We are suckers for great stories, particularly stories that are rooted in unvarnished truth, and entirely transparent and honest. It’s what gives storytelling such power, and the best companies are built on great stories. Since ancient times, stories have been key to helping us make sense of ourselves and

What do you call those who bravely take calculated risks in pursuit of their passions? Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are experts at making tough choices and managing change. They teach others how to take risks in their own lives. The decision to sink your savings into a startup is an extreme example

The top 0.1% of startups based on growth in their first five years have founders that started their companies, on average, when they were 45 years old. In other words, when you look at most successful firms, the average founder age goes up, not down. Overall, evidence shows that

When exploring a new business idea, it's hard not to grapple with one fundamental question: Is my idea worth pursuing? Your decision on whether to pursue the idea should be based on consideration of the following questions: 1. How unique is your idea? You can look at whether anyone else

Most companies see investor relations as a one-way street and few have a structure in place to best utilize investor feedback. Investors can be a powerful strategic resource, providing not only capital but also less-biased insight into the threats and opportunities that a company encounters. Smart entrepreneurs partner with their

The No. 1 rule of business is "stay in business," and running out of capital breaks that rule. Therefore, the most valuable person to have on a team, when starting or running an early stage business, is someone who either has plenty of capital or has the ability to raise

The only way for a business to scale, is to first do things that don’t scale at all. So if you're an entrepreneur just starting out; stop thinking big, and start thinking small. Hand serve your customers and win them over, one by one. Brian Chesky, Co-Founder & CEO of

It's not the idea, plan, model, team, or money that's the most significant factor in a startup's success. A lot of it is in the timing: * Are you personally ready? * How is the competition doing? * What barriers do you need to overcome at this particular point in time? * Are you

A great entrepreneur is what makes the difference between a business doomed to fail and a great one; but what qualities define a 'great entrepreneur'? Creativity: To deliver creative solutions to common problems. Passion: To generate the drive required to work extra hours, go the extra mile and take the

Business models have to be adaptable to survive, and sometimes changing course is necessary to avoid sinking your ship (business). Below are some things to think about: 1. Be all in. To keep track of whether your company is on course or veering into uncharted waters, you need to understand

When thinking about starting a business, an excellent place to start is to think about what you’re personally great at and what's easy for you. You’ll likely enjoy building a business doing what you’re great at. So start something, anything that you're great at. You'll learn a

Launching a new business has always been a hit-or-miss proposition. Traditionally, you write a business plan, pitch it to investors, assemble a team, introduce a product, and start selling as hard as you can. And somewhere in this sequence of events, you’ll probably suffer a fatal setback, as 75%

When asked about an opponent’s plan for their impending fight, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson once said: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” As entrepreneurs, we often 'learn by doing' and as tempting as it is to act and improvise to learn vs.