From dreaming big and thinking bold to moving fast and staying agile, these time-tested tactics are your blueprint for success.

Learn how creative leadership, detailed planning, and relentless execution can transform your business landscape. Boost morale, lead with clarity, and embrace hard work to conquer your industry.

Don’t just survive—thrive with the power of Napoleon’s lessons.

Here are 15 Powerful Lessons You Can Learn From Napoleon Bonaparte

1. Dream Big, Think Bold

Napoleon wasn’t just playing small; he believed that “Imagination rules the world.” In the business world, boldness and creativity are game-changers. Don’t just aim to fit in—push boundaries and set ambitious goals that make you stand out.

Think of Steve Jobs, who didn’t just want to make computers; he wanted to revolutionize entire industries. Your vision should be so grand it almost feels unreachable. When you dream big, you inspire those around you to believe in the impossible and work together to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

2. Move Fast, Stay Agile

Napoleon’s quick and secretive moves gave him an edge. In business, you gotta be nimble. Adapt quickly, move fast, and you’ll often find yourself ahead of the game, capturing opportunities your competitors miss.

Companies like Amazon and Tesla thrive because they constantly innovate and pivot when needed. Speed is your friend; it allows you to react to market changes and customer demands faster than the competition, ensuring you remain relevant and ahead of the curve.

3. Creative Leadership

Napoleon thrived on chaos and wasn’t afraid to switch things up. Unlike rigid leaders, he was flexible and adaptive. In business, embrace change and let chaos work for you. Being adaptable can turn unpredictable situations into opportunities.

Think of how Netflix transitioned from DVD rentals to a streaming giant. Flexibility and creativity in leadership allow you to navigate through turmoil and emerge stronger, transforming challenges into stepping stones.

4. Organize Like a Pro

Napoleon’s mind was like a supercomputer, processing vast amounts of info to make smart moves. Businesses should do the same—stay organized, use real-time data, and adapt strategies based on fresh insights to keep that competitive edge.

Utilize modern tools like CRM systems, analytics software, and AI to manage information efficiently. Staying organized and informed means you can make better decisions, foresee potential issues, and react promptly.

5. Keep It Simple

Napoleon knew the power of simplicity. Overcomplicating things can bog you down. In business, streamline processes and focus on what truly matters to hit your goals efficiently.

Apple’s product design philosophy under Jobs was about simplicity and user-friendliness.When you remove unnecessary complexity, you reduce errors, speed up processes, and make it easier for your team to focus on what’s important, driving efficiency and effectiveness.

6. Execute Relentlessly

Once Napoleon decided on a course of action, he went all in. In business, once you pick a direction, pursue it with full commitment. Execution is where success is truly made.

Look at how Elon Musk commits to his vision for SpaceX and Tesla. Relentless execution means overcoming obstacles, staying focused on your goals, and not getting distracted by setbacks. It’s the determination and persistence in execution that ultimately leads to triumph.

7. Play to Your Strengths

Napoleon only fought battles he knew he could win. In business, focus on your strengths and avoid head-to-head fights in areas where you’re weak. Know your advantages and leverage them.

Microsoft leverages its strength in software development and cloud services rather than trying to compete directly in hardware. Understanding and maximizing your strengths ensures you play a game you can win, using your unique capabilities to outshine competitors.

8. Plan in Detail

Napoleon planned for every possible scenario. Businesses should do the same—conduct thorough planning and prepare for various outcomes.

Detailed planning helps you stay ready for anything. Scenario planning and SWOT analysis are tools that can help you foresee different futures and prepare accordingly. When you’re prepared for multiple scenarios, you can adapt smoothly and continue to drive forward, no matter what challenges arise.

9. Seize Opportunities

Napoleon saw luck as the ability to capitalize on accidents. In business, be prepared and ready to grab unexpected opportunities. Agility is key.

Companies like Uber and Airbnb seized gaps in the market by being ready to pounce on opportunities when they arose. Always be on the lookout for opportunities, and when they come, don’t hesitate. Preparation and readiness to act quickly can turn unexpected moments into major breakthroughs.

10. Learn from the Past

Napoleon studied the greats who came before him. Entrepreneurs should always be learning from the successes and failures of others. History is full of lessons waiting to be applied.

Warren Buffett is famous for studying businesses and market histories. By learning from the past, you can avoid repeating mistakes, understand what works, and build on proven strategies. Continuous learning from history helps refine your strategies and improve decision-making.

11. Boost Morale

Napoleon knew how to keep his troops motivated. Business leaders should do the same—keep your team inspired and engaged. High morale leads to high productivity.

Companies like Google and Salesforce invest heavily in employee well-being and motivation. When your team feels valued and motivated, they are more productive, innovative, and loyal. High morale fosters a positive work environment where people are excited to contribute and excel.

12. Lead with Clarity

Napoleon believed in the power of a strong, decisive leader. In business, clear direction and strong leadership are crucial. Ensure everyone knows the plan and follows it.

Leaders like Jeff Bezos provide a clear vision and direction, ensuring their teams know what they’re working towards. Clear, decisive leadership aligns your team, fosters trust, and drives coordinated efforts towards achieving your business goals.

13. Reflect on Failures

Napoleon analyzed both his wins and losses. Businesses should review their successes and failures to keep improving. Learn from mistakes to avoid repeating them.

Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates emphasizes the importance of learning from failure in his book Principles. By conducting post-mortems, you can understand what went wrong, make necessary adjustments, and continuously refine your strategies to avoid future pitfalls and drive success.

14. Action-Oriented

Napoleon was all about turning thoughts into actions. In business, decisiveness and execution are vital. Don’t just plan—act on those plans with energy and determination.

Entrepreneurs like Richard Branson embody this principle by constantly moving from ideas to actions. Action orientation ensures that you don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis but instead drive forward, making things happen and turning visions into reality.

15. Embrace Hard Work

By implementing these lessons from Napoleon, businesses can sharpen their strategies, strengthen leadership, and execute with precision, driving sustained success.

The post 15 Business Lessons From Napoleon’s Playbook appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

However, amidst all the excitement and challenges, one critical aspect should never be overlooked – managing your startup’s finances.

No matter how groundbreaking your product or service, your startup could quickly be on shaky ground without proper financial management. That’s why we’re sharing some vital tips and tricks to help you navigate your startup’s finances like a pro. Read on if you want to be inspired, informed, and ready to conquer the financial challenges ahead!

Unleash Your Startup’s Full Potential by Managing Your Finances Wisely

Keeping your business afloat can only be done if you know how to handle the money circulating within it. After all, money keeps the wheels turning and enables your startup to thrive and grow. With that in mind, here are some key aspects to consider when managing your startup’s finances:

Create a Realistic Budget

Depending on the type of your startup, you should create a budget that’s enough to keep it running without underspending. So, apart from your budget, you must have an additional 10% that you’ll use if unexpected expenses and emergencies arise. 

However, it’s also critical to stick to it, so you should avoid squandering on unnecessary items.

You can start by setting a budget for the week, month, or quarter. It will serve as your plan and how you will spend it over a particular period. Before setting a budget, you must check your expenses and income. 

Decide on how much you’re willing to allocate in various areas of your startup. You can allocate 35% on marketing, such as car magnets, influencers, and social media. 40% goes to operations, and 25% is budgeted for your employees salaries.

Understand Your Startup’s Cash Flow

Cash flow refers to the money going in and out of your business. It’s a crucial aspect of managing your finances, and not understanding your cash flow can lead to serious financial problems. 

Poor cash flow management can lead to difficulty in paying employees, buying inventory, or keeping the lights on.

How to handle your cash flow:

• List your expenses: Be thorough when counting your expenses. For instance, you bought Customized Business Car Magnets for marketing purposes. So, you should list it and take it into account when monitoring your cash flow.
• Strategically pay your bills: Ensure you pay your bills on time. Do it online to avoid being charged late fees. You can automate it for convenience or if you have a habit of forgetting your deadlines.
• Keep track of unpaid invoices: Stay on top of your outstanding invoices and always follow up with clients who need to catch up on payments.
• Be prepared for slow seasons: Depending on the industry, there might be times when business is slower than usual. Prepare for these periods by having a cash reserve or adjusting your budget accordingly.

Use Financial Tools and Software

Automation is the key when keeping track of your finances, and there are tons of free or paid financial tools and software to consider. These will make your life easier, especially if you do all the accounting tasks yourself. 

Here are some examples of common financial tools and software:

• Accounting Software: This software can manage your startup’s overall finances, including tracking expenses and income, creating invoices, and generating financial reports.
• Budgeting Apps: These apps will track your budget and alert you when you’re nearing your limit or overspending.
• Payroll Software: If your startup has employees, this software will make it easier to manage their salaries and benefits.

When looking for a tool, consider your startup’s needs. Selecting one that can streamline your financial management processes is a must. Fortunately, some tools can handle your accounting, budgeting, and payroll simultaneously, so do your research and choose wisely. 

Though most of them are paid, the convenience they offer is worth it.

Seek Investors to Get More Funds

If you’re looking to expand and grow your business, you must prioritize seeking investors who might be interested in your startup. Traditional lending institutions or crowdfunding platforms will accept equity as collateral. 

As long as you have access to additional capital, you can easily and quickly take your business to the next level.

To secure those funds, you must develop a solid business plan. It must highlight your vision, objectives, and strategy. How are you going to achieve these goals? What’s the strategy you’re going to implement? How will you execute it? 

These will tell the investor if your startup has the potential to grow and become a hit among the masses.

Establish Your Financial Goals and KPIs

Once you specify and establish your financial goals, it will be easier to focus all your efforts on them. At the same time, you must track your progress, such as KPIs, and make adjustments as you allot your resources.

Some financial KPIs to monitor:

• Gross Profit Margin
• New Profit Margin
• Working Capital
• Current Ratio
• Quick Ratio
• Leverage

Your financial goals should also consist of short-term and long-term. What do you expect to achieve in five years? How about in 20 years? For example, your five-year goal is to increase your profits by 50%. However, avoid being unrealistic. 

Don’t make your goals unattainable because instead of being motivated, you’ll feel encouraged.

Making Smart Financial Decisions

When you make a decision that involves a substantial amount of money, you have to be ready for the risks that will come with it. You must calculate those risks and decide if it’s something you’re willing to take or if the risk won’t cause your business to lose. 

Whether you’re investing in new technology, expanding your business, or hiring new employees, carefully analyze the potential risks and how they will affect your startup’s finances.

Weighing the potential rewards of these decisions against the level of risk can give you a clear understanding of the possible outcomes. 

It’s essential to make the best decisions, so it must not be based on impulse or emotions. Always consult your financial advisor before making any major financial moves to be on the safe side.

Improve Your Financial Management to Achieve Victory

Continue to educate yourself as you manage the financial side of your business. The market constantly evolves, affecting your startup in many ways. By staying updated and aware, you can make better financial decisions that will contribute to the efficacy of your financial management strategies and ultimately lead to your startup’s growth. 

Remember, financial management is not just about keeping track of numbers; it involves being strategic, proactive, and making informed decisions to achieve your goals!

The post How to Manage Your Startup’s Finances More Efficiently appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

These moves—Ideation, Business Plan, Online Presence, Strategic Marketing, and Launch and Growth—are the blueprint for turning aspirations into achievements.

Power Move 1: Ideation

The genesis of any startup is the idea. It’s the spark that ignites the fire of innovation. But how do you ensure your startup idea isn’t just a fleeting thought but a viable business opportunity?

The first step is clearly defining your startup idea, making sure it solves a real problem or fulfills a need. It’s about identifying a gap in the market and conceptualizing a product or service that addresses that gap innovatively.

Second, understanding the landscape is crucial. Conducting thorough market analysis and competition research helps you gauge the demand for your idea, identify your target audience, and understand the competitive environment. This knowledge is invaluable in refining your idea and carving out your niche.

Power Move 2: Business Plan

With a refined idea in hand, it’s time to lay the groundwork with a comprehensive business plan. Your business plan should articulate your mission, vision, and the core values that drive your startup. It’s a roadmap that outlines your business goals, strategies for achieving them, and the milestones you aim to hit along the way.

A critical component of your business plan is financial forecasting. This involves projecting your finances to understand your funding needs, potential revenue, and profitability. It’s also the stage where you explore funding options, from bootstrapping to seeking investors or venture capital.

Power Move 3: Online Presence

In today’s digital-first world, establishing a robust online presence is non-negotiable for startups. Your online presence starts with your brand identity. This encompasses your logo, color scheme, and overall design aesthetics, all of which should resonate with your target audience and reflect your startup’s values and mission.

Your website is often the first point of contact with potential customers. A user-friendly, responsive website that clearly communicates what you offer and why it matters is essential. It should be optimized for search engines to increase visibility and attract organic traffic.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

Power Move 4: Strategic Marketing

With your online presence established, it’s time to focus on strategic marketing to build awareness and drive growth. Content marketing, powered by effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, is a powerful way to attract and engage your target audience. Quality content that adds value can establish your startup as a thought leader in your industry.

A savvy social media strategy can also amplify your reach and build a community around your brand. It’s about choosing the right platforms for your audience and crafting compelling, shareable content that drives engagement and conversions.

Power Move 5: Launch and Growth

The final power move is about making a splash with your launch and setting the stage for sustainable growth. Building anticipation is key. Pre-launch teasers, coupled with beta testing with your target audience, can provide valuable feedback and create early adopters. It’s a chance to fine-tune your offering before the full launch.

A pivotal aspect often overlooked by many budding entrepreneurs is the power of assembling a strong, cohesive team. The right team amplifies your startup’s capabilities, bringing diverse skills, perspectives, and creativity to the table. It’s not just about finding individuals with the right skill set; it’s about fostering a culture of innovation, resilience, and mutual respect.

Empowering your team, encouraging open communication, and aligning everyone towards a common vision is crucial. Each team member’s unique strengths and weaknesses should complement each other, creating a dynamic that propels your startup forward.

After launch, it’s crucial to analyze performance, gather insights, and iterate. Understanding what works and what doesn’t enable you to refine your strategies and scale your startup effectively. Scalability is about ensuring your business can handle growth without compromising on quality or customer experience.

Your Startup Now Needs Continuous Evolution

Another key element to ensuring the longevity and success of your startup is the commitment to continuous learning and adaptation. The startup landscape is perpetually changing, with new technologies, consumer behaviors, and market trends emerging regularly. Staying informed, being receptive to feedback, and having the willingness to pivot when necessary are essential qualities of a successful entrepreneur. Encourage feedback from your customers, team, and mentors. Use this feedback as a learning tool to refine your product, service, and overall strategy. The ability to iterate based on real-world insights is a powerful advantage in the competitive startup ecosystem.

Incorporating these additional dimensions—team dynamics, networking, and a culture of continuous learning and feedback—into your strategic framework further solidifies the foundation of your startup. 

Transitioning from idea to empire is a journey of strategic planning, execution, and constant evolution. Each power move is a building block, laying the foundation for a startup poised for success.

With determination, agility, and a focus on these five key areas, entrepreneurs can navigate the startup launchpad and soar to new heights.

The post 5 Strategic Power Moves to Successfully Build Your Empire appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

What are the drawbacks of using buzzwords and clichés when seeking seed money in a series A, B, or other funding rounds? For one, if you’re getting too technical with non-technical types, you risk confusing them. Investors who do not fully comprehend what you are discussing will not simply write a check, regardless of how positive, energetic, and confident you may seem.

Another issue with using commonly used colloquialisms is that they often lack substance. Words and phrases such as “leading edge,” “unicorn,” and “We’re going to be the Amazon/Apple/McDonald’s of [fill in the blank]” may look enticing on paper. They sound much more enticing in person because they’re throwaway lines without any true meaning.

Finally, using jargon can make you sound like you’re trying to fill space instead of providing meaningful data. For example, you could mention in your pitch that you provided top-notch customer service and support to promote engagement and loyalty. They are merely opinions without clear, objective statistics to support your statements. Investors require more than that to support a business, product, or project financially.

Certainly, it is feasible to develop a pitch and an accompanying pitch deck devoid of clichés, slang, and overused terms such as “breakthrough” and “pivot.” You just have to take the time upfront to implement a few strategies.

1. Share your startup story from an authentic perspective.

It’s hard to beat the power of authenticity when sharing the origin story behind your product. Watch just one episode of “Shark Tank,” you’ll immediately see how a compelling backstory can captivate even the most skeptical investors.

Will you still need to provide evidence for everything you say as you delve further into your pitch? You can count on it. Nevertheless, leading your pitch with the genuine and refreshing “Why?” behind your startup can set you apart immediately.

2. Incorporate concrete data and outcomes whenever feasible.

Investors typically spend very little time reviewing pitch decks. Since pitch decks may be your only initial contact with an investor, your deck must be substantial. One effective method to strengthen your pitch is by incorporating tangible data and results.

Suppose you want to demonstrate the necessity of your company or product. Proprietary market insights can help you demonstrate why you believe you are more likely to succeed than fail. Investors are well aware that the failure rate among startup entities is high. Your task is to provide substantial evidence to help them understand that investing in your company and team is a sensible decision.

3. Use industry-specific terminology sparingly.

Is it sometimes unavoidable to use industry jargon when delivering your investor pitch? Sure.

Let’s say you’re working on developing an app. You will use app-related language, likely including technical terminology by default. In this case, you’ll want someone not in your industry to review each technical term. This will enable you to determine if they understand what you’re trying to convey.

It’s always a good idea to do this with both your pitch and your pitch deck and supportive materials. Find a friend or family member who is not affiliated with your business. Invite them to sit through your presentation and review your slide deck. What questions do they have? Does your startup’s unique value proposition resonate with them? Or are they struggling to understand what you’re saying?

Their answers will help refine your pitch, making it less reliant on trendy clichés or “inside baseball” terminology.

4. Enhance your presentation with visuals.

Whether you’re preparing your pitch presentation or your pitch deck, look for relevant visuals. These could include various content types, such as product videos, photographic images, infographics, and charts. Strong visuals can replace buzzwords and engage investors on a deeper level.

This doesn’t give you free rein to purchase stock images online and insert them into your pitch. Your visuals should all contribute to your pitch. Before sending your pitch to any investor, carefully review your visuals. Could any of them be removed without compromising the essence of your pitch? A “yes” answer means that you should remove them. Otherwise, they are simply serving in a temporary capacity.

Over time, refine your pitch and the pitch decks you create. With each revision, focus on replacing technical language with precise words, phrases, data, and visuals to make your startup appealing and understandable to investors.

The post How to Avoid Startup Clichés and Buzzwords When Pitching Investors appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

A few months into the startup, I was quick to gauge why it is necessary to go beyond the nuances of operational efficiency and the art of sustaining a business amid growing competition.

Collaboration is key.

The HR and the recruiting teams work with departments to foster a culture of collaboration, but what’s indispensable to business performance is the sync between the marketing and sales teams. What we’d consider as entrepreneurs is the need to ensure seamless collaboration to predict and achieve business goals together. In turn, this will help secure long-term recurring revenue for the business.

Besides, entrepreneurs need to focus on revenue as they gear up to take their startup from $0 to $1 million. The journey is filled with critical decisions, from identifying your target customer base to choosing the right funding strategy.

So, what next?

Read on… because here are five practical, results-driven strategies that you as a founder can implement to make a mark in their industry.

#1. Embrace the Lean Methodology

What is lean methodology?

It is all about pivoting resources to create more value for customers with fewer resources. 

This principle encourages you to be more agile and allow rapid iteration based on customer feedback rather than spending years perfecting a product before it hits the market.

Want to implement it?

Here’s what you can do.

Build “Measure-Learn” Loop: What I did was develop a minimum viable product (MVP), a simple version of the product. You can do the same since it allows you to start the learning process as quickly as possible. After launching MVP, measure how customers use it and learn from their behaviors and feedback.

Here’s what I can recommend here:

• Identify the core features that solve your customers’ primary needs and focus solely on those to develop your MVP.
• Know the feedback channels where early users can communicate their experiences, suggestions, and complaints.
• Analyze user behavior and feedback to make informed product development and iteration decisions.

#2. Focus on Customer Development

Let’s talk about taking our startup to the next level. 

It’s not just about getting customers – it’s about really getting to know them. We need to dive into their world, understand their struggles, and see how our product or service can make a difference in their lives. 

It’s like we’re detectives, piecing together the puzzle of our business hypothesis by actually chatting with our customers

What would you ideally do here?

Understand Customer Segments: I’d say, start dividing your target market into segments and develop a deep understanding of each segment’s demographics, behaviors, needs, and pain points. The idea is to get into their shoes and really feel what they feel.

Ensure your Product Clicks: When starting up, think of what you offer and consider whether it clicks with what our customers need. My thought was “Does my product solve their problems? Does it make their day better?” Put yourself through a tough grilling session to show customers the value proposition and ensure that the product’s promise matches what our customers are looking for.

I’d recommend the following actions here:

• Talk to them – through surveys, interviews, or even casual chats. The goal? To gather real, raw insights about what they need and expect.
• Use the collected data to create detailed profiles for each type of customer. This way, everyone on our team really understood we were serving. I think this should help your startup as well.
• Try out different versions of our product with a few customer groups. It’s all about feedback here – understanding if you’re hitting the mark or if we need to pivot.

#3. Foster a Data-Driven Culture

The digital world is highly data driven since it fuels key decisions in a startup. 

I believe it’s essential for us to build a data-driven culture. This means, you’ll move from making decisions based on hunches or assumptions. Instead, the focus should be on data analytics and insights to guide our strategies and improve our outcomes.

What can you do?

Use Data Analytics Tools: You should be using these tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data related to customer behavior, market trends, and our business operations. Here, consider the adoption of pipeline forecasting that leverages AI to find patterns in marketing data. 

In turn, you’ll get areas for improvement since it can analyze historical data and predict the outcome for you to plan your.

Action Items:

• Pinpoint key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives and ensure they are measurable and actionable.
• Next, you can consider training your team to understand and use data analytics tools. This might involve workshops or bringing in experts to build a data-savvy workforce.
• Once everything is in place, regularly review data reports and dashboards. This gives us a clear picture of a startup’s health and helps adjust your strategies and predict future trends.

#4. Strengthen Your Financial Acumen

A good grip on financial skills is important to steer your business towards growth and making sure it stays on track. For this, you’ll have to understand the money side of things, which helps you manage your cash flow. Think of figuring out smart investment moves and sizing up any risks that come your way.

Here’s a tip on how you can get savvy with your finances.

Maintain Rigorous Financial Discipline: I’m really focused on cultivating a strong company culture, one that truly resonates with our mission. So, I’d suggest fostering open communication and encouraging a sense of ownership and collaboration among everyone in the team.

Action Items:

• Get to know your financial statements inside out – I’m talking about the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. These are like the vital signs for your business’s financial health
• Use financial forecasting that helps predict your future money moves. With this, you will have a heads-up on upcoming revenues, expenses, and how much cash you’ll need. Also, research on the available financial forecasting tools that can make predictions spot-on.
• Don’t go at it alone. Regularly touch base with financial advisors or mentors. With them by your side, you’ll have a fresh perspective on your financial strategies to ensure you’re on the right path to hit your business goals.

5. Prioritize Team Building and Leadership Development

It is crucial to focus on building a solid team and developing strong leaders. This means putting our resources into the people who are going to propel our company forward. 

What you’ll aim for here?

Creating a culture where everyone collaborates and every team member has the chance to emerge as a leader.

What I would do:

Cultivate a Strong Company Culture: This culture should mirror our mission and foster open communication. It’s important that it encourages everyone to feel a sense of ownership and work together.

Invest in Leadership and Team Development: As founders, we’ll have to make way for opportunities for teams to enhance their skills, face new challenges, and grow in their careers.

Some concrete steps that you should consider taking:

• Begin with clearly communicating your startup’s vision, mission, and values so that every team member is on the same page.
• Conduct regular team-building activities and workshops to boost skills and strengthen a sense of unity and collaboration.
• How about starting a mentorship program within our organization? The more experienced team members could guide and support the growth of newer or less experienced folks.
• Alas… encourage feedback at all levels. We should keep striving to create an environment where open, honest communication is the norm and everyone feels safe to speak up.

I know it’s one thing to get your head around these ideas and quite another to actually make them a part of your everyday business life. But that’s where the real magic happens, right? It’s all in the doing. 

As a startup founder, this means more than just being a big dreamer. How about rolling up your sleeves to be the planner who pays attention to the smallest details. Ultimately, these tips and more tactics around it will help carve a leader in you who listens and cares and the learner who’s always ready to adapt

So, as you’re either starting out or moving forward on this entrepreneurial adventure, keep these practical tips right there.

May these be your guiding lights, helping you steer through the wild and exciting world of building a startup that’s not just a dream, but a thriving reality.

The post From Idea to Empire: 5 Power Moves for Your Startup to Thrive in Today’s Market appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Before we dive deeper, a quick disclaimer. My startup it’s not a “standard” startup – I bootstrapped, I formed an LLC and not a corporation, and I don’t plan to sell it in a few years.

I have 15 years of experience working in a global technology and consulting company. So the good news is that I was familiar with the engineering side of things. The bad news, though, is that I had no idea about any other aspect of starting a business. So I had to learn it all (and I still am!)

Below I have tried to summarize some of the most important lessons that I wish someone had told me a year ago. Enjoy!

1 – Good ideas need space

I once was listening to an entrepreneurship podcast, and the podcast host said, “95% of my ideas came to me in the sauna.” And I thought to myself, “That is 100% true!” In December of 2020 I felt that I was ready to start my own business. The only problem was – I didn’t know what business I wanted to start.

I spent several weeks thinking about it and trying to come up with a good idea. Nothing was helping. And then I was laying on the tattoo table getting my tattoo done, staring at the ceiling and doing nothing, and this idea, this perfect idea, just popped into my head – and I’m not even kidding.

So next time you are trying to come up with an idea, or make an important decision – go get a tattoo. Joking! But seriously, slowing down and giving your thoughts room to breathe helps. Trust me.

2 – Choosing a brand name is harder than you think 

Alright, now you have this awesome idea, let’s pick a name for your future company! Well, for me it definitely appeared to be harder than I thought.

It’s not just finding the name that is catchy, matches your brand and your vision and is not used anywhere yet (which is already pretty hard!). Have you also thought about the domain name? And how about social media accounts? Oh, and by the way, don’t forget the trademark!

I tried to come up with a name for my startup myself and failed, so I hired a professional to do that for me. And it was 100% worth it.

3 – You need a team from the start

It’s so tempting to do everything by yourself, especially if your budget is tight and/or if you are an expert in your area. Because of my technology background, many people asked me (and still do) if I am going to develop the app by myself. 

But I knew from the very beginning that my time is much better spent being a visionary rather than an executor. So I found an agency for the design work, and then another one for development. And again, 100% worth it. 

4 – Hold on to your vision 

When you start, you have a strong vision in your mind. You know exactly what you want to achieve and why it’s important.

Then you begin to take small steps toward transforming your vision into the real product. Every step by itself seems to make sense. However, a few months into the process you might find yourself looking at the half baked product that looks nothing like your initial vision.

The danger here is that every step might in fact be a tiny deviation from your vision, but it’s so small you don’t notice it. However, these steps add up, and at some point deviation becomes noticeable.

In order to avoid this, or at least minimize the impact, make sure you step out from the tactics regularly and take a holistic look at what you are creating. And adjust if necessary.

5 – Pick your partners not just for the talent, but also for maturity

I found this design agency and fell in love with their work, so I hired them. And they really had very professional designers in house. The only problem was that all those designers left the agency within 3 months because the agency founder was treating them (and me, honestly) poorly. 

Thankfully, we managed to finish the design, but it’s definitely a lesson learned for me. 

6 – Your budget will increase

Whatever you plan for, add at least 25% for contingency. Whatever estimates you receive from your vendors, add 50% (or even 100%!) 

It’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s better to be prepared and to have this buffer ready for when it’s needed (and it will be needed, trust me), than try to urgently find more money while in the middle of the process.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison

7 – Talk to your future users 

Every interview matters. You don’t have to throw enormous budgets into the user research (absolutely do it if you have it though!), but you at least need to talk to some of those people who will potentially become your customers. 

Does your product solve their problem? Do they even have a problem? It’s amazing how many insights you can get by talking to even just a few people.

8 – Cut your MVP. Then cut again 

You have pictured this awesome product in your mind. But you go to your vendor, and they tell you that it will take hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of work to get your product out the door. Alright, it’s time to start cutting the scope for MVP (minimal viable product). 

It’s not easy, and at first it will seem like every piece is essential. But if you dig deeper, you will find that core that absolutely has to stay there, and then you can cut everything else.

Oh, and by the way, be prepared to go through this process several times.

9 – Pivoting is your best friend

More “good” news for you here. It’s not just about cutting your scope, but also about changing it to reflect the actual people’s needs and the reality we live in. Or sometimes you might simply overlook something!

Remember – having to make changes is not a sign that your product is a failure. In fact, it’s the opposite – it gives your product a much higher chance of success, and it makes you a much smarter founder.

10 – Set your priority wisely 

As a startup founder, you will constantly need to be wearing multiple hats. Finance and data privacy laws, product development and testing, marketing and PR, user acquisition and user retention – just to name a few of the things that will keep you up at night.

But remember – your capacity is not unlimited, so focus on one priority at a time. Feel free to switch between them weekly, but don’t try to multitask.

11 – Launch when you are ready, not when you have to

You will have the launch date in mind, and most likely this date will keep slipping. You will feel pressured to launch when you originally planned to launch. But don’t. Take as much time to finalize and test your product as needed. 

Remember – you can only make the first impression once! 

12 – Launch is just the beginning 

If you think that, once you launch, the hardest part is done, think again. You can be creating as many hypophyses as you want, but it’s only when you start receiving real data and real feedback from your costumes, that you can finally prove (or disprove) your theories. 

I cannot stress this enough – data is your best friend when it comes to making your startup successful. Spend the time and set up all the analytics tools you need in order to fully understand what’s going on with your business at any point in time. Funnels, conversion rates, retention, not to mention financials, – it might feel overwhelming (and trust me, it is at times!), but it is essential that you have it all figured out and ready to go, otherwise you will be blind. You should even consider choosing a colocation data center for your startup. This facility provides servers, storage and security for your computing hardware. 

And it’s really hard to navigate the fun and challenging startup world being blind.

The post 12 Things I Learned in 12 Months of Working on My Startup appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

If you also run a saas startup and want some ideas to build your customer base, you have come to the right place. Here we give some tried and tested ways to get your first 100 customers.

1. Use your existing network and build on it

Using an existing network of friends and family is something every business does without even consciously strategizing it. You tell your friends and family about your business and hope someone will make a purchase. That’s how it starts. 

However, with a bit of planning, you can significantly enhance your reach even with your existing network. Here’s what you can do.

• Ask your friends and family to spread the word of your business among their circle by tagging you on their social media handles. 
• If you already run a business, ask your existing customers to try your new startup’s products or services. It will be far easier to convince those already happy with your current business and will have a certain amount of trust in you.
• You can also target the existing audience of a product similar to yours by conducting market research.
• Reach out to your investors to spread the word about your business in their circles. They will happily do it as they have high stakes in your business and most investors have an impressive network.

2. Start a blog

“The pen is mightier than the sword” is an age-old saying, which still holds merit. However, in the digital world, it translates into blogs. With the internet and your blogs, you have the power to reach the entire world. Now a question comes to mind—Why blogs and not anything else? Here’s why:

• Blogs enable you to connect with like-minded people and build lasting relationships. 
• Blogs tell your readers what your business offers and how it can resolve their problems.
• With your blogs, you can show others you are an expert in your business, and they can rely on you for answers.
• Blogs are also a great way to bring online traffic and authority to your website. 
• They also help you set the tone of your business in front of potential customers. 
• You also get instant feedback from people on your products or services through blogs.

You can share your product stories and gain loyal customers and influencers for your business through your blogs. In addition, it would be great if you put microinteractions on your blog to improve user experience.

3. Increase your reach with cold calls and emails

If you can get your first 100 customers with your existing network, it’s incredible. However, eventually, you will need to reach out to strangers or potential customers, and that’s when cold calls and emails come into the picture.

Cold emails are emails you send to people who may be interested in your services but don’t know you yet. Cold emails are most effective when you have a mutual connection with the sender that you can use as a reference. A prime example of that is an email sent by the co-founder and CEO of Zapier Wade Foster sent to Andrew Warner.

No matter how good your email is, there are always chances that the person may delete it without reading it. In contrast, calls are harder to ignore. Try cold calls and talk to your potential buyers and understand why they want to or do not want to make a purchase.

4. Give away freebies

One thing consumers find hard to resist is freebies. Whether it is your product sample or a trial demo of your softwares, you can easily convince potential consumers to purchase if they liked your product during free trials. You can even share a promo code with your potential customers to further lure them into the purchase.

However, you need to ensure that the user experience when the potential customers use your service is exceptional; otherwise, you will lose a customer forever. It is the stage where you can win their trust or lose it entirely as first impressions matter.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

5. Use the power of paid advertising

Advertisements have been one of the most effective tools in the marketing arsenal for a long time. And with digital platforms like social media and search engines, paid advertising reach has increased exponentially.

The micro-targeting options and cost-effectiveness make online advertising one of the most efficient tools for startups to increase their customer base. You can opt for search ads on Google, Bing, and other search engines. You can also choose display ads and video ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

6. Leverage online forums and communities

There are multiple online forums and communities like Quora, Reddit, and Inbound, where like-minded people share views, ideas, and opinions on everything. 

The power of online forums is that most people trust products or services that gain positive feedback from users. It helps you build trust among your potential customers. People who like your product will happily promote it on these forums through various means. If someone comes looking, they will see the proof through other’s opinions. 

7. Don’t forget about social media

In the current age, the power of social media is unbeatable. Nearly 4.8  billion people use social media in 2021, which means your potential customer reach on social media can be massive.

There are multiple ways through which you can leverage social media for your business to gain customers. Some of them are:

• Influencer marketing: Influencers are people on social media who have thousands of followers. They have the power to influence their followers through their content. You can collaborate with such influencers to promote your business.
• Social media buzz: Creating a buzz factor with your posts, tweets, and videos on social media platforms can quickly help you gain your first 100 customers. Follow the trends on social media and use them to build your rapport with potential customers. You can talk about your special offers, competitions, etc., to create the buzz.

8. Have 1-o-1 with your clients

One thing that is good about the initial stages of your business is that you have fewer responsibilities and more time on your hands. Use that time to connect with your existing clients and understand their problems. Ask for feedback about your product or services and implement those changes. 

It helps you develop long-lasting relationships with your initial customers and build your brand value in the market. 

Conclusion

These are just a few ways to find your first 100 customers. There are always more things you can try during the initial stages to increase your reach and revenue. It is all about researching the market and understanding what works best with your target audience.

The post 8 Actionable Ways to Get Your Startup’s First 100 Customers appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Here is a list of mistakes that you need to avoid at all costs when venturing into a new business.

1. Not having a business plan

The fatal mistake that one can make when starting a business is beginning without a well-laid plan. Even if your plan isn’t set down to the details, lay out the ground rules in your plan, including your operating costs, production cycles, sales strategies, and financial management. Without these basics, you are bound to fail within a few months of starting your business.

2. Ignoring market research

Ignoring market research before launching a business is like is diving into a lake without knowing its depth. You may never know whether you would survive the fall. Therefore always do your market research, which should include:

Identifying target audience: Understanding who your target audience is crucial for the success of your business as all your marketing strategies would be planned around it. For example, if you are selling Satellite TV packages you can design them to target a certain audience. A family package would target a family, while a sports package would target sports fans. By targeting a specific audience, the satellite TV providers can ensure that they are offering the right programming and channels for those subscribers. This also helps to keep costs down for the providers, as they can tailor the packages to fit the needs of their customers.

Audience interests: Knowing your target audience isn’t enough when it comes to running a business. You need to know what your target audience wants in your products and deliver them to make your business successful. Therefore, your market research should always include understanding the interests of your target audience.

Competition research: Understanding what your competition does is crucial for every business. It will help you identify what works with your target audience and what doesn’t so that you can form your business strategies accordingly.

3. Starting without sufficient funding

Finance is the lifeblood of any business; without it, your business cannot survive long. At the initial stages of your business, you will require a lot of capital to cover significant investments and other expenses. Also, the ROI will be slow, so you need to have sufficient backup to keep your business afloat till you start getting a steady influx of money into your business. Therefore it is crucial to have sound finances and efficient financial planning.

4. Trying to do everything yourself

Many entrepreneurs have this misconceived notion that they need to do everything themselves to get it right. On the contrary, having counselors and partners whom you can rely on make everything much more manageable. DOn’t shy away from delegating your responsibilities and skiing for help when you find yourself in a tricky situation. It will free your time and mind to focus on more critical aspects of your business, like growth and scaling.

5. Letting fear of failure lead your decisions

Most business owners fear failure more than anything and shy away from making risky decisions for the fear that they may fail. However, some of these risks are the stepping stones of your success, and giving up on them means losing a lifetime opportunity. Therefore, put aside your fear of failing and take those risky steps, and they are the ones that will set you apart from your competition.

6. Making hiring mistakes

Your employees and partners are going to be the foundation of your business. Therefore any hastiness can leave cracks in your business’s foundation. Always look for employees dedicated to the growth of their business and have the zeal to grow themselves. Instead of increasing the number of employees, focus on finding skilled people who want to succeed in your business.

7. Not using modern technology

In the digital world, technology can make your life and business a lot smoother and manageable. However, some business owners still rely on old-school methods. The problem with some old-school techniques is they are time-consuming and often require a lot of manual labor. On the other hand, softwares and automation tools can reduce manual work and significantly increase your accuracy and efficacy.

8. Not paying heed to offline and online marketing

If finance is the lifeblood, then marketing is the backbone of your business. Without effective marketing strategies, your business cannot survive in this competitive world for long. And you need a marketing strategy that is a combination of online and offline marketing to succeed. To bridge the gap between your offline and online marketing you can use QR codes. You can create QR codes using the best QR code generators available to direct your offline marketing collateral to drive traffic online.

Many small businesses used to rely mainly on traditional marketing methods. However, the onset of a global pandemic has forced everyone to go digital regardless of their size. You should also opt for digital marketing as much as possible as it is more effective and cheaper than traditional marketing.

“Forget about your competitors, focus on your customers.” – Jack Ma

9. Not understanding your business demands

Everyone likes to share success stories, and no one shares the struggles. Wherever you look these days, whether it is social media, websites, blogs, newspapers, or any other medium, you can see businesses sharing how good they are and how well everything is going. 

However, in reality, a lot of businesses have to fight tooth and nail to stay afloat. So, don’t jump into a venture believing that it would be easy. You may have to put in extra hours, resources, and efforts to keep things going until things stabilize.

10. Undervaluing your product or service

Many entrepreneurs start at a lower price than the market price to gain more customers at the early stage of business. However, this tactic can become your downfall in the long run as you cannot raise the prices suddenly once you make your place in the market. 

Therefore, always charge your product or service at an optimal rate that justifies its value.

11. Not having a bookkeeping process

A lot of businesses fail in the first two years due to improper financial management. And the primary reason for that is the lack of proper bookkeeping methods. A definitive bookkeeping system enables you to keep track of your finances efficiently and maintain your cash flow. You can either hire a bookkeeper or use accounting and bookkeeping software for your business.

12. Making unnecessary expenses

When you start a business, many ideas will come to your table, and many of them will be quite lucrative. However, restrain yourself from diving into all of them and only make essential expenses. You can focus on those things that your business cannot do without.

13. Don’t hesitate to form contracts

You may start your business with friends or family members or have excellent relations with your initial clients. However, don’t let your personal ties stop you from making your business deals in writing. It is wise legally and professionally to keep your relationships and business contacts separate.

14. Register your business

Many entrepreneurs start the business proceedings without legally registering their business. It leads to problems later as some of your contracts are not legally binding until you are registered under the state laws.

15. Expanding too quickly

 Once your profits reach the breakeven point, you may start looking for growth processes and expansions. However, diving into expansions can cause you more trouble than you fathom if you are not ready for it. Expansion requires a lot of capital investment and your savings and may not cover it. Therefore let your business establish nicely before moving on to expansion plans. 

Summing up

Starting a business is frightening and challenging, but it is not undoable. You just need the right people and a solid plan to follow through. You may have to take a back-step once in a while; however, that does not mean you have failed. Mistakes happen to everyone. It is just a tactical retreat, and you need to find a way around the problem and keep going. In the end, giving up is the only sure way to fail.

The post 15 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business in 2021 appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Now, it’s often that you hear of women who find business and tech as something fascinating and starting their own tech-related business from scratch. In fact, within the last 20 years, the number of businesses owned by women has increased by 114%. 

Now in the 2020’s, we have many prominent women who have earned high rankings in business success by creating their own tech service or product. Here are a few of them below. 

1. Thai Lee 

Thai Lee is the CEO and co-founder of IT software SHI International, which she created with her ex-husband, and has a net worth of $3 billion. Her software has Boeing and AT&T as customers. She is considered one of the wealthiest women in America, even after starting her business over 30 years ago. 

She was born in Bangkok and moved to the US for her education, attending business school and starting her own career. She kept goals in mind to meet by certain ages to keep herself focused. Her long-term business goals and compassion to employees are a key part of her continuous business victory over the past several decades. 

Thai Lee is stated to have initial struggles in launching her business. Despite these troubles, her steel tight focus on her eventual success is what truly launched her into being an IT tech legend. Sometimes focus is all you need for real success despite a somewhat broken ladder. 

2. Neerja Sethi 

Neerja Sethi is a millionaire, having earned her money from creating Syntel, an IT consulting and outsourcing firm. Neerja eventually sold the firm for $3.4 billion to a French IT firm Atos Se in October 2018. For her stake, Sethi got $510 million. 

Neerja met her husband while working at the pioneering IT firm Tata Consulting Services. They both decided to recreate this type of service in a way they thought would be their own unique success. Hence, she and her husband created Syntel in their apartment in Troy, Michigan with a $2,000 investment. 

Their efforts worked and, with some work and energy, created a service worth millions. As of this year, her real time net worth is $1.1 billion. Just because a certain product or service already works, it doesn’t mean it can’t be improved to something better. 

3. Ashley Chen 

Ashley Chen is the founder of the IT firm ActioNet, a service that provides cloud-hosting, cybersecurity and software engineering. If you wanted your virtual and online projects protected from online hackers, she made the product to do just that. ActioNet got rated one of the best in the country and Ashley’s IT work even won an award. 

She obtained her masters in computer science prior to her creation and paid just $35 for the domain ActioNet.com in 1997. Safe to say her investment was rewarded. The growth of her business has developed into double-digit annual growth every single year since. 

Her parents wanted a different life for her, but Ashley was determined to own her business and attributes hiring the right people who could help her as a critical part of her success. Her employees also comment that she has “infectious” energy that keeps them motivated to work. 

“I don’t mind living in a mans world as long as I can be a woman in it.” – Marilyn Monroe

4. Therese Tucker

Therese Tucker has a unique appearance with her bright colored hair. However, she has a net worth of over $500 million for creating Blackline, an enterprise software company that sells accounting-automation software. Just a few of the companies she provides software to is Coca-Cola, Netflix and Google. 

In 2013, she sold a majority stake to private equity firms Silver Lake and Iconiq Capital for a $220 million valuation. She founded the company in 2002, cashing in on the entirety of her retirement savings in order to launch her business idea. She is now one of the few female-founder CEOs running a public tech business. 

She dismisses the idea of having “modest ambition” because then the only accomplishments you have will be “boring.” She speaks at high schools and STEM events to teach other women to excel in tech if that’s what they dream of doing like she did.

5. Whitney Wolfe Herd 

Whitney Herd has become the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire in 2021 for her app creation Bumble, a social and business app for women. She has also become the youngest woman to take her business public at 31. 

She founded the app in December of 2014, which resulted in over 15 million conversations and 80 million matches. She got to partner with billionaire Andrey Andreev in 2014, which furthered her career success. She refused a $450 million pay-out and her net worth is currently $1.2 billion. 

Her advice is to figure out what you’re passionate about and find a way to turn it into a business. She says, “I think anybody can make money at something they’re good at. You have to start somewhere. Just find your passion and lean into it.” 

The post 5 Women Who Revolutionized Tech and Made Millions appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Paid Advertising Is Expensive

Every start-up founder will be looking to promote their business as much as possible in order to increase visibility and sales. But unfortunately, they will only have a limited budget and paid advertising can very quickly become an expensive exercise. In fact, most entrepreneurs will eventually learn that executing marketing strategies for paid advertising can end up costing so much that it cuts into too much of their bottom line to be effective.

And just because digital advertising costs more money over time, that doesn’t justify the expense, nor does it necessarily mean it’s any more effective than other strategies. It’s usually much better to spend your advertising dollars on a fully automated campaign with a bid strategy for maximising conversions. Then once you’ve worked out a cost per acquisition that’s both achievable and profitable, you will have a much better chance of potentially having a limitless ad budget.

SEO May Take Longer Than You Think

Seeing results from SEO takes time. While effective SEO is vital if you want to see your website reach the top page of search engine results, it’s a procedure that takes time to see results. The reason SEO doesn’t increase your ranking overnight is because it’s a cumulative process. Not only does researching markets and analysing the industry take time, it also takes time to create quality engaging content that converts. It also takes time for Google crawlers to recognise and assign your website the right authority, and then it’ll be a while before consumers finally start discovering your site.

No two websites are the same, even when they’re both competing for the same customers in the same industry. It basically comes down to variables around your website that impact how long it takes before you start seeing the results of an SEO campaign. But once you’ve started using good SEO protocols, your site will steadily perform better and rank higher as time passes from months to years.

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis

Make Data Driven Decisions

Even the smallest business or start-up generates data. The insights that can be derived from this data can not only provide value in general, but data-driven decisions can provide a competitive advantage. Data helps businesses evaluate how they can increase brand loyalty, improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and create new revenue streams.

Everyone talks about the importance of creating a data-driven culture in order to unlock the full potential of start-up businesses, but where do you start? You need to start by looking at whatever data is available to you to establish a foundational baseline. Once you have a decent grasp on the data, you’ll be able to tell things like which channels work the best and the most effective tone of voice, before you can start constantly testing ways of improving the marketing effectiveness of your business.

Never Launch To No Audience

The launch of your start-up is an extremely important event for your brand, so you need to give yourself more time than just a couple weeks. Choosing a launch date that’s far enough in the future will help you develop hype for your brand while making sure that everything is ready. Your launch also shouldn’t be the same time you start generating leads, so you should have a waitlist of interested people or a list of your product’s beta users.

One simple way to create a pre-launch buzz is to construct a landing page on your website with a form that encourages users to register for your brand. This allows you to evaluate market demand early on, which gives you a pool of potential users to start it up. Your landing page should provide potential customers with enough information to stimulate their interest while ensuring they feel comfortable about sharing their contact information. It also needs to be simple and user-friendly as possible, so don’t over-complicate everything.

Quality Content Is King

Quality content is a powerful tool that still maintains its position as the most effective of all types of marketing practices. While it can be tricky to implement for some, this is what wins most people over. Which most likely seems like common sense because people obviously respond better to high quality, authentic content. Even with the rise of online video over the last decade, marketing with quality content statistically generates more leads than outbound marketing strategies, and it also costs less.

By sharing a regular stream of informative, meaningful, and interesting content about your brand on your website and social networks, you’ll be better positioned to gain trust and make sales during the buyer’s journey. Quality content helps you extend your brand’s reach by delivering dramatic results which naturally increases and compounds engagement.

Golden rewards await the advertiser who has the brains to create a coherent image, and the stability to stick with it over a long period.” – David Ogilvy

Most Campaigns Fail (And That’s Ok)

No product marketing campaign will succeed all of the time. Many of them fail, and some of the failures are catastrophic. Failed marketing campaigns can be caused by many different things, from bad timing, to lack of interest, going too far outside their market, or a million other possible reasons. While unsuccessful marketing campaigns will be discouraging, it’s important not to dwell on your failures.  

By taking the time to review your campaign and ascertain how it missed the mark, a failed campaign can actually be a blessing in disguise. Once you understand the reasons, you can make the necessary adjustments for your next campaign launch to be more successful. And each time you fail, it can open up new horizons to conquer. Remember that failure is always an integral part of any start-up’s success. So as long as you’re always trying something new and you’re willing to fail, it’s okay if things don’t go as planned.

Launching a start-up is never simple. And while no one can prepare you for what’s ahead, you’ll have the best chance at success if you know about these marketing truth’s beforehand. Remember, if going into business was that easy, everybody would be doing it.

The post The Truth About Marketing Every First Time Founder Should Know appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

This is probably why today, my company has offices in four countries across Asia. We started from a humble place and are still growing. We have a long way to go, but I have learned some crucial lessons as a company founder headquartered in Singapore, which is Southeast Asia’s startup hub.

One of the things that benefited my business and my personal journey as a founder, was honest accounts from others who had taken the journey before me. That’s why I will be sharing some key takeaways that can be applied by small businesses looking to expand their scope across countries and regions.

Pick the right time rather than the first opportunity

It reads like a textbook rule, but this is a fundamental principle that any business founder needs to follow when planning their growth. Think very carefully about the right time to expand internationally. Your staff, financials, and product all need to be in order, and you should ensure you have done your market research thoroughly. 

One of the things I see most entrepreneurs get wrong is their budgeting. Do not underestimate the budget allocations required to expand in your new region and sustain growth in your home market. Your expansion should not come at the expense of the work you have already established. 

“Scaling is only difficult when you grow your organization like a tower instead of a city.” – Jurgen Appelo

Valuing partnerships

As entrepreneurs, we need to do better at supporting our peers. Relationships between business starters can be soured by various factors: jealousy of success, placing value only on the opportunities offered by leads or contacts, and lack of shared experiences once businesses have varying levels of success. 

However, it is important to understand that collaborations and partnerships can be extremely valuable in helping business starters to overcome many hurdles they face, not only in terms of shared knowledge but as a therapeutic support network for a job that comes with a unique set of stresses and challenges. We need to work harder at building each other up and becoming a valid resource of support.

Partnerships are also the most cost-effective way to scale and generate business in my experience. My network has been instrumental in generating revenue at the beginning and also during the pandemic, which was critical to us being able to weather the storm and come out stronger.

Being an agile business

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that stability should not be taken for granted; the entire world can turn upside down alarmingly quickly. While businesses have continuity plans that allow for a sense of preparedness, it is also vital to think flexibly and be open to pivoting quickly when a crisis strikes. Agility is the key to survival and scaling. 

Bass & Flinders Distillery in Australia is an excellent example of being agile, especially in such trying times. This startup adapted immediately to the circumstances of the pandemic, working first to produce hand sanitiser and then focussing on online sales and virtual tasting sessions to cater to a house-bound market. Through swift adaptations, they were able to survive a pandemic that has been devastating for the hospitality industry. 

Understanding that each market is different

The importance of fully understanding the market where you intend to move cannot be understated. A product that works in one region will not necessarily work in another. Sometimes costly adjustments are needed. Other times you may need to design a completely new product to meet a similar market need. 

By their nature, businesses that are operating locally will have a deeper understanding of the local market. Expanding startups will need to grapple with this if they are to flourish in their new environment – remember success in your home market is no guarantee of success elsewhere.

Many of these challenges can be reduced by doing effective research. Make sure you are getting information from accurate sources and have conducted proper testing. 

Investing in ground-based teams

Related to the previous point, it is crucial to have teams on the ground in all your operating locations wherever possible. We have teams in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India- every single market where we have clients. These ground-based teams have proved invaluable in ensuring that we provide our clients in each market with a seamless service. I meet frequently with each of these teams, (virtually or physically) to maintain our strong collaborative relationship.  

While there are cases of successful companies being able to sell or provide services without being there in person, I find that in my experience and industry, having local knowledge and expertise is paramount. Trying to expand in countries without fully understand the local nuances is a challenge and an expensive one at that.

“The gap between what’s expected and what you deliver is where the magic happens, in business and in life.” – Jay Baer

Do not let irrelevant things hold you back

Sometimes it may seem that a lot of things need to be in order to get any startup running, let alone expanding the business across countries. This can be a stumbling block of a lot of people who never actually get their startup or business off the ground.

To better understand this, I spoke to a great entrepreneur, Mathew Stillone, on my podcast Business Over Drinks, about his protein empire that started off from a garage and now makes products for supermarket giants across the globe. Prioritize your focus on your product and generating sales. Learn to prioritize. Producing a solid product and making sales is far more salient than realising your dream office space, for example. 

Expanding your small business into new markets can be an exciting way to grow your business. Expansion to new markets can be daunting, but by ensuring you have the right product, budget, and have done thorough research, you can set yourself up to prosper across multiple locations. 

The post Lessons I Have Learned About Scaling a Business as a Startup Founder appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

In moments like this, it’s always a good idea to seek help. Whether you go to WriteMyPaper to order an essay or just talk to a friend, admitting vulnerability is an important step towards improvement. In this article, you will find some tips on how to get better at essay writing, even if English is not your native language.

Control Your Environment

Improving your language skills is all about constant practice. Living in an English-speaking community is the first thing you should do to start your practice. It might be tempting to surround yourself with people who already speak a familiar language. However, this way, you won’t be practicing English on a daily basis.

You need to make those lessons almost intuitive in a way that you don’t have to do anything to learn the language. If you live in an English-speaking community, for example, if your roommate speaks English, you will have to practice the language, whether you want it or not.

Still, make sure you don’t take it too far. Taking care of yourself is still as important as ever. Feeling like an alien for the sake of education is not worth it. Remember to keep in touch with your friends and family, talk to them as often as necessary.

Practice Constantly

Practicing language is not just about doing your homework. You can make practicing English a normal part of your daily routine by watching TV, listening to music, and reading books in this language. 

Yet, this is a bit tricky. When being surrounded by white noise, people tend to learn not to notice it. You need to ensure this doesn’t happen. As you watch movies or read books, maintain your attention on what you’re doing. If you hear or see a word that you don’t understand – translate it and write it down. Be mindful and remember what you’re doing this for.

Writing Is The Answer

If you want to specifically learn to write, you need to do one thing, and that is to write. Continuous practice will help you understand what mistakes you often make and, in time, eliminate them. Focus on your goal, and don’t get discouraged when something’s not working. After all, even Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Get a journal and write in it daily. Pick a new topic every time and note everything you can think of. It’s also important that you write by hand, a spelling checker in your computer is tempting, but it will not help you remember how to spell words correctly. 

Besides, journaling as a habit has multiple health benefits, and it can be therapeutic. It can help you get in touch with yourself and process your emotions better.

Learn In a Group

It’s proven that learning in a group is more efficient due to the sense of competition. Find a bunch of like-minded people who want to study with you or join an already existing one, like a speaking club.

The benefit of such activities is that you get all these people from entirely different backgrounds who are all good at various things. This will help you exchange experiences, which is impossible if you’re alone.

Schedule regular meetings, come up with topics to discuss and activities to do. You could watch videos or movies together, or talk about common things. Having assignments like describing an event can also be beneficial for the entire group. This way, while one person speaks, the rest think about how they would say the same things differently. 

This will help you feel more confident in your skills and, consequently, speak and write better.

Expose Yourself

The most important thing about learning a language is not to be afraid of making mistakes. It’s inevitable; you just have to take it as a natural part of a learning process. 

A child that is learning how to walk doesn’t give up after falling once, and you shouldn’t either. It’s most likely that your friends understand that you’re just learning a language, and they won’t laugh at you for misusing a word or a few. 

Get over that fear of error and make as many mistakes as it will take. Treat it lightly, and don’t beat yourself up for it. On the other hand, try to attend as many events as you can that will expose you to the foreign language. Not only will it boost your English skills, but also improve your social confidence!

Wrapping Up

Learning a language is hard; there’s no arguing about that. However, it’s going to get easier with time. Take every hard thing that life throws at you and turn it into a lesson. 

Watch your favorite movies in English, converse with native speakers, and you’ll see the improvement very soon!

Remember to be patient about it. Don’t give up, and don’t beat yourself up over something that you have so little control of. Good luck!

The post 5 Hacks to Improve Your Writing Skills in English for ESL Learners appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

If you’re a student, you don’t have to bust out your textbooks every time you go to university. Instead, you have everything close and on the tips of your fingers.

However, within all the positive moments of distance learning, it is highly challenging for many of us. At college or in the office, we have a schedule, a plan which we simply have to stick to.

There is also a boss or a teacher who gives us tasks, checks and monitors our performance.

Well, now, we are our own bosses and teachers and have to come up with the plan and track our tasks independently.

So, how to stay tuned and efficient if you work and study from home? How to get the most of it and not drown in the ocean of procrastination? In this article, you will find three tips to help you out!

Set Up Your Workspace

When many think of a distance learning or work, they imagine themselves wearing pajamas and lying on a couch all day with the laptop. No more dress code, make-up, early mornings, coworkers or group mates, paradise!

This is a common misconception of remote work. If you want to work and study from home, it is crucial to create a space where you would stay focused and productive.

Still, if you have had a hard day and feel like having rest on your comfy couch, but there are assignments to be done, leave your worries to professionals in paperwritingservice, just place an order and enjoy your day.

When we both work and study from home, we stay with all those household essentials and, at the same time, have to focus on tasks. That is why a perfect workspace has to be created. So how to reach this ideal atmosphere at home? Here’re some pro tips.

Separate Spaces for Everything

This is a common problem for many that they sleep and study at the same place. Our body is a smart mechanism, which gets used to conditions very quickly.

So, as you sleep in your bed, every time you lie on it, your body gets ready to relax and concentrate is the last thing it is ready for. This principle is applied to any other space in your house.

So, your workspace should be particularly aimed at learning or/and work. Every time you get there, your brain will be ready to do the job.

Get Rid of All Distractions

This is a very important step if you want to stay productive at home. Your home may be a dangerous space in terms of concentration. To make it easier, help your brain and get rid of everything that might attract your attention and ultimately prevent good performance.

Plan Your Day

Every morning when you wake up, you approximately know what the tasks for a day are. So, what’s the sense in planning a day if you already have it all in your head?

This is one more important concept that helps us have everything done on time. Planning a day saves you time and boosts motivation and disciplines.

Here’s how it is done:

• You write down a list of tasks that have to be done;

• Prioritize them from less important to more important;

• Hang this list somewhere, where you can always see it;

• Mark completed tasks.

When you mark the task as accomplished, you’ll get a sense of satisfaction, which may be compared to some sort of praise. There are many tools to write a to-do list from paper to online apps.

Dedicate Time for Yourself

When you work and study from home, there will be a risk of abandoning our personal time in favor of more important matters. This factor leads not only to great results but also a concept called burning out.

When people face it, they feel exhausted, demotivated, and apathetic. To avoid this, it is crucial to have time for things you enjoy. It may be a sport, hobby, listening to music, watching movies, seeing friends. Your brain has to relax and get positive emotions to be more efficient in the long run.

Final Words

No matter if you want to work and study from home, these principles can be applied to any activity. To manage it all, just follow these basic rules, and you’ll see how your productivity boosts.

Good luck with all your endeavors!

The post Remote Work + Education: 3 Tips for Students Who Want to Have It All appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Although starting a business can be quite intimidating, there are lots of resources online that will help you go through the process easier. In the meantime, here are some valuable ideas that will help you make sure your business turns out to be a success.

Develop a Business Proposal

Before starting a business, you need a working idea, something that you can sell to your potential customer. Having an idea is, unfortunately, not enough for success here. It is important to make sure that there is an audience, a group of people that actually needs the product you want to create, and will be interested in buying it. You can even define a “Buyer Persona,” which is basically a description of your target customer, what they are like, what triggers them, what their interests and needs are.

Business proposals can be different, depending on how big a business you want to start. In case you are thinking about looking for some investors, your business proposal should be a solid description of your business idea, convincing enough for people to understand that they will get their money back and gain some profit when your product goes live. In case you don’t need investors, your business proposal can be more of a business plan outlining the main facets of your business idea and the things you need to do to make it work.

Get Some Help

As a person new to the business world, you might need some helpers and advisors to keep everything under control. When it comes to your studies, there might come the point where you need to choose between your business and your degree. To manage the problem, you can reach out to a professional academic writer from essayservice and ask them to take care of your assignments while you focus on developing your business.

Additionally, you might need to reach out or hire some business or tax advisors, or at least request a consultation with them. Starting a legal business will require you to be good at paperwork, which means some preparation is in place. With a business advisor by your side, you can be sure not to miss any important steps when developing and marketing your business. If you define your company as a start-up, it is possible that some business advisors will be willing to help you out for free, given that they get interested in your business idea and want to get profit out of it too.

Create a Website

Whatever business you choose, whether you deliver services or products, you need to have a website. Luckily, you can make do with little investments here: you don’t need to hire an IT guy or a Web Designer as there are lots of tools where you can create a great website from scratch. You might just have to pay for your domain if you want it to be unique. One of such sources is Wix; it is a free website builder.  One of such sources is Appy Pie; it is an AI website builder. You can also build a low-cost website on WordPress with affordable web hosting.

Why do you need a website, you might wonder? Well, the days when people learn about businesses from newspapers and leaflets are long gone. Now everyone will go online, look your business up, and expect to see some clear definition of what it is you do and what value you can bring. In case you want to open a shop, your website will function as an online shop. In case it is a service you are offering, your website will give your potential customer enough information about your service and will hopefully convince them to reach out to you and order the service.

Work on Social Media Channels

Having social media channels is as essential as having a website in 2020. While a website is a place where people can order and buy your products or services, social media is a sort of a platform that will lead them up to your website.

With the help of social media channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, you can find the right people, give them a brief description of your business, and get them to visit your website and learn more about what they can get there.

Social media is what can also help you develop a strong online presence and customer loyalty. Online presence means that your business gets regular online exposure. People see posts and notifications about it daily and thus remember and highlight it. When it comes to customer loyalty, social media can help you engage your potential customers, get their interest, and devotion to the product and the very idea of your product. They basically need to feel “at home” with your business, like it is something very close and personal to them.

Try Again Until You Make It

The reason why many businesses fail lies in the fact that people tend to give up if they fail, simple as that. However, the truth is that failure is part of the process. It is a sort of a learning curve you need to go through before you make your business into what it should actually be like. That’s why you should never expect to succeed on your first try or get disappointed if you fail several times in a row. Maybe it is just the universe testing how serious you are about achieving your goal.

Every company has this “success story,” where they tell everything about their ups and downs, their insights, and takeouts. It is good to read those stories to get some inspiration and do a reality check on what building a business actually looks like. If your determination and motivation are strong enough, your business will definitely succeed, no matter how many tries it takes to get there.

The post 5 Ideas on Starting a Business in College appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Nevertheless, it’s necessary to identify clearly what we truly desire to achieve in life. This will give you a clear vision of which path you should go and what steps to take.

Bill Gates’s top secrets in achieving success includes starting as early as you can. He was only 13 years old when he started working with computers and looked how successful and influential he has become.

Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerburg built up his now multi-billion dollar company while he was still a student at Harvard University. Facebook has become one of the most popular and widely used social media platforms around the globe. 

These people proved that age is not a determining factor of success. Therefore, we don’t need to wait until we are old and stable enough to launch our start-up business. 

“If you believe in something, work nights and weekends. It won’t feel like work.” – Kevin Rose

The Key Elements to Achieving Success: Learning from the Best

Contrary to what we believe our elders have told us about hard work being the key to achieving success in life, Vishen Lakhiani, the Founder of Mindvalley said otherwise. He said that “Hard work has very, very, very little to do with success”.

According to his theory, there are four levels of consciousness that we need to achieve so that we can attain success in life: first, you need hard work; secondly, [you need to] learn how to do more with less work; thirdly, you need to [tap into your consciousness] and lastly, “Flow” “MOJO” and “Becoming Limitless”.

Vishen’s theory of success drops the binary ideas of success being a result of hard work or surrender alone. He believes that to be able to succeed in life, one must go through four different levels of consciousness stated above.

How to Attain Success in life?

We usually look after successful businessmen and personalities, hoping that we can use the same strategies they use to attain our own success. However, we must carefully consider which among their strategies are applicable to us. That being said, the following steps are guaranteed to help you attain success in your stat-up.

Step one: Have a clear vision of your goals in life

The title pretty much explains itself. For you to be able to achieve success in life, you must have a vivid vision of your goals in life. Ask yourself, “What is it that I truly want to achieve?” If you desire to achieve a lot of things in your life, listing them chronologically according to the degree or intensity of your desire pertaining to each goal will help you identify which among them are you going to prioritize and which comes next.

Step two: Find motivation

Your goal/s should be enough motivation for you already however, sometimes when our goal/s takes a lot of time to materialize or even seem impossible to happen as we planned—we lost our hope. In times like these, we need to motivate ourselves to remind us that giving up on our dreams would lead us nowhere, rather, we need to assess what we’ve been doing wrong and analyse if everything else is still in alignment with our goals. Knowing success stories from other entrepreneurs can also be quite motivating. You can find plenty of them in podcasts, Youtube channels for startups, or even books.

Step three: Create a timeline

Time is of the essence. It is important to have a timeline in achieving your goals. This prevents you from procrastinating and helps you control loss at worst case scenario. If your goal is time-bound, you will be forced to do everything just to achieve it within the time frame you set for yourself. 

Step four: Make your plan of actions

This pertains to your course of actions. What are the things that you need to do to enable your goals to materialize? Planning without taking the necessary actions to make it happen is merely dreaming. Likewise, doing things without a plan is futile and just a waste of time and resources. Hence, planning and taking actions are equally important in achieving success. Using your timeline, create a list of the necessary course of actions that you’ll take in every stage to ultimately achieve your end goals.

Step five: Create a contingency plan

Change is constant thus it is only natural to create your plans and goals flexible enough to deal with inevitable changes. However, it is also important to have a contingency plan so that if things go south, you are well-prepared to change course. Oftentimes, having something to fallback with gives us the assurance that there is still another way to achieve our goals. It also helps us cut further losses and refocus our actions to our vision even though it might be totally different from what we originally planned.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

Step six: Have faith

You already followed every step diligently, now the next step would be to simply believe that luck is on your side and that everything will unfold the way you envisioned it.

Step seven: Share your blessings

It’s always a great practice to share your blessings with other people. This is not only a form of giving back to the community or to the people who have helped you to become who you are now, it also brings you closer to God and lessen your enemies. Sharing your blessings helps you build a more positive environment where people are collaborating and working harmoniously, helping one another to succeed in life.

The post How to Launch Your Startup in 7 Easy Steps appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

One day, he told me, “If you’re strong everywhere, it means that you’re strong nowhere. You need to gather intelligence, determine the enemy’s most likely avenue of approach, and orient your defensive position toward it. If you try to defend everywhere at once, you’ll fail.”

I’d offer similar advice to startups. The constraints of capital, talent, and time already leave you vulnerable to the competition’s every move. Trying to position yourself as a one-stop shop just spreads your resources even thinner. The question then is, why do so many startups still try to be all things to all people so soon out of the gate?

Too Big Too Soon

Startups often feel pressured to look bigger than they are. They want to show that they’re at the cutting edge of technology and get the attention of customers by promising a combination of features beyond anything that’s available on the market.

But buyers have become more and more savvy. They can smell even a hint of nonsense from a mile away. This is why they’re increasingly likely to conduct extensive research before making a purchase, which can mean requesting to test out a product before they buy it. When buyers realize that companies are overpromising and underdelivering, it damages the company’s reputation and lowers the likelihood of future success.

Every successful startup excelled at one thing first before expanding into other features. Netflix, for example, became the best in on-demand DVD rentals, while Amazon became the best online bookseller. The same can be said for Google with search, Facebook with connecting college students, and Uber with black car ride-sharing.

Since dominating in its core competencies, Netflix now excels in streaming services and creating proprietary content. Amazon is doing something similar — with the addition of selling all physical goods and offering cloud-computing services. Google still provides search, but has added email, video calls, maps, and even self-driving cars to its roster. Facebook connects people regardless of school affiliation and also runs a marketplace, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while Uber has branched out from a black car service into UberX and UberEats.

When you have nailed down your core competency and built it into a successful business, subsequent product lines must compliment your core business as part of a comprehensive corporate strategy in order to continue growing in a profitable and sustainable matter. Consider WeWork, for example, which had carved out a strong niche in the shared workspace market. The company began investing in more than just office space, moving into retail, housing, preschools, college campuses, food startups, and a wave generator for inland surfing.

That’s a lot of positions to defend — and a confusing corporate structure. That’s why it was no big surprise when WeWork recently pulled its IPO. The company also just received a $1.75 billion line of credit from Goldman Sachs to help clean up its debt and keep the ship afloat.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

More Isn’t Always More

Adding features to match every perceived customer need is tempting. Logic would tell you that more of a good thing means an even better thing, but when it comes to startups, that’s simply not the case.

When my startup was pitching our product, which is smart camera software used for gun detection, to a large global company, the company pointed out that one of our competitors also uses computer vision to detect guns — on top of behavioral analysis, license plate reading, healthcare analysis, abandoned object recognition, people tracking for retail, and seemingly countless other applications. They asked why they should go with us when all we do is gun detection.

I knew of the competitor they were referencing. I knew the company was roughly the same size as us, so I understood a bit about their true capabilities and limitations. And I know that it’s not possible to be good at everything at once. 

I said, “If you need a bunch of bells and whistles, ask yourself whether it’s realistic for a seed-stage company to deliver effectively on all of these promises.” I suggested they hold the company’s feet to the fire and test the products rigorously before making a decision.

3 Questions for Staying Focused

As a startup founder, you need to ask yourself three questions when looking to improve your offerings, and the answers should help you maintain a sharper focus on your core competency. Otherwise, you risk losing sight of your target audience and expanding too far too soon.

1. What is the most critical customer pain point we want to solve?

For the most part, your answer will fall into one of four fairly broad categories: cost, productivity, ease of use, and assistance. Cost obviously involves a financial problem, like overpaying for a product or service. Productivity centers on time — or the lack thereof. Ease of process involves making a complicated matter simpler, and assistance is all about support. 

Invest in the research to uncover where your customers’ biggest pain points lie. Then, understand how your product or service can best solve that problem only. The first step in staying focused is zeroing in on one pain point and knowing you will need to maximize your offering’s ability to solve it.

“If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution.” – Steve Jobs

2. Are we building a valuable solution to this pain point? 

Once you’ve established the problem your offering will address, you should determine whether what you have to offer is actually the best way for customers to solve it. Can your product or service take them easily from point A, where they have the problem, to point B, where it has been significantly remedied or entirely solved? If not, it’s time to pivot your strategy and improve your offering to better deliver that one solution, rather than just adding bells and whistles.

3. Are we using feedback to improve?

Nobody knows a pain point better than consumers. Once your product or service is in people’s hands, welcome their feedback with open arms. The more input you can gather, the better. 

You can use the feedback directly to build your development road map, allowing you to improve upon your product or service in the way customers most want to see. Hearing from customers themselves is the only way to know the true extent to which you are solving your customers’ problems. 

To bring the most value to your customers, focus in rather than expanding out. Startups form around solving problems in the first place, so the attention should remain on finding the very best solution. Focus on what you’re good at and master this area before moving into other uncharted waters. That’s the foundation of success.

Have you thought about starting a business? If so, what part of this article resonated most with you? Share your thoughts below!

The post 3 Questions Your Startup Needs to Answer in Order to Maintain Focus appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

How do you make that choice? Keep reading; we’ll walk you through 3 workplace trends to see if they’re worth the hype for your startup.

1. Do you need a ‘fun’ office? Probably not

We’ve all heard about Google’s legendary campus and the perks therein: free meals, massages, work out classes, and more. We also know not everyone can be Google. There’s always a lot of buzz about ‘fun’ office spaces. But are these benefits worth it? Increasingly, no.

In an article from Forbes, they found that workplace perks aren’t a top reason people enjoy working for a certain company. Quoted from the article, “Workplace perks aren’t…what make or break the decision for talent to stay and deliver great work. Instead, it’s the thought behind the workplace perks that counts.”

Don’t make flashy workplace perks a priority, especially if you’re a small business. Build your team carefully and treat them well, but don’t try to attract talent with superficial perks. If your team isn’t doing meaningful work or they’re not compensated fairly, a fun office won’t matter.

“The most essential quality for a good team is trust.” – Dina Kaplan

2. Keep boundaries as the boss

Another stereotype about startups is a more casual leadership style. CEOs and executive leadership are informal and don’t treat their team like subordinates, but instead, treat them like peers.

This leadership style encourages collaboration, which is definitely a good thing for startups. However, there’s a reason why businesses have traditionally been more formal. Setting boundaries in the workplace is a crucial part of your success, long term. If your team starts to view you as a friend, they might slack off or not take feedback seriously.

The key here, as it is for many things, is balance. Make sure your team feels comfortable bringing problems to your attention, and leave your ego at the door. However, make sure you are the authority figure for your team. You need to be able to inspire and lead, as well as focus and give direction. That beanbag chair might not do the trick.

3. Remote working is worth it 

This trend is becoming so popular, it might not be considered a trend for much longer and might just become a regular part of the workplace. People want more flexibility than what an in-office 8 to 5 position gives them. Millennials in particular, desire flexible work environments more than other groups, and they currently comprise more than half of the job market.

You need to weigh the pros and cons of flexible office hours to find out if they’re a good choice for your startup. Remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing here. You can compromise by instituting flexible PTO, leaving early on Fridays, early start/early leaving or vice versa.

You’ll want to work together in person on a regular basis, to encourage collaboration and establish company culture. But allowing people to work from home when they need it is a huge perk and will make a substantial difference to talent you want to attract.

“Your company should act as a springboard for ambitious employees, not a set of shackles.” –Richard Branson

Follow trends that make sense for your business

Trends become popular for a reason, but sometimes that reason doesn’t make sense for your startup. You need to use your better judgement and structure your company in a way that will sustain long term growth.

Establish firm leadership roles, allow flexible working hours up to a point, and make sure not to fall for the allure of ‘fun’ work places. If you make the right choices and think things through for your business, you’ll come out on top.

The post 3 Startup Workplace Trends You Need to Carefully Consider appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Most consumer brands these days collaborate with influencers to grow their business. Why? Because these individuals have built a lot of trust behind them, they can promote your product or services to their audience and get them to trust your brand. This is a huge sales-driving strategy, especially for new and upcoming businesses.

Collaborating with influencers is still a relatively new marketing strategy and there’s a lot of room for errors. Startups need to know how to collaborate with influencers and build real relationships with them, otherwise, they will end up wasting their limited budget. That said, if you manage to find the right influencers, the quality of customers you will get is generally higher.

Here are some ways startups can make use of collaborations effectively and build their brand’s presence and growth:

1. Engagement is more crucial than the follower count

To make sure your marketing campaign delivers results, examine how an influencer’s audience reacts to their posts, instead of looking at the number of followers they have. If people comment on posts or send shoutouts to your product or services, it shows that they are aware of your brand.

Generally, influencers with high follower count tend to receive fewer interactions when they post. People who are interested in such semi-famous individuals only see them as eye candy and don’t really take their product recommendations seriously as it is not relevant to their daily lives.

Consumers usually tend to relate more to someone with, say, 12k followers and as such, they are more likely to take their product suggestions seriously. It is also often recommended for brands to associate with as many micro-influencers as possible. Micro-influencers with 2-10k followers are not approached by brands that often, and can become willing and happy promoters solely in exchange for a free product from your brand.

“People do not buy goods & services. They buy relations, stories and magic.” – Seth Godin

2. Look within your fans

Find influencers you wish to collaborate with by searching among your current fans. One of the best ways to do this is by determining the type of social channels your consumers are more likely to use. If your company has customers and social media channels already, find individuals who love your product/service, ones that have more influence among their peers.

Remember, you are looking for the popular girl in college, not the Kardashians. While we all know the Kardashians can sell out dresses and products in minutes, it is not easy for most brands to afford these megastars, even more so for startups.

You are left with thousands of influencers, scattered across a number of channels, each charging a different price for promoting your brand. And often, they don’t have much evidence that their content can actually drive sales. This is why finding popular individuals who love your product and collaborating with them can help considerably in driving your brand awareness amongst their peers, which is also your target market.

This strategy is not only great for startup companies with a tiny marketing budget but also drives endorsements from the heart and not the wallet.

3. Pay for performance, not posts

Rewarding influencers for a set number of shoutouts or posts is the easiest way for brands to waste their money. In such instances, the brand manages all the risks of a failed campaign and the influencer is not encouraged to make use of their imagination and creativity. While this marketing format is comparable with the traditional magazine and TV placement, it is being replaced by paying influencers on a performance basis.

Not every influencer will want to collaborate this way, but there are some who will. You just have to put in some effort to find them. For example, the influencer market in the US is more mature as compared to the UK. In the States, there are more influencers who are willing to partner with brands that reward them on a performance basis.

Also, the cost in different industry segments varies and is related to the ones on digital marketing platforms. E.g., hyper-casual games cost around 1 dollar per download on iOS but increases to 3-5 dollars for e-commerce and shopping apps. And although Facebook provides instant scale to brands, influencers offer an endorsement.

“People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.” – Mark Zuckerberg

By implementing these tips on your next marketing campaign and following a well-articulated strategy, you can build a successful startup.

Beauty and fashion companies may have been the first ones to collaborate with influencers but the industry has changed. Influencer campaigns are starting to become a major part of the marketing strategy of most consumer brands, including paid media and public relations.

However, people are becoming more incredulous of conventional advertising as well as influencer promotion. If you want your influencer campaigns to be successful, you should find the right influencers, ones that love your product genuinely, and have an authentic interaction with their audience.

The post How Your Startup Can Effectively Collaborate With Influencers appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

When you’re just starting out, your brand reputation is a blank slate. There is no negative yelp reviews, no social media meltdown, or inactive website traffic. But all this will change quickly. When you get positive customer reviews from the start, it becomes harder for negative reviews to weigh down the average star rating.

As a startup, you probably don’t have to worry about large-scale disasters. Your primary target should be to build brand reputation and positive associations. Here are 12 things you need to think about:

1. What Do You Want to be Best Known For?

What does your business stand for? What kind of a brand do you want to build? Give yourself the time to consider how you want to be perceived and what it is that you want to be known for. When you are clear on how you prefer people to see you, it will direct your business decisions.

2. Start With Your Website

If you’re looking for your customers to find you, your site should rank high in the search engine results. Poor online ranking can be a death warrant for your brand. Regularly add content to your website and collaborate with reputed sites. Make good use of tags and SEO keywords to give you the best visibility to the right search terms.

3. Have a Social Media Presence

You may not use all social media platforms, but it’s always a good idea to secure your company name on all the platforms and even purchase related domains if necessary. Keep your pages fresh and updated, and use your content to interact with customers besides cultivating brand awareness. This will not just help you build a reputation quickly but will also allow you to monitor how your audience responds to your brand.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

4. Blogging

Blogging is another excellent platform for you to control the information and messages you put out there about your business. Actively use your blog to share new information and updates about your business. Encourage your readers to make use of the comment section and actively interact with them.

5. Stay Responsive

Whether it’s on social media, email or the comment section on your blog, make sure to respond at the right time and with diligence. Interacting with customers through social media platforms or on the web is just another form of customer care, albeit better. Use this medium to connect with your customers on a personal level.

6. Tempted to Purchase Reviews?

Let’s be real, even Donald Trump has millions of fake followers on twitter. By starting early, it will give you a strong online presence that won’t be affected by a few negative reviews every once in a while, and you won’t have to buy fake reviews. From Presidential candidates to reputed Healthcare marketing campaigns, they have all shown that social media presence is not something you can afford to leave to chance.

7. Take the Reins Early 

If you want to build a positive online presence, it is important to control your brand reputation early on. As a new business, you start with a blank slate. Take advantage of that and focus on cultivating a strategy for brand reputation management that will set you up for some massive success.

8. Build Trust

Great brands succeed because a) they offer quality, and b) customers trust them. The quality you deliver, the messages you send out, and your customer care, all affect the trust that your customers have towards you. Transparency is another way to win over your customers’ trust. Your customers will respect you for being honest and open even when you have made a mistake.

9. Focus On Proactive PR

Simply sending out a Press Release whenever you have a big announcement to make will not take you very far. Find ways to join the larger industry conversations even when you don’t have any company news to share. By actively recognizing PR opportunities, it will continually put you under the spotlight.

“Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.” – Richard Branson

10. Your SEO Strategy and SERP

There is no denying your search result performance has a massive impact on your business and its bottom line. SEO also plays a significant role in building a strong brand reputation for your business and overshadow any negative results. It doesn’t stop there. You have to continuously work on your SERP so that when someone searches for your Company, it is your content that they find first.

11. Know How to Handle Criticism

Don’t shy away from negative comments or criticism online. Negative feedback will make your business stronger and hence, more successful. If people are slamming you online, find a way to address them appropriately and quickly. Paying no attention to it will not make it go away. When you respond professionally and promptly, you are nipping the issue at the bud and saving your Company from a potential mess.

12. Accept That It’s Never-ending

Brand reputation management isn’t just for startups. You may have an excellent reputation today, but it could all go away in the blink of an eye (no kidding). Search engine results and algorithms, customers’ expectations and opinions are continually changing on a daily basis. If you want to maintain your positive brand reputation, you will have to keep working at it always. 

The post 12 Things That Will Help Build Your Brand Reputation for Your Startup appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Why use Instagram for brand awareness?

With over 700 million users, Instagram can be a powerful platform for businesses from a wide range of industries. But just like any kind of marketing out there, you have to ensure that you are taking the necessary steps to help you reach your goals. The more that you widen your following on Instagram, the larger your prospective sales will be. In this post, we are going to talk about how you can take advantage of Instagram to boost your brand awareness.

Brand personality should always be consistent

When you are just starting on Instagram, it might be quite tempting to post anything beautiful or interesting, but you cannot attain success if you are just posting randomly and without direction. For you to be able to succeed and widen your reach, you need to follow the same rules that go with any other kind of brand development.

You should have the right brand personality that prompts people to think of you as one of their peers. It also shows your human side. The same way that texts can go a long way in defining your brand personality, images can play a key role as well.

For instance, the photos that you post might tell a story; or the type of colors, filters, and imagery that you use can set a distinctive atmosphere. All of these play a role in showing your brand personality. But it is not just enough that you know your brand personality and incorporate it into your posts only when you feel like it. You need to step it up to show who you are as a brand.

Choose high-quality images wisely

When it comes to Instagram, aesthetics are crucial. Because it is a photo and video-sharing site, images are everything. Therefore, you need to adopt a general brand aesthetic in your account and then stick to it consistently.

Have you ever asked yourself why you are following someone on Instagram? Chances are, you are drawn to the interesting and excellent photography that they post, right? So upload high-quality photos on your account so that people will take notice as soon as they browse your page. See to it that the aesthetics you choose are authentic and directly related to your brand. Avoid switching filters too often, that way, you will maintain a consistent style and theme that people can follow.

Do a calendar for postings and stick to it

Although there isn’t a right or wrong way to publish your content, see to it that your feed is planned so that it is non-negotiable to your followers’ eyes! As we have mentioned previously, creating an Instagram aesthetic that is cohesive is one of the most effective things that you can do to level up your strategy, improve your following, and boost your engagement.

Also, if you want to come up with a feed that simply “wows,” then you need to start planning your posts at least two to three weeks in advance. But what about the posting times? Well, it mostly depends on your audience, because what works well for other accounts might not work well for you. One of the most effective ways to find out is to post and test. That way, you will know what works best for you in the long run.

Incorporate hashtags on IG posts

Hashtags are a great way to boost your exposure and create more engagement around your content. But it is also important to note that you should not abuse these hashtags and rely too much on them to get your point across. When you want to place something unique in your hashtag campaigns, hashtags are a great way to boost your brand. However, there are some rules that you have to keep in mind as well.

It is all about being STRICT. What we mean is:

• Specific
• Targeted
• Relevant
• Innovative 
• Concise
• Thoughtful

Do not just throw in hashtags for the sake of it. Instead, see them as a valuable tool that you can add in your social media arsenal.

Utilize Instagram story feature

Instagram Stories garnered about 100 million daily active users within just two months of its launch. But how can you use Stories to promote your business? Now, let us take a quick recap. What is it exactly? Well, it lets users collate photos and videos in slideshows which can be overlaid with texts, emojis, and graphics. Once a Story is uploaded, it will disappear after 24 hours. Meaning, it is only there for a limited period. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.

This gives you an excellent opportunity to be informal and even playful with your content. It is a unique way to take your audience behind the scenes, promote or host live events, and even hold Q & A sessions.

Instagram Stories gives you a fresh way to promote your brand, products, and services. Get it right and you can build loyalty among your followers and encourage future sales.

Constantly engage with your audience

The thing about Instagram and other social media platforms is that you need to be “social,” meaning you need to learn how to interact with your following. That’s why you need to make sure that you are taking the necessary steps to interact with your audience.

Engage with them by asking questions, joining conversations, and hosting fun contests to improve customer engagement. Holding contests boost your following, a great way to reward your existing customers, and attract more people to your page.

Instagram can be an excellent way to interact with your audience and boost your social media strategy. Just see to it that you are crafting the right posts to create better brand awareness and improve your revenue in the long run.

The post How Your Business Can Take Advantage of Instagram to Boost Brand Awareness appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Competition, if you really think hard about it, isn’t so bad. It’s actually a good thing since it pushes a company to work harder at beating down its rivals. And, that’s why we’ve gathered the following ideas to help you sprint ahead of your competitors.

Here are four strategies for you to outrun them:

1. Determine who your competitors are

Understanding your competitors can help you and your business stand out. By gathering information about your competitors, you can learn what not to do and what to do best. Identify what your competitor’s strengths are. Analyze your competitor’s strengths. Why do the customers like that company? How good is their product? How great is their service? Better yet, for the product or services that the customers really like, can you offer a similar or better one?

But, before drawing up a plan to defeat your competitors, remember that there are some things your business can’t match or exceed, especially when your business doesn’t have the financial or commercial power to meet the needs of other markets. That’s okay. Just focus on the things that you think your business can excel in.

If your market is not high-end, then don’t push it. At the same time, focus on satisfying the needs of your customer base rather than expend most of your resources on penetrating a new market that may or may not respond positively to your product or service.

You also need to identify your competitor’s weaknesses. Determining your competitor’s weaknesses can provide you an understanding or a realization that some of their weaknesses are your company’s strengths. It’s a learning tool that you can apply to your own business. Good sources of such learning are the negative reviews given by customers. You can learn a lot from customer feedback. From there, you can find a way to turn things around in your favor.

2. Prioritize your customers

As this infographic from Groovy shows, a company who makes customer service a priority gains 60% higher profits versus its rivals, and 81% of customers are more likely to patronize a business after having a good customer experience. Create an amiable welcoming environment in your business. Provide a high-quality product and train your front liners to bring satisfactory customer service. Good customer service can make a customer keep coming back.

Negative reviews will never stop coming. They will keep on hurtling towards you like falling meteorites. On the other hand, feedback from consumers can help you see where you may have done a disservice towards a customer and if there is something you can do to fix it. However, it’s okay to disregard some comments if you knew that you’re on the right path.

Customers may help your business pay its bills, but it doesn’t mean they are always right. Some may never be satisfied. You can’t please them no matter how much effort you make, and satisfying them may even put your bottom line in danger. You can take some feedback (and then validate it) from those credible people who have been with you for quite some time now. Those who bring you referrals, and of course, profits. Those whom you know would want you to grow.

3. Be persistent and stay committed to your business

You invested in this business so don’t give up easily. When things aren’t working the way you expect things to be, find a solution and work harder. No business became successful overnight. All businesses faced many challenges – and even failed several times – before achieving success. Your business doesn’t need to meet the ROI on the first day. Never let the pressure tell you what you need to do. It will bring you nothing.

Find something to motivate you, be passionate about your goals, and stay focused on achieving what you wanted for your business. Stay committed to your business because your business relies on you. If you fail to do so, everything will start to fall apart and all your hard work will all be gone. Who will stand for your business if you, the one who invested it, will never stand for it?

If you lose your trust in your business, thinking that it will never be successful, then don’t expect that somebody else will start trusting you and believe in what you wanted to do. Whenever you thought of giving up, remember the desire you have in bringing your business to the world. Your desire can be your driving force. It lets you manifest your highest potential.

4. Never stop learning

Change is constant, and learning will keep you relevant in this ever-changing and developing world. To become successful, you need to keep learning. Learning will help you to adapt to changes this world has to offer.

The best leaders you look up to who became successful are always finding ways to learn, expanding their knowledge and keeping up with what’s happening in this world. Bill Gates is one of them. He even posts the books he reads and gives them reviews on his blog, Gates Notes. He reads about one book a week which makes it about 50 books a year.

We are in the modern era where developments can happen overnight. In order to out-compete the competition in the business world, you must keep up with the development. There is always something new to learn, so we should never stop learning.

Competition in all business industries is inevitable and dealing with your competitors is not easy. It can make or break you, that is why everyone in the industry should strive to give all their best. Finding some tactics, learning new things, and guiding the company to provide the unexceptional services, are the things we do to outrun our competitors.

Have faith in yourself and in your ability. If you think you can do it, you surely can. The world will align to your dreams if you fight against your self-doubts and worries. Remember, no one wants to fail. We all want to win, and we will, someday. We all have our time to shine. Take a risk and learn from the failures. Create a goal and achieve it.

The post New to Business? Outshine Your Competitors With These 4 Tips appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

You will find this problem in businesses in Japan a lot. The Japanese culture is that people should work harder and if any employee goes home early, or finishes his work faster than the other, they usually get snitched on to their bosses by their co-workers. Since, you are growing a startup, you may want to avoid all these hullabaloo as time is limited and money is precious. Your workforce is your primary foundation and you want to build it strong as everything else you do is going to be supported by your employees.

Therefore, here is what you do to streamline the company’s functions and develop a strong and great company culture:

Step #1. What are the values that you hold dear and want to be reflected by your startup?

Yeah, you are the boss, you are the man of the show. Since you run the startup, you need it to reflect the type of entrepreneur you are and the entrepreneurial qualities you have as best as possible. That way, you can run it better!

So, ask yourself, what quality do you want for your startup to be its brand identity? It can be anything. For example – if you think hustle is the best quality of a startup (although, I disagree), it can be – “being the hardest worker in the room”, or if you want your employees to have a quality personal life, it can be something else.

Now, when you have landed on some values which you hold dear, make sure everybody in your business knows it – the employees, your partners, the directors and even the janitors!

Step #2. Make Sure Employees (Both Present and Future) Reflect those Ideals

If all you look at when hiring employees is whether they have the requisite skills or not, then you could be doing a grave mistake. Studies have proven that employees who are not a cultural fit with your business shall not work their best.

Heck, they can even become toxic in nature and do more harm to your company culture than good. Suppose you have an open-door policy wherein any employee can talk to you directly; however a mid-level executive doesn’t want that and shouts at and harasses his juniors for going to you without passing through him first – what do you think is going to happen?

Your startup culture will be in-operational for just one worker and can hinder performance among all your employees. That’s why mistake #1 in my post on business mistakes showed that you need a good HR even if your business is new. An HR has relevant skills and expertise in hiring the best workers so that can be a breather for you and help your business focus on, where it is truly necessary.

Step #3. Make Sure Everyone’s Voice is Heard

In order to truly know whether every employee is resonating according to your business ideals, you have to make sure that the voice of employees at even the lowest level is heard. That way, you can be sure the startup culture has truly sunk in.

In order to create a culture that actually motivates the employees, you also have to make sure that they understand that their voice matters and that if they have any grievances to tell or advices to offer, it has a good chance to be acted upon.

Also, this step that is to make everybody’s voice heard should not be made only in a vertical direction that is only from down to the top; rather it should be made laterally. Colleagues should know what their teammates think and feel.

That way, it can promote good communication and the workplace is going to remain energized. You need to also support lateral feedback even if means you have to go above and out of what you should be doing.

Step #4. Give Feedback

Now, the above step will be quite redundant without this process in place. Your employees will stop saying what they feel if they believe that what they say will not be acted upon. Therefore, you have to be proactive in giving feedback to employees. Show them that their work counts and learn to motivate them. Hold interactive sessions, talk one-on-one with employees who have addressed their grievances to you and also share your thoughts on any input they have given.

That way, you actually know whether your company culture is striving or whether the employees have just put up a facade to please you. Now, an even more important point – there will always be some employees who go against the company culture or even rebel against them.

There are three ways to handle them which you must note and be careful of:

1. Firstly, by providing gentle feedback about how you want things to be and remain in your business. This works against employees who unknowingly have strayed from the path and need just a gentle pat to return back on track. For example, if you have a company  culture on wearing formal attire and being extremely disciplined but you see a guy who is trying to break free, because he feels the clothes are very restrictive, you can guide him to a middle path.
2. Secondly, by actively supporting him in his endeavour. You know, some people are really creative and can’t be bounded. While, it can do a lot of damage to your company culture, if you feel that the guy has got a lot to offer, you can let him be a wild horse. This usually applies to some very creative overachievers. These guys are usually rebels and if they don’t actually harm the way other employees do their work, it is best to keep them and encourage their habits! Seems rather odd, right!?
3. Lastly, by firing him. Some people just poison the company culture. Toxic employees who are constantly fighting their peers or are late in finishing their work almost always need to be eradicated or else you risk the chance of demotivating your other employees.

While, it looks rather simple, it is the simple things that have the most effectiveness. Executing these principles at your startup can be the separating factor from just a startup and a startup with a workforce who are optimized to win!

The post How to Create a Winning Startup Culture appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

You are an entrepreneur and you think you can rock the world with this one idea that matters to you the most. And, you set out to form the idea into a startup that you are going to nurture and develop into a blooming business in the upcoming years.

However, I don’t want to throw water over your dreams but, I do need to bring this “optimist” you into the hard and cold reality…….. the reality which says that 90% of all startups fail.

Of course, this can bring a great deal of uncertainty into your life and you got to be prepared to deal with it. You are also going to face a ton of challenges in your life which will force you to grow as an entrepreneur. But, the important thing is that you stick with it.

Of course, as Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett’s friend) once said, “All I Want to Know is Where I’m Going to Die So I’ll Never Go There”. No entrepreneurs want their startups to fail after putting in days and weeks of effort into it.

So, a lot of research has been put forward into knowing what does actually sabotage a startup?

Fortune reported that the single biggest reason startups fail was because they do not identify what the market wants before setting up their startup.

However, it isn’t as simple as that. An entrepreneur needs to perform a comprehensive business plan before he sets out with his business idea. Also, you have to know whether your business idea actually suits you or not. If it doesn’t then, you either you need to fine-tune yourself with your business idea or you need to change the business plan so that it suits you.

And, it is only after that, should you venture upon your startup.
Now, is that all? Of course not. The problem most entrepreneurs face when they first begin their entrepreneurial journey is that they don’t know what they don’t know.

That’s where they tend to make a series of mistakes that may cause great harm to their startup.

That’s why I scoured for successful entrepreneurs to provide me with information on what they think were the most common mistakes that startups do. Plus, I also got tips on how to avoid these mistakes.

You can check out the original article here: 70 Mistakes Startups Make And Tips On How You Can Avoid Them

Now, it’s your turn to do some work. Let me know what you thought of these mistakes and tips that entrepreneurs commit. Do you know of any other mistakes that entrepreneurs do? Comment below!

The post 51 Mistakes That Can Sabotage Your Dream Startup appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

But why in spite of the brilliant and promising ideas at the core of their business, many startups fail to attract investors? Why do investors hesitate to put their money into some startups? Well, investors have reasons and only by deciphering these reasons we could get hold of some deterrent factors that hold them back.

Let us explain some of the vital factors that prevent investors from putting their money in the startups below:

1. Inefficiency or Absence of Leadership Qualities

Inefficiency is the most significant deterrent factor for pulling the success of most startups. This can also be referred to as the lack of leadership qualities. Investors always want to make sure that they don’t lose their money through a company that has an extraordinary business model but no efficient and skilled business leader to make it successful. When fetching investment from investors, you need to offer a clear prospect and detailed plan of how you are going to achieve the goals.

2. Lack of Trustworthiness

An investor puts his money on a venture purely on the basis of the credibility and trustworthiness of the business. This is why besides having a sound business plan with clear objectives, you need to establish the integrity in terms of the security of the investor’s money and how the fund is going to be invested to give results as per business plan.

If an investor has a feeling that the startup may not have enough customers to fulfil its financial liabilities or if it finds that the business is hiding some information, it may further push the trust of the investors down. Total transparency and establishing the faith of the business brand are crucial for finding investors in favor.

3. Lacking Experience in Business Management

You have a great business idea backed up by a sound business plan and solid trustworthiness based on your background, but you have zero experience in managing a business. This is a serious reason for an investor to deny making any investment in your business. An investor cannot put his money just to allow you trying and learning your management skills the harder and riskier way. Uncertainty is the single biggest turn-off factor for any investor and lack of managerial experience is synonymous to that.

4. Business Model is Not Sound Enough

You have a business idea, some efficient, competent and experienced professionals as leaders, the great stamp of trust and pretty much everything that make a company look promising. But what about your business strategy and business model? Are they sound enough to take on the market competition and challenges for business growth? Well, this is what investors are most interested in.

In most cases, a business model is what makes an investor think twice and even take a backward step from investing in a startup. After all, your business model and strategy will decide how your business and products will be able to withstand competition and become victorious.

5. Taking Investors for Granted

This is a big mistake on the part of many startups. Just by becoming confident in the potential and the soundness of the business model and prospect, a business can consider getting investors on board requires just a little effort and time. But in reality, getting investors on board is the toughest thing a business can think of.

This is why without proper and meticulous preparation, it would be foolish to approach investors for your business. Most investors receive hundreds of such emails and a similar number of approaches through other means and they coldly just let them pass. This is why you need to send them very detailed proposals backed by strong recommendations and referrals.

6. Targeting the Wrong Investor

Every business has a target customer base, right? Not all customers are interested in every product in the market. Similarly, not all investors are interested in your business. Investors based on their prior experience and industry exposure, put their money in businesses that they know like their own palm of their hand.

So, targeting an investor who has no interest in your business will only drain your energy and bring you unnecessary frustration. When you are seeking investors for your software startup, don’t approach someone investing in real estate business.

7. Non-Realistic Proposal for Funds

Investors normally come with huge experience of your industry and so they have a clear idea about the fund requirements for your business startup. Moreover, they already have invested in other ventures or have gone through many proposals. Naturally, they have every bit of estimate already in their mind. So, any proposal claiming a lofty and unrealistic amount will only face rejection.

This is why it would be wise to become meticulous about your estimation of the required fund and calculation of various cost factors. Have meticulous details about every facet of investment backed up by breakup of the costs. Only when you can convince them with correct estimation, investors can take interest in discussing the matter further.

8. Make Sure Your Product Solves a Customer Problem

Will any investor put money in building a simple calendar app now? No, simply because such an app idea has no value for the end users now. Will an investor put money in a product that has already been outdated and has no use? No, no investor has to even go through such a proposal for dismissing them.

Well, to fetch investment, your product must be thoroughly customer-centric. It not only has to solve a problem but has to deliver some competitive value in comparison to similar products in the market.

Obviously, finding an investor for a new business is not an easy task, considering the huge competition that businesses need to deal with. But, if your business idea is unique and you fill all those requirements correctly as mentioned above, finding investors may not be as tough as it sounds.

The post 8 Key Factors That Discourage Investors From Putting Money Into Your Startup appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

Here are 5 simple tools that will help your company avoid branding mistakes, take charge of your visual identity, and set a solid foundation for future growth:

1. Graphic Design Software

The word “design” doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Before deciding on your startup’s logo, colors, designs, and overall tone, consider working with a brand strategist who can translate the core ingredients of your startup into a visual identity that speaks to your target market.

Brand strategists have expertise in the psychology of colors, shapes, textures, and words, and they will work with you to make sure that your branding appeals to your target audience. Once you have those basics of your brand established, there are several tools that can help your company refresh and maintain your visual identity.

The absolute best graphic design tool for non-designers is Canva. While the free version has a lot of functionality, the paid plans offer more customization such as the ability to import your exact brand fonts and colors.

But if your company handles all of your design in-house, you will need something more advanced than Canva. In that situation, I would recommend Adobe Creative Cloud to startups who work on their designs in-house, as it includes top-notch design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, InDesign, and more. I would also recommend an online Brand Portal for your startup so that you can share your brand assets from a professional platform.

“Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room – Jeff Bezos

2. Visuals & Creative Imagery

Have you ever wondered where your competitors get those beautiful branded photographs that end up on their website? While it’s possible that they worked with a photographer, it’s also likely that much of their imagery comes from stock photos.

Here are my recommendations on the exact places to purchase stock imagery to improve your company’s branding:

• Creative Market – A treasure trove of quality visual imagery where you can buy anything from stock photos, to branding mockups, to PowerPoint design templates, to social media templates (Facebook cover photo, anyone?), to custom fonts… the options are nearly endless.
• Adobe Stock – Beloved by designers, and the platform offers tiered pricing plans based on your image needs and download quantity.
• Pixels – If you’re on a tight budget and just need to grab an image or two for a blog post, you may be able to find what you need on Pixels – which is great because all of the photos and videos on Pixels are free!

3. Social Media Scheduler

You’re a leader. You’re an entrepreneur. Your staff, board, funders, and admirers depend on you to make big decisions, lead the ship, and plot the vision towards your company’s future. You don’t have time to stare at a blank screen every day wondering what to post on Facebook.

By using a social media scheduling tool, you can sit down for a few hours, schedule batches of content, and schedule the dates and times when it will post to your accounts over the next couple of months. Then, once the content is posted, you only need to worry about responding to comments and engaging with your customers. 21^st century efficiency at its finest.

Popular social media schedulers include Buffer and Hootsuite, both of which include free and paid plans. Not sure what exactly to post? Check out these social media ideas from influential businesses. And if the idea of writing and planning months of content still overwhelms you, our next tool will help you stay organized and on-brand.

4. Editorial Calendar

When it comes to your content, it’s time to step it up a notch and start thinking like a media outlet. Every piece of content that you put out as a company, whether it’s an e-mail blast, blog post, social media post, podcast, or video, needs to be aligned with your brand.

Each major magazine maintains an editorial calendar which outlines the overarching theme for each of the upcoming 12+ months. By establishing a monthly content theme in advance, they create a framework to generate and organize their ideas.

Consider creating an internal editorial calendar that will guide your startup’s content over the next 6-12 months. The software tool you use to maintain your editorial calendar isn’t that important — I like to use Trello, but you can also create a simple numbered list in Google Docs or Microsoft Excel. You may be surprised at how quickly the creative juices flow once you have an editorial calendar in place.

“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” – Paul Rand

5. In-Person Networking

Offline efforts count towards your branding too! And if you run your entire startup from behind your laptop screen, you miss out on ample opportunities to build your business offline and gain local referral partners.

If you’re new to in-person networking, start by visiting Meetup.com or Eventbrite.com where you can browse for events in your area. Think outside the box when it comes to selecting events to attend. For example: If you’re a chiropractor, it makes sense to attend local holistic health meetups. But you could also attend a travel event and meet digital nomads who don’t yet realize that a chiropractor can help them recover after long plane rides.

Remember that you’re not at the networking event to make instant sales, you’re looking for referral partners and connections. Don’t be the person who tries to shove your sales pitch down everyone’s throat upon meeting them.

As you can see, there are many simple online and offline resources that can help you spruce up your branding, reach new customers, and pique the interest of your target market. If you take branding one step at a time and start with the tools above, you will be well on your way to creating a brand that your customers will cherish and remember.

Have you used any of these branding tools before? Are there any additional tools that have helped your startup’s branding shine? Share your thoughts below!

The post 5 Must Have Branding Tools for Your Startup appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.

You will have to give up certainty to fully take on the risks of this lifestyle. It will be roller-coaster and something you need to prepare for. Logically, it’s easy to know that. But emotionally, there are so many ups and downs in an entrepreneur’s life. Stress, frustration, and decreased motivation are inevitable.

Here are 5 ways you can deal with startup uncertainty:

1. Stick to a morning routine

There’s many ways to start a morning routine. What’s important is to have a stable, predictable routine. This centers your mind and gives you some order to your day. You manage your business and you can do whatever you want. No boss and no one telling you what to do, it can be mix of productive to outright messy days. By giving yourself some stability, you start the day off in a predictable way so that you can jump into work each day.

It’s as easy as taking your dog to the park, having a cup of coffee, and listening to a motivating audiobook for 20 minutes. You may need meditation to get into the state. Whatever it is that you need to get from a sleepy/hungover mindset to that of taking on the day.

“If you win the morning, you win the day.” – Tim Ferriss

2. Make time for high performance books

Speaking of audiobooks, everyone – especially entrepreneurs, need motivation. Get a few motivating books from other business leaders. This will do incredible things for your mindset and the way you think. Most of them help by keeping you excited for bigger goals. Look for classics from Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins. Or the newer motivational personalities like David Goggins and Rachel Hollis. You’ll be surprised at how much hearing someone’s hardships on their journey will help you on your own.

3. Schedule your week

It’s easy to get a packed calendar working an office job. Everyone else in the company seems to be demanding your time for one meeting or another. Pointless meetings are even the reason some people leave their jobs in the first place. The issue with having your own startup is that while the pointless meetings are gone, so too is any semblance of structure from a filled up calendar.

Spend one evening and fill the upcoming week as much as possible. I recommend Sunday afternoons to think about your goals. Plan big tasks every day throughout the week. That way you always know what you should be working on and stay on track.

4. Hit the gym

This one is actually part of my morning routine and it’s benefits can’t be overstated. Exercise helps fight off anxiety and stress. There’s no better way to funnel your business frustrations more than into the weights. By the time you’re done, your body and mind will be much more relaxed. A necessity when it comes to the tension of being an entrepreneur. Whether that’s staring at your laptop or making sales calls.

“Daily exercise is an insurance policy for future illness.” – Robin Sharma

5. Be grateful

Gratitude was one of the feel good things that I always used to skip whenever it was mentioned. I wanted cold, calculated strategy or tools I could use to build a business as fast as possible. Many brilliant minds in not only self help but also in business, speak about the need for gratitude.

Here’s why it helps me when the business is going through growing pains or everything seems like it is going wrong. I get filled with doubt and uncertainty and gratitude is the quickest way to relief.

Yes, starting your own business is a massive effort, but there is always some job out there. You decided to launch something of your own because you don’t want a baseline existence. You want to grow and build with the freedom someone can only give themselves.

That alone is enough to be grateful. But if you need more, how about that most people are too scared to do what you’re doing. Or that you are taking the time to believe in yourself and live a life of taking chances.

That speaks to your character and self-worth. Much more than the life of quiet misery so many people in the world allow to decide their entire lifestyle. Be grateful you have this opportunity and make the most of it.

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How to Evaluate Success

As anyone who’s been involved with start-ups knows, you need a fair amount of flexibility to do well in this environment. Take the division of labour for example – rather than strict roles, you’ll often see everyone do a bit of everything. The same principle extends to measuring success. It can be vague and mean different things to different people, and it can change over time.

But amongst all that vagueness, one thing has become clear. Predicting the success of a start-up is very difficult for external observers. As a matter of fact, it’s often impossible. Therefore, in order to evaluate how successful a start-up has truly been, we need to know the goals of its founder(s).

“Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.” – Marianne Williamson

The Numbers

When people think about business, it’s common to boil matters down to the finances. And it certainly is possible to use numbers to measure and predict the performance of a start-up business. Net worth, gross margin, customer acquisition cost – these can all be indicators of success. But, a start-up can post impressive numbers for a while, perhaps even attract large investors, and still shut down in the end. So does this make it a failure?

The answer to this depends. If the founders wanted to start a lasting business, then yes, they failed to meet their goal. However, that isn’t always the case. If they were looking for a short-term solution and came out with more money than they had coming in, a closed-down start-up needn’t be unsuccessful. It can actually be the opposite of that.

So, looking at the figures isn’t enough, and there are different perspectives to consider. When they start planning their business venture, start-up founders may not have any particular numbers in mind when it comes to profit. Instead, they can judge their success according to some of the following criteria.

1. Happy Customers and Solving Problems

The story of a start-up often begins with a problem. The desire to help people overcome a specific issue can be the spark which ignites the creation of an entire business. And in the end, that may be all that matters to the founders.

This is closely connected to the happiness of the customers. If the resulting product or service has made people happy by helping them solve a problem, that is all that may be required for a start-up to be a success. Now, no business wants unsatisfied customers. But in cases like this, happy customers aren’t the way toward the ultimate goal – they are that goal.

In other words, some start-up founders don’t just use financial reports to measure how much they’ve achieved. To them, the one metric which stands above all others is the quantity of positive feedback they’ve received. The main area of focus is customers who use the start-up’s products or services to solve a problem they were having.

2. Impact

Every start-up founder likes doing well in terms of revenue. But for some of these entrepreneurs, the profit is merely a side effect of what they actually set out to do – impact the world in a positive manner. You can see an example of this line of thought with Elon Musk. He said that back in college, he had wanted to be a part of things that could end up changing the world. The continuation of this philosophy is evident in his electric cars (which aim to reduce pollution) and the SpaceX program (which strives to break down some of the barriers of space exploration).

In both cases, the furthering of mankind is the ultimate goal. Many other start-up founders feel the same, even if they have smaller goals in mind. To these people, there is no greater proof of success than if their company has had a positive impact on society or even a small segment of it. In their view, to make a difference is to succeed.

“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” – Tony Robbins

3. Freedom

For some, starting up their own business is less about getting rich and more about gaining the freedom to conduct their business the way they want to. In this case, financial success is just a means to an end. The endgame is to be your own boss.

The fact is, some people don’t do well when they’re constantly receiving orders. They are simply hardwired to be free thinkers and they require an environment that allows them to do things in their own way.

Being in a position where you hold all the cards can be exhilarating. The knowledge that your decisions are final is very empowering, and many strive for such freedom. If a start-up can allow such people to go from being a regular employee to being in charge of making all the decisions, then it has already achieved all the success that it needs to.

4. Time for Friends and Family

As many people know all too well, a job can easily turn into the focal point of your daily life. Instead of being a way to support your lifestyle, your work dominates your time. And when that happens, the time you have to dedicate to your loved ones becomes scarce. Combating this is precisely what some have in mind when they decide to take the leap and start their own business.

Now, running your own company is no mean feat and it will require a lot of effort. But the beginning is the most time-consuming part of the process. Later on, it can be possible to create a system which leaves you with a lot more time on your hands. You can spend this time with your significant other, your children, or your friends. A start-up which gives you this opportunity is perhaps the greatest success of all.

A start-up is an extension of its founders and so are that company’s goals. Some entrepreneurs are in it for the profit, but not all of them. In the end, there is no single way to measure the success of a start-up. It all comes down to the specific aims of those who established it. But if the founders can end their day on a happy note, then the venture is a success even if it doesn’t fit some standard definition of the term.

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