07 Life Rules That Will Position You for Greater Success

Finding success in business isn’t about luck. It requires a great deal of courage and big thinking, as well as the motivation to overcome those fears that can keep you stuck in accepting smaller parcels of reward.

To exponentially elevate success standards, work on removing the blocks of small-mindedness, conformity and self-imposed limitations. Set high standards and never apologize for them. People who want to work for you and with you will rise to meet you at your highest expectations.

Your standards of work, ethics, personal development and responsibility set your course in life and business. Follow the seven tips below and remember to think as big as you can, expect nothing less than the best, have courage and most importantly, be kind.

1. Collaborate with others.

At is core, success is about relationships. Involve customers and colleagues in the creation and direction of your business pursuits. With them, set standards for the work that needs to be accomplished in each person’s area of responsibility. Make these standards challenging but achievable. The result will be the high-level productivity and service you aim to perform.

You can only go so far in business alone. You need others for your own success, empowerment and completeness. In business, choose your aims and equip your team to get your business where it needs to go, rewarding the team members along the way.

2. Never neglect.

Personal power and complacency cannot co-exist in the pursuit of success. Dedicate time and energy wherever necessary to ensure that no important areas of focus, personal or professional, are neglected.

Complete tasks and assignments and work hard to overcome obstacles, focusing on what you can gain, learn and improve upon to make life and business flow more effortlessly. Make lists of things which need to be done with expectations for performance and dates of completion. Focus your efforts on what is most important for the bigger picture, not on what is urgent. Urgency creates an irrational mind. Let those elements settle while you focus on what you can control.

3. Choose possibilities, not problems.

With personal power you possess the deep belief there are available solutions for problems. When you approach challenges from a solutions-focused perspective it engages the creative process of examining and architecting alternate routes in lieu of staying stuck in false beliefs of why things cannot be done.

If you cannot find a solution, open your thoughts to others, seek their ideas and suggestions. Solution-focused minds reward and inspire each other. When solutions are the focus you learn to fail and adapt, moving away from the fixing and failing approach.

4. Self-check.

To grow in personal power use the motivational mindset of consistently monitoring, evaluating and adjusting your own work, attitude and beliefs to stay clear of complacency so you may continue meeting your higher standards.

One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated in reaching your higher standards is to write things down and define your direction. Describe what superior performance would be in light of your chosen aims, and then describe what complacent performance would be and actions steps to stay away from lower level habits.

Personal power means you set performance standards somewhere between complacency and superiority.

5. Manage your time.

The power of now. To uphold your personal power examine where you spend most of your time. Do you get the most important tasks out of the way first or do you typically get through the small, tedious things which seem more urgent? Getting caught in the small, urgent tasks pull you from the more important aims requiring your attention. Focus on what is most important and work from there.

When it comes to relationships, be on time or early to all events, business and professional, as this gives your commitments the feeling of importance. When you can make another feel significant, this is power. How you are with time says much about your commitment and character as a person and leader.

When you respect your time and that of others, you and everyone around you, will work to much higher standards.

6. Accept responsibility.

Whatever happens in your life or career the best path to the development of your personal power is to accept responsibility for the outcomes, both positive and negative, which are the result of your efforts. If you make a mistake, see it as a self-created learning experience and figure out what needs to shift for you and your efforts to be more effective. Taking responsibility allows you to be flexible and change your approach.

Power is understanding mistakes gift you with more than they take. It is from mistakes all new directions arise.

Powerful leadership is not about ego. It is about humility and a willingness to learn. Inspire in others the willingness to accept personal responsibility for the outcomes of their work. To instill this you must first demonstrate these behaviors publicly, powerfully and consistently yourself.

Elevating another person to live at a higher level of existence is the gift your personal power inspires.

7. Be kind.

There is no greater a value to offer as a human being than the simple power of kindness. Kindness does not mean you are a “yes” person or a pushover. Kindness which is success generated is the kindness that can deliver good and bad news with grace. Kindness that is geared toward higher standards is the kindness which gives feedback rather than criticism. Kindness that inspires hard work is the kindness that sees possibilities not problems.

Be kind. Be good to yourself and the people you work with and for. Create the emotional environment around you to be infectious, contagious and advantageous to all who are blessed to be a part of it. Kindness will take you further in success than any other human attribute. 

To have and to lead from personal power means you embrace your inalienable right to think for yourself, to speak your mind, to pursue happiness, success and financial gain, to seek inner awareness and a sense of peace, and to do so without having to conform to anyone else’s small standards including your own. Empower yourself by being yourself. Take advantage of what it means to have opportunity, to organize your pursuits, to be kind in your leadership and to strive for that beautiful and attainable sense of personal freedom.

In your freedom lies your power.

05 Weekend Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Successful entrepreneurs know that good habits don’t start on Monday and end on Friday. Entrepreneurs expect to work longer hours than anyone else, but they also know that they have to fuel that success.

While researching to compare my weekend habits to those of other successful entrepreneurs, I found this LifeHack article that teaches many extremely valuable habits, some of which I already noticed in my own routine.

Here, I’ll shed some light on some of those habits that work best in my life as well as some others that I have found valuable.

1. Find a recharge ritual

Find a ritual that you can follow each weekend that leaves you feeling recharged. Whether it's an exercise regimen, music or time with your family, following a ritual can energize you for the week ahead. Successful entrepreneurs know that, like a vehicle, they can not go far on empty. 

2. Spend time in solitude

It gives you a chance to think, sort out problems and plan where you want to be in the future. This can be an excellent opportunity to free write or journal. Experts agree that free writing during regular scheduled times can lead to answers to problems, discovering new goals and insight into your direction for the future.

3. No devices for a day

Take a Saturday or Sunday and choose to unplug. Taking a break from your devices for a day is beneficial both mentally and physically. Constantly being connected and checking email, social media and the places you visit online can drain both your energy and your creativity. Choosing to release the hyper vigilance of being constantly connected creates allows you to live life in real time, resulting in fresh perspectives and a boost in productivity.

4. Reflect

What did you do well this past week and what did you do wrong? How will you be better in the week ahead? Reflecting on the past week offers the successful entrepreneur the opportunity to determine which activities to continue and which to let go. Reflection is a valuable investment of your time that will help you set the goals that will get you to the next level of success during the upcoming week.

5. Plan your week ahead

The successful entrepreneur doesn’t wait until Monday morning to plan for the week. Sunday is the perfect day to sit down and draw a plan. After spending time reflecting on the prior week, you will have a good idea of what you need and want to accomplish. Use this time to schedule important tasks, phone calls and face-to-face meetings that align with your goals. Planning out the entire week ahead as much as reasonably possible guards against missed opportunities and costly errors.

These five weekend habits appear so simple that you may be tempted to dismiss them as non-essential. But the entrepreneur that begins to add these habits to their weekend routine will find themselves steps ahead every Monday morning.

10 Behaviors of High Achievers

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. After lobbying to absorb yet another project into my ever-growing engineering group, something was bugging me. “It’s like I can’t get enough,” I confided in my manager. “It sort of scares me.” Finally, I asked, “Am I power hungry?”

“No, Steve, I don’t think you’re power hungry,” my boss replied. “You’re just achievement oriented.”

Relieved, I thanked him for his time and went back to work. It was only later that I realized I had no idea what he was talking about. What the heck does “achievement oriented” even mean, I wondered.   

If it sounds like I was a bit naïve, I’ll cop to that charge. Unlike today’s up-and-comers, we didn’t really spend a whole lot of time thinking about ourselves back in the dark ages. But that never stopped some of us from reaching for the stars, even if we had little understanding of why we did it.

I believe that, among a number of other behavioral elements, explains why certain people are consistently high achievers.

They do without obsessing over why.

The common thread between every successful overachiever I’ve ever known – and I’ve probably known hundreds in the tech industry alone – is that they’re born doers, troubleshooters, and problem-solvers. If something important needs to be done, they’ll figure out how to do it, no questions asked.

They have no patience for the status quo.

If you tell these people how something is done, how it should be done, that it can’t be done, or why it can’t be done, you’re likely to be branded as “part of the problem,” treated with disdain, and shunned. They simply have no tolerance for bureaucrats and negatrons.  

Their passion and drive inspires others.

Let’s face it, it’s like a religious experience sitting in a room with these people or hearing them speak. Once they’ve set their sights on accomplishing a mission, to them, it may just as well be finding the Holy Grail or the true meaning of life on Earth. And I wouldn’t bet against them.

They’re never satisfied with their achievements.

In What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School – a book I recently learned, to my horror, many Millennials have never heard of – Mark McCormack sites profound “dissatisfaction with their own accomplishments” as a defining characteristic of true champions. 

They live for the challenge.

If it’s easy, anyone can do it; so what would be the point? It’s the obstacles that make it fun. That’s why people who accomplish great things don’t let challenges stand in their way. The harder it is, the more they want to do it. That’s the fun part, the gratifying part.They never admit defeat.

We often note how successful entrepreneurs overcome setback after setback before achieving what they set out to do. That’s actually a double-edged sword and sometimes gets them into trouble. While stick-with-it-ness is an admirable quality, sometimes you’re better off cutting your losses and moving on. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell the difference.

They need to win ... desperately.

Competition gets a bad rap these days. The problem is people misunderstand it. The need to win isn’t sadistic or personal. It’s not that we want to see the other guy grovel in the sand. It’s just that, for us to win, our competitors have to lose. That’s simply how competitive markets work.

They have a chip on their shoulder.

Accomplishment-oriented people don’t typically concern themselves with why they are the way they are. Nevertheless, they often appear to have something to prove. Usually that stems from growing up with adversity, as we’ve previously observed with respect to Alibaba chairman Jack Ma, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Starbucks founder Howard Schultz.

They are not political players.

Don’t get me wrong: in politics, everyone is a political player. But in the business world, accomplishing and winning is based on merit. That’s why true achievers are not into finger pointing, backstabbing, or hogging the limelight. There’s simply no point.

They’re not necessarily paragons of virtue.

While I’d love to tell you that overachievers never overdo it, we both know that’s not true. Some have a hard time distinguishing ethical behavior from the ends justify the means. And once they start down that slippery slope, look out below. I’m not sure if it’s any consolation, but that usually involves mitigating dysfunction.

As a final thought on the subject, there is a flipside to being so driven to achieve. People like us don’t rest easy. I often quote Robert Browning’s famous line from Andrea del Sarto, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” Always reaching for the stars is like never having a dull moment, but it can be exhausting. It’s definitely not for everyone.   

Make Them Trust You With These 5 Body Language Secrets

Body language should help, not hurt. Even when the chat isn’t in person, how you hold yourself impacts how you connect with others and whether you present the best version of yourself. So, when the talk is important, use these strategies to show you’re strong, capable and ready for anything,

1. Eyes up and alert. Your eyes betray your focus. So, if you’re picking lint from your pants or looking for the exits, you’ll show your interest lies elsewhere and seem dismissive. For maximum engagement, do the physical equivalent of faking it until you make it. Start with the eyes, making solid contact, then nod in assent and raise your eyebrows while you listen. You’ll look alert and interested.
    
2. Arm yourself. Take note of your arms. Those placed behind you can seem regal and distant, while arms crossed over your chest can seem threatening. To look like a leader, keep your arms relaxed and open, even lacing your fingers together in front of you to seem centered, comfortable and interested.
    
3. Tall and proud. Where are your shoulders? If they’re over your toes or your lap with your back curved into a C-shape, you’ll seem uncomfortable in your own skin, turning people off. To convey confidence, hold your shoulders over your hips. Point your toes toward the person with whom you’re speaking, not the door, and lean on nothing. Practicing power poses – like superhero stances with your arms akimbo and your legs in an ‘A’ shape – can even help boost confidence before your talk begins.
    
4. Mirror, mirror. What’s your partner doing? Mimic their stance to diffuse tension and connect. If they are sitting, sit at the same height. If they are standing, face the same direction. Aligning your pose with someone else’s can help build rapport.
    
5. Don't forget to smile. Smiles put those around you at ease and signal to yourself that you're doing what you're supposed to. It may just help give you the confidence to land that client or nab that dream gig.

08 Behaviors of Phenomenally Successful People

You can be an analytical, data-driven, steely-eyed businessperson all you like, but business is ultimately about people.

That means business is also about emotions: yours and those of the people you interact with every day.

Incredibly successful people make a huge difference not just in their own lives but also in the lives of the people they care about, both professionally and personally.

Here's how:

1. They answer the unasked question.

Maybe she's hesitant. Maybe he's insecure, or shy. Whatever the reason, people often ask a different question than the one they really want you to answer.

One employee might ask if you think he should take a few business classes; what he really wants to know is whether you see him as able to grow in the organization. He hopes the answer is yes, and he hopes you'll share the reasons why.

Your husband might ask if you thought the woman at the party was flirting with him; what he really wants to know is if you still think he's flirt-worthy and whether you still find him attractive. He hopes you'll say you do, and he'll love it when you share the reasons why.

Behind many questions is an unasked question.

Pay attention to that question, too, because that's the one the other person might really need answered.

2. They refuse to wait.

You don't have to wait to be discovered. You don't have to wait for an okay. You don't have to wait for someone else to help you.

You can try to do whatever you want to do right now. You may not succeed. But you don't have to wait.

Don't wait.

3. They appreciate the unappreciated.

Some jobs require more effort than skill. Bagging groceries, delivering packages, checking out customers -- the tasks are relatively easy. The difference is in the effort.

Do more than say thanks to someone who does a thankless job. Smile. Make eye contact. Exchange a kind word.

All around you are people who work hard with little or no recognition. Vow to be the person who recognizes at least one of them every day.

Not only will you give respect, you'll earn the best kind of respect in return -- the respect that comes from making a difference, however fleeting, in another person's life.

4. They give latitude instead of direction.

You're in charge. You know what to do. So it's natural to tell your employees what to do and how to do it. But in the process you'll stifle their creativity and discount their skills and experience.

Letting another person decide how is the best way to show you respect their abilities and trust their judgment.

In a command-and-control world, latitude is a breath of freedom and is a gift anyone can give.

5. They stop and smell their roses.

You have big plans. You have big goals. You're never satisfied, because satisfaction breeds complacency.

So most of the time you're unhappy, because you think more about what you have not achieved, have not done, and do not have.

Take a moment to think about what you do have, professionally and especially personally. At this moment you have more than you once ever thought possible.

Sure, always strive for more but don't forget to take a moment to realize that all the things you have, especially your relationships, are more important than anything you want to have.

Unlike a want, what you have isn't a hope, a wish, or a dream. What you already have is real.

And it's awesome. And it's yours.

Appreciate it.

6. They look beneath the surface.

Sometimes people make mistakes. Sometimes they piss you off.

When that happens it's natural to assume they didn't listen or didn't care. But often there's a deeper reason. They may feel stifled. They may feel they have no control. They may feel frustrated or marginalized or ignored or not cared for.

If you're in charge, whether at work or home, you may need to deal with their mistake. But then look past the action for the underlying issues.

Anyone can dole out discipline; vow to provide understanding, empathy, and to help the other person deal with the larger issue that led to the mistake.

After all, you might have caused the issue.

7. They make love a verb.

You love your work. When you're working, that feeling shows in everything you say and do.

You love your family. When you're with them, does that feeling show in everything you say and do?

Hmm.

Love is a feeling, and feelings are often selfish. Turn your feelings into action. Actively love the people you love. Show them you love them by words and deeds.

When you make love a verb, the people you care about know exactly how you feel. Make sure they do.

8. They try only to be themselves.

You worry about what other people think. (Don't feel bad -- I'm sure I do that as much as anyone.) Yet no matter how hard you try, you can't be all things to all people.

But you can be as many things as possible to the people you love.

And you can be the best you.

Be yourself. That is the one thing you can do better than anyone else.

05 Techniques to Tame Your Overflowing Email Inbox

Those emails sitting in your inbox -- all 522 of them? Each is a decision you need to make, says Alex Moore, CEO of Baydin, a San Francisco-based email productivity software company. 

"The quicker you handle them, the more effective you can be," says Moore. "Email reflects how much we have to do and an inbox with hundreds of emails is counter-productive. Too many people use their inbox as a revolving to-do list, but that's not a good way to keep track of things. Instead, each email should be considered as a decision to be made. It should be handled, deleted or archived."

In January, Baydin launched ReviveYourInbox.com, a free three-week program that offers skills and methods to help tame overwhelming email inboxes. To date, about 20,000 people have gone through the program.

"The people who finish often tell us it changed their life," says Moore. He shares the first five techniques small-business owners can use to reduce the amount of email they receive and better handle the emails that matter:

1. Disable notifications.
The first step to taking control of your inbox is to disable the notifications that interrupt and distract your day. Checking your email might seem harmless, but Moore says a case study by Loughborough University found that it takes an average of 64 seconds to fully recover from being interrupted by an email.

Unless your job demands replies within minutes, Moore says you should check your inbox two to three times a day, preferably for fixed amounts of time.

2. Unsubscribe from junk emails.
It may seem easy to delete junk email as it comes in, but according to Moore, deleting a newsletter every day for the next year will consume over 30 minutes. And when important emails are mixed in with unimportant ones, it's easy to lose track of the ones that require action.

3. Learn how to search email.
Important message seem to hide from you when you go looking for them. Instead of using folders, Moore suggests learning about the search terms offered by many email providers. His program offers a list of basic search keywords, including "has:attachment" which will search for messages that have files attached to them; "before:" which brings up messages sent before a date; and "filename:" which will take you to emails with attachments.

4. Adopt an archive mentality.

To best manage your inbox, archive messages you no longer have an immediate need for to another folder. Under this system, only two types of messages stay in your inbox: messages that you haven't read yet and a small number of messages that need prompt attention. Everything else moves to a single archive folder. When needed, emails can be easily located using search terms.

5. Clean out older messages.
After you have a system in place to effectively handle new emails, it's time to clean up the emails that were in your inbox before you started. Anything more than 30 days old can be archived without reviewing. If you discover you need it, you can search the archive folder. Handle the remaining email a little at a time over the next few days. Go through each one, and respond, archive or delete. If you have hundreds of emails, divide them into batches.

"Email should be a tool that supports your business," says Moore, "not one that detracts from it." 

07 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Entrepreneur

I'm not sure who originally shared the quote below, but it's one of the best summaries of business ownership I've ever come across:

"Entrepreneurship is crazy. One day you feel like you're on top of the world, and the next day you want to die."

These experiences are two sides of the same coin. Fortunately, there are some simple--if harsh--truths that will help you as an entrepreneur. You may not want to hear them, but these seven realities will make you a better business owner.

It's Not All About You

Depending on the day, this may be either a blow to your ego or a tremendous relief. Remember that the world doesn't revolve around you and your company. When you have your entire life wrapped up in a new venture, it's easy to get tunnel vision. This can make you alternately feel like you're the greatest person in the world, or like the world will end if your company goes under.

Neither one is true. It's simply not all about you. Relax. This is a great opportunity, but there are many others as well.

You Can't Do it All 

Want to know one of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs making? It isn't chasing competitors or marketing before product-market fit has been established (although both of those are major challenges many new entrepreneurs face). Instead, it's thinking that you--and you alone--are enough to drive your company to success.

Many entrepreneurs are so excited about their idea that they're sure they're the only ones who can do it right. While startup owners do have to wear a lot of hats at the beginning, delegation is an important part of success. If you try to do it all, you'll burn out and set your company up for failure.

Instead, focus on hiring people who are great in the areas you can't do so well. Don't hire clones of yourself--hire people who can fill in your gaps and help you succeed.

Your Customers Don't Care About Your Product

At least, they don't yet. Being the latest and greatest may make you feel good, but until you connect to your customers' needs and desires, they won't care at all. "Build it and they will come" only works in movies--you need to connect with the daily lives of your customers if you ever hope to have an impact.

To become successful as a business owner, focus on building customer personas and understanding the true daily lives of your potential customers. Focus your branding and promotion on them, not you, and you'll find that, eventually, you have all the attention you need.

You're Going to Fail--and it's OK

I'm not saying your company is destined to go under. I'm talking about smaller failures. A misstep that costs you funding. A mistake in marketing that sets back sales. Failure to have a good customer service department that responds to issues promptly and encourages client retention.

These things suck, but they happen all the time.

The good news is that these small failures aren't the end of the line. They're an important part of the growing process. If you can take them in stride, you'll be on your way to greater success.

You May Never Make Millions

It takes time to succeed in business. I've heard it said that there are years of work behind every "overnight success," and it's true. The media may start covering a business suddenly, and it seems as if the company came out of nowhere. It didn't. The owners toiled in obscurity for years before they hit the limelight.

It'll be that way for you too. And when your success does come, it may not be millions of dollars. While the entrepreneurial heroes are the ones that sell to Google or Facebook for a major payday, that's the exception--not the norm. Accept that your success may be smaller, but it's still valid and worthwhile.

You'll Be Lonely

Especially in the beginning, being an entrepreneur can be very lonely. When you haven't yet built your team, and all you have is an idea and a passion, it's hard to relate to others who don't feel the same passion. Those around you may actively discourage your pursuits, requiring you to pull away from the people you're closest to.

At the same time, the long hours will make it hard to maintain the social and family life you're used to. It will be an adjustment, but you still need to be sure to invest in your most important relationships--no matter how busy you are. Businesses will come and go, but family and friends aren't as easily replaceable.

Habits Beat Inspiration Every Day

Inspiration gets you started, but habits keep you going. If you're going to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to begin developing the right habits immediately. Fiscal responsibility, discipline, and hard work are important. But so are physical health, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills.

Being the right person is just as important as hiring the right person. Build your habits now, and they'll be there to take over for you when inspiration fades.

Nobody said being a successful entrepreneur is easy, but it is worth it. The earlier you get comfortable with these harsh truths of entrepreneurship, the sooner you'll be on the path to business success.

06 Ways to Make Your Next Business Trip More Productive

You know the feeling -- the tingling excitement of an upcoming business trip. You may daydream about how productive you’ll be during all that uninterrupted time, naïvely believing that you’ll get double the work done in half the time.

Unfortunately for most people, all that “free time” is merely a pipe dream. In reality, travel is exhausting. A 2012 survey by the Global Business Travel Association revealed that companies have higher productivity expectations from business travelers than ever before. But disrupted sleep, a lack of exercise, poor food choices and unpredictable Internet connections make staying productive no small feat.

Here are six tips for overcoming those challenges and making the most of your business trips:

1. Tick off to-do items before you leave.    

Knock out big things such as flights and hotel reservations as soon as you know you’re going on a trip. This will help you get the best deals and save some much-needed money in those early stages of business. Acting early opens up options for flights with fewer layovers, convenient hotels with great amenities and reservations at restaurants you want to try out.

Planning ahead also shows vendors, customers and investors that you’re responsible and organized. When you’re working on a deal, people don’t just pay attention to your product or service. They watch how you operate as a businessperson.

2. Lighten your load.

Flying drains your energy, so try to simplify the journey by packing the right way. To start, don’t check bags unless you have to. Plan your outfits for each day of your trip so you don’t pack excessively.

Reduce your cargo by mailing items such as product samples in advance. They add weight to drag around and often get broken or squished in a suitcase. However, make sure you call the hotel in advance to double-check that it will hold your package.

3. Don’t squander flight time.

One thing you can usually plan for is time on the plane when you’re stuck in your seat. Even if you don’t have an Internet connection, write emails so they’re ready to send, or work on something that’s saved to your desktop. Planes are also great for practicing networking skills, such as initiating conversations, asking questions and listening.

If you’re stuck in the airport, use GateGuru to find restaurants and ATMs by your gate. This way, you don’t have to track down airport maps. If your flight has problems, Waze will calculate the best routes and provide better options.

4. Treat yourself.

Instead of trying to grind through your work around the clock, spend some time recuperating. You don’t want new contacts to remember you for being grouchy. And what’s the point of traveling if you never leave your hotel room? Go sightseeing, or eat at a local café. Personal growth makes you a better leader, and experiencing different cultures expands your mind. Take the opportunity to look at the world from a different angle.

5. Organize as you go.

Business travel can produce an onslaught of new ideas and contacts that are impossible to absorb at once. Organizing this information as you go will ensure you don’t forget it when you get home. A great app for on-the-go organization is Evernote; it will quickly organize new info, sync that info with other devices and share it with your team.

6. Prioritize new connections.

Most business trips provide ample opportunities for networking, so include that in your list of priorities. Before and after meetings, connect with speakers, vendors, investors and trade show contacts via LinkedIn or other networking platforms. Reaching out like this helps turn new connections into new deals.

Make a habit of taking pictures with any new connections you want to do business with. When you follow up after the trip, include the picture to help them remember you.

Business trips are wonderful opportunities to learn and expand your business, but they can’t fuel your fire if you spend the whole trip stressing about basic needs and spotty Internet connections. Plan ahead and focus your goals. This way, you’ll return home energized and excited about new possibilities.

05 Biggest Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make

As the business has grown, so have the problems."

That's how Marcus Lemonis explained the plight of the floundering Greek food business My Big Fat Greek Gyro, which he attempted to save in a recent episode of CNBC's The Profit. Lemonis encounters the theme all too frequently with the businesses featured in the reality series, and uses his money and his experience to help.

Lemonis, the chairman and CEO of the billion-dollar recreational vehicle supplier Camping World, is not always able to turn around the companies he invests in, however. The Profit highlights a host of entrepreneur mistakes, from balking on promises to failing to communicate with employees to delegating too many important tasks to a third party. Here are some of the critical errors that have occurred on the show.

1. Failing to Communicate Across the Company

Like many entrepreneurs, husband and wife Mike Ference and Kathleen Kamouyero-Ference of My Big Fat Greek Gyro may not have been fully prepared to handle scaling their business. When Lemonis stepped in, the company, which serves fast-casual Greek cuisine, was making $100,000 in annual profit. Lemonis saw potential and offered to invest $350,000 in return for a 55 percent stake and full creative control. (To Kathleen's chagrin, he ultimately renamed the company "The Simple Greek.")

The owners had made the decision to franchise, which Lemonis explained can be an attractive move: You avoid the costs and potential liability you'd incur with chain stores, and each franchisee must pay a royalty. It's important, though, for any company to keep the channels of communication open, especially as it grows. Mike and Kathleen were only meeting with their franchisees once or twice a month. As a result, the franchisees had little sense of direction, and so brought in only a fraction of the business's potential revenue.

By the end of the episode, however, Lemonis said that Mike had built a "strong rapport" with franchisees: They all came together together to help The Simple Greek reopen its newly renovated Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania location. Lemonis also helped them to set up a new Wi-Fi network and mobile payments system, allowing the franchisees to clock inventory from any location, at any time. Over the next six to eight months, he said, The Simple Greek will renovate its other three locations in Pittsburgh; McMurray, Pennsylvania; and Highland Park, Illinois.

2. Breaking Your Investors' Trust

It may sound obvious, but if you make a promise to an investor, you should keep it. Not everyone on The Profit does.

In the recent episode "A Progress Report," Lemonis revisited Jacob Maarse Florist, a Pasadena, California-based business from the second episode of the series, in which he invested $100,000 for 25 percent of the profit. He also explained to viewers the reason he closes every deal with a handshake: It's more genuine, thus making partners more likely to keep their word.

Still, owner Hank Maarse refused to give Lemonis his share of the company, even after Lemonis had spent more than the agreed funding to help turn the florist around. In response, Lemonis called Maarse "a thief, a liar, and a cheater." Two weeks after the episode aired, Maarse's mother sent Lemonis a full refund.

3. Micromanaging Employees

The health of a business can often depend on the happiness of its staff, as The Profit has proven time and time again. One of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs on the show make is micromanaging their employees. This was the case at the Key West Key Lime Pie Company, in another 2014 episode. The Key West, Florida pie-maker, headed by Jim Brush and his girlfriend, Alison Sloat, generated more than $1.4 million in annual sales, but had yet to see a profit. The company had stretched its resources too thin. It also sold non-branded products that took up far too much store space, while accounting for just 20 percent of annual revenue with what Lemonis described as "terrible" margins.

Brush had a fiery temper, and was quick to blame employees for his mistakes. While the company had plenty of other problems--its failure to create sufficient revenue through non-branded products, for one--Brush's reluctance to listen to and respect his workers was one of the biggest. In the end, the Key West Key Lime Pie Company was able to reinvent itself by focusing on its signature pies (using natural ingredients rather than a powder filling) and getting rid of other items in its store. Ultimately, Lemonis said, Jim became "a totally different person."

4. Arrogance

Confidence is necessary for success but knowing when to be humble is another of The Profit's big takeaways. Many business owners have treated Lemonis with contempt, but perhaps none so blatantly as Skullduggery owners Steve and Peter Koehl.

Skullduggery, an Anaheim, California-based company that makes racing toys, fossil replicas, and craft kits, had $1.6 million in sales, and yet it couldn't turn a profit. Lemonis stepped in with a $1.1 million deal for 30 percent of the 28-year-old company and an ongoing sales royalty, and even managed to get Skullduggery a meeting with the chief marketing officer of NASCAR for a potential licensing deal. But the Koehls believed they were too good for NASCAR. In the meeting, Steve asked, "Why do you think NASCAR's good for Skullduggery?"

This move drew Lemonis's wrath: "Hearing the stuff coming out of Steve's mouth is shocking," he said. "I'm mortified." Lemonis walked away from the deal, losing the money that he'd already invested.

5. Delegating All the Details

Naturally, many entrepreneurs need to delegate some of the day-to-day operations of their businesses to others. And in the early days, it can also be tempting to source products from third-party vendors. The Simple Greek owners, for example, ordered frozen grape leaves and French fries instead of making their own products fresh.

As The Profit has continually demonstrated, though, a laissez-faire strategy is not the way to grow a successful business. Lemonis explained that using fresh potatoes wouldn't just make for more wholesome food--it would also save the company nearly $25,000 per year. As every scrappy startup founder knows, every little bit saved counts.

The Simple Greek owners took Lemonis's advice: They improved communication between their four locations, made food quality their priority, and honed their marketing plan to reflect a more authentically Greek brand. "I believe in the product and in the process. But mostly I believe in the people," a satisfied Lemonis said after the company's transformation.

05 Reasons Why Long-Form Content Needs to be in Your Marketing Strategy

From establishing industry expertise to giving new life to existing content, long-form content can be extremely beneficial to your content marketing strategy.

Long-form content often gets shifted to the back burner due to the time, cost and collaboration requirements of building more than 800 words of truly engaging, relevant and educational content.

Over the last few years, traditional marketers have been trained to lean on short, sweet snippets for banners, social media postings and email copy. Neither longform nor short form are right in every situation, but if you’ve shied away from long-form content, read on to find out why you should re-approach it and some tips to optimize your efforts.

Your content strategy should include long-form content for a few reasons:

1. Establishes industry-expertise. 

Using guides, eBooks and extended blog posts gives you a chance to demonstrate your organization’s personality, and how you can help your audience. Publishing well thought-out, well-written, relevant long-form content pieces helps marketers demonstrate expertise, credibility and develop a thought-leadership position.

2. Attracts more attention. 

Visitors spend more time with long-form content – it takes longer to scan and longer to read. The Google algorithm gives higher rankings to pages that have more time on page and have high social share activity.

3. Boosts social media. 

According to the Huffington Post, although there is 16 times more content under 1000 words, pieces with 3,000 to 10,000 words get more average social shares. Longer content — because it’s packed with useful information and a lot of it — offers more opportunities to find shareable points of knowledge that readers are eager to share.

4. Gives new life to existing content. 

Long-form content gives you an opportunity to revisit past content from print media, videos and webinar events to re-publish as long-form pieces to get more life out of inactive content.

5. Extends content investment. 

A comprehensive guide pays off the time and budget allocated for production in its ability to easily morph into a string of other content pieces. Long-form content can be chopped into blog series, infographics, interactives and slide decks that extend the value of your investment

If you’re ready to plan a long-form content project, keep these points in mind to get the most out of the huge outlay in time and resources to produce an informative, engaging piece.

Do your research: Just because you know a lot about 18th century boat design, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a topic that will move your business forward or that there’s a wide readership for it. Use keyword ranking tools and analytics to help you figure out what topics are worth building long-form content for and where it’s most likely to be consumed. If you don’t have a relevant, timely, and informative to expound on, wait until you do before embarking on a long-form content project.

Stay focused: Long-form content goes wrong by trying to pack too much or too little substantive content into one piece. Choose your 1000+ words carefully, readers willing to invest the time it takes to read that much content expect solid information from reputable sources devoid of fluff. Before you start writing or engage a professional firm for execution, identify your target, narrow your topic area focus and build a tight outline to guide the writing.

Have a plan: Once produced, what will you do with it? Just posting it to your website isn’t enough. To make your effort pay off, include publication, supporting promotional activities and distribution in your initial planning. These decisions might also guide your writing and design, for example, if your plan includes a social media blitz, you’ll want to make sure the piece is designed with images that can easily be popped into a status update.

To gate or not to gate? Gated content forces users to submit an email address and other demographic information to read or download content. This model ensures you’ll get prospect information for email list building and future marketing efforts, however, gating content can also stop search engine spiders from properly indexing and serving your content.

05 Secrets to Creating a Successful Mastermind Event

If you’re an entrepreneur or speaker, you are probably hearing the word “mastermind” everywhere these days. This buzzy word is often centered on groups and events.

A mastermind group must be mutually beneficial to all members and offer a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability and support in a group setting.

Mastermind events or conferences, sometimes called inner circles, are an in-person meeting in the spirit of a mastermind group. These events can be a meeting of a pre-established group, but they can also bring together like-minded individuals who have never met before. These workshops are laser-focused when it comes to subject matter and attendees. (You wouldn’t have a mid-level sales rep and a CEO at the same mastermind.)

A mastermind conference is different than other conferences because it is intended to be a roundtable discussion, where attendees learn from each other as much as they do from the facilitators and presenters. Instead of inspirational speeches and how-to presentations, masterminds have a heavy focus on big vision planning and complex problem solving. They are usually an all day or multi-day event, since the subject matter is usually too deep to get through in just a few hours.

I recently had the privilege of speaking about leadership, branding and marketing at a CEO mastermind event for companies that manage ice and snow for cities, also called snow fighters. Even though I was there to present, I felt like I was the one who got an education. Particularly, I saw the key factors that go into creating a great mastermind event.

If you are a consultant or coach and can bring in your clients for a multi-day event, here is what you can learn from my recent experience.

1. Limit the total number of attendees.

Remember the point of a mastermind is discussion and brainstorming among like-minded attendees, so it’s best to keep the number of attendees around 20. If you have 50 attendees or even 30, the more introverted attendees may get stage fright. It also becomes more challenging for each member to share and be heard -- and more importantly feel as though they’re being heard -- as the attendance number grows. By creating a roundtable feel for the event, plus one-on-one engagement with the organizer, you can charge a higher price and offer greater value.

2.Select attendees by region or sector.

This is a no-brainer, but it is so important I wanted to include it. Remember the goal is to get honest answers about problems, tactics, systems and numbers, among other things. The only way to do this is to make sure no one is guarding himself or herself from competition. For some industries this may mean inviting only one guest from each region or state. For a mastermind about online business, it would mean only inviting one online entrepreneur in each industry.

3. Take care of everything.

I was particularly impressed that the ticket price for the snow fighters mastermind event included transportation and almost all meals. To ensure attendees and speakers only focus on the event, take care of every last detail – from transportation to and from the airport to meals and even to suggesting convenient late-night spots nearby for them to keep the discussions going.

4. Bring in something different.

When you plan your next event, consider bringing in a few experts completely outside of your industry for a fresh take.

I was ecstatic to get to present marketing and branding tactics to a group of snow fighters, but I had never worked within the industry. I did my research and tailored my presentation, but I think my fresh perspective, outside view and vastly different marketing examples helped inspire new ideas within the group.

5. Get out of the way.

The person that ran the event, John Allin, is an expert in his industry, having managed snow for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. So it made sense that he put on this mastermind, lead the discussion and answered questions. But I appreciated that for the most part, he asked the questions more than he answered them. I could tell his goal was to get the attendees talking and sharing. Business owners love to talk about their business, industry and in many cases, themselves. There was an agenda to follow each day, but he only used it as a rough guide. He let the conversation dictate the content for the day organically. If questions were posed, he’d let one of the attendees in the room answer.   

If you’re an industry leader with clients spread out across multiple regions, consider creating a mastermind event. Not only can you charge premium prices for such an event but if you use the above strategies, you can inspire and equip attendees in a way that will have them coming back year after year.

05 Ways Data Can Enhance Marketing Campaigns

Data are becoming essential for marketing and PR pros.

A study by Forbes Insights and Turn revealed that more than 70 percent of marketing executives expect to rely more and more on data for decision-making within the next three years.

They’re not the only communications pros under pressure to use more measurement in PR and marketing efforts, and technology companies are responding to data overload with apps to help marketers make sense of the numbers.

Here are five ways data can enhance your brand’s marketing strategies:

1. Boost social media efforts.

With all the social media platforms available today, it’s nearly impossible for a brand to be present everywhere. Even brand managers who embrace social media can find their efforts are met with lackluster response or, worse yet, can find themselves in a crisis from an online misstep caused by spreading oneself too thin.

Gathering and analyzing data can not only help marketers know which social media sites their audiences use, but also show them which messages work the best. Just as open and click-through rates can help marketing pros figure out which email campaigns are winners, analytics can greatly you help home in on a social media campaign that audiences will embrace.

2. Create better content.

Today’s marketers know content is king, but using data before, during and after a campaign can help them decide what types of content their audiences want.

Forbes Insights and Turn reported more than 30 percent of marketing executives use analytics to alter, extend or repeat a marketing campaign, and 61 percent have noticed an increase in ROI from data-driven campaigns.

Brand managers can experiment with a mix of content such as infographics, videos and articles, then gather data to evaluate and optimize their strategies. Use social media and website analytics to measure which pieces of content get clicked on or shared the most, along with Google Analytics, to see what types of content drove the most visits to and signups on your company’s website.

3. Embrace new trends.

More and more people are using mobile devices to access their email and social media feeds as well as news and company websites. Google recently changed its algorithm, giving preference to websites that are optimized for mobile.

Video is another big trend, with billions watching hours of videos on Facebook and YouTube each and every day, and many marketing and PR pros are turning to messaging apps such as Snapchat or Kik in order to reach younger consumers.

Data can help you recognize whether a particular trend aligns with your organization’s objectives. If you’re going to invest time and effort into building a social media presence or creating a different type of campaign, get some directions from reliable numbers instead of just guessing.

4. Target online audiences more effectively.

More than 40 percent of marketing executives give data-driven campaigns the credit for attracting new customers and increasing customer satisfaction. Forbes Insights and Turn also reported nearly 50 percent have created competitive advantages in customer loyalty through data.

With so many online messages competing for a person’s attention, and with social media platforms sprouting almost daily, it’s even more important for marketers to reach those people who might use their company’s products or services.

Many social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, offer audience targeting for advertising clients, but marketers must first know whom they’re pursuing. Email marketing campaigns as well as website ads can also benefit from knowing the specific groups of people interested in your brand’s offerings.

With data, if at first you don’t succeed, you can try again. The study reported almost 40 percent of marketing executives use analytics to modify their targeting strategies.

5. Prove your worth with reports.

Your efforts as a marketing or PR pro can be seen as worthless without the right results, and reporting to company executives on your campaign’s success is integral for getting the green light for future marketing efforts.

Use the data you collect to help adjust your messages and content throughout a marketing campaign, but also use those analytics to give snapshots to your leaders. Measurement can help you know what’s working and what’s not, as well as helping you show higher-ups the good things you’re doing—and the areas for additional opportunities and funding.

05 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Use Emotional Intelligence for Marketing

Have you ever left your car for 15 minutes only to get back into the driver’s seat and notice an annoying flyer shoved under your window wiper? Like most of us, you probably pull it out, crumple it up and curse the litter-inducing ad ninjas who targeted you.

Unfortunately, digital marketing is beginning to resemble this same irritating chain of events. With increased technology, many digital marketers are desperately targeting and re-targeting potential customers in all the wrong places -- and it’s making them mad.

Indeed, a recent study showed almost 50 percent of consumers think their brands are clueless about how to reach them. Another study found that only one in three customers believe their favorite brands truly understand them.

I have found that the solution to this problem is emotional intelligence: it’s about being real, authentic and intuitive. Emotional intelligence helps me run a more profitable business. And I believe it’s time for marketing enterprises to implement these same skills.

I have found that deploying Emotional Intelligence in your digital marketing is a lot more intuitive than you might suspect. It’s simple and most of the time, boils down to common sense.  Here’s how to implement this tactic: what works for me:

1. Listen deeply

Before investing in digital media, use any number of social listening tools such as Topsy, Hootsuite and Social Mention to understand what your audience is passionate about. You would never barge into a dinner party and hijack the conversation, so why would you want your brand to be perceived as doing the same thing via digital marketing? By listening to what people care about, you can formulate your strategy of how best to do the next four recommended steps below.

2.  Add value first

Find ways to add value rather than simply pushing your own agenda. If you are coming from a place of giving rather than taking, then you will naturally be inclined to help the people you are looking to serve with your products or services. Adding value is about finding ways to enhance and improve the lives of the customers you’d like to acquire and retain. Sure, you can argue that this is the ultimate purpose of your product or service but before anyone wants to buy from you, they first need to understand who you are, what you represent and why they should invest in your brand. In order to accomplish this, they have to get to know you. Make it easy for them to want to get to know you by finding ways to add value before you ask for the sale.

3. Attraction beats distraction

Focus on desire and the laws of attraction to draw your audience in rather than trying to interrupt and distract them. No one likes to be “sold” but everyone loves to buy. Become an expert storyteller. Think beyond the features and benefits of what you’re selling. What does your company and brand stand for? How are you making the world a better place in some small but important way?

4. Don’t be creepy

Yes, you can leverage big data to learn a lot about your audience but there is a fine line between insightful and creepy. If you feel you may be crossing the line, you probably are (even if it’s not illegal to do so). Instead, think about the ways you can be insightful and surprise and delight your audience rather than creeping them out by how much you know about them and their habits. 

For example, many people use Epicurious to seek out great cooking recipes and many of those people have downloaded their app. With big data and iBeacon technology, marketers can identify the best customers who might be interested in Mexican food, for example, and send them an alert while they are shopping at their favorite grocery store. As long as you’ve opted in to receive alerts from Epicurious and actually like the food that is being recommended, this should be a positive experience – especially if you are an “explorer” and like to discover new and interesting foods to prepare at home.

5. Respect when retargeting

Frequency is important, but you can go overboard with your retargeting. Balance awareness goals with annoyance risks. Think about retargeting in terms of dating. Just because someone went out on a date with you doesn’t mean they want to marry you. No one likes being hounded. Respect the fact that not everyone you want to sell to is ready to buy from you.

In addition to growing your business faster, using these emotionally intelligent strategies will ensure you are connecting with the right emotionally intelligent customers who will, in turn, help you grow faster. After all, the right customers that buy from you for the right reasons will ensure right relations and attract more of the right customers in the future.

06 Scary Truths About Becoming an Entrepreneur

There's a haunting, scary, messy truth about being an entrepreneur. Those who dream about entrepreneurship think about the freedom of being able to chase big dreams, the thrill of building empires and the joy of making a mark on the world by doing something better than any other person in a field has yet done. 

There’s something to all this. Entrepreneurship is indeed fun, rewarding and freeing. But there’s a back side to entrepreneurship that nobody likes to talk about much. Being an entrepreneur can be grueling, spirit breaking and downright tough. I hope you have thick skin. You’ll need it. Here are the six scary truths of entrepreneurship:

1. You are not your own boss.

I wanted to be my own boss, just like millions of other entrepreneurs. What I soon learned was that great entrepreneurs are never the boss, except perhaps in title. There are more than 300 sales professionals and staff members at the company I own -- and they are the bosses. 

Awesome businesses are built by listening to the people who make the business entity run. Anytime one of my people calls me “the boss,” I quickly remind that individual that I am directed by my team. I am their employee, the one employee who has 300 bosses who help lead the ship.

2. You won’t be the highest paid.

So many new entrepreneurs have grandiose visions of making huge amounts of money. Perhaps some will. For most, though, it will take years, probably decades. To build an amazing empire, you need the best sales team and staff, and this will require you to invest funds.

When you find a person who can take your empire to the next level, you will be the first to give up your own paycheck to hire them because that’s what entrepreneurship is about. Your business will take on a life of its own almost like a child. You will want more than anything for it to succeed and flourish, even if it’s at your own expense.

So you will sacrifice and happily eat your $1 ramen noodles in the quiet of your home so that you can hire the cream of the crop to help you build your business bigger.  You will sacrifice today for a better tomorrow because that’s what great entrepreneurs do.

3. Work-life balance is impossible. 

In the building stages of a business, seeking work-life balance is futile. Work will become your life. When you are at home working in your yard, at your kid’s soccer game or getting ready to turn in at night, you’ll be thinking about your business.

You’ll wake in the middle of the night worrying that you should have handled something better or jumped on an opportunity faster. There is no 9-to-5 to building a business, only 24/7. Yes, you will spend time at home and even on vacation, but you will always be on, thinking about your business.

I love running my company, but I’m the first to admit that my house is always a mess, my car makes me look like a hoarder with constant remnants of the last two week’s worth of appointments, and sometimes I go to bed in the clothes I wore to work because I’m so tired that changing into pajamas is just not an option.

4. A hidden support team is oh, so very critical.

A great company has a great support system, including executive, administrative, production, manufacturing and additional staff. That’s the official company. A great entrepreneur also has an amazing support staff outside the office, perhaps a spouse, kids and friends. Your family better have a 100 percent buy-in to your dream if you're going to be an entrepreneur or your business or family will suffer. 

My real estate empire is a by-product of the support I have at home and the friendships I’ve cultivated over a lifetime. The foundation of my work life is family members who understand that I sometimes have to field phone calls all weekend and attend networking events most evenings and that a recruiting appointment will often trump a homemade meal. Time is always carved out each week for them because they are the why behind everything I do. But when you have not just one boss but hundreds, an entrepreneur and the family that supports her are required to make occasional sacrifices.

5. Someone won’t like you.

The hardest lesson for me was this: The bigger the empire, the more enemies are made. For most entrepreneurs, it's a tough thing to realize. That’s not to say you won’t have legions of supporters because you absolutely will. But there will always be people who won’t like the way you do things, the decisions you make or the direction you're headed in. For some entrepreneurs, this is spirit breaking.

You will spend a big part of your life pouring every ounce of your being into the company. You will give back to your sales team, staff and the company in general until it hurts. Sometimes you’ll make decisions in the best interest of the company but not necessarily of the employees.

You’ll make decisions that are in the best interest of one set of employees but not others. You’ll cut out services because you have to cut costs. There will always be someone who doesn’t like what you’re doing, and it will hurt. 

Your business is something that you gave life to and it is in that way your baby. Not much that will hurt you like someone putting down your business or saying that you just don’t care about the people who make it up.

6. Perception matters. 

Even when your business is not doing amazing, act like it is. Smile. Perception matters. Perception, in fact, matters more than reality. Six months ago, I rebranded my business. It was the most difficult time of my entire business career. I lost one quarter of sales force because these staffers didn’t believe in me or my new brand.

There were nights when I went home and cried myself to sleep, and yet I put a smile on my face and went back to the office the next day ready to take on the world. In six short months I recruited as many new salespeople as the number of those who left. I can now say confidently that the rebranding was the best move I ever made in my career.

The hard truth is that there will always be days when you have to use every ounce of your being to put on a smile to tell the world that everything’s OK. I promise, if you do, one day you’ll wake up and everything really will be OK.

07 Steps of Effective Product Development

Toni Ko’s path to entrepreneurship was a common one: She wanted a product that didn’t exist, so she decided to create it herself. The item in question: a high-quality yet affordable eyeliner pencil. 

The year was 1999. The self-professed makeup junkie explains that at the time, high-end cosmetics were available only at department stores; drugstore alternatives didn’t compare. At age 26 Ko founded NYX Cosmetics to bridge the gap between quality and price.

Armed with a $250,000 loan from her mom, Ko, who had no experience developing makeup, got to work on her first product: a stylishly packaged, premium eye pencil that retailed between $1.49 and $1.99. Her first year in business, selling only eyeliner and lip liner, she brought in $2 million in revenue. 

It took more than eight years before Ko cracked ULTA Beauty—the first big-box retailer to carry NYX’s product line. Target, CVS and Canada’s London Drugs soon followed. In June 2014, with NYX products available in more than 70 countries and annual revenue topping $100 million, she sold the company to L’Oréal for an undisclosed sum. 

Ko calls the sale “a very successful exit.” But her road to the top was hardly a cakewalk. There were mistakes along the way, from factory glitches to packaging misfires to products that fell flat. “I learned everything by trial and error,” the Los Angeles resident says. 

Developing a successful product line doesn’t have to be a fumble in the dark. Here are seven best practices for bringing your baby to market as efficiently and economically as possible. 

1. Solicit feedback. Now.

It’s not enough to run nascent products by friends and family. Instead, vet early-stage plans and prototypes with potential customers (in other words, strangers).

The idea is to get people to tell you whether the product meets their needs and, if not, what might improve it. Is the product the right shape? Are buttons or other functional components in the right place? Is it the right color? Does it perform the way people want it to? 

This is what Kit Hickey does with Ministry of Supply, the performance-apparel company she co-founded in 2011. Based in the Boston area, Ministry of Supply often tests new clothing items by selling beta versions in small 10- to 100-item batches through its website and collecting customer feedback on color, fit, fabric and comfort. That way, “you’re not spending weeks or months working on features that might not even matter to your customers,” Hickey says.

2. Refine your design with simplicity in mind.

A straightforward product design is essential. The same goes for brand continuity among every item you sell. 

“Your product has to capture someone’s attention within the first three seconds of them glancing at it,” says Ziver Birg, founder of Zivelo, which sells customized electronic kiosks to banks, airports and retailers. In fact, the Phoenix-area entrepreneur says that quality design is the best investment you can make.

Product packaging should be clean and compelling as well, with easy-to-read text. Busy packaging that explodes with colors or design elements will only frustrate consumers. 

“In most consumer product categories, packaging is your only communication with customers,” says Shae Hong, CEO of Sensio, a small-appliance business headquartered in New York. “People need to know what you’re selling from 30 feet away.” 

When developing packaging, consider where your product will be sold, advises Jeff Dahl, inventor of LoopRope, a bungee product for securing camping and outdoor gear. Retailers want packaging that won’t take up too much space, and many are looking for eco-friendly options, says the Medford, Ore., entrepreneur, who learned this the hard way. “The cost of redoing it is not cheap,” he says. 

3. Don’t skimp on materials or manufacturing.

A low-cost vendor isn’t necessarily your best bet. “It’s important not to make purchasing decisions based solely on price,” Ko says. “You have to go for quality and reputation.” That may mean spending a little extra, given that top-shelf suppliers, labs and manufacturers tend to charge more.

Look online, attend trade shows and collect industry recommendations. You may need to hire an agent to find a factory for you. However, Ko cautions, you must personally visit any factory you’re thinking of partnering with, even if it’s 8,000 miles away. 

To ensure that production is up to snuff, create guidelines for every manufacturing detail. 

“It’s not enough to outline 85 percent of the process,” Hong says. For example, don’t simply say that your product should be constructed of stainless steel—specify a grade, or the factory will likely use the lowest-end option.

Don’t expect a flawless product off the bat, and stay on top of every detail. “You have to check that,” says Amy Wenslow, CEO of Products to Profits, a consultancy in Pasadena, Calif., that helps entrepreneurs develop, market and sell their products at stores such as Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Big 5 Sporting Goods. “It’s like a Grand Canyon-size cliff if you don’t. Because that’s your opportunity to sign off that your product is correct, and if it’s not, to have the production line stop and fix it.”

4. Price it right.

Many entrepreneurs fail to factor in all overhead costs—including shipping and duties—when considering pricing. Other mistakes: gauging incorrectly what consumers will be willing to pay, not knowing where you want to sell the product and thinking you can make the same profit margin from high- and low-end retailers. For example, selling at Nordstrom will yield a different margin than selling on Amazon and may require different packaging, Wenslow says.

Wait to do the math until you’ve nailed down all the particulars. Once you run the numbers, if your profit margins are too low (or the price you need to charge to make a profit is too high), you may need to whittle down your manufacturing costs.

Hong is a fan of looking to the marketplace—at comparable products and industry margins—to calculate product price. “I’ve always been a big believer that your cost and the price is driven by the market, unless you are creating a new market for a product,” he says.

If you need help setting prices, Wenslow suggests enlisting the services of a product development consultant or sales broker.

5. Don’t overstock. 

Sure, you don’t want to run out of product. And sure, suppliers offer discounts for larger orders. But tying up all your capital in inventory can turn your company into the Titanic. “If you think you’re going to sell 100 pieces, don’t go and buy 1,000,” Ko says. Instead, buy 110. 

Cash flow, shipping time, storage space and shelf life will dictate how much product you stock. “It’s an intricate dance, and every industry is different,” Ko says. 

Then there’s the matter of how many colors, styles, sizes and other variations to initially offer. Again, fewer are better. Give consumers too many options, and you risk overwhelming them. “There’s that old adage,” Wenslow says, “‘A confused mind won’t buy.’”

6. Protect your ideas.

Intellectual property laws can protect you only if you arm yourself accordingly. Hiring a tough IP attorney is a must. But before you shell out thousands, visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website (uspto.gov) to learn about these protections and ensure that your idea hasn’t already been patented or trademarked by someone else.

As early as possible, you should trademark your product name, purchase the corresponding web domain and file a provisional patent application, which won’t break the bank but will allow you to stake a claim on your idea while giving you a year to file a formal application. 

You probably won’t be able to afford to patent your products in multiple countries from day one—you’ll likely file a U.S. patent first and add others as it makes sense. But it helps to determine early on where else you may want to market your idea, Wenslow says, because once you head down this path, the deadlines for filing patents abroad arrive quickly.

7. Consider retailers and communicate wisely. 

Landed a meeting with a potential retailer? You need to anticipate all questions they might lob your way so you can help them see how to market and sell your product to their particular customer base. “It’s all about specificity,” says Zivelo’s Birg. 

Keep your pitch simple. For Birg, the most effective pitches relay three concise, memorable selling points for potential buyers. “I have to put myself in their shoes and know that they report to someone,” he explains. “You don’t want your presentation to be overly complex.”

You may not get into your preferred retail outlet your first time out. If that’s the case, be persistent but pleasant. Dahl, whose products now sell on QVC and through retailers such as Camping World and Cabela’s, follows up once per month or quarter with buyers he’s met who are still on the fence.

Be wary of diving into the big-box pool too soon—you need high profit margins to do so. Many retail chains will demand that you carry a hefty liability insurance policy and provide display boxes or fixtures for your products. “You have to spend money to make money,” Ko points out. “And you have to make sure you have enough to spend.” 

06 Reasons Your PR Is Failing

PR has changed a lot in the last decade. It used to be pretty straightforward -- and involve news releases, media and events. But then along came social media and the content-marketing craze, and suddenly everyone seems a little confused about exactly what public relations is and where it fits in.

Misunderstandings like “We hired a PR agency, so I’ll be on the front of Entrepreneur!” or “If we issue a press release, the media will cover our news!” are not uncommon.

The U.S. public relations industry was estimated to be about a $10 billion industry, with more than 7,000 U.S. firms in 2013, according to a First Research study. So clearly, businesses still believe in the power of PR, even if they aren't exactly sure what to expect from it.

Why are so many companies continuously unhappy with their PR results? It's common in the industry to hear someone say, "We hired a PR firm and we got nothing. It was a waste of money.”

Companies jump from agency to agency, doing the same things and making the same mistakes -- instead of taking an internal look at what they might be doing to sabotage their own PR efforts (and the agencies they hire and fire).

Here are six reasons your PR may be failing:

1. Not being ready for PR.

It’s exciting to tell people what you’re working on, but sometimes your story isn’t quite strong enough to share yet. This can happen in the case of exuberant startups or older companies coming out of a crisis period or a downturn. 

Perhaps you have not vetted your market messages or competitive positioning. Or your financials might be tough to share in an interview.

Or maybe you do have a great story but you don't have the infrastructure in place to support the interest that public relations will drum up. You should have a plan to scale up the company's response and activities if you're going to invest in public relations.

When the PR team does a great job and the inquiries begin to pour in, you need to be able to answer them, sell appropriately and provide great customer service. Because if you don't, you will have a whole other type of PR issue at hand. 

2. Letting ego get in the way.  

There are tons of startup founders and CEOs who believe they are changing the world. And some are. But many are not.

When a marketing executive sets realistic expectations for the type of fanfare you can expect via PR, listen. If you think results should be better, have that discussion earlier rather than later.

Your PR counsel can tell you what’s needed so your company can reach the level of success you're seeking.

The problem is that ego can result in not listening, which is equivalent to having unrealistic expectations. And thus the PR will likely fail.

3. Thinking journalists owe you something.

So your PR team secured some really important interviews for you. You sit down and have conversations with the journalists and then great stories appear, right?  

But just because a reporter met with you doesn't mean he or she owes you a story. Rather, a reporter owes his or her readers a story -- and if yours wasn't interesting enough, the journalist won't offer it.

4. Not understanding PR's role in the marketing spectrum.

Everyone is defining PR differently these days. Is PR social media, digital content or analyst relations?

You have to be clear inside your own company what the public relations operation is responsible for and the expectations for success.

5. Not measuring results.

Too many PR measurements are based on possibilities and not realities. With today’s data and PR-analytics tools, dig deeper to analyze real outcomes.

Consider the following: Are you engaging with the right audiences? Are these consumers sharing your content and influencing others to buy from your company? Are media articles conveying your company's core messages, positioning it in the correct industry and thus driving traffic and referrals?

Do awards, speaking and events increase sales leads as well as awareness? Which ones perform well and which are a waste of money? What’s working to positively affect the company's bottom line and turn PR from a cost center into a profit center?

6. Working in a vacuum.

Companies often put a big effort into searching for the right PR partner, yet fail to follow through after the publicists are hired.

Agencies can't be successful if they're working in a black hole. Hire publicists you can trust and integrate them into your team. Involve the professionals in discussions and decision making. Trust them with confidential information and updates as things change.

When you fail to communicate clearly and consistently, the publicists will fail. Involve them during the decision making, not after the fact. If you’ve hired the right agency partner, the publicists will have some good counsel to add to the discussion.

PR is an investment of not only your money but also your mindshare. It's not a magic wand and must be weaved into the fabric of a company in order to return the value expected.  

5 Steps to Seriously Improve Your Networking Skills

No matter what profession you’re in, networking is the fuel that accelerates success. Not only is it useful for learning directly from individuals you meet, but the benefits of association and growing your own authority are just as powerful.

For some of us, the word networking can leave a bad taste in our mouths. Many of us aren’t sure where to start, what to say when we connect with someone or how to maintain that relationship. Although I truly believe there’s an art and science to networking and building authentic relationships, I’m going to distill what I’ve learned over the past few years. So, here is my no-BS guide to networking.

Stage 1: Mindset

Before you think about networking, remove the word "working" from your system. We hear people talking about putting on their "networking game," and I can't help but wonder how many showers they'll need to take afterward to rid themselves of the inauthenticity. It's likely that the people you're trying to reach get approached by dozens, if not hundreds, of people just like you; and it's not difficult for them to weed out the people who are "putting on a face."

The best networking comes from genuine relationships, not a business card exchange. No matter whom you’re trying to build a relationship with, treating that person as a friend rather than a business contact will take you much further with the relationship. So, think about how you would approach a potential friend. Find something you have in common with, keep it light, make jokes, and above all, show that you care.

Stage 2: The destination

Doing something for the sake of doing it is rarely a good idea, nor is it a good use of your time. It’s the old analogy of having a fully gassed car without a final destination to head toward.

As many of you may already know, I’m a big believer in goal setting and focusing on pouring energy into accomplishing the stated goal. What is your dream job? How do you envision your future? What do you need to be doing to be the most fulfilled, happy and driven version of you? Write down what your goal is for five years from now. Then write down what goal you need to hit one year from now in order to get you closer to your five-year goal. Finally, write down what goal you need to hit 90 days from now in order to get you closer to your one-year goal.

For example: Let’s say your goal is to make $1 million in five years. You would need a vehicle, whether that is your own business, investments or something financially viable to get you to your destination. In this case, your goal one year from now might be to have your business launched and to hit $5,000 per month in sales. 

So, what would you need to do in the next 90 days in order to hit $5,000 per month in your new business, one year from now? It might be finding the right partner with a complementary skill sets, or acquiring your first paying customer in the next 90 days.

5-year goal: Make $1 million
1-year goal: Hit $5,000/month ($60,000 per year) in sales with new business
90-day goal: Get your first paying customer

Now, it’s time to write down your goals. Yes, physically write them!

Stage 3: The map

Now that you have your final destination for five years from now, including focused, short-term goals to get you there, design your map. Keith Ferrazzi has a powerful strategy called the Networking Action Plan (NAP), which he explains in Never Eat Alone, to connect your networking strategy with your goals. 

Step 1 is to write down your goals and final destination (which you completed in Stage 2). Step 2 is to look at the three goals you have written down. Then, next to each of your goals, write down three people who will either kickstart or accelerate your goal. These could be people you are already connected with, who are second-degree connections from you, or people you have no connections to.

Examples of who your top 3 could be include mentors or advisors, clients who will advocate for you, investors who believe in your vision, team members who may be co-founders or key hires, a boss or manager who could propel you to a raise or strategic position within your organization or superconnectors that will connect you with any of the above, to build your network. 

If you’re looking to start a company, the three people could be a potential partner, an investor and a potential client. For a best-selling book, the three could be your agent, promotional partners or editor.

It’s important to invest some time doing thorough research to be confident that the three people are essential in helping you accomplish your goals faster.

Stage 4: Building a human connection

Hw do you foster a real connection when you speak with someone -- whether it’s on Skype or on the phone or in-person? Personally, I think it boils down to these factors:

• Ask insightful questions (to get the other person thinking). You can know a lot about a person by the quality of the questions he or she asks. Tony Robbins often shares that the quality of your questions correlates to the quality of your life.
• Ask better questions, receive better answers. Peter Thiel challenges us to ask ourselves: “How do we accomplish our 10-year goals in six months?” By asking better questions when you’re speaking with someone, you not only put yourself in a category of someone that thinks differently, but you force the other person to think in a new way that helps him or her grow.
• Pay attention (as if your life depended on it). This may come naturally for some people, or be extremely difficult for others. In our smartphone era, paying attention is a demanded “skill” many of us lack. How many times have you spoken with someone who is constantly fidgeting, looking around or interrupting your every sentence? By simplying maintaining eye contact, listening attentively and responding with relevant questions, you’re separating yourself from the rest of the pack and are well on your way to fostering a genuine relationship.

Listen. Ask good questions. Repeat.

Stage 5: Superconnecting

The fastest way to grow your own network is to introduce two people who can benefit from each another. As simple as this strategy sounds, it's one you hardly see most people do. When’s the last time someone deliberately went out of his or her way to introduce you to someone after listening to your struggles? If you’re the rare breed that has experienced this, you’ve met a superconnector. 

With over three billion people online today, it’s increasingly difficult to separate the fog from the light, and the role of superconnectors will become increasingly important to make that distinction. Here are few of the most powerful ways to become a superconnector yourself.

• Don’t keep score. This is by far the key difference between superconnectors and everyone else. Superconnectors have an abundance mentality, and they’re always willing to give, connect and share.
• Make friends, not “contacts.” In other words, value quality over quantity. Put away your business cards, and form genuine friendships with people you meet. I force myself to never talk about business in the first encounter with someone, unless I have to. It’s 10 times more valuable to develop connections with five quality people at an event than 50 “contacts” whose names you won't remember.
• Connect other superconnectors. Do you know two connectors who could benefit from meeting? Have they already met? Introducing two superconnectors will be the easiest connection you make because: They are naturally friendly and most likely will have friends in common. And you'll not only help others further their goals, but will come to mind for them, for future potential connections that will benefit you.
• Interview people. This may be one of the fastest ways to grow your network, if done strategically. You could do this in the context of a research paper, book or, my personal favorite, a podcast. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with the likes of Eric Ries, Adam Braun, Jason Fried, Gary Vaynerchuk and others who would have been difficult to connect with had I not started #SKIM Live. 
• Follow-up. This is the missing step we all forget to do. But following up to see how the introduction went, or randomly following up a few months later with no agenda will not only help you maintain your connections, but foster the relationship to a different level. In a world of take take take, being able to show that you care about someone as a friend will put you in a whole different category with any of your connections.