By Jenny Vance, an EO At-Large US Member and the President of LeadJen
At a recent entrepreneurship summit, a group of speakers were discussing the perfect time to launch a company. The consensus surprised me a little—start before you’re ready. Like many entrepreneurs, I tend to be a perfectionist. I talk ideas out with peers, gather feedback and then methodically move forward. Start before you’re ready? Not me!
Categories: Best Practices Entrepreneurial Journey Lessons Learned Partnerships WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
By Jeremy Choi, an EO Toronto member and the Managing Partner of Pixelcarve Inc.
No matter how great our work is, relationships fuel the very foundation of business. I recognized the importance of developing good business relationships early on in my entrepreneurial career.
Categories: Best Practices FINANCES Lessons Learned Networking Partnerships
Tags: best practices customer service networking social media
by Cameron Herold, an Overdrive contributor and founder of BackPocket COO
You didn’t see it coming. You thought everything was going so well. You’d had a good relationship for a few years before the news came that day. It was like being punched in the gut. There was nothing left to do but stare out the window and slowly realize it was your fault. You didn’t listen enough. You weren’t there enough. To top it off, you’re the one who had to tell the team.
Categories: Best Practices Guest contributors Partnerships
Tags: backpocket coo cameron herold entrepreneurs' organization survey
by Peter Hermann, an EO Nashville member and co-founder and CIO of BreatheAware
Shortly after Belmont Software Services made the INC 1000 list in 2011, one of my firm’s key business development channels dried up. By mid-2013 I had made a good dent in developing new growth areas, but it was happening too slowly. That fall, I accepted a buy-out deal that wasn’t everything an entrepreneur hopes for in an exit.
Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey members Partnerships
By Cindy Bates, vice president of U.S. Small and Mid-Sized Business,
In a world where technology is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, it’s clear that it helps us stay connected and get more done. What you might not know, however, is just how significant an impact technology can have on the growth of your business and the economy at large.
A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that those small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) that use technology the most grow faster and create more jobs than SMBs with low levels of technology adoption. The BCG study concluded that if just 15% of low-tech SMBs and 25% of medium-tech SMBs became high-tech SMBs, the result would be the addition of more than two million jobs and an additional US$357 billion into the U.S. economy.
Categories: Best Practices Partnerships Technology
Gen George, an EO Sydney member and CEO of One-Shift, an online jobs network cthat aters to more than 300,000 jobseekers in Australia and New Zealand.
You know that saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? Yeah, I get it now. About a year ago, my staffing startup—One-Shift—achieved the biggest win in its short history: We secured a US$5-million deal with Programmed, a local staffing and facility management firm.
It felt like the ultimate accomplishment after devoting so much energy into attracting an investor, and we were ready for a long and prosperous future. But after the well-deserved celebrations came to an end, I was left wondering what steps to take next. We landed the investment partner of our dreams … now what?
Categories: Best Practices LEADERSHIP Partnerships Sales
Tags: best practices entrepreneurs' organization eo sydney finance gen george investment lessons learned management partnership tips
As a global thought leader on entrepreneurship, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) partners with leading voices on better business around the world. Recently, our partnership with Inc.com produced an article by EO Detroit’s Vladimir Gendelman, founder and CEO of Company Folders. Read his article below, which was yesterday:
Not everyone is cut out to be a superstar salesperson. It requires dexterous communication skills and a knack for negotiation–talents that not every employee necessarily has. But even if they work in accounting, maintenance, or manufacturing, employees at every level of your company can end up impacting sales in ways that you might not have considered. Here are four ways your employees can make–or break–a sale.
Categories: Best Practices Partnerships Sales
Tags: company folders employees entrepreneurs' organization eo eo detroit inc.com management partnership sales vladimir gendelman
