Do you want to become a better entrepreneur? Well who doesn’t, right?
Over the past 8 years I have started around 9 companies. Sadly most of them failed, but the good news is, I have learned a lot over the years. Some of these things maybe obvious to you, while others may not, but none-the-less there will be something that will be beneficial to you.
Here are 53 things to keep in mind if you want to be a better entrepreneur:
- Don’t let emotions cloud your decisions.
- Accept criticism, no matter who gives it to you.
- Never stop networking.
- Learn from your own mistakes.
- Learn from other people’s mistakes.
- Around every corner lies an opportunity for you to sell something.
- Don’t get too greedy… pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.
- Try not to mix your family life with your business life.
- No matter how successful you are, you shouldn’t stop learning.
- Spending money on good lawyers and accountants will save you more money in the long run.
- Don’t pick a stupid company name and if you do, don’t change it later on.
- Hiring employees won’t solve most of your problems.
- Be agile because slow and steady won’t win the race.
- Being agile isn’t enough, you also have to be scrappy too.
- Having a good business partner will be a key factor in your success.
- Don’t be afraid of the unknown.
- It is easier to save money than it is to make it.
- You don’t always have to innovate; there is nothing wrong with copying.
- Have a marketing plan.
- Don’t under estimate your competition; you can’t always know what they are doing.
- Watching movies like Boiler Room, will teach you how to sell.
- If you don’t have a business mentor, you better get one.
- Your income will be the average of your 5 closest friends, so pick them wisely.
- Diversifying is a good way to play things safe.
- It doesn’t matter what you want, it only matters what your customers want.
- When others are fearful, you should be greedy. And when they are greedy you should be fearful.
- You don’t always have to pay for advice. You’ll be amazed with the free advice you can get pick up from the web.
- The best chances you have of becoming rich is through your willingness of working hard.
- Even the most idiotic business idea can make money.
- Sex sells and it always will.
- An easy way to make more money is to up sell to your current customer base.
- Base your business decisions around metrics.
- There is no such thing as a safe bet.
- You don’t have to start a business to be successful.
- Raising venture capital is harder than being struck by lightening.
- Staying under the radar isn’t always a bad thing. Being out in the open is a great way to attract more competitors.
- Learn to be a team player.
- If you ever get screwed over, think twice before you burn the bridge.
- Learn to manage both your personal and business money.
- Live in a location filled with entrepreneurs.
- If you don’t take any risks, there will not be any rewards.
- Don’t let anything stand in your way.
- Sometimes you have to wait for good deals to come to you.
- The smartest route isn’t always the easiest route.
- Being too aggressive can backfire.
- With networking, it isn’t about whom you know, it is about whom your network knows.
- It’s never a bad thing to know too many rich people. Whether you like them or not, they can always come in handy. So make sure you always play nice with them.
- Use your email signature to promote your business.
- Don’t be afraid of social media. It is a great channel for customer acquisition.
- You’ll learn more from starting your own business, than going to business school.
- Having a personal blog doesn’t only help build your personal brand, but it helps your business as well.
- Your competitors don’t have to be your enemies, you can learn a lot from them.
- You can grow your business by working for free.
Hopefully these suggestions will help you improve your entrepreneurial skills. And if you have any other suggestions that will help other Quick Sprout readers, as well me become a better entrepreneur, feel free to leave a comment.
Look over my shoulder while I share: 
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Neil:
Great post. It’s good to see various points on how to become a better entrepreneur. I have not yet started any businesses but I have worked in few startups in my short career. From my experience, I would like to add few more points to your list:
- If you are good in one area, do not automatically assume you would be good in other areas as well.
- Try to hire people who are smarter than you.
- Do not try to wear multiple hats. If you were a software developer and starting out a software company, concentrate more on how to sell that software, rather than fixing a bug in late hours.
- Hire a person who is the best in his field, even though you have to pay more than market price of his position. It’s always good to pay 2 person’s salary to one person if he is better and works more efficiently than others.
- Do not spend money on conferences by travelling business class flights and staying in high end hotels.
- Always have money aside for rainy days.
- Hire people once you have a job for them. If you don’t have a job for them, learn how to utilize their intelligence to get work for them.
- Try to know what your employees really want to do. Sometimes whatever they have said in interviews may not align with their future plans.
- Try to create the best work environment for your employees. Most of the time, employees do not want great chairs or LCD monitors but few hrs work from home is enough to motivate them.
- Within few months of your company, train a person to mirror your duties. Your presence would require at multiple places and so, you have to mirror your position as early as possible.
Cheers,
Pritesh
http://twitter.com/mehta1p
Thanks for adding that insightful comment! Many of these points are great!
If you are a determined and focused individual this message is to help you maintain your current course. Don’t let anything stand in your way with your motivation to get in shape. Either make the decision to do it or not to do it. Just don’t violate the biggest rule and say that you are serious when the truth is that you are NOT!
Right, just don’t lie to yourself and be committed to the decisions you make
I have just discovered your site a few days ago and really could not stop reading your blogs. Your advice is rock solid gained from years of experience and the best thing is you are frank there is noting to hide which I admire. Now for me it is Tech crunch for news and Quick Sprout for inspiration
Keep up the good work Neil
PS. I would defiantly recommend your site to any one who is interested in starting a new business
Thanks Muneeb, It’s always great to hear that. Tell your friends to tell their friends
Great post thanks Neil!
I’ve heard you talk about the importance of business partners a few times and was wondering if you could expand on that.
My experience has been the opposite actually – I’ve tried starting a business 50/50 with someone three times and it has never turned out well (one went to jail for fraud, one I bought out which was ok, one I don’t speak to anymore).
Aside from anything dramatic happening (like fraud) I guess my main problem with it was that when there are two heads of the company, every decision has to be approved by two people. This can slow things down and also leaves noone to make the final decision if you can’t agree. So on subsequent companies I’ve resorted to working closely with people…but never as true partners, I’ve always kept the final decision making power. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks,
Brian Armstrong
The success of a partnership lies solely on who you pick. One person needs to be the visionary and communicator while the other needs to be the analytical, and focus on the details.
Good post. Would love to see a post on pros/cons of busness partners.
I’ll consider that for a future post actually, many people have asked
Hi Neil,
Interesting post. Of course if you throw that many points out there, you’re just asking for somebody to disagree with you on a few points.
1. Don’t let emotions cloud your decisions
Emotions can be a powerful ally. When you became an entrepreneur, was it based on a cold analysis of the facts? Or was it a gut feeling? A deep drive to find out who you really are and what you can do?
I think your point here is more about basing decisions on metrics rather than emotions. Which sounds good in theory. Problem is that good metrics can be super hard to come by. There is just as much danger in making bad decisions based on poor metrics. Perhaps more if you are ignoring your gut.
13.Be agile because slow and steady won’t win the race.
This one really puzzles me. Being an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you have to follow some formula of making a big splash and selling it off.
The vast majority of small businesses are about developing and perfecting a craft. It’s the slow and steady that makes them good at what they do. Where would we be without the slow and steady?
30.Sex sells and it always will.
So what? Does that mean we should alter our marketing plans to incorporate this? Puppies also sell! And kittens. And babies. And sack puppets. And talking geckos with british accents.
These are all various points that are seen in successful entrepreneurship. By the way, emotions can prevent you from making logic decisions, that’s why I say, don’t let me cloud your mind.
Yes, I want to be a better entrepreneur. But I think that entrepreneurship is something in the blood. Although you can learn and implement new ideas, it’s the character that wins in the long run.
A great post Neil. Caught some ideas from here.
It’s not in the blood, you can develop a passion for it at any time of your life.
I never understood why people say entrepreneurship is in the blood. It always feels like that person is trying to justify their fear of doing what they want to do. Just my 2 cents.
It’s just a saying that people use…and I obviously agree with you.
Yes, I want to be a better entrepreneur. But I think that entrepreneurship is something in the blood. Although you can learn and implement new ideas, it’s the character that wins in the long run.
Entrepreneurship is not necessarily in the blood, it’s aquired. What everyou’re passionate about doing will run through your blood.
These tips are fabulous. Sometimes there is no better education that the school of hard knocks. Experience is what helps guide us through these tough times.
Experience is one of the best ways to learn. Also, don’t take other people’s mistakes for granted either. It can help you save yourself from loosing thousands if not more!
Experience is an excellent way to learn … especially once you realize the need to learn from the experiences of others. Copy what worked, discard what didn’t … you don’t have the time or the resources to make all the mistakes yourself.
#18 is probably one of the most understated ideas that a lot of people miss. I can’t even imagine to think of the number of successful ventures out there that simply have re-invented the wheel… and made it better.
#13 reminds me of the amount of time I’ve wasted. To be successful, you have to stop wasting time on watching television or snoozing. Time is an invaluable resource, and yet most people spend it by doing activities that don’t contribute to productivity. Having some leisure time at your disposal is good, but too much of it can have an adverse affect.
Time and change is the only thing that never stops. We all share the same amount equally. What you do with your time is what makes or breaks anything you do.
Be careful about # 18! Do NOT cross ethical boundaries.
I would add another point, that is to keep your word, be on time, and uphold the highest ethical standards. All you have is your good name.
Great add Kat, but that should all be common knowledge
Where does #23 come from?
Your income will be the average of your 5 closest friends, so pick them wisely.
If I think about it, I can find examples that don’t fit that rule. I am just curious where the logic lies in it.
I do think it works in a general sense, but if I had a few great friends before getting ahead in life – I wouldn’t trade them in for friends that made more money. Even subconsciously. Nor would the income of the company I keep restrict my personal income goals/results.
It’s a rule of thumb. The more successful people you have in your life, the more successful people you will become.
Hello Neil,
Very nice post. I especially have a deep appreciation for what you chose to write as the opening paragraph.
So often, the benefits of failure are not recognized and acknowledged as one of the key fundamentals in building a profitable company. The entrepreneur is cultivated and polished only with time. Even for those lucky ones that hit it the first time out, evolve only through learning from the most minuscule errors and fine-tuning systems that are, in fact, working.
The best advice I can give any budding entrepreneur, is to continually view himself as a diamond-in-the-rough and his company, an unfinished piece of art. When we create this mindset, we give ourselves the freedom to choose new opportunities and welcome change.
Each evening I run on a road called McGregor Boulevard located in Fort Myers, Florida. And every night, I take the same route past Thomas Edison’s summer residence and laboratory. With Mr. Edison in mind, I’ll share a famous quote.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Alva Edison
I think that is a fantastic quote that everyone should take to the heart. Persistence is key.
Hi it’s mind blowing , you have done an excellent job, but we do make mistakes, difficult to go by the rules.
I think business is caught and can be taught.
There is no busness school which can teach IDEAS, which will be successful , it’s all from inside or a hit and trial methode, in one go it’s difficult to be very successful, you learn by default manythings, until you swim in the ocesn you really don’t know where the sharks are.
Nice Post,
Warm Regards,
Right, it can’t be taught, but almost anything can be molded, shaped, and if marketed correctly, become big time.
Hey,
As I start my own adventure into the business world somehow I really thank you for the time and information you have put into this.
I would love to have a full time coach to mentor me but this blog is the next best thing.
Thanks
Deon
Thanks Deon, that says a lot. Take a look at my previous posts and you’ll surely get a lot of insight that can help you move forward.
Hi Neil
Thanks for the list – I think everything boils down to point 3 -> networking. This need not be high-powered meetings or seminar discussions with like-minded experts – could also be Twitter or Facebook relationship building.
ZQ
With technology allowing us to do things that were previously unheard of, networking is a million times easier to do and should be taken advantage while many people have yet to jump on board.
Just to add onto point #3, I’ve met quite interesting business connections through networking events via Meetup.com. For those unfamiliar with Meetup, it’s a website that hooks people up with networking events based on hobbies, profession and city. I’d recommend giving it a shot and attending an event, you’d be surprised to see who you will meet!
wow, that’s very interesting. I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks!
Hey Neil,
This is a great post. The most I can relate to is the initial failure where you said you started 9 companies and failed.
I have started 2 and failed. But key is I learnt a lot form each failure. I am about to start a 3rd one. I will try to implement most of the suggestions on this post and comments.
I once read something that said something like this (sorry dont remember exact words): Dont stop trying because you failed, you fail because you try. Keep trying.
It was something on those lines but is very motivational for me to keep going.
Thanks for the great post.
Right, don’t quit now, because you can be inches away from success.
#11 – Don’t pick a stupid company name… and if you do, don’t change it later on… This one reminds me of the famous Experts Exchange website. Originally, they had it has Expertsexchange.com (get it?), but then they changed their domain name to Experts-Exchange.com later down the road. Lesson learned? Choose a domain name that’s reflective of your company, but doesn’t have a double connotation! haha
ROFL, that’s hilarious! I’ve seen a list of domains like that online.
Hi Neil,
I am looking to leverage my telecom sales experience of relationship management, product roll out and development in new market, to start up business in my hometown Bhopal, MP, India. The business which I am looking is which I can earn profits as well as which help in development of my society, community, nearby surroundings and also in utilization of natural resources. Keeping all this into consideration, I am looking into energy business (solar, wind, bio). My plans are not set up any manufacturing unit, but to provide solutions to urban and rural market with main focus on Corporate and institutional sales and for converting there houses into solar houses.
Please guide me from where and how to start.3
Thanks,
Sumesh
talk to Deep from gogreensolar.com
yha you are right Neil; GoGreenSolar.com provides an innovative online network for buyers and renewable energy contractors to conduct trade.
Neil,
Great list. Just read about a book by a guy that markets himself as an “extreme” entrepreneur (I won’t give him a plug by naming him). Among other things, he says: “You cannot be effective as the owner of a business unless you are feared—it’s the best motivator.†And he adds: “Put business first, always. … Weekends are for work. Pray at your desk if you must.â€
I have a client, an entrepreneur named Jerry Carter, who takes what I think is a more sensible approach that he advocates in his new book, Business Clarity. Here’s a couple of his tips:
1. Take the time to write a very detailed business plan, especially for the first year.
2. Engage family support. Figure out the break-even point where you can successfully run a business and keep a happy home life.
3. Work with firms that are similar to yours in culture. That should mean firms that are ambitious and hungry for success.
4. Business owners must has a “sales” mindset. Must. Must. Must.
5. Be an action person, not a perfectionist. Perfectionists tend to worry about preparing for every possible scenario. It’s impossible to map out every possible scenario. Knock on some doors.
6. Explore cooperative marketing opportunities with partners. Mine their client and prospect lists.
He agrees with a lot of your advice, specifically about networking, and commiting to hard work.
Bob Zeitlinger
Great advice Bob, thank you for sharing it with us. Weekend are just another day when the sun comes up and the sun goes down. Keep working
Great things to add to an already stellar list. My particular favorite to point out is #45 Being too aggressive can backfire. I have been turn off by a person by how aggressive they were. It is good to a certain extent, but people need to know where to draw the line.
Right, thats because they go from being aggressive to being desperate, and it shows!
Even if you can’t satisfy every customer, learn how to do this the best without saying “no”.
Exactly, doing your best is what matters. Even if you failed, at least you did what you can, and now you move forward.
“Never stop networking” ..I think is the base upon which your structure stands…anything less in this and your structure is bound to fall.
Networking in your business is like a plan, you need to keep feeding it new people, otherwise it’ll just grow hungry and die.
Persistence is the one great characteristic which all successful people in any walk of life have to develop. In network marketing, persistence pays off big time. When people stay in a network marketing opportunity for a decade or more, they have a 95% chance of reaching the top earners’ bracket.
Exactly, thats why most people fail, its too hard for most people to invest the time.
Now i’m a college student and major in Sociology. I wonder how to be a good entrepreneur? Can someone give me the way or the advice? And can you give me some list of books and website that i can use as a reference and source?
Take a look at some of my previous articles.
Neal, You need a print button. Nuff said!
Justin
Glad you liked it Justin. Copy past
just highlight and ctrl+P no big deal~Nuff Said!
Thanks for your blog. I just founded an Entrepreneur and Professional Moms Association. (non-profit) I freak myself out daily but, realize that there are others who have “done it,” why not me? I am really trying to surround myself with people who are stronger than me in the areas that I am weak!
I will share your blog with my members and everyone else. Cheers, Lorin
Thanks Lorin. One of the main reasons why people succeed is that they are able to surround themselves with people who are much more superior than they are. Good Luck!
I realize a lot of what I’m reading lately has to do with the current financial crisis, but your post is another story
thank you for sharing this!
I like to tell the positive side of the stories
Great List Neil. Number 17 is something that I try to instill in my clients. It is easier for (most) individuals to build wealth by saving more of what they earn and making smarter purchasing decisions, than it is for them to build wealth by earning an extraordinary amount of money.
This includes being smarter with debt and using debt as a tool for growth, not the purchase of consumer goods and other wants.
It can be challenging too at the same time, but it’s important to have a good financial plan to back you up.
Hey Neil,
Any idea when you are going to have time to get your archives up on the site? How many posts to you have? I went back a few pages and I saw that your posts started to get a little far apart.
For now just press the back button, but I am working on the doing it.
Thanks for the great post!
Today i offically quit adwords after realising what a waste of money it was with all the free advertising that is available to us today. Especially with social media that accounts for a major section of my traffic.
kind regards
sam
X
Instead of quitting Adwords, which is arguably the most expensive top-tier PPC network, you should try out Yahoo Search Marketing or MSN AdCenter. The CPC are far lesser across the board and so is the competition.
That’s a great idea since so many people are starting up companies that allow you to make a bit more.
You can still do well with AdWords if your niche isn’t too competitive.
It all comes down to testing and tracking.
Which long tail keywords best target the people you really want and no one else.
Which ad types provide the best hook for your visitor and get you the best click through rate. High click through rates mean you rank higher for the same amount of money.
It’s difficult to do that, but if you can, more power to you. You should always look for upcoming trends and try it from there.
It’s just too saturated and doesn’t provide the results you may need.
I agree with “Having a good business partner” this is ideal in my opinion for long term success. Thanks for the tips Neil.
Finding the right partner is difficult, but when you do, it can mean a world of success.
So many great points in the list. One that really caught my eye was watching movies like Boiler Room. Back when I was in high school, I was told by senior business guys to watch Wall Street and Glengarry Glen Ross. Both movies are similar to Boiler Room and are helpful with becoming a good entrepreneur.
Yah those movies are definitely inspiring. Glengarry was more realistic though.
#54 follow Neil Patel.
Everyone should add that to their list
I can definitely agree with #33 about thinking long and hard how you deal with people when you get screwed. I once had a supplier of a physical product who, without any prior notice, faxed my company a letter saying that they were discontinuing their dealer program and would be going direct to the public (this product was predominately only sold through dealers). They went into great detail explaining how the dealers were the only makes making any money and reported that they would not be honoring any pending orders. The entire situation left a very bad taste in my mouth. A number of my fellow dealers of this product fired off nasty e-mails and letters as well as generally negative postings in niche specific forums. Although I was really angry about the way it was handled coupled with my loss of this revenue stream, I politely called the owner and wished him the best of luck on this new direction.
Six months later, I get a call from the owner asking if we might consider carrying their product again. The relationship was renewed with a new set of terms.
Had I expressed my true feelings or really told the guy off, I would have probably completely burned that bridge.
Anger is said to be the biggest cloud for a decision maker. Great job on refraining yourself and taking action on a clear mind.
I think These Also Peoples Weakness,
I Mostly cannot Concentrate On work Properly as I got Some problems At home, it even Happens With some OF the team member So all over It turns To loss,
Its Getting Harder To change Myself But Thinking to Take a break From Work Solve other Problems And Get back to Work Like i should
It is difficult, but doing something about it by taking action will be the key to your differences.
No. 38 rings true for me, I have often flown off the handle at being ‘screwed over’ due to my occasionally less than ample fuse, I’ve paid for it later too.
Well, that’s exactly why you need to fail forward fast, and move on
Asking users for feedback is critical for the success of any website.
How can you cater to their needs if you don’t know what they need?
DO a survey and figure it out. Those readers can be worth thousands to you.
I have found that bribing people to do a survey can be very helpful. I sometimes offer them a freebie of some sort if they do a quick survey. i.e. free special report or how to guide.
Doing this increases the number of people that will respond to a survey.
bribe them with some sort of free ebook or something. Yea, great idea.
Another great post.
Your competitors don’t have to be your enemies, you can learn a lot from them.
You can grow your business by working for free.
Both are part of my strategy as well.I am sure even a monkey will become a a Better Entrepreneur afrer reading this!
lol, I can only hope that my posts are easy enough for a monkey to learn from
Neil,
Really enjoyed the very informative post. Great insight. You know I think for so many would-be entrepreneurs they’re so lost they don’t even know where to begin. They want to take that leap of faith but so many people are just scared. I’m going to share this list with a few of my colleagues who could really benefit from this.
John
It’s like dipping a part of your toe in the water instead of jumping all in. People who are just trying to get a taste of what’s going one will get only that, a taste. You need to learn however, which opportunities to take and which to not.
Hi Neil,
I wanted to point out another way, which, indirectly broadens a perspective and view.
- reading fiction (especially fantasy or sci-fi)
This not only lends additional experiences but also helps growing imagination and potential possibilities, which can be adopted to the entrepreneurial initiative and business.
I attended a seminar on leadership by a VP of wholesales of Swisscom Telecom (a thirdy-something) who stressed this same point and recommended two books to the audience:
- “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse (for enhancing perspective)
- “The Dilbert Principle” by Scott Adams (for getting a “realistic” view on corporate office culture).
Cheers,
H.
Thanks for those recommendation. Yes any books really can broaden your perspective. Put more focus on books that provide self improvement advice.
Hey Neil,
I like no 29 & 33 especially well. Their significance cannot be overstated. But I think you haven’t failed in those businesses as you earned something priceless & non-available in market for sale: Experience.
Anybody who intends to succeed in life is gonna need these lessons in life to be & remain successful.
I know you really like 2 more than others, but the secret is to like them all equally. Pay attention to each and every point I listed, they will make a world of difference.
I have been struggling to be a sucessful entrepreneur for a while.
Well the good news is…. everyone else does too. The ones who can stay on the longest are the ones that succeed.
stay on and keep motivate to push on the button, one day you will be find way to success!!!
There is always a way to get something done, as long as you focus and push yourself.
Hey Neil,
My favorite is #18:
You don’t always have to innovate; there is nothing wrong with copying.
SO many people try to come out with this crazy never before seen thing and fail so badly..
Just find what’s working and do it to. I.e. you see someone selling shoes for $10, go ahead and sell shoes for $9 and compete!
Sincerely,
Jay Jalodomisa
Very true… innovation is a beautiful thing, but don’t go breaking your back over it. See what people are doing and go against them by making it better.
Even if you can’t satisfy every customer, learn how to do this the best without saying no
The truth is that you’ll never satisfy every customer… so don’t expect or even try to. Just provide the best service you can and keep pushing yourself forward.
Hi, very cool and interesting post. I agree with most of what you say and am desparately trying to be an entreprenuer. Started my own online business and one comment of yours that really is true, ‘You’ll learn more from starting your own business, than going to business school.’ Thanks I will be back.
Don’t desperately be an entrepreneur, passionately be one. Your perceptions and business making decisions would be completely different.
This was an interesting list. Many of the items are only true under conditional situations, but it was a good read just the same.
Well actually they aren’t under just conditional situations, it applies to all situations in starting and having a successful business.
53 ways…!!!!
I thought you need to have them all to become a good entrepreneur….
On seeing this on twitter I thought this is about 53 entrpreneurial ideas…
Well either way, they’re powerful ideas to make it happen!
In a world increasingly affected by globalization, increased competitiveness and maturing products, the need for creativity and entrepreneurship has never been greater. Luckily, the attractions of becoming an entrepreneur have never been greater either, especially since a shift from a predominantly manufacturing – to a service-based economy has lowered the cost and barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. This article endeavors to assist wannabe entrepreneurs (entrepreneurs) in coming up with ‘the plan’ so as to enable them to finally take the plunge into the world of entrepreneurship.
Thanks for that amazing copy! My goal is to explain the precise steps one must take to become a phenomenal entrepreneur.
Mr. Neil,
I have a question.
I was wondering, after reading your comments, that why are you so arrogant in answering every comment which is against what you said in your post?
It’s not that I’m arrogant Stephen… I write my posts based on my beliefs and values… So if someone disagrees with what I say, I am naturally defending my position.
Great tips.
Never stop networking. – Agreed. Creates connections, potential clients/customers, feedback, potential partners and more. Always have business cards and remember networking is a two-way street.
Networking is a 2 way street… and most of the people you create a connection with will be of little to no value to you, but there are a select few that will completely change your life. It’s a numbers game.
No wonder you had 9 firms in last 8 years.
I wonder what your passion is and if you are riding your passions which I doubt
Nothing new here, please cut the crap and write to the point
What exactly do you think is crap and not to the point? I am currently perusing my passion and doing what I love.
Great article, as an entrepreneur who has been in business for 6 years i can relate to so many of your points, as a business advisor i have actualy discussed a number of similar points with clients. I hope you don’t mind if i share some of these in a blog post.
Keep up the great posts
Michael
Absolutely Michael… feel free to use anything you find on quicksprout in your own personal life and business.
Neil, I am totally impressed. Not only by your great posts, but by the fact that you take time to personally respond to each comment. You obviously take what you do and say very seriously. I’m glad I found your site, you are obviously a true entrepreneur with the heart to share your knowledge and learnings with others.
Thanks Sonia, I think that if you take the time to comment, then I will take the time to respond. Looking forward to more of your comments.
We just started our human resources consulting corporation working in partnership with experienced HR freelancers and continue to hire new freelancers. I just read your article reproduced on innovation Daily. Great insight and ideas worth more than what one usually gets from the average mentor. A note of caution about # 15, as good as it is to have “good business partner” on the contrary a bad partner could spell doom for a company, I recommend balanced risk taking when considering bringing on a partner. I also agree with you about learning from other people’s experience, which runs through your blog. My favourites for start-ups are # 3, 9, 19, 52 & 53.
a bad business partner won’t do good for anyone.. especially you’re personal mindset an confidence.
This is a great post.
Besides the above fact, It is just amazing that you take the time to reply to all your commenters. Rarely do i see that in the blogosphere these days.
Thanks Joseph… I do whatever I can to stand out from the rest.
I agree with “Having a good business partner” this is ideal in my opinion for long term success. Thanks for the tips Neil
There are just some things you can’t do or handle which is exactly why having a partner is a good idea.
Ya if you dont get rid of the losers who rather live on their parents, the government, or another person is the best thing you can do. Your goals are more important then taking care of a person who needs to grow up
very good stufff…all the points mentioned in this article are awesome
Thanks, hopefully you found them useful.
Excellent Streps. It should really inspire some young up-and-comers…I will definitely be checking out the wining idea.
I hope so, that’s what the intention is….
Hi Neil, do you think adding polls and ratings to website can increase user activities, thus will come back again? thank you
Yes, I definitely believe that to be true so long as it’s high quality content and not just some shit slapped together.
Neil, you mentioned Google Analytics– Which I think is one of the best web analytics tool (that’s free). There are quite a few “hidden” tips and tricks (or hacks via Greasemonkey) that your blog followers may find useful. Just type in “Google Analytics hacks” in Google, and you’ll find a plethora of tips on tracking the full referrer URL, tracking exact keywords, and too much more to list.
Thanks for sharing that, I definitely agree with you there. It’s worth checking out.
Great list Neil.
Funny thing is it has more impart after I have made the mistake.
Let me explain ‘Sign Says – Wet Paint’ so we touch it anyway just to make sure.
I’d also add “Know when to quit”. The richest and most successful have quit more than once in their life, and have moved on to even better things.
Cut your losses is what works a bit better
I had a nice article.
Wish I had read this when I was starting out. Good stuff, thanks.
Well at least you can get rockin on this now
Hey Neil,
This is a great list. Printing it out as a cheat sheet. #1 was had for me in the beginning. I had the problem of becoming friends with clients and then felt guilty charging them money for services. Learned my lesson fast.
Haha, I know what that feels like, but you just need to learn the difference between business and pleasure. Learning to separate the two will help you grow. I’m friends with a lot of the people I do business with, but we all have an understanding.
I particularly like #5. It’s definitely good to learn from your own mistakes, but you might as well take advantage of those that have gone before you, specifically if it relates to an issue you’re currently dealing with. While it might not give you the answer, it will definitely tell you where NOT to go! Good post…
Exactly… knowing that info will prevent you from making the same mistakes twice.
A lot of these are traits of good stock traders and investors as well.
Yeah I would imagine it being the same for most businesses and sales gigs.
Great original list. I do a lot of these things but could be doing more of them. I’m going to save this to keep things in perspective.
Thanks. That’s a great strategy…evaluate your progress at each step of the process.
Just 53? Thanks for the list. I have some work to do this weekend checking them off
Good luck, thanks for reading!
I like #22. I wish I had some sort of mentor to guide me.
It’s easier than you think. Search for one, or even better become one for others
What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It absolutely helpful and it has helped me out loads. I am hoping to give a contribution & help different customers like its aided me. Good job.
Thanks. I am glad you found it helpful. You should definitely try to contribute via comments, I love hearing from readers.
I think I’ve got a lot of those covered, but not all. This weeks challenge, how many more can I tick off
Haha, i would avoid ticking people off
. Best of luck!
No#52 is so true. Learn what your competitors do good and capitalise on what they do bad.
It’s a great way to capture the competitor’s business. Provide a service they offer, but do it better!
Great information. Thanks to stumbleupon that I chanced upon your site. Think you have really boast up my morale and make me work harder for my site at http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-set-your-financial-right-and-enjoy-your-life- to get more traffic.
Superb list, some very interesting and clearly good ideas.
It’s great that you link to loads of other posts for further reading too, gonna be here ages!
Great list to keep on my bookmark. thanks Neil.
Thanks for reading
Hi Neil,
Thanks for your article. I’d like to share a great new website that offers entrepreneurs a unique way to interact with investors.
BusinessMic.com is an online platform that allows entrepreneurs to post a short video giving an overview of their ideas and/or business plan. Meanwhile, there are numerous large investors that look through the videos and contact entrepreneurs who they are interested in. Right now they are allowing you to upload a video for only one penny!
The higher the rank of your video, the more likely you are to be seen. So you can market your video to others, boost your rating, and show investors that you already have community support for your business.
Glad you enjoyed the article. I’ll have to look into what you are talking about…sounds interesting.
Great tips, thanks Neil!
Glad you found them useful, thanks!
# 23: (Your income will be the average of your 5 closest friends, so pick them wisely) — This one is a hidden gem that many people underestimate!
It is, and unfortunately, most people choose not to do it because they’ve grown to attached…yada yada yada. What’s important, your friend from school who’s a loser, or the future of you and your family.
It is and it’s unfortunate. What’s the point in hanging out with people who just aren’t’ interested in bettering themselves?
I agree, it’s sad to see that people can’t ditch the friends they have that just bring them down.
Exactly, which is why you need to believe in this 100%
Most people don’t realize this being an area in someone’s life that prevents them from achieving their goals. Get rid of the losers