I asked around the question: in 15 words or less, what advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out in business?
This is the first batch of responses I received from entrepreneurial businesspeople in my network from from around the world. Enjoy!
Part one of a multi-part post
There is a job best suited to your talents. Keep looking
until you find it.
Ray Mignogna
The long march begins with the first step; a job well begun
is half done.
(Chinese sayings)
Frank Feather,
Global Business Futurist & Keynote Speaker
Set goals & be persistent. Continuously reassess, adding
skills to remain attractive. Network, network, network!
http://www.linkedin.com/in/reginamaggi
Know your strengths. Play to them. Listen louder than you
speak. Help others before yourself.
http://RobertBurnsII.com
Have a true professional complete your marketing plan. Create
an advisory board.
Roberta Ginsburg
www.dnaconnect.com
The universe supports you. Give it a crystal clear written
business plan.
Kimberly Sherry
Be honest. Work hard. Embrace change. Dream big. Keep learning.
Never whine. Shine your light.
Jackie Saad
“What we hope to do with ease, we must first learn to
do with diligence.” ~ Samuel Johnson
http://rsbaines.iadzzoo.com/salesrep
Count the cost: financially, physically, emotionally,
relationally.And, start out with the end in mind.
Anne Galya
Make it sustainable – financially, socially and ecologically.
Subhas C Biswas
People-Product-Profit, in that order.
Abdul Rahim Hasan
Love many, trust few, learn to paddle your own canoe.
http://www.voice123.com/johnzadikian
I didn’t write this but heard it recently and it fits a lot
of situations I’ve come across:
“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’!”
http://www.linkedin.com/in/heidititchenal
Don’t try to summarize your business philosophy in a pithy saying of fifteen
words or less.
Steve Simon
Work with a team of experts in taxes, finances, legality,
accounting, etc. and persevere.
http://www.fsadamo.com
The best is to know what you are getting in to, about the
business.
Be tenacious, persistent, optimistic and committed. Give it
your best and success will follow.
Poonam Sagar
http://www.infotech.co.id
Nothing is impossible, if you work really hard, memorize
lessons from failure, and never give up. Dream Big. Anything is possible, if
you set your mind to it.
Summaiya Mirza
Start small, grow big. Under-promise, Over-deliver, Listen
to [your]customer…
Wali Zahid
www.skillcity.pk
Listen to voice of customer, translate it to CTQs (Critical
to Quality)
Faisal Naik
http://faisalnaik75.wordpress.com
Find a hungry crowd. Feed them.
http://www.KeyPageMedia.com
Develop a business plan. If you cannot plan it you cannot do
it.
Kenneth Larson
As Steve Jobs puts it: “You got to find what you love.
If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t stop/settle.”
Mohit Bansal
Become an expert in your chosen field.
Peter Bird
Find a niche. Fulfill promises. Always learn. Seek help.
Anticipate the world. Design something new.
Vince Vaughan
http://www.vaughanpractice.com
Your network is everything. Listen to people. Give advice
and don’t expect anything back.Check out this blog post below. Freelancing: a few changes
since going solo.
Gregor McKelvie
@gregormckelvie
http://www.collectiv.es/2010/06/13/freelancing-a-few-changes-since-going-solo/
Gregor McKelvie
Be in business for yourself even if you have only one
customer (an employer).
Ken Cooper
Find what you love to do– Go do it to the best of your
ability!
David Bruno
No matter what your business is just focus on PEOPLE,
profits will come by automatically!
Meetu Singhal
Reconnoiter. Establish facts before forming a theory.
Develop a plan. Implement. Be adaptable. Perseverance prevails.
Jonathan Ross
http://www.blackrockconsult.com
Develop and business plan. Plan your work and work your
plan.
Tonya Prince
www.theresourcefulassistant.com
Do. Start today–qualifications or not. Don’t look for
others to tell you that you have what it takes; do what it takes.
Draw on every resource you have and ask for help.
Kyle N. Smith
Passion, persistence and a willingness to learn will take
you far.
Angela Neal
Set clear goals – it will be much easier to achieve
something if you know what you are going after!
Andrea Sparrey
http://www.sparreyconsulting.com
Focus on your goal and enjoy the journey!
Christine Hueber
Be sure you’re living your passion, whether it be
dog-grooming, assisting others, or lay the groundwork to become an
international speaker. Only when you’ve unearthed your passion will a
“team” start organizing themselves around you to help you achieve
your goals.
Terri Dumont
Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.
Bryan H
www.entrepreneurs-incubator.com
Every “NO” brings you closer to a “YES”
S. Tony Pacheco
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/spacheco15
You’ll never know where you’re going without a career plan.
Revisit and revise it often.
David Petersam
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com
Understand Technology. Also, 80% of success is showing up.
PS: Everyone is involved in Sales.
Dena Lawless
Don’t ever discount the power of every person you meet in
your potential for success.
Chuck Sigmund
http://www.touchstonecareercoaching.com
Don’t skimp…identify what must be done and do it well.
Tim Reid
http://www.smallbusinessbigmarketing.com
Say what you do and do what you say – deliver on your promise.
Guy Milsom
Do something you enjoy and it will never seem like work!
Godfrey Tucker
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/godfreytucker
Know your strengths, supplement your weaknesses, then get in
front of prospects and sell.
www.aldeia-marketing.com
Alexa Ronngren
http://www.aldeia-marketing.com
Make your mistakes count. You’ll learn from them and won’t
repeat them.
Alexa Ronngren
Figure out what you love to do. Think it out. Put it to
work.
Lisa Kelly Zuba
(Build foundation first, direction later) – around what you
do best, not around market opportunity.
Mary Lascelles
Differentiate ruthlessly, focus on the last mile and
remember that the customer is always right.
Bhalchandra Pai
Have a plan for every day. Each day is a step to achieving your goal.
Jackie
“Always factor in losses on the way to the win”
Elizabeth Grattan
Pay it forward .
The customer isn’t always right, but they need to think they are.
Learning: Never make the same mistake twice; there are plenty of new ones out
there.
Sue Cohen
http://www.suecohen.co.uk
Be the MARKETER of the thing; not the DOER of the thing.
It’s a process not a destination, enjoy the journey, detach your ego from outcomes