10 Avoidable Mistakes First Time Entrepreneurs Make

Failing to plan. Many entrepreneurs feel that if they build it, people will come. This isn’t “The Field of Dreams”. Failing to evaluate co-founders. If your co-founders cannot do their assigned tasks, or even worse, cannot be trusted, then your business is bound for failure. Working with friends. Friends are just that. Friends. Business and … Read more

Advice for First-Time Entrepreneurs

Have an absolute deep understanding of your target market. Study them like the back of your hand.  —  Originally posted on Quora. Leonard Kim is Managing Partner at InfluenceTree. At InfluenceTree, Leonard and his team teach you how to build your (personal or business) brand, get featured in publications and growth hack your social media … Read more

How to Discuss an Idea for a Startup in Public Without It Being Stolen

By discussing it in public and not worrying about someone stealing it. People are too busy to steal your idea. They have their own lives, their own plans, and their own visions. They’re not just going to walk in and steal yours, unless they’re desperate. I posted a whole executive summary for a company I … Read more

What to Do When You’re Starting Your Company and Don’t Have an Office

Borrow a conference room from a friend who owns a business. Preferably in an executive suite of a building in your downtown. The more security clearance the client has to go through (signing in, verifying they have an appointment, ID checks, metal scanners, pat down, etc.) and the higher the floor the conference room is … Read more

Why It’s Okay If You’re Unexcited About Your Company’s Industry

Someone on Quora asked: How important is it for a cofounder to be excited about solving problems in their company’s industry? I’ve been asked to cofound a startup. The idea has a lot of business potential, the work would be interesting, and I work well with the other cofounder. But it’s in a space I’m … Read more

What I’ve Learned as an Early Employee at a Startup

Don’t work for any company with a single founder. Interview your C.E.O. Call references. Talk to their clients. See if they’re worth working for. Get feedback from as many people as possible before committing to your venture. Weigh out the pros and cons. If you can’t trust your C.E.O., then there is no future for … Read more

How to Get a Small Business Loan

I personally took a business plan for a nightlife company to this place https://longbeachsbdc.org/ along with a cofounder who had a 680 credit score and was approved for a $30,000 loan through a credit union. There are Small Business Development Centers set up by the Small Business Association everywhere across the United States.  They will help … Read more