A great many startup “experts” now recommend that new entrepreneurs outsource as much of the noncore tasks as possible. The arguments sound logical – leave the work to the professionals; focus on your core competencies; don’t be distracted by accounting/marketing/whatever details. But there are a few problems with this advice that you should be aware of before you send your business out to be handled Read More »
The latest figures show the unemployment rate in the US is near 10%…that’s one in ten people out of work! And, the future isn’t looking particularly bright. Recent reports estimate the lack of work will continue through 2011, at least. You can’t sit around and wait for big business or the government to turn the economy around, so it’s pretty much up to you to Read More »
Outsourcing is a popular recommendation for new entrepreneurs. Many startup experts advise outsourcing everything except exactly the part of the business you really like to do. In most cases, this is really not very good advice. Once you start handing out responsibility for pieces of your business to outsiders, it isn’t long before it’s really not your business at all! And, if you are planning Read More »
Over the last few years, we have all been bombarded with images of the chaos caused by greed. With the destruction of the American economy, the outrageous unemployment rate, and the ridiculous number of working American drowning in debt, the poison of greed is a hot topic these days. Nobody wants to consider themselves greedy, especially when we all know someone struggling with no job Read More »
Starting a business is not for everyone. Aside from the perceived risks to your personal finances, lifestyle, and career, some folks just can’t cope with the thought of failure. Damaging one’s personal brand (basically, the ego) is a devastating thought for some, but one that can be managed before, during, and even after your entrepreneurial experience. The primary concern for most non-entrepreneurs is that, if Read More »
Start-up failures are rarely caused by one big disastrous decision. Instead they are due to a series of missteps. Often entrepreneurs aren’t sure what’s wrong, but know that the company isn’t progressing as expected. What are the warnings signs your start-up is getting off on the wrong foot? 1. Great Team… Not-So-Good Leadership A team with the right credentials is not good enough to make Read More »
Many start-ups are targeting the education market, as technology makes it easier and more cost effective to bring education to the poorer regions of the world. It’s one of the hot investment areas and where there is profit, there is progress. Education is key to economic wealth and as Horace Mann so aptly stated, “Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the Read More »