Category: Entrepreneurship

How To Have Rock Star Confidence As An Entrepreneur

Confidence is extremely important to be successful as an entrepreneur. In this article, I share a variety of tips on how to have rock star confidence as an entrepreneur.

 

 

As an entrepreneur, having a high level of self-confidence is very important to your success. When I first started in high school, I wasn’t very confident and people knew it.

 

 

I was too worried about what others would think and didn’t really believe in myself. The lack of confidence was clearly seen through my results as I wasn’t doing as well as my competitors. After a few months, I finally realized I had to get over my fears and step up my game to really emerge as one of the best.

 

 

Having confidence as an entrepreneur is vital. If you believe in yourself, you can achieve whatever it is that you try.

 

 

However, you cannot gain confidence overnight. It’s a process and it will gradually happen for you as you continue trying. In this article, I’m going to share my tips on how to have rock star confidence as an entrepreneur:

 

 

F*ck Fear 

 

I lived a long part of my life just in fear of different things. I was mostly fearful of what others would say/think, which really limited my confidence. I realized the more nervous and scared I was, the less I was achieving.

 

 

I realized that we only live on this Earth once and our time is limited. You can live life being scared of the unknown or you can go out and conquer it. Next time you’re scared of doing something, look at both sides.

 

 

What’s the best thing that can happen compared to the worst thing that can happen? Is the reward worth the risk? If it is, forget about your fears. It’s okay to be fearful, but be confident in your abilities to overcome anything that is thrown your way.

 

 

Dress for Success

 

I don’t know what it is, but when I get a nice fitted suit on – I feel so good. 50% of confidence is what you believe and the other 50% of confidence is how you feel. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on fancy clothes to feel confident, but it helps to look good.

 

 

If you always feel good in the clothes you wear, your confidence level will automatically increase. It’s a subconscious thing that works every time! If you feel good about the way you look and dress, it will resonate through your confidence.

 

 

Be Prepared

 

The biggest reason why many people lack self-confidence is because they do not feel prepared. When I was in high school, I was not confident about any of the tests I took. My friends would ask me how I did on tests and I’d always reply with a negative response because I wasn’t prepared.

 

 

In order to be confident, you have to be prepared. Plan and prepare yourself to take on whatever challenge that may be in front of you. As soon as you feel mentally prepared, your confidence level will increase.

 

 

Believe It’s Done Before It Really Is

 

Some people might say I’m cocky, but I think I’m really confident. Before I do something, I tell myself and others that it’s already been accomplished. That pitch for an investor? I’m not worried, we’re going to walk away with an investment.

 

 

That’s the mentality I constantly have. Instead of wondering whether or not it will happen, I believe it has already happened once I’m mentally and physically prepared for it. My confidence comes from me telling myself I’ve already achieved it because I’m far more relaxed and ready to go!

 

 

Don’t Hesitate

 

The biggest skill I’ve been able to develop over the years is the ability to do things on the go. Growing up, I was a nervous wreck that would hesitate at everything. Upon transforming into an entrepreneur, I’m able to make big-time decisions without much hesitation.

 

 

When you hesitate, you show weakness in your own abilities. This causes others to think you lack self-confidence and gives them the upper hand. If you’re able to process things quickly and act without much hesitation, you will be perceived as being far more confident.

 

 

Kill The Negativity

 

Negative thoughts about you or your business can quickly drop your confidence level. If you’re having negative thoughts about anything, you need to find an exercise that allows you to quickly ditch them.

 

 

For me, I think of all the positives that are happening in my life if I ever start thinking negative thoughts. Negativity purely limits us from doing amazing things and having the confidence we need to be successful. Kill negativity as soon it arises.

 

 

Conclusion 

 

Over-confidence can be just as dangerous as a lack of confidence so it’s crucial to find a nice balance. In this article, I shared a few tips on how to develop rock star confidence as an entrepreneur.

 

 

photo credit: paul goyette via photopin cc

 

10 Important Lessons People Should Know Before They Turn 30

Our 20’s are an exciting time, but there’s a lot of lessons to be learned that can help us throughout our lives. In this article, I share 10 important lessons people should know before they turn 30.

 

I’m not even legally allowed to drink yet so you probably know that I haven’t lived much of my 20’s yet. However, I have learned a lot of lessons that most people don’t know until they graduate from college because of my experiences in the business world.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to share 10 important lessons people should know before they turn 30:

 

 

1. There’s More To Life Than Money

 

Coming out of college, most people can’t wait to get a job so they can start making a lot of money. Many people even pursue a specific college degree just because of the big salary they’ll make upon graduation. However, money isn’t everything. You have to do the things that make you happy and give you purpose to truly enjoy life.

 

 

2. You’ve Got To Grow Up Eventually

 

In our 20’s, we’re holding on to our childhoods as tightly as we possibly can. Eventually, we all have to grow up. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life acting like a child. It’s great to have fun, but you need to mature up as well.

 

 

3. You Can’t Make Everyone Happy

 

No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to satisfy everyone. I’ve learned over the years that your happiness should come first. Don’t seek validation from others because your opinion is what really counts.

 

 

4. Don’t Be A Doormat

 

If you don’t want to do something, say NO. Do not be a doormat that feels like they are obligated to do things they don’t want to. Honesty is the best policy and the truth will prevail in every situation.

 

 

5. Set Goals

 

No matter what you do in life, it’s key that you set goals. If you want to achieve something, you need to set goals and take action. Nothing will fall in to your lap no matter how hard you wish for it. You have to get your hands dirty and take massive action to achieve great things.

 

 

6. Your Health Is Important

 

Okay, lets be realistic. Most people don’t care too much about their bodies during their 20’s. We smoke, drink alcohol and eat a bunch of junk food because we feel invincible to the world. As you get older, all those unhealthy habits catch up with you. Develop healthy habits at an early age so you are thankful later on.

 

 

7. Life Doesn’t Get Any Easier

 

If you have big dreams, the best time to pursue them are during your 20’s. You probably don’t have kids or a lot of responsibilities, which gives you the freedom to do what you want. As you get older, life won’t get any easier. The responsibilities will only continue to pile up so it’s recommended to do crazy shit during your 20’s.

 

 

8. Learn About Money

 

Unfortunately, colleges don’t make us as financially literate as it should. 20-somethings usually spend their money in the worst ways. Learning about investments and money management are crucial life skills that will carry on with you for the rest of your life.

 

 

9. Listen More Than You Talk

 

The younger we are, the less we know. I’ve been able to get this far in my life because I’ve taken the time to listen to what others have to say. If someone is speaking, you’ll be surprised at how much you can truly learn from them by listening.

 

 

10. Seize The Day

 

Our time in this world is limited. Make sure you use your time wisely so that you’re doing the things that you’re really passionate about. Follow your passions and chase your dreams!

 

 

Conclusion

 

These are just a few lessons I’ve been able to learn from others or through my own experiences. In this article, I shared 10 important lessons people should know before they turn 30.

 

 

photo credit: mksystem via photopin cc

7 Ways To Generate Income On The Go

With the internet, it has become easier than ever to make money on the go. In this article, I will share 7 different ways that you can generate income from anywhere as long as you have some internet.

 

Imagine a life where you can make money, travel and live life on your own terms. Most popularly, this is known as a passive income stream that allows you to live life on the go.

 

 

Books such as the 4 Hour Workweek and Click Millionaires have popularized this idea of running a business from anywhere. One day you could be in Thailand and the next day you could be in Alaska. Even though your environment would change, your income wouldn’t.

 

 

This lifestyle is truly possible and I know numerous individuals that live this life. On the side, I’ve been building my own passive income streams totally separate from the startups I work on. My reason for is that I don’t want to necessarily work for the rest of my life and passive income would allow me to buy some freedom.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to share 7 ways to generate income on the go:

 

 

1. eBooks

 

Digital products are an amazing way to generate a ton of passive income. If you can build a product with high demand and find a way to generate organic traffic to your product that is targeted, you will eventually convert.

 

 

With online marketplaces such as Amazon making it easier than ever to publish eBooks, it’s a great way to generate passive income. Find topics or books through which you can share your expertise and publish them online through author platforms.

 

 

2. Passive Investments

 

Day-traders don’t really have the most passive lives. They can work from anywhere, but they still need internet connection and a laptop if they want to make a lot of money. However, there are tons of other passive investments that can make you money on the go.

 

 

Stocks, bonds and other businesses are a great way to create passive investments. You can invest in franchises, other startups, real estate, and so many other areas of life. These investments do require some work when initially starting, but eventually can become very passive in nature.

 

 

3. Mobile Apps

 

The mobile application marketplaces are growing faster than ever. With more individuals getting smartphones every day, it’s a great idea to get into the app business. Just like the other ideas above, apps require a lot of work initially but very little afterwards.

 

 

You have to come up with ideas, content/features, marketing strategies, and developers. Once you figure all of these things out, your app can make money passively. You can make money by charging for your apps, advertisements or in-app purchases.

 

 

4. Membership Sites

 

If you have an idea for a product, service or resource that individuals are willing to pay monthly for, you can create a very strong passive income structure. Charging customers in a recurring payment model is a very solid way to maintain a long-term passive income.

 

 

Membership sites require a ton of work to establish initially, but if you can create a strong customer base – your business will become very passive.

 

 

5. Blogging

 

Blogging was a very popular phenomenon in the mid 2000’s. Blogging is still very popular and a very strong way to generate passive income. You write a handful of articles each month while spending a few hours to drive traffic to each article.

 

 

Setting up a blog can also be done with a very small investment. Once the domain and brand has been established for some time, it can become a lucrative passive income stream.

 

 

6. Courses 

 

If you are an expert or professional in a certain space, you can share your knowledge with the world. If your knowledge is in high demand, you can make a lot of money selling that information through the form of a course.

 

 

With sites such as Udemy, making a course has become easier than ever. You can create dozens of hours of content in a short few months with the technologies available in the marketplace. Once you create a marketing stream for your course, you can make steady income month to month.

 

 

You can check out the course that I made on Udemy on how to start a successful business.

 

 

7. Sell A Product

 

This is probably the most labor intensive of all, but can turn into a passive income stream eventually. If you have an idea for a hard good product that you would like to sell online, there is a lot of room for success.

 

 

Aside from finding manufacturers, you would need to build an e-commerce platform while figuring out an organic marketing strategy. From that point, you would have to make your strategies passive in order to work from anywhere!

 

 

Conclusion

 

With the internet, it has become easier than ever to run a business on the go. In this article, I shared 7 ways to generate income on the go.

 

 

photo credit: Tom Wolf | Photography via photopin cc

 

5 Ways To Build Relationships With Powerful People

In this article, Jeet Banerjee shares 5 ways to build relationships with powerful people. The people you know are just as important as the skills you have in business.

 

If you’ve been in business for quite a while, you probably already know how important the people you know are. Often times, one strong connection can be the difference between success or failure.

 

 

You’ve probably seen certain individuals who seem to know just about everyone. You’re probably wondering, how do they know everyone?

 

 

It’s not luck or a pretty face that will get you acquainted with everyone important. It’s a lot more then that. These relationships are developed through establishing and nurturing important connections with people.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to share 5 ways to build relationships with powerful people:

 

 

1. Go To Live Events

 

Whether it’s a conference or an event in your industry, it’s extremely important to attend noteworthy things going on. There is no faster way to network and develop a connection with someone meaningful than meeting them face to face.

 

 

Live events and conference set you up in the perfect way. Other people usually aren’t busy with something else and you have the opportunity to make an introduction in person. By placing yourself at important events, you can position yourself to develop strong connections.

 

 

2. Do Nice Things For Them

 

If there is someone you really want to meet, you need to get them on your radar. An easy way to do this is to do some really nice things for them so that they eventually notice you. Here are a few things you can do:

 

 

– Share their content

 

– Interact/engage with all their posts

 

– Email them showing appreciation

 

– Allowing them to use a testimonial or case study for their products/website

 

 

I’ve been able to develop strong relationships with powerful people over the years just by keeping up with them. If you can be a solid ‘brand advocate’ for that person, they will eventually notice you and not feel uncomfortable when you try to make friends with them.

 

 

3. Start A Podcast/Blog

 

One of the quickest way to generate a strong connection with someone is to interview them. If they are powerful, they probably get many requests to get interviewed.

 

 

I too often get requested to do an interview, but I never say no. Whether your site is small or it’s just for your own sake, I always do an interview because I enjoy doing it and any exposure is great exposure. Most powerful people think similarly to me and doing an interview gives you a good chance of making friends with them.

 

 

4. Give Before You Ask

 

Most powerful people are weary of letting others into their lives because they feel like you’re going to ask for something. It’s almost like the gold-digger syndrome that many wealthy individuals are weary of.

 

 

Instead of asking someone powerful for something, give them something in return. It doesn’t have to be something of monetary value, but you need to show them that you’re not trying to build a friendship just to ask for things. Everyone has something unique or valuable to them and you need to leverage that.

 

 

5. Ask for Introductions

 

You don’t always need to directly make the connection with the person you want to meet. I have found it often easier to get introduced to someone by asking one of their friends to make the connection.

 

 

This is a great way to get connected with a powerful person because they are more likely to value an introduction coming from someone in their circle already. If you know someone that’s got a relationship with that individual, simply share the reasons why you want to talk to them and ask them to make an introduction for you.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As I mentioned earlier, the people you know are equally as important as the skills you have when starting/running a business. These are 5 ways to build relationships with powerful people!

 

 

photo credit: Richard.Asia via photopin cc

How To Master Things In Less Than 10,000 Hours

In the last few years, Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule has been popularized. In this article, I share how to master things in less than 10,000 hours.

 

Achieving greatness can be done on many different levels. One of the most recent methods of mastering a skill is known as the 10,000 hour rule that has been popularized by Malcolm Gladwell.

 

 

10,000 hours is equivalent to just about 417 days, but nobody can spend 24 hours a day mastering a skill. Realistically, it would take you anywhere from 3-4 years to master a skill with the 10,000 hour rule (assuming you spend 8-10 hours a day on it).

 

 

However, 3-4 years seems to be a pretty long time to master something. I might just be saying that since I’m young, but I’d want to master something within 6-12 months.

 

 

While I’ve been able to accomplish quite a bit in my life thus far, I only really dived into entrepreneurship about 3 1/2 years ago. Considering that entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, I can say that I probably spend anywhere from 12-16 hours a day on it.

 

 

However, I started seeing some waves of success after about 1 year. While I was in no way a master nor am I today, I feel like you can achieve quite a bit without the 10,000 hour rule.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to share tips on how to master things in less than 10,000 hours:

 

 

1. Shorten The Learning Curve

 

Before we can master something, we must learn new things along the way. From the foundations to the advanced techniques, we have to be familiar with the way things work before we can execute them.

 

 

A few simple ways to shorten the learning curve can include finding a mentor or surrounding yourself with others who are trying to master the same skills. Regardless of what your skill is, having a mentor (someone who has mastered it) can be extremely helpful in finding your own success.

 

 

Not only that, but creating a group of other like-minded individuals striving to achieve the same things is a great way to shorten your learning curve. You can share the lessons you learn and hear about the discoveries others make helping you with your journey.

 

 

2. Set Stricter Deadlines

 

Ever since the release of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule, everyone automatically assumes it will take them that long to master something. In school, my teachers would give me projects or essays that were due 3 weeks later.

 

 

Truthfully, I didn’t need 3 weeks to finish that essay. I could finish it in 1 night (which is what I usually did), but my teachers still didn’t see my paper until the 3rd week. Why? Because my deadline was so far away.

 

 

When you think it will take you 10,000 hours to master a skill, your brain automatically starts to progress and digest it at that pace. If you push yourself to master a skill in 3 months instead, you’ll be surprised how much farther along you will be.

 

 

3. Practice How You Would Perform

 

If you want to master something, you must perfect the way you practice. Something that takes 10,000 hours to learn can take 1,000 hours instead if you maximize your time practicing it.

 

 

I’ve always been a strong believer of working smarter, not harder. Many companies are fixated on keeping their employees in the office for 8 hours a day regardless of what their results are. However, I don’t care how much time you spend in the office.

 

 

I care about the results you provide. I give you a task and expect it done. I could care less if it took the person 8 hours or 30 minutes to finish it as long as it’s done right. Regardless of what your skill is, practice how you would expect to perform it.

 

 

4. Nail Down The Basics

 

Regardless of what you’re trying to master, there are some foundational basics that must be perfected. Whether you’re trying to learn to play a ukelele or race cars, there are some fundamental things you must know.

 

 

Instead of worrying about the product, focus on the process. My basketball coach always told me that I had to learn to shoot the ball right before I could make it. My friends were making more shots, but their form was wrong. Guess who didn’t make the basketball team?

 

 

Form, function and processes are extremely important in the early stages. The more you practice those things, the quicker you’ll be able to master the skills necessary to develop amazing finished products.

 

 

5. Enjoy It

 

Even if I had spent 10,000 hours learning to be a good student, I wouldn’t be one just because I didn’t enjoy it. When it came to starting and running a business, I mastered it a lot faster simply because I was passionate about it.

 

 

Regardless of what you’re trying to master, make sure that you’re passionate to do so. Many studies have shown over the years that the brain is more adaptive to learning new things when it is happy doing something.

 

 

Happiness has a direct correlation with mastering skills. If you enjoy it, you will find yourself mastering it quicker than you would if you didn’t.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Regardless of what you plan to master, try using these tips mentioned above to learn something new in less than 10,000 hours.

 

 

photo credit: Marco Gomes via photopin cc

10 Habits That Lead To Success

In this article, I share my 10 habits that lead to success. By working on these habits, your chances of success dramatically increase.

 

Regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur, artist, athlete, or something else, success is something most people chase. I found out quickly as an entrepreneur that you had to follow some basic habits to eventually find success.

 

 

While these habits take time to develop, they can be a vital tool that can help you throughout your life. In this article, I’m going to share 10 habits that lead to success:

 

 

1. Fear Nothing

 

It’s okay to be fearful of things, but it’s not okay to let fear run your world. When I started out as an entrepreneur in high school, I was terrified of what people in the business world would think of me.

 

 

I was so scared that I never met with people in real life and tried running my business completely online. I could charge thousands of dollars more, but I let fear stop me. I quickly overcame my fear and tackled the business world head on, which allowed me to grow my business to 15+ employees and sell it years later.

 

 

2. Failure Isn’t Final 

 

Failure stops so many people. It’s a sad, but true fact. I quickly learned that I can only fail when I refuse to get back up. Failure is actually an amazing thing and you should embrace it.

 

 

Learn from your failures and keep trying. You’re only a failure if you refuse to get back up when you fall down. Failure doesn’t define you OR your business, it’s just an event (something that happens).

 

 

3. Accept Positivity & Negativity Equally

 

If you only heard good things about yourself, you wouldn’t know how to potentially improve. In order to be successful, you need to be willing to hear the bad things people have to say about yourself so that you can fix them.

 

 

Don’t get upset when people are critical of you, but rather embrace it just like you would if someone said something positive. Growth is continuous and criticism can help you develop.

 

 

4. Never Say Never

 

Pessimistic people don’t do very well in the world. Regardless of what you’re trying to achieve, never assume it’s impossible.

 

 

I learned early on that impossibilities don’t exist in the real world, but only in our minds. What we believe is what we achieve so you should be careful how you think of things.

 

 

5. Be A Leader, Not A Dictator

 

Dictators command people to do things. Leaders give people reason to do things. If you can lead people, you will be successful.

 

 

Managing people isn’t a skill, it’s an art. The quicker you’re able to master that art, the more successful you will be. Regardless of what you do, communicating and managing people are going to be crucial to your success.

 

 

6. Dumb Questions Don’t Exist

 

The power of asking is unbelievable. The other day I was at one of my favorite restaurants where I was chatting with the manager who knows me very well. After telling me how loyal of a customer I am, I jokingly asked him for a discount on my takeout order.

 

 

Without any hesitation, he gave me my order for FREE. I was completely joking, but it showed me the power of asking. Regardless of what you do, ask everything that comes to mind so that you can learn and enjoy.

 

 

7. Be Weary of Satisfaction

 

99% of people don’t follow this rule and consequently the wealthiest class in the world consists of 1% of the population. Satisfaction is extremely dangerous.

 

 

Many of us have dreams of winning championships or making millions of dollars, but we stop too soon. We get satisfied with winning a few regular season games or making thousands of dollars a month. Never be satisfied with just ‘good enough’.

 

 

8. Don’t Back Down From Challenges

 

I’ve been given the opportunity to do a TED talk which I will be presenting to a live audience on Saturday. This was one of the hardest challenges I have ever taken on.

 

 

Many speakers that were set to speak got cut, but thankfully I wasn’t. This was a challenge for me and everyone knew it, but I wasn’t going to give up until I accomplished it. Being a ‘regular speaker’, it was very hard for me to transition into the rigid rules of TED.

 

 

9. Visualize Your Definition of Success Every Morning

 

What is success to you? We all have our definitions, but it’s very important to have a clear visualization of what success truly means to us.

 

 

Once you have that definition, find a way to visualize it every single morning. The moment I wake up from my bed, I have a white board with my goals and definitions of success right in front of me. This gives me a reminder of what I’m working for while motivating me every morning!

 

 

10. Be The Best You

 

Don’t change to make society happy. Be the best you that you POSSIBLY can be. You’re truly special and by staying true to yourself, you can do tremendous things.

 

 

From someone who wanted to be just like others growing up, I quickly realized that there is no better feeling than knowing that you are different from others. Embrace your uniqueness and be true to who you really are.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared 10 habits that lead to success. By implementing some of these habits into your daily life, you can get one step closer to achieving your dreams.

 

 

photo credit: Paxson Woelber via photopin cc

5 Reasons Why Starting A Business In Your Twenties Is The Best Time

In this article, I share 5 reasons why starting a business in your twenties is the best time. From my own experiences and learning, I have realized that we have the best potential situation in those years.

 

Most people think of me as an entrepreneur who started really early since I was still in high school when I launched my first business. However, I look back and wish I had only started earlier, but who doesn’t?

 

 

However, I have quickly realized that there is a really good time to start a business. That magical time is in your twenties. In this article, I’ll share 5 reasons why starting a business in your twenties is the best time:

 

 

1. You’re In Your Prime

 

Just like athletes are in their prime during their mid 20’s, you are too. You have the most energy and motivation to hustle, which are crucial skills required to succeed as an entrepreneur.

 

 

Twenty somethings are typically finding out their purpose at this age. Best of all, they’re the most willing to take risks and love to act fast on their dreams. Those are some great characteristics for someone trying to start a successful business.

 

 

2. Life Doesn’t Get Any Cheaper

 

Unless you’re drowning in college debt, this is as cheap as life will get. If you’re still lucky enough to be living at home, your expenses are very minimal.

 

 

Starting a business doesn’t necessarily mean you will start getting paychecks early on. It usually means that you’ll be making very little money with hopes of creating something bigger. The great thing about starting young is that you have very little expenses giving you the opportunity to focus solely on your business.

 

 

3. Retirement Feels A Lot Better At 30

 

If you can start a business at an early age, that’s great. If you can make enough money to retire yourself at a young age, that’s ideal. By starting a business in your twenties, you give yourself the opportunity to retire at a young age.

 

 

Ask anyone who is above the age of 30 and they will tell you how envious they are of people who get to retire young. Retirement doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t work, it just means that you don’t need to make a certain amount of money to survive. Best of all, you can follow your passions upon retirement.

 

 

4. You Can Reset Everything

 

When you’re young, you have the ability to scratch everything and call it a learning experience. However, as you get older it becomes a lot harder to do that.

 

 

If all does go wrong with your business venture and you decide to pursue something else in life, it’s a lot easier to hit the reset button in your twenties. You probably don’t have a family and too much working experience under your belt, which means you can literally pursue just about anything else.

 

 

5. Age Is Just A Number

 

You don’t need a fancy degree, experience or a lot of money to create a successful business. No matter what your passion is, always remember that age is just a number and it doesn’t define who you can become.

 

 

Take it from someone who started at the age of 17, if you have a dream pursue it as soon as you can. There is no better time to start than today. As a twenty something, if you’re having the thoughts of becoming an entrepreneur, you’ll never know how successful you can be without trying.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared 5 reasons why starting a business in your twenties is the best time. If you are younger or older than that, just remember that there is no better time to start than now!
Note: If you’re starting a business and need help, feel free to check out my best-selling course with over 2,800 students on how to start a business.

 

 

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5 Hacks For Achieving Inbox Zero

Achieving inbox zero is a struggle many entrepreneurs face. It’s something I’ve dealt with for years, but in this article I share 5 hacks for achieving inbox zero.

 

If you’ve ever sent me an email, you probably think I’m some sort of fiend because I typically respond very quickly. The truth is, I have over 15 email boxes that I manage just on my phone.

 

 

On any given morning, I get anywhere from 150 to 500 new emails. This morning was kind to me since I only woke up with 183 unread emails.

 

 

However, as the day goes along, the number of emails I get only seems to increase. On any typical 24 hour period, I can get anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 new emails. That’s a lot of emails to read and reply to.

 

 

A few months ago, I was having nightmares because I would go to sleep with hundreds of emails. I’m the type of person who would go insane if I had emails unread and somehow it would result in me stressing out.

 

 

After a few stressful nights, I figured out 5 hacks for achieving inbox zero:

 

 

1. Remove Yourself From Unnecessary Mailing Lists

 

When I broke down my email box, I realized 10% of the emails that were coming into my inbox were really spam. I was either on mailing lists I didn’t care about or my spam filter wasn’t doing such a great job.

 

 

I took the time out to remove myself from the mailing lists I really didn’t want to be apart of. I found out that many of those mailing lists actually emailed me every single day. This instantly cut down the number of emails I had to check by over 10%.

 

 

2. Create Reply Templates

 

I found out that I get many emails from people asking the same things. Instead of typing out my responses individually for every email, I started creating templates of email replies. I still read the emails I get and make small adjustments to my template, but I save a ton of time by creating these templates.

 

 

Create pre-written templates for emails and save them on a Word Document. As the need arises, use each one by simply copying & pasting the message in your email client. This has saved me a LOT of time.

 

 

3. Don’t Reply Unless You Must 

 

I’ve always been the type of person that has to end the conversation. I realized I was spending unnecessary time replying to emails that really didn’t need a reply.

 

 

Even though the conversation had essentially ended, I still wanted to close it out with a “Thank you, talk soon” or an “Awesome, sounds good”. However, those replies are really pointless. They waste my time as well as the person who has to spend those 30-60 seconds reading it.

 

 

4. Check Your Emails Throughout The Day

 

This probably goes against conventional wisdom, but it’s worked well for me. I used to check my emails 2 or 3 times throughout the day. However, I started checking my emails almost every 30-60 minutes and found that it was helping me stay sane.

 

 

When I checked my emails 2 or 3 times a day, I was dealing with hundreds of emails at a time. Instead, by checking my emails every 30-60 minutes, I only have to deal with 20-30 emails each time I check my inbox. It might be easier to achieve inbox zero by checking your emails more often.

 

 

5. The 2-Minute Rule

 

I also developed a 2-minute rule I started using vigorously with my emails. I had to read and take action on every email within 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, regardless of what was done, I had to stop and move on to the next email.

 

 

In the beginning, it was very hard. I gave people really shitty replies or ended up not being able to sum up my thoughts. As time went along, I refused to take more than 2 minutes to reply to emails. I started noticing the difference right away. I was adapting to my time crunch while I was getting through way more emails.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Achieving inbox zero is a struggle many entrepreneurs face. It’s something I’ve dealt with for years, but the solutions mentioned above have helped me sleep better at night by going to bed with an empty inbox.

 

5 Sacrifices You Must Make As An Entrepreneur

When I first started out as an entrepreneur, I had no idea how many sacrifices I really had to make if I wanted to be successful. In this article, I’m going to share 5 sacrifices you must make as an entrepreneur.

 

Entrepreneurship is one of the toughest challenges anyone can undertake. Anything worthwhile usually requires great sacrifice and entrepreneurship is definitely one of those things.

 

 

When I started my journey as an entrepreneur, I wasn’t aware of the sacrifices I would soon have to make. However, the sacrifices were well worth it because I found my purpose in life thanks to it.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to share 5 sacrifices you must make as an entrepreneur:

 

 

1. Paychecks

 

For some reason, people assume all entrepreneurs are wealthy and living the life. However, most people only see the stories of successful entrepreneurs but don’t get a glimpse into their journey.

 

 

Entrepreneurs have it tough. You start out by working harder than any ‘typical job’ and often times you don’t get compensated at all for it. As an entrepreneur, your business comes first.

 

 

If you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you may have to sacrifice a paycheck for months at a time. Even worst, there is no guarantee that you will ever get paid and entrepreneurs must be willing to sacrifice a paycheck with hopes of building something big.

 

 

2. Social Life 

 

Many studies over the years have proven that the people you surround yourself with have the largest impact on who you become and how much money you make. As an entrepreneur, we all have people around us who aren’t necessarily the greatest influences in our lives.

 

 

If you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you have to sacrifice going out with your friends every night or being with people who don’t have a similar mindset as you.

 

 

Entrepreneurs definitely deserve to party hard, but everything must be rationed. If you want to be more than mediocre, you have to make decisions others aren’t willing to make.

 

 

3. Sleep

 

Do you enjoy sleeping 8-10 hours every night? Well, I do too but as soon as I became an entrepreneur my sleeping schedule became messy.

 

 

I was lucky to be sleeping 8 hours especially since I was balancing school and my businesses when I first started. Nowadays, I get a bit closer to 8 hours but my sleeping schedule is still erratic.

 

 

You have to maintain your health, but starting a business requires a lot of WORK. I am literally glued to my computer all day long and probably spend 12-16 hours a day on it.

 

 

4. Comfort

 

If you love to be comfortable, entrepreneurship is going to be tough. Being an entrepreneur is like jumping on a never-ending roller coaster that is filled with surprises at every corner.

 

 

You must be willing to put yourself into uncomfortable situations to come out with extraordinary solutions. As an entrepreneur, you’re going to have to do a little bit of everything.

 

 

Whether it’s sales, product development, marketing, customer service, or something else, you’re always going to be doing something new. Often times, it’s extremely uncomfortable to be doing something you haven’t done before but it’s a sacrifice you must make to be successful.

 

 

5. Yourself 

 

A lesson I learned a bit later on in my entrepreneurial journey was that my business comes first, even before me. Instead of making the best decision for myself, I quickly realized that I had to make the best decisions for my business.

 

 

If you have a big ego or have a hard time putting other things in front of yourself, entrepreneurship may not be for you. You have to be willing to make the best decision for your business even if it’s not always favorable to your personal needs.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared 5 sacrifices you must make as an entrepreneur. If you truly wish to build a successful business, you have to make these sacrifices at some point.

 

 

 

5 Freelancers Every Startup Business Needs

In this article, I share 5 freelancers every startup business needs and where you can find them easily. Freelancers are an effective way to get things done without spending a ton of money.

 

Freelancers and/or independent contractors have been a lifesaver for my businesses over the last few years. I quickly realized that professionals can help you with a ton of different work, but it’s very costly to keep them on your payroll.

 

 

The next best solution I could find was a freelancer. A freelancer is someone by definition who does projects with many different people, essentially they’re not tied down to any one person or organization.

 

 

Freelancers take projects as they come and are free to go once they’re finished. In this article, I’m going to share the 5 freelancers ever startup business needs and where you can find them:

 

 

1. Designer

 

We’re in the year 2013. Design rules the world. If it looks like shit, people aren’t going to be drawn to your product, service, website, app, or whatever it is that you want people to visit.

 

 

I learned early on that you need a designer literally for everything. I hired freelancers designers to design mobile applications, websites, flyers, press releases, banners, proposals, and just about anything that was important.

 

 

I found my best designers in two ways. I started by reaching out to local art schools in the area and asked the professors in these schools to help me recruit a designer. It turned out that these kids really had an eye for design.

 

 

The second way I found designers was through Elance. The great part about Elance was that I could check out the portfolio of each of the designers so that I would have a really good understanding of the types of design skills each person had.

 

 

No matter what your business does, it’s crucial to have a designer close by that can help you get things done professionally before you push it out to the public.

 

 

2. Writer

 

While most people can write their own stuff, I found that it’s not worth my time or any founders time. If you’re running a business, you want to focus on the most important metrics and duties in your startup.

 

 

Writing blog articles for your startup isn’t necessarily the best use of your time, especially when you can outsource it to freelancers. For all my company blogs, I’ve always outsourced the writing to freelancers since it wasn’t worth my time.

 

 

Don’t worry, I actually write my OWN blog posts. I’m going to share two ways to find great writing freelancers.

 

 

Look at other websites or publications in your space and figure out who’s doing the writing for them. Typically, writers are passionate about a certain genre and are always looking for more gigs.

 

 

Single out these people and ask them if they’d be interested in freelancing for you. The second way I found writers was by posting internships at colleges to journalism majors and I was able to find a ton of amazing writers!

 

 

3. The Busy Bee

 

I look at this freelancer as a really skilled virtual assistant that offers their services only when you need it. When you run a business, tons of different tasks come up that aren’t often worth your time.
Instead of spending time doing it, you should really consider outsourcing it to someone who can do simple tasks. These individuals have probably saved me tons of tedious hours of work thanks to their service.

 

 

I don’t know why, but stay at home moms have been the BEST at these jobs. These jobs don’t necessarily require someone to work in your office, but usually require an eye for detail. From my experience, stay at home moms have been simply amazing at doing data entry, bookkeeping and other simple tasks.

 

 

4. The Consultant

 

Startups are a really long roller coaster that never ends. You have your highs, your lows and everything else in between.

 

 

It’s always great to have a freelance consultant who is experienced and knowledgeable about your business. If you ever hit a roadblock or need someone to help you move your business to the next level, you should call your freelance consultant.

 

 

When trying to find a freelance consultant, I used two ways to find them in the past. I would look for people in my industry who have been able to achieve immense success (people I looked up to) and recruited them to be a consultant for my business.

 

 

I also spent a lot of time networking at meet-ups, conferences and other local events where I had the opportunity to connect with some really intelligent people.

 

 

5. Media Master

 

With technology growing every day, it’s always good to have a media expert who wants to freelance for your business. I’ve had to use media freelancers to take photographs, build out explainer videos, social media campaigns, and other tech-related things.

 

 

In your startup, you’ll be presented with tons of different opportunities. Often times, these opportunities will be worthwhile but will require some sort of technology that you can’t easily access.

 

 

In times like this, a media freelancer is very crucial. I found my go to guy for media related jobs through Fiverr. If you’re looking for videos and virtual things, Fiverr is a great source for finding talent. If you’re looking for something more local, you can try the search engines to find some skilled freelancers in your area.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, a startup business often requires many different roles to be fulfilled. It’s not often possible to do them all yourself or to hire someone on a salary. Thus, hiring a freelancer is a great way to get things done without committing to anything long-term.

 

 

photo credit: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML via photopin cc