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Your Guide to Gaining a Competitive Edge and Succeeding as an Entrepreneur Over the Next 5 Years
As an entrepreneur, you must stay ahead and anticipate the future. To do this, you must refine your current skills and understand successful business practices while sharpening the most important skills you should master in the next five years.From recognizing potential opportunities to adapting quickly to change and maximizing resources for growth, you'll be better equipped to take your business…
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How a Traumatic Accident Led to an 8-Figure Business
Raised in Vancouver, Canada, Lauren Gropper's love of the natural world grew early on — and so did her desire to help preserve it. After pursuing environmental studies and geography in college, Gropper did a range of work in related fields. Then she went on to study sustainable design in…
How I Built a $40-Million-a-Year Business From My Garage
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daniel Haarburger, founder and CEO of Woof, a dog toy startup that experienced 6,000% growth from 2021 to 2023 and saw $40 million in revenue in 2024. The piece has been edited and condensed for clarity.Looking for a profitable side hustle…
10 Surprising Expenses That Blindside Business Owners
Most individuals and entrepreneurs start a business with the excitement of financial freedom and being their own boss to build something meaningful. Everyone knows the obvious business costs, such as rent, payroll and marketing.However, there are hidden business costs that can erode profit margins, strain cash flow and catch even…
Franchising Is Getting Younger — Here’s What’s Changed
As any business book or article will tell you, a key part of developing successful marketing and sales strategies stems from knowing your ideal customer avatar. Who are they? Where are they? What are their demographics? How can I put my products or services in the way of these sought-after…
How This Garage Side Hustle Reached $10K a Month After Using a “Stealthy” Strategy
"If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody." That Damian Lillard quote is the background on Hilary Hoffman's phone — and the foundation of her business philosophy. When she launched SotoMethod, an omnichannel fitness brand, from her garage in…
The 3 Biggest Mistakes That Made Me a Better Entrepreneur
From the outside, entrepreneurship often looks like a highlight reel: rapid growth, media coverage, successful exits. I've lived that story — building and running multiple companies, serving as CEO of SetSchedule and exiting businesses in real estate and tech before moving into venture investment. But the truth is, my real…
Why Sales, Marketing and Procurement Are SMBs’ 2025 Power Moves
Small and midsize business owners and decision makers will have a strong focus on growth in 2025. Nearly 50% of SMB owners and nonprofit decision-makers plan to increase their investments in sales and marketing this year, according to a recent Walmart Business survey fielded by Morning Consult. This investment signals…
Why ‘If You Build It, They Will Come’ Is Terrible Startup Advice
"If you build it, they will come."That's the famous phrase whispered by mysterious, disembodied voices to Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer played by Kevin Costner in the 1989 film "Field of Dreams," urging him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. ("They," in this case, refers to the spirits…
Her ‘Instant Success’ Side Hustle Hit $1M Sales in 6 Months
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Kelly Bozigian, 32, of Boston, Massachusetts. She and her husband, Colt Bozigian, run Coastal Caviar, a handmade jewelry company featuring charm necklaces, bracelets and more. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Image Credit: Coastal Caviar. Kelly Bozigian.What was your day job or…
Measuring Product Success? You’re Probably Doing It Wrong.
As a product manager or business leader, you live and die (well, fail) by metrics. For every project, feature or change shipped, you want to measure the impact. "Did this new button have any effect? It's the perfect shade of blue!"The most popular product metric is the Net Promoter Score…
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Creative Ways Startups Can Earn Funding in Tough Economic Times
In a declining economy, startups face an uphill battle when it comes to securing funding.…
I Asked AI to Create a Plan for a Fake Company — The Results Blew Me Away, But Not in the Way You Might Think
With all of the recent news about artificial intelligence (AI), it got me thinking about…
Ideas To Transform You From Good To Better To Best
A while back, I took a couple of my grandchildren on a tour of the…
5 Crucial Challenges Startups Must Overcome
Startups face numerous challenges on their journey to success, and failing to overcome any one…