Have you got a few special books on your bookshelf? You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones which felt like an epiphany when you read them. The ones whose lessons changed your life in some significant way. I want to share 5 of my special books for entrepreneurs with you today. They are […]
Why won’t anyone buy my product? 3 ways to boost your marketing
Has this happened to you? You spend ages creating a great opt-in bonus that has heaps of value for your target audience and then hardly anyone signs up to get it. Or you research and test a product idea, everyone says they want it and then when you finally launch it, people click on your sales page […]
Why me? Three ways to soar when life isn’t fair
Two days before, I had been in the fetal position on my bathroom floor, thirty-six weeks pregnant and screaming with pain. It was excruciating, the worst pain I had ever experienced—and I had experienced lots. As the ambulance officer supported me out the front door and into the back of the ambulance, all I could […]
9 proven ways to find good business ideas that will make a profit
What makes a good business idea? Good business ideas are only good if they are likely to lead to a profitable and viable business. In other words, they tap into a market opportunity. We all have all sorts of ideas (all the time if you are like me 🙂 ) but not all of them […]
Sisters doing it for themselves: the (interactive) list of women entrepreneurs
It seems like female founders are invisible these days. Over the last few weeks, I’ve come across countless articles bemoaning the lack of women in tech. However, there are plenty of awesome women entrepreneurs out there but they are more likely to beavering away on their startup or juggling life at home than blowing their […]
My formula for an Outstanding Startup: Step 1 – Increase your Odds with a Good Business Idea
This is a post that is long overdue. The formula in the picture summarises my whole philosophy about what is needed to create a successful business. I probably don’t need to say any more – just leave you with the picture. But for those of you who like details, I’ll expand below. The startup formula […]
Why creativity is essential to your survival as an entrepreneur
Creativity and Ideas tend to get a bit of a bashing these days in the startup world. This tweet I received the other day expresses the sentiment well. “Susan: Ideas are a dime a dozen. Finding a great co-founder and building a great team is 10x more important than the Idea.” While I agree that a […]
6 (overlooked) US locations to consider when starting a business
This is a guest post by Miles Hall Are you thinking about starting a business in the US? We all know about the attractions of Delaware, California and New York. Yet in these harder economic times, entrepreneurs have had to get creative in filling specific niches in the market where they are currently based. […]
Why VC money may not be a good idea for funding your startup
Lots of people are playing the startup game these days. It goes like this: Come up with a really cool idea (preferably involving technology) Make a prototype and start a beta trial Try to find a VC or Angel investor to throw lots of money at you so you can continue to develop the product […]
When to register a company – probably not as soon as you think
One of the first questions new entrepreneurs ask is when to register a company. The answer to this is, “It depends.” Before you even think about company structures, you need to establish that you have a viable business opportunity. Then, (and only then) decide when (or if) to move the business into a company structure, […]
What is Entrepreneurship? – 3 essential things you need to master to make your startup a success
Welcome to the first of Ready Set Startup’s Starting a business: Tools and Techniques videos on “What is Entrepreneurship.” Get stuck into the video right here. There is a text summary below for those of you that prefer reading, however it is missing the diagrams that I show on the video. What is Entrepreneurship? […]
Start up fast: How to grow your business out of the baby stage
Last week I said to my husband, that I feel like I have this little baby that keeps crying and crying and won’t shut up! The baby is Ready Set Startup. And the crying is telling me it needs nurturing to keep it alive. The way to keep a startup alive is momentum. Momentum is […]
The one thing that could make the difference between a successful biz and a failure
Okay! So it’s a bit of a dramatic title. But I want to get your attention because my topic today may sound boring but is really, really important to get to grips with if you want to build a successful business. Creating a startup is all about working in uncertainty. There are no guarantees and […]
Why having a bad business idea is a good thing
Aspiring entrepreneurs have two big questions: How do I come up with a good business idea? How do I know if my idea will make a successful business? In addition to this, most new entrepreneurs expect their first business idea to be a great one. I did too! However, now I know that in my […]
Does every startup need an investor?
Does every startup need outside funding? Absolutely not. We can tend to get the idea from news reports and places like TechCrunch and Y Combinator that every startup has outside investor funding. But that is a misconception. There are many successful businesses that don’t have investors. In fact, if you can bootstrap and build your company without […]
47 things you can do to achieve a better work/life balance this year
Because work life balance is such an issue for entrepreneurs, I thought I would compile a list of tips I’ve come across on the net on work life balance in the areas of family, relationship with your life partner, time for yourself and exercise. I hope you will find one or two that work for you, steal them for your New Year’s Resolutions, and turn them into simple routines that will make a difference to your 2011!
Why doing what you love is not enough
Have you heard statements such as “Do what you love and the money will follow” or “Be passionate and you will be successful” ? I think they are misleading. Not because they are not true, but because they are only a third of the truth. Here are the things I think you should keep in mind when choosing a business to start (or a career):
How to set simple goals to grow your business
Everyone knows that to start and run a business successfully you need to have clear goals. But in case your goal setting is not quite working for you, here’s something I’m trying at the moment.
100 ways to market your website and increase your traffic
I’ve just finished dissecting a post called 100 ways to increase your website traffic and picking out ideas that I think will work here. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed on how to marketing your website, implementing some of these practical ideas will give you a starting point and help you gain momentum.
6 Free (or low cost) ways to prove your business idea is a winner
I am a great advocate of testing your idea in the market if possible prior to launch. The benefits of doing this are that you get a lot of information that will help you build a strong business. Here are some ideas to help you do just that.
