The Startup Genome project produced this data-driven infographic outlining the primary reasons why startups fail.
Having supported countless entrepreneurs, through each phase of business growth, in creating successful, scalable businesses – we’ve realized similar insights.
Spring is finally here!
Here at DemGen head office in Canada, it’s been a cold and snowy winter. I enjoy all the seasons we have and for me it means switching from ice skates to roller blades and hiking with four layers on to one. Here’s the thing that I really get excited about in spring, it’s a clean start! Starts are always best, it’s when you have the most energy and enthusiasm for a task or project and there’s a surge of energy towards it’s accomplishment.
Around this time of year, many partake in the ritual of spring cleaning. Beyond getting your house in order, it’s also a great time to do some cleaning and clearing with your business.
In the same way as you would clean and organize your house, spring is a perfect time to give your business a once over from top to bottom.
This spring, take a step back and look at your business from a 30,000 foot view in a new light. Are there systems, team members, cash flow, proposal layout that could be improved? Are there redundancies that are eating up your mental energy, time and/or money? Go ahead and pick just one spring project to make an improvement and view it as a clean start.
Coming back to ground level, spend some time to literally clean your office. Here’s one area that I am committed to doing this week ~ organize my workspace, file all of those sticky notes, scan the stack of business cards from recent events, dust off my keyboard and monitor (something that has been bothering me for a while especially on really sunny days – YUCK!!!)
Don’t forget to clear out your mental clutter as well. As a conscious entrepreneur, my favorite way to clear my mind is walking in nature. It allows me to literally take a step away from my work to find new focus and inspiration.
Taking the time to do spring cleaning for my business always leaves me feeling revitalized and refreshed, as well as increases my productivity going forward. I wish the same for you
I’ve seen this again and again. Taking the time to get organized and start anew will pay huge dividends in the long run.
Let’s grow!
Gary
© Gary Evans, DemGen Inc. 2013
You may have noticed our guest blogger this month, Roger Pierce.
Roger is a long-time friend and client of DemGen. We hope you’ve been enjoying his blog posts this month and thought this would be a great opportunity to interview him and share more about what he does.
Please tell us more about PierceWords.
Pierce Content Marketing (www.PierceWords.com) creates blog posts and videos to help B2b marketers engage small business customers. For example, we might produce a short video offering advice about managing cash flow in a small business. Or a 400-word article on niche marketing. The corporate customer then posts these pieces on their blog, website or newsletter.
Business owners have many questions about starting and growing businesses. Corporations want to meet business owners. It’s an opportunity to connect the two and make a living at doing what I love: advising entrepreneurs.
Corporations are after the small business market because it is very lucrative – they spend bigger bucks than most consumer categories. So I’m not surprised to see more and more companies ramping up strategies to connect with entrepreneurs. Plus, with tight budgets, content marketing is a natural fit because it’s very inexpensive when compared with more traditional tactics such as direct mail or advertising.
What’s the most rewarding thing about what you do?
The most rewarding thing I do is prepare some practical information that can help a small business owner in a small way. If one article we write about succession planning or social media sparks a thought or solves a problem for an entrepreneur, I’m happy.
How has working with DemGen benefited your business?
I’m happy with the market research and business development work DemGen is doing for us because it frees me up to work on my business.
I’ve worked with DemGen within two of my companies now, and each time I hire them I feel a sense of relief because I know the work is in good hands. They really function like an extended part of my company, handling tasks and projects just like an employee or manager would. DemGen holds my complete confidence, and that’s the sign of a great partner. The attention to detail is astounding – often they think of things I never would!
How has ‘going virtual’ benefited your business?
Going virtual has long been a goal of mine. I’m moving must of our company operations to the cloud, by embracing tools such as VoIP, Box.com, BaseCamp and online conferencing solutions. DemGen seems like a natural extension to those manoeuvres because they easily set up our communications, project tracking, file sharing and reporting to the web.
Has DemGen lived up to your expectations?
So far DemGen is exceeding my expectations in terms of customer service. It’s like the team is ‘always on’, and able to answer my questions or correspondence or requests. We have weekly production meetings to check in on progress against planned goals and everyone is punctual and organized and always professional.
I’m looking forward to more great work with DemGen!
© DemGen Inc 2013
It’s a harsh statement, I know.
It’s easier to blame. We blame other people. We blame the economy. We blame customers. We blame time. We blame our situation. We blame money. We blame the boss. We blame the system. We blame the weather. We may even blame a higher power.
Being accountable for your own success will make you successful. It’s as simple as that.
I read a lot of business books written by very intelligent and very accomplished businesspeople. Regardless of the author or the subject, one common theme emerges: Your excuses are your own.
Greatness in any form doesn’t come easily. It requires sacrifice, discipline, passion, commitment and perseverance against overwhelming odds. History is rich with examples of achievers who reached their goals despite possible excuses.
Over the years I’ve heard different excuses from struggling entrepreneurs:
“I don’t have the money to build my business.” Go find it.
“I’m too sick to work.” Hire others to work for you.
“I don’t have the time.” Make better use of the time you do have.
“I’m not sure what to do.” Work with people smarter than you.
Once we take full responsibility for whatever we aim to achieve – it could be starting a business, launching a new career, finishing school, finding our soul mate, raising a child – the excuses magically disappear. In fact, our former excuses may become a source of motivation.
Your excuses are your own. So don’t make any. Just get going.
Roger Pierce
This week’s guest blogger is Roger Pierce, one of Canada’s top small business experts. He takes what’s he’s learned from starting and running 12 small businesses and shares it with thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide.
His company, Pierce Content Marketing, creates advice-rich how-to articles, guides and videos to help large corporations to engage entrepreneurs.
Roger writes about small business issues for a number of leading Canadian publications. He’s also co-author of the book, Thriving Solo: How to Grow a Successful Business.
He may be reached at Newcomerstartup.com.
It’s been a while now since Yahoo banned telecommuting, but the debate doesn’t seem to be loosing any steam on major media and social networks.
Due to our belief that telecommuting is the way of the future, we’ve been paying close attention.
More details have now emerged about why Marissa Mayer instituted the ban, but it’s done little to stop the negative publicity.
USA Today reported that Yahoo’s Virtual Private Network logs showed that remote workers were not logging in regularly, leading to Mayer’s decision.
The New York Times suggested that the move was intended to increase employee morale and noted Yahoo’s employee issues were not just due to telecommuting. Many of the employees in the office were trying to do as little as possible and leave early.
Outspoken, forward-thinker Richard Branson founder of Virgin Group also stepped into the debate calling mandatory office hours for all workers a sign of “old school thinking.” The Globe and Mail reports that Branson took his thoughts to the Virgin blog, further stating:
“The key for me is that in today’s world I do not think it is effective or productive to force your employees one way or another. Choice empowers people and makes for a more content work force…”
“In 30 years time, as technology moves forward even further, people are going to look back and wonder why offices ever existed.”
Meanwhile, there is a smaller, yet vocal group in the anti-telecommuting court. A few days following Yahoo’s ban, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called telecommuting “one of the dumber ideas I’ve ever heard.” Best Buy also followed suit with a similar decision to ban telecommuting for its workers.
Forbes opinion that distance wasn’t the issue for Yahoo or Best Buy – management was tends to resonate most with our view on the matter…
When telecommuting is a possibility for employees, it’s up to management to have the right systems and accountability checks in place to ensure the work is getting done. No matter where employees are working from, management must ensure deadlines are being met and results are being achieved.
With the right team management and online collaboration tools in place, telecommuting can most certainly increase productivity and results. Without the right systems, there is a good chance employees will abuse the right to telecommute.
If employees are properly trained, motivated, managed and monitored, telecommuting can open up a world of benefits, but first it is essential that employees have a clear understanding of what’s expected of them. When and where they work is irrelevant if they’re achieving outstanding results.
It’s human nature to want to perform to the best of our abilities. If employees aren’t achieving results or meeting goals and seem to have ‘lost that loving feeling’, there are probably deeper issues at hand that need to be addressed.
Regular performance and results reviews, combined with online collaboration tools, are ways managers can help telecommuters remain accountable.
At the end of the day, it’s all about results.
We don’t see this debate ending any time soon. As a company that only exists virtually and has been successfully ‘living in the cloud’ for 8 years, we are loving that major media and corporations are supporting what we’ve known for quite some time.
Let us know what you think in the comments section!
Tamara Smith
© DemGen Inc 2013
A national survey of women business owners (WBOs) conducted by Web.com Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: WWWW) and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) found a pervasive sense of economic optimism, including a prediction by most WBOs (85 percent) that more women will become entrepreneurs in 2013 than in past years. WBOs also plan to invest more (38 percent) or the same (54 percent) in hiring this year than they did in 2012 – a positive sign for the economy.
© DemGen Inc. 2013
Whenever I am shopping, staying in a hotel, eating in a restaurant or speaking with a vendor, I try to pay really close attention to the quality of the service I’m receiving.
As an entrepreneur, it’s a chance for me to learn how companies both large and small can improve customer service. Some experiences wow me, while others disappoint.
Often, it’s the little thoughts and niceties that catch my attention.
Like the clothing store cashier who took an extra minute to reassure me that I could return the item I just purchased. Or, the telephone company representative who voluntarily reviewed my phone bill and saved me $22 a month. Yesterday, a nice dental assistant wrote down my calendar availability and promised to call when a suitable last-minute appointment opened up.
Not every experience can be positive. Earlier this week, an assistant at a hardware store directed me to another hardware store because “they definitely have that part.” Sceptical, I called that other store to discover they did not have that part – saving me a half hour drive across town.
I’ll never shop at that first hardware store again.
It’s been said that customers vote with their wallets and their feet. It’s a wonderful expression because it helps business owners to remember the consequences of improper or inadequate customer attention.
Roger Pierce
This week’s guest blogger is Roger Pierce, one of Canada’s top small business experts. He takes what’s he’s learned from starting and running 12 small businesses and shares it with thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide.
His company, Pierce Content Marketing, creates advice-rich how-to articles, guides and videos to help large corporations to engage entrepreneurs.
Roger writes about small business issues for a number of leading Canadian publications. He’s also co-author of the book, Thriving Solo: How to Grow a Successful Business.
He may be reached at Newcomerstartup.com.
© DemGen Inc. 2013
If you work from a home office and have children, you will eventually have to work with the kids around at some point.
These days many entrepreneurs and business owners make the choice to work from home, either on full or part time basis. Even if their children are old enough to be in school – there are still holidays, breaks and sick days to consider…
If you have the support of a team, you may be able to take time off while the kids are at home, but what about solopreneurs or business emergencies that only you can rectify?
Plan in advance.
By planning ahead, you can aim to address everything essential on your agenda to get as much off of your plate in advance as possible. This will help to free up your time to spend more with your children.
Emergencies may still arise, but you’ll be better suited to handle them with a clear agenda.
Try to schedule for work time and play time to achieve a healthy work and family balance.
Educate your children.
Your children may not understand that you are working when you’re at home. They see you as parents, not entrepreneurs or business owners.
Educating them about what you do will engage them in the process, and help them to understand what you are doing and why sometimes you can’t be disturbed.
By helping them to understand the world of business at an early age, you might also inspire them to become the next Steve Jobs!
Keep your office space separate.
If you are working in the same place where you have family activities, it can be hard for children to understand when you are working versus when it’s their time.
Having a separate office space will help your children to understand that when you’re in that area of the house, you are working.
Not playing where you work will also help you to separate from your work.
Have fun!
Our families are a blessing. Make sure to schedule time for family adventures whenever you can.
Getting out to have some fun with your kids will give you a break from work and allow you to come back feeling refreshed. Your kids will also work off some their excess energy, so you’ll have time to catch up on any outstanding work if need be.
If you ever start to feel frustrated by interruptions or distractions, remember that you are blessed to be able to spend as much time with your children as possible. They really do ‘grow up so fast’. Not everyone is lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend extra time with their family.
Tamara Smith
© DemGen 2013
Sometimes it takes getting to the very end of your ‘solopreneurial’ rope to realize there is no more you can do, following your current game plan, without losing grip. The challenges you face may take you to the brink of giving up on your cherished dreams. You’ve been proudly—perhaps stubbornly—handling it all by yourself, and now a change of strategy seems inevitable.
Finding yourself in such a position is nothing to be ashamed of. Even Superman had his kryptonite. You may be a very creative, energetic and confident visionary who is simply living through a time when you are bereft of ideas, struggling to keep up with your tasks and faltering in self-assurance. You may even believe that you will not make it through your current situation because you don’t have what it takes to do so.
That realization could be the most critical—and hopeful—one you have, because finally, this ‘failure’ (of all your smarts, discipline, determination and talent) opens your eyes to a new way of being successful, a new truth:
It’s okay to enlist help to accomplish your goals.
In fact, it’s a very smart move. You are capable of accomplishing many more important things, and doing so on a timeline, when you have the support of a team of experts. Delegating to each of them the tasks that match their genius abilities and talents allows you to keep your eye on the prize and use your entrepreneurial skills on the most critical tasks for you to perform. It allows you to shine brightly like the star that you truly are.
Seeking help for your business can bring balance to your life, time for you to enjoy other pursuits, hobbies and precious time with your loved ones. It can transform the ‘end of your rope’ into the essential lifeline that your company needs to rise above its current struggles.
Make yourself and your vision a high priority in your business. Surround yourself with capable teammates to help you ‘score’ your company goals. Connect with expert coaching and assistance; that is how to become a superstar.
Julie Nierenberg
© DemGen Inc 2013
Despite what Yahoo may think, telecommuting is the way of the future. After an internal Yahoo memo was leaked to the Wall Street Journal on Friday about the company’s decision to not allow employees to telecommute, the internet has been rife with objections.
Here at DemGen we’ve built a successful business that’s helped countless entrepreneurs, virtually. We empathize with Yahoo employees who are now being forced to potentially spend hours commuting.
We’re clearly a bit biased in our belief that telecommuting is the way of the future, because it’s what we do and we’re great at it. In the wake of Yahoo’s news, we’re overjoyed to see the world agrees with us!
Forbes says Marissa Mayer is wrong, freedom for workers means productivity for companies. MSNBC warns the experts say telecommuting is here to stay. Harvard Business Review explains that virtual teams outperform traditional ones.
We’re keenly aware there is a portion of the market that isn’t ready to be convinced that telecommuting can increase results, revenue and productivity. Our clients understand this and it shows in our case studies and testimonials.
In working with countless successful entrepreneurs working form a home office and doing so internally, we’ve realized that the common trend is that we all need to force ourselves to stop working. Instead of counting down the hours to get out of the office, we’re excited to start working and don’t want to stop.
We do realize that there are certain things that can only be completed live. We are speaking to all of the other tasks that could be completed in the time it takes to commute or have a water cooler conversation. Let’s face it commuting is not motivational. It’s also expensive and not good for the environment.
Going virtual and telecommuting is the way of the future. It increases productivity and gets results. This trend clearly here to stay and will continue to grow.
Yay virtual!
Tamara Smith
© DemGen Inc 2013
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