Startup & Small Business - Page 12

Check out our latest entrepreneurial-driven content geared toward helping startups and small businesses grow their brands.

Learn The Most Important Lessons Of Starting Small From Netflix

Published on
Lessons Of Starting Small From Netflix

Most companies are not immediately successful on the market. Indeed, it’s true to say that over 90% of startups will fail within their first year. What’s the lesson here? You need to make sure that you know how to start small and work towards building your business the right way. You shouldn’t jump too many steps ahead because this could mean that your bills grow while profit levels remain the same.

If you are looking at how to start out small the right way, you may want to take a few leaves out of the Netflix logbook. Most people forget that Netflix did not start as the streaming media giant that it is today. The business actually began life as a DVD rental service. How did it become the industry champion that it is today and what can you learn about the path this business took to success.

Embrace Diversification

The first step in the growth of Netflix was to diversify their business venture. While they began to offer a DVD renting service, they would eventually offer a streaming option as well as blu-ray rentals. It’s worth pointing out that once Netflix began to build a streaming service, they did not abandon DVDs or hard media options immediately. Instead, they offered customers several options, diversifying their model. This ensured that if one area of the company failed as it began to during the dot-com crash, other products would remain profitable. Diversification of your business and what you offer is a smart step to take as soon as you began to grow your small company.

To this day, Netflix continues to adopt a solid model of diversification, offering both original contents developed by the business and content that they have purchased streaming rights for from other companies.

Plan For Success

Previous employees of Netflix have shared insight into the mindset of the company and the growth of the business. Ultimately, employees were instructed to build for scale and work on the premise that an idea, product or service was already successful. If a product was successful, it was going to be used by millions, and thus it made sense to plan for this possibility.

According to past employees, this even helped reduce costs. Adding ten or twenty percent during a core development phase in the company was far more beneficial than adding two hundred percent for growth after initial development had been completed.

Think Beyond The Bottom Line

Finally, a lot of people think that growing a small startup is about constantly focusing on the bottom line or the cap table. However, one of the reasons why Netflix reached their incredible level of success was due to their ability to see the bigger picture. Netflix did not shy away from mistakes but rather embraced them and built their company while looking at issues that could impact the overall model, continuing to create products for mass consumption. This is what you should learn when creating your own products and building your own business from the ground up.

Ultimately, your company could become the next Netflix in terms of size and success and you should plan for this possibility.

You might be interested in

Need Sponsors for your Event? Here are 4 Places to Look

Published on
Finding Sponsors for Event

Great events are driven by great ideas, full of ambition and creativity. However, the reality is that the better your ideas, the more funding you are likely to need. For that reason, sponsors are essential, but how exactly do you get them? Here, we’re going to look at four methods of finding the sponsorship your event needs and what it takes to attract it.


Talk to event organizers

You are not the first person to try put an event together. You may have event organizers with some experience on your side. If that’s the case, talk to them about sponsors they have worked with in the past. If you have attended events run by others or are on good terms with other organizers, reach out to them, too. Never underestimate the power of networking. You may even gain some helpful tips and insights along the way. If they’re a direct competitor, they may not be so keen to help, of course.


Look at past events like yours

If you have seen events similar to yours in the past but you don’t know the organizers, you might not want to get in touch solely to ask a favor of them. Instead, you may want to look directly at the sponsors instead. Once you know your event goals and your sponsor criteria, start looking through the sponsor listings for those events. List all the sponsors and narrow them down to the most applicable. Make sure they have a higher potential inclination to sponsor your event, too. Find the individuals from those companies most readily able to make the decision to sponsor an event. Many of these stakeholders can be found easily through social platforms like LinkedIn. Once you find them, send them a personalized pitch detailing your offer.

Market your event widely

You want sponsors with a marketing and advertising department since they can lend plenty of outreach to your event. Those with active marketing teams also tend to have an eye on the marketing in their sector. Put time and effort into event marketing through channels like social media and press releases. The better your marketing, the more likely you are to catch the interest of a marketing head of a potential sponsor.


Use sites built to connect sponsors and events

There are online communities and platforms built specifically for the purpose of connecting event organizers and sponsors to one another. Resources like SponsorMyEvent, SponsorPitch, and SponsorPark not only have active communities but they also have tools that allow you to quickly put together your proposals. It’s a good idea to have set criteria for sponsorship so that any interested parties can quickly see what you have to offer and what you need in return. Besides helping you reach out to sponsors, these platforms can be great for better understanding what your event sponsorship package is going to look like.


Your sponsor (or sponsors) can be a crucial part of your event’s success. Make sure that you have a proposal that is built to catch their interest, clearly outlining the potential reach of your event and the links to their own aims. The more you show the event’s viability, the more interested they are likely to be.

You might be interested in

3 Of The Best Journals For Staying On Top Of Your Goals

Published on
3 Journals For Staying On Top Of Your Goals

In a world where we are constantly surrounded by electronic devices, the idea of carrying a physical, paper journal planner might sound a little… retro. However, many people find that recording their lives in the physical world is more effective than using an app or digital program. There’s something real and tangible about physical journals that is hard to replicate with digital equivalents; a feeling that you hold your plans and goals in your hands, quite literally.


If you are tempted to revert to the “old ways” and try planning your life and goals with a physical journal, here are three options you may want to consider…

Panda Planner

A Panda Planner appears, superficially at least, to be similar to an old-fashioned Filofax. However, this planner is far more than a basic method of organizing your life and monitoring your goals. Panda Planners utilize an in-depth understanding of positive psychology and neuroscience, helping to produce a planner that can – strange as it sounds – genuinely improve your life.

While the Panda Planner is full of innovative features, it has drawn particular praise for its encouragement of gratitude. If you struggle with the daily grind while working hard towards your goals, a Panda Planner can help encourage you to take a second to appreciate the right now in a way that is genuinely beneficial to your mental health and well-being.

Traveler’s Notebook

The Traveler’s Notebook is a thin, leather folio that can hold a variety of different sheets, making it the perfect choice if you’re looking for high-customization options. The convenient purse-friendly size of the Traveler’s Notebook is perfect for daily tasks and to do lists, though it can be pressed into service for a variety of different journal tasks. For example, you can purchase inserts that allow the notebook to be used as a calendar, a monthly planner, or as a bullet journal thanks to the grid paper option.

Something of a cult favorite, the Traveler’s Notebook has also become a style icon in and of itself, and purchasing your own will allow you to join a large Instagram community of devotees who love nothing more than showing off the various uses for this innovative product.

Moleskine 12-month weekly planner (extra large)

Goal setting and achievement tends to be split into two areas of focus: the short-term, and the long-term. This large planner from well-known journal manufacturers Moleskine is definitely more dedicated to the long-term but is incredibly useful for monitoring overall progress.


The large size provides you with the opportunity to assess your life and goal advancement with a bird’s eye view, which is especially helpful if you tend to find yourself struggling with day-to-day issues rather than the bigger picture. Furthermore, as you would expect from Moleskine, the quality is outstanding and the overall design is delightfully classic without feeling outdated; without a doubt, should you invest in this planner, it will take pride of place on the desk of your home office.

In conclusion

If you’re tempted to make the switch (or the switch back) to using a physical, paper journal, hopefully, one of the options above will suit your needs.

5 Spotify Playlists For High-Intensity Workout Sessions

Published on
5 Spotify Playlists For High-Intensity Workout

If you’re planning a high-intensity workout session, you need to be prepared. Water? Check. Comfortable workout clothes? Check. Motivation? Double check. It sounds like you’re good to go, but there’s one final piece of the puzzle that can ensure your workout is as beneficial as it can be: the perfect Spotify playlist.


For many of us, music is an essential component to the perfect workout session. For an intense workout, you need music that encourages you to keep going as you work through your paces – and we think we’ve found five playlists that are more than up to the task…

‘Energetic Run’

For runners with a need for speed, look no further than Energetic Run to keep you focused. All the tracks on this playlist are over 160-165 beats per minute (BPM), so striving to keep pace will push your workout to the next level. While not necessarily packed with the most recognizable of songs, Energetic Run will soon become an old favorite for your running and sprinting workout sessions.

‘Throwback Workout’

If you’re looking for a trip down memory lane as you work out, then Throwback Workout is the perfect playlist choice for you. Classic favorites such as Gold Digger, Yeah! and In Da Club make up a retro playlist that is more than capable of keeping you feeling good during your thoroughly modern high-intensity workout.

‘NTC: High Intensity Training Tracks’

Created by NikeWomen, this playlist is an eclectic mix of artists that you wouldn’t always imagine being placed together – but somehow, it works. Generally upbeat and featuring an inspirational tone that thankfully steers clear of becoming too sickly-sweet, High-Intensity Training Tracks is a great choice if you’re looking for variety from a workout playlist.

‘Beast Mode’

In modern fitness, the term “high intensity” doesn’t just mean fitness: it also applies to strength training, a form of exercise that has exploded in popularity over recent years due to its plethora of benefits. If you’re a fan of strength training, then look no further than Beast Mode when seeking to enhance your workouts. The songs have been selected specifically to appeal to your tough, beastly side, and should help to encourage you to just one more rep – multiple times over. There’s plenty to love on this playlist, with modern options from the likes of Drake and Nicki Minaj combining with old favorites such as Still D.R.E. to create the perfect high-intensity strength training session.

HIIT Workout Playlist

High-intensity intermittent training – most commonly abbreviated to HIIT – is very much the workout of the moment, and if you’re tempted to give it a try, this playlist is a great choice. Due to the nature of HIIT, playlists in this category tend to be short, and this option is no different – it features just 13 songs, less than half the total on the other playlists mentioned above. However, HIIT workouts are all about getting the best results in the shortest possible time, and the HIIT Workout Playlist is more than capable of fulfilling that requirement. With favorites from the likes of Rihanna and Madonna to keep you company, your HIIT workout will be effortlessly enhanced thanks to the careful selection of songs.

In conclusion

With one – or more! – of these playlists to keep you company during your high-intensity work, you’ll see results sooner rather than later, and you’ll have a good time getting there. Enjoy!

You might be interested in

5 Exercises to Help You Carve out 6-Pack Abs

Published on
5 Exercises to Carve out 6-Pack Abs

Summer is already in full swing thanks to the fantastic weather, and it’s almost time to get out on the beach and enjoy showing off your summer body. However, you might feel like your body isn’t at its peak yet, but it’s still not too late to grind through some reps and carve out those 6-pack abs that you’ve been working towards.


In this article, we’ll be giving you five brilliant exercises that will help you speed up the process and carve out those 6-pack abs before you hit the beach.

Toe-Toucher

A simple no-equipment exercise that you can do virtually anywhere with a mat. It targets your upper and lowers abs together, making it versatile as well as being easy to perform. Simply sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Have your hands holding onto the sides for support. Bring your legs up as far as possible while also bringing your torso towards your legs. Hold this position for a few seconds, then return to the start and repeat it.

Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches are an excellent move to target the obliques. The side-to-side twisting motion activates the rectus abdominis and also helps to work those love handles. Simply lay on your back on the floor. Extend your legs and bend your arms with your hands by your ears. Contract your core and raise your upper body off the floor, twisting to the side as you do it. Next, bring your opposite leg up during the twist so your knee touches your elbow. Once they’re close to touching, pause for a moment then lower your leg. As you do this, repeat the same movement on the other side of your body.

Exercise Ball Knee Tuck

This simple move requires an exercise ball and targets the obliques, triceps, chest, and shoulders. Position yourself prone with legs extended, balancing your forefoot on your exercise ball. Your hands should be under your shoulders, elbows straight. Once balanced, contract your abs and bring your knees to your chest, rolling on the ball. Pause when contracted and then reverse your direction, rolling the ball out as you extend.

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbing is a cardio exercise, but it can also target your abs if you focus on your core. It’s fantastic for calorie burning but also helps your upper body. Start in a plank position first, then pull your right knee towards your chest. As you do this, tighten your abs so you don’t break your plank. Switch to the other knee will simultaneously push your other leg back. Repeat this so that you’re in a “running” motion.

Hanging Knee Raises

Hanging knee raises are excellent for the lower abs and obliques. Get into a hanging position with an overhead bar, using a slightly wider grip than usual. Contract your abs and lift your knees up as high as you can. Remain as motionless as possible so that you aren’t swinging. Hold the position, then lower your knees to finish the rep.

You might be interested in

How to Gain Clarity When Starting a New Venture

Published on

Summary:

In this 44th episode of SOB: Style of the Business podcast, the host Keetria has a solo discussion about ways to maintain clarity and not get distracted when starting a new business venture or project.

Show Notes:

  • Focus on what you want to gain momentum.
  • Why do you want what you desire?
  • When you know why you want something, you can put the right actions forth.
  • Do the things that align with your goals.

3 Key Points:

  1. Focus on what you want to obtain.
  2. Understand the reason why you want what you want.
  3. Do the things that align with what you want.

Tweetable Quotes:

–   “The more that you focus and concentrate on what you want, the more…you bring

in similar thoughts or ideas that are related to what you want.” – Keetria.

–   “Know why you want what you want.” – Keetria.

–   “Once you know your “why,” then you can put forth the action to actually achieve

your goals.” – Keetria.

Resources Mentioned:

You might be interested in

How to Jumpstart Your New Podcast Idea

Published on
Jumpstart Your New Podcast Idea

For anyone that commutes on a regular basis, you’ll know that podcasts are an amazing travel companion. They’re usually a set length, they contain plenty of great information, facts, and stories, and they’re usually hosted by talented individuals that have a great voice and know how to communicate with their audience.

In fact, you may have thought about starting your own podcast. Perhaps you’re an expert on a certain subject, love to rant about current affairs or think that you have what it takes to tell a story. Whatever your reason for wanting to host a podcast, we’ve got a quick and simple guide that will help you jumpstart your idea.

Focus on your idea

Make sure you have an idea to start a podcast on. It doesn’t really matter what your idea is as long as you’re passionate about it. Don’t fall into the trap of doing something that is currently popular or trending because it’ll probably fall out of favor sooner or later. Starting a podcast on something you enjoy will make new ideas come more easily and will give you an excellent start.

Find an audience

You also need an audience for your ideas. Create a profile of your ideal audience member and try to aim for those types. For instance, if you’re talking about video games, then the type of games you talk about and the era they’re from will drastically change the audience you’ll get.

Invest in a good microphone

No one likes to listen to a podcast with poor audio quality. You’ll need to invest in a good-quality microphone so that your listeners won’t complain about your poor audio quality. Make sure you get yourself a pop filter as well and try to record the audio in a relatively quiet and isolated room so background noise isn’t a problem.

Create a website

Every podcast needs a website. Whether it’s a blog, a personalized site or even a Facebook page, make sure you have something for your readers to use as a hub for all of your episodes and news. Designing a website doesn’t take long but if you want to look more professional, it’ll cost you a bit of your budget.

Find a host

You’ll also need to find a host for your podcasts. Many people use services like Soundcloud which are made for music but work great as general audio hosts for podcasts. You could also use iTunes by submitting your podcast and having it appear in the store. This does require a bit of extra effort (such as having a logo and waiting for verification from Apple) but it gives you a lot of exposure.

Get on social media

Lastly, remember to promote yourself on social media. Be it Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, cross-post on several different social media sites and get interacting with people to grow an audience. This is also a great way to meet influencers and potentially have guest appearances on your podcast that will increase your exposure and help you grow as a podcast.

You might be interested in

5 Noteworthy Tech Conferences for Women

Published on
5 Tech Conferences for Women

When working in technology, it’s incredibly important to stay up to date with the latest developments and build new social networks. There are plenty of online communities to connect with, but it doesn’t mean that you should be stuck at home browsing the internet for the latest news and developments. In fact, one of the best ways to nurture new relationships and stay in-tune with the tech industry is to attend meetings and conferences.


If you approach these conferences with the right mindset, you’ll find that it’s much easier to digest all of the latest releases and industry developments, and you’ll also be able to connect with the people you meet online with in-person meetups. Socializing with like-minded professionals is a fantastic way to grow your knowledge and confidence when working in the tech industry, so here are a couple of upcoming tech conferences for women.

 

Yellow Conference

Los Angeles, CA

August 23rd – 24th, 2018

The Yellow Conference is made to empower creative and entrepreneurial women to become agents of good. You’ll be joining hundreds of entrepreneurial-minded women to discuss technology and business, and you’ll also be given hundreds of opportunities to network and grow your social reach.

 

The Women in Tech Summit: West

Denver, CO

September 15th, 2018

The Women in Tech Summit is coming to Denver, CO. This conference inspires and educates women in the technology industry, but it’s also a fantastic place for women to connect with others who are also a part of technology. There’s a fantastic mix of hands-on tech workshops, discussions and speakers that will help you advance your career and bolster your passion for technology. You’ll find countless networking opportunities and learn new things to take home with you.

 

Women of Color STEM Conference

Detroit, MI

October 11th – 13th, 2018

The Women of Color STEM Conference is a premier event that recognizes outstanding women in STEM fields across the nation. It’s a brilliant opportunity for professional development and networking, but also a great chance to recruit or be recruited by renowned companies. There are activities to spark interest and plenty of talks to stimulate your development in the tech industry.

 

Tech Up for Women

New York, NY

November 15th, 2018

Tech Up for Women is a single-day event designed to help women advance through the world of technology. It’s done by educating women, giving them a chance to network and also giving them the resources they need to grow their professional career. The event focuses on the latest technological developments and is designed to take the fear out of technology and empower women to embrace it.

 

Women of the Channel Leadership Summit East

New York, NY

December 3rd – 4th,  2018

Women of the Channel is a conference that is perfect for building solid business connections, while also inspiring women to embrace new possibilities in the world of tech and business. There are famous speakers from all different industries that attend this conference and you’ll receive guidance on how to navigate the industry as an executive woman.

You might be interested in

5 Fitness Podcasts you Should Tune into this Summer

Published on
5 Fitness Podcasts

Listening to other people talk about fitness is one of the best ways to motivate yourself to keep fit. As you listen to other people say interesting and inspiring things about getting and keeping fit, you feel enthusiastic about working on your own fitness. Fitness podcasts are excellent for this, often diving deep into various health and fitness topics. Some of the best podcasts don’t just talk about fitness in isolation but also discuss how it relates to other issues, such as body positivity, mental health, and happiness. Take a look at these top fitness podcasts if you’re looking for some motivation not just in fitness but for life.

Found My Fitness

Are you looking for a fitness podcast that will challenge you intellectually? If you want something that’s heavy on science, Found My Fitness with Dr Rhonda Patrick (who has a PhD in biomedical science) is a good choice. This podcast explores everything from the latest research on aging and brain health to how to improve your wellbeing. Whether you’re interested in the science or trying to improve yourself, there’s something for you.

Hurdle

Hurdle is a podcast about using wellness and fitness to get through tough times. Keeping fit is often excellent for your mental health, and Emily Abbate looks at the different ways people use wellness to cope. She interviews people to hear their stories and the lessons they have learned. The podcast is intended to be educational and motivational, helping to give listeners the push they need to live a healthier and happier life.

All About Fitness

All About Fitness by Pete McCall covers the anatomy and physiology side of keeping fit. You can learn all about different exercise trends and the best ways to reach your goals. Like some other fitness podcasts, it takes a fairly scientific approach to fitness. If you’re someone who wants to work on evidence and not just follow fads and trends, then that’s the sort of content you need. The episodes can get pretty in-depth, but there are also some short Quick Fit Tip episodes, some of which are under ten minutes long.

Motivated

These podcast episodes are around 30 minutes each, which is ideal for anyone who prefers a shorter podcast that they can fit into their lunch break or commute. Motivated is hosted by ABC news correspondent Mara Schiavocampo, who interviews fitness experts and doctors. With her guests, she discusses health trends and interesting health and fitness topics.

Business Meets Fitness Podcast

Entrepreneurs will love the Business Meets Fitness Podcast. This podcast combines business and fitness to discuss topics relevant to both, such as getting into the right mindset and self-development. The podcast covers health, fitness, wellness, how to make money in the fitness industry and general advice for being a better business person. For example, a recent episode dealt with how to be more confident, which is useful for both fitness and business.

Listen to these podcasts while you’re working out or during your downtime if you need some motivation and inspiration.

You might be interested in

Best Online Resources for Aspiring Public Speakers

Published on
Aspiring Public Speakers

Being a public speaker can be much more than just a hobby, a side hustle or something you do to further your business image. Many people make a career of it, speaking at various venues around the country and even around the world. While confidence in public speaking comes naturally to some, there’s still a lot of skill involved in giving public talks. If you want to improve your public speaking skills, there are some fantastic resources that you can learn from. Here are some of the best online resources you can enjoy if you want to become an incredible public speaker.


TED Talks

TED talks are not just interesting, they’re also great resources for learning about public speaking. Watching TED talks on any topic that interests you gives you a chance to watch how some of the best public speakers do it. There are also plenty of talks that focus on public speaking or related topics. Some of the highlights you might want to watch include ‘TED’s secret to great public speaking’, ‘How to speak so that people want to listen’ by Julian Treasure, Amy Cuddy’s ‘Your body language may shape who you are’, and ‘How I beat stage fright’ by Joe Kowan.


Toastmasters International

Toastmasters is a huge public speaking group, which has hundreds of thousands of members around the world. The Toastmasters International online resources are helpful for anyone looking for tips on public speaking. They have lots of articles you can read that cover plenty of topics with practical advice. Of course, you can also join a Toastmasters group if you have a local chapter. You can learn from other members and, of course, by getting up and giving some talks yourself. There are more than 15,000 clubs across 135 countries, so you can probably find one that works for you.


National Speakers Association

The National Speakers Association offers resources for professional speakers – and aspiring professional speakers too. Their website features some handy resources and a calendar of events. By joining the NSA, you get a host of benefits, such as virtual courses, community access, Speaker magazine, and plenty of tools and resources. You can also earn a Certified Speaking Professional designation if you want to prove that you’re an expert in public speaking.


Executive Speech Coach Blog By Patricia Fripp

There is a huge number of blogs covering the topic of public speaking. Patricia Fripp’s is one of the best resources available. Her blog covers a range of topics, many of which relate to doing better business. For example, a recent post covers how to sound intelligent in a speech or sales presentation. Many posts are accompanied by videos, which gives you a more visual way to learn more about doing well in speaking engagements. She also has a brother – Robert Fripp – who is not only a professional guitarist but also a public speaker.

Become an expert public speaker with these resources and start building your public profile. Of course, you also need to make sure that you have something to say.

You might be interested in

1 … 10 11 12 13 14 … 19