By Bill Cates How you receive and process the referrals and introductions you get from clients and centers of influence will determine if these potential advocates provide you with more. I call this process of receiving referrals and introductions:  “Referral T.R.U.S.T.”  If your referral source trusts your process, they are likely to provide you with more. If […]

by John Rampton Regardless of your industry, if you want to thrive, then you need to network. Although you already know the catch: How can an entrepreneur or founder possibly fit networking into their already hectic schedules? Here are 11 tips to resolve the networking issue when you’re crunched for time. 1. Make networking a habit. […]

Your network is unique, shaped by your own approach, project and environment. Here are 10 ways to improve your network: 1. Find new communities Connecting with communities of people in the entrepreneurship community is a great way to build your network. You can use social media to find groups with common interests and intent and […]

“Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are.” –Jim Rohn There’s no one secret to success, but it doesn’t happen by accident, either. Successful people work hard at themselves and their business. Importantly, they learn to stop hindering their efforts by avoiding these seven things: 1. Dwelling on regrets […]

Learn everything you can. Anytime you can. From anyone you can. There will always come a time when you will be grateful you did. – Sarah Caldwell As a business owner and networker, it is vital that you are always growing. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to read or study 15 minutes a […]

By: Miriam Salpeter Author Malcolm Gladwell popularized the term “connector” in his book The Tipping Point, defining the word as “someone who knows many people.” Wikipedia,  meanwhile, describes connectors as, “People in a community who know large numbers of people and who are in the habit of making introductions. A connector is essentially the social equivalent […]

By John Murphy Let’s face it. Entrepreneurship is lonely. I would never do anything else, but it can often feel like you’re running a race that nobody else even knows is happening. You can talk to family, but most people don’t truly get it. Reid Hoffman once said, “An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a […]

SoyEntrepreneur With 100 employees and $10 million in annual revenues, Cynergy Systems — a software developer in the United States — applies effective and economical advertising techniques. Its founder and president, Carson Hager, is blunt: “In reality, the traditional means of marketing do not work for us. Also, we do not have a large budget for it.” […]

A – ATTENTION: Give the speaker your full attention. Turn your body toward them and make eye contact. Don’t multitask. Give indications you’re listening (nodding, saying ‘yes’ or making appropriate facial expressions.) F – FOCUS: Focus on what the speaker is saying. Don’t think about your argument, what you’re going to say next, or anything […]

Know your strengths Know your customer Learn how to negotiate Learn how to sell yourself Have a good elevator pitch Do not be blinded by passion Do your homework on investors Networks and experience matter Do not overevaluate your company Listen to people smarter than you Know your business and numbers Not every business needs […]