Starting your own business requires lots of planning. This article explains some of the steps you need to take before pulling the trigger. “Pulling The Trigger”. It’s an expression we use to describe taking an action. But what if we pull the trigger too early? Recently, I watched a non-profit pull the trigger on assembling a group of volunteers prior to establishing a clear direction and mandate. As their leader struggled with the direction, the once eager volunteers fell away. I witnessed a tech startup pull the trigger on investing in a rollout team before it had a viable product. …
Time Saving Tips For Entrepreneurs
Back in 1989, Steven Covey published the seminal work, “The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People”. Working in corporate America at the time, we were all sent to Covey training in order to embrace the 7 habits. Having suffered from being a workaholic my entire career, to be honest, the only thing I remember from that class was the quote, “no one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time in the office”. Well, that just made me feel bad about myself so I blocked out most of the rest of the class. It has taken me a …
The Importance Of Tenacity For An Entrepreneur
Last night I went to Home Depot with my daughter to buy a power drill she could use to work on her robot. By the way, I’m happy to say that we are breaking gender stereotypes and that is a typical day at casa Moura. Anyway, I’m not sure if you’ve been to the Home Depot on SW 8th but they must have had shoplifting problems there because they have a locked gate in front of each of the shelves where the tools are. The lock has a combination that I assume they tell the staff. We were served by …
How to Deliver A Killer Presentation
At some point when selling your services, you will likely be asked to deliver a formal or informal presentation, whether in person or on Zoom. Perhaps you will be invited to speak at a conference as an expert, or more informally at your local networking group as an introduction. This naturally raises the question, “should I use visual aids?”. To which the answer must be “it depends”. It depends upon your dynamism as a speaker, on the complexity of the topic, on the setting in which you will deliver your talk, whether visual aids will save you words (i.e. showing …
4 Lessons Your Small Business Internet Marketing Can Learn from Online Dating
Your small business internet marketing strategy can learn a lot from online dating. This article demonstrates how. Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but this year it’s still got me thinking. Thanks to the pandemic, we have all had to keep our distance, which means dating has gone completely digital. Sure, we’ve had online dating and dating apps for a while now, but with the surge in popularity of “Zoom dates”—which are exactly what they sound like, evenings spent in front of a webcam trying to figure out if you’ve met that special someone—it is clear as day just …
Magical Lessons To Grow Your Business From Harry Potter
OK, I’ll admit it. I took the online test, and I’m a Gryffindor. At Hogwarts, Gryffindors value courage, bravery, competitiveness, and nerve, which, when you think about it, are pretty much what it takes to be an entrepreneur these days. And since Halloween just passed, it seems like the right time of year to reflect on the magic it takes to grow a startup or small business, inspired by none other than Harry Potter. Here are some magical lessons to grow your business. Have a great team around you. Harry’s two best friends, Hermione and Ron, couldn’t have been more …
The Business and Digital Marketing Lessons We Learned in 2020
Every year teaches us a few new digital marketing lessons to help us grow our businesses, and this year did not disappoint. Here’s what we learned in 2020. For future historians, the year 2020 is going to be a treasure trove. Hey, it’s not every year you get to witness political division wrapped inside a historic presidential election wrapped inside a global pandemic—a veritable Frankenstein’s turducken of an era. For the rest of us still trapped inside this absurdist painting come to life, this year can’t end soon enough (please make it stop). In the meantime: we’re here sitting in …
A Look at Your Small Business After COVID-19
Wondering what your small business after COVID-19 will look like? We’ve conducted some industry research in hopes of an optimistic rebound for SMBs.
How to Stay Focused at Home While Working
COVID-19 has just about everyone working remotely. If you’re struggling with how to stay focused at home and still get work done, we have some tips for you.
Pivot Strategy: How to Adapt Your Business during a Crisis
Everything has changed. We all operate now in a climate of uncertainty, uncertain even when the instability will end. This crisis will define what the world looks like moving forward. As business owners and entrepreneurs, we have the opportunity to take part in shaping the future. Having a pivot strategy will ensure that our businesses not only survive but thrive, now and for years to come. This pandemic has tested and will continue to test all of us, but as anyone in business knows, if we can get through this, we will come out the other side stronger. Take these …