Business: it sure can be a complicated, enduring beast. But the true entrepreneur relishes in such adversity. Creating a business to call your own is one of the most gratifying experiences you will ever feel. That’s why so many people want to do it. But not everyone is cut from the mold. Here at Check Issuing, we work with lots of self-made, small businesses and perform their online check printing services, who continue to thrive at the hands of brilliant entrepreneurs.
Here’re a few tips we’ve picked up on from them.
Build Your Brand
Creating a brand is the first place an entrepreneur looking to make a product or services should start. The core competency of marketing revolves around having a great name. Your name should be recognizable and trusted. When you build your logos, make sure you use a color palette so that future designers understand your exact theme. Put your logo everywhere, like on your checks (check issuing can help). Be a good girl. Be friendly. We add the client’s logos to all our online check writers.
Utilize Your Networks
Networking is vital when it comes to business. Building a business contact portfolio is your pathway to success. Networking means the ability to get funds, or find investment opportunities, or even find that perfect web developer. Attend trade shows or corporate happy hours. Let it be known who you are. Make sure you utilize business cards or some virtual form of such.
Stay Educated
You should never stop honing your craft. You should never feel satisfied with the information you have learned. Always be in search of new learning experiences which apply to your business, to business, or to your personal achievements. If you aren’t learning, you are essentially “unlearning,” for lack of a better term. Your competition is hungry for new information; you need to be also. It is easier than ever to snag books online or even apply for online courses. Attend seminars that are relevant to your business. Maybe hit up trade shows. Visit YouTube and start searching. The world is your entrepreneurial oyster.
Never Quit When Faced With Rejection
Rejection is a universal theme song when it comes to being an entrepreneur. The fact is, a great entrepreneur will have plenty more rejections than they will successes. Every failure is not only a learning experience but a time to also regroup and realize why you showed up. You must understand that you are looking for the right opportunity and that you will need to be relentless in finding it. If you expect it to be easy, you will be mostly disappointed. All successful entrepreneurs have had a lot of doors slammed in their faces. Fear not! Always remain calm and confident and just know that your drive and persistence is the fuel for your success.
6 Inspirational Quotes Perfect For Any Entrepreneur
It’s Friday. Let’s keep it, light folks. What do you say?
I love inspirational quotes. Quotes from successful people can inspire us to think a little differently. Here are six of my most beloved quotes for entrepreneurs.
“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” – Chris Grosser
Luck is the result of the strategy. If you wait around to get lucky, you will be waiting a long while. Create your own luck.
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible”!” – Audrey Hepburn
Nothing is impossible. Hepburn’s words should always resonate with any entrepreneur. No formidable foe is too large to overcome. There is always a way to succeed. Sell it to yourself!
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson
You are the actions you carry out. The person you are isn’t the person you think you are or the person you want to be, it is the person you are as a result of your actions. Be who you want to be by taking action.
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
Ah, not being afraid to fail straight from the man who won a lot. Being good at something means having been bad a lot more things. Failure is our teacher. Failure is our opportunity to respond or to fold up like a lawn chair.
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey
You control your own destiny. Others around you do not control who you are, or who you are meant to be. You define you. Every decision you make is a new piece to your character’s ultimate puzzle. Accept personal responsibility into your life.
“Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
Ah yes, just make things happen! Yoda knew exactly what he was talking about when he essentially told those of the galaxy to accept nothing less than results. This quote is applicable to those who want a good mind frame set before going into a new project.
Enjoy the weekend my friends.
BUSINESS: How To Write A Killer Business Plan
If you have a business (and I assume you do consider you are reading this article) then you need to have a business plan. And not just a plan that is buried inside the spectacular and impressive chambers of your brain. It should be written out. You might need funding. You might want a loan. You might be considering a new partner. There are too many cases to list as to why it is important to have a written business plan on hand – it a crucial key to starting a brand new business.
But how does one write a “business plan,” per se? Believe it or not, many business owners have no idea because they built a business completely off the cuff and sans the traditional methods. But as growth occurred, that the need for a business plan increased.
Here is a quick guide:
Executive Summary: This is a quick description of the overall synopsis of your business.
Company Description: You need to give some detail here. What does your business do?
Market Analysis: In this section, you should present the reader with market specifics. Where does your business fit regarding the market? Maybe put in some general thoughts on trends about your industry or vertical.
Executive Chain: Who does what and where? Who is CEO and who is CFO? A killer business plan should include detail how your company structured regarding the executives who run it.
Product or service offered: What is the bread and butter of the enterprise? If you provide a service, what is it? If you offer a product, what’s it called and how does it work?
Projections: How much money do you anticipate the company making in six months, a year, and maybe even five years.
The best thing you can do when it comes to writing a coherent business plan is to read other business plan samples, which are readily available via Google searches. You must also get a handle on your finances, which any good CFO or even accountant should be able to help you. You should also have a clear grasp of your company’s overall marketing plan.
Writing a business plan can be an eye-opening event. Often, it can lead a CEO to become a bit introspective. A business plan can at times, lay out some dirty laundry.
It never hurts to have one on file.
Here is a quick tip, you can save all of your documents to Google Drive, just in case your server crashes. You will still have all of the original tax to go back to:
How To Write a Proper Business Plan.
You have an amazing idea, your entire family thinks it’s awesome and the stranger you had drinks with at the bar in Cancun told you to “go for it!” Your engine is revved and your confidence has never been higher. You know it will be a success, you know its original and inspiring and you know you have the knowledge and know how to pull it off.
So then it goes time, right? Is everything covered?
Well, not exactly. Although many businesses approach new ideas this way, it really isn’t the best approach. You need a business plan. Something you could show investors, or, something you can show a bank, or, something you can show your damn self!
When we built Check Issuing, we had a business plan for third-party check disbursement and check fraud monitoring and security. We didn’t just buy a website name and fire up a business! Check Issuing wouldn’t be who it is today without the business plan we had in the past. So what’s it take to write a business plan?
Here are a few things to consider.
Executive Summary and Description
What is this business? What’s the product or service do? Why is your business so different from competitors.
Market Analysis
Who are your competitors? This one is cut and dry.
Produce and Service
The cold hard details. What is the product or service exactly, not summarizing like in the Executive Summary? Give the facts. Be precise and detailed.
Funding
Are you going to need a cash infusion from investors? You need to have that ready. You need to be detailed.
Financial Projections
You need to show a good idea of when profit should start and how much profit to expect. This is the lure for the investors, but it is also your sanity. How can you hire people without knowing how the money is flowing?
We are entrepreneurs who own our rebate processing companies.
