hard work at an early age. Having seen his family strive in small businesses such as construction, automotive repair, and real estate, he wanted to explore the world of entrepreneurship with a bigger picture in mind. As a first-generation college student, Michael wanted to build a legacy that would honor the great men in his family. Read more.

Learn How to Start a Successful Side Hustle From This Business Executive, Investor, and Entrepreneur

In a year in which many businesses were forced to close temporarily and government assistance to small businesses was far from satisfactory, 2020 was a year to test ingenuity. For some, that means turning to a side hustle. There is no shortage of ways that people make extra money on the side, so if you have a skill-set, there’s a good chance you can turn it into more cash. Read more.

How To Hustle Your Way To Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur

If you’re working in corporate America, chances are you don’t love your job.

Gallup reports that only 29% of millennials are engaged at work, while the vast majority of workers are disconnected emotionally and behaviorally from their jobs. While 43% of millennials who leave their corporate jobs say it’s because they weren’t following their passion, 42% say the corporate lifestyle wasn’t for them, and 33% say they felt too restricted.

As one former corporate employee puts it, “I was compromising my life and compromising my purpose to achieve success. I was making all this money, but I had no time to spend it, no time to take care of myself, and no time to spend with my friends and family.” Read more.

Trends for Mexican Entrepreneurs to Maintain Digital Momentum in 2021

2020 will be framed as a “unique” year in history. While the year that just ended presented us with significant challenges in almost every aspect of our lives, it also tested our capacities and resilience in the face of adversity. For many, this year gave us the motivation to take the next step in our business.

During 2020, small business owners and entrepreneurs across Mexico were forced into a digital acceleration as more consumers began to use digital channels to make their purchases and stay connected to the outside world. These tough times created a window for businesses of all sizes to consider entering the digital world to reap its benefits in a new and somewhat uncertain economy. Read more.

Why Every Entrepreneur Needs to be Savvy in Digital Marketing in Order to Survive

Entrepreneurship has evolved. There used to be a time where you could open up a local business in town and turn a hefty profit with hard work, dedication, and financial management skills.

Today, your blood, sweat, and tears are not enough to keep your business afloat. You need to get familiar with the concepts of digital marketing if you want to survive. This holds true for all businesses across every industry. Read more.

What are Some Technological Challenges Entrepreneurs Face During Marketing?

It is no hidden fact that technology has significantly impacted every aspect of the business world. To be more precise, you may say technology disrupts every facet of the business realm; thus, consumers are getting distracted by digital media. The more intricately consumers get connected, the more problems it creates for entrepreneurs to entice them to become loyal to their products and services.

Most marketers and entrepreneurs were unprepared for this kind of technological onslaught; therefore, they are still struggling to reorganize their ventures to match up with the pace of technological advancement. There is no doubt that technology has become a driving factor in pushing your business forward. Still, at the same time, it is becoming highly competitive due to increasing interconnectedness, says Eric Dalius. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Think different. Accelerate success by thinking so far outside the box that your ideas stand alone within a spotlight that causes people to question possibilities as if the idea, outlandish as it may appear could truly make such a significant positive impact that it would literally ‘force’ them to consider a whole new realm of possibilities. Are you open to possibilities, but don’t know where to start? Take a few minutes to watch this Apple video.

7 Productivity Hacks from 7 Successful Entrepreneurs

Many successful entrepreneurs, including founders of multi-billion dollar companies, got to where they are through a combination of unique idea generation and hard work. Naturally, most of us aspire to achieve something similar—even if we can’t hope to replicate that scale.

That’s one reason why I like to read and discover some of the unique productivity hacks, habits, and behaviors that helped those successful entrepreneurs achieve their status. Read more.

Entrepreneurship is not about sitting around with a laptop and thinking about ideas; it’s about understanding risks and downside.

From law to VC to entrepreneurship, Liat Aaronson, former executive director of the Zell Entrepreneurship Program and co-founder of Horizen Labs, has explored a variety of unique industries and leadership roles throughout her career. Aaronson is an M&A lawyer by trade, and though she loved working through the challenges that the field presented, she soon developed a desire to find a position where she could leave a greater impact. After leaving the legal world, Aaronson joined the Zell Entrepreneurship Program team and helped talented young students transition into the professional world. Aaronson thoroughly enjoyed supporting and learning from the entrepreneurs she worked with and decided to further pursue her passion for entrepreneurship with Horizen Labs. Liat sat down for an interview with 20MinuteLeaders creator Michael Matias and told him about the knowledge she has amassed across various sectors and her plans of using her expertise to grow and scale her business. Read more.

How this 21-year old entrepreneur uses social media to revolutionize your business’ sales.

2020 has been filled with challenges and opportunities alike, with many ambitious entrepreneurs and businesses recognizing the niches begging to be filled with the increasing shift to digital trading and services. Though the demand for connectivity is great, not many of these ideas have the space or foundation to grow and thrive under these conditions. eGrowth Media, a UK based marketing agency, helps many established and developing businesses make the transition to the digital sphere, connecting brands to their audiences and increasing profits through through the effective use of social media tools. Read more.

Facts About Second Round of PPP Loans

First Time PPP Loan Borrower Requirements

Businesses in operation on February 15, 2020; sole proprietors, independent contractors, and other entities with less than 500 employee that qualify for other SBA 7(a) loans

Second Draw Borrower Qualifications

Loans up to $2M; less than 300 employees; have already used the full amount of their first PPP Loan; have experienced a revenue reduction in all or any one quarter of 2020 as compared to same time period in 2019

It should be a simple process but don’t delay or you may miss out. More Info.

What Movies Get Wrong about Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone, especially those that might have ambitions to make money but don’t want to take the massive risks that some folks end up taking on a regular basis. But there are several things that the movies tend to get wrong about entrepreneurs that some people happen to think is correct simply because we like to think the worst about those that reach the top sometimes. It’s very true that some of these individuals might have shady pasts and have done a few things that are less than savory in the business sense, and are bereft of the morals that other people claim to value. But the trick here is that in business there are times when morals tend to get in the way when it comes to some folks and the desire to move ahead means cutting out those that might otherwise prove to be a hindrance to a company’s growth. The thing about being an entrepreneur however it doesn’t require a person to be morally bankrupt, and it certainly doesn’t mean that someone is going to be rich overnight. In a lot of ways the movies cut a number of things out and give us the drama and issues that can happen but aren’t always bound to happen. Read more.

A guide to rebuilding your small business for Latino entrepreneurs

The Covid-19 crisis has hit Latino small businesses particularly hard, including not being able to access PPP funding at a similar rate to other business owners. And many individual proprietors or small, family-owned businesses may feel the impact of Covid more directly, as the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the Latino community.

If you’re a Latino entrepreneur or small business owner, know that you’re not alone, and that there are tools, funding, and mentorship available to help you succeed through this crisis. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some essential tools that can help Latino small business owners rebuild and thrive. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Regardless of challenging times it’s still necessary to get things done. So, act swiftly, act decisively, make it happen and make it count. That is the path to accelerate success. #Acceler8Success

Female Entrepreneurship’s On The Rise—Will Funding Follow?

There’s no question the pandemic’s disproportionately affected women. Many hard-hit industries were over-indexed for female employees. And with few childcare options and extended remote schooling, millions more women have dropped out of the workforce to care for their kids.

But the pandemic’s disruptive effects have also led to a wave of entrepreneurial activity, as some have used newfound time—from lost or reduced work hours or time saved by no longer commuting to an office—to pursue business ideas. U.S. Census Bureau data shows applications for the employer identification numbers, which entrepreneurs need to start a business, have surpassed 3.2 million so far this year, compared with 2.7 million at the same point in 2019, according to reports. 

And many women are among them. A recent survey by the global women’s network, AllBright, found one in three women in the U.S. have plans to launch a business, 40 percent of them with the goal of gaining more autonomy and being their own boss. Read more.

7 New Year Strategies to Help Black Entrepreneurs Achieve Growth and Success in 2021

Of course, with COVID-19 in place last year, no one could have seen how individuals and small business owners could have navigated those unpredictable waters. But with last year gone, entrepreneurs can build on steps their peers just started taking or are now planning to apply to fuel growth this year. Those efforts include revamping business models, offering goods and services that meet customers’ demands, and staying resilient to flourish despite the ongoing pandemic.

Yet, one thing appears to remain certain: The way customers deal with businesses and how those firms interact with customers will most likely be different than in previous years. So here are some resolutions small business owners may do well to consider and implement this time. Read more.

39 Stats About Diversity In Entrepreneurship

When you think of a successful entrepreneur, what image comes to mind? Do you think of an individual of a certain age, gender, or ethnic background? If so, that could be due to implicit bias because research supports the significance of diversity in entrepreneurship.

According to research commissioned by American Express, four million new jobs and $981 billion in revenue could be added to the U.S. economy if the average revenue of women of color-owned businesses matched those of white women-owned businesses. Additionally, this study showed women-owned businesses are a source of new jobs in U.S. cities that experienced slow job growth between 2014 and 2019.

When people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives are building successful businesses to solve relevant problems there are significant economic advantages. For instance, in the Minneapolis metro alone, increasing the number of businesses owned by people of color could add as many as 87,000 new jobs to the region. Read more.

How Latino Entrepreneurs Can Boost the U.S. Economy

The number of Latino business owners has surged by 34 percent over the past decade, outpacing that of any other ethnic group. Yet despite that entrepreneurial vigor, Latino business owners face ongoing challenges, as their companies tend to remain smaller and less profitable than white-owned businesses.

And while Latino entrepreneurs fare better than the general Latino population when it comes to average income and homeownership rates, they still experience significant gaps relative to other groups in their rates of home ownership, health insurance coverage, and income. Read more.

SBA Releases New PPP Guidelines Designed To Buoy Small Businesses

As the U.S. continues to stare down economic and political turmoil, the SBA has released interim final guidance on the next round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)—the vital relief program aimed at saving small businesses from shuttering.

While I am certain additional information and changes are forthcoming, my team and I are committed to ensuring this relief funding is accessible and the process is as easy as possible. If you’re a small business owner, now is the time to begin preparing your documentation and information. Read more.

The Economic Recovery Of Women Entrepreneurs Will Take More Than PPP Loans

While the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was intended to help small businesses hit hardest by the Covid-19 crisis—those owned by women and people of color—it failed to deliver on its promise. From the beginning of the program on April 3 to the end on August 8, struggling minority owners received aid later than their white counterparts, according to an analysis of the program’s data by the Associated Press. 

ZIP code data with the greatest proportions of white residents received loans at twice the rate of areas with the smallest proportions of whites. Data by gender is not available, but because women are more likely to be nonemployer firms and in sectors most impacted by the pandemic—personal services, retail, and restaurant—it is expected they would have experienced a similar pattern as ZIP codes with a lower concentration of whites. “Almost 60% of women business owners state they don’t have the same access to capital that men have,” said Candace Waterman, president and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). It is the largest nonpartisan advocacy organization for women and minority entrepreneurs. Read more.

How to Go Full Entrepreneur in 2021

How can you take charge of your own future in the face of a long-running pandemic that has crushed economies, markets, businesses and lives?  Waiting is not going to cut it – waiting for more government stimulus, waiting for the virus to magically disappear, waiting for customers to suddenly come back. The most successful entrepreneurs are not sitting it out. This past year has seen an explosion of newly launched small businesses and startups. As the authors of The Entrepreneur’s Faces: How Makers, Visionaries and Outsiders Succeed, we’re not surprised. It’s not just first-time founders. We’ve also seen tremendous pivots by more traditional businesses, adapting on the run to seismic shifts in habits and behaviors that experts predict will outlast the pandemic. America has done this better and faster than nearly any other country. At heart what we are seeing is the value of innovative mindsets and practices. Ready or not, entirely new challenges will confront you in 2021. It’s time to go all-in, to go full entrepreneur. Read more.

Opening Up Entrepreneurship To All: The Resource Hub

Plenty of potential entrepreneurs have great business ideas but are held back in their pursuit of their goals by barriers: knowledge and resources kept out of reach of all but a few, as well as assumptions about who might be an entrepreneur and where they might come from. And while it’s understood that starting your own business is a tough road — particularly in the age of COVID, where many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat — it’s to the betterment of all that more people should have the tools available to them to try their hand at a startup.

Enter Nicole Loftus, the founder of The Resource Hub, a national directory for small businesses, as well as SkinX, a funding platform for entrepreneurs, both New York based. She’s working to help entrepreneurs succeed, including over 3,500 resources on the Resource Hub and adding new ones regularly. Read more.

Entrepreneurship Defined: What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur

The road to entrepreneurship is often a treacherous one filled with unexpected detours, roadblocks and dead ends. There are lots of sleepless nights, plans that don’t work out, funding that doesn’t come through and customers that never materialize. It can be so challenging to launch a business that it may make you wonder why anyone willingly sets out on such a path.

Despite all of these hardships, every year, thousands of entrepreneurs embark on this journey determined to bring their vision to fruition and fill a need they see in society. They open brick-and-mortar businesses, launch tech startups or bring a new product or service into the marketplace. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Imagine the wave of emotions immigrants experienced as they saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time upon entering New York Harbor. Based upon hope for a new, better life ahead they were proud to be here, in the land of the free and home of the brave. Certainly, they wouldn’t forget their heritage but they were excited by the opportunities ahead of them, including that of becoming an American citizen without any notion of entitlement as they were committed to work their fingers to the bone to provide for their families and to achieve the American Dream! Yes, failure was not an option. It truly is amazing what they achieved despite poor living conditions, little to no food, and most did not speak English. Yet, they did what they had to do with no excuses and not only survived, but succeeded in so many ways. We, as a society will need similar attitude, determination and commitment as we move forward through and beyond pandemic-related challenges and hardships. God Bless America!

Survey: Small business owners see long road to recovery

With COVID-19 cases surging and a new wave of restrictions looming, challenges persist for small business owners according to data from the Q4 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. While the index score rose 12 points for the second straight quarter, overall optimism levels remain just over half of what they were in late 2019.

For the third consecutive quarter, respondents most frequently ranked the loss of business or closings because of the impact of COVID-19 as their top concern. Attracting new business, worries about financial stability and reduced cash flow were the other top concerns.

“With COVID-19 numbers hitting new high-water marks across many states, small businesses are facing another steep round of challenges,” said Steve Troutner, head of small business at Wells Fargo. Read more.

Why Small Business Owners Need to Reconnect With Their Mission

My business partner and I have operated a college admissions consulting firm, Top Tier Admissions, for almost twenty years. The first few months of 2020 were business as usual as we prepared a new class of applicants for the admissions cycle ahead. Then came March.

You know too well what happened next. Standardized tests were canceled. High schools closed. Colleges closed. Students were sent home. Sports, clubs, and every other activity were canceled. What would this mean for both our business and our students? Was college even happening in the fall? Given how radically the landscape had changed, was it time for us to pivot? Read more.

Your small business may need a ‘makeover’

Whether you’ve been operating 10 days, 10 months or 10 years, it’s time for a “makeover” for your small business. If you’re going to survive and thrive in the COVID-19-dominated economy, it’s time to think of your small business as a startup.

Remember what it was like? You had an idea, a dream. You didn’t know how it was going to turn out but you seized any opportunities that came your way, continually changed as you learned more about your business, and worked long and hard. But you believed in yourself.

It’s time to do that again, given that customers’ buying habits and needs have changed. It can be scary, but it can also be exciting. And most of all, it’s necessary. Read more.

Get Back to Basics with These 10 Small Business Improvement Tips

Running a business can get complicated. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details and forget the basic strategies that got you there. But staying strong in those areas is a must, as members of the online small business community can attest. Get their top tips for going back to basics in the list below. Read more.

The True Failure Rate of Small Businesses

Have you heard that 90 percent of new businesses fail? Or that 50 percent of new businesses fail? Stick around in the entrepreneurial community long enough and you’ll likely hear a wide spectrum of claims, mostly falling between these two extremes.

But what is the true failure rate of small businesses? And should it influence your decisions as an entrepreneur? Read more.

3 Choices for a Better Business Year: Plans, Goals, and Resolutions

There is a difference between plans, goals, and resolutions. We use these words somewhat interchangeably, but maybe we shouldn’t.

• A plan is a strategy or identified steps, and possibly includes a list of available or dedicated resources and costs.
• A goal is about the future, an aspiration, what we hope will happen if it goes well.
• A resolution is a purpose, something determined, approved, a decision, a commitment of time, money, and energy.

A plan can take the form of a standard business plan or marketing plan. It can also be a more individualized funding, HR, security, disaster, continuity, or operations plan, for example. It seems odd, but many plans have no specific goal to measure; their purpose is merely “to plan,” check a box, and be able to say that “I planned…” or “we planned to…” Read more.

The 13 Biggest Small Business Technology Stories Of 2020

Every week I round up the five most important technology stories for small businesses and give an explanation why. This week, I’ve selected the 13 technology stories that stood out for me. Why? Because they’re about technology trends than not only affected small businesses in 2020 but will continue to have an enormous impact in 2021. Read more.

4 Entrepreneurship Lessons That Will Help You Grow in 2021

New year and new learnings. The key for this 2021 will be to respond to what knowledge and capabilities did we acquire or develop during the past year that we can use to our advantage to continue operating?

According to the study “Entrepreneurship ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean against COVID-19” by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), technological enterprises are those that can better enhance their capacities to be more agile; something that we have verified over the last few months of working with Justo, a startup that, together with my partner, we created in Chile in 2018 and now we have expanded to Mexico, Peru and Colombia.

We share these four lessons that, like us, will help you to be prepared in this new year: Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Walking away or trying harder is a very precarious proposition that many face quite often in careers, relationships, etc. Basically regarding anything that requires a commitment for an undetermined length of time. Sometimes it appears easier to walk away, but I’d argue that wouldn’t be the case if you consider why you were there in the first place and recall your original goals and objectives. Trying harder may work but not without evaluating what needs to change to produce different results. In any event, if faced with this decision, definitive action must be taken. Act swiftly. Act decisively. Make it happen. Make it count.

The coronavirus crisis: A catalyst for entrepreneurship

Throughout human history, crises have been pivotal in developing our societies. Pandemics have helped advance health-care systems, wars have fueled technological innovations and the global financial crisis helped advance tech companies like Uber and Airbnb. The present coronavirus pandemic will arguably not be an exception; entrepreneurs can be expected to rise to the challenge.

Businesses play a key role both in helping society get through an economic crisis and in creating innovations that shape society after a crisis. So one key question is: how will the ongoing crisis influence future society?

While it’s hard to predict the future, we can develop an understanding of what is ahead by analyzing current trends. Read more.

These Young Entrepreneurs Saw Covid-19 Coming and Changed the Way They Serve Their Customers

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown affected businesses in many ways. There were problems from manufacturing to distribution. Many brick and mortar stores saw sales decline. According to Yelp , about 98,000 businesses closed permanently.

This development brought many entrepreneurs back to the planning table to find better ways to serve their customers. Many B2B ( Business to Business ) companies have adopted the D2C ( Direct to customers ) model to reach their customers directly. At the same time, it seemed that some companies received the memorandum and did something different beforehand, allowing them to prosper in the crisis.

And it seemed that e-commerce brands were some of the biggest winners of the whole situation, along with remote interaction, online entertainment, e-learning, and health and fitness . So naturally, companies shifted their focus to better satisfy their customers and, of course, prosper. Studies show that during the height of the pandemic in May 2020, total online spending across the globalized world reached $ 82.5 billion, an increase of 77% year-over-year. Read more.

These Are the Opportunities Entrepreneurs Can Capitalize on in 2021

Across so many industries, opportunities arise during crisis, due to newfound problems that entrepreneurs set their minds out to solve. We asked a number of our entrepreneurship professors to reflect on where those opportunities currently live as we turn the calendar to 2021.

“Families are particularly positioned to take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities. Business families have long histories to draw from when dealing with difficulties. Family businesses tend to focus more on relationships with clients as well as suppliers and others in their business, which become a boon in a crisis because they provide business families with greater levels of flexibility when making changes in order to adapt or innovate. Family businesses also tend to be more conservative financially than their non-family counterparts, which allows them to take advantage of expansion, growth, and even acquisition opportunities during downturns when other businesses cannot.” Read more.

7 SEO Digital Marketing Trends for 2021

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most crucial elements of an organization, providing it with the necessary visibility to attract more customers. A strong SEO strategy allows a company to position its website to attract more visitors, increasing the chances of turning these prospects into customers.

Businesses often forget why they are in business and who benefits from their services. They often give SEO a short shut-eye and move on to the next fad. This is detrimental to your online success. Read more.

The Rise of Empathy in Digital Marketing

COVID-19 is, in many ways, proving to be a disease of uncertainty. The disease isn’t a crisis in just one area of the world or plaguing just one section of the population — the new coronavirus is a tangible threat to every single person on Earth.

People everywhere are experiencing higher levels of anxiety and depression as their loved ones fall ill, as they lose their jobs, as they are forced into isolation and as the future becomes even more shrouded in mystery. Businesses, too, are suffering from the disease, as consumer spending plummets and most everyone is driven indoors and online.

During this time of fear and uncertainty, businesses have responded by investing heavily in digital marketing, hoping to capitalize on the throngs of people logging onto the web for work, school, and entertainment. However, not all businesses are investing in marketing to sell their products or services; many are simply producing content to engage with consumers — or to show their audiences that they care. Read more.

Personal Branding: The Key to Success in the Digital Age

The world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, famously said, “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” In this digital age, as a company or individual, you should audit your presence online to see what would come up when prospects search for your name. Maximizing your digital presence is essential for your company or personal brand as online sales, resources, education, and sales have all skyrocketed. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, expert, thought leader, executive, or business owner, maximizing your digital presence has proven to bring more connections, customers, and revenue.

Since the pandemic, the majority of executive meetings, sales demos, and business transactions are conducted online. Consumers are heavily researching online, looking for the right connection or right representative that they can trust and build with. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

I’ve been thinking about how things continue to change and disrupt business, and life as we knew it. Some entrepreneurs are already responding to challenges by adapting, innovating and creating to not only survive, but to thrive. Why? Because they know that pivoting in tough times is essential… thinking outside the box, acting swiftly and decisively, embracing change, remaining open-minded to possibilities and ultimately, capitalizing on opportunities. It’s a very logical approach and plan of attack. It makes perfect sense as doing little or nothing would be disastrous. So, this poses the question, What are you doing to ensure your future success?

Want to Take your Business to the Next Level in 2021? Try These 5 New Year’s Resolutions

Most business owners (and people!) are looking forward to moving on from 2020 and into a new year. While there will of course still be large challenges for businesses in 2021, many entrepreneurs and business owners are heading into January feeling hopeful.

Why? Of course positive news around vaccines is encouraging, but more so, many business owners feel the lessons they learned over the course of the pandemic will make them stronger in 2021 and beyond. Here are five New Year’s Resolutions from business owners who persevered through 2020 and are going into 2021 stronger than ever. Read more.

How Washington can boost American entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs play a critical role in the American economy. The new businesses they launch provide new goods and services. They also provide existing goods and services more efficiently, forcing incumbents to do a better job through competition. And while most media attention seems devoted to potentially high-impact technology startups, regular “mom and pop” businesses can be important mechanisms for upward mobility. We want a dynamic economy where labor and capital can be employed as productively as possible. Entrepreneurship plays a big role in making that happen.

It remains to be seen how entrepreneurs navigate the post-pandemic economy. But before the coronavirus outbreak, there were several disturbing long-term trends about America’s startup superpower. Among them: New businesses have become a smaller share of all companies than they used to be, as well as their share of total employment. These trends are illustrated in “Federal Policies in Response to Declining Entrepreneurship,” a new Congressional Budget Office report on the subject: Read more.

Why Entrepreneurs Should Aim to Fail — That’s Right. They Should Actively Seek It.

Here’s a viewpoint that might cause you to do a double take: Actively seeking rejection means you’re learning, adapting and getting that much closer to your destination.

Before you click away, just think about this a moment: Entrepreneurs are innovators: They defy conventional wisdom to find ways to improve it, and they challenge assumptions to approach a given industry or need from a unique perspective. They live at the intersection of innovation and practicality. For them, failure is a necessity to reach success.

So, maybe failure’s “teachable moments” are actually worth striving for because they help you attain that innovation. Read more.

States of Growth: When and Where American Entrepreneurship Has Thrived

Study shows ambitious U.S. startups are not in decline — but timing and location matter.

The year 1995 was a good time to be an entrepreneur. Especially a high-tech entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, with the internet boom starting, the economy growing, venture capitalists searching for new investments, and a whole horizon of novel business ideas to explore.

Indeed, a new study co-authored by an MIT professor shows that U.S. startups founded in 1995 enjoyed more growth than startups founded in any other year from 1988 to 2014. Other things being equal, the startups of 1995 were three times as likely to grow significantly as those from 2007, which had to battle through the 2008-2009 Great Recession. Read more.

The Secret of Entrepreneurial ‘Luck’ in 3 Simple Steps

I’m going to reveal a secret to you: when I was seven years old and I knew a difficult day was coming, I would put on my Spider-Man underwear. The superhero was my favorite and making it part of my routine gave me a strange sense of certainty that allowed me to face any difficulty. It didn’t matter if it was Tuesday (PE day), if I ran into the bully in the classroom, or if I hadn’t studied for the test: if I was wearing my The Amazing Spider-Man boxers, I felt like luck was on my side.

And my little ritual worked. Or so I thought. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Successful people use the power of visualization; their motto is visualize and materialize — from imagination to reality. Even Albert Einstein said: “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.”

13 Quotes to Inspire You to Try New Things in the New Year

The new year is your chance to start over—a fresh beginning. It’s a good time to set new goals, change old habits and try new things. Because if you don’t get out of your comfort zone, if you aren’t learning and taking risks, you won’t grow. You’ll stay right where you are. Start your new year adventure with inspiration from these quotes. Then go see what’s out there! Read more.

The #1 Thing to Do to Set Yourself Up for a Better Year

Most of us learn to avoid discomfort of all kinds from a very young age and the evading gets perpetuated as we grow into adulthood. As far back as many of us can remember, when we got hurt, our parents would just kiss our boo-boos to immediately make everything okay. When we got into an argument with friends, we were told to say we’re sorry and that all would be forgotten. When we were participating on a sports team, we all got awards, no matter what, just for being there and showing up. Read more.

How to Help a Business Thrive During an Economic Recession

Most entrepreneurs at least partially depend on the state of the economy for their businesses to thrive. During times of high consumer confidence, spending is higher, companies are willing to take more risks and most businesses are able to generate more revenue. But during times of hardship, it’s harder to get financing, revenue dries up and the entrepreneurial environment is more barren.

That said, it’s possible to see an economic downturn (or recession) as an economic opportunity, rather than a detriment. And with the right strategies, you can help your business thrive under these conditions. Read more.

Why Post-Traumatic Growth Could Be the Key to Thriving in 2021

It would be a colossal understatement to say 2020 wasn’t how any of us envisioned the first year of the new decade. The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still surfacing. It will be months, if not years, before we know how the pandemic impacted not only on our economy and cultural norms, but also our physical and mental health.

Although it’s important to reflect on the negative effects of the pandemic, it’s also worthwhile to consider the potential silver lining. In the wake of traumatic events, many people experience positive psychological change in the form of something called post- traumatic growth. Read more.

10 Predictions From the Past About the Future From Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Clancy, and More

When it comes to reading the proverbial crystal ball in business, Inc. has had some wins and some misfires. Here are a few of our best and worst predictions from years past, graded on a scale of A to F. Read more.

Expand Your Knowledge to Help Grow Your Business and Side Hustle in 2021

It’s crucial that entrepreneurs continue to learn and stay engaged with their industry. The more you know, the better able you are to adapt to changes, come up with innovative solutions, and scale your business. But it’s hard to find the time to go to seminars or read books when you’re running a business. Instead, check out some of the many learning resources available online. Read more.

Get Back to Basics with These 10 Small Business Improvement Tips

Running a business can get complicated. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details and forget the basic strategies that got you there. But staying strong in those areas is a must, as members of the online small business community can attest. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

At times, it needs to be just about you, and you alone. Think. Meditate. Daydream. Listen to nature. Be sure to make some time for you, at the very least, each weekend ahead of the work week. You and everyone around you will be better for it. Make ‘alone time’ part of your weekly routine in 2021.