Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Business Coaching, Entrepreneurship

How Entrepreneurship has changed in the 21st Century?

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Small Business is really growing and booming in the 21st Century because many people are opting for small business opportunities over working for large companies. Individuals born 1990 and after are no longer willing to follow the old-fashioned custom of getting a 9 to 5 job with great benefits. Individuals who are in their 20s and 30s are making the new trend to small business ownership and entrepreneurship. These young people are starting their own businesses for several reasons like:

  • Creative freedom.
  • The flexibility of work hours.
  • The job market is not that great at this time.
  • They want to make a social change.
  • Love the freedom of being their own boss.

40b4a8f5-5055-4fa1-a0a3-9ecaf4eaf5a2There is also an increase of women starting their own businesses as well. Many women who are going through a major shift in their personal lives are deciding to start their own business. Also, many developing countries are starting to realize the importance of giving women the tools needed to start their own businesses to improve their financial conditions and family life. “Educate a man, educate one person. Educate a woman, educate a community.

Many women are becoming successful entrepreneurs for the following reasons:

  • Many women want to have creative control of their ideal lifestyle.
  • Many women are starting businesses out of necessity because they want to fulfill a need or service that is not being meant.
  • Many women are starting businesses because they are passionate about a certain cause.
  • Many women are starting businesses because they have a business idea that has been nagging at their mind and heart for several years.
  • Some women will start their own business to spend more quality time with family and friends. Mainly to have more flexible time to spend time with their children.
  • Many women are becoming entrepreneurs because they want to be their own boss.

There are many societal advancements that are making it easier for the “21st Century” Entrepreneur to start and sustain their own business. Many countries are starting to see the importance of helping their citizens with starting their own business because small business is the key to economic development and economic sustainability. Many societies are starting to realize that the best way to improve their economic conditions is by assisting their citizens with starting their own businesses.

Here are some amazing ways that many countries, like developing ones, are starting to see the benefits of small business development:

  • Many governments are starting to provide financial incentives for their citizens to start new businesses to save the environment or ending illegal activities. For example in countries like Brazil and Colombia, who are located near the Amazon forest, they are providing their citizens with financial incentives to start new businesses. This is to stop the logging of the Amazon forest and cattle grazing in the Amazon forest. Logging of the forest and cattle grazing of the Amazon forest has been destroying the Amazon. Many countries that are located near the Amazon forest are finding alternative means for their citizens to make a living.
  • Countries like India, Nigeria, Cambodia, and so forth have been the premier examples of countries trying to improve the lives of their citizens. These countries have realized that the only way to decrease the poverty level in their countries is by educating and financially empowering their women. These countries see the importance of assisting women with starting their own small business as a way to improve their family financial situation. Many countries all over the world, developed or developing, have realized that women are the best small business owners because the number one customers in the world are women. Women are the main ones who do the shopping and marketing for their families.
  • Many countries are starting to encourage their people to start their own businesses because small business is what sustains and maintains the world economy. Many major corporations will close their shops, relocate their business to other countries, or will downsize. But, small businesses rarely go out of business, many small businesses are local, and small businesses are supported by local communities.

Many big corporations are starting to see the importance of doing business with the small “boys”. Many big corporations are starting to create “Supplier Diversity” boards or departments that assist them with recruiting small businesses to work with. Many small businesses with the assistance of government agencies are now able to compete with big companies for work with the government and in the private sector as well.

Here are a few ways how big business is starting to think and act like a small business:

  • Many big corporations are starting to outsource a lot of their work to small businesses. Many big companies are starting to see the benefits of outsourcing to small businesses because it cut costs and does not require them to hire employees to do certain tasks.
  • Many big companies are starting to partner with small businesses in order to bid on contracts with government agencies. Many government agencies are requiring large corporations to hire smaller corporations to get certain contracts. Many government agencies set aside a certain percentage of bidding contracts for small businesses and minority-owned businesses.
  • Many big corporations are starting to realize that if they do not change their practice policies they can lose business and customers to small businesses. Many customers are starting to demand that big corporations stop seeing them as numbers and as human beings. Many customers are starting to buy their products and services from small businesses because of the better customer service they receive.

Another reason why it has become easy for individuals to become successful entrepreneurs is due to the advancements in technology. You no longer need to have personal contact with your customers as a business. You can now do business with someone in another country from the comfort of your own home. It does not cost a lot of money to start a business in the 21st Century.

Here are a few advancements in technology that have made it easier to do business in the 21st Century:

  • Social media platforms have made it easy for entrepreneurs to promote, market, and advertise their products and services.
  • Small business owners can provide their products to customers in a fast and efficient way. You can now receive products in one day, instead of, a week.
  • Some businesses can provide their services to their customers virtually without having to meet them in person. This is especially true in the technical field of a website, mobile apps development, marketing and IT.
  • You can have a meeting with essential players in the business without everyone being in the same location due to webcasting, teleconference, and video conference.
  • You do not need an office to have a small business because you can work from the comforts of your own home. All you need is a laptop computer, cell phone, and portable printer.

The world of “entrepreneurship” has changed greatly in the last few decades and it has changed for the better. So, if you have the desire to start your own business or become an entrepreneur, you can do it without being fearful of doing so.

If you are thinking about starting your own small business or non-profit organization do not hesitate to contact me  AHRangel@consultant.com

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Business Development, Business Growth, Corporations, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Startups

4 ways to ScaleUp your Business From Startup mode.

As your organization becomes a more complex organism, you’ll find that your team can no longer fit at one table. At this point, you need to play a more sophisticated game. If team members are chaotically chasing each business challenge, or even worse, you, the CEO, are kicking the ball into the goal and making every decision, you’re still playing toddler game. This is bad for your team, and your business will suffer.

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As CEO, it’s your job to get off the field and start coaching your team on how to play a less chaotic version of the game: any team sport, when played well is a beautiful metaphor for building a functional team and scaling your business.

1. Start defining the function of roles.

Your early-stage team was likely comprised of people who like to do “a little bit of everything,” which means they probably won’t enjoy giving up responsibilities. But if you don’t start asking employees to narrow their focus, scaling will become pretty much impossible. Whether it’s turning your “marketing person” into an entire team with specialized roles, or restructuring your organization so employees can divvy up responsibilities in a more effective way, functionalist roles can be a painful process. You might even have a few employees leave because of the changes you make.

But this is a crucial part of building a big, well-oiled scale-up. And keep in mind, this doesn’t mean that employees can’t be creative or take on big, ambitious projects. You should still encourage big risks and creativity — just make sure they keep spending a majority of time on functional priorities.

2. Find amazing coaches to guide your team.

Hiring good managers is one the best things you do for your business as you scale. I know many founders and startup employees think  “management” is a bad word, but look at it this way: managers are the people who take care of the dirty work — metrics, quotas, reports, systems, processes — and empower your team to take on the big, interesting challenges. With effective managers in place, your engineers, marketers, and other employees can spend more time doing cool stuff, and less time worried about all the little things that have to get done to keep your business running.

After hitting around 25 employees, I suggest moving toward an 80/20 workforce: 80 percent DO-ers and 20 percent coaches. You probably won’t have a tough time finding great doers (hopefully you’ve already hired a lot of them), but finding great coaches can be a challenge. At minimum, great coaches need to lead, inspire and be above the minor quibbles and BS that can happen as your company grows.

3. Prepare your new players for success.

You can’t expect people to “hit the ground running” and just “get it done” if you don’t have a clear on-boarding process. Most startups neglect on-boarding for far too long, but all eventually hit a point where new employees don’t just “get it.” The time has come to make a concerted effort to set your new hires up for success.

You should invest a few days (or even a full week) getting people acquainted with all the different aspects of your business. At BiZion Group, we give people a crash course in entrepreneurship, because this is what we teach.At SynerMedia, we give people a crash course in Marketing, because this is what we Do. Everyone on your team should, at minimum, understand what your business is doing, who you’re up against and why you think you’ll win. Every single person on your team should be able to give an effective elevator pitch.

4. Take care of your team, both on and off the field.

Do you have systems in place to support the health and well-being of your employees? I’m talking a 401(k), “SelfDirect” generous paternity and maternity leave and other perks that companies should provide once they’ve left scrappy startup territory. Making this a priority will keep morale high, encourage vital employees to stick with you and make it easier to bring in critical, high-level hires in the future. It’s just the right thing to do.

This is a general overview of some of the things to keep in mind as you transition into scale-up mode, but there are tons of other tough issues that will pop up as you grow: Do you need a CFO? How should you set up your team? What are the appropriate compensation plans for the sales team, engineering team, etc.? When should you get involved in what’s happening across the company? Seek support from other entrepreneurs and your advisors to help answer the big questions that pop up.

Going from a startup to a scale-up means big and sometimes uncomfortable changes, but these growing pains are all part of the fun of taking your business to the next level. Start by Outsourcing a team and learn how to scale up work with a outsourcing team.

Good luck!

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Business Development, Business Growth, Customer Service, Entrepreneurship, followup, Mastermind2020, sales, Sales Management

About Sales Process

“Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.” –A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Once you have the greatest incentive plan, processes, and sales training in place, it’s so important to measure your efforts. You might have the best of everything, but without a way to gauge how well it’s working or what needs to be adjusted, you’re driving blind.

I’m about to share actionable ways to make the most out of your efforts by putting the right tools and processes in place. By doing so, you will gain a strategic view into your sales operations and performance, and be able to take your business to the next level.

Better Forecast Where Sales Will Land

forecast-toolsIf you don’t know where sales are tracking today, this week, or this quarter, you can’t effectively manage to the set goals. You’re literally driving blind, and that’s not good for anyone. This lack of visibility also means you might not be able to see which sales reps are in good shape to hit their quotas, and which are struggling. It’s really challenging to lead a team when you have to trust them to bring issues forward. It’s hard to admit you’re not performing well. No one wants to have to do that. By putting automated tools in place to deliver real-time tracking by individual and team, you can start to proactively help your team stay on track to achieve sales goals. These tools might include a business management platform, like ConnectWise, paired with a quote and proposal automation solution, like Quosal, to track, guide, and streamline the sales process from inception to completion.

Create & Automate Sales Processes

In order to make your sales team as effective as possible, you’ll want to create a guided approach to selling. This process should include steps that help reps avoid common selling pitfalls—like not following up on time, forgetting to send a quote, failing to include terms and conditions, and underquoting your services. A sales manager’s least favorite question is ‘where are we with this deal?’ They don’t like having to ask their sales people for updates. And the sales reps don’t like being questioned either. That’s why companies buy a customer relationship management tool (CRM); it creates accountability. With a system that notes every activity as it’s performed, no one has to ask for updates anymore. They can just check the system. It eliminates the guesswork, saves time, and makes everyone happier. Part of the selling process should include identifying how customers typically buy from you. Don’t be surprised if a managed services deal is consumed differently than a onetime installation or integration. It all depends on what you’re selling. Every solution has a unique buying cycle. Certainly, there are exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking, you’re not going to run into a prospect who is ready to buy immediately.

Look at past sales successes. What actions preceded sales? Many successful sales processes include a mix of the following activities:

1. Discovery call 
2. On-site meeting 
3. Demonstration 
4. Quote delivery 
5. Follow-up 
6. Close

Once you’ve identified your steps in the process, you can make your team accountable for placing the opportunity in the right step, and systematically moving it along the sales cycle. And you’ll give managers 360-degree insight into every step along the way.

Eliminate Guesswork

With an automated process in place that pings your team when it’s time to perform the next step in the sales process, you’ll never have to worry about your team missing vital steps in the process. We’re human. We have a lot on our plates, get distracted, and forget important TO-DOs. And sales reps aren’t fans of documentation tasks. They’re a pain. By providing your team with easy processes (and tools to make them even easier), you’ll find it much easier to get them to document steps. It’s important to earn buy-in from your team. Explain the benefits and alternatives. Together, you can create processes everyone can agree on. Take the guesswork out of opportunities. Smart workflows keep your team members moving forward until opportunities are either won or lost.

Measure Each Stage of the Sales Cycle

What would you do if you found a certain step in your sales process was outdated and ineffective? You’d probably update or remove it. But if you’re not measuring or don’t have the tools in place to measure, you’ll never get to see what’s working, and you’ll never know which adjustments to make. The end goal of your sales process should be to shorten the sales cycle, close deals faster, increase profitability, and move opportunities forward more quickly. One way you can shorten stages of your sales cycle is by using a CRM, like the one inside the ConnectWise business management platform, to log key activities. This way, you can identify sales barriers, and start to brainstorm solutions.

How to Manage Your New Sales Process

A CRM will give you a 360° view into all of your company’s sales opportunities, activities, and goals. This gives you the benefit of being able to quickly identify and respond to areas that require improvement. Once you’ve got your hands on the data, act on it. Hold weekly sales meetings or daily huddles to review key stats. Use your CRM data to create real-time sales team performance dashboards—and forecasting dashboards based on historical trends. Deal with issues right away, instead of letting them take you by surprise weeks later. Build sales funnel reports that follow the opportunities moving along in your pipeline. For instance, show what percentage moves from the first stage to the second stage. This equips you to make more accurate sales forecasts.

How a Business Management Platform Benefits You

Sales doesn’t end with the dotted line. What if you could tie in your CRM and sales process with everything else in your business? A business management platform can help you achieve this by offering CRM, ticketing, projects, procurement, and invoicing functionality that works together. You gain visibility into every aspect of your sales process. Overdue activities and tickets appear in red, so you can easily get back up to speed simply by ‘getting the red out.’ That’s what your weekly sales meeting should seek to accomplish. This type of a platform even gives managers the ability to see what reps are working on (or ignoring), which makes it easy to see who is a high-impact employee and who may require more training or isn’t the right fit.

Managers can even assign leads to sales reps within a business management platform, giving reps the ability to see which leads they’re expected to work. And, managers can easily access and respond to prospect concerns when their reps are out of office. Serving as a centralized database for all customer information, a business management platform makes it easy for new reps to ramp up because it gives them access to any client’s entire history. ConnectWise does all this, plus offers top educational materials every step of the way as you implement your very own sales processes. You can use ConnectWise for every team within your technology company—Service Delivery, Project Management, Sales & Marketing, and Finance. It’s one integrated tool for every facet of your business.

Conclusion

A great sales process lays the foundation for scalability. Documented processes simplify the training and on-boarding process. So, as you add new sales team members, you’ll more quickly realize the benefit of their talents as they’ll be following best practices unique to the way you do business. Supercharge sales by adding automation tools like a business management platform or quote and proposal automation solution to drive efficiencies within your processes. By automating keys steps of your sales process, you’ll cut down on errors, and so much more.

to learn more about How to grow your Business go to Mastermind2020.com or get a Business Consulting with BiZION GROUP

In part 1, I explained what you need to have in place before hiring a sales team, then (in part 2) I explained how to effectively compensate sales reps.

 

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Business Coaching, Business Growth, Corporations, Entrepreneurship, Fitness, Leadership, Mastermind2020, Strategic Planning, Team Building

The 30 Daily Habits of a CEO Responsible for Success

Getting to the top involves doing the right things, day after day.  
Any CEO running a profitable company has figured a few things out. One of many habits to have in common is consistency. 

Here is my 30 habits 

1. Try one new thing each day.
“Every day, I force myself to do something that is out of my comfort zone.

2. Don’t do bad days. Running a company is really hard, and every day is different, but having a bad day is a choice.”

3. Stay informed about what’s trending.

“I spend an hour or two every day keeping up with tech news on Twitter. It’s not good to obsess over what other people are doing, but staying informed is certainly important.”

4. Accept invitations to as many meetings and events as possible.

“You never know who you will meet or the advice you’ll receive.”

5. Experiment constantly.

“I’m always trying new things and changing how I work. As we’ve grown from a small team to a bigger team, my businesses has changed pretty significantly, and by experimenting with new habits and processes regularly, I am always discovering better ways to run my team that make sense as we grow.”

6. Fight brain blocks with building blocks.

“There are footballs, golf balls, softballs, chessboards, Legos–everything a curious kid could dream of–covering our office space. Whenever I’m stuck on an idea, I play a quick game of catch or build a Lego house to give my brain a breather. Then it’s back to the drawing board. I encourage my team to do the same thing, too. Just like any muscle, your brain needs a recovery session after a tough workout.”

7. Never be afraid to email someone who is “too big.”

“Most people are accommodating and open, as long as you are clear about your needs and what you have to offer.”

8. Make punctuality a priority.

“I strive to be on time for every appointment, every day, without exception. This may seem like a no-brainer in the business world, but you would be surprised how many people still don’t make this a priority. It’s mind-boggling. If a leader is consistently late, it tells others that he or she is unreliable or has no respect for the time of the individuals he or she works with. If he or she is on time, the opposite is true.”

9. Never ask somebody to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.

“No matter how exciting your company or the problems that you are solving are, there will always be day-to-day tasks that are simply boring. Showing that you are willing to roll up your sleeves when the going gets tough will be a positive example for your team. You will be amazed at how this reverberates.”

10. Watch YouTube to learn from other great leaders.
“I spend time at the end of every night watching interviews, speeches, and panels of other leaders I admire. Through a bit of YouTube stalking, I’ve gotten great lessons on culture from Brian Chesky, brand building from Neil Blumenthal, and leadership from Esther Dyson.”

11. Exercise and meditate.

“Transcendental meditation for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening is the perfect complement to daily exercise, whether it’s a trip to the gym or a run on the beach. Since I’ve started this routine, I’ve found my mental clarity and focus have increased enormously.”

12. Listen to self-improvement books in the car.

“I spend about 90 minutes running and 20mins driving to have a meeting each day. I can spend that time listening to music, but I choose to spend it listening to business books and self-improvement books. Over the last two and a half years, I have listened to nearly 45 audiobooks. These books have given me incredible insight into how to run my businesses and sharpen my skills. I can listen to a new book in a few days, versus reading a book, which would take me at least a month or two, if not longer, but always create the time.”

13. Start each day with an infectious positive attitude.

“I wake up and start every day with one initial thought: being thankful for the abundance in my life–family, friends, company, and more. Nothing good ever comes easy. Hard work and dedication always pays off. Starting every day with a strong, positive thought is the best way to kickoff each day. I believe that a positive mindset is key to overcoming all obstacles, and I radiate this to my team. Just as negativity is infectious–think: one rotten apple at the bottom of a barrel ultimately will ruin them all–so is positivity. Choose to be positive. Be mindful of your attitude and how it affects others.”

14. Make time for everyone on your team, no matter where they are.

“We are based in the U.S., but also have teams and customers on the ground in Asia, Central America, South America, and Europe. Connecting with them every day is incredibly important for staying connected to that part of the business, making sure they know they’re valued and getting things done. It’s a big time commitment, and sometimes it feels like we have multiple jobs–in the morning in Europe, during the day in the Americas, and at night when the Asia teams are busy. But in the end, it’s always worth it to be available and have live discussions when they matter the most.”

15. Make the most of drive time.

“I like to schedule some of my most important calls during my morning drive to the gym or to the beach. While it can be frustrating at times to have a long commute, not to mention often getting stuck in traffic, find this time very useful for scheduling calls that are uninterrupted. It also allows you to accomplish a lot more for the day when You get into the office, knowing these important conversations have already taken place and You can focus on other matters.”

16. Make every meeting the second meeting.

“Always have papers before a meeting, read them, and never just do a page-turn. That way, every meeting is really the second meeting.”

17. Find your inner yogi.

“Yoga has helped in so many areas of my life. It forces me to unplug from whatever issue I’m dealing with, spend time as a student, and focus on being present in the moment. I can walk into a studio anywhere in the world and get centered in no time. Early in my career, I would have rolled my eyes reading some executive profess how being on a yoga mat makes them good at business. But I have found a regular practice makes me a better leader, and keeps me sharp mentally and physically.”

18. Surround yourself with people whose skills complement your own.

“As a leader, it’s easy to feel like you need to know or do it all, but you will never be the best at everything. A mentor of mine once told me to focus on my strengths and team up with talented people for the rest. The old saying of ‘it takes a village’ is true in so many parts of life, and embracing it makes you a stronger, healthier person.”

19. Walk before bed.

“Every evening I take a 30-minute walk alone without music. It clears my head, calms me down from the daily activities of running multiple startups, and allows me to get proper perspective and clarity about priorities. Most importantly, I sleep like a baby. I learned the importance of this 15 years ago, after reading a biography of Harry Truman, who had to deal with being the president at the end of WWII.”

20. Make time in your life for fiction.

“It emboldens your imagination, gives your mind respite, and arms you with tactics on creating motivating, inspiring messaging. Don’t be afraid to take time out to free your mind from the strictures of reality.”

21. Focus on nutrition and appreciation.

“I have been having the same breakfast of a protein shake with healthy fats, a fresh pressed juice full of vegetables, and a fat burner for as long as I can remember. While I press the juice, I recite the three things I am most appreciative of that morning. Thinking on the things that are most important in my life helps me take down the kale and beet juice with a smile.”

22. Leave your work out of the bedroom.

“Your bedroom should be a sanctuary. Leave the TV, electronics, and work outside. By creating a work-free zone, you can reduce stress levels and, in turn, make the working time far more efficient…and most importantly, you will appreciate your partner, so does she.”

23. Use pictorial language to help people “see” the future.

“When describing the future, you can’t use facts and figures. You don’t have statistics to prove your points. You must largely rely on your imagination. And to convincingly bring your audience into the future, you must unlock their imaginations, helping them envision a different world. We all know, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ So it shouldn’t be a surprise that images, and visual language such as metaphors and analogies, are of vital importance in bridging the gap between the cerebral and the imaginative.”
24. Exercise every day.

“I’ve exercised–whether it be lifting or running–religiously for the past 20 years of my life, and it has played a critical role in my daily attitude, work potential, and outlook on life.”

25. Don’t panic and don’t run.

“Teams look to their leaders to set the tone for how the business is operated. I ensure I establish and create a sense of urgency, while balancing it with control of key situations. I make time to speak with frustrated customers and meet with unhappy employees to stay close to the issues my team navigates on a daily basis. From these interchanges, I am able to learn more than I ever could learn from all the things that go according to plan.”

26. Use the 70/30 approach to professional life.

“Cultivate good judgment by learning to be comfortable making 100 percent of a decision with 70 percent of the data. This approach forces you to weigh what is really important and to understand the remainder of the data isn’t worth the time it takes to collect. Over time, you will make more good decisions and will accomplish more than the less confident and more risk averse. You will also be more competitive because you will accomplish more. Target being right 70 percent of the time with everything you do. Any extra time you spend on being right means you will miss opportunities, both personally and professionally.”

27. Make lists.

“In addition to making a list of the top three things I must get done each day, I make a list of the three things that must be achieved each month and each week to ensure the company is staying on track.”

28. encourage questions.

“Provide opportunity for at least one employee every day to ask you questions about whatever they have on their mind. It is very important to make employees feel like no question is out of limits. Q&A sessions with regular cadence make it easy for anyone in the organization to ask me questions. It is often these sessions that help me get the pulse of the company. It also becomes a forum for sharing ideas and discovering new ways of thinking or solving problems. But it’s extremely important that these opportunities to ask questions are presented in all sorts of settings–large groups, small groups, one-on-ones, and a mix of formal and casual settings.”

29. Talk to at least one customer every day.

“It’s by far the most efficient and productive way to gather feedback on [the company] and to understand the business more deeply. My company is nothing without its users, and the information I receive from customers is hugely influential on how we conduct business and shape our plans for the future.”

30. Start your day with a clean inbox.

“In order to start the day completely organized, I get up at 6 a.m. and get to inbox zero. Anything that can be answered with a short note or delegated to a team lead, I get out of the way immediately. Other items I prioritize for later sit down email blocks or meetings later in the day. This way, I can be truly focused during morning meetings.”

Learn more about MasterMind2020.com and Bizon Group 

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Business Innovation, Business Technology, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Mastermind2020, Startups, Strategic Planning, Strength Training

Best Conferences for Entrepreneurs under 30

 visionary 
MakingTheShift Foundation

If you’re an entrepreneur under 30 years old and you’ve attended a few business conferences, you may have found them geared toward a different generation. Even if you’ve attended a conference that targets young entrepreneurs, perhaps it was run by a different age group and therefore came across as less than authentic.
Below are seven conferences that deliver the goods for young entrepreneurs, many of them managed entirely by young entrepreneurs.
1. HustleCon

HustleCon began in 2013 and is managed by Sam Parr, who is 25 years old. The crowd includes techies, but is geared toward non-techie founders. It follows a TED-event format, but is less uptight and more fast and loose, like a startup. Attendees learn how to start and run a business with practical advice from successful entrepreneurs such as Tim Westergren of Pandora, Arum Kang from Coffee Meets Bagel and Matthew Brimer from General Assembly.

2. HOBY

Geared toward high school students, HOBY attendees are between 15 to 16 years old and get to experience three to four days of community building and leadership training, meet leaders from their regions and provide service. This event is geared less towards the business sense of the term entrepreneur and more to future leaders looking to create opportunities and solve problems.
3. Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) National Conference.

This event celebrates student entrepreneurship and teaches what isn’t heard much from Silicon Valley, which is that it’s OK to stay in school and still run your business. Scores of entrepreneurs share their stories about how they founded and grew their businesses and what they learned in the process.
4. TEDxTeen

TEDxTeen gets straight to the need for inspiration, and puts young people in a place to get juiced up about changing and impacting the world.

5. Nexus Global Youth

Nexus Global Youth boasts an international dynamic with more than 2,000 young people from 70 countries focused on philanthropy and impact investing. Nexus breaks those barriers for young entrepreneurs who may have felt isolated from professional networks in their regions. If social entrepreneurship is your thing, this is an event you’ll want to attend.
6. Thiel Summit

Founded by billionaire Paypal founder Peter Thiel and geared for those 25 years old or younger, the Thiel Summit brings together the brightest minds in technology and social entrepreneurship for community building. Speakers are attendees themselves, and the event crowdsources panel ideas. Attendees walk away as friends and the benefits of attendance continue after the conference is over through a private Facebook group and meetups.
7. Next Gen Summit

Next Gen Summit is managed by 19-year-old Justin Lafazan. At the 2015 conference, startups raised close to $1,000,000 from investors. The Next Gen Summit provides young entrepreneurs with resources they need to be successful, such as social capital, education, inspiration and investment. The oldest speakers are 25 years old.

8. Entrepreneur Nigth – Power Team International.

Don’t miss one of the Best Entrepreneur Events Helping Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners everywhere achieve over the top outstanding results! And there is no cost (regular price $97 includes your FREE Gift) when you register with this link: www.success2020.com/mastermind2020

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Business Growth, Business Incubation, Corporations, Entrepreneurship

Why Miami is Worth Moving to If You Want to Launch a Business 

MiamiShared.com 
Looking to launch your next venture in a business-friendly climate? If you’re lucky enough to live near one of the following communities, you’re in luck. If not, consider whether a move will give your business the best odds possible of succeeding.
In business — as in real estate — it’s all about location, location, location. Despite the rise in remote-work arrangements, this sentiment holds true even if you don’t have a physical store. Where you put your headquarters can affect your ability to hire, as well as determine the business partners and investors you have easy access to.

Miami is a very diverse population that makes this southern city a great place to launch a startup. There are also several business incubators located in the city, giving you access to the resources you need to grow at a rate you can afford.

There are great events, such as the annual Startup Weekend Miami, where entrepreneurs can form their ideas into companies and hear talks from seasoned business founders like BIZION GROUP and communities Mastermind2020.com

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Business Coaching, Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, Mastermind2020, Strategic Planning

WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A MASTERMIND GROUP

When was the last time you got pumped about your business? I mean so excited you thought you were going to explode. If it’s been a while, or if you’ve never experienced this sense of business euphoria, now might be the time to Join a Mastermind Group.

Focus Group MasterMind2020.com

WHAT IS A MASTERMIND GROUP?

A mastermind is a gathering of people, working to simultaneously move several businesses forward. 

The world of freelancing, consulting and products can be a solitary one, and a mastermind group can be your salvation. 

Similar to a business coach, a mastermind can help you through the difficult times. But unlike a business coach, a mastermind is a group of people all pushing in the same direction. 

I absolutely know that I would not be where I’m at today if it weren’t for my participation in a mastermind group.

MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS A MASTERMIND GROUP?

A mastermind group usually consists of 7 to 9 people, but nothing is set in stone.

 My own mastermind group had 443 members. where we create peering groups of 12 people max. 

We came from different backgrounds and were at different stages in our careers. But the crossover of skills and experience was just right.

THE LOGISTICS AND FORMAT OF A MASTERMIND 

All groups vary, but it’s normal to meet anything from once a week, to once a month. It depends on the needs of the group and the free time you have available.

Regardless of how busy you are, always make time for your Mastermind. A stressful week or month can be put into perspective with a great Mastermind session.

My Business Growth Club MasterMind met every week. This gave us time to track the work on things and see results.

Our meetings would go something like this:

  • Sit down, say our hellos and briefly chat about everyone’s week.
  • The Inner-Circle member would get 15 or 20 minutes in the hot seat. (speaker) We’d talk about our progress over the last two weeks and bring up any problems we were facing.
  • After each hot seat session the rest of the group would jump in with any thoughts or advice.
  • Before the meeting ended we’d talk about our goals for the coming fortnight.
  • Wash, rinse and repeat.

In the beginning we wrote down everyone’s goals on a per meeting basis. But we soon realised we weren’t that kind of group. We found more value in our feedback sessions. Every group will be different.

HOW DO I FIND A MASTERMIND GROUP?

The best way to find a mastermind is to connect to http://www.mastermind2020.com and see your interest there are many groups you can belong to. 

It’s not as scary as you might think. I’m sure you already know people who are doing well in their space. If you don’t, reach out to people you think would be a good fit.

You don’t need a previous relationship with someone to start a mastermind group.

One thing to bear in mind; I’d advise against starting a group with friends or business partners. A mastermind is a place of trust, a place to tell all. You might not feel inclined to open up about your business troubles with a bunch of friends. And you may not feel comfortable discussing certain issues with your business partner. 

Having a mastermind that is separate from your personal and work life is important.

Perhaps most important of all. Be (one of) the least experienced members of the group. By surrounding yourself with more “experienced” people you’ll learn more, in less time.

This doesn’t mean the other members need to be rock stars. They just need to have more experience or success in other areas than yourself. This is why who you ask to your group is so important.

The great thing about a mastermind is that you can mix and match skills to make sure everyone in the group benefits.

 

In my mastermind group, there is some people that are more experienced in terms of income, sales and marketing. It was through this interesting cross section of skills that we could help each other move forward.

GETTING UNSTUCK, TOGETHER

I’ve spoken before about my Shiny Object Syndrome, but earlier this year it nearly put pay to everything. I couldn’t stay focused on anything long enough for it to pay off. 

It was thanks to my mastermind. At the time it was another project on a list of possibilities. 

I’m a huge believer in accountability. If you need to get something done, tell your mastermind group about it. No one likes to let others down. Being on the hook will help push your business forward.

If you want to get pumped about your business in 2015, become member inner circle of a mastermind group. You’ll be amazed what it can do for your business and life and just how much you can help others with theirs.

 

Let me know about your experiences and if Is there anything that’s holding you back from join a mastermind group? Let me know!

To your success,

  

Andres Hurtado Rangel

MasterMind2020.com

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Business Coaching, Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Strength Training, Train the Trainers

10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

Public Speaking

The most common phobia that people have is the “fear of public speaking”. Some people dread it more than death. Schools and colleges rarely provide training on public speaking; you’re just told to stand at the front and read your book report or story of what you did that summer. Being judged by your peers can make you either love or hate the attention you get from speaking to an audience.

Having confidence with public speaking will make you stand out from the crowd. You’ll be more likely to succeed at job interviews. You’ll be more comfortable contributing your point of view when working in a team. And you’ll be more likely to give winning presentations and seminars in the workplace. Altogether you’ll have a better professional life and relationships with your colleagues.

As a confident speaker you’ll be more comfortable breaking the ice and starting conversations with strangers. You’ll be a better networker with an expanded social circle and self-confidence in your personal life.

Plus you’ll be more likely to succeed in a career where teaching or training is required, whether you’re teaching to an individual or from stage to an audience of two thousand people.

With all these opportunities for succees, the key is about overcoming your fear of public speaking. The first tip? Remember that you’re not alone and that almost everyone has a fear of public speaking!

1. Have Powerful Physiology.

If you act “as if you’re the boss” often you get to be boss is an old principle in business. And now one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, Harvard, has proved the idea.

Organisational psychologist Professor Amy Cuddy has shown that when people change their postures into dominant poses their testosterone goes up and their cortisol goes down. Those changes are associated with leadership roles, and people do feel more powerful when they adopt the appropriate body language.

Walk on stage with confidence, with your shoulders back and arms powerful. Don’t allow yourself to be stiff; just be real and strong.

2. Breathe.

Healthy, deep breathing improves your ability to be effective whenever you are facing a particularly stressful situation. So it’s natural that you’d need it before delivering presentations, or when you’re about to deliver bad news, or when you need to ask for something important.

Deep breathing helps relieve nervous energy. It helps develop a strong voice and it helps to strengthen personal intensity. It is important for our energy, our focus, and our concentration.

Unfortunately, most of us breathe with our shoulders. We’re shallow “chest breathers” where our stomach goes in and shoulders go up. But if you fill your lungs with a deep inhale and follow it up with a slow exhale, it will relax and refresh you.

3. Come from service (it’s not about you).

Start out by taking the pressure off of you and your performance. No matter who you’re speaking to, your focus needs to be in one place only — on your audience. It’s not about you. It’s all about them.

Audience-centered speaking will help to move your audience to action. You need to listen to your audience from the moment you step in front of people. And when you ask ‘How are you?’ of an audience, wait to see how some members of that audience actually are. Don’t continue until you’ve learned the answer, either verbally or nonverbally.

Take a good look around the room, smile while you make some eye contact, take a few steps toward the group and let your hands fall open gracefully toward the audience — as though you wished you could give them a big hug. (or not, but hopefully you get the idea!)

4. Don’t take anything personally.

As long as your information is correct, nobody is going to hold anything against your if you make a mistake. Follow the examples of great comedians. Instead of letting mistakes interrupt the show, they incorporate them into the show. They laugh at themselves. This gets the audience to laugh with them instead of at them.

With a public presentation, you want the audience to laugh with you when something goes wrong instead of laughing at you. You can achieve this by not taking mistakes personally and having a sense of humor about them.

5. Stay present.

A public speaking event often involves a ton of distractions for the speaker. Unfortunately these distractions draw us away from what’s happening in the present moment. So it’s important that you anchor yourself: to yourself, to your audience, to your content, and to your context.

Focusing on your breath is one tactic you can use to feel centered within ourselves and your presentation. To stay present with your audience just remember that the audience is filled with people – with individual human beings just like you and me – and by connecting with them one at a time. And, finally, to stay present your message, remember what is it that you want to accomplish. Why have you been asked to speak in the first place? What do you feel passionately about that brings us to this presentation? What is the gift that you are sharing with your audience? What is your core message? When we focus on these questions rather than our fear, we are able to stay grounded in what’s truly important to us.

6. Say to your mindfrick, “Thank you for sharing”.

No matter what, there’s going to be a little voice in your head saying something to you. More likely than not that mindfrick is going to be chattering away telling you that you can’t do it. But remember that you’re stronger than you think.

When that little voice starts going on and attacking your confidence, just say to yourself “Thank you for sharing” and move on. Don’t respond. Don’t listen. Don’t dwell. Don’t work yourself up into a tizzy. Instead acknowledge that it’s just your mind trying to get the best of you, and move on.

7. Remember, you don’t look as nervous as you feel.

Remember what “fear” is. Fear is the anticipation of pain. Is your fear real or imagined? Chances are likely that it’s imagined. Your fear is not that you don’t know your topic. It is that you don’t know what will happen when you step to the podium.

When you’re walking out on stage, no one knows you’re nervous. Your stomach could be in knots and you may feel like you’re going to be sick, but you aren’t showing it. There are only a few subtle cues that show a person is nervous and they’re so small that the ordinary person wouldn’t be able to notice them from where they’re sitting. People don’t see that nervous beast inside you!

8. It gets easier.

Really and truly, it does get easier. Get practice and feedback in a safe environment by joining a public speaking group like mastermind2020 Toastmasters club. You’ll get the chance to learn from watching others. And you’ll be reminded that you’re not alone with your fear. Something that helps more than anything is practicing the outline of what you want to say. The more you know your content, the less nervous you’re likely to feel. Speaking groups are an excellent way to hone your presentation’s content and structure.

9. People want you to succeed.

Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you. So give them what they want and feel great in the process!

10. Trust yourself.

As long as you know where your content is starting, and where you want to go, trust that you’ll be able to take your audience from Point A to Point B. Know where you’re going by picking a few main points and bring them to life with stories. If you practice enough, you’ll soon come across smooth. And know that you CAN do it.

To your success,

Andres

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Business Development, Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, Startups, Strategic Planning

How to Launch a Business in the Sharing Economy?

As a tech CEO who often traveled on pleasure and business I’ve been Intrigued by the growing popularity of peer-to-peer platforms like Airbnb and Uber, After seeing how Them can turn any house into a hotel and any car into a cab, many entrepreneurs have been hoping to discover the next peer-to-peer market—one they can leverage to enable members to monetize not just their possessions, but also their resources, talents and passions,

Beth Buczynski, author of Sharing Is Good. How to Save Money, Time and Resources Through Collaborative Consumption, credits the growing popularity of sharing-economy startups to a consumer base that’s fed up with corporate domination and has shifted its values toward more mindful choices.

“We’re choosing to support people-minded companies and products that provide real value, prioritize efficiency, slash waste and cultivate solutions.”

“We’re finding this in peer-to-peer models that cut out the middle man and allow us direct access to each other and the goods or services we need.”

Two essential elements of successful peer-to-peer ventures are community and density. “[These businesses don’t] work without people who care, are committed to the behavior and trust each other,” “And sharing is easiest when the space between us is smallest. That’s why cities like San Francisco and New York have become hotbeds of peer-to-peer sharing.”

Think you know what will be the Airbnb of fill-in-the-blank? Relying on independent contractors to deliver the experience and service you need to succeed takes careful planning and execution—much of it different from that of traditional businesses. Whether it’s dog-sitting or car rental or handyman services, the launch of a successful peer-to-peer platform depends on sharp screening, extensive training and streamlined delivery.

“Take the time to look for real problems that need real solutions—problems that can be best solved by communities themselves,”. “Then provide the infrastructure so they can.”

Here are some factors to consider.

1. Start with supply.
While many entrepreneurs assume that identifying (or creating) robust demand is the first requirement of a viable peer-to-peer launch, it’s equally important to cultivate a ready stable of suppliers.

“You need to get the supply infrastructure in place before you can push the demand side, and make sure the market is in equilibrium,”. A company targets prospective suppliers known as “Taskers” through Facebook and Google advertising focused on the company’s core demographic and ZIP codes.

The same principle applies to scaling. Before TaskRabbit considers expanding into a new city, it ensures that the necessary suppliers are there.

“We typically have hundreds of interested Taskers who have signed up for the service prior to launching in a city, and we make sure in every ZIP code the supply and demand are at an equilibrium,” noting that since TaskRabbit captures email addresses and ZIP codes from interested and potential participants, it’s a fairly easy process.

FlightCar seeks public relations and press opportunities, as well as word-of-mouth through referral programs.
Since launching in 2013 in Boston and raising a total of $20 million in venture capital.

Building the peer-to-peer component is all about understanding different ways to market to people so you can feed the marketplace on both sides.
FlightCar seeks public relations and press opportunities, as well as word-of-mouth through referral programs.

Building the peer-to-peer component is all about understanding different ways to market to people so you can feed the marketplace on both sides

2. Conduct extensive screening and training.
As inclusive and socially positive as the sharing-economy ideology may seem, not everyone who applies will be a good fit for your business. Even though they’re not your employees, your providers are the face of your business, so it’s crucial to train them accordingly.

Once recruited, prospective candidates complete an online application with both written and video components, which are then screened and, if approved, forwarded to company headquarters. There, the candidates are reviewed again and, upon approval, receive a confirmation email asking them to log in and build their profile. After that, they must view 12 online training videos and take tests on what they’ve learned.

“They’re on the front line, so it’s all about integrating your culture and what you expect”

3. Foster trust.

Positive online reviews and ratings are also crucial for gaining consumer trust and generating leads. Indeed, transparency is everything in the peer-to-peer world.

4. Keep payments simple.
It’s all about automation, so you’re going to want to streamline it as much as possible.

do not accept cash. “If we were to take cash, how would we handle that cash, and how would we get it back to the company? All of that paperwork can be mitigated through technology today.”

The entire process is paperless and automated. Use deposit on money debit card.

5. Focus on brand-building.

By nature, a successful peer-to-peer service has a built-in community of people who are engaging with and talking about it. Smart entrepreneurs will harness this momentum to develop a more robust brand, enhanced by the availability of compelling content.

create the best high-quality content that’s motivating and makes people feel inspired,”

To your success

Andres Hurtado Rangel

www.mastermind2020.com

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Business Coaching, Entrepreneurship, sales, Startups

“Whatever it takes” means 24/7/365 availability

I’m addicted to freedom and congruence – and I do whatever it takes to create freedom, whether that’s making money, getting fit, building solid relationships… I do whatever it takes, and I never compromise

“Whatever it takes” means 24/7/365 availability. ordinary people will tell you that you need “balance” – “Don’t work too hard”, “Take it easy”. But if I love my business, why is doing business bad but playing golf all day is good? I work very smart.
Only losers can’t understand that your business can be (and should be) your passion, hobby, mission and purpose.
Success is not only about money, we know that – and words like “addiction” and “fanaticism” are used here in the context of commitment. How do you know whether you’re addicted to success or not? See what you do and think about and talk about and you will know your addiction.

Addiction to success in every area of your life means commitment without compromise, retreat, excuses, or waste. Someone who is addicted to success is like that drug addict – complete focus, no distraction, total commitment. They take responsibility for achieving their goals. Winners are like Jeff Olson, self-made multi-millionaire, a success in every area of his life. He was playing baseball in a successful team and made a decision to quit the baseball in favor of his business. Being an expert in baseball, unless you’re a professional, does not put money in the bank.

to your success,

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