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This story was brought to my attention by our esteemed alumnus, Roger Green. This is the story of youngsters thwarted in their initial forays into small business ownership and some suggestions for workarounds. The Now-I-Know blog by Dan Lewis shared the story of how the police were called to respond to a lemonade stand that had been set up a bit too close to County fairgrounds. How do we encourage young people to think like entrepreneurs?

From Hiscox : A study released this month by Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, reveals a confident and promising growth trend among US small businesses, with 72 percent of respondents reporting increased top-line revenue in the past year – the highest amount of any country surveyed. As both investment spending and export activities surge, profits are also on the rise, with 31 percent of US respondents reporting growth in the double-digits. Now in its ninth year, The Hiscox DNA of an Entrepreneur report is a global study that surveyed more than 1,000 small and medium-sized US business owners about the financial pressures, stresses, opportunities and challenges they currently face. Millennials Hitting Their Stride This year’s findings show younger entrepreneurs are finding success and confidence as business owners. In fact, 56 percent of respondents under age 30 said their personal financial situation is better now than it was a year ago; 59 percent of respondents ages...

From here : Don't miss Microsoft's National Entrepreneurship Week , February 20-24th, 2017. Don't miss their free webinars and you can follow on Twitter at #WININBIZ. 2/22 at 9am PT: The Power of Referral Marketing: How to get your customers talking Tapping into your existing customer base could be the key to new business growth.  On the next episode of Office Small Business Academy, learn about the power of referral marketing, and how to design a program that works for your business. Register Now  2/22 at 10am PT: Staying Ahead of the Curve: Technologies that Adapt with your  business .  It used to be that as your business grew, you'd have to increase your technology budget to meet your growth needs. Not anymore. Join the Microsoft's presentation the Staying Ahead of the Curve: Technologies That Adapt with. Register Now  2/23 at 10am PT: Small Business Webinar: 3 Tips for remaking your online professional presence Learn how Yelp and Office 365 ca...

From the Kauffman Foundation : Although the growth of young entrepreneurial businesses has increased it has not yet returned to pre-Recession levels, according to new research from the Kauffman Foundation. The Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship measures the growth of entrepreneurial businesses in the United States. In 2016, the index experienced the largest year-over-year increase in the last decade, according to its authors, Kauffman researchers Arnobio Morelix, E.J. Reedy, and Joshua Russell. Despite this uptick, however, entrepreneurial growth is still down compared to the levels experienced in the 1980s and 1990s.

On May 16, new SEC rules become effective allowing businesses for the first time to provide equity to investors through crowdfunding platforms. Given uncertainty in the funding market for startups, these new rules could be extremely useful to entrepreneurs. How? A new infographic published by the Office of Advocacy using previously unreleased research shows you how. Early-stage funding is critical to the survival of innovative startups. Venture capital markets are a primary source of early-stage funding, but they are moving away from financing new startups. However, crowdfunding offers startups unique fundraising opportunities to help them withstand this negative momentum. In addition to raising capital, crowdfunding can establish an audience for a product or service; both things strengthen an innovative startup, making a risky investment worth a second look from VCs. See the infographic here. New Advocacy Report: The Effect of Crowdfunding Performance and Outside Capital .

The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Emerging Leaders  Program helps business owners in challenged communities grow their operations by providing them with the tools they need. Learn more about the Emerging Leaders program . 

It's a shame that so many people think business plans are just for startups, or to back up loan applications, or for getting investors. The truth is that business planning offers serious benefits for everybody in business. And I'd like to point out that none of these benefits require a big formal business plan document. A lean business plan (as in  What Business Plan Type is Best for Me ) is usually enough. It takes an hour or two to do the first plan, then just an hour or two to review and revise monthly. Here are those top ten benefits.                                                   10 Benefits of Business Planning

Decision-making may not be something that we look at closely. Something so important shouldn't be taken for granted. Larry Alton of Entrepreneur.com offers a run-down of bad habits that business owners can fall prey to: "Decision making is like any other skill. When you first engage, you’ll be inexperienced, and as a result, your performance will suffer. But if you can gradually eliminate your bad habits and replace them with positive practices, you’ll set yourself up for much greater overall success." Read more at Entrepreneur

The values and culture of your company have a direct effect on your employees, customers and ultimately your bottom line. What are you doing to establish, cultivate and grow this precious commodity? This course will introduce you to the processes of implementing company values for your company by including input from stakeholders and customers. Learn about the steps in the planning process, potential problems you may face, and how to implement your company’s values using a strategic plan. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COURSE

1. Time is more valuable than money. In essence, there are only three things we can spend in life: money, time and energy. The biggest caveat, however, is only money can be earned. The rest are just plainly lost in the process. That’s why it’s so important to be more stingy with your time than your money. You will need to say no more than you say yes. Most people think, in order to be productive, they should work tons of hours each week. But studies have shown that 35 is the special number. If you’re only working 35 hours a week, it’s hard to make time for office chat and wasted meetings. It’s important to avoid time sucks and to spend your time in the office focused on your priorities. Some of the most serial time-wasters are people who take bits and pieces of your time, which is quite significant in total once you add everything together. Some want to have incessant meetings with you, some want you to speak at their event and some just want your take on anything and everythi...

“Mother always knows best.” We’ve all heard this saying before. Whether she’s kissing a boo-boo or fixing up a meal that just hits the spot, Mom always seems to know the right thing to do in any given situation. So, it’s no surprise Mom’s advice could actually apply elsewhere. Here are five pearls of wisdom worth listening to while dealing with business: 1. Money doesn’t grow on trees. If it did, you wouldn’t need to be in business in the first place. Since you’ll have to work and earn every dollar you make, treat that money with respect. Remember the feeling you had when you made your first sale? Hold on to that. If you lose sight of the value of your money, you’ll find your business starting to spiral out of control. An easy way to save up is to set a budget in advance and stick to it. Even if you have an unexpectedly good month, by resisting the urge to spend (or reinvest) it all right away, you’ll be better prepared to ride out future bumps in the road. 2. If everyone jumped...

What is one thing that is absolutely essential for running your business? 1. Taking input from your employees Your employees are your greatest resource. They see a side of the business that you might miss. They are around your product day in and day out, and might have a great idea for its improvement. So, are you taking advantage of this resource—or taking it for granted? Mark Daoust of Quiet Light Brokerage, Inc., says that his employee input is “the most valuable asset” he has in his company. “Even though I am 100 percent owner of my company, I don’t make any significant decisions without consulting multiple people within my company,” he says. He adds: “They see the business from a completely different perspective, which I simply can’t get.” 2. Scheduling time for your personal life When you’re starting out, it makes sense that your personal life takes a back seat. In that mad rush to get your business up and running, you might have slacked when it came to time with friend...

When starting a business, it is important to know where to get the best information. The basics of sales, marketing, and advertising are all topics to keep in mind while laying the groundwork. Here's a list of some sites to keep in mind. 1. Score Entrepreneurship These sites cover many topics like financing and marketing. They also have a search box tool for narrowing down information. 2. SBDCMichigan The Michigan SBDC created an online workshop for small business owners. Each class follows topics like Writing a Business Plan,Marketing Your Business, Financial Management, Business Legal Issues, and more. 3. SBA SBA Starting Managing Business The Small Business Administration offers free information in all aspects of starting a business. They also offer a regularly updated "Guide to Starting a Business." 4. Ecorner Lynda Ted Talks Many who are looking to start a business value information from success stories. People find sites like Ted T...

There’s something gutsy about starting an app or creating a product to solve a problem you wish could be solved for you personally. Not only are you seeking out a solution to your problem, you are inventing the solution itself. With the creation of the MomCo app, Jillian Darlington did just that. MomCo brings mothers together for playdates and friendship, connects them with local businesses, gives them access to forums, and keeps them in the loop on local events. Learn more at: Bplans

Did you know that the SBA recently issued a final rule that alters regulations governing the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program? The change, that becomes effective October 14, 2015, makes it easier for agencies to award sole-source contracts to women-owned businesses and helps meet the government’s goal of awarding 5 percent of all federal contracts to women. Read more how this change helps the SBA support women-owned businesses and how to gain WOSB-certification for your company. Looking for more information? Be sure to check out BusinessUSA’s resources for women business owners. You'll also want to read about the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) which oversees the Women's Business Centers (WBCs) network. WBCs provide entrepreneurs (especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged) with comprehensive training and counseling on a variety of topics, and in several languages. Learn more at: sba

Women build and leverage the ecosystem While venture capital’s track record with women makes you want scream with frustration, the new angel numbers will make you want to jump for joy. For nearly all metrics, the numbers hit record heights in 2014, according to the Center for Venture Research, which researches angel investments. In 2014: 26% of all angels were women, increasing by an impressive 43% from the previous year. 36% of all companies seeking funding were women, increasing by a whopping 83% from the previous year. 28% of all companies receiving funding were women-run, a substantial 44% increase. 15% of all women-run companies succeeded in raising capital vs 22% for their male counterparts. “Typically, when there is a surge in the number of entrepreneurs seeking angel funding, the overall yield [success rate] goes down,” said Jeffrey E. Sohl, director of Center for Venture Research. The 15% success rate is within the historic norms for entrepreneurs raising capital from a...

Peter and Jonathan talk about business buzzwords they hate, and false assumptions you can make about your business. Joe Pulizzi (Founder, Content Marketing Institute) also joins in to talk about the six steps of the Content, Inc. model. The Bcast is the official podcast of Bplans.com, hosted by Jonathan Michael and Peter Thorsson. Tune in weekly for a fun and informative discussion that will help you grow your business. Every week, we bring in business experts to discuss the latest trends in marketing, sales, and entrepreneurship. Skip the stuffy MBA classroom and get information and advice that will actually help you grow your business today—and have some fun while you’re doing it. To listen, see itunes

When you’re ready to launch a startup, the name of the game is research. You need to tap every resource you can to learn the ins and outs of business. From securing funding to marketing your business, there’s a lot to consider. There are hundreds of resources online, but searching for worthwhile sites is time consuming and sometimes unsuccessful. So, we did the work for you. We’ve put together a list of 34 resources that will play a role in your startup. This list is broken into categories and is meant to be a one-stop-shop for aspiring entrepreneurs. Read more from Bplans

by Lisa Furgison After years of working for micromanaging bosses, working ten-hour days, and feeling completely drained at the end of a workweek, my husband and I decided to call it quits. We left our jobs in the media world and started our own business, McEwen’s Media. While I’m happy to report that it pays the bills, it didn’t start off with rainbows and lollypops. At the beginning, we made some marketing mistakes. I started talking with other entrepreneurs and quickly learned everyone suffers from a case of the “marketing hiccups” at the beginning. In an attempt to help other entrepreneurs, I’ve put together this list of avoidable marketing mistakes. More from BPlans.com

There is much written about what it takes to be a successful business owner. Passion, focus, and persistence show up again and again as traits you must have if you want to be an entrepreneur. However, we've uncovered some additional behaviors that don’t traditionally go along with the busy life of an entrepreneur but that can be of great benefit. Here are five traits of successful entrepreneurs that might surprise you. 1. They say no Read more at BPlans