By Cameron Herold, EO speaker and founder of Backpocket COO.
I am writing today to report the untimely death of the private office. This isn’t a time for mourning, it had a good run. For a while there, a private office was looked at as the pinnacle of career success; the carrot that motivated countless company drones as they clutched and crawled up the corporate ladder.
Categories: general
Tags: company culture employee engagement employee productivity
By Michael L. Ducker, FedEx Express COO and president of FedEx Express International.
In his 2010 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama announced his administration’s goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years. The president’s National Export Initiative represents an incredible opportunity for small businesses to access the world’s consumers — 95 percent of whom live outside the United States.
If the economic downturn taught us anything, it’s that all businesses already are connected to the global economy. The question has become: How do we best access the global economy to our advantage? The answer starts with changing our perspective.
Consider these four reasons to think differently about growing your business through international trade.
Categories: general
Tags: best practices global business global trade international business
By Carol Brown, special to Overdrive.
While it is admirable to build a successful business of any kind, some entrepreneurs do more than just make a profit with the fruits of their labor. Some actually help others, bringing resources, opportunities, training, and other assets to those who need them most. These social entrepreneurs use their know-how and business savvy to make the world a better place, combining a traditional business model with a pressing social mission in ways that have been helping to make big changes in places around the world for decades. Here, we highlight just a few of the standout social entrepreneurs who’re showing that successful businesses don’t have to just watch the bottom line and can truly be socially and environmentally conscious.
Categories: general
Tags: giving back social entrepreneurship social responsibility
By David Ryan, an EO Ottawa member and President of Electronic Time Capsule.
At age 31, I have just sold my nine-year-old insurance business to live my dream.
As entrepreneurs, we extrapolate, create and execute. We spend much of our time doing and orchestrating, but it all begins with one thing: To live the dream, one has to dare to dream. I think, as entrepreneurs, that’s where it all begins.
Over the years, I’ve had more than one dream that I was eager to pursue— ideas that hit me and that I thought I could put into practice. Some that might have worked (such as a lawn ornament to cover gas meters) and others that were shot down by market studies (like my idea for an internal automotive garbage system to decrease litter).
Sound familiar?
Categories: general
Tags: dream follow your dreams people thrive
By Hannah Howard, special to Overdrive.
If we had a dollar for every time someone asked us why we were interested in any given keyword, well… we would have a lot of money. The honest answer is that in some cases one of us just had a gut feeling that a keyword was about to get hot. However, in general have done a bunch of research that helped us get all warm and fuzzy about how important any particular keyword might be. We have used all kinds of crazy algorithms in the past but in the end it gets down to how confident we are that this keyword will drive converting traffic (not just traffic, but converting traffic). So the number 1 rule that shouldn’t even have to be on the list is that the user’s intent for that keyword matches something that we have and want to offer that user. Aside from that fundamental principle, here are 10 fairly specific things that we do when valuing keywords that you may want to consider adding to your repertoire:
Categories: general
Tags: keywords marketing tips search engine search engine marketing search engine optimization seo traffic web traffic
@RattikinLawFTW Im excited about the founding of the @EntrepreneurOrg in Fort Worth. Will be an outstanding business group
@EntrepreneurOrg looking forward to Poppies Award on Saturday to celebrate the best of #Entrepreneurs in #NewZealand at#AbbevilleEstate
Having a great time @EntrepreneurOrg Networking Event at@ConEdison with @Carols_Daughter‘s @LisaPriceisCD… #Beauty#Business
@EntrepreneurOrg Thx! My best tip: obsess over your core values & core purpose. Use them for hiring, firing, reward & recognition.#culture
EOMinnesota: Why letting your mind wander could lead to innovative thinking
Categories: general
Hey Overdrive readers, check out how this trio is making movie-like moves to grow their business.
By Minda Zetlin, special to Overdrive.
Brooks Dame has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. But when he and his brothers started Proof Wood Eyewear, which offers sunglasses, prescription glasses and accessories made from sustainable woods, they built a successful business by ignoring almost everything he learned there. “Sometimes being a bit naive pays off,” he says now.
Here’s how knowing too much could be a bad thing:
Categories: general
Recently featured on Smallbusinessme.com
With one in three small businesses using social media, it’s no longer enough to just have websites. Small businesses must have a social media presence too. Don’t know where to start? This cheat sheet will help you navigate the major social media sites on the web.
Categories: general
Tags: small business social
By Jessica Sanders, special to Overdrive.
A productive business is a successful business. When you and your employees are moving full steam ahead, you can be sure you’re putting your best foot forward. If productivity is lacking in your office, however, it’s important that it’s corrected right away.
While there are a variety of ways to do that, one tactic is to purchase new software. You can increase productivity in all aspects of your business, saving time and money, if you make the right software investments.
“It is possible to find extra time in your day simply by reorganizing the way in which you approach the tasks that fall within your responsibility.” – Lifehack.org
Categories: general
Tags: best practices employee productivity office productivity productivity software advice tips
By David Mammano, an EO Western New York and CEO and founder of NextStepU.
Chester Arthur, who served as President of the United States from 1881 to 1885, will never be regarded as one of America’s great leaders. In fact, many Americans would be hard pressed to identify him as one of our presidents!
Arthur, who served after President Garfield’s assassination, may well have possessed the basic qualities of a great leader. However, the time of his presidency was fairly stable, so he was never called upon to step up. What have I learned from President Garfield and my years of business? It’s simple: tough times breed great leaders.
Categories: general
