Target the Low Hanging Fruit

The most important step in a new business is finding the first customer. And then finding the next customer after that and the one after that...

Balancing the possible and the impossible

Is it feasible? Is it visionary? Can it be both?

Lessons from the Animal Kingdom

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It's a dog eat dog world.  The animal world provides insights and advice for new entrepreneurs.   Some examples below:

Interesting vs. Interested: Which one are you?

"I do this. And I also do that."

Flaking Bad: Who can you trust?

I promise, I promise. I'll refer you to my whole network, and bring you tons of business. 

Anatomy of an Entrepreneur

"Head over heels" in love with your startup idea?  Are you "knee-deep" in tasks to set up your business?  Do the "butterflies in your stomach" keep you from approaching new clients? The startup doctor is here to make sure you succeed.

Entrepreneur's Palm Reading: Certain Uncertainties

What would you do if you knew, right now, how successful your startup would be in the future?

If  you knew it wouldn't be successful, would you still pursue the entrepreneurial journey? 

And if you knew it would be successful, would you work as hard at it, or just leave it to fate?

Nature or nurture? Can entrepreneurship be taught?

I recently volunteered as a business plan coach for high school students through the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, and was impressed that each and every student (in a mandatory class) was excited about their potential ventures and significantly improved their skills during the session. Is it possible that every child has the potential to become an entrepreneur?

Quiz: Top 10 Things Entrepreneurs Never Say

The term "wantrepreneur" may have a derogatory connotation, indicating someone is wannabe entrepreneur.  I think every successful small business owner was once a "wantrepreneur, " so it's not really a bad thing to be a "wannabe" for a bit.  

Passion Trashin': Is your business worth it?

Who cares about passion, right? 
We don't have time for fanatics! We have a business to run. On the contrary, passion is one of the most important things you can bring to a business. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. If you were extremely, unbelievably tired, would you still work that extra hour on your business?
2. If you had no incoming money for 3 years, and after that it would still be variable, would you still want to work on your business? 
3. Do you periodically dream about your business, and does it keep you awake at night? 

If you answered yes to at least one of these, then you are passionate about your idea and believe in it. This is an absolute precursor to starting your own venture.

Take a Seat: Relaxation for the Entrepreneur

Just take a seat for a minute. 

Entrepreneurs hardly ever get time to sit and just think. I'd argue that starting your own business is one of the toughest jobs out there. And the possibility of stress, the lack of motivation and the impending fear of failure is enough to get even the toughest player to gasp for mercy.

What’s the role of an entrepreneur...on a business card?

The Truth about the role of an Entrepreneur

Scour the profiles across LinkedIn and you'll be blinded by the countless "Entrepreneurs", and "CEOs".  Rummage through the business cards you collected at the last networking event and you’ll find an endless sea of "Founders", and "Owners".

While non-entrepreneur types may be impressed by these lofty titles, the rest of us can see right through you. Those lovely euphemisms actually stand for "monkey", "gopher", "donkey" and various other creatures from the animal kingdom, and here’s why: