Raising money for your startup is rarely a welcome prospect—it’s stressful, confusing, and full of unknowns. Whether you’re bootstrapping, applying for a loan, or courting investors, going in without a plan is a recipe for chaos and missed opportunities. Before you chase your next dollar, here are the tips that will actually put you in a stronger position to get funded.
Ever heard of the discarded napkin test? It’s not a real study, but a simple thought experiment that reveals just how powerful appearance really is—right down to a single crumpled napkin on an empty table. That same principle applies to your workplace, which raises an important question: should your business have a dress code? Here’s a look at the pros and cons.
The Google Pixel 2 and iPhone X are rivals fighting for the same customers, but look closer and these tech giants actually have something important in common: momentum. Keeping it going is what separates products, and businesses, that thrive from those that stall out. Here’s the lesson every entrepreneur can borrow from this latest smartphone showdown.
Uber just lost its license to operate in London, and Quebec’s new regulations pushed the company to halt service there too. It’s a reminder that entering a regulated industry comes with obstacles most entrepreneurs never anticipate. Here are four practical tips for navigating regulation successfully, so your business doesn’t end up learning this lesson the hard way.
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma may be gone, but the damage they left behind is a stark reminder of just how vulnerable businesses are to natural disasters. Shockingly, nearly 40 percent of small businesses never reopen after one hits. Here’s why disasters hit companies so hard, and the practical steps you can take now to make sure yours isn’t part of that statistic.
There’s plenty you should stop doing to help your business, but there’s just as much you should start doing, and helping others tops the list. From mentoring a new entrepreneur to volunteering your time, the numbers show giving back pays off in surprising ways for your bottom line. Here’s why helping others might be one of the smartest business moves you can make.
More than a third of adults don’t get enough sleep, and if you’re one of them, you already know how hard it is to power through a workday running on empty. As an entrepreneur, you don’t have the luxury of calling it a wash. Here are five simple, practical tricks to help you fight through drowsy afternoons and stay sharp when it matters most.
Texting has become as normal as eating and sleeping, but convenience comes at a cost: low trust and poor planning. If you’re relying on last-minute texts to coordinate meetings and manage your business relationships, you might be sabotaging your own success without realizing it. Here’s why real, live face time still beats texting when it comes to building trust and achieving your goals.
If you want your business to succeed, you’ve got to stop doing certain things, and enforcing outdated office rules is high on the list. More rules might feel like more control, but they often just mean less freedom, less creativity, and less enthusiasm from your team. Here are five of the most hated office rules that could be quietly driving your best employees out the door.
Chances are you have a business blind spot, and chances are you don’t see it, because that’s exactly how blind spots work. Unlike the one in your car, this one won’t reveal itself unless you actively go looking for it. Here’s how to uncover the weakness you didn’t know was quietly holding your business back, before it costs you more than you realize.