By: Jim Clifton and John Hope Bryant
Everyone knows that the United States is in a terrible business slump, and there’s no shortage of opinions about how to get out of it. But there hasn’t been much in the way of notable improvement. So our organizations — Gallup and Operation HOPE — have been looking deeply into the science of human nature to find an answer and a solution.
Categories: EO News FINANCES general Inspirational
Tags: children entrepreneurs learning smarts
By: Cathy Lynn Grossman, a Special to Overdrive
Entrepreneurs behave just like most Americans when it comes to religion — but with one spiritual twist. They’re significantly more likely to pray several times a day or to meditate, said sociologist Kevin Dougherty, a co-author of the Baylor Religion Survey. The survey can’t answer whether prayerful, peaceful folks are more likely to take a business risk, or whether the stress of a start-up drives folks to their knees or to the lotus position, Dougherty said.
Categories: EO News general Inspirational PEOPLE/STAFF
By: Marshall Gregg, a Special to Overdrive
As the workforce becomes more and more tech savvy, a recent trend called BYOD — or bring your own device — has really begun to take off in popularity.
Basically, BYOD means just what it implies—people using their own devices in the workplace. Rather than rely on your boss for a computer, just bring your laptop or tablet from home and use it at work. According to an article on Forbes.com, by the middle of this year, 60 percent of companies were allowing consumer devices and software in the workplace — a 43 percent increase from last year.
Categories: Best Practices EO News general
By: Speak-First.com, a Special to Overdrive
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society” Mark Twain.
At Speak First, we’re all about helping people to make the right personal impact. So we invited image coach Sue Donnelly to give you some essential tips on making a great first impression with your appearance…
Categories: EO News general PEOPLE/STAFF
Tags: business entrepreneur fashion
Overdrive sat down with EO Toronto’s Julie Mitchell, principal of Parcel Design, to learn more about her passions outside of business, her biggest fear and her inspirations as an entrepreneur. Julie has been an EO member since 2005.
What’s the first question you think someone should ask themselves before becoming an entrepreneur?
JM: “What aspects of running a business am I truly outstanding at, and where will I struggle?” It’s critical to ponder and confront what you completely stink at. For example, I’m great at brand strategy and idea generation. I’m terrible with managing details, being patient, hiring, bookkeeping, and according to my husband, saying “sorry” when I’m wrong.
What one word would you erase from everyone’s vocabulary?
JM: Eh … as in: “I’m Canadian, eh.” You will never hear me say that, unless I’ve been drinking a lot of bourbon, which I really only do at the Global Leadership Conference.
Categories: EO News
Tags: eo member profile
By Bill Bishop, CEO of Bishop Communications Inc., a leading branding and packaging company for entrepreneurs
It is an undisputed fact that we are living in an age of globalization. Every business, even the corner store, is affected by events half way around the world. Increased global trade, outsourcing, and instant communications have made the marketplace much more competitive and challenging, but these trends also present entrepreneurs with huge opportunities to do business beyond their borders.
Tags: bbb business China entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs are game-changers, trend setters, and this acronym seems to sum it up perfectly! For a long time it was thought that entrepreneurs were special, that they were just born with the ability and desire to go their own way, on their own. Over the past twenty years or so, we’ve discovered that entrepreneurs learn to do what they do that they also learn, to a large extent, to be who they are. That’s why we say they are made not born.
Categories: Best Practices EO News general
Q&A with Brent Ferguson, an EO Shanghai member
Conducting business overseas can be tough, especially when you’re trying to get your foot in the door of an international market. The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global thought leader on entrepreneurship, recently launched the EO Business Beyond Borders, an immersion program that affords leading entrepreneurs the tools, resources and access needed to excel in international markets. With the first leg of the program occurring in Shanghai, China, we reached out to EO Shanghai member Brent Ferguson, who offers first-hand insights on the benefits, challenges and opportunities associated with taking your business beyond borders.
Categories: EO News FINANCES general PR/MARKETING
Tags: business China entrepreneur market
By: Christine Kane, a special to Overdrive
Long ago, when I first shared my dream of becoming a professional musician with one of my friends, she knitted her brows and said, “Huh?”The dire warnings she fired off didn’t surprise me. Hey, most of us have had a lifetime filled with this kind of “practical advice.” And I was used to giving up in the face of it. During this fumbling stumbling time, I met a man who became an unlikely best friend and mentor. He was a brilliant jazz musician as well as a self-employed computer programmer. One night, I told him my dream. Without even blinking, he said, “Honey (he always called me Honey), you’d be fabulous. That’s perfect!” And he meant it. At that moment, I felt like flying. I had never experienced such direct and truthful support without a single “practical” warning attached. This friend set me free by offering one simple thing:
Categories: EO News general Inspirational
Tags: encourage entrepreneurs office staff tips
By: Mark Patiky, a special to Overdrive
In any period of financial turbulence, opportunities emerge. That’s when companies with vision, foresight and agility can change their fortunes dramatically for the better. That’s where business aviation comes in. From industry giants to independent firms, companies and individuals are realizing that the true cost of a business aircraft is in not having one at all.
Companies around the globe with their own business aircraft are traveling when and where they want to with speed, safety and security. These business aircraft enable busy executives to visit multiple cities in a day; to compress long, wasted hours of commercial air travel into short, intensely productive periods of time; and to bring key prospects to a facility. With the ability to land at 5,000 local airports across the country, business aircraft provide unfettered direct access to virtually any community. You certainly won’t get there easily via airlines, which serve barely 10% of these non-hub locations.
Categories: EO News general Technology
