US Economic Outlook for 2021 and Beyond

The U.S. economy is improving after the destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This cautiously positive outlook is based on experts’ reviews of the key economic indicators, including gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, and inflation. Analysts also have taken a hard look at interest rates, oil and gas prices, jobs, and the impact of climate change. Read more.

Outlook 2021: Must Know Small Business Trends

Notwithstanding recent global pandemic, the 2021 outlook for small businesses is very promising. The small business space is changing at an increasingly accelerated rate. Competition, automation, workplace culture and technological advances are just a few of the factors that are molding the future for small business. Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs need to be in-the-know about the latest market trends in order to achieve sustainable growth and profitability. Read more.

How to Build Your 2021 Business Strategy in the Face of Uncertainty

Recently, we’ve seen signs that many businesses are reopening during the last quarter of 2020. Yet uncertainty remains. In some states, businesses have reopened in recent weeks only to be told to close or reduce their capacity for customers. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to plan for the future. Consequently, many business owners and leaders might wonder how they can develop a growth strategy for 2021. 

What you need is a strategic direction to provide purpose for your business and help you set realistic goals to accomplish in the coming year. Read more.

The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship

By all counts and measures, Bradley Smith is an unequivocal business success. He’s CEO of Rescue One Financial, an Irvine, California-based financial services company that had sales of nearly $32 million last year. Smith’s company has grown some 1,400 percent in the last three years, landing it at No. 310 on this year’s Inc. 500. So you might never guess that just five years ago, Smith was on the brink of financial ruin–and mental collapse.

Back in 2008, Smith was working long hours counseling nervous clients about getting out of debt. But his calm demeanor masked a secret: He shared their fears. Like them, Smith was sinking deeper and deeper into debt. He had driven himself far into the red starting–of all things–a debt-settlement company. “I was hearing how depressed and strung out my clients were, but in the back of my mind I was thinking to myself, I’ve got twice as much debt as you do,” Smith recalls. Read more.

Why Entrepreneurs Need To Talk About Their Mental Health

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

I’ve been an entrepreneur now for almost a decade (9 years and counting). I’m just one of 500 million entrepreneurs; we make up about eight percent of the global population, amazingly. As a category – we are exponentially more likely to suffer from mental health problems, and yet, people don’t talk about that enough – it is fetishised and glamourised, so here’s an attempt to share some data and personal experience to show the other side. Read more.

Entrepreneurship & Mental Health: A 4-part Original Series

Since 2006, Techstars has helped hundreds of startups succeed, both as businesses and as people. This original 4-part documentary series focuses on the most common mental health issues facing entrepreneurs, told through the stories of some remarkable people — and the mental health professionals who work with people in need. Read more.

Research shows a link between sleep and entrepreneurship

Many people have experienced a few nights of bad sleep that resulted in shifting attention spans, impulsive tendencies and hyperactivity the next day–all behaviors resembling ADHD. A new study found that this dynamic may also be linked to increased entrepreneurial behavior.

“We’re not advocating depriving yourself of sleep to get ahead,” said Jeff Gish, a professor of business at the University of Central Florida and co-author of the paper. “We’re saying that there appears to be an interesting link between sleep and entrepreneurship. ADHD-like tendencies can be a benefit, rather than a hindrance in spurring ventures. But there is a potential downside. Even though sleep problems might lure an individual to an entrepreneurial career, if the sleep problems persist they can subsequently leave the individual without the cognitive and emotional competency to be an effective entrepreneur in-practice. Read more.

7 Tips for Dealing With Your Coronavirus Anxiety

Are you feeling anxious? Stressed about the current events? I want to empower you to take steps to control your fears, because having anxiety about the coronavirus isn’t going to help you.

Stress can boost your immune system in small bursts. However, when stress is prolonged, like what our world is currently facing, the immune system’s increased effectiveness slows down and eventually drops in the opposite direction. Like you, your immune system gets exhausted and cannot optimally function when it is exposed to long-term stress. And, given that your immune system is responsible for fighting off pathogens and keeping your body healthy, a stressed-out immune system can result in greater susceptible to illness. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

My one goal for 2021 is to make a difference in the lives of people I already know or will meet, for business or otherwise. Whether it be a small task or a larger project or an impromptu lunch or even just a phone call, I want people to realize the value of the time we spend together and as such, the value of further developing our relationship. Of course, I don’t expect value to be realized without positive results. To that end, I fully expect to earn the perspective and opinion I’m striving to achieve, learning from and correcting mistakes I’ve made in the past. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.’ Happy New Year!

Most Small Business Owners Remain Optimistic Going Into 2021

A new survey by Capital One Business reveals small business owners are cautiously optimistic. And many are looking for a return to more favorable business conditions come 2021.

According to the survey conducted from November to December 2020, about 53% of small business owners report their business financial position is the same or better than the pre-COVID-19 period. A further 67% of the owners are confident their business will return to pre-pandemic operations and revenues. So, there is growing optimism over the state of the economy and possible resilience among small businesses. Read more.

The Best of 2020: Entrepreneur Staff Picks

The story of 2020 itself has been remarkable. Our task during this pandemic year was to find the smaller stories that exemplified the trials, challenges and triumphs forged from historically damning circumstances — while still keeping an eye on the future and forward progress of innovative entrepreneurialism. 

Along with our esteemed network of contributors and collaborators, the collective staff of Entrepreneur magazine and Entrepreneur.com set about that task as determinedly as we could, and we hope the results have motivated you half as much as they’ve inspired us. 

To that end, and in tribute to all the small-business owners who’ve navigated this often-heartbreaking year, here is a shortlist of both site exclusives and print selections — hand-picked by members of our editorial team — that we were proud to shepherd and share. And we look forward to continuing to tell your stories in 2021. Read more.

6 New Year’s Resolutions for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses at the End of a Very Tough Year

If you’re up for a task—a really easy one—I’d like you to commit to making 2021 better than 2020.

Easy peasy, right?

This year has certainly knocked us all on our duffs, and there still is no way to know how much longer we’re in for economic strain, stay-at-home orders, and irregular sales patterns. But I am confident that we can make New Year’s resolutions to ensure we aren’t taken by surprise by anything in 2021—save aliens taking over the planet (at this point, nothing is outside the realm of possibility).

Permit me to set a few resolutions we can share as entrepreneurs. Read more.

Key Skills Of A 21st-Century Entrepreneur And Why They’re Important

Being a 21st-century entrepreneur is a demanding and exciting challenge. This is because the world is growing and changing so rapidly that it requires innovative thinking skills of an entrepreneur to stay ahead of their competitors. The 21st-century entrepreneur has to be highly organized and flexible. This means that a 21st-century entrepreneur is constantly thinking and planning. One way to do this is by creating and maintaining effective business plans. Furthermore, a good entrepreneur should also have excellent communication skills, leadership capability and the ability to lead others effectively. Read more.

How female entrepreneurs can thrive in good and bad times

Before the pandemic hit this spring, women were launching more than 1,200 new businesses every day — roughly twice the rate of men. In fact, in 2019, 21% of employer businesses had majority female ownership, according to a report by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

What a difference a year makes.

Women-owned businesses have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. One study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the number of female business owners dropped from 5.4 million to 4.0 million in just two short months, a 25% decline.

The loss of one fourth of female business owners is unprecedented and, as the study points out, may have longer-term ramifications for job losses and economic inequality. Read more.

Dear Entrepreneur, You’ve Been Brainwashed as an Employee.

My manager wasn’t happy. She pulled me aside. “You’re always the last one to arrive and the first one to leave. Why is that?”

I was working as a business consultant for a big fancy company you’ve probably heard of. Three letters. I was on the road most of the time, sleeping in hotels, eating every meal with colleagues. I’d go to the hotel gym to burn off some angst, and they’d be there too. It was driving me crazy.

So when I was back in the home office, I learned how to optimise all my processes so I could maximise my time for myself. Read more.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

This year was definitely not without challenges and mistakes. But in learning from the same and working towards making necessary corrections, successes were also realized. Although some gaps still need to be closed the near future looks bright and I’m excited about the year ahead. Such is the life of an entrepreneur – successes, challenges, mistakes, realizations, learning experiences, course corrections and, of course new ideas. It’s a whirlwind, stressful at times… exhilarating as well. So, here’s to putting 2020 behind and looking forward to the New Year. Yes, there’s reason the windshield is much larger than the rear view mirror. Now, it’s time for eyes on the road ahead, accelerating whenever possible, slowing down for curves and with a few stops in the rest areas to recharge. Happy New Year, my friends.

10,000 of America’s restaurants have closed in the past three months

About 17% of America’s restaurants have already permanently closed this year, with the industry in further danger according to a new report. The National Restaurant Association is publicly pleading with Congress to pass new stimulus to help the industry that has been damaged by the pandemic. The group said Monday 110,000 restaurants have already permanently shuttered in 2020, with 10,000 of them closed in the past three months.

The group released results from a survey of 6,000 restaurant operators, revealing that 87% of full-service restaurants reported an average 36% drop in revenue and 83% expects sales to be “even worse” over the next three months as the virus continues to lash the United States. And 37% of restaurants said it is “unlikely” they will be open in six months from now, if there are no additional government help.

“Save Restaurants!” Written by a restaurant owner.

As I walk into the grocery store with 30 other people at the same time, I think about my restaurant which allows parties of 6 total, and meticulously spaces out reservations by 10 minutes ensuring guests that aren’t from the same party do not arrive at the same time.

As I take a cart, that has had just the handle sanitized, I think about my restaurant which invested thousands of dollars (so far) on ink and paper to print disposable menus to ensure no two guests touch the same menu.

As I walk over to the produce aisle with 15–20 other people around me, I’m reminded of the strict “no mingling / no walking around the restaurant other than to use the washroom or enter/exit” policy we have in place and the 6ft distance between tables which has cut our capacity in half. Read more.

Eight Obstacles Entrepreneurs Never Expected To Have To Overcome When Starting Their Businesses

The easiest part of opening a business is coming up with the idea and filing the paperwork. The most challenging part often might not be apparent right away. No leader can predict or prepare for every obstacle they might encounter as a business owner, and hurdles can vary by industry and by each entrepreneur. However, with a little insight from more experienced entrepreneurs and the right mindset, you can successfully guide you and your business through any challenge. Read more.

Entrepreneurs: How To Start a Business Now!

My mission is to help entrepreneurs start their business and empower them to exponentially succeed. So entrepreneurs, today, you’re gonna learn how to avoid waiting for the perfect moment and how to start your business now!

“Don’t work for yourself only – but for all the people believing in you and your dream.“

Kevin Harrington

In the video below, I bring you along my journey from investing in the Ginsu Knife to becoming the Original Shark on the TV show Shark Tank. Here’s the thing, we all have to start somewhere but the only way you can become a successful entrepreneur is by starting now!! Read more.

10 Ways for Entrepreneurs to Power Through Tough Times

Let’s be honest: things are changing rapidly, the world is chaotic right now, and struggling entrepreneurs are scrambling to maintain any sense of control during these tough times. I know, because I feel it, too. But with so much up in the air, there’s still a lot of optimism to hold on to. Folks may be divided these days, but what we all have in common is the goal to keep striving for success. Read more.

Starting a Business in 2021? Read These Expert Tips First

Is your new year’s resolution to start a new business venture? If so, you’ll need insights from business experts to help the journey run smoothly. Members of the online small business community have tips for every aspect, from legal documents to marketing. Read on to prepare for your new business in 2021. Read more.

6 biggest fears to overcome if you want to be successful in 2021, according to a futurist

Research shows the that the biggest barrier to ongoing success isn’t time, money or resources — it’s resistance to change and lack of risk tolerance.

As fast-moving and unpredictable as today’s world is, we’re all forced to adapt on a daily basis. In my years of research as a futurist, I’ve found that fear comes in six flavors. If you shift your perspectives and learn to conquer them, the possibilities will be endless in 2021. Read more.

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 & influencers, 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. Learn more.

16 HARD (but Totally Doable, Totally Worth It) Resolutions You Haven’t Tried and Won’t Fail

Don’t believe the hype: Setting a New Year’s resolution is worth doing every year. With the right intent, chasing a goal or two promotes discipline, reinforces accountability and encourages self-reflection. It makes you better.

However, goals aren’t always easy to reach. On January 1 you may be pumped up and ready to go, planning to tackle your resolutions with ease. But what about January 31? By then, many people realize how fickle motivation can be. It comes and goes at random, and that alone makes some resolutions hard to stick with. In fact, a landmark study by the University of Scranton found that 77 percent of the 200 people surveyed abandoned their commitments after just one week. Read more.

2021 Small-Business Economic Outlook

Just weeks from now, 2021 arrives, and business leaders must be prepared for abrupt shifts in the needs of their customers. For example, if your business boomed during the pandemic, are you prepared for a post-pandemic slowdown? Read more.

Warren Buffett Says 4 Choices in Life Separate the Doers From the Dreamers

Ever read something Warren Buffett said or did and mumble to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Outside of Buffett’s mastery of investing, his down-to-earth wisdom is not only legendary but we all nod in agreement with the simple and yet profound effect it has on our lives. Read more.

How Changing Your Perception Can Help You Achieve Your Goals Faster

I spent a summer in college training in different warfare specialties as part of my Navy ROTC scholarship. One week during the training, my fellow cadets and I were invited to go out on one of the Navy’s crown jewels: an Aegis destroyer. 

These extraordinary ships were the first of their kind. The technology of them is beyond the scope of my full understanding, but at the basic level, they work like this: When a missile fired from the ship neared its target, it was able to detect the scattered energy coming from that target and adjust both its trajectory and momentum based on this data.

This was called painting the target, and these ships could do it with incredible precision. 

Why am I telling you this? Because painting the target is exactly what your brain must do anytime it wants to accomplish a goal. Read more.

Here’s What Happens Every Minute on the Internet in 2020

In 2020, an unfathomable amount of digital activity is occurring at any given moment. This ongoing explosion in activity is the aggregate output of 4.5 billion internet users today, a number that’s projected to increase even further in coming years.

This powerful visual from Domo helps capture what happens each minute in today’s hyper-connected internet era, and it’s actually the eighth edition produced since the year 2012.

What can we learn from the evolution of what happens in an internet minute? Read more.

What to Do When Your Routine Becomes a Rut

I recently moved from North Carolina to Arizona. The cross-country road trip was an adventure for me—and for my cat family. Needless to say, our routines were thrown into disarray, and our lives experienced a major upheaval. During the journey, I was struck by how our daily lives follow a fairly consistent pattern. This got me thinking about why we like routines so much, and how we can maintain stability without getting stuck in a rut. Read more.

5 Proven Truths About Finding Happiness

Happiness is a state we all want to achieve, but it often seems elusive. Have you ever felt happy one moment and then thought that it won’t last, which makes you feel less happy in the next moment? How frustrating is that?

What is happiness? Is it a state of mind, a mood, or a way of living? Is there a way to increase it? Read more.

A Message From Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

Listening to friends that have coached me along through challenges I’m gaining more confidence in realizing that a clear mind and well-rested body enables me to get more things done than I’ve ever imagined possible. Unfortunately, it easy to slide back into old habits, but knowing and acting upon what must be done to get back on track are essential to regaining and maintaining balance. This is definitely one of those weeks to get back on track and especially ahead of what is shaping up to be a very, very busy first quarter.

And so this is Christmas…

The wonderful John Lennon song, ‘Happy Christmas‘ is repeating over and over in my mind. The lyrics seem so appropriate considering the emotional roller coaster ride of 2020.

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

Speaking of the dear ones, my heart goes out to our seniors. It’s just not fair what they must have been feeling through this pandemic. Loneliness. Despair, Uncertainty. I actually believe, Unfair may be the best word to describe what they should be feeling. They’ve done so much for our country. Many are part of the greatest generation and lived through the worst of times only to work toward hope of a better life. They have sacrificed a great deal and achieved the American Dream of prosperity and a better life for their children and grandchildren. And now with so much uncertainty, they must be wondering what will become of their families, even before considering themselves. It’s so unfair they’re experiencing this burden after all they’ve done over the years.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fears

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
The rich and the poor ones
The war is so long

The pandemic has affected us all… weak, strong, rich and poor. Is it possible to think about the future without fear? I’m not sure, as there is so much unknown and so many rumors, contradicting opinions and of course, motives that may or may not be in our mutual best interests. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in theories that it can seemingly bring life to a stop. We must not let it overwhelm us, but it is understandable when it does. Please talk to someone when that may occur.

And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let’s stop all the fights

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fears

It’s so sad that racism continues to be at the core of this year’s unrest, protest and yes, riots. My heart breaks for the poor and underprivileged and especially during these rocky times as they will be the ones hurt the most. Their neighborhoods have been ransacked, crime is increasing and opportunities are diminishing in the inner city across our country. I can’t help thinking about the uncertainty and despair these people are feeling. I do not have confidence the events of this year will benefit them at all. I do pray I am wrong.

And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun

And so happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

What will the future hold for our youth. It’s been said technology will be front and center for future generations as has been the case for Generations Y & Z. Yet, we’re hearing story after story about children having issues with Zoom classes and being out of the classroom. There has been opinion that today’s youth will lag behind in education for the first time in, well, forever. That’s troubling. I think it’s safe to say they, and all of us do need personal interaction in our lives. As much as we’ve grown accustomed to using devices to communicate, there’s nothing like face-to-face interaction. I, for one certainly miss seeing loved ones. I also sorely miss getting together with friends and colleagues at business events. I can’t imagine what children must think about interaction with loved ones abruptly changing from kisses & hugs to FaceTime calls.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun

Another year coming to an end. Resolutions and goals for a great year have long faded for many. The loss of friends and family members. Many taken from this earth much before their time. And now, it’s suggested, recommended, encouraged to rely on hope. I’ve never been one to view hope as a strategy but maybe, just maybe I’ll be able to include it with some planning, shifting and pivoting that all appear to be necessary to survive and, hopefully thrive in our changing world. I guess, hope is and has been part of my strategy all along. I can see it being beneficial toward being optimistic. Not sure I can deny ‘Live – Hope – Pray’ being a good foundation for anything and everything moving forward. I’m in!

To all, I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I do hope it’s a good one and without any fear.

5 Must-Do’s for a Successful Personal Transformation

A caterpillar doesn’t morph into a butterfly by random chance, nor does a personal transformation randomly occur. Instead, both scenarios happen through a series of meticulous and orderly steps over a period of time.

When I was looking for a personal transformation, I tried various strategies that only led to more stress and worrying. Not seeing any progress, I started to let self-doubt creep into my mind, which led me to become even more unproductive.

Although it seems daunting to think about becoming someone that you’re currently not or learning a skill that seems impossible in this moment, transformations are essential for continual success and growth. Read more.

The World Goes Round: On Life, Death and Keeping Busy in the Year That Changed Us

It was March 6, 2020, a Friday. I was 40 years old, and I’d envisioned what this day might look like for some time, and I’ll say that in none of those visions was identity theft part of the plan. But 2020 kicks like that. Read more.

5 Anxiety-Provoking Habits Among High Achievers

Anxiety is on the rise. A CDC survey completed by approximately 5,400 people this past June showed that the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was three times higher than those reported in the second quarter of 2019.

Achievement-oriented individuals are especially prone to anxiety. They experience tremendous pressure to excel in multiple areas. High achievers expect to earn a healthy income, excel professionally, raise perfect children, have a beautiful house, keep a full social schedule, and be pillars of their communities. They expect themselves to maintain a high level of productivity despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. Read more.

5 Types of Business Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

Are you looking for different types of business opportunities to start your own company? Do you have an entrepreneur mindset? Are you the kind of person who wants to go into business to be your own boss and succeed through your own decision making? Many people feel the call to become an entrepreneur, but are not sure what type of business opportunity to pursue. Read more.

104 Best Sales Books for Boosting Your Skills & Performance in 2020

As a lifelong learner, I turn to books whenever I want to expand my thinking or improve my performance. And for leveling up your sales skills, nothing beats one of the best sales books.

I pulled together the top books from a range of sales disciplines to give you the information you need to stay relevant, lead conversations, understand the trends — and of course, improve your game. Read more.

Connecting the Right Brands, People and Opportunities!

Acceler8Success Group has achieved success in many aspects of small business and franchising. Widely recognized as industry leaders and influencers, Acceler8Success Group leadership have extensive experience as entrepreneurs in small business and restaurants, as senior-level executives within nationally recognized brands, and as franchisees within successful franchise systems.

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!

Great Leaders Are Thoughtful and Deliberate, Not Impulsive and Reactive

You set aside the first hour of your day to work on a strategy document that you’ve been putting off for a week. You haven’t been disciplined about getting to it, but you’ve had one crisis after another to deal with in the past week. Now, finally, you’ve carved out 90 early morning minutes to work on it.

First, however, you take a quick peek at the email that has piled up in your inbox overnight. Before you know it, you’ve used up the whole 90 minutes responding to emails, even though none of them were truly urgent. Read more.

6 Mental Habits That Will Wear You Down

Do you struggle with self-doubt and self-defeating habits? Do you want to feel more confident about yourself and what you have to offer? Do you focus on pleasing others, rather than following your dreams and living your best life? 

The best way to start feeling better about yourself is to notice the automatic mental and emotional habits that don’t serve you well and find more self-compassionate, life-affirming ways to think and behave. With conscious awareness and a daily focus on changing old habits, you can begin to build new, positive emotional pathways in your brain. Our brains possess the capacity for neuroplasticity, which means that practicing new ways of thinking and behaving can actually change your brain’s neurons and the pathways between them. Read more.

“Just wanted to share the message above as I know this time of year can be quite stressful. I hope this helps you make today better than yesterday. Just one day at a time, my friends. Just one day at a time. You got this!” – Paul Segreto, Founder, Acceler8Success Group

15 Things Not to Do as an Entrepreneur in 2021

We all know the year 2020 presented the world with a number of challenges in the entrepreneurial space. The following are the 15 things to avoid as an entrepreneur in the year 2021. Read more.

75 Ideas for Businesses You Can Launch for Cheap or Free

Today, many people today are looking to leave the daily grind for something that feeds their passion. People do not want to retire at the age of 60 (or older) to look back on life and feel they have wasted it. Read more.

Courage is the First Trait Any Entrepreneur Should Develop

Managing and growing your own business is a huge task. It is by no means a walk in the park for even the most talented. You can expect to deal with many unplanned physical and emotional sacrifices. While it’s true that making it will take patience, determination, and drive, the foundation should always, always be courage. This principle doesn’t just apply to entrepreneurs, but to people of all walks of life.

This principle is already deeply embedded in our culture. Think of every hero, both fictional and real, that you’ve ever heard or read of. The common denominator that launches all their stories, that makes them the main character, is courage: the ability not just to dispel fear, but to master it and use the lessons to get things done. Read more.

To Be An Entrepreneur, Overcome These 6 Fears

Many people dream of becoming an entrepreneur, but they often don’t realize their dream due to the fears associated with it and their inability to overcome them. Regardless of how potentially brilliant your idea may be, it means nothing if you cannot find the courage to overcome these six fears: Read more.

The Truth About Grit

The weather changed in an instant. I was driving with my wife and two daughters across Kansas on the way to Colorado for a family vacation-slash-assignment I called “He Thrills, They Chill.” The idea was that I would go off on crazy adventures while they had more low-key fun. Little did I know that the adventure would start before we even got to Colorado.

“Is that a storm, Dad?” one of my daughters asked, pointing ahead and to the right of our rented minivan (don’t be jealous). We had just returned to the highway after stopping for gas. The sky was clear when I filled up. Now it was ominous. “Looks like it,” I said. Read more.

Pandemic Politics: How to Restore Peace at Work and Home This Christmas

Christmas 2020 will be unlike any other in recent memory. As you deck the halls and roast chestnuts, it’s possible that a political argument or two will erupt, with some family members expressing vindication while others voice exasperation.

With all the tension over politics, the pandemic, mask-wearing, and civil discourse–not to mention colliding workplace and family issues–how can we restore peace both at work and with family members this holiday season?

According to research by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, the New York Times best-selling authors of Leading With Gratitude and co-founders of The Culture Works, few things are as effective as gratitude at unshackling people from toxic emotions and providing stimulating effects on the brain, which can help create a more positive attitude this holiday season. Read more.

The 6 Best Ways to Beat Anxiety

We all know the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety. Our hearts race, our fingers sweat, and our breathing gets shallow and labored. We experience racing thoughts about a perceived threat we fear will be too much to handle.

That’s because our “fight or flight” response has kicked in, resulting in sympathetic arousal and a narrowing of attention and focus on avoiding the threat. We seem to be locked in that state, unable to focus on our daily chores or longer-term goals. Read more.

5 Powerful Happiness Habits You Can Start Today

In the past few years, we’ve seen an explosion of books and courses about happiness. Brain science has progressed more in the past decade than the previous 100 years, allowing us to better understand the biological bases of human emotion. Research in positive psychology has made great strides in clarifying the things that make us happy. Through social media, we have more access to this information than ever before.

And yet, we don’t seem to be any happier than we were a generation ago. In fact, statistics show that more of us are suffering from clinical depression and anxiety—and that teens are becoming stressed and depressed at younger ages. Read more.

How to Lead When Your Team Is Exhausted — and You Are, Too

“What happened to my resolve?” a leader remarked in the middle of a session.

We were discussing how he and his team were navigating the second wave of the pandemic and responding to the breaking news that a vaccine might be on the horizon. On the surface, everything was fine: The business was thriving and his company was in a good position.

Still, that remark captured his true concern: On a personal level he was experiencing a loss of agency, determination, and energy. The “steady hand” approach and rapid action mindset that had characterized his leadership during the first wave were becoming fuzzy, less ingenious, and much more volatile. Read more.

The 7 Habits of Highly Emotionally Healthy People

Most of us pay close attention to our health and treat threats to our physical well-being as soon as they occur. We dress warmly when we feel a cold coming on, we apply antibacterial ointments and bandages to cuts and scrapes, and we don’t pick at scabs as they heal. We sustain psychological injuries just as often as we do physical ones, but we are much less proactive about protecting our psychological well-being than we are our physical well-being. Adopting the following seven habits, and “treating” common psychological injuries when they occur, will help protect your mental health and improve your emotional resilience. Read more.

7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less

How many of you want to grow old faster? What, no takers?!

Well, did you know you accelerate your aging when you regularly experience stress or anxiety? Seriously, if you’re too tired or too wired, take note of the seven strategies here to help you stress a little less: Read more.

“Always be sure to let the special people in your life know you love them and remember, actions often speak louder than words. And, be sensitive to the fact they may be going through some difficulties and keeping it all inside. Open, positive communications may provide them just enough confidence to open up and share their thoughts.” – Paul Segreto, Founder, Acceler8Success Group

Business Trends To Embrace In 2021

The business world has experienced incremental changes for several years, but the pandemic forced an irrevocable shift to happen in mere months. What worked for entrepreneurs in the past stopped working overnight.

Businesses that failed to innovate and evolve closed their doors. Businesses that moved quickly in response to the wavering needs of the markets continued to thrive.

The business world is never going back to how it was. The only option for continued success in business is to mature. 2021 will usher in even greater changes as entrepreneurs continue to adapt. Read more.

How to Adapt in a Rapidly Changing Economy

This year has challenged entrepreneurs’ expectations for not just their companies, but for themselves. Hustle culture is being replaced with balance and flexibility. 

Balance and flexibility might not sound like a winning business formula. This year has proven, however, that adaptability matters more than the ability to grind out a hard day. Read more.

Purpose At Work: Lessons From Papa Every Entrepreneur Must Heed

When a company brings people together to solve multiple problems, it builds a reputation as an essential ally. A business that has found the sweet spot of scaling impact for myriad stakeholders is Papa.  “We’re connecting younger people to older people,” Andrew Parker, co-founder and CEO of Papa, tells We First.  

Parker founded the fast growing startup in 2017 after watching his grandfather, whom he called Papa, suffer from dementia. “He didn’t need someone to bathe him, but he was irritable,” Andrew says. The CEO found his grandfather a nursing student to help with things like driving, errands, technology, laundry and just spending time with him.  Read more.

10 Ways for Entrepreneurs to Power Through Tough Times

Let’s be honest: things are changing rapidly, the world is chaotic right now, and struggling entrepreneurs are scrambling to maintain any sense of control during these tough times. I know, because I feel it, too. But with so much up in the air, there’s still a lot of optimism to hold on to. Folks may be divided these days, but what we all have in common is the goal to keep striving for success.

Here are my top 10 tips for keeping yourself focused on your goals while the ground is shifting beneath you. No matter what, you can absolutely do this. Read more.

3 Skills Every Business Leader Needs Amid The Covid-19 Crisis

Lingering uncertainty surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic has unnerved many people, especially business owners. Entrepreneurs are used to taking risks, but the events of this year have made it difficult for many business owners to plan for the foreseeable future. Enduring volatility and unpredictability can make it difficult to move forward.

However, there are ways to keep moving forward, gain traction, and accomplish goals. More than ever before, relationship skills are at the forefront of business and can help you thrive. Read more.

Winter invites you to rest your mind and body, and cultivate your imagination with some quiet time. We need to remember that rest is regenerative and essential to the success of everything else we do! Rest is not “doing nothing!” Rest is when our bodies build and cleanse. #Winter2020

Why Rest Is the Secret to Entrepreneurial Success

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land mammal. These feline sprinters can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in three seconds flat. Explosive speed enables them to take down an antelope, but when they’re not hunting, cheetahs expend as little energy as possible.

In fact, researchers found that cheetahs burn about 2,000 calories per day — the same as an average-size man. “I guess both humans and cheetahs rest a lot to offset high-energy activities,” biologist Johnny Wilson told National Geographic.

Cheetahs work hard to capture their prey, but they quickly compensate for each burst by hiding, waiting and resting. Clearly, they don’t have startups to run, but I can’t help but draw a parallel between these big cats and modern founders. Read more.

How to set goals for 2021 when everything feels uncertain

Typically the start of a new year brings a natural renewed enthusiasm for goal setting. The final digit of the year is turning, and you’re looking ahead to a hopeful new 12 months, refreshed and ready for your dreams and plans.

But this new year feels different. Last January, we never could have imagined what would transpire throughout the course of 2020. And unfortunately, much of it wasn’t good. You, like almost every single person in the world, likely saw many dreams and plans crumble to the ground or get modified, in some cases beyond recognition. Read more.

Many individuals and businesses are relocating to Texas for economic and quality of life reasons. Certainly, the picture perfect weather mid-December is the icing on the cake.

Today: 55-60 degrees and sunny with a cool breeze. Tonite: Mid 40’s and clear.

Need help relocating your brand to Texas? Interested in exploring franchise and business development opportunities in Texas? Need help selling your business or franchise so you can explore your options in Texas? Interested in launching a start-up in Texas?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these four questions please reach out to Acceler8Success Group Founder, Paul Segreto via email at paul@Acceler8Success.com.

What Makes Entrepreneurs Burn Out

By now we are all familiar with the risks of burnout. Research shows that it leads to work-related issues such as job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, inefficient decision making, and turnover, as well as health-related issues such as depression, heart disease, and even death. Research also reveals some of the common causes of burnout, such as lack of autonomy, engagement, motivation, and passion.

But since much of this research has looked at employees in large organizations, we know less about what burnout looks like for other types of workers. We wanted to study a group that seems to be more susceptible to burnout: entrepreneurs. Read more.

How to Adapt in a Rapidly Changing Economy

This year has challenged entrepreneurs’ expectations for not just their companies, but for themselves. Hustle culture is being replaced with balance and flexibility. 

Balance and flexibility might not sound like a winning business formula. This year has proven, however, that adaptability matters more than the ability to grind out a hard day. 

Whatever happens with the pandemic, rapid change will continue to be the name of the game. Here’s how to roll with the punches: Read more.

7 Ways to Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

Dreams without action is a world of make believe. Consider the following.

• 96 percent of college professors believe they have above average teaching skills.
• 50 percent of high school students believe they will attend law school, medical school or grad school.
• Time magazine asked in a survey, “Are you in the top 1% of wage earners?” Nineteen percent said yes! And 36 percent expected to be.

Really?!!!

A dream without a plan is soon exposed. Read more.

Restaurant Outlook for 2021: Uneven Recovery, but Better Days Ahead

If there’s one term that best describes COVID-19’s siege on the restaurant industry, it’s “uneven.” And 2021 promises to be just as strange and disjointed.

BTIG analyst Peter Saleh believes four major themes will define this coming year:

• Uneven geographic recovery
• Significant variations in unit growth across concepts
• Heightened investments in digital (more on that here and here)
• The growth of alternate restaurant formats (more on that here and here)

Regardless of where operators turn, they’ll find a shifting industry that won’t feel the same state-by-state, market-to-market and from one segment to another. If anything, that will be COVID-19’s signature and one that will be felt for years to come—the divergence of sectors, blurring of models, and shattered or accelerated trends that had no choice but to gain speed in the wake of dine-in restrictions. Read more.

“Good is somebody who delivered and allowed the company to overcome obstacles, without leaving a profound impact on its culture. Great is somebody who leads his company to achievements and performance and value that nobody was expecting it had.”

Carlos Ghosn

20 Lessons We Learned About Marketing in 2020 | Social Joey

Can you believe 2021 is coming up so quickly? If you’re reading this, we’re at least midway through December…meaning the new year is literally days away.

While most of us would like to put 2020 in our rearview mirror, even the most challenging year has lessons for us! That’s definitely been the case this year, which has been packed with challenges and lessons alike.

Before we leap into the new year, our Social Joey team wants to take a few minutes to reflect back on the year that was—and every single thing it taught us about marketing. Read more.

4 Steps to a Resilient, Success-Driven Mentality

Failing fast sounds simple enough, and it’s become a common mantra in the entrepreneurial space. This mentality affects more than just entrepreneurs, though. Many people preach the power of failure—swift, forward or otherwise—as the key to future success. It’s become a rite of passage these days, where you must flounder in order to prove yourself.

I don’t dismiss the learning experiences and growth that comes from past failures, but I believe it’s much more beneficial to highlight past successes. From a mentality perspective, I can’t stress enough how important it is to approach things with a resilient, success-driven mindset. Letting thoughts of failure creep into your goals and aspirations isn’t productive. Read more.

Aging Could Be the Next Booming Business

Those over 50 account for more than one-third of the U.S. population, half of all consumer spending, and 83% of household wealth. That should make catering to the aging population a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors—one that could be akin to investing in the software boom in the 1980s or internet in the 1990s.

That was the takeaway from aging experts and investors at a virtual panel discussion on Monday at the 2020 Century Summit held by the Longevity Project and the Stanford Center on Longevity. Read more.

Small Business Start-Up Funding Options

Over 17,000 entrepreneurs just like you have received $4+ billion in start-up funding through Benetrends Financial. With multiple small business funding options available – from tax-deferred and penalty-free financing through 401(k)/IRA accounts to SBA and conventional business loans – your dream of owning a small business is now a realistic goal. Learn more.

Could COVID-19 Crisis Kill Small Business Entrepreneurship?

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has left many existing small businesses struggling, and the continued economic uncertainty threatens to kill the ambitions of entrepreneurs who planned to launch new businesses but now must put their dreams on hold.

“This crisis will end up being much worse for small businesses than the 2008-11 sub-prime mortgage crisis,” says Andi Gray, president of Strategy Leaders a business consulting firm. “That 2008 crisis mostly hit banks, mortgage, insurance, automotive – all of which were primarily big, publicly owned stock companies. The only small business dominant category was the construction sector which was devastated for years.

Today’s crisis hits and potentially harms nearly every type of small business. Read more.

How Startup Entrepreneurship Will Change Post-COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic caused entrepreneurs all over the world to scramble. Businesses that operated in a traditional office environment were forced to come up with a strategy to work from home; in fact 42 percent of the U.S. workforce is now working from home full-time. Those that depended on service customers in person, in some capacity, needed to figure out a way to deliver or serve digitally. And of course, many entrepreneurs had to completely rethink their budgets in response to the economic impact of the pandemic.

But how is startup entrepreneurship going to change once this pandemic is over? What does the entrepreneurship world look like after COVID-19, and what will the lasting impact of the pandemic be? Read more.

Immigrant Hustle, A New Book Covering the Stories Of 50 Successful Entrepreneurs Who Came to America With Nothing, Is Launched in All Major Book Stores

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Immigrant Hustle by Amine Rahal, a new book exploring whether the American Dream is still alive through the stories of 50 immigrants who decided to pursue the path of entrepreneurship, is officially launched and now available at all major book stores and platforms, including, Amazon, Chapters, Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, Smashwords, and others.

The book is written by Amine Rahal, an entrepreneur and author with over 20 years of experience helping entrepreneurs from all over the world with their technology and marketing challenges. Amine is a member of the Forbes Communication Council and has written for multiple newspapers and publications. Learn more.

‘Heart and hustle’: How two Latinx entrepreneurs are paving the way for others to start businesses

Latinx and Black founders have historically lagged behind the most when it comes to funding, but that’s not stopping minority-owned businesses from expanding. In fact, their numbers are growing.

According to ProjectDiane 2020, a nonprofit that tracks the current landscape for Black & Latinx women in the innovation and entrepreneurship space, more minority-owned businesses have been founded in 2020 than in the past two years. In fact, Hispanic founders have emerged as the fastest growing demographic among all U.S. entrepreneurs – growing from 6.5 percent of all entrepreneurs in 2001 to 15 percent as of 2019. Read more.

3 Entrepreneurship Myths Business Owners Must Sidestep

There are many myths associated with entrepreneurship, likely because the entrepreneurial world can often be thought of as a magical greener grass where only the lucky succeed. Successful entrepreneur Mo Abedin, and leading business coach and entrepreneur Marc Galal share that entrepreneurship paves the way to financial freedom faster than any career. However, it is a road that should be paved with caution. In a recent interaction, Mo and Marc share three myths about entrepreneurship that business owners must try to sidestep. Read more.

Serena Williams: Silicon Valley is wrong about Black women entrepreneurs

My life story is one of breaking barriers and championing inclusion, on and off the court. Coming up in a predominately White male sport, I have been underestimated and underpaid throughout my career. Now, as a venture capitalist investing in early-stage startups, I see myself in the Black female founders who are often counted out right from the start. Read more.

Seven Tips For Getting Things Done As A New Entrepreneur

Many founders might not admit this, but entrepreneurship can be daunting and at times scary, especially when starting out. Many people who start a business begin with a real buzz; they are passionate, determined and ambitious with dreams of seeing the dollar or pound signs mounting as their success grows. 

When I started my first business, like many, I was attracted to the glam and glitz of entrepreneurship. But I soon realized that staying motivated and productive required me to learn new skills and habits. Read more.

After all, we do not know what others may be dealing with, and especially during the holiday season. Make a difference in others’ lives by being genuinely nice, interested and caring. Read more.