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Tag: Growth Strategies

  • My Profitable Company Is Worthless to Investors — Here’s Why That Works in My Favor | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Over the past few months, I’ve received a surprising number of emails and even phone calls from private equity firms asking if I’d consider selling my business.

    “Gene,” they all say, “we’ve followed your growth in the technology space and believe we can help you unlock value while preserving your legacy and team. Would you be open to a 20-minute call to discuss mutual opportunities?”

    It’s flattering, sure. And it makes sense. According to Harvard’s Corporate Governance site, private equity exits jumped from $754 billion in 2023 to $902 billion in 2024 — about a 20% increase. Other reports show deal value rising by 50% in the first half of 2024 alone, with strategic acquisitions leading the way.

    Private equity is everywhere — scooping up contractors, manufacturers, distributors and yes, even tech companies like mine.

    Why? Because many business owners are aging out. The average small business owner in the U.S. is over 55, according to the Small Business Administration — and that was back in 2020. So a wave of exits is underway, and investors are eager to buy businesses with strong financials, recurring revenue and growth potential.

    But my business? I don’t think I’m sellable. Not because I wouldn’t entertain an offer — but because once a buyer looks under the hood, they’ll realize the uncomfortable truth: My company has no real value.

    Related: Want to Maximize the Sale Price of Your Business? Start with These 5 Value Drivers

    The balance sheet no one wants

    Let’s start with the basics. My business has no hard assets. No buildings, no equipment, no physical property. Just a bit of cash and accounts receivable.

    Sure, we also have very few liabilities. In fact, most of our “payables” are actually prepaid client deposits — blocks of time that customers purchase in advance. It’s a great way to boost cash flow and reduce risk, but it creates a liability a buyer would need to honor. Not exactly attractive.

    No contracts, no guarantees

    We don’t lock clients into long-term contracts. We’ve never sold maintenance agreements or recurring support plans. Our clients use us when they need us — and leave when they don’t.

    There’s no proprietary process or secret sauce. What we do isn’t complicated. In fact, anyone could learn it online. Our clients hire us not because we’re unique, but because they don’t have the bandwidth to do it themselves.

    So if a private equity firm were to evaluate my company, they’d quickly realize there’s no predictable revenue stream to base a valuation on. No recurring income. No clear multiple to apply. We go project to project, client to client.

    That might work for me. But it doesn’t work for them.

    A team that disappears when I do

    I do have employees. But most of the work is handled by independent contractors. That comes with its own risk — from worker classification issues to a lack of long-term commitment.

    Our setup has always been virtual. We’ve been remote since 2005. No office. No shared culture. No in-person meetings. Everyone works independently, and I check in as needed. It works for us — but it doesn’t scream “scalable organization.”

    The reality? This business doesn’t run without me. I do the selling. I do the marketing. I oversee projects, handle accounting, manage admin and lead the day-to-day. If I were hit by a bus tomorrow, this business would fold within 30 days — with contractors and staff likely splintering off to do their own thing.

    No IP, no exclusivity, no moat

    We implement CRM platforms. It’s a crowded, competitive space. The very vendors we represent are often our biggest competitors. There’s no barrier to entry. Competitors appear regularly — usually cheaper, often younger and sometimes better.

    We don’t have any intellectual property, documented systems or defined processes. Every project is different, and it rarely makes sense to create templates or workflows that won’t apply next time.

    So there’s nothing here to “buy.” No assets. No exclusivity. No edge.

    So, what do I have?

    I have a business that works for me.

    For more than 25 years, it’s paid the bills, put my kids through college and built a retirement plan for my wife and me. It’s also supported dozens of employees and contractors along the way. That’s something I’m proud of.

    My model has always been simple: do the work, bill for it, generate cash, save what you can. Rinse and repeat. And for me, it’s worked beautifully.

    But let’s be honest: this model doesn’t build transferable value. There’s no goodwill. No buyer-ready systems. No brand equity. No enterprise value. Just a highly functional, one-person-driven operation that disappears without me.

    Related: Starting a New Business? Here’s How to Leverage Transferable Skills From Your Prior Careers and Drive Success

    If your business looks like mine

    Don’t be discouraged. But do be realistic.

    You may be generating cash — and that’s great. You may be living well — even better. But unless you’ve intentionally built for scale, structure and succession, your business may not be worth much to anyone else.

    And that’s okay — as long as that’s the plan.

    For me, it is.

    Over the past few months, I’ve received a surprising number of emails and even phone calls from private equity firms asking if I’d consider selling my business.

    “Gene,” they all say, “we’ve followed your growth in the technology space and believe we can help you unlock value while preserving your legacy and team. Would you be open to a 20-minute call to discuss mutual opportunities?”

    It’s flattering, sure. And it makes sense. According to Harvard’s Corporate Governance site, private equity exits jumped from $754 billion in 2023 to $902 billion in 2024 — about a 20% increase. Other reports show deal value rising by 50% in the first half of 2024 alone, with strategic acquisitions leading the way.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Gene Marks

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  • 5 Challenges Every Solopreneur Faces — and Smart Ways to Tackle Them | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    These days, something very interesting is happening in the world of online entrepreneurship.

    More and more people are choosing to build their businesses completely on their own. They are called solopreneurs — motivated individuals who focus on managing every part of their business alone.

    What separates solopreneurs from traditional entrepreneurs is that they purposefully choose to stay lean and independent while still aiming to grow and make a real impact, whereas entrepreneurs often build teams.

    According to what I’ve seen on Google Trends, the number of searches for the term “solopreneur” has increased in the last five years alone. The biggest increase occurs in entrepreneurial hotspots across North America, Europe and Asia.

    So, what’s the reason for this?

    A couple of things: people have become accustomed to remote work — it’s the new norm, and unconventional career paths are more accepted by society. Besides, powerful digital tools are more accessible and make running a business much easier.

    However, the reality is that solopreneurship isn’t exactly all freedom and flexibility. Running your own business comes with its own set of challenges that you don’t face in traditional jobs or when building a startup with a team. Understanding and overcoming these challenges is the key to thriving as a solopreneur.

    Related: How Solopreneurs Are Scaling Past Six Figures (Without a Team)

    1. Wearing too many hats

    Inside every business, there are a lot of moving parts — marketing, sales, finances, customer service and many other operations.

    For solopreneurs, all of these tasks fall on just one person’s shoulders. One day you’re the support agent, the next you’re writing social media posts or sending invoices… the list goes on.

    The tricky part isn’t the work itself — it’s the non-stop switching between fundamentally different tasks. This can lead to a loss of focus, energy and, over time, to decision fatigue, where even the small choices start feeling exhausting.

    How to make it easier

    Here are some tips to lighten the load and work smarter:

    • Group similar tasks together – for example, handle all the financial tasks on Monday morning instead of scattering them throughout the week.
    • Start small with outsourcing – no need to hire a full-time team. Begin outsourcing your most time-consuming tasks or the ones you feel you’re the weakest at.
    • Write things down – start simple checklists for recurring tasks to reduce mental load.
    • Implement the right tools – adapt software programs that allow you to cut down on repetitive work (email management, invoicing, scheduling, etc.)

    When you offload some of these roles, you can start focusing on the work that really matters – growing your business and providing your customers with top-quality service.

    2. The isolation factor

    Let’s be real — humans are social creatures, and working by yourself can make you feel lonely.

    With a traditional job, you’ve got colleagues to chat with, team meetings to discuss your ideas, and even those coffee chats that can break up the day.

    As a solopreneur, these social moments are gone.

    And while some enjoy the quiet, too much of it can take a heavy toll. Without those human interactions, you can lose motivation, creativity, and it can even negatively impact your mental health.

    How to stay on top

    The good news is that you don’t have to face solopreneurship alone. Here’s how you can bring people back into your work life:

    • Network and connect – join groups and online communities where other solopreneurs share their experiences.
    • Set up co-working sessions – find an “accountability partner”, either virtual, at a café, or a co-working space, to make it more fun.
    • Develop and learn – attend conferences and networking events to meet people who “get it.”
    • Seek out a mentor – they can guide you and share their knowledge with you.

    The key thing to remember: running a business by yourself doesn’t mean doing everything solo. Finding like-minded individuals can keep you motivated, inspired and less isolated.

    3. Financial instability

    Unlike employees with salaries, one of the toughest challenges for solopreneurs is money management.

    As a solopreneur, your income can swing up and down depending on the season, clients or just random luck. One month, you can be stressing over what bill to pay, the next, you’re on top of the world.

    This financial rollercoaster won’t just affect your bank account — it can also cloud your judgment. Some solopreneurs may take big risks when money starts flowing in, while others may become very cautious, holding back on extra expenses that can even help them grow.

    How to create stability

    The important thing is to smooth out the ups and downs as much as possible. Here’s how you can do that:

    • Diversify your income — don’t put all your eggs in one basket, develop multiple income streams to spread out the risk
    • Create recurring revenue — structure your offerings to include retainer agreements or subscription models to keep money coming in more predictably.
    • Create financial buffers — try to build an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses or income gaps.

    When you successfully implement these systems, the financial stress becomes much more manageable and understandable.

    Related: 5 Things You Need to Stop Doing as a Solopreneur

    4. Time management

    When we talk about solopreneurship, one of the biggest perks is being your own boss — you set your own schedule, no one tells you what to do, no 9-to-5 – sounds perfect.

    But on the flip side, without a proper structure, it’s easy to get lost in your work or not work nearly enough.

    Both can hurt your business and even you.

    The key is to create a rhythm that gives you focus without creating that feeling like you’re back in a corporate cubicle.

    How to manage your time better

    Here are some practical strategies that can help:

    • Work with your natural energy – keep track of when you feel most creative and energized, and schedule your most important tasks for then.
    • Create themed workdays – set up your days for different business functions. For example, Mondays for finances, Tuesdays for marketing, Wednesdays for client operations, etc.
    • Use time blocks – set aside chunks of time, but add short breaks in between so you don’t burn out.
    • Think in 90-day sprints – don’t try to do everything at once, select a few key priorities every quarter, and move in that direction.

    By implementing a structure, you can stay productive without feeling like you’re trapped by your work. It’s all about balance – become disciplined to get things done, and have enough flexibility to enjoy the freedom of being your own boss.

    Related: You Must Unlearn the Myth of the Solopreneur to Be Successful

    5. Maintaining confidence

    Managing a business solo means you’re constantly challenging yourself — acquiring new skills, facing new risks, gaining new responsibilities. With that comes something that every solopreneur faces: self-doubt.

    You start to question yourself, “Why am I doing this?”, “Am I good enough?”, “What was I even thinking when jumping into this…” and so on.

    The truth is, mental hurdles can be even tougher than practical challenges. But confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself – it’s about creating ways to push through when doubt shows up.

    How to build up your confidence

    Here are a few ways to keep your mind sharp and ready:

    • Record your wins – keep track of the skills you’ve gained, projects you’ve completed, and positive feedback from your clients. Seeing it in writing is a powerful reminder to keep going.
    • Level up gradually – take on slightly bigger challenges step-by-step. Each win is proof that you’re heading in the right direction.
    • Remember that a slight setback doesn’t mean you’re incompetent – it just means that you need to tweak the process a bit to get back on the right track.

    Confidence isn’t something that you have or don’t have. It’s all about how you overcome the challenges that you face.

    The future of solopreneurship

    Solopreneurship isn’t a passing trend – it’s becoming a real and lasting career path.

    As technology continues to improve and work culture continues to evolve toward more flexible solutions, more and more professionals will find “going solo” isn’t just possible but practical in various industries.

    The solopreneurs who will truly succeed in their endeavors will:

    • Recognize the key challenges that come with starting a one-person business
    • Implement strategic solutions that fit their unique scenarios
    • Stay flexible and adapt as their business grows

    The solopreneur path isn’t about building that “perfect balance”.

    Instead, it’s about finding solutions that make the tough parts manageable. With the right approach, solopreneurs can create businesses that are not only profitable but also personally fulfilling.

    At its core, solopreneurship is about choosing your own way, creating your own terms, and finding success that’s meaningful to you. You will be rewarded with freedom, creativity, independence and the joy of building something that’s truly your own.

    Polina Beletskaya

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  • Your Startup Seems On Track — But An Invisible Growth Blocker Says Otherwise | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a founder, your focus is growth — more users, more features, more market share. But sometimes the biggest thing standing in your way isn’t your business model, marketing or funding. It’s your tech team.

    Not because they’re doing something wrong — but because they’ve taken you as far as they can.

    And when you finally bring in a new team or vendor, it’s a stress test. For the business, it means facing hard questions about control. For the new team, it means diving into someone else’s legacy code. And for you, the founder, there’s one phrase no one ever wants to hear:

    “Honestly, it might be easier to rebuild this from scratch.”

    But here’s the thing — you don’t need a fire to smell the smoke.

    Related: The Top 2 Mistakes Founders Make That Hinder the Growth of Their Companies

    The calm before the stall

    Sometimes, founders realize something’s off when everything starts breaking — delivery delays, ballooning budgets or a tech stack that feels five years old. But just as often, things look fine on the surface.

    Code is getting shipped. Deadlines are met. Users are active, maybe even paying. On paper, it all looks “on track.”

    But under the hood, your product may already be maxed out. Not because of bugs — but because the team that built it wasn’t thinking far enough ahead.

    This is the silent stall: when your product stops being a launchpad and becomes a ceiling. It still works, but it can’t grow.

    No scalable tech foundation

    Most growth plans boil down to a simple idea: make it work, then scale. But can your architecture, tools and infrastructure handle that scale?

    If your tech partner lacks a long-term mindset, they’ll deliver what you ask for — but not what you’ll need next. That means you’ll constantly be in maintenance mode, fixing things that should’ve been built right the first time.

    And growth adds pressure fast: more users, more data, more complexity. What works for a few thousand users might fall apart at scale — or cost you exponentially more to run.

    A good tech partner doesn’t treat scalability as an upgrade. They design for it from day one. Modular systems, clean infrastructure and smart trade-offs aren’t technical luxuries — they’re what make future features (and funding rounds) possible.

    Because rebuilding later costs more. In time, money and momentum you won’t get back.

    An incomplete team

    Here’s something that trips up a lot of startups: assuming developers alone can carry the product.

    Developers are essential, of course. But building a successful digital product takes more than code. You also need:

    • Business analysts to map user and market needs into features
    • UX and UI designers to shape user experience
    • Solution architects to plan scalable systems

    If your current vendor only supplies engineers, you’re not working with a product partner — you’re working with a contractor. That might be fine early on, but over time, it’s a limitation.

    Without the right roles in place, your product gets built in a vacuum. There’s no one translating strategy into functionality or guiding decisions with the bigger picture in mind.

    A complete product team is cross-functional by design. The best vendors can pull in the right expertise when needed — not weeks later, but immediately.

    No plan for what’s next

    Plenty of teams are great at delivering today’s requirements. But what about tomorrow’s?

    If your tech partner isn’t helping you plan for monetization, scale or the next fundraising round, you’re not set up for sustainable growth.

    Think about how much future planning touches:

    • Payment systems
    • Onboarding flows
    • App store requirements
    • Subscription models
    • Analytics and data tracking

    Miss these pieces early, and you’ll end up rebuilding later — right when you should be scaling. Investors notice too. They expect clean data, thoughtful UX and systems that support growth, not just usage.

    A strong tech partner will challenge assumptions and help you anticipate what comes after this version. Because scaling isn’t just more code — it’s pricing, performance, infrastructure and go-to-market timing all working together.

    If your team isn’t thinking that far ahead, it’s time to find one that is.

    Related: 6 Unconventional Habits That Actually Help Entrepreneurs Find Work-Life Sanity

    Final thoughts

    Not all stalled products fail loudly. Sometimes the most dangerous moment is when everything seems fine — but nothing’s moving forward.

    You don’t need a crisis to justify a change. You need a vision that your current team can grow into — not just keep afloat.

    Yes, switching vendors takes time, effort and sometimes cleanup. But it also gives you a reset — a chance to align your product with where your business is actually going.

    If you’ve hit a ceiling, don’t wait until it becomes a wall. Find a partner who can build what’s next, not just maintain what’s now.

    As a founder, your focus is growth — more users, more features, more market share. But sometimes the biggest thing standing in your way isn’t your business model, marketing or funding. It’s your tech team.

    Not because they’re doing something wrong — but because they’ve taken you as far as they can.

    And when you finally bring in a new team or vendor, it’s a stress test. For the business, it means facing hard questions about control. For the new team, it means diving into someone else’s legacy code. And for you, the founder, there’s one phrase no one ever wants to hear:

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Ilia Kiselevich

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  • This Leadership Practice Keeps Teams Moving Amid Uncertainty | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When uncertainty rises, many leaders do the reasonable thing. They become more careful. They slow spending. They pause plans. They wait for clearer signals before committing to big moves.

    At first, it makes sense. The conditions are unclear. The pressure is real. No one wants to overcommit when the stakes are high and the path ahead is blurry. A measured pause can feel responsible, even necessary.

    But over time, that caution can shift the culture. Motion slows. Teams hesitate. The energy that once kept people building begins to fade. Not because anyone made a bad decision, but because belief is no longer being modeled.

    When leaders stop showing confidence in where the company is going, the whole system responds. This is not about charisma or volume. It is about posture, the way conviction shows up in tone, in timing, in the pace of decisions.

    In moments like this, optimism is not a luxury. It is what keeps progress alive.

    Related: How The Best Executives Show Leadership in Times of Uncertainty

    The power of optimism

    I have led through crises, pivots and culture resets. In each case, the same pattern showed up. When leaders carry belief, even when the path is unclear, teams keep moving. When belief disappears, momentum fades. People start waiting for clarity, direction or permission.

    In complex environments, the emotional posture of leadership becomes the silent operating system. Optimism either sustains forward motion or its absence introduces friction. Even the best plans slow down when belief disappears from the room.

    Optimism is not a personality trait. It is a leadership practice. It shapes how you speak, how you make decisions and how you guide others through complexity.

    You do not need to be overly positive. You do not need to perform. You need to keep pointing forward with consistency. When your team sees that, they stay engaged.

    The strongest leaders I’ve worked with are not the ones who avoid uncertainty. They are the ones who can hold it without handing it off to their teams. Optimism helps them do that. It keeps the weight from becoming the tone.

    In most organizations, tone travels faster than tactics. If you grow more hesitant, your team will sense it. That is not a flaw. It is a human response to the emotional signals leaders send.

    What you say may be precise, but how you say it often has more impact. A slight shift in energy from the top can change how an entire team interprets risk and momentum.

    I experienced this in a high-pressure environment when our company came under scrutiny. We had a plan, but the atmosphere changed. People paused. Focus slipped. Energy became scattered. The quiet question in the room was clear. Do we still believe in what we are building?

    In moments like that, no one waits for an all-hands meeting. People take their cues from daily tone, hallway conversations and executive language. That is why steady belief matters.

    What helped us recover was not a new strategy. It was steady communication. We named the pressure. We spoke with clarity. We made sure people heard conviction in our voice. And we chose to keep moving.

    That choice mattered. It gave people something to align around. It gave them permission to act.

    Once teams see that leadership still believes, they recalibrate. Confidence comes back. Initiative returns. You do not need a perfect plan. You need clear, active belief.

    This is what optimism does. It restores direction. It keeps systems in motion when certainty is unavailable.

    Related: How to Lead With Positive Energy (Even When Times Get Tough)

    Lead with belief

    Optimism is not about ignoring risks. It is about leading with belief anyway. When that belief is present, teams stay focused. They solve problems faster. They keep building when others start waiting.

    It helps people think creatively instead of defensively. It creates space to try instead of waiting to react.

    If things feel stuck, take a closer look at how you are showing up. Not just in presentations or briefings, but in everyday conversations. Are you modeling progress or stalling? Are you holding direction or broadcasting hesitation?

    Because people do not just need approval. They need to know their leaders still believe in what they are working toward. That belief, when communicated with intention, becomes contagious. It resets energy. It shifts momentum. It brings direction back into the room.

    Optimism, when carried with clarity, cuts through noise. It is not emotional. It is structural. It sets pace. It creates alignment. It holds energy in motion.

    The leaders who move teams through uncertainty are not always the ones with the perfect plan. They are the ones who give people a reason to keep going. They carry belief on purpose. They model direction even when the conditions are imperfect.

    Optimism is not the opposite of realism. It is what makes realism useful.

    When leaders carry it well, the effect spreads. Not because they are louder, but because their clarity steadies the room.

    Related: How to Lead With a Balanced Sense of Optimism When The Future Looks Bleak

    When uncertainty rises, many leaders do the reasonable thing. They become more careful. They slow spending. They pause plans. They wait for clearer signals before committing to big moves.

    At first, it makes sense. The conditions are unclear. The pressure is real. No one wants to overcommit when the stakes are high and the path ahead is blurry. A measured pause can feel responsible, even necessary.

    But over time, that caution can shift the culture. Motion slows. Teams hesitate. The energy that once kept people building begins to fade. Not because anyone made a bad decision, but because belief is no longer being modeled.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Matthew Mathison

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  • Here’s Where Prince St. Pizza Is Opening Next | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Lawrence Longo is certain about one thing: America needs a great national pizza brand.

    Not just a chain that cranks out slices, but a name that stands for quality, heritage and the kind of flavor people will travel for. “Our goal is to be that premium slice shop in America,” he tells Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef.

    That mission is at the heart of his work growing Prince St. Pizza from a single shop into a brand with locations across the country.

    The story started on a block in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, where the original Prince St. Pizza has been drawing crowds for years. Its pepperoni square slice is an icon: crispy-edged, overflowing with curl and dripping with flavor.

    Longo was a fan before he was a partner. “I used to go in as a customer,” he says. “I loved the pizza; I loved the energy in the shop. I could feel how much it meant to people.”

    Related: He Went from Tech CEO to Dishwasher. Now, He’s Behind 320 Restaurants and $750 Million in Assets.

    That connection turned into conversations. Longo got to know the owners, learning not just about the recipes but about the pride and history behind them. “We started talking about what it could be,” he recalls. “I told them, ‘This isn’t just a slice shop. This is a brand that could mean something in every city.’”

    Eventually, that dialogue became a partnership, grounded in a shared commitment to keep the product and culture intact. Now the expansion is real. This interview took place inside a new Prince St. Pizza in Las Vegas, just steps from the Strip.

    The crowd here is a mix of locals and visitors, but the slice in their hands tastes just like it would in SoHo. “That’s the goal,” Longo says. “No matter where you are, when you bite into it, it should feel like you’re in New York.”

    The Las Vegas shop is just one of several new locations, each chosen carefully. “We don’t just go anywhere,” he explains. “We look for cities where Prince St. can fit in and still stand out. And then we build the right team to protect what makes it special.”

    For Longo, it is not simply about growing bigger. It is about creating a national pizza brand without losing the soul of the original.

    Related: His Sushi Burger Got 50 Million Views — and Launched an Entire Business

    The next great American pizza brand

    Prince St. Pizza’s footprint is getting bigger, and the momentum is real. New locations are opening in markets like Miami and Dallas. Each one matches the quality and culture of the original SoHo shop. Celebrity customers have become part of the story. Usher. Adam Sandler. Dave Portnoy. They aren’t there for photo ops. They come in because they like the pizza.

    “They try, and they come back, and they like the brand,” Longo says. Being in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago means crossing paths with people who live for good food, whether they are famous or not.

    Growth also brings noise. “The bigger you get, the more haters you get,” Longo says. “You can’t listen to the noise. You want to listen to everybody, but you gotta just keep your head down, worry about yourself, do the best job you can and focus on your customers.”

    Related: Von Miller Learned About Chicken Farming in a College Class – And It Became the Inspiration for a Business That Counts Patrick Mahomes as an Investor

    That mindset is what allows Longo to keep expanding without losing the flavor and culture that made Prince St. Pizza a destination in the first place.

    Every new store is another chance to prove that a premium slice shop can scale nationally without losing what made it special.

    “Every time you open a new restaurant, you learn something new about your brand,” Longo says, “and we’re only getting better.”

    It’s the same goal he set from the start — to take Prince St. Pizza from a single shop in New York to a true national brand. And for Longo, the recipe for getting there is simple: protect the product, protect the culture and keep serving slices worth traveling for.

    Related: This Restaurant CEO Created His Own National Holiday (and Turned It Into a Business Strategy)

    About Restaurant Influencers

    Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • Building Tech With No Experience Taught Me This Key Skill | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s world, not every founder comes from a technical background, and that’s no longer a dealbreaker. With AI projected to grow 28.5% by the end of the decade, even specialists are racing to keep up with emerging innovations. In such a fast-moving environment, the expectation that any one person, founder or otherwise, will master every detail is both unrealistic and counterproductive.

    The reality is this: You don’t need to code to build in tech, but you do need to translate. The ability to connect across disciplines has become the most important skill to develop — not just as someone building a company, but as someone leading one.

    If my experience in the NBA has taught me anything, it’s that every good team is made up of strong translators: people who understand both the locker room and the boardroom, coaches who can speak to data analysts and players, and leaders who can turn strategy into execution. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what tech startups need, too.

    Related: Having No Experience Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Start a Business

    Clarity beats jargon

    When I started building Tracy AI, I quickly learned that trying to sound technical wasn’t helpful and actually slowed things down. Translating product decisions into clear, outcome-based language helped us move much faster. We didn’t always need to build models from scratch, but we did need to understand what those models were aiming for. That’s the real distinction between technical literacy and technical fluency: One is about credibility, but the other is about clarity. When everyone’s on the same page, people align, and products get better.

    Having this approach enabled us to bring in outside subject-matter experts, test assumptions early and avoid costly missteps that often come from internal echo chambers. Regardless of whether your team is fluent in Python, the ability to communicate clearly across complexity is what ultimately drives the company’s momentum.

    Hire smart

    I once read a quote from David Ogilvy that stuck with me: “Hire people who are better than you are, and then leave them to get on with it.” In tech, that means surrounding yourself with brilliant engineers, designers and product minds, and focusing your own energy on alignment, direction and decision-making.

    Building a company is about asking better questions, setting the right priorities and making sure your team is rowing in the same direction. That requires trust, communication and discipline, not technical depth. It also means knowing how to translate business needs into technical priorities, and vice versa.

    When it comes down to it, a founder’s job is to build bridges. Between vision and execution. Between product and people. Between strategy and reality. The most valuable skill in business isn’t your ability to code; it’s your ability to connect. Not being afraid of connecting strong, self-motivated individuals in your business is not only a recipe for success — it’s just good business sense.

    Related: How (Not Why) You Need to Start Hiring People Smarter Than Yourself

    Letting go

    Rapid-growth companies face a specific leadership challenge: knowing when to direct and when to step back. For founders, especially those without technical backgrounds, there’s a strong temptation to stay hands-on with every detail. According to a Harvard Business Review study, 58% of founders struggle to let go of control, often remaining stuck in what’s known as “founder mode,” even when the company is ready to scale.

    Being stuck in founder mode can slow down progress, stifle creativity and burn out the very experts hired to build. The job of the founder is to hold the vision and define the “what” and “why,” while trusting the team to figure out the “how.” That means giving engineers autonomy to explore solutions and trusting their understanding of the mechanics.

    At the same time, it’s important to stay connected to the people you’re building for. From my experience, I made sure to spend time with athletes, coaches and trainers — not just as a former player, but as a product owner committed to learning. That user feedback wasn’t just helpful; it became a compass for the tech. Just because we may need to let go of day-to-day, doesn’t mean we can’t get involved in other ways.

    At a certain point in any startup’s life, there is a transition from idea to alignment. Engineers speak in sprints and system architecture. Investors speak in ROI and risk. Users speak in frustrations, workarounds and outcomes. As a founder, your job is to be the connector between all of them, bridging the gap between engineers, users and investors, often speaking three very different languages in the same meeting.

    Related: Are You Running Your Business — or Is It Running You? How to Escape ‘Founder Mode’ and Learn to Let Go

    That means being able to explain what users actually want to your developers, breaking down technical constraints in a way your investors can understand and communicating a vision clearly enough that everyone in the business can see where they fit in. This is what makes a product usable, turns a group of builders into a team and ultimately transforms a good idea into a lasting company.

    In today’s world, not every founder comes from a technical background, and that’s no longer a dealbreaker. With AI projected to grow 28.5% by the end of the decade, even specialists are racing to keep up with emerging innovations. In such a fast-moving environment, the expectation that any one person, founder or otherwise, will master every detail is both unrealistic and counterproductive.

    The reality is this: You don’t need to code to build in tech, but you do need to translate. The ability to connect across disciplines has become the most important skill to develop — not just as someone building a company, but as someone leading one.

    If my experience in the NBA has taught me anything, it’s that every good team is made up of strong translators: people who understand both the locker room and the boardroom, coaches who can speak to data analysts and players, and leaders who can turn strategy into execution. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what tech startups need, too.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Tristan Thompson

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  • How to Overcome These 7 Hidden Purchase Barriers | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You have had a promising conversation with your customer. They nodded, said they liked your offer, maybe even said, “Yes, sounds good.” But then there was no follow-up, no payment from that customer and you see zero sales.

    If this has happened more than a few times, you’re not alone. According to a HubSpot study, 60% of customers say “yes” or show interest during a sales process but end up ghosting before the transaction is completed, at least four times before they buy. So what gives?

    In business, the gap between “yes” and “checkout” is where most opportunities quietly die. It’s not just a sales problem. It’s a clarity problem, a trust problem and sometimes just bad timing. Let’s break down some most common reasons people agree with your pitch but still walk away and what you can do to close the loop.

    Related: Cart Abandonment Is Costing You Customers — Here’s How to Stop It

    1. They didn’t want to be rude

    Sometimes your customer may say yes just to end the conversation and avoid conflict. In sales, politeness can be your biggest illusion. The prospect may have no real intention to buy, but they nod, smile and may say, “I’ll think about it,” or “Send me the link.” We often take that as a green light. But it is not.

    What to do:

    Instead of asking, “Are you interested?” you can ask something slightly more specific, such as “What concerns do you still have?” or “Is this something you’re ready for now, or down the line?”

    Let them tell you the truth before you waste time chasing a dead lead.

    2. They don’t trust something — yet

    Trust is rarely built in a single conversation or one landing page. A customer might be sold on the product but unsure about your brand, your return policy or whether you’ll deliver what you promised. Even if they like what they hear, hesitation can creep in the moment they feel even slightly uncertain, especially in crowded markets.

    What to do:

    Make your trust signals visible and easy to verify. Add real testimonials (not vague ones), a money-back guarantee or some transparency around how long shipping or onboarding takes.

    3. The decision wasn’t fully theirs

    Customers will sometimes say yes because they want to buy, but they are not the final decision-maker. This is more common in B2B, but it happens in everyday transactions too (think of someone needing to check with their spouse or manager).

    It’s not that they didn’t like your offer. They just weren’t authorized to pull the trigger.

    What to do:

    Ask directly, “Is there anyone else who needs to sign off on this?” earlier in the conversation. If the answer is yes, give them shareable materials, FAQs or a few quick demos that they can easily forward.

    Related: Beyond the First Sale — How to Keep Your Customers Coming Back for More

    4. They mentally said “not now”

    Timing is a silent killer in sales. You pitch something that makes sense, and the customer is also mentally on board, but their priorities can shift. They may say yes, but they mean, “Yes … eventually.” And that “eventually” can slip off their radar unless you follow up with the right nudge.

    What to do:

    Instead of just asking, “Are you ready to buy now?” give them a reason to act sooner. A limited-time benefit, a booking link with available slots or even a checklist to prep for onboarding can shift their mindset from eventually to let’s do it now.

    Don’t push them, but you can try to shorten the gap between their interest and action.

    5. The process was just slightly too complicated

    It only takes a little bit of friction to lose a sale. One more form field, an unclear shipping note or maybe they have to complete too many steps to checkout. When people say yes, they’re thinking emotionally. But when they try to buy, logic will come. And if your checkout flow or subscription process makes them pause even for a second, they might not come back.

    What to do:

    Audit your purchase or sign-up process. Look for small steps that feel unnecessary or confusing. If you run an online store or take orders digitally, use tools that allow clear, intuitive checkout (with mobile in mind).

    Even service businesses( whether selling bouquets or booking consultations) benefit from POS tools that can streamline customer flow without needing custom development.

    6. The value didn’t match the price — in their mind

    They might agree with you in theory, but when it came down to payment, they didn’t feel like it was worth it for them. That doesn’t mean your offer was overpriced, just that the value wasn’t clearly communicated in a way that resonated. People don’t buy features, they buy outcomes. So, if those outcomes are not obvious to them, your pricing will always feel high, even if it’s not.

    What to do:

    Focus less on what the product is and more on what it does for that specific customer. Use examples or quick before-and-after stories that will show transformation. Let them picture themselves with the result. Also, consider offering flexible pricing (even if it’s temporary) to meet them where they are.

    Related: Forget Selling. Here’s How to Spark Relationships Your Customers Won’t Walk Away From

    7. They got distracted — and didn’t come back

    Modern customers are distracted. They’re scrolling during meetings, browsing tabs between errands and half-reading product pages while standing in line at the grocery store. Even with the best intentions to buy, their attention is fragile. One notification or interruption, and your offer can fade into the noise. They may have been 90% there and then forgot entirely.

    What to do:

    Don’t assume a lost sale means disinterest. You can use light, timed follow-ups like abandoned cart emails, reminder messages or even a friendly “Hey, still interested?” nudge.

    Also, make re-entry easy. If they do return, don’t force them to start over. Keep their cart, save their last viewed items and reduce the steps they need to take to finish what they started.

    There’s still a lot that can derail a buying decision between agreement and action. The trick is to build systems, messaging and good follow-up strategies that carry people over that final stretch. Good luck!

    You have had a promising conversation with your customer. They nodded, said they liked your offer, maybe even said, “Yes, sounds good.” But then there was no follow-up, no payment from that customer and you see zero sales.

    If this has happened more than a few times, you’re not alone. According to a HubSpot study, 60% of customers say “yes” or show interest during a sales process but end up ghosting before the transaction is completed, at least four times before they buy. So what gives?

    In business, the gap between “yes” and “checkout” is where most opportunities quietly die. It’s not just a sales problem. It’s a clarity problem, a trust problem and sometimes just bad timing. Let’s break down some most common reasons people agree with your pitch but still walk away and what you can do to close the loop.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Murali Nethi

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  • Domain Costs Can Spiral — Take These Steps to Stay in Control and Save Thousands | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The right domain is essential in 2025 and beyond. Brands need that perfect web address to establish credibility and attract traffic. In practice, domain brokerage firms act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers, often negotiating opaque fees that can increase the final costs.

    Join me as I reveal the reality of domain brokers, highlighting common fees and negotiation strategies that help keep budgets under control. Fellow entrepreneurs will learn what questions to ask when hiring a broker, which hidden costs to watch for and how to challenge price tags. Ultimately, I’ll demonstrate how to prepare for acquiring high-value domains without overspending.

    What is a domain brokerage?

    Domain brokers serve as intermediaries in negotiating the purchase of premium web addresses. They utilize private marketplaces, proprietary networks and historical sales data to discover domains that might not show up on public auction sites.

    • Brokers often provide expertise in valuing domain assets, advising on trademark risks and handling escrow services.
    • Firms tend to charge a mix of retainer fees, flat rates or commissions on successful deals.

    Brands relying on brokers expect quicker access to top-tier domains with professional negotiation, but they often face confusing bills with multiple line items. Entrepreneurs who understand what they’re signing up for avoid sticker shock at closing.

    Related: 5 Unforgettable Lessons I Learned Spending $1 Million on a Domain Name

    Typical fees found in domain brokerage deals

    Most brokers quote a base commission but also add extra charges, such as appraisal fees, which can range from $200 to $1,000. Escrow services typically cost between $75 and $150 per transaction. Legal reviews of trademark and contract language often add a few hundred dollars at a minimum. Premium placement on listing sites involves either monthly or one-time marketing fees.

    Be aware that some brokers inflate domain renewal fees or charge administrative fees for international transfers. Companies that don’t review fee schedules beforehand risk paying three times the domain’s market value after all charges are applied.

    How hidden costs balloon your bill

    An entrepreneur seeking a three-letter .com domain may plan to spend $10,000, including a 15% broker commission.

    • This is where the broker finds the domain and negotiates a seller price of $9,000. A commission of $1,350 seems reasonable.
    • Adding a $500 appraisal fee, $100 escrow fee, $300 legal review charge and a $1,000 premium listing fee increases the total to $11,950.
    • Domain renewal costs of $200 and transfer fees of $150 push the total closer to $12,300.

    In the end, unexpected fees turn a $10,000 budget into a $12,300 expense.

    Vetting brokers without overspending

    Brands should request potential brokers to provide a detailed fee schedule that outlines both upfront and contingent charges. Essential questions to ask include whether appraisals or escrow services are included in the commission, what happens if the deal falls through and who is responsible for legal costs.

    Successful brokers share case studies, transparent pricing and sample invoices. Brands can compare flat-fee firms with percentage-based brokers. Flat-fee brokers typically charge between $2,500 and $5,000 regardless of domain price, making them appealing for high-value domain targets. Percentage-based brokers are generally better suited for budget-conscious acquisitions, where commissions remain reasonable and affordable.

    What to look for in a domain name broker for businesses

    Track record matters. Brands should seek brokers with proven experience in securing domains within their industry niche and review broker performance portfolios. Positive client testimonials and case studies demonstrate success rates and average savings.

    Having strong escrow partnerships ensures secure funds transfer. Expert negotiators know how to approach domain owners without spooking them into holding out for inflated offers. Transparent communication frameworks keep brands informed throughout every step.

    Related: A Great Domain Name Can Add Millions to Your Business — Here’s How to Get One (Even If It’s Already Taken)

    Negotiation tactics that cut costs

    Arming yourself with market comparables and past sale prices levels the playing field. Brokers should provide historical sales data demonstrating that similar domains have sold for lower prices. Silent offers submitted without disclosing maximum budgets prevent anchoring at high figures.

    Creative deal structures, such as deferred payment agreements or equity components, incentivize sellers to accept fairer terms. Knowing when to walk away helps prevent price wars from spiraling out of control. A well-timed pause in negotiations can encourage sellers to accept reasonable offers instead of losing the deal.

    When to walk away from overpriced domains

    Red flags include sellers who demand all-cash upfront, substantial price hikes during the escrow period or refusal to share domain history records. Brokers should set clear acceptable price ranges and focus on domains that match value expectations.

    If a broker encourages brands to exceed their budget, it signals potential misalignment. Walking away from a domain now prevents draining funds and allows redirecting resources to other options.

    Persistence pays off, especially if brokers scout multiple candidates instead of fixating on a single prized address.

    Balancing time versus money

    DIY methods require substantial effort in researching WHOIS records, monitoring expiry dates and drafting outreach emails. Hybrid models cut down time commitments to negotiation stages only.

    The good news is that full-service brokers completely relieve brands of administrative tasks, but they often charge high fees. Brands comparing options should evaluate the value of internal hours against broker costs to find the optimal balance.

    Best practices for smooth domain transfers

    Once a price point is agreed upon, escrow holds the funds until the ownership transfer is completed successfully. Brokers should coordinate with registrars to update WHOIS records and verify the domain status.

    Brands need to confirm transfer lock statuses and obtain authorization codes. Multi-step verification ensures trademarks transfer smoothly without legal issues. A seamless transfer prevents downtime and maintains SEO authority.

    Auditing current domain acquisition strategies

    Brands already using brokers should review past invoices by comparing estimated fees with actual charges. Analyzing negotiation results helps identify broker performance trends and possible overcharges.

    Regular audits can uncover hidden recurring fees, allowing for renegotiation of fee structures or broker replacement. Consistent reviews help keep costs under control over time.

    Owning your domain purchases with smart strategies

    Understanding how this process and the associated fees work can help you reduce costs. Negotiate costs upfront, walk away if prices skyrocket and combine DIY tools with broker support to secure domains at fair rates.

    Audit your current approach, match acquisition methods to your resources and demand transparent pricing from any broker you hire. Balance time versus money, explore hybrid options and conduct a fee audit before you buy.

    This way, you can secure a great domain name for your business that feels predictable, affordable, and perfectly aligned with your brand goals.

    The right domain is essential in 2025 and beyond. Brands need that perfect web address to establish credibility and attract traffic. In practice, domain brokerage firms act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers, often negotiating opaque fees that can increase the final costs.

    Join me as I reveal the reality of domain brokers, highlighting common fees and negotiation strategies that help keep budgets under control. Fellow entrepreneurs will learn what questions to ask when hiring a broker, which hidden costs to watch for and how to challenge price tags. Ultimately, I’ll demonstrate how to prepare for acquiring high-value domains without overspending.

    What is a domain brokerage?

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Michael Gargiulo

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  • 3 Continuity Plan Failures That Toppled Industry Giants | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is often something that many professionals do not pay close attention to. History has shown us that even industry giants can be humbled and collapse or lose significant income when they overlook critical vulnerabilities in their preparation for crises.

    This can range from overconfidence in their abilities and technologies used to geopolitical unawareness. If the blind spots are not managed carefully, severe crises can be escalated, which can even threaten the future of the business.

    This article will look at three catastrophic BCP failures that brought down industry titans. Every organization or company can learn lessons from these in order to ensure that they do not make the same mistakes.

    Related: The Cost of Unpreparedness: Why Many Businesses Lack a Continuity Strategy

    Overconfidence in technology — How Facebook lost brand value

    Many leading social networks were a few years ago always confident that their AI and automation would help them to solve crises without the need for human intervention. The overreliance can pose severe problems when complex problems arise.

    In 2018, Facebook was dealt severe embarrassment for its overreliance on its automation after an automated network configuration tool misapplied changes, which caused the disruption of its services to millions. The incident exposed a critical flaw in that no manual override was in place to be able to correct the error quickly.

    Facebook not only suffered reputational damage as users and advertisers lost trust in its reliability, but it also exposed its slow response as engineers struggled to diagnose the issue due to opaque system dependencies. There was also a lack of redundancy as no backup systems were activated in order to bypass the faulty automation.

    The big lesson to be learned from Facebook’s error is that automation is still just a tool and not yet a replacement for human judgment. BCPs must always include fail-safes — i.e., manual overrides for critical systems, scenario testing, which means regular drills for technology failures, and transparency in order to ensure clear communication protocols during outages.

    Related: Do You Have a ‘Business Continuity Plan’?

    A failure to recognize geopolitical certainty led to Adobe usurping Kodak

    It is important for major companies to always pay attention to geopolitical shifts and understand that a company has to regularly adapt depending on what happens in the world. Kodak was guilty of treating geopolitical shifts as distant risks, and this shortsightedness led to its downfall.

    It was actually Kodak that invented the digital camera, but rather than further developing it, they opted to bury the technology in order to protect their film business. Upon noticing that humans were migrating to digital systems, Adobe migrated earlier than Kodak, embracing cloud-based tools and recurring revenue models. Kodak paid the price for reacting too late and had to file for bankruptcy in 2012.

    Kodak paid the price as their leadership clung to legacy revenue streams, they didn’t have a BCP for disruptive tech adaptation and as they had ignored hard trends such as digital migration, which was inevitable.

    Learning from the example of Kodak, it is always important for companies to monitor trends and especially identify hard trends such as demographics and technology evolution in order to predict disruptions. Flexible frameworks should be developed in order to allow rapid pivots, and there should be shareholder alignment to ensure that leadership and teams are prepared enough for transformational change.

    The semiconductor shortage crisis was caused by underestimating supply chain vulnerabilities

    Many BCPs opt to focus on internal risks, such as cyberattacks, and neglect external dependencies such as global supply chains. The 2020-2022 semiconductor shortage was an example of this, as it crippled industries from automotive to consumer electronics.

    The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted most industries — global logistic networks and many companies that rely on “just in time” manufacturing, such as Toyota, faced massive production delays. Companies that did not have diversified suppliers and inventory buffers lost billions in income. Ford is estimated to have lost $2.5B due to chip shortages.

    Because of single-point failures and the fact that there was an overreliance on a handful of suppliers, some were toppled. There was also a lack of contingency stock, and the lack of buffer inventory for critical components greatly impacted businesses, while slow adaptation delayed reshoring and supplier diversification.

    Related: Your Business Faces More Risks Than Ever — Here’s How to Ensure You’re Prepared For Any Disaster

    The lesson from all of this is that for a BCP to be resilient, it must include supplier diversification, stress testing and inventory buffers. There should be partnerships with vendors across regions. Stress testing will stimulate supply chain disruptions in BCP drills, and inventory buffers help to maintain strategic reserves for critical materials.

    In today’s day and age, the difference between survival and collapse will often lie in analyzing and recognizing blind spots before they become problems. All businesses should aim to learn from the above scenarios because, in business continuity, complacency is the greatest risk of all, as it can lead to a business’s downfall.

    With the world and technology now constantly evolving, a company must embrace change and continuously work on finding ways to be relevant for the far future.

    A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is often something that many professionals do not pay close attention to. History has shown us that even industry giants can be humbled and collapse or lose significant income when they overlook critical vulnerabilities in their preparation for crises.

    This can range from overconfidence in their abilities and technologies used to geopolitical unawareness. If the blind spots are not managed carefully, severe crises can be escalated, which can even threaten the future of the business.

    This article will look at three catastrophic BCP failures that brought down industry titans. Every organization or company can learn lessons from these in order to ensure that they do not make the same mistakes.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Chongwei Chen

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  • Why In-Person Events Are Still a Business Superpower in 2025 | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Even with all the ways technology has changed how we work and connect, there’s still something powerful about being in the same room with people. In-person events — whether it’s a roundtable, a workshop, a conference, a product roadshow or a community gathering — create opportunities for connection, trust and collaboration that digital tools can’t quite replace.

    For entrepreneurs, that face-to-face time matters more than ever in 2025. Showing up fully, adding real value to the conversation and taking the time to follow up can turn a simple interaction into a lasting business advantage.

    Related: Why This Sports Festival Might Be the Most Ambitious Live Event in America

    Benefits of live events

    We are wired to connect. Even in a world that embraces remote work, most of us still crave face-to-face interaction. That’s why live events matter. They’re not just gatherings, they’re growth engines. They offer the chance to meet up with colleagues old and new, prospects, industry partners and other contacts.

    They’re your chance to understand customer pain points, build trust and lay the groundwork for future sales. At their core, events are about relationships, and relationships are how businesses grow.

    In-person events play a key role in shaping executive visibility and thought leadership, too. Keynotes, speaking sessions, breakouts and panels remain key ways to get your company and spokespeople in front of targeted audiences. And now that events are gaining halo ecosystems of their own, there are even more opportunities for podcasts, fireside chats and “birds of a feather” sessions at offsite partner dinners, breakfast seminars and customer happy hours after the expo hall closes.

    What to look for in potential events

    Post-pandemic, audience expectations for in-person engagement have shifted. Today’s attendees want more from events, including more networking, more meaningful customer meetings, partner meetings and clearer return-on-investment. Events become a way to capitalize on your industry’s collective physical presence in a way that hybrid/remote work and interactions aren’t able to deliver as consistently.

    But not all events are equal. How can you decide which will be best for you? 

    • Conduct online research for events in your industry. When you find promising events, look at those event websites for more information.  
    • If the event has booths or exhibits, contact event managers to get prior event stats like the number of attendees, lists of previous years’ exhibitors and demographics.
    • Do some digging to discover which events your competitors show up for.
    • Ask your network which events have done well for them and why.

    Related: How to Turn Your Event Into a Must-Attend Experience With PR

    What meaningful participation looks like

    Showing up doesn’t guarantee you’ll get noticed. One practical, effective strategy is for all event team members to wear a consistent branded look (e.g., logo shirt and black pants). Research shows that such “uniforms” boost brand recognition, making your team more visible, approachable and memorable in a crowded event space. 

    A second strategy is to think about alternative (even “guerrilla”) marketing activities. You may want to upset the apple cart and get free publicity. What’s a pain point you can capitalize on, for instance? How is your offering different? You can learn a lot and get inspired by the famous WePay stunt.

    Snacks are a perennial hit, venue permitting. Stock up on bite-sized items to help fuel attendees and conversations. People expect video, too, so create a short, high-quality video that draws the eye and informs.

    If the event has booths, you want yours to be the talk of the show. It should be eye-catching and maybe even fun. I’ve seen recent booths that featured a miniature race track, puppies and even baby goats. While attention-grabbing gimmicks can draw a crowd, the real win is creating a space that facilitates conversation and is easy to navigate. And don’t forget the importance of comfortable chairs!

    Don’t neglect training for your booth team, either. Visitors need to feel welcome and comfortable. The team should comprise smart, energetic people who don’t pounce on visitors and immediately start selling. Walk them through a variety of possible scenarios ahead of time so they’re knowledgeable and prepared. A re-usable event training handbook is a good idea.

    If your main objective at an event is to gather leads, dust off your interaction skills and connect with prospects at every opportunity. Attend receptions, dinners and other networking functions. Be personable and authentic, and listen — these are the ingredients that build trust. You also want to be intentional about meeting up with key contacts and prospects.

    Related: How to Bridge The Gap Between In-Person and Remote Meetings

    Events as part of the bigger PR picture

    PR and marketing teams must integrate events into a broader comms strategy. Events shouldn’t be one-offs; they should amplify and align with ongoing campaigns. Start by defining clear goals: media coverage, thought leadership, lead generation or brand visibility.

    Before the event, build anticipation with press outreach, email campaigns and social posts. Secure speaking slots and pre-schedule media or analyst briefings.

    During the event, share real-time content, engage on social, and collect assets, such as photos, quotes and customer insights, for future use. Afterward, repurpose key takeaways into blog posts or thought leadership pieces. Follow up with leads, media contacts, and analysts. Use event insights to inform future messaging and campaign direction.

    When integrated well, events become high-impact moments that feed your content pipeline and strengthen market positioning.

    Make a lasting impact

    In-person events are a great way to connect with customers and contacts while meeting experts and prospects. With so much “noise” at these gatherings, you need strategies for rising above the crowd in meaningful ways. Whether you’re at an industry mixer or a huge event with exhibitors, preparation, creativity, and authenticity will win the day.

    Refer to the recommendations mentioned above to make sure the time and expense of live events are maximized to meet your business goals.

    Cara Sloman

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  • Why Content, Not AI, Will Decide Who Wins in Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    AI is not transforming businesses. Content is. AI simply accelerates the impact — for better or worse.

    That’s why content strategy can no longer be delegated down or siloed away. It belongs in the C-suite, where it can be aligned with vision, risk and value creation. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

    1. Content is the engine, AI is the accelerator

    Executives often think of AI as the change agent. But AI is only as good as the content it runs on. Whether powering a chatbot, a decision engine or a customer experience, AI magnifies the strengths — and flaws — of your content ecosystem.

    In one audit with a global enterprise, we tested a generative AI support assistant. Instead of delivering answers from the official knowledge base, it confidently cited outdated PDFs buried in an unmanaged folder. AI didn’t invent the problem — it amplified it.

    Leaders must understand: the real transformation happens when AI accelerates well-governed, accurate and consistent content. Without that foundation, AI only scales chaos.

    2. Every department runs on content

    Content is not just copy, images or video. Content is the substance of marketing, sales, product, support, and customer experience. And content is policy in HR, compliance in legal, onboarding in operations, disclosures in finance, and much more.

    Take Pfizer’s experience during the pandemic. Their challenge wasn’t simply producing more vaccine to support going to market — it was ensuring every department, from medical to regulatory to communications, worked from a unified content system. That cross-functional alignment enabled them to deliver accurate, trusted information on a global scale.

    That’s the level of integration AI now demands. And it requires leadership from the very top.

    Related: Adapt Your C-Suite for the Digital Era In 3 Steps

    3. Maturity determines whether AI helps or hurts

    Our research across 200,000+ content effectiveness assessments and our study of content operations with nearly 1000 professionals and leaders show a clear pattern: organizations with mature content operations adopt AI faster, with fewer failures.

    But 58% of organizations still operate with low content maturity. Poorly defined workflows. Little governance. Few metrics. In an AI-accelerated world, that’s not just inefficient — it’s a strategic risk.

    Just as cybersecurity and data privacy moved onto the C-suite agenda, so must content maturity. Without it, AI investments will stall — or backfire.

    4. Content is an intangible asset

    Boards increasingly view intangibles — brand equity, trust, intellectual capital — as drivers of corporate value. Content is the connective tissue for all three.

    Annual reports, investor communications and brand valuations already reflect this shift. In fact, the quality and consistency of content often serve as a proxy for organizational discipline and credibility.

    Executives can’t afford to see content as overhead. It is an asset that requires investment, governance, and reporting at the highest level.

    Related: How to Develop a ‘C-Suite Mindset’ for Success, From 5 Leaders Who Have Done It

    5. AI risks are content risks

    When AI generates content, it doesn’t just “produce words.” It makes decisions: what to say, how to say it, which source to trust. That means governance challenges move from “content management” to content risk management.

    Consider the regulatory implications: a chatbot that cites outdated policy, or a sales assistant that generates a misleading claim. These aren’t technical glitches — they’re governance failures.

    AI forces the C-suite to answer hard questions:

    • Who owns the accuracy of AI output?
    • How do we enforce compliance at scale?
    • What’s our escalation path when AI gets it wrong?

    These are executive questions, not operational ones.

    6. From AI experiments to content-driven transformation

    Too many organizations frame AI adoption as an innovation. But the real transformation happens when AI accelerates a disciplined, cross-functional content system.

    That system connects three pillars:

    • Content intelligence → using analytics, audits, and user feedback
    • Content operations → workflows, governance, and standards
    • AI enablement → tools that amplify the first two

    AI without those foundations is a shiny demo. AI with them is a force multiplier.

    The takeway

    AI is not the transformation. Content is. AI only accelerates its impact.

    For executives, that’s both risk and opportunity. The companies that win will not be those who rush to deploy AI pilots, but those who recognize content as infrastructure — governed, measured, and led at the top.

    As I argue in The Content Advantage, content isn’t a side project. It’s a potential strategic advantage. In the age of AI, it’s also a C-level responsibility.

    AI is not transforming businesses. Content is. AI simply accelerates the impact — for better or worse.

    That’s why content strategy can no longer be delegated down or siloed away. It belongs in the C-suite, where it can be aligned with vision, risk and value creation. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

    1. Content is the engine, AI is the accelerator

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    Colleen Jones

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  • I Stopped Doing These 3 Things Myself — and It Made My Business More Profitable | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the early days of any business, most founders wear too many hats. You’re the product lead, marketer, customer service rep and ops manager — sometimes all in the same afternoon.

    I’ve been there. When I was launching my first AI startup, I was writing code, answering support tickets, hacking on SEO and trying to figure out Google Ads at night. Every time I jumped from one thing to another, I paid a tax: ramp-up time, mental fatigue, missed details.

    Eventually, I drew a line: if a function had a steep learning curve, wasn’t core to the product or customer experience, and could burn cash fast if I got it wrong, it had to go.

    Here are the first three things I outsourced — what worked, what didn’t and how I make the decision now.

    Related: How to Turn Big Business Moments Into Lasting Brand Momentum

    1. Google Ads had to go first

    I took a real swing at it. I set up campaigns, followed Google’s recommendations and even tried Performance Max. One day it would “work,” the next day I’d spend $90 to make a $24 sale.

    Whether you’re running a SaaS tool, an ecommerce store, or a local service business, paid ads can become a black hole. The learning curve is steep, the platform is opaque by design and Google is always nudging you to spend more so the algorithm can “learn.”

    I hired a specialist. Instantly, I stopped burning time trying to reverse engineer bidding strategies and keyword intent. I could focus on the roadmap, customers and the parts of marketing I actually understood. Worth every dollar.

    My advice: Try it briefly so you understand the vocabulary and the levers. Then get out. Your money will disappear faster than your learning compounds.

    2. Social media was next — and it blew up (in a bad way)

    I outsourced content and channel management to someone who promised to “crush it.” I gave full access to my accounts. It devolved into drama, threats and low-quality work. I shut it down.

    The lesson? Never give full control of a distribution channel to someone you don’t know, and never confuse enthusiasm with competence. Social media can be valuable for any business building in public — but only if it’s handled by someone you trust and can hold accountable.

    Next time: I’ll only outsource to someone vetted by people I trust, with scoped access, clear deliverables and a kill switch.

    3. PR was the third — and it worked

    I’d watched competitors outrank me and land strong stories. I tried the DIY route (like HARO), but the ROI wasn’t there. So I brought in someone who could own the process — strategy, pitching, follow-through — and translate my product into narratives reporters actually want.

    That freed me to focus on what I do best while the media engine ran in parallel. For businesses in crowded markets or emerging categories, this kind of PR support can be game-changing.

    How I decide what to outsource now

    I use a simple filter:

    • Is this core to the product or user experience? If yes, I keep it.
    • Is the learning curve steep enough that I’ll waste weeks for marginal improvement? If yes, I outsource.
    • Could a mistake here be disproportionately expensive? (Ads and legal are great examples.) Outsource.
    • Do I understand it well enough to evaluate the work? If not, I’ll do a quick self-guided crash course, then bring someone in.
    • Can I structure a small, low-risk test? If yes, I do that before any retainer.

    Handling the handoff while staying lean

    I started with literal paper notes, then the Mac Notes app. Today, I still keep it simple: Trello boards when needed, email for most communication, and regular short check-ins. The point is clarity, not tooling.

    One clear metric, one owner, one cadence.

    Access-wise: role-based logins, password manager and instant revocation baked into the plan. That social media experience burned this into my process.

    Related: How to Actually Get Returns in Your Marketing Efforts

    About that “it’s faster if I do it myself” line…

    It isn’t. It just feels faster because you don’t have to explain anything. In reality, you’re trading days of deep work for weeks of shallow thrash.

    Do enough to understand it. Then move it off your plate — so you can focus on what only you can do.

    You can’t do it all — not for long and not well. Start by outsourcing the work that burns cash when done poorly, has a steep learning curve, or pulls you furthest from the product or customer. Keep control of your infrastructure, build small, reversible contracts and measure everything.

    The cost of trying to be superhuman is higher than the cost of a good specialist.

    In the early days of any business, most founders wear too many hats. You’re the product lead, marketer, customer service rep and ops manager — sometimes all in the same afternoon.

    I’ve been there. When I was launching my first AI startup, I was writing code, answering support tickets, hacking on SEO and trying to figure out Google Ads at night. Every time I jumped from one thing to another, I paid a tax: ramp-up time, mental fatigue, missed details.

    Eventually, I drew a line: if a function had a steep learning curve, wasn’t core to the product or customer experience, and could burn cash fast if I got it wrong, it had to go.

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    Jeremy Gustine

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  • Why Marketing Agencies Are Struggling in 2025 | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I run a boutique marketing agency, but despite our agency size, we work with some notable brands and growing, funded startups, but I am not going to sugarcoat it. Business has been slow. Earlier this year, we had a couple of clients who “put marketing on pause” despite the good metrics we were getting them, and a manufacturing client literally backed down from a contract because of the tariffs.

    At first, I took things a bit personally, but then when I connected with other fellow agency owners and consultants, I noticed that many of them were going through the same thing at some level, at least on the marketing side.

    The truth is that we’re at an inflection point. The forces reinventing marketing are not merely external; they’re structural. Economic shifts are the main driver, but also AI disruptions, talent trends and evolving client expectations are fundamentally altering the way value is delivered.

    Let’s analyze a bit more.

    Related: How to Grow Your Marketing Agency to 7 Figures

    Budgets are shrinking. Expectations aren’t.

    Economic indicators have been blinking yellow for a while. Persistent inflation, tariffs and international trade uncertainty, and increasing expenses are making marketing leaders hesitant to make firm, long-term commitments. In response, brands are reducing or freezing their expenditures and putting emphasis on demonstrating the worth of each dollar.

    Marketing agencies and consultants are feeling this impact across the board. Progress is no longer good enough. Clients need to see how your work is impacting the pipeline, sales and long-term growth. That equates to less experimentation and more emphasis on performance.

    AI is changing the game

    There is no question about AI’s power. It can create content and code, analyze performance and suggest campaign optimization. Several services that agencies once charged a premium for are now performed in-house or by automation software.

    Additionally, the hype around AI tends to outpace reality. This creates client doubt, price pressure and difficult questions regarding where human value still adds up. Spoiler: It still does. But you must deliver something AI can’t: strategic thought, real-world experience, subtle storytelling and intelligent execution linked to outcomes.

    Workplace models continue to evolve, and it’s generating tension

    A few clients are back in the office. A few teams are remote-first. Others are somewhere in between. And though that all sounds great in theory — but in practice, it’s proving problematic.

    Agencies are being called on to interact more face to face. Face-to-face meetings, strategy sessions and embeds are back, particularly with enterprise accounts. Meanwhile, it’s gotten harder to attract and retain top talent. People desire flexibility, yet clients want face time. It isn’t simple to balance these demands, compelling agency leaders to reconsider their hiring models and geographic scope.

    Related: A Marketing Agency Model That Actually Benefits the Client

    Commoditization is real

    A few years ago, simply having the skill and technology to launch a campaign or email program gave you an edge. That’s no longer true today.

    As martech platforms and AI tools proliferate, more brands have solid internal teams. Agencies can no longer just be functional experts. What clients really need now is insight, market context, tighter positioning, creative thinking and a point of view they can’t get in-house.

    Specialization isn’t optional anymore

    We’re seeing a strong trend away from generalist agencies and toward highly specialized partners. Whether it’s B2B SaaS, financial services, healthcare or multicultural strategy, clients desire teams that really understand their industry. You don’t necessarily need to concentrate on a single industry, but you do need to define a niche, a vertical, a channel or a methodology. The “we do it all” days are giving way to “we do this, and we do it better than anybody else.”

    Data measurement and privacy only get more complicated

    Regulatory pressure is building. With GDPR, CCPA and cookie deprecation, the traditional method of tracking performance and targeting audiences is eroding. For agencies, that creates a twofold challenge: staying compliant and delivering insights in an environment where data is harder to obtain and less precise.

    This means reimagining analytics strategies, investing in clean data practices and guiding clients through a more privacy-centric environment without sacrificing effectiveness.

    SEO and organic marketing are changing rapidly

    AI-driven results, such as Google’s SGE or AI mode, ChatGPT and Perplexity being used as search engines, are altering the way users search for and consume information. At the same time, the web is awash in AI-created copy — a little of it good, most of it bad.

    The moral is clear: Content volume is no longer enough. Brands must produce original content and produce it with skill. Agencies that help clients build genuine authority founded on quality, relevance and consistency will prosper, while those focused on quick victories will be lost in the din.

    Talent is elusive and costly

    The war for talent continues unabated. Leading strategists, creatives, media planners and analysts are costly, and they are aware of it. Meanwhile, clients are pushing back on fees.

    This reality squeezes agency margins and compels difficult discussions on staffing, automation and the degree of service actually viable. Intelligent companies are creating leaner organizations, tighter briefs and more streamlined operations without sacrificing quality.

    Sustainability and global stability are now core issues

    Clients are under growing pressure to meet obligations around sustainability, social responsibility and ethical business. That means their agency partners need to reflect those values as well. Add to that the geopolitical risks — wars, trade interruptions, regulatory shifts — strategic marketing needs to be as much about risk management as growth driving.

    Related: How I Created a Successful Marketing Agency

    Outcomes are more important than ever, even when you don’t have total control

    Clients want tangible outcomes, not just activity. However, agencies and consultants do not always have full control over what gets implemented. Internal delays, under-resourced teams and poor execution can all detract from performance. Nevertheless, external partners are still held to the same high standards of delivery.

    This is why early clarity is so essential. Clear definition of scope, realistic expectation management and agreement on timings are all critical. Those agencies that can conduct these discussions with confidence and openness will be the ones who can maintain trust when results are harder to achieve.

    If you are running a marketing agency or consulting firm, here is the takeaway: 2025 is not business as usual. It is about agility and doubling down on what you’re most valuable at, but also “back-to-school” time — catching up with AI and other trends in order to build a more sustainable business model.

    I run a boutique marketing agency, but despite our agency size, we work with some notable brands and growing, funded startups, but I am not going to sugarcoat it. Business has been slow. Earlier this year, we had a couple of clients who “put marketing on pause” despite the good metrics we were getting them, and a manufacturing client literally backed down from a contract because of the tariffs.

    At first, I took things a bit personally, but then when I connected with other fellow agency owners and consultants, I noticed that many of them were going through the same thing at some level, at least on the marketing side.

    The truth is that we’re at an inflection point. The forces reinventing marketing are not merely external; they’re structural. Economic shifts are the main driver, but also AI disruptions, talent trends and evolving client expectations are fundamentally altering the way value is delivered.

    Let’s analyze a bit more.

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    Al Sefati

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  • 8 Powerful Lessons from Robert Herjavec at Entrepreneur Level Up That Every Founder Needs to Hear | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    At the recent Entrepreneur Level Up Conference, entrepreneurs from across the country gathered to gain strategies, inspiration and practical insights from a lineup of well-known successful entrepreneurs. I was honored to host the conference and partner with Entrepreneur.

    One of the headliners, Robert Herjavec — investor, entrepreneur and star of Shark Tank — delivered a keynote packed with wisdom for founders navigating today’s unpredictable business landscape.

    Herjavec’s insights were not abstract theories. They were hard-earned lessons forged in the trenches of entrepreneurship — lessons that spoke directly to the challenges and aspirations of the audience.

    Here’s a breakdown of his most impactful takeaways.

    Related: Want to Be a Better Leader? Show Employees You Care.

    1. Every answer opens a door to opportunity

    Herjavec emphasized that opportunities rarely arrive neatly packaged. They often hide in conversations, questions or unexpected feedback.

    “Every answer opens a door to opportunity,” he said.

    The message was clear: curiosity is a growth engine. Entrepreneurs who remain curious — asking questions and seeking insights — often discover pathways others overlook. Instead of dismissing a “no” or a difficult response, Herjavec urged attendees to look for the opportunity behind it. Sometimes, the follow-up question or the willingness to listen more deeply is what transforms rejection into possibility.

    2. Evolution, not revolution

    The myth of entrepreneurship often celebrates the “big idea” that transforms an industry overnight. But Herjavec reminded the audience that this is rarely the case.

    “Most businesses evolve — they’re rarely revolutions.”

    He explained that while breakthrough innovations capture headlines, the majority of sustainable businesses are built on incremental improvements, better execution and adapting existing ideas to new markets.

    For entrepreneurs, this means it’s okay if your business doesn’t feel revolutionary from day one. What matters is staying committed to evolving, improving and listening to the market.

    3. Adaptability is non-negotiable

    If there was a central theme in Herjavec’s talk, it was adaptability. He described winning businesses as those that thrive on adaptability — not just to survive shocks, but to seize growth in changing conditions.

    “When knocked down, resilience plus adaptability equals survival.”

    He acknowledged that setbacks are inevitable in entrepreneurship. The real test isn’t whether you’ll face challenges, but how you respond to them. Entrepreneurs who can adapt — whether by shifting strategy, reinventing a product or rethinking how they serve customers — are the ones who endure.

    4. The founder sets the tone

    Herjavec didn’t shy away from a sobering reality: when businesses struggle, the root cause often lies with leadership.

    “Show me a business in trouble, and I’ll show you a founder who has lost their way.”

    He explained that when leaders lose focus, passion or clarity, the organization inevitably follows. A founder’s vision and energy cascade down into the culture, decision-making and execution. If leaders drift, so does the company.

    For entrepreneurs, this is a call to self-reflection. Protect your clarity of purpose. Revisit why you started. And remember that your team looks to you not just for direction, but for inspiration.

    5. Success is never accidental

    While luck can play a role in any journey, Herjavec stressed that sustainable success is never accidental.

    Behind every thriving business is intentionality — clear strategy, deliberate choices and consistent effort. He encouraged entrepreneurs to resist the temptation of shortcuts and quick wins, instead focusing on building systems and cultures that create lasting value.

    This doesn’t mean every decision will be perfect, but it does mean success comes to those who plan, prepare and execute with purpose.

    Related: 5 Strategies for Leaders to Future-Proof Their Workforce

    6. Rethinking sales

    As an entrepreneur who built and scaled a successful cybersecurity firm before becoming a television investor, Herjavec has lived through countless sales conversations. His perspective on sales was refreshingly straightforward.

    “Sales equals uncovering client needs plus communicating how you meet them.”

    He stressed that sales isn’t about pushing a product, talking endlessly or forcing a solution. It’s about understanding — truly listening to what clients need — and then clearly showing how your business delivers value.

    Equally important, he warned against the temptation to oversell.

    “Don’t oversell. Selling should feel natural: Am I providing value?”

    In Herjavec’s view, sales is not about persuasion, but about alignment. When entrepreneurs shift their mindset from “closing deals” to “creating value,” selling becomes easier, more authentic and ultimately more successful.

    7. Resilience is the entrepreneur’s superpower

    Beyond adaptability, Herjavec spoke passionately about resilience. Entrepreneurship, he reminded the audience, is a marathon, not a sprint. The journey is filled with failures, rejections and setbacks that would crush many people.

    But successful entrepreneurs are defined not by how often they fall, but by how quickly and effectively they get back up. Resilience isn’t just about surviving adversity — it’s about using it as fuel to keep moving forward.

    8. Putting it all together

    When woven together, Herjavec’s insights form a practical framework for entrepreneurs:

    • Stay curious. Every question or answer could unlock a new path.
    • Focus on evolution. Businesses rarely transform the world overnight; they grow through steady improvement.
    • Prioritize adaptability. Resilience plus the ability to adapt equals survival.
    • Lead with clarity. A founder’s vision shapes the trajectory of the business.
    • Be intentional. Success is the product of strategy, not accident.
    • Sell by serving. Sales is about listening, uncovering needs and providing genuine value.
    • Build resilience. Setbacks aren’t the end; they’re the training ground for growth.

    For the entrepreneurs in the audience, these weren’t just abstract principles. They were reminders that the entrepreneurial journey — while hard — is navigable with the right mindset and tools.

    Conclusion: The path forward

    Robert Herjavec’s keynote at the Entrepreneur Level Up Conference reinforced a timeless truth: entrepreneurship is not just about great ideas, but about great execution, resilience and human connection.

    His words served as both a challenge and an encouragement. The challenge: entrepreneurs must remain vigilant, adaptable and intentional in their leadership. The encouragement: success is within reach for those willing to evolve, listen and persist.

    For every founder wondering how to navigate uncertainty, Herjavec’s playbook is simple but powerful: stay curious, adapt relentlessly, lead with clarity and always create value.

    At the end of the day, business isn’t about luck or shortcuts — it’s about resilience, adaptability and the courage to keep showing up

    Don’t miss out next year — Click here to add your name to the Level Up waitlist and secure early access to tickets & updates.

    Ramon Ray

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  • What I Learned About Growth From Founders Who Started Small | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

    For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

    Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

    Start by solving authentic problems

    Sara Blakely launched Spanx in 2000 when she was under 30 years old and had $5,000 to her name. But her self-employment journey started with a simple notion: her personal frustration with not finding comfortable, flattering undergarments to wear. Even though her idea, which later turned out to be worth $1 billion, was rejected by multiple manufacturers, her conviction kept her persistent until she finally found someone willing to take a chance on her.

    Her story tells me that entrepreneurs must start with a problem they’re actually familiar with and deeply understand. Authenticity resonates with your core audience; it builds trust from day one. When your product stems from your own experiences and frustrations, you create an immediate connection with your would-be buyers, leading to strong word-of-mouth.

    Turn setbacks into stepping stones

    Calling himself a lousy employee, Mark Cuban admits that keeping a steady job was difficult for him. But Cuban never quit on himself and ultimately founded and sold MicroSolutions for $6 million. What I learn from his example is that setbacks are inevitable — and necessary. What matters is how quickly you bounce back from failure and what lessons you learn from your past mistakes.

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 20% of small businesses shut down in a year or so. But successful solopreneurs treat these setbacks as experiments. When you start treating obstacles as stepping stones, you can easily adapt after failure and launch a working product.

    Launch small and use what you have

    Fubu’s founder, Daymond John, started this fashion brand in the 1990s by sewing hats and shirts in his mother’s living room. He didn’t have big budgets or state-of-the-art facilities. But he relied on grassroots marketing and community support to end up selling $6 billion worth of products by 2024, turning a kitchen-based hustle into a global fashion powerhouse.

    John’s story tells me that a lack of capital shouldn’t hold solopreneurs back. Instead, they should fall back on their skills, their immediate network and whatever resources are available at hand. Grit and creativity often outweigh money. This lesson speaks to me personally, since I built Selzy with a minimal viable product while relying on customer feedback for improvement.

    Related: Building Your Business With Limited Resources? Here’s the Mindset You Need to Succeed.

    Embrace digital-first and lean growth

    Automation, social media and efficient scaling. That’s how anyone can launch on budgets under $10,000. Technology lets small businesses thrive and expand into other markets. You can use email marketing tools to reach out to potential leads and advertise your business. Syed Balkhi’s WPForms is a great example here. Balkhi’s WordPress tutorial blog led to the creation of a $1 billion software company, and he did all that without raising a single dollar of his own.

    That’s how many modern-day solopreneurs are scaling past six figures. Technology allows founders to go global earlier than was possible a decade ago. Smart customer segmentation and personalized communication help them drive more engagement. And with the right tools, even small teams working remotely can achieve impressive growth with fewer resources.

    Turn your mistakes into learning opportunities

    Sophia Amoruso’s example teaches us to fuel our future successes with past failure. When her startup, Nasty Gal, became shaky after turning into a $100-million brand, she simply pivoted and launched another brand, Girlboss, a platform focused on redefining success for a new generation of women.

    Solopreneurs must always be ready to reinvent and adapt to changing consumer demands to position their business for long-term relevancy and success. Accepting that my idea didn’t work helps you thrive in a competitive industry.

    Related: How to Turn Your Mistakes Into Opportunities

    Put all these real-life lessons into action

    Growth is about your vision, resilience and continuous learning — the sign of a solopreneur who is ready to bend to fluctuating market standards and customer expectations. In fact, my experience with digital marketing and AI-powered growth tells me that these principles are universally applicable.

    Starting small isn’t a limitation for future-ready solopreneurs; it’s an opportunity to build strong foundations. It’s not how big you start (some of the world’s biggest brands were started by their founders in garages), but you keep learning and moving forward. I’ve tasted defeat and I’ve met setbacks — I recommend adaptability.

    Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

    For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

    Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Dmitry Solovyev

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  • How to Consistently Exceed Customer Expectations | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We’ve all heard the phrase, “underpromise and overdeliver.” Unfortunately, I often see businesses that tend to “overpromise and underdeliver,” failing to meet customers’ expectations.

    For me, it all comes down to trust. Can I rely on a company to consistently meet and exceed my expectations? As entrepreneurs, this can be a difficult question to confront. However, if you’re unsure how to respond, it may be time to reflect on your practices.

    Consistently exceeding expectations earns appreciation from others. What we truly desire is trust. In a landscape filled with wannabes trying to mimic reputable companies, the most effective strategy to differentiate yourself is not only to meet expectations but also to exceed them and then offer a little bit more.

    Related: If You Are Not Over Delivering for Your Customers, You’re Not Doing Enough

    Establish realistic expectations, then overdeliver

    Unfortunately, today’s consumers can grow accustomed to disappointment. That’s why companies that set realistic expectations are better positioned to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction. Here’s an example:

    While driving to lunch last week, a radio ad for replacement auto windshields caught my attention. Instead of touting how wonderful and fast the installers work or how great the company’s reviews and customer accolades are, the ad used a different strategy; they focused on realistic circumstances.

    “We may not always be perfect. Sometimes our employees punch in the wrong number or have trouble locating your address. At other times, we might underestimate how much time an installation will take. No, we’re not perfect, but you can rest assured that we’ll always do our best, make things right when needed and do everything possible to earn and keep your business.”

    The ad definitely caught my attention because I appreciated the company’s candor and honesty. In a world where most of us try to tune advertisements out, I’ll consider using the company the next time I need my windshield repaired or replaced.

    Why? Because my employees and I at Ditto Transcripts sometimes make mistakes. In the transcription industry, where turnaround time, accuracy and confidentiality are paramount, securing our clients’ trust and confidence remains our top priority. If we fail at any of these objectives, or if our transcripts don’t meet our 99% accuracy guarantee, I’ll do everything possible to correct the situation and satisfy the client as quickly as possible.

    The hidden ROI of overdelivery

    Most businesses strive to acquire new clients or customers, and on average, B2B companies can spend 20-50% of their annual revenue on this effort. Therefore, turning new clients into repeat customers is crucial for any company’s success.

    Given that repeat business is vital to our strategy and profitability, I personally review customer feedback and assess our service levels.

    For example, our Google reviews may include statements such as:

    • “Our transcripts were delivered early and accurately.”

    • “Their transcriptionist caught every word, even with poor audio quality.”

    • “You saved us, especially having such a tight deadline.”

    I genuinely appreciate it when our clients take the time to share positive feedback, as these reviews typically lead to repeat business. Moreover, when potential clients read favorable reviews, they are more likely to consider us for their transcription needs.

    By ensuring our clients are satisfied with our work, we can minimize or eliminate negative reviews. Always remember, taking the necessary steps to enhance customer satisfaction ultimately improves your return on investment (ROI) and bottom line.

    Related: This Is the Real Secret to Exceeding Your Customer’s Expectations

    What overdelivery looks like

    Often, it’s the small gestures that leave a lasting impression. For instance, sending a thank-you email to a new client is usually appreciated. However, a handwritten note can generate an even stronger sense of gratitude. Paying attention to these small details can lead to greater rewards.

    Consider what “overdelivery” looks like for your business. In our industry, it might include:

    1. Delivering transcripts ahead of schedule

    2. Proactively communicating with clients when issues arise

    3. Adding speaker labels or formatting without being prompted

    4. Following up with clients after delivery

    It’s important to note that “overdelivery” does not mean working for free or providing services at a significant loss. Instead, it involves exceeding client expectations through speed, accuracy, and quality. By focusing on successfully handling the small things, you may be surprised at the positive impact on your bottom line.

    Common mistakes that erode trust

    We’ve discussed many common mistakes that can erode trust and lead to revenue loss. However, a few of these mistakes are worth repeating.

    The first mistake is overcommitting while trying to secure new business. Most entrepreneurs have experienced this situation: Just as we’re nearing the finish line and sensing that our prospect is about to commit, a couple of concerns arise. In an effort to close the deal, we may overpromise without a clear plan for how to meet the customer’s expectations. Does that sound familiar?

    Overpromising simply to close a deal often results in underperformance and dissatisfied customers. To avoid this, it’s crucial to set realistic expectations from the start. Make sure to acknowledge the prospect’s concerns and assure them that you’ll develop a strategy to address their needs.

    Additionally, maintain open communication with the client to ensure their needs are consistently met. If, for any reason, you find that you cannot meet their expectations, be honest and communicate this as well.

    By establishing reasonable expectations, you and your team will have a better chance of overcoming challenges and pleasing the client. For example, saying, “Yes, Ms. Smith, I’m confident we can meet your 36-hour turnaround,” and then delivering the transcript sooner can help build trust and encourage repeat business.

    Build a culture of consistent overdelivery

    Now that you understand the importance of underpromising and overdelivering, it’s essential to instill this culture within your team. Leadership begins at the top, so ensure your employees comprehend your commitment to this approach. Focus not only on how this strategy benefits the company’s bottom line, but also on how it positively impacts individual employees.

    Start by evaluating your hiring practices. Are you looking for employees who take pride in delivering exceptional service? Acknowledge those who go “above and beyond.” Building loyalty and trust within your organization often leads to happier employees and satisfied customers.

    Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve quality control and internal communication. Ensure your team is clear about what they can and cannot do when handling customer issues. Proper training can enhance customer satisfaction and foster trust among your employees.

    Recognize consistent performance, not only extraordinary actions. While many appreciate acknowledgement for outstanding customer service, it’s crucial not to overlook those team members who consistently deliver excellent service. These are the employees you want to retain and incentivize.

    Empower your staff to make small decisions. Your sales team or customer service department typically interacts the most with clients and customers. Allow these employees to make minor concessions or resolve simple issues without needing to consult a manager.

    Discuss both positive and negative customer reviews and identify ways to improve in both areas. Owners and managers often focus on negative reviews, especially when they mention specific employees, shifts or departments. While addressing negative feedback is necessary, it’s equally important to recognize those who contributed to positive experiences and discuss how to implement these successful practices throughout your organization.

    Related: Trust Should Be the Foundation of Your Business — Here’s How to Earn It.

    Trust still — and always — matters

    The ability to underpromise and overdeliver is the cornerstone of many successful enterprises. The suggestions and recommendations I’ve outlined are more about common sense than complex strategies. However, every entrepreneur, including myself, needs constant reminders of their importance.

    Every time your organization delivers more than it promised, your trust factor increases significantly. Consistently overdelivering helps build a strong culture of trust, both internally and externally.

    The late Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, established a solid reputation by promising next-day and two-day package delivery. This positive reputation helped him secure a loyal customer base, even when his company’s rates were higher than those of competitors. More importantly, Mr. Smith built trust through consistent performance.

    Ben Walker

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  • His Side Hustle Earns 6 Figures a Year: 1-2 Hours of Work a Day | Entrepreneur

    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Dennis Tinerino, 39, of Los Angeles, California. Tinerino worked in online sales when he first learned about domain names and launching websites, which helped him discover domain investing as a side hustle. Here’s how he turned the gig into a lucrative business that brings in six figures a year — with about an hour or two of work per day. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Domain Smoke. Dennis Tinerino.

    When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
    I started my side hustle in 2014 after discovering that domain names are like real estate, only online. Realizing the right ones could keep growing in value was all the inspiration I needed to dive in. My interest first sparked when I was launching a new website and came across a domain name for sale. I had no idea what the cost might be, so I filled out the form on the seller’s website. A domain broker from Afternic replied, explaining that the name was for sale and would require a six-figure minimum offer. Unfortunately, this domain was out of my budget for this project, but thankfully, they were very helpful and explained why it was valued at that price, even suggesting other names that were closer to my budget at the time. That conversation grabbed my attention and pushed me to do a deep dive into the world of domains.

    Related: These 31-Year-Old Best Friends Started a Side Hustle to Solve a Workout Struggle — And It’s On Track to Hit $10 Million Annual Revenue This Year

    What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
    When I started, I did not know anyone personally who was doing this, so I had to teach myself. I dove into blogs, read FAQ sections on marketplaces and learned everything I could about how domains are bought and sold. Like most new investors, my first stop was GoDaddy, where I began registering domains that sounded cool or interesting. Luckily, I kept my spending in check and only bought four domains for a total of $36. One of them, LawyerBoss.com, ended up selling for $700 on Afternic less than two months after I bought it for about $8. That sale was a turning point. It was exciting to see that I could learn the process, list a name and have someone actually buy it for their business. From that moment on, I was hooked and started looking for more ways to find new domains to invest in.

    If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
    If I could hop in a time machine, I’d go straight back and immediately sign up for the Domain Academy course on day one. It covers everything about domains, with resources from A to Z, and there’s nothing else like it. I could have skipped months of trial and error, saved a few gray hairs and gotten in the game faster with a deeper understanding of domains and the industry as a whole. There are countless strategies in domain investing, but before you dive in, you need to understand how domains work, what end users are looking for and the different ways to approach them. Trust me, learning this early is a lot cheaper than buying cool names and hoping for the best.

    Related: I Interviewed 5 Entrepreneurs Generating Up to $20 Million in Revenue a Year — And They All Have the Same Regret About Starting Their Business

    When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
    The hardest part for newcomers is getting the right education. Too many jump in blind, skip the basics and end up spinning their wheels. It’s like trying to fix a car without ever popping the hood. Making uninformed investments is a quick way to waste time, burn cash and get frustrated fast. Another big surprise is how much upkeep a domain portfolio requires. This is not a buy it and forget it business. You have to watch your names, keep up with renewals, follow the market and be honest when it is time to let go of names that are no longer relevant or valuable.

    Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
    In my early days, I started doing outbound marketing to create interest and generate sales for my domains. I was not thinking about trademarks at the time and reached out to companies that owned marks similar to my names. That mistake earned me a stack of legal threats and cease and desist letters. Thankfully, I was able to resolve each situation on good terms by finding common ground with the parties involved. It was a valuable lesson to always check for trademarks before investing or reaching out to buyers, and I am glad I learned it early. Avoiding legal battles is high on my priority list.

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
    It wasn’t until my second to third year of domain investing that I began to see consistent monthly revenue come in. What I noticed is that after my first year, when I started to educate myself more, build up my domain portfolio with better quality domains and then began outbound marketing, my sales accelerated, and steady monthly revenue came in. In the first year, I earned a few thousand with my first initial sales. In the second year, it was in the lower five figures, and it kept ramping up from there as I invested more time and resources.

    Related: This Couple’s ‘Scrappy’ Side Hustle Sold Out in 1 Weekend — It Hit $1 Million in 3 Years and Now Makes Millions Annually: ‘Lean But Powerful’

    What does growth and revenue look like now?
    Back in 2014, the portfolio was just a handful of domains. Today, it has grown to roughly 8,000 to 10,000 names. There were stretches where I was buying one name a day, and some days I went on a spree and grabbed 20, using profits to keep scaling and building the portfolio. Each year, I have consistently added another 500 to 1,000 names, experimenting with different top-level domains (TLDs) and country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) when I spot a trend. The real growth has come from .com domains, which remain the most in-demand with end users. What started as a few thousand dollars a year has grown into a business generating steady six-figure revenue for the past five years. That growth comes from years of research, relentless market tracking, careful portfolio maintenance and making the right moves at the right time, even when they were tough.

    How much time do you spend working on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?
    On a typical day, I spend one to two hours building and managing my portfolio. Over a week, that adds up to 15 to 20 hours, and by the end of the month, it’s usually 60 to 80 hours.

    How do you structure that time? What does a typical day or week of work look like for you?
    My time is split between portfolio management, searching for fresh inventory, outbound marketing and closing deals. Each week, I set aside blocks of time to review my portfolio, adjust prices and prepare names for marketing. Once you get past a few hundred domains, daily portfolio management becomes essential. It is easy to let small tasks slip through the cracks, and that is when mistakes happen. What has saved me the most time is staying organized. It sounds easier than it is, but creating workflows, keeping detailed spreadsheets and using the right tools will save you from falling behind on your daily tasks.

    Related: These Friends Started a Side Hustle in Their Kitchens. Sales Spiked to $130,000 in 3 Days — Then 7 Figures: ‘Revenue Has Grown Consistently.’

    What do you enjoy most about running this business?
    Domain investing can get a little lonely sometimes because you have to put in the hours to stay sharp and up to date. But the thing I have enjoyed the most is the investor community. We are very active on X, and I have met incredible people from all over the world who have helped me grow as an investor, taught me a ton and become lifelong friends.

    The freedom that comes with this business is unlike anything else. You can run it from anywhere in the world with minimal tech skills. You set the rules, choose your hours, decide your prices, pick where to sell your names and choose which names you want to buy.

    Over the years, as an investor, I found myself looking at tens of thousands of domains coming to auction or expiring every day. As great as many of those names were, I knew I could not buy them all, but I also did not want to see those opportunities go unnoticed by other investors. That got me thinking about how I could share this research and these findings with others. That is when I launched Domain Smoke, a daily newsletter sharing industry news, investment opportunities and the best domains hitting auction each day. Since its launch in 2019, it has grown to thousands of readers worldwide who read it every day.

    Based on your journey so far, what’s your best advice for someone who wants to get started with this kind of business?
    When I got started, there were a few things I would change if I could, and I hope my experience can help you find success in your own journey as a domain investor. If you are new to domain investing, here are three tips that can help you start on the right foot:

    1. Be patient with hand registrations
      This one is not easy, but you will thank me later. Try to hold back from registering new domains by hand until you have a proper understanding of domain investing. The easiest mistake beginners make is buying names that are not likely to sell. Many of them also have little or no appeal to end users. That costs both time and money you will not get back. Once you get past the learning phase, you will have plenty of time to acquire domains that actually fit your strategy. When you know what to invest in, you will be glad you waited.
    2. Invest in yourself early
      They say the more you learn, the more you earn, and that is definitely true with domains. Avoid rookie mistakes by investing in your education. One of the best places to start is the Domain Academy course from GoDaddy, which teaches the ins and outs of the business. Just like any other form of investing, there are many ways to make money, but the best way to improve your chances of success early on is to educate yourself.
    3. Keep learning and follow the data
      It is easy to get started, build up a bit of knowledge and then think you know it all. But markets evolve, trends shift, and change is constant. Stay up to date with domain blogs, industry news, eBooks, Domain Sherpa shows and forums like NamePros, which is full of free knowledge for beginners. Most importantly, follow the data. Study sales and trends using resources like NameBio, dotDB and DNJournal. These will help you understand what is actually selling, what is trending and why. That insight gives you a competitive edge and keeps you aligned with the market.

    Related: I’ve Interviewed Over 100 Entrepreneurs Who Started Businesses Worth $1 Million to $1 Billion or More. Here’s Some of Their Best Advice.

    Start small, stay consistent and give yourself time to learn. Every successful investor was once a beginner. The more you study and track sales data, the sharper your skills will become. And remember, the community side of this business matters too. The investors and connections you build can be just as valuable as the domains you own.

    Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here.

    Amanda Breen

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  • After Studying 233 Millionaires, I Found 6 Habits That Fast-Track Wealth | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Entrepreneurship is the quickest path to wealth, offering the potential to bypass the slow grind of traditional saving and investing. I am a CPA, Certified Financial Planner and author of Rich Habits: The Routines Millionaires Use Daily That Will Help You Build Wealth.

    Over a five-year period, I studied the daily habits of 233 wealthy individuals, of which 177 were self-made millionaires, and 128 people living in poverty. My Rich Habits research, along with insights from other independent third-party experts/studies corroborating my research, reveals that entrepreneurship accelerates wealth-building when paired with specific habits.

    This article explores why entrepreneurship is the fast track to wealth and how my findings can guide aspiring entrepreneurs to success.

    Related: 10 Habits That Separate Rich and Successful Founders From Wannabe Entrepreneurs

    The entrepreneurial advantage

    My research shows that self-made millionaires who pursued entrepreneurship built wealth faster than those who relied on saving and investing as employees. In my five-year Rich Habits Study, “Saver-Investors” took an average of 32 years to accumulate $3.3 million, while entrepreneurs reached $7.4 million in just 12 years. This gap highlights entrepreneurship’s potential to compress the wealth-building timeline.

    Entrepreneurs can create multiple income streams, scale businesses and directly influence financial outcomes, unlike employees tied to fixed salaries. However, I must emphasize that success depends on adopting certain ‘Rich Habits’ — daily routines that set successful entrepreneurs apart.

    Below are the key habits from my research, tailored for aspiring entrepreneurs.

    1. Set clear, actionable goals

    In my Rich Habits study, 80% of self-made millionaires set specific, long-term goals and focused on them daily. For entrepreneurs, this means defining a clear vision — whether launching a product or hitting revenue targets — and breaking it into daily tasks.

    I found that successful entrepreneurs have a do it now mindset/daily mantra that encourages immediate action to maintain momentum.

    Actionable Tip: Write one major business goal for the next year and break it into monthly and daily tasks. Review progress daily to stay on track.

    Related: The Path to Becoming a Wealthy Entrepreneur Starts With Identifying Scarcity and Saying ‘No’ More Often

    2. Commit to continuous learning

    Successful entrepreneurs are lifelong learners. My Rich Habits study shows that 88% of millionaires dedicate at least 30 minutes daily to self-education, reading books on personal development or industry trends. In contrast, 77% of poor individuals in my study spent over an hour a day either watching TV, streaming, reading books of fiction, social media engagement and other online time-wasters. Knowledge keeps entrepreneurs competitive.

    Actionable Tip: Replace 30 minutes of social media with reading a business book or listening to an industry podcast. or reading industry journals

    3. Live frugally to re-invest

    Financial discipline is critical. Saver-Investor millionaires build their wealth by being frugal with their spending in order to save 20% or more of their net income, which they prudently invest themselves or through financial advisors. Entrepreneurs are different.

    While they do share the frugality habit with Saver-Investors, they don’t save like Saver-Investors. Instead, they live frugally in order to maximize the amount of profits, which they then reinvest back into their businesses — marketing, product development or hiring. In order to be able to live frugally, budget no more than 25% of net income on housing, 15% on food, 10% on entertainment and 5% on vacations.

    Actionable Tip: Automate investing 20% of your company’s profits into a business savings account to help you fund growth or provide a buffer.

    Related: Frugality Among the Wealthy: A Closer Look

    4. Build power relationships

    Networking is a cornerstone of success. In my study, I found that 93% of millionaires with mentors credited them, almost entirely, for their success in life. Mentors offer guidance, share processes that work, teach habits that automate success, teach what works and what does not work and open doors to influencers who are part of their inner circle.

    Wealthy entrepreneurs also invest significant time in cultivating “Power Relationships” with optimistic, success-minded peers and mentor others to strengthen their networks.

    Actionable Tip: Seek a mentor in your industry and ask for specific advice. Mentor someone else to build your network and refine your strategies.

    5. Take calculated risks

    Entrepreneurship involves risk, but successful entrepreneurs do their homework and make informed decisions prior to taking any risk. In my study, 27% of millionaires failed at least once in business but learned from their setbacks. They avoid reckless, speculative moves, relying on research, mentorship and market analysis to seize opportunities others miss.

    Actionable Tip: Before launching a venture, conduct market research and test ideas with a small-scale pilot program in order to minimize risk.

    6. Prioritize positivity and health

    A positive mindset and good physical health sustain entrepreneurial stamina and energy levels. My Rich Habits millionaires practiced “rich thinking,” controlling negative emotions and staying optimistic. Additionally, 76% exercised regularly to maintain energy and focus, enhancing decision-making and resilience.

    Actionable Tip: Spend 30 minutes daily on exercise like walking, yoga, weights or resistance exercises and practice gratitude to maintain positivity.

    Related: How to Build a Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Life

    The power of passion and persistence

    I learned from my Rich Habits research that passion fuels entrepreneurial success. Passion makes work fun. Passion gives you the energy, persistence and focus needed to overcome failures, mistakes and rejection.

    Passionate entrepreneurs endure long hours and challenges, while disciplined habits create a compounding effect. However, even the entrepreneurial fast track requires time — 12 years on average to reach multimillion-dollar wealth.

    Addressing challenges

    Critics of my work argue that systemic factors or demographic biases may influence wealth beyond habits. While barriers exist, my blind study focused on controllable behaviors. Entrepreneurs can’t eliminate external challenges, but can control daily actions, relationships and decisions to navigate them effectively.

    Entrepreneurship offers the fastest path to wealth for those who adopt the Rich Habits my research highlights. By setting goals, prioritizing learning, living frugally, building networks, taking calculated risks and maintaining positivity and health, aspiring entrepreneurs can emulate self-made millionaires. Wealth-building is a two-step process — creating and sustaining it — and entrepreneurship, with disciplined habits, is the engine that drives both steps faster than any other path.

    Start small, stay consistent and entrepreneurship will eventually lead you to financial success.

    Tom Corley

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  • When’s the Best Time to Sell Your Business? Here’s What I Tell My Clients (And It’s Not When You Think) | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Over the past 10 years, when do you think was the best time to sell a business?

    Believe it or not, it was just after the pandemic. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported that American business investment had exceeded expectations, outperforming pre-pandemic projections by $430 billion. “The outlook for future business investment growth is encouraging,” the report stated. “Firms are observing persistently high returns to their capital, and founders are starting new businesses at historic rates.”

    Across industries, 2020–2022 outperformed even 2019 in many metrics. Manufacturing, for example, “surged back” in Q3 2020 with record gains in output and hours worked, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    The real lesson: It’s not about timing the market

    You don’t sell based on headlines. You sell based on your business, your industry, and your momentum.

    Company valuations have stayed remarkably consistent over the past 25 to 30 years — even during recessions like 2008–2009. Waiting for the “perfect” economic moment to exit is a common mistake that often leads to missed opportunities.

    One of our software clients was nearly ready to sell last year. But their industry began heating up so fast, we advised them to hold off. They now have a 10-year growth runway — and a chance to exit at a significantly higher valuation. On the other hand, we had a client in the print-and-postage business who waited too long. They ignored clear signs of declining demand. By the time they were ready to exit, their window had closed — and so had their leverage.

    The point: There’s no universal “right time” to sell. There’s only the right time for your business, in your industry.

    Related: When Should You Get Your Business Ready to Sell? The Best Time to Start Is Now — Here’s Why.

    Three steps to build value in uncertain markets

    Economic volatility causes many owners to second-guess their exit plan. Should I move faster? Should I take the first good offer?

    In most cases, the answer is no. Instead, refine your original plan with three key adjustments:

    1. Prioritize profitability over revenue

    Buyers don’t pay for top-line growth — they pay for what drops to the bottom line.

    One of our marketing clients was bringing in $5 million in revenue but losing $200,000 annually. After focusing on profitability, they trimmed revenue to $3 million but turned a $220,000 profit. That leaner, more profitable business was ultimately worth more — and attracted better buyers.

    2. Build operational efficiency

    A well-run business is more attractive, more resilient, and easier to sell. Aim for:

    • Fewer people delivering the same output
    • Documented, replicable systems
    • A team that can run the business without you

    Buyers want to see a machine that works — and still has room to grow.

    3. Stay realistic about valuation

    Remember Quibi? The mobile streaming platform launched with $1.75 billion in funding — and folded in six months. Or any Shark Tank episode where founders get laughed out of the room for unrealistic projections.

    Valuation isn’t about hype. It’s about performance, predictability and market reality.

    So when is the right time to sell?

    Here are two signs we see consistently:

    • Growth takes more effort for less return.
    • You start thinking, “I’ve got a couple good years left in me.”

    Those thoughts are signals. Don’t ignore them. They’re often the earliest signs that it’s time to plan your exit.

    The market moves, but your strategy shouldn’t

    Selling a business takes time — sometimes years — especially if you want to maximize value. Public markets fluctuate daily. But private business sales operate on a different timeline and follow different rules.

    The buyers are different. The financing is different. The valuation metrics are different.

    So don’t rush. Don’t panic. And don’t let headlines distract you from your long-term strategy.

    Related: Sell Your Company When You Least Expect It — How to Properly Scale and Sell Your Business

    Final thought: Focus on what you can control

    The best time to sell isn’t about market timing — it’s about business readiness.

    Ignore the noise. Focus on profitability, operational health, and what’s actually happening in your sector. That’s where real value lives — and where the best exits are made.

    Stay strategic. Stay grounded. And don’t sell your business short.

    Over the past 10 years, when do you think was the best time to sell a business?

    Believe it or not, it was just after the pandemic. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported that American business investment had exceeded expectations, outperforming pre-pandemic projections by $430 billion. “The outlook for future business investment growth is encouraging,” the report stated. “Firms are observing persistently high returns to their capital, and founders are starting new businesses at historic rates.”

    Across industries, 2020–2022 outperformed even 2019 in many metrics. Manufacturing, for example, “surged back” in Q3 2020 with record gains in output and hours worked, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Jessica Fialkovich

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  • Why Solving Problems for Customers Isn’t Enough Anymore | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every era of innovation is shaped by the assumptions it inherits — and those it dares to challenge. Today, a profound transformation is underway. It’s not just technological or economic; it is philosophical. We are moving from a world of institutional dependency to one of personal responsibility, and this shift is not abstract — it is architectural. It redefines markets, recasts the role of government, and perhaps most significantly, reshapes the landscape of entrepreneurship.

    At the center of this change is a simple but powerful idea: When people know, they are responsible. The democratization of information, powered by real-time data, AI-driven personalization and platform accessibility, is rewriting the logic of service, value and ownership. The entrepreneurial question is no longer, “What can we do for people?” but, “How can we equip people to do more for themselves?”

    Related: 3 Business Models That Will Shape the Future of Entrepreneurship in 2025 and Beyond

    From intermediaries to enablers

    Entrepreneurs have historically built businesses around solving problems on behalf of others. This often required serving as intermediaries: interpreting complexity, managing risk and navigating institutions. Insurance companies pooled risks that people couldn’t calculate. Financial advisors made sense of markets that most couldn’t access. Schools and training institutions curated learning for people who lacked the means to direct it themselves.

    That model made sense — in a world where information was scarce, and institutions were necessary proxies for knowledge.

    Today, individuals have direct access to tools that allow them to manage health metrics, compare investment options, acquire in-demand skills and even simulate career outcomes. Platforms like wearable health tech, robo-advisors, skill-based microcredentials and AI tutors mean people no longer require a professional class to tell them what is best. They can see it — and often predict it — for themselves.

    The businesses that merely stand between the individual and their decision are now obsolete. The businesses that thrive will be those that build systems of empowerment — platforms that provide clarity, customization and capability.

    The new architecture of value

    In this new environment, value is not in provisioning; it is in enabling autonomy. Entrepreneurs must now ask: How do we help individuals unlock and apply their own potential?

    Consider healthcare. Traditional insurance operates on the premise that people must be protected from risks they can’t predict. But as personalized health data becomes ubiquitous, people can now monitor, manage and reduce their own risk. The value chain shifts from claims management to wellness optimization. The opportunity? Build ventures that help people interpret their health data, make daily behavioral choices and invest in long-term vitality. It’s no longer about coverage — it’s about capability.

    Or look at retirement planning. Where institutions once prescribed investment strategies, today’s individual can model their financial future in real time. Startups are emerging not to sell products, but to build dashboards of decision-making — offering tailored insights, adaptive risk modeling and lifestyle-based financial strategies. It’s not about controlling assets; it’s about translating knowledge into confident action.

    The same transformation is visible in education. Institutions designed to certify are giving way to systems that verify. Competency-based portfolios, credentialing ecosystems and industry-aligned learning platforms are making degrees optional and demonstrable ability the currency of success. Entrepreneurs here aren’t building new schools — they’re building knowledge markets.

    Related: How to Keep Up With Customer Expectations

    Entrepreneurship in the age of awareness

    This is a new age of entrepreneurship, one where success is not about scale alone, but about aligning with the informed individual’s journey. It demands a shift in mindset from ownership to stewardship.

    Startups in this era must reflect three core design principles:

    1. Empowerment over dependency: The most valuable businesses will not do things for people — they will build tools that allow people to do them for themselves. Think: platforms that help users self-diagnose, self-educate or self-direct their economic strategy.

    2. Personalization over prescription: Generic offerings will fade. What succeeds now are systems that adapt: financial plans tuned to personal goals, wellness programs that respond to biometric feedback, education pathways shaped by live career data.

    3. Transparency over authority: The informed individual does not tolerate gatekeeping. Businesses must offer clarity, not control. Whether in pricing, outcomes or decision logic, transparency builds the trust required for responsibility to flourish.

    These principles aren’t trends — they are structural requirements. They arise because the individual now sits at the center of the value chain. And that individual is not passive. They are informed, engaged and increasingly aware that they are the product, the platform and the producer of outcomes.

    The collapse and creation of value chains

    As this shift accelerates, entire industries will be restructured. Wherever value was created by managing people’s ignorance, that value will collapse. Legacy insurance models, credential-based hiring systems and one-size-fits-all service providers are under existential pressure.

    But with every collapse comes creation. As individuals become responsible for their own outcomes, they will seek trusted systems, smart tools and tailored insights. They will invest in products that respect their intelligence, reflect their uniqueness and respond to their goals.

    The next wave of unicorns will not be service providers — they will be agency platforms. They won’t just deliver — they will activate.

    A new kind of entrepreneurial ethic

    This is more than strategy. It’s a new entrepreneurial ethic. It is grounded in a respect for the individual not as a target market, but as a fully capable actor. It sees people not as consumers of systems, but as participants in outcomes.

    Entrepreneurship, then, becomes a civic act. It helps rebuild the social contract — not by promising care, but by equipping individuals to care for themselves and their communities. The goal is no longer centralized service. It is distributed capability.

    Related: How to Use AI to Increase Business and Make Customers Happy

    Build for the informed individual

    The real revolution is not in technology. It’s in structure. Technology simply enables what is now structurally necessary: individual ownership of wellness, finance, education and life itself.

    Entrepreneurs who understand this will stop building for passive users and start building for informed owners. They will not design systems of support; they will design systems of self-determination.

    Because in this new world, when people know, they are responsible. And the businesses that thrive will be those that help them own that responsibility — with clarity, confidence and capability.

    Every era of innovation is shaped by the assumptions it inherits — and those it dares to challenge. Today, a profound transformation is underway. It’s not just technological or economic; it is philosophical. We are moving from a world of institutional dependency to one of personal responsibility, and this shift is not abstract — it is architectural. It redefines markets, recasts the role of government, and perhaps most significantly, reshapes the landscape of entrepreneurship.

    At the center of this change is a simple but powerful idea: When people know, they are responsible. The democratization of information, powered by real-time data, AI-driven personalization and platform accessibility, is rewriting the logic of service, value and ownership. The entrepreneurial question is no longer, “What can we do for people?” but, “How can we equip people to do more for themselves?”

    Related: 3 Business Models That Will Shape the Future of Entrepreneurship in 2025 and Beyond

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Majeed Javdani

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