But the shift to live video is already happening. Case in point: This past October, the live stream of Redbull Stratos shattered YouTube records, drawing over 8 million viewers to watch Felix Baumgartner jump from space — live. This online event wasn’t just a gimmick from the viewers’ standpoint; it was about being part of something. All of us watching, communicating, in real time together. We shared the experience in our Facebook Newsfeeds and on Twitter, inspiring others to tune in too, a pattern that repeated throughout the event to viral proportions.

Small business owners can incorporate live streaming into their companies as a social experience — maybe in the form of a class, an online show, a flash sale or a launch. Even though you probably won’t do a space jump, live video is still exciting and engaging for those who need what you do, sell, or teach. And it doesn’t have to be scary if you prepare ahead.

After broadcasting live every week for the last year, and producing numerous other live events, I wanted to share a few pointers to prepare yourself (and your business) for your first live event:

1. Request to appear on the live streams of others.

Advances in products and technology are making live video possible for small business owners, though it may not make it feel any easier for you! Ease into video, and the idea of having it broadcast out live, by appearing on someone else’s live stream first. Partner with a friend or colleague who is hosting a class, request to be interviewed on someone’s show who has a similar audience as yours, or cross promote your product on another flash sale.

Pro Advice: Have an objective before you approach someone. Know what you want to accomplish from appearing live. For example, determine if you want more people to signup for your mailing list, purchase a particular product, contact you for an appointment or like your Facebook Page — and then gear everything you do in going live around that specific goal.

2. Build up an audience that’s excited to show up to your live event.

Part of the attraction of attending a live event is that you are around like-minded individuals. Understand what people in your target demographic have in common. What do they value, where do they live, what do they love to do? Take some time to analyze what they want before you prepare a live event for your community.

Pro Advice: Get to know your followers through Twitter and connect them with others they should know. And ask your email list to like you on Facebook so you can get instant feedback from them on what you share through your updates.

3. Prepare a media kit.

Truly epic live video streams incorporate multimedia, bringing in photos and videos. Any images, video or copy produced should enhance the experience for the viewer.

Product-based businesses are in luck — you’ve already got plenty of imagery to work with. If you’re a service based business, don’t forget you can still show off pictures and videos that provide an inside look at your company. Include more than just a headshot by using pictures of you at events or working with clients.

Pro Advice: Have visual items prepared in advance to give your producer, preferably in a way that is easily transferrable — e.g., creating a Dropbox folder.

4. Practice in front of the camera.

Remember that scene from Clueless, where Cher insists on polaroids instead of a mirror? Same idea here. Start to calm your nerves and work on perfecting your appearance by recording yourself on video for fun. Record yourself and watch it back. Make notes on what you would like to change — and then practice over and over again until you nail it.

Pro Advice: Even better, have someone else watch your practice videos and give you honest pointers. It may be difficult, but the feedback is worth it!

5. Set up a “studio” for yourself.

Now that you’re setting up live gigs, you’ve prepared your media in advance, and you’re working on building up your community, start thinking about some of the logistics of being live on video. Since the video is not just being recorded, but being sent through your Internet connection to others, you want to make sure you’re at your best — and so is your recording space!

Set aside a corner of a room in your home office, shop, or boardroom that is quiet and absent of any interruptions. Make sure a light is hitting your face and that your room is well lit. If video is something you’re serious about getting into regularly, consider purchasing a lighting kit or doing some research on how to DIY an affordable setup for yourself.

Pro Advice: Don’t let the lighting and quiet space go to waste; purchase a quality mic and webcam that will connect to your computer through USB, rather than using whatever equipment comes stock. Make sure you have connected and practiced with your setup well in advance of your live online video event. And, if possible, connect your computer to the Internet via Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi. Buffering and breakups are no fun for your viewers!

Before you know it, live streaming might become a core part of your communications or service offerings. If you prepare to “go live” ahead of time, you can grow your reach, save time, and improve production quality, all at the same time.

How do you plan to incorporate live video into your business?

Jennifer Donogh is an owner and President of Ovaleye.tv which offers live, online event production services using Ovaleye’s streaming media engine, to businesses and organizations across the United States. She is also the host of the weekly live show, Young Female Entrepreneurs.

1. Tell your story. As the old adage goes: facts tell, stories sell. When it comes to eliciting customer engagement, a campaign with a good story is an unparalleled strategy. Did you experience some kind of obstacle on your path to entrepreneurship? Did a major life event influence your career choice or business decisions? Tell your story in your crowdfunding pitch to make a connection with backers and encourage engagement.If you don’t have a personal story to share with your audience, share facts and highlights about your startup, product or vision instead. Describe the problem (and severity of the problem) your product will solve, or discuss the vision for your startup. Keep your tone and messaging personal to make backers feel closely connected to you and your project.
2. Provide value for value. Crowdfunding campaigns hinge on reciprocity. If your startup offers fantastic products, rewards or opportunities, you’ve created a huge incentive for backers to pledge to your campaign. When choosing your reward tiers, reflect on whether the incentives would appeal to you if you were the consumer; ask friends, family members and business acquaintances for their honest opinions as well.
3. Introduce scarcity. A basic law of economics dictates that scarce supply inherently creates greater demand. Create greater demand for your startup by limiting one or more of the higher level rewards to just a few — this will inflate demand for those rewards and result in higher pledge amounts for your crowdfunding campaign!
4. Create a marketing event. People love to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. Try to build a feeling of excitement and rally others around your crowdfunding campaign by tying the launch to a large, well known event. You can connect your product to a holiday, sporting event, or season to increase the momentum surrounding your launch. You can leverage the emotional connection surrounding these events to get people excited about your product and engage them in discussions.This is especially useful for connecting with backers through social channels, capitalizing on trending topics and popular hashtags to get more eyes on your fundraise!
5. Highlight examples of social proof. Going back to the human desire to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves, most people don’t want to be the first or only supporter of a crowdfunding campaign — they want to see other influential advocates joining in. Do you have someone notable as an adviser, backer or endorser of your startup? Share your list of partners and patrons to give confidence to new backers and let them know that they won’t be the only one at your party.
6. Build credibility and legitimacy. Many backers will believe it when they see it. In other words, they require some kind of evidence that your startup is legitimate and picking up steam before deciding to back your crowdfunding campaign. Show your backers what they’ll be supporting in detail — how it works, how you came up with the idea, and even pictures or videos if you have a prototype. Remember that you will likely never meet your backers, so the more proof you can provide that your startup is legitimate the better.
7. Interact with your supporters. Don’t leave your backers in the dark for weeks after they’ve supported your project. Interact with your audience through frequent updates, thank-you emails or social media outreach, and responses to their questions and feedback.You can build anticipation and increase engagement in many ways. Post updates counting down to a big surprise regarding your project, conduct a product giveaway, or even host a contest involving your crowdfunding campaign. The opportunities here are endless and can be tailored for your specific startup.When interacting with your backers, always encourage an open dialogue and engagement. In general, people would rather talk than listen. Treat your updates and outreach as a conversation rather than a one-sided message.

Eric Corl is the Co-Founder and President of the crowdfunding site Fundable.com. Eric has been on the founding team of three successful startups including Fundable, IdeaBuyer and Startups.Co, all of which have focused on getting early-stage startups to market quickly and effectively. He is also a partner at Virtucon Ventures, an early stage incubator that brings new ideas to market.

Instead of randomly choosing one or the other, here are some of the differences that may affect which one you choose for your business:

1. Corporate Formalities: LLCs generally do not have to maintain corporate requirements, even though its good practice to maintain separate company records. In some states, LLC owners are required to file a simple biennial statement with the Secretary of State, but that’s about it. S-corps, on the other hand, are required to maintain corporate formalities in order to keep their liability protection. S-corps must keep meeting minutes, a board of directors, officers, separate business accounts and appropriate records for all of their business transactions.
2. Allocating Income: This issue only comes up when there are several owners of the business or when additional owners will be added in the future. LLC owners may allocate the business income to its member disproportionately. That means that two owners may split the income 60-40 instead of 50-50. This may be important in situations where each owner contributes to the business differently — for example, where one owner is putting up startup capital and the other is putting in sweat equity. S-corps do not have this flexibility. Owners of an S-corp (also known as shareholders) are required to split the income equally among all of the owners.
3. Filing Taxes: LLCs with one owner do not have to file separate tax returns for the business. They can typically add a Schedule C to their personal taxes and be done with it. LLCs with more than one owner do have to file separate tax returns, but have the flexibility to file as a partnership or a corporation. S-corps must file information returns every year and their owners have to add a Schedule E to their personal taxes. However, a big tax benefit that S-corps provide is that with the Subchapter S election, you have the option to pay self-employment tax (approximately 15 percent) on only your reasonable salary as the owner, rather than on the entire net revenue of the business. This can result in big tax savings and is a big incentive to go S-corp rather than LLC for some.
4. Startup and Operation Costs: Maintaining corporate formalities and filing additional tax returns may increase the costs of running an S-corp. However, in several states the filing fees to create an LLC are substantially more than the fees to create an S-corp. In some states, such as New York, LLC owners are required to publish the name of the LLC in two newspapers which can easily cost well over $1,000. Its important to be aware of the filing requirements and associated costs in your state.
5. Restrictions on Type of Owners: In most states, LLCs may be owned by individuals, corporations, other LLCs and foreign entities. S-corps are not so flexible. S-corp shareholders must be individuals (not partnerships or corporations) who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Additionally, an S-corp can have a maximum of 100 shareholders. Certain types of businesses may not be LLCs or S-corps, including banks and insurance companies.
6. Psychological Effects and Public Perception: People who may be important to your business’ development can have strong opinions about the different business entities. I have heard from bankers and venture capitalists that they are not fond of LLCs and prefer to invest in corporations. I also know lawyers who think the LLC is the best thing since sliced bread. I think that corporations, with all their formalities, can influence the way you treat your business and the level of professionalism that you maintain. Additionally, public perception of an LLC versus an S-corp may be different. Incorporating may show customers, banks and other potential investors that you are serious about growing your business and that you intend to be around for a long time.

These are just some of the various factors to be considered when selecting a business entity. I highly recommend a consultation with both an accountant and a lawyer to determine which entity will fit your business best.

This article was originally featured in YFS Magazine.

Rachel Rodgers is a business lawyer for women and/or young entrepreneurs. She runs her practice, Rachel Rodgers Law Office, entirely online. In addition to practicing law, Rachel blogs about virtual law offices and teaches a popular workshop for women lawyers who want to practice law online through her website, Her Virtual Law Office.

Disclaimer: This article is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. No information in this article constitues legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader.

One of the most important steps, of course, is figuring out which platform to sell your wares on. That’s why, at Ecommerce Rules, we decided to analyze the 9 types of would-be e-commerce entrepreneurs and recommend the perfect e-commerce platform for each one.

From retail entrepreneurs to tech founders to stay-at-home moms, this infographic analyzes the drawbacks and benefits of the major e-commerce platforms — and which one is right for you:

This infographic was created by the team at Ecommerce Rules and originally appeared on their website.

Jun Loayza is the President of Ecommerce Rules, a company that helps entrepreneurs build a lifestyle business through drop-shipping. In his startup experience, Jun has sold 2 internet companies, raised over $1 million in funding, and lead social media technology campaigns for Sephora, Whole Foods Market, Levi’s, LG, and Activision.

I’d spend my life traveling, learning languages, practicing martial arts, reading, programming, eating good food and (eventually) raising smart, open-eyed children.

Touché Daniel, and I agree: there is a better way. Now let me break it down for those on a quest to “do what you love” from someone who’s been through all the ups and downs already.

How We Did It

I graduated from Bryant University having built what the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization named the best chapter in the world, four out of five years. I was leading a team of 150 smart, young, innovative, passionate people. No way I was getting a “real” job after that.

So upon graduation, I pass up job offers galore to “start my empire” from my mom’s basement outside of Poughkeepsie. Pitching VCs, writing business plans, sending money to India for web development — and still without a clue about how to actually make money from my lawnchair. I call Jared O’Toole to drink some beers on the front porch and we realize there have to be lots of other young people trying to start businesses just like us. We co-found Under30CEO.com.

With no revenue in sight, it’s now the dead of winter, and Poughkeepsie is getting depressing. Then the global financial crisis hits, and we’re really screwed. My mom comes to me shortly after Christmas to tell me that we will be losing our house. The home I grew up in.

Lesson 1: At least be able to tell your mom how your business plans to make money.

Suddenly, I question those $65k+ salaries I turned down. But it’s time to hustle. I accept the first job I can find on Craigslist, a position for a driver, and show up at 6 a.m. Wheeling and dealing can’t be so bad, I think to myself. It’ll be my mobile office…

Wrong. I show up and am given the keys to a dump truck. With an 18-foot trailer. I guess it’s time to learn to drive a dump truck.

I get us to the job site, where I’m quickly informed that the crew of laborers I’m driving around aren’t going to appreciate it if I sit in the truck. Time to dig ditches 12 hours a day for the next six months.

Lesson 2: When you put your back against the wall, you make things happen.

Sure, I could have let go my entrepreneurial dreams and gotten a cushy desk job. But instead, I put myself in the most uncomfortable situation possible. Digging ditches with guys who could work me under the table, and then going home to moonlight Under30CEO until 2 a.m., was absolutely miserable. I was making $15/hour, living in a tiny apartment with my mom. I love you, Mom, but that’s not exactly what I thought my “empire” would entail.

But these early days are what make or break most entrepreneurs. If you can get through this part and still believe in what you’re doing, you can survive.

Lesson 3: Test everything.

We try everything we can think of on Under30CEO.com. We don’t talk about it much today, but Under30CEO was once a Ustream show, then a Ning Network, a Meetup, and a membership site; we’ve offered daily deals, affiliate offers, consulted startups, hosted workshops on social media, done dealflow for VCs — you name it, we’ve tested it.

It’s the smartest thing we’ve ever done. Make little tests, and if they make money, run with them. If not, see ya later!

Lesson 4: You don’t test stuff very long when you’re broke.

While throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks is great, when you’re bootstrapping on a ditch-digger’s wage, you don’t have the money or the patience to test things for very long. You’re trying to get cash-flow positive as fast as possible. Any of the business models listed above are solid ideas and could be turned into million-dollar businesses. Looking back at it, it was probably our biggest curse too. We were looking to get hit the jackpot, and we were quick to give up. Young and impatient? Yes… But also smart. Here’s why:

Lesson 5: Never do anything you are going to hate.

Call me a pretentious, formerly-frustrated 20-something, but we always stuck to our core value of doing something we loved. We loved being in the business of inspiring young entrepreneurs. Many of those other business models were not that, and we knew we would eventually grow to hate them. We listened to our gut, and as corny as it sounds, we followed our dream.

But don’t think for a moment that it was easy.

Guts, grit, determination, yeah, all of that, and then some. Following your dream is much harder than anyone will ever tell you. But is it worth it? Absolutely.

Now we’re officially spinning off a new company, based on something we’re even more insanely passionate and excited about: A travel company for ambitious young professionals. The best part? I got to spend seven months around the world, working from this very laptop, plotting world domination.

No wait, ACTUALLY, the best part is that this travel company is designed to be the launching pad for young people who want to see the world, and go out and do big things. This isn’t a course and there is no curriculum. We simply curate experiences in places like Costa Rica and Nicaragua with other amazing people and inspire the creative environment to let you guys figure out your next big moves.

To return to the “open letter” that inspired this post, yes Daniel, you’re spot on. It is possible to make money doing what you love. It’s just not easy. But when it helps other people figure out their dreams? Then it’s game on.

A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s website.

Matt Wilson is the Co-founder of Under30CEO and Adventurer in Residence at Under30Experiences. To win a free trip to Costa Rica from Under30Experiences, sign up to win today. 

Question by: Ashley

Service-Based Businesses Save Money

“When you don’t have to worry about product development, manufacturing, shipping, etc., it’s easy to keep overhead costs low. Consider coaching or consulting in your area of expertise. If you’re a word nerd, provide writing or editing services. Love code? Do web development. Consider the ways in which you can provide value without shipping an actual product.”

- Steph Auteri | career coach, writer, and editor, Word Nerd Pro

Product-Based Businesses Are Possible

“Service-based businesses are always less expensive to start, but you can create product-based businesses that are not costly by building your business using an outside supply chain. Partner with a company that will drop ship for you, or allow you to order on demand so you have no stock and buy on an as-needed basis when your customers order. This cuts overhead and reduces cash requirements.”

- Vanessa Nornberg | President, Metal Mafia

Meet Niche Market Needs

“It takes time to establish yourself as an expert or guru in the field, so begin by serving in the online market to learn the ropes, meet contacts and build your client base. Everyone is on the lookout for a great support team, and you don’t need a website, product or coaching program to get started.”

- Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Open Up Shop!

“Platforms like Shopify have made it ridiculously easy and cheap to start an online business that otherwise would have had hundreds of thousands of dollars in startup costs. With drop shipping or third-party fulfillment, you never even have to touch the product yourself — just focus on the marketing, customer service and product selection.”

- Matt Mickiewicz | Co-Founder, Flippa and 99designs

Take to the Keyboard

“Blogging is hard to make money from, but it’s possible. It doesn’t cost much to start up a blog, but it takes a ton of work. Just remember blogs like AllFacebook by Nick O’Neill and TechCrunch have made great exits.”

- Ben Lang | Founder, Mapped In Israel

Why Limit Yourself to Online?

“Starting an online business is very different from starting a business online. While the barriers to starting an online business (e.g., e-commerce, blogs, and online publications) have been low for years, now it’s just as easy to start an offline business online. Crowdfunding tools like Kickstarter allow you to raise money with little more than an idea.”

- Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

Does Anybody Need a PA?

“I’ve often thought about this very exact question myself. If you are interested in gaining entrepreneurial experience online, with a little to no startup cost, then I recommend creating an online virtual personal assistant business. Market yourself for a niche client; help organize their schedule, monitor email, book flights, make reservations, maintain their social media updates, etc.”

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

What’s Easiest for You?

“The least expensive online business is going to depend on your skill set. If you are tech-savvy and can code, then you’ll have different opportunities than the idea guy or business development gal. While there aren’t “easy” online businesses, there are “easier” ones that take significantly less time and fewer resources.”

- Yanik Silver | Chaos Catalyst, Maverick1000.com

Freelance Your Way In

“You’ve almost certainly got a skill set that you can offer up to clients on a freelance basis. You can start freelancing on sites like Elance or oDesk within 15 minutes, with no upfront cash. It’s not a long-term business plan, but that approach can get the ball rolling so that you can build something bigger from it.”

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Lead Generation Pays Off

“Build a system that produces a steady stream of content to attract a valuable demographic. Obtain the contact information for those individuals and then sell that information (with the individual’s permission) to a vendor related to the content that you are providing. For instance, you can have a blog that talks about real estate in South Florida and sell their contact info to a Miami realtor.”

- Benjamin Leis | Founder, Sweat EquiTees

There Is No Easy Business!

“If you’re starting an online business right now, you have two choices: either spend the bucks, or get ready to roll up your sleeves and spend time marketing it. The nature of the site is of lesser importance. People need to understand that building a website is not the finishing line; it’s only the beginning, and substantial cash or effort must follow.”

- Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

1. “Fish where the fish are.” Focus on meeting an existing demand instead of creating one. This is one of the most important lessons I learned from going through the dot-com bust while working in Silicon Valley in the early 2000s. It’s far better to address an existing need in the marketplace than it is to create a product or service that you think people need and then try to generate demand for it. I started at a time when I felt like the advertising industry was “craving” technology excellence. So my decision to move from Silicon Valley, with my “geeky” technical background, to Los Angeles, known for its creativity but not so much for technical execution, proved to be a perfect springboard for me to start my business.
2. Improvise and innovate. Find new ways of doing the same old things. Instead of trying to reinvent our competitors’ products and services, we believe in observing their successes and mistakes, then come up with innovative new ways do it better and more efficiently. In a time when Los Angeles advertising agencies were competing for the attention of big Hollywood Studios by pitching their best “ideas,” we focused our efforts on getting the attention of well-funded Fortune 50 clients like Adobe and Cisco with our technical expertise and track record for getting things done. That “sales pitch” proved to work and we continue to lead with technology, but complement it with ROI-driven strategies and sexy creative for all of our clients.
3. Adopt the mindset of a bootstrapper. Even if you have millions in funding from outside investors, run your business as though every dime is coming from your own pocket. You’ll quickly find that you’ll be forced to be more creative and innovative in your decision making. Not only will you avoid wasteful spending (another dot-com lesson), but your funds will go much, much further toward meeting your business objectives. Challenges will arise, as they have for us. Right before the recession, we were forced to let go of some staff because I opted not to go for investment. It was one of the most painful professional experiences I’ve ever had to personally go through, but it forced us to re-look at our structure and be nimble and flexible in a tough, unknown economy.
4. Never forget that execution is everything. Even the best idea in the world is worthless if it just stays on the drawing board. As Thomas Edison once said, “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” Yes, putting an idea into action takes a lot of hard work, research and testing, and there are obvious risks. But if you execute your ideas with a “bootstrapper” mindset, you will be able to minimize your risks and the payoff could be significantly larger in the long run.
5. Keep moving forward. Indecision is far worse than making the wrong decision. Fear of failure can be a paralyzing influence when it comes to making business decisions. Yet an entrepreneur and a strong leader can never move a business forward by being indecisive. I have made my fair share of mistakes in my business decision making, but keeping my business nimble, flexible, and most importantly, independent, has allowed us to correct our mistakes quickly and move on.

Entrepreneurs who are starting a business in an emerging industry are like pioneers who are navigating a new landscape where not many people or firms know what they’re doing. But the good news is that the greatest rewards will go to those who are willing to work the hardest, take calculated risks, and believe in their ability to succeed. As the Zen saying states, “Leap and the net will appear.”

This post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

As CEO of The1stMovement, Ming Chan was named as one of the “Top 10 Asian Entrepreneurs in America” by Inc. Magazine and has led the agency to numerous accolades including 3-time Inc. 500 “Fastest Growing Private Companies in America”, 3-time “Best Places to work” in Los Angeles, “Top 20 agencies” in LA & Denver, and 5000% growth in 5 years with his passion for innovation and company culture.

Question by: Ashley

Will You Make Copies?

“At startups, everyone needs to pitch in, including doing the occasional administrative task. By asking prospective hires if they will make copies, you can identify those who have the “do whatever it takes” attitude that will help your startup succeed.”

- Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

Past Experience Takes Precedence

“I would want to know, first and foremost, that the hire has had success in the startup environment before. It’s a unique culture that requires a certain mindset and approach.”

- Alexandra Levit | President and Founder, Inspiration at Work

Where’s Your Initiative?

“”Can you give me an example of when you demonstrated high initiative?” As a startup, you need people that will go above and beyond their role and produce amazing value for the company.”

- Jun Loayza | President, Ecommerce Rules

Completion Is Key

“How have you worked around resourcing and staffing limitations to accomplish a project? Startups are always trying to juggle multiple priorities and there’s never enough manpower to get stuff done. Asking about times where someone was able to come up with a project, idea, or initiative, and then oversee it to completion — despite obstacles — allows you to discover a lot.”

- Matt Mickiewicz | Co-Founder, Flippa and 99designs

Find Out About the Formative Years

“I always ask candidates to tell me about a difficult or challenging event from their childhood that they feel has shaped them into who they are today. It gives me insight into who they think they are as a person, what motivates them, and how they deal with unexpected issues that may arise.”

- Vanessa Nornberg | President, Metal Mafia

One Word: Why?

“Why do you want to join a startup? Understanding one’s motivation for pursuing a job, particularly an entrepreneurial one, is critical. Make sure your first few hires are risk-tolerant entrepreneurs like yourself, and that your objectives are aligned. You want people who aren’t going to bail at the first bump in the road.”

- Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

Stump Them With the Obvious

“Ask them if this a job or is it a career. The two are very different from each other, and can sum up the persons work mentality.”

- Jerry Piscitelli | Owner / Inventor, Portopong LLC

Do You Get Seasick?

“I would ask the following: “If we had news that the company may go belly up in two weeks, what would you do?” This question will test the person’s stomach for the swaying seas of a startup. If they respond by indicating an “increased” level commitment, then you have a winner. If they allude to retreating and “playing it safe” they may not have the necessary fervor.”

- Kent Healy | Founder and CEO, The Uncommon Life

What’s Your Favorite Movie?

“Startup hires need to be almost as passionate as you are about your vision. By asking, “What is your favorite movie?” you can see how they can passionately express themselves. Don’t hire those who are as dead a a door knob when they answer this question.”

- Nancy T. Nguyen | President & CEO, Sweet T Salon

Identify Their Personality

“Ask simple questions to determine the character of the potential hire. Some startup hires cannot handle the startup mode, not because of education and past experience, but simply because their character does not fit the type of environment one would find in startups. One question to ask is, “Do you want to be in a startup, or do you want to appear to be a in a startup?” It’s an honest question.”

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Make It an RPG

“Ask plenty of role-playing questions — the interviewee will project their motivation for applying to the startup. You’ll also get a deeper understanding of them as an individual and what they can bring to the table.”

- Justin Beck | Co-Founder and CEO, PerBlue

What Happens When You’re Wrong?

“Ask for an instance of when they were dead wrong about something. How they respond is telling — do they have the ability to admit it, ask for help and move on, or do they try to fix it themselves? Are they willing to admit it happens often? That’s a sign of not being afraid to fail.”

- Susan Strayer LaMotte | Founder, exaqueo

All Roads Lead to Success

“The first few hires in a startup are crucial, so make sure they’re on-board with your company’s vision, first and foremost. Ask where they see themselves in relation to the company five years down the road. Make sure they envision the company’s destination the same way you do, even if they see the path a little differently.”

- Nick Friedman | President, College Hunks Hauling Junk and College Hunks Moving

Let’s Talk Numbers

“Ask them how much they want to earn. First, this question usually catches people off-guard, which helps you evaluate how quickly they can adapt. Second, it allows you to see how flexible they are, as well as how committed they are to the company’s growth.”

- Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

Change Is Constant

“How comfortable are you with change, and how do you handle it? If you run a startup, you need people who are flexible enough to grow with you. If someone doesn’t handle transitions and change well, you need to know that before you invest in them.”

- Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, AdVentures

You can’t force creativity, but the right setting will put your team in the right frame of mind to find imaginative solutions. Here are six ideas to help cultivate creativity in your company:

1. Be easygoing.

A relaxed and flexible work environment increases your team’s productivity by letting ideas flow. Encourage an atmosphere where the boss is more likely to make you a coffee than expect you to make them one.

Let go of the traditional 9-5 work week and have team members come in to work when they are rested and at their best. Not everyone is an early bird, and that’s good! Embrace your employees’ natural rhythm — they’ll show up to work fresh and ready to go.

2. Hire for culture.

Look for team members who understand your vision and align with your culture. Having a team that shares one vision and works together helps the organization run smoothly. This doesn’t mean only hiring people who always agree with you, though. Encourage different perspectives — it will help your company stay ahead of the curve.

3. Bring on people who love what they do.

Hire people that are passionate about their work. You want people at your company who really care; people who are excited to go to work everyday because they believe in the product. Adding people that want to improve your product will be the most beneficial for your company.

Point #2 goes hand-in-hand with this one. It’s far more pleasant to work alongside interesting, friendly, and driven people working towards the same goals.

4. Encourage diversity.

Put together a team with different backgrounds, passions, and capabilities. Having a group with a diverse set of ideas and problem-solving approaches helps push your product forward. Embrace and celebrate your team members’ individuality — out-of-the-box ideas and problem-solving approaches help push your product forward.

5. Incorporate sprints

The hustle and bustle of daily office life can wreak havoc on your concentration: emails, phones, meetings — the distractions are endless. That’s where a “sprint,” a set amount of time in which your team works to finish a project, can be the solution.

Startups develop quickly in the early stages because everyday interruptions are at a minimum. When your company has started to grow into individual teams, having them work in a remote location surrounded by nature is a great way to center your focus and take up a project from start to finish.

6. Take ample time off.

Communicate how important taking vacation is. Our brains are constantly on and connected, taking time off for some R&R is crucial for a healthy work/life balance. Wore-down workaholics don’t produce the highest quality content, you want your employees to be fresh and excited to be at work. Convey to your employees how important time off is — and make it non-negotiable.

There are plenty of roadblocks your team will have to overcome to breakthrough in your industry; the company’s work environment shouldn’t be one of them. Reimagine what “work” should look like, and you’ll be surprised at the impact it will have on your team’s energy and creativity. The best takeaway for your employees? They won’t be boxed in by rigid rules and can focus on building the next game-changing feature instead.

What’s your favorite way of breaking the mold?

Christian Springub started his first business at the age of 12 buying and reselling kinder suprise collectible toys at flea markets. Three years later he switched to creating websites for small business in his hometown with Fridtjof. Christian moved to San Francisco in 2011 to build Jimdo in the USA.

Uncover Hidden Gold Mines

You already have one major profit source at your fingertips — your customer list. Tap into this often overlooked gold mine by implementing the following strategies:

• Reengage lost customers. Most of your customers, clients, or patients don’t stop doing business with you because they’re dissatisfied; more often than not, life gets in the way. In my business, we created a three-step strategy for regaining them (our Customer Re-Engagement Strategy™). This tactic generated over 100 percent increase in sales in less than five days. How? We simply created an email for our client’s list of existing customers, expressed our gratitude for past business, and expressed concern for having not heard from them in a while. We then made a time-limited, preferred customer offer and followed up on that.
• Upsell and cross-sell. If customers are offered a complementary product, service, or add-on during the time of purchase, they would happily invest in it. For example, our team helped a client recognize the potential to offer a free, one-month trial for ongoing service and support. Approximately 65 percent of people who purchased the original product agreed to the trial, which added tens of thousands of dollars in additional profits in the subsequent months.
• Tag team. Some of the biggest companies in the world owe their success to joint venture partnerships. Look for opportunities to leverage the trust and goodwill you’ve created with your customers, reach out to a company that offers a complementary product, and make that product available to your customers for a share of the profits. When I owned a real estate development company, we did something most of our other competitors were not doing — we struck deals with related businesses to provide “preferential pricing” to our clients. Pairing up with furniture suppliers, security companies, and other related industries resulted in one of the largest profit margins in the industry.

Fix the Leaks

Most entrepreneurs believe the only way to grow a business is by acquiring new customers. Meanwhile, their existing customers are being ignored.

The truth is that your competitors are working every day to win over the hearts of your customers. People want to feel valued, special, and appreciated — if you’re not communicating this to your prospects, they’ll find someone who does. By taking time to engage in an ongoing dialogue with your prospects, offering them valued information, and providing them with incentives to return, you’ll see a better, more consistent flow of income.

Convey Your Value

Choose advertising and lead generation opportunities that make sense for your business, and position your product or service as the obvious choice in your market. In addition, ask for references from your happiest customers. Simply asking for — and rewarding — referrals will engage current customers and instill confidence in new ones.

When it comes to increasing profit centers, the outcome is dependent upon your approach and strategic thinking. Continue to pursue new strategies, seek fresh ways to engage current customers, and capitalize on opportunities to increase the perceived value of your products.

Because when you do strike gold, everyone wins: You’ll experience reduced business costs and increased profits through more efficient operations, and your customers will get exactly the experience they were looking for.

Charles Gaudet’s controversial marketing insight has earned him the title of “The Entrepreneur’s Marketing Champion” by both his clients and Insiders’ for his ability to help them out-compete, out-market and out-earn their competition. As the founder of PredictableProfits.com, he’s an expert at helping entrepreneurs radically improve their profits through a series of effective marketing strategies.

Question by: Ashley

Healthy Employees Are Happier

“Offer a suite of perks that promote health and wellness, like gym memberships, office massages, morning smoothies and occasional catered lunches. Not only are they attractive benefits, but they also help to reduce your health care costs.”

- Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

Work Day in Your PJs

“Allowing employees to work from home actually saves you thousands of dollars every month and is an enormous perk for them. While many online businesses have gone virtual, the traditional business world hasn’t caught up. So there are many talented professionals out there looking for remote positions and finding nothing in the traditional corporate world. Nab them for your company instead!”

- Laura Roeder | Founder, LKR Social Media

Loosen Up the Schedule

“For new hires, particularly when they are young professionals, nothing is more appealing than being able to create and sustain work-life integration. Most prospective employees would rather work from home, have flexible hours, and so forth than an extra $10-$20K per year.”

- Alexia Vernon | Communication and Leadership Author, Speaker, Coach, and Trainer, Alexia Vernon Empowerment LLC

BYOB — Build Your Own Business!

“Many of the people who work for startups would like to be entrepreneurs themselves too. Instead of fighting this trend, I try to embrace it and help all-star caliber people achieve their goals. This is mainly through sharing my operational expertise or providing them connections with the media.”

- Lawrence Watkins | Founder & CEO, Great Black Speakers

Complimentary Mentorship

“I only want to hire ambitious people — it’s rare that I hire with the expectation that someone will still be working with me three years out. So I take advantage of that: I offer to mentor anyone I want to hire and help them get their own projects going. That can include everything from advice to helping them make connections.”

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Love to Learn

“Offer traditional tuition allowances, online courses or access to conferences and training sessions as perks. By giving new hires a chance to continually improve and grow with your company, you’ll send the message that you’re in this relationship for the long term. With the right parameters, this perk is a win-win as your team cultivates new skills and perspectives that they bring back to the job.”

- Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

How Much Do You Want to Earn?

“Be sure to align the potential hire’s future benefits with the success of the company. Performance-based compensation is one of the best ways to get top talent at a low base. If they add value for the company, set it up that they are rewarded for that value. “

- John Hall | CEO, Influence & Co.

The Value of Independence

“A wise startup founder once said, “Hire the best people you can and get out of their way.” Many of the best employees value independence greatly, so you can attract them by letting them know they’ll have the freedom and trust to do their job as they see fit.”

- Jason Evanish | co-founder, Greenhorn Connect

Extended Vacations

“Offering four or six weeks of paid vacation can really make your job offer stand out especially in our workaholic culture. Great employees will always be responsible and fulfill their job obligations and duties before going away on holiday, so the work will get done, and you can hire people you might otherwise not be able to recruit.”

- Matt Mickiewicz | Co-Founder, Flippa and 99designs

Business Trips Get Personal

“One of the things that used to drive me crazy at the company I first worked for was the way our business travel was scheduled. We would arrive somewhere, head straight to our meeting or the convention center and never have the chance to visit the city where we were working. My employees have the option to stay for an extra day to go sightseeing. This makes travel a bonus rather than a burden.”

- Vanessa Nornberg | President, Metal Mafia

Team Success Pays Off

“One new perk we’ve been offering is profit shares based off of the firms overall annual performance. This will provide incentive for the hire to see the company succeed.”

- Raoul Davis | CEO, Ascendant Group

You Know, Just Changing the World

“The salary and benefits I offer to my employees are pitiful in comparison to a lot of tech startups in Silicon Valley. However, we do have an incredible mission of helping millions of people around the world get access to education. I like hiring people who are inspired by education, and getting them involved in this grand vision is a huge perk.”

- Eric Bahn | Founder, Beat The GMAT

How Do You Balance Your Lifestyle?

“The employers that are going to be most successful moving forward are the ones that understand the importance of lifestyle balance. Whether that’s the ability to work from home, more vacation time, or “summer hours,” our generation appreciates — and even demands — a lifestyle balance much more so than the generations before us.”

- Sean Ogle | Founder, Location 180, LLC

The Buddy System

“What else does the individual desire, other than a large amount of money? Perhaps it could be less working hours. Some may want an opportunity to reap the benefits of a company by being offered stock options. One interesting thought would be to offer two positions to the person, one for them and another for a contact they can recommend. Sometimes moving companies helps when doing it in pairs.”

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Don’t Focus on Perks

“Adding perks won’t seal the deal — the content of the offer and the commitment the candidate feels is what matters. Don’t throw in extras; instead, focus on the content of the work and the contribution you think the candidate can make. Have the CEO or founders have a conversation with them and be clear why you want them on the team.”

- Susan Strayer LaMotte | Founder, exaqueo

Question by: Ashley

Show Off Some Success

“What accomplishment are you most proud of? Ask a developer how they overcame a tought problem and made it into a big win. What projects are they proud to show off to the world, and why?”

- Laura Roeder | Founder, LKR Social Media

Apps or Mobile Site?

“Personally, I think developing apps for multiple platforms is a nightmare. Not only is it costly the first time around, but can also cost thousands down the road for updates and maintenance. I prefer to ask a mobile developer if they are able to develop a mobile version of the site through a dynamic theme that changes based on the screen width of the device. It is a much cleaner solution.”

- Patrick Curtis | Chief Monkey and Founder, WallStreetOasis.com

Location, Location, Location

“Being heavily involved in the mobile app market as a consultant, I often find myself coming across new developers. My basic question to ask is, “Where are your engineers?” Just because their office is located in the nearby city doesn’t mean their app/mobile developer is conveniently located as well. This is a major concern, especially when it comes to communication and understanding of a project.”

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Don’t Get Outdated

“How will we be able to update the app? A great app today is obsolete six months from now. If you’re working with a mobile developer who may not be around six months out, you need to have a clear picture of what it will take to update your app. Will you have source files? Support? Anything at all to work with? Find out now, rather than having to build a whole new app down the road.”

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Ask for Others’ Opinions

“Ask for references, preferably at least two or three of past clients whom they built mobile apps for. Get phone numbers, not emails. Ask those references questions like “Did the developer, when you worked with him/her, set clear expectations and then fulfill or exceed those expectations?” Listen closely for any hesitation and dig into that to see if there’s a bad (or good) story behind it.”

- Matthew Ackerson | Founder, Saber Blast

Let Past Clients Preach

“Ask the developer for past clients that you can call and discuss prior work with. Speaking to these people is the best way to really get a sense of the quality of work the developer provides.”

- Josh Weiss | Founder and President, Bluegala

Guarantee the Real Deal

“If your mobile developer does not guarantee that your app will get approved for iTunes sales, then move on to the next developer. Just as a good mechanic guarantees the repairs on your car, a good developer will guarantee to get your app into the largest mobile marketplace.”

- Roger Bryan | Managing Partner, ROI Marketing Department

From Fan to Contractor

“What do they love about your brand and customers? It’s very easy to get caught up in the details with any developer. One thing that is often lost is the developer’s understanding of your customers, their needs and their desires. The more the mobile web developer knows about your business, the better their work product will be (and the faster they will be able to iterate!).”

- Aaron Schwartz | Founder and CEO, Modify Watches

Design Is King

“With mobile apps, each pixel is critical. There’s less real estate on the screen, and users will be pressing buttons with their fingers or thumbs — not a mouse. Ask prospective developers about their mobile design experience, and ask to see prior apps that they’ve designed. Designing a great mobile app is often harder than coding one.”

- Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

Triple Interrogation

“There are three basic questions you should ask: Can you develop for both the iPhone and Android? What type of analytics are possible in the app? Will sensitive user data be handled securely?”

- Angela Pan | Owner/Photographer, Angela B Pan Photography

Don’t Let Yourself Be Fooled

“Ask them where their developers are located. There’s a trend for outsourced development to put a person on the ground near you to act as business development and present a team as “local.” This may not be the case! Also, ask their position on mobile web versus native, and look for a thoughtful answer.”

- Derek Shanahan | Marketing, Playerize

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. Case Studies

Case studies are an easy, effective way to show that real people outside of your company have also put their faith in your product.

- Robert J. Moore, RJMetrics

2. Creative (Not Boring) Business Cards

You are an entrepreneur! Your ideas are big, bright and bold! To hand someone a boring, one-sided black and white stock paper business card after a fantastic meeting is a lost opportunity. At ‘ZinePak, we have an eye-catching print pattern on one side and fun icons denoting our email, telephone and website. These small touches convey our brand and messaging long after we’ve left the meeting.

- Kim Kaupe, ‘ZinePak

3. A 30-Second Pitch

It’s awkward to carry around brochures or case studies, and at some point, you will forget or run out of your business cards. Having your 30-second pitch down is the best possible marketing collateral you can have.

- Kelsey Meyer, Influence & Co.

4. Memorable Business Cards

A business card is a first impression — a piece of collateral that you hope reminds somebody to contact you later. The problem is that people like you and me collect so many business cards that we forget who the people are, and it falls by the wayside. Make your business card stand out, spend some money on it and do something different. If people comment on your card, you’ve got their attention.

- Andy Karuza, brandbuddee

5. Postcards

Postcards have been an effective way for me to introduce my brand and build relationships. They are a bit larger than business cards, but not overwhelmingly large, and they allow you to include facts about your brand, accolades, quotes, taglines and other content that you may not be able to include on a business card. They are also much more visual and eye-grabbing.

- Steven Le Vine, grapevine pr

6. A Business Overview Document

I can’t tell you how many clients have asked for our “marketing deck” before, during and after meetings. Always have an up-to-date document ready to share. It should be simple, beautiful and tell prospects about what you can do for them in a few pages.

- Allie Siarto, Loudpixel

7. Stickers or Magnets

You’ve given your business card to so many people; add a little something else to that. Stickers and magnets are inexpensive and will be stuck somewhere your potential customers look every day: on the fridge, on their electronics or anywhere. Give it out to them, and they’ll put it somewhere. Use your cool logo or a phrase that’s associated with your business. Think creatively!

- Kyle Clayton, Jackrabbit Janitorial

8. A Good Story

People often buy because of the person. Make sure you have a compelling reason for why you do what you do when you meet with a potential customer.

- Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

9. Product Samples

People can understand the concept of your product/business but not grasp the value or quality without seeing it in action. We’re a chocolate e-commerce company. It’s a product people are familiar with, but what better way to get potential customers to buy from us than to try the chocolate themselves? The concept is used by many services as well in the form of a free trial to demonstrate value.

- Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize

10. Blog Links

I make a point of writing about a wide variety of topics that will interest my potential customers. Then, when I actually meet someone who is interested in my company, I can strike up a conversation and have a perfect follow-up in place: “I wrote a blog post about that topic recently. If you’ll give me your card, I’ll email you the link.”

- Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

11. Coupons

It may sound crazy and old-school, but sometimes customers need to try you on for size. Whether you are product-based or service-based, it helps to have a coupon. I’m in the service-based industry, and my potential customers love the “one hour free” coupon. It gives them permission to call me or have lunch without worrying about watching the clock.

- Suzanne Smith, Social Impact Architects

1. People should always come before profits.

Relationships are the currency of influence and success in business. No matter how badly you want the deal or a certain outcome, do not use, manipulate, insult, or demean people to get it. Not only does it create bad energy that will come back to you, it also sets you up to be found out and have people walk away from the deal unhappy. While you can’t control anyone’s opinion of you, you can do everything you can to operate in integrity and treat other people with respect. This is the first and most important rule of negotiating.

2. Know who’s on the other side of the table.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down to negotiate a deal and had people make all kinds of wild assumptions about me, my company, and my partners. A lack of research on your part says that you either don’t care enough to prepare properly or you’re an amateur who isn’t savvy enough to research the other side.

Take the time to understand who you’re negotiating with – what makes them tick, what that might want in the deal, why they might want what they want, what’s urgent versus important for them. As with sales, the more prepared you are, the more effective you’ll be.

3. Know what you need, want, and would like to have.

Before you arrive at the negotiating table, know what you absolutely cannot compromise and what you’re willing to concede. This prevents the temptation to get caught up in emotions and the desire to reach a conclusion. Even when it’s uncomfortable, it’s important to keep your objectives in the front of your mind and advocate for them.

4. Create leverage.

In many cases, you have advantages in a negotiation that are not obvious to you or the other party. To fully maximize your opportunity, it’s important to think about what advantages you have that make your proposal more desirable for the other party. It could be a strategic partner that the other party wants to work with or it could be a future promise that you could easily fulfill. Keep 2-3 leverage points handy and use them if negotiations begin to stall or go south.

5. Give something meaningful.

The best way to start a negotiation is with a meaningful gift. In his classic book, Influence, Robert Cialdini explains the concept of reciprocation, which says that when we give something to someone, they feel indebted and want to create balance by returning the favor or gift. The reason to give is not to get something in return. The purpose is to set the tone for the negotiation.

If you’re a genuinely kind and generous person, you’ll want to do things that create goodwill. The gift could be something as big as courtside tickets to a sporting event or something as simple as a Starbucks gift card for $10. The gift is less important than the proper motivation and follow-through.

6. Close quickly and gracefully.

If you’re a fan of the ABC television show “Shark Tank”, then you’ve probably witnessed people talking themselves out of deals by not knowing when to stop talking. Going back to point 3, identify a point that’s satisfactory and immediately close. Don’t linger or talk out of nervous energy. Simply state the terms, seek confirmation, and then discuss next steps. Don’t give the other party the chance to change their mind and spend time waffling over inconsequential details. Be clear, be firm, and be progressive.

- – -

Want more advice? Check out Influence by Robert Cialdini and Getting Past No by William Ury – both books are fantastic primers on negotiating and personal selling.

What negotiating strategies do YOU use?

This post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Lisa Nicole Bell is equal parts artist, businesswoman and motivator. Lisa is the Founder and CEO of Inspired Life Media Group where she and her team meld art, social change, and commerce to create economically viable media properties.

Question by: Ashley

SEOMoz for Everything

“SEOMoz’s suite of products has essentially provided us the value of our own personal SEO consultant. We use their tools track keyword rankings, rate on-page optimization, and track links to our site. They also regularly post great tips on their blog and have a Q and A section. By using their tools, we’ve increased our monthly search traffic 10x in the last year.”

- Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

Raving About Raven Tools

“I love Raven Tools. It is one of the key reasons why my company’s website ranks either first or second for most keywords related to our niche. Their research analysis and link-building tools allow me to find untapped niches and capitalize on them through effective organization for outreach.”

- Lawrence Watkins | Founder & CEO, Great Black Speakers

Install SEO for Chrome

“SEO for Chrome is the go-to tool that I use. It allows me to easily see Page Rank, backlinks, estimated traffic, and even conduct keyword research for a website, all through my Chrome browser. It’s very important to get backlinks for SEO; I use this Chrome app to determine where I will invest my time to develop links back to my site.”

- Jun Loayza | President, Ecommerce Rules

Scribe for Content

“Scribe is a great tool for SEO-ifying content. We run all of our blog posts through it to make sure that they’re not only educational, but will all be found in the search engines. Right now, we receive more than half of our traffic from relevant Google searches.”

- Laura Roeder | Founder, LKR Social Media

Can’t Go Wrong With Google

“SEO is all about content and links, but equally important are the keywords you choose to target. Don’t assume what your users are searching for. Instead, use Google’s free Keyword Tool to determine monthly search volume for keywords in your industry. Once armed with this data, create content and obtain links targeting these keywords and watch your SEO traffic soar.”

- Warren Jolly | Co-founder, Affiliate Marketing

Two Birds With One Stone

“YouTube has helped me rank high on certain Google keywords. Not only is it the second highest search engine ever, but it also helps my audience see me and my photography in a more personal setting.”

- Angela Pan | Owner/Photographer, Angela B Pan Photography

Join the Fight With Market Samurai

“Ever since I started doing SEO years ago, Market Samurai has been the backbone of my keyword research and analysis process. It is much easier to use than Google’s Keyword Tool and less expensive than other products on the market.”

- Sean Ogle | Founder, Location 180, LLC

Open Up Open Site Explorer

“Information is key in improving your SEO efforts; if you don’t know where your inbound links are coming from and what keywords are providing the biggest boost to your search efforts, you can’t work to improve them. Open Site Explorer lets us check which inbound links are giving us the best SEO benefits, perform competitive research, and check backlinks and anchor text almost effortlessly.”

- Lauren Fairbanks | Partner, Stunt & Gimmick’s

Go Real-Time on Rank Checker

“I’ve been using Rank Checker, the simple browser plugin for over three years now and haven’t had a need for much else. It’s free and you can download and set it up in a few minutes. You can create multiple website profiles that you want to track keyword SERPs for. It’s super simple and it gives you the most up-to-date results each time you run it. You can also schedule it to run automatically.”

- Matthew Ackerson | Founder, Saber Blast

Wordtracker Cuts Out Extra Work

“When it comes to researching which keywords are the most searched for, and how much competition they have, Wordtracker is the way to go. You can find out how many clicks you’d likely get if you got to the front page of Google, and whether it’s worth targeting this keyword or not.”

- Nathalie Lussier | Creator, The Website Checkup Tool

Add Platinum SEO to WordPress

“Many of my sites run on WordPress so I use WordPress plugins on them. The best one of these plugins for SEO is definitely Platinum SEO.”

- Ben Lang | Founder, Mapped In Israel

Site Strength Indicator Delivers Results

“Site Strength Indicator from SearchEngineNews has been incredibly helpful, as it provides a very detailed breakdown of the most important SEO factors and how your site rates for them”

- Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

Forget SEO and Hit the Books

“The best SEO tool I’ve ever encountered is The Purple Cow, a book by Seth Godin. This book makes the case that investing your resources into developing an amazing and viral product is better than any marketing or SEO campaigns. Instead of gaming SEO, focus on building a product that goes viral.”

- Eric Bahn | Founder, Beat The GMAT

At work, however, Millennials are still being shut out of the corporate conversation — we’re told sit down, be quiet and do as we’re told. But this is a mistake: In today’s hyper-connected world, Millennials are in the perfect position to create new possibilities for global and local impact that nobody could have imagined 10 years ago.

Every day, Millennials are reaching exponential levels of connectedness. My fellow Millennials curate TEDx events via webcasts that reach millions, or start social businesses blending profit and purpose, like Toms Shoes and Warby Parker. They use social sharing tools to reach new audiences. They crowdfund innovative projects in the developing world with Kickstarter and other platforms. And they participate in user-driven development for products at forward-thinking companies like Nike Design and Lego Factory.

But not every company sees the value in this – yet.

Leadership expert and Forbes columnist Saj-nicole Joni wrote recently that Millennials want to unleash what she and I are calling “connectional intelligence” already evident in these and a thousand other ways. Connectional intelligence (CxQ) is the ability to make sense and enable breakthroughs by connecting ideas, people, information, and resources, and to sift through various sources of information and put pieces of a puzzling problem together in new ways. It’s not limited by time, place or space.

Connectional intelligence is a terrible thing to waste. If Millennials really want to leverage it in our careers, however, we need to reach across generations in a radically different way. The onus is on us to demonstrate how our skills in making connections, creating content and collaborating can make our companies — and the world — a better place.

To do so, instead of demanding work-life balance, free food and gym programs, we need to demand a seat at the table so that our connectional intelligence doesn’t get left at the door. In the second decade of the 21st century, companies can no longer afford to dismiss innovative ideas from anyone, least of all their most connected employees and leaders.

So how do you, as a Millennial, get your CEO to pay attention?

Take Jane, a Stanford undergraduate who joined a strategy consulting firm after graduation and quickly realized there was greater potential for her to make an impact in the company. Eight months into the job, she discovered a new multi-milllion dollar client opportunity. She knew working on this project could offer an avenue for her to grow and make a greater contribution.

Jane’s strategy was not to sit down and wait. Instead, she took these 3 steps:

1. Actively listen for opportunities. Jane listened for opportunities to use her resources and knowledge to show the contribution she could make to the account. “I knew there was no way to get anywhere with the partner on the account by saying, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’” she told me. She used her connectional intelligence to reach both junior and senior colleagues across the company online and offline; she also sought out former employees of the firm for advice on getting on the client team.
2. Marshal resources to contribute. Jane went online to do research about the prospective client, and used social media to actively understand how she could apply her skill set to the client’s needs. “I approached a lot of people,” Jane said. “I knew the best the way to get on the account was to learn from others and first understand: what is best for the client and my employer, and how can I maximize my best use at the company?”
3. Ask for your seat at the table. After talking to a number of people, Jane introduced herself to the partner in charge of the account and made her case to get on the client case. The partner was initially surprised by her research and assertive attitude, but realized how committed Jane was and quickly asked her to join the account. Eventually Jane became the go-to person for the client — and later, the lead consultant — all because she listened for the opportunity and gathered her own resources first. As a result, she was also able to influence the organization’s long-term strategic vision.

Jane’s pitch specifically showed her superiors how her skills could grow the company and support the partner. Her experience is proof positive that we can’t expect anything to change if we don’t ask for a different type of dialogue first.

In the end, Millennials need to make sure that our ideas, passion and energy don’t get lost, beaten down and forgotten. To make that change happen, we need to make ourselves heard first. If not for our own sakes, then for the sake of future generations.

Erica Dhawan is a globally recognized leadership expert, Gen Y keynote speaker, advisor to Fortune 500 companies and researcher at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership. Her work with Gen-Y leaders and future-thinking companies changes the world. Learn more at ericadhawan.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

What Is Your Hole?

“The classic VC role is that of an interrogator, trying to break you for a key secret. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Folks who watch the TV show “Shark Tank” know this feeling. Time after time, a well-rehearsed entrepreneur goes through his pitch, and everyone loves it. But the Sharks (VCs) keep poking at the startup until they finally find a hole. Maybe the company has zero revenue, a poor growth strategy or a weak CEO. Know your weaknesses better than your strengths. Before our first VC meetings, my team sat down and asked each other “gotcha” questions until we were all experts.”

- Neil Thanedar | CEO and Founder, LabDoor

How Are You Different?

“With proper due diligence and competitive analysis, you should be able to make a case for how you differ from other folks in the marketplace. How can you prove that you have a truly unique value proposition? What is it about your offering, your approach, your technology and your team that makes your company able to achieve and execute on this opportunity? “

- David Ehrenberg | Chief Financial Officer, Early Growth Financial Services

How Much Is Your Company Valued at?

“The reason why determining the valuation of your company is so difficult is because there is no right answer. On the one hand, you need to be realistic, but on the other hand, you do not want to undervalue your company, as the VC may think something is wrong. The best way to handle this question, and most others that arise when negotiating with a VC, is to do all you can to have several VCs interested in your company. Like in most negotiations, if you have several interested parties, they may bid against each other, which will allow you to obtain the best terms for you and your company.”

- Doug Bend | Founder/Small Business & Startup Attorney, Bend Law Group, PC

What’s Your Customer Acquisition Cost?

“The best way to tackle this question is to show reasonable estimates for customer acquisition, using well-researched numbers and reasonable conversion rates. If you can’t explain how you are going to acquire customers for less than what you sell them on average, at a fundamental level, you have failed to explain your business.”

- Patrick Curtis | Chief Monkey and Founder, WallStreetOasis.com

When Are You Paying Me Back?

“There are many entrepreneurs with amazing ideas. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but execution is everything. Every investor will ask you when and how he will recoup his investment. What experience do you have? What is your track record? Before going into a meeting with a VC, make sure to tell him about your experience, your track record and, most importantly, how you will recoup his money. Lots of people pitch the idea before the finances. Pitch the finances and how the VC will make money; if he asks you a question, then you got him to bite — now it’s all about your elevator pitch. “

- Ak Kurji | Chairman & CEO, Gennex Group

Why Won’t a Huge Corporation Build Something Like This?

“VCs will ask, “Why won’t a huge corporation build something like this and use their existing customer base and capital to capture market share?” The best way to defend against this is to have technology and intellectual capital that the company will want to acquire, rather than destroy. “

- Matt Wilson | Co-founder, Under30Media

Why Hasn’t This Worked Before?

“Zaarly raised $14.1 million in a Series A in fall of 2011. But it was a question earlier that spring from Marc Andreessen in our pitch meeting that gave our founding team the most pause, “Why do you think this hasn’t worked in the past?” We didn’t have a great answer — more of a hunch really that mobile technology didn’t exist to allow distribution of information in real time previously. But the question forced us to examine our predecessors who had tried and failed to learn what landmines to avoid. Our lesson: Know your landscape and learn from prior failures and success. “

- Eric Koester | Founder, Zaarly

How Do You Define Success for Yourself and Your Company?

“VCs want to invest in founders who are dedicated to “hitting a home run.” If you’re satisfied with building a small company, that’s a big red flag for VCs. As we’ve all heard, a number of founders have said yes to exits their VCs wanted them to say no to. Other founders have taken the middle ground by cashing out some of their shares to secure their personal finances, and then continued to go big. Either way, VCs want to invest in founders who are focused on a disruptive, game-changing product/idea. This is a vital point to keep in mind as you consider whether funding is right for you.”

- Mitch Gordon | CEO/ Co-Founder, Go Overseas

Do You Know [Insert Company]? Why Not?

“Anytime a VC throws out the name of a potential competitor that you don’t know or haven’t looked into, it can throw you off balance for a minute. The fact is, it may be a company that you don’t think is a viable competitor, so you don’t know much about it. The best way to tackle it: Tell them the truth, “We looked at our key competitors and that company did not meet the criteria. But we’ll look into it further after this meeting.” The key is to maintain control of the conversation because it shows you can handle a curveball. “

- Benish Shah | Co-Founder/CEO, Vicaire Ny

What Is Your Plan To Grow?

“The most difficult thing to explain to an investor is your plan to grow. They want to know how you’ll outdo everything you’ve already done. Prep by picturing your future: What staffing or product creation will help you have the business you want to have?”

- Brian Moran | Founder/ Director of Online Sales, Get 10,000 Fans

Why Haven’t You Gotten Traction?

“The best way to handle that question is by not approaching VCs until you have achieved traction. Venture capital should be looked at as an accelerator for existing success, not as a runway extender to get it right.”

- Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, AdVentures

Debt or Equity?

“Many investors will know going into a deal whether they want preferred stock or a convertible note. Sometimes, however, they will leave it up to the company. Angel investors, in particular are likely to leave it up to the company as the more sophisticated party. For the company, this is an opportunity to maximize the value of the investment, but they must also be wary of getting off on the wrong foot with the investor by being overly aggressive or appearing uninformed. A crash course in VC deals and a good deal lawyer will make sure you maximize the former and mitigate the latter. “

- Peter Minton | Founder & President, Minton Law Group, P.C.

Choose an Entrepreneur-Facing Platform

“Spend some time researching successful projects. You’ll notice that there are core elements of a successful campaign: compelling rewards, a powerful story, and out of the gate support from friends and family. At Fundable, we coach our clients through best practices, and provide them with resources to increase their chance of success. Every entrepreneur should look for that type of support.”

- Eric Corl | President + Co-Founder, Fundable LLC

Read the Fine Print

“Read the fine print of what the future ramifications of fundraising are for your business after taking on crowdfunding. Walk through the different scenarios for future funding and analyze whether crowdfunding your first round will be a turnoff for other potential investors.”

- Abby Ross | Partner, Blueye Creative

Solve a Problem, Don’t Create One

“When it comes to crowdfunding, the best and most successful ideas come from entrepreneurs that are trying to solve a problem, not create one. If you have a product that will solve a problem that everyone has, you’ll have a good chance of succeeding with your crowdfunding efforts.”

- Derek Johnson | CEO/Founder, Tatango

Understand the Downsides

“Crowdfunding is not a panacea for first-time entrepreneurs. While it can reduce the regulatory burdens of initial capital raising, it comes with downsides. You need to ask yourself whether you want to deal with information requests from 100 shareholders, trying to convince a seed or VC to join that quagmire or the potential of losing your friends’ and families’ savings. “

- Peter Minton | Founder & President, Minton Law Group, P.C.

Build Momentum First

“Crowdfunding campaigns can become “stale” over time, much like a house that has been on the real estate market for a while loses luster. Make sure to launch your campaign after having folks commit to participate, and then try to schedule a dripfeed of interesting news throughout your campaign. Show momentum — everyone wants to back a winner!”

- Aaron Schwartz | Founder and CEO, Modify Watches

Tap Into the Power of Video

“If you’re looking to crowdfund a new idea I’m going to assume you’ve done your research and have determined it’s a good route to take. Many crowdfunding success stories have said a great video was key to their success. A study by Econsultancy said people are 97% more likely to buy your product after watching a video of it. That’s huge!”

- Natalie MacNeil | Emmy Award Winning Media Entrepreneur, She Takes on the World

Develop a Network of Influencers

“Crowdfunding websites are simply funding platforms. That means you can’t rely on them to market and find funders for your venture. You’ll need to do your own marketing and develop critical mass to get your project funded. Increase your chances of getting crowdfunded by developing a strong network with plenty of influencers.”

- Benjamin Leis | Founder, Sweat EquiTees

Build Your Own Platform Instead

“Follow Lockitron and App.net’s path. They built their own platform to crowdfund, and it worked — so now they don’t have to share a percentage. Lockitron even recently opensourced the code to do so. Check it out here: http://selfstarter.us.”

- Ben Lang | Founder, Mapped In Israel

If You Almost-Build It, They May (Still) Come!

“For physical products, I think crowdfunding presents a unique opportunity to test a market before spending on inventory. That alone is a great reason to build a campaign to sell something that you’re fairly sure the market will love. That said, get as far into the design/build process as possible, so potential customers know you’re serious, and so you identify challenges/costs early.”

- Derek Shanahan | Marketing, Playerize

Plan Your Next Move

“It’s important to have clear plans for how you will use the funds you raise and how you will sustain your success. Be sure that the funds you raise can serve to launch a profitable venture.”

- Lisa Nicole Bell | Founder/CEO, Inspired Life Media Group

Only Raise What You Need

“Despite the big numbers that often grab headlines, most companies don’t need millions of dollars to build a minimum viable prototype (MVP). Spend as little as possible to validate your business idea and then you can attract more capital on better terms. “

- Robert J. Moore | Co-Founder and CEO, RJMetrics

My Advice? Don’t!

“Your ability to raise money on crowdfunding sites is not correlated in any way to your ability to run a business. If you need outside financing, force yourself to raise money from professional investors — have the door slammed on you a few times! Crowdfunding is “safe,” but a first-time entrepreneur needs to experience hardship, and understand what experienced investors look for in a business.”

- Sunil Rajaraman | CEO/Co-Founder, Scripted.com

Question by: Ashley

Voracious Interest in the Latest

“Innovation in social media continues to be created, so seek out a social media director who is extremely passionate about the ecosystem. A great social media director will be interested in knowing about the latest tools and social media sites. Even better if the social media director then has an eye for how to strategically implement initiatives with those tools or platforms that bolster business.”

- Doreen Bloch | CEO / Founder, Poshly Inc.

Can You Handle the Community?

“Tools and platforms will change and grow rapidly, so find the person who will invest in and develop the community, no matter where the technology takes you. Keep the high level vision of social media as an avenue to deepen relationships and take service to the next level and the rest will fall into place.”

- Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Personality Matters Most

“Managing and building a social media presence online is a fight for your users’ attention. How do you keep them engaged? Have a personality that connects with them and keeps them interested in your brand. The best social media directors have a great real-life personality, which then translates into their tone and approach with your community. This will make your users feel at home and connected.”

- Warren Jolly | Co-founder, Affiliate Marketing

The Ability to Talk to Absolutely Anyone

“Online or off, a social media director has to be able to make connections. You need to find someone who can connect with anyone, no matter how she happens to be communicating. Networking events are a great test to see if a prospect has what it takes to be a great social media director. You’ll need to eliminate the wallflowers, but if someone comes away with plenty of new friends, keep her.”

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Recruit a Lifelong Learner

“A social media director should have a good knowledge of the tech space. Choosing someone who keeps up with the changing landscape of the online industry is key. A lot of people tend to get into a rut with social media — they figure out what works once and they stick with it which can make your social media plan look outdated. Your director should be interested in the space itself, not platforms.”

- Caitlin McCabe | Founder & CEO, Real Bullets Branding

Go Beyond Social Media

“Social media is an excellent medium to identify those that are most passionate about your brand. A social media director needs to understand and strategize on how to best incorporate those individuals in your marketing and new product development in order to further strengthen and grow your brand.”

- Benjamin Leis | Founder, Sweat EquiTees

Don’t Follow Corporate Requirements

“Corporations are requiring over six years of experience for a social medical directors. Really? The truth is that social media truly took off less than six years ago, with Twitter, Facebook, etc. Look for someone young who can connect with your customers. Having exceptional communication skills, free thinking, and a creative independent master of your product is a must.”

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Incomparable Follow Through

“Most social media campaigns are not direct response, so you need someone who can stay focused and follow through without direct metrics for success. This is not easy to do!”

- Roger Bryan | Managing Partner, ROI Marketing Department

Complete Organization

“These days, a social media director must keep track of a vast universe of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Organization is key.”

- Josh Weiss | Founder and President, Bluegala

Spelling and Grammar, Seriously

“Even if the social media director position isn’t the individual posting the updates directly, someone with authority should always be able to edit and revise the brand’s message accordingly. Even the smallest of spelling and grammar errors can have a negative impact on a brand. Correct verbiage and writing skills need to trickle down from the director at the top.”

- Logan Lenz | Founder / President, Endagon

Intellectual Curiosity

“A great social media director must be interesting. If you wouldn’t want to chat with the social media director in real life, then you probably wouldn’t want to interact with him online.”

- Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, AdVentures

Manage the Multitasking

“A great social media director must also be great at multitasking. He or she must be able to run and effectively control several different social media platforms at once. This takes dedication and commitment to the task while staying focused.”

- John Hall | CEO, Influence & Co.

Ridiculous Creativity

“Let’s be honest, it takes a special person to sit in front of a computer all day and tweet and pin and whatever, especially if they aren’t a founder of the business. That’s why you need to hire someone for the position who is ridiculously creative. They can turn mundane topics, like ‘taxes and accounting’ into amusing and worthwhile content. In fact, use that as a test when hiring.”

- Matthew Ackerson | Founder, Saber Blast

Some entrepreneurs believe that calculating their costs is all about listing and tallying their cash outlays. This is an essential step, of course, but calculating startup costs is much more than a simple exercise in addition. Equally important is to set some milestones and build your financial plan around hitting these goals.

Here’s how:

#1: Identify your milestones.

To determine the major milestones for your company, you need to assess where you are and where you want to be. You can’t begin to identify your costs until you know what you want to accomplish. What are the important milestones for your company to achieve? Some possible milestones could be to get out a beta product, get a first product, or to gain a solid understand your market. Try to create discrete milestones rather than bundle them together.

#2: Determine what you need to do to accomplish your milestones.

Once you’ve identified your milestones, you need to think about the resources necessary to hit these milestones. Consider the following costs:

• Human resources. This is often the greatest startup expense. Figure out who you will need to build your company, and then calculate their projected salaries and wages (depending on whether you hire employees or outsource). Remember to include recruiting, benefits, taxes, and other related HR costs.
• Operational costs. These are the day-to-day costs of keeping your business running, including such things as your internet service and office supplies, and other inventory and equipment expenses.
• Professional services. You’ll need to include costs for essential professional services, such as an accountant or attorney. Also consider what permits or licenses you may need.
• Facilities. Determine, what, if anything, you will need in terms of facilities or office space.
• Marketing. Your company won’t be very successful if nobody’s heard of it! Consider the cost of marketing materials, your Google AdWords campaign, or other marketing costs.

#3: Consider funding sources.

Next you need to determine if you are going to bootstrap the entity or if you want to/need to/can raise funds. To do this, calculate your burn rate (the amount of capital you will go through every month), using your total expense calculation. If you realize that you will need to raise money to cover your monthly costs, decide what potential funding source you’re going to target: friends and families, angel investors, or venture capitalists.

#4: Establish your funding goal.

There are pros and cons to each funding source, but there is no right source for all companies. It depends on your company niche, what stage your company is in, and what else you are looking for — and not looking for — in a funding partner. And, of course, it depends on how much money you need.

You may think more money is better, but this is actually a mistake. Use your expense calculations as a baseline for how much funding you will need. Add in a bit of a cushion, since it’s common for startups to underestimate their cost — but don’t add in too much. Raising what you need (and no more) is called capital efficiency– and it’s a much more telling indicator of your company’s success that your capital access.

#5: Balance your milestones against your funds.

Once you have determined what you need to hit your milestones, you need to go back and balance that against your funds. Balance your way between what you can do and what you can afford in order to reach each milestone. This isn’t a one-time process; you’ll find yourself constantly dancing between these two points.

Admittedly there will be surprises as you launch and grow – that’s why you don’t want to start with a five-year financial plan; it’s just not possible to accurately project that far out. Instead, you just want to calculate your initial costs and create a budget, and update that budget, on a quarterly basis. If you can start with a reasonable estimate of your projected costs, you’ll be better prepared to write your business plan — and positioned to build a successful company.

David Ehrenberg is the founder and CEO of Early Growth Financial Services, a financial services firm providing a complete suite of financial services to companies at every stage of the development process. He’s a financial expert and startup mentor, whose passion is helping businesses focus on what they do best. Follow David @EarlyGrowthFS.

While the skills learned no doubt gave us perspective and provided a structure for entrepreneurial thinking, after two-plus years of living a startup, it’s become apparent to me that studying entrepreneurship was just as abstract — if not more so! — than my studies in philosophy, especially with respect to starting and building a bootstrapped company.

The lessons outlined below may not be as sexy as term sheet negotiation and capital raising, but they are core to the success of a resource-constrained startup — and make a world of difference between success and failure:

1. Learn how to sell, quickly.

You need to be profitable from day one, and consequently, you need to think about what you’re building as a sustainably profitable venture with a real business model. You do have investors, but they’re your clients, and they’re not giving you money because of an impressive management team, large addressable market, previous accomplishments, or world-scale strategy.

They care only about your ability to address their specific needs in a better way than the current solution. Can you fix their problem? They don’t care about anyone else’s.

2. Learn how to build relationships.

You may be without financial or strategic advisors, but no one understands the problem that you’re trying to solve better than the customers you’re courting. Your first set of customers will effectively become your advisors and most valuable advocates, providing deeper insight into the issues you’re trying to solve and giving you a better grasp of customer needs.

Your first 10, 50 and 100 clients will define your brand and help you shape your business, so make sure you listen to them vs. trying to expand too rapidly. Better insight and understanding of your customers in the beginning is key to setting your business in the right direction.

3. Learn how to engage client referrals and leverage the media.

You may not have the budget for marketing programs, but even if you do, there’s nothing better than a referral from a satisfied customer. Word-of-mouth marketing from current customers creates a trusted network that results in a supportive, invested client ecosystem.

With regards to PR, take the opportunity to engage writers directly with your story. It means a lot to a writer when they receive a custom note from a founder instead of a templated message from a PR firm or marketing rep.

4. Understand the scope of what you’re embarking on — and the significance of determination and perseverance.

This is where our traditional entrepreneurship curriculum failed most fundamentally. Successful entrepreneurship rarely happens within the confines of a year, let alone a single semester, and our half-hearted attempts at starting businesses every semester (only to let them die at winter and summer breaks) reinforced a misleading expectation: that success can be validated quickly.

Building a successful company takes time and patience, two assets that you can’t raise from any venture capitalist. Yes, capital can help you hire and attract resources, but in the early stages of a startup, doing all the work yourself will provide you with perspective on the full scope of what you’re building.

Being in control of your own destiny also uniquely allows you to go at your own pace. While you obviously need to be aware of market pressures, without the pressure from outside investors, you can take the time to better lay the foundation of your business — a foundation that, one day, might support an empire.

Zach Yungst is the Co-founder of Cater2.me, a company founded in late 2010 focused on revamping the corporate catering industry. Zach grew up in Sarasota, Florida and graduated with degrees in Finance and Philosophy from Wharton / The University of Pennsylvania. Post graduation, Zach worked in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in New York and in private equity for TPG in San Francisco.

Question by: Ashley

Go on Tour…a Blog Tour

“While some bloggers would jump at the chance to test out and review your product, others are just inundated, and don’t have the time to try your product OR write up a review. Make their jobs easy. Pinpoint the top bloggers in your industry and offer to write up a guest post that would benefit their readers, or do a Q&A. Offer to do a giveaway as well.”

- Steph Auteri | career coach, writer, and editor, Word Nerd Pro

Share a Trade Show Booth

“Trade shows are still a great way to allow people to touch and feel your product, but they can seem cost-prohibitive. Reach out to the organizers and ask for last-minute space or a smaller one at a discount. If they have nothing available, approach a company with a complementary product and see if they might consider sharing a booth space.”

- Vanessa Nornberg | President, Metal Mafia

Go Where the Competition Isn’t

“To catch people’s attention, you simply must do something out of the ordinary. If you’ve written a book, try selling it in a coffee shop instead of a bookstore. If you’ve created a women’s fashion blog, try promoting it at a nail salon. People notice when things are out of place. And your product will stand out.”

- Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

A Cold Call With Warmth

“Step out of your element and call a few entrepreneurs that have a successful launched their product(s) and have a significant number of users that support them on Facebook and Twitter. Simply request if they could share (multiple times) their opinion of your product/service to their friends on the social network, and help encourage people to view your content and potentially continue sharing.”

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Give the Press What They Want

“The press loves young entrepreneurs with great ideas, and earned media is definitely the best way to get more exposure for your first product. I stress the word “earned” though, because having a product definitely doesn’t guarantee you media attention. You have to put yourself in the publication’s shoes and tell a story that is engaging to their audience specifically.”

- Lauren Friese | Founder, TalentEgg

Give a Guest Contributions

“Build your personal and company brand by contributing guest posts to reputable publications online. The more authority and credibility you have in place for your first product, the easier it will be to get more exposure.”

- John Hall | CEO, Influence & Co.

Start a Blog of Your Own

“Setting yourself up as the go-to expert on a given topic takes some work, but a blog is a manageable way to get the job done. If you dedicate some time to blogging and promoting what you’ve written, you can get a steady stream of traffic to your product. You do need to remember to blog on something very relevant to your customers’ need for that product, though.”

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Create a Promotional Video

“Videos that are educational, emotional and provide entertainment value are worth more than words alone. Posting a video on YouTube and leveraging your network to help spread your message will go a long way in getting exposure for your product. Keep in mind that people want to be entertained, not just sold to.”

- Nathalie Lussier | Creator, The Website Checkup Tool

Have You Heard of Hacker News?

“Use Hacker News to get exposure. The community loves seeing new, innovative products. In just a few hours, the site can easily drive thousands of visits to your product.”

- Ben Lang | Founder, EpicLaunch

Start Social Media Exchanges

“Start a social media “exchange” — ask your visitors to give you a Facebook ‘Like’ or a tweet in exchange for access to unique content or another item of value (without giving away the farm, of course). This is enticing to users, and it ensures you’re getting buy-in from people who actually want your products or services.”

- Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

Take to Twitter

“Befriend people on Twitter. It’s incredible how many people will say something nice when they feel a connection with you. And if you don’t get exposure for this specific product, you’ll still have established contacts for the future.”

- Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, AdVentures

Spotlight Your Clients

“How are your customers using your product? WD40 has a fantastic blog where they feature their customer’s creative applications and uses. You should do the same and ask your customers to send in videos and photos. You’ll get great content, make your customers feel important and become inspired in the process.”

- Benjamin Leis | Founder, Sweat EquiTees

Try Video Marketing

“Video marketing is the least expensive way to get your product to market. Creating a compelling viral video can be done with a iPhone and can be posted to YouTube in a matter of minutes. By using your social networks to spread the word, you can instantly drive traffic and views. Also, currently you can buy traffic via Google AdWords for your video at a fraction of the cost of search.”

- Roger Bryan | Managing Partner, ROI Marketing Department

Industry Publications

“While a new product may not warrant a spot in a national daily, there is publication somewhere that targets your core customer base. And that publication wants to talk about you, for free, to the people who are most likely to become the first movers on your product!”

- Peter Minton | Founder & President, Minton Law Group, P.C.

Get With Google AdWords

“AdWords is a relatively cheap and easy way to not just get exposure, but to also test out which keywords bring in traffic/conversions. This will guide your focus when running SEO campaigns.”

- Josh Weiss | Founder and President, Bluegala

The Problem

Here’s a pretty typical scenario. One of my clients, who owns an Internet-based consulting firm, was hired to create a new website for a client a few months back. He received a $500 deposit for several thousands of dollars worth of work. Then he hired a web coder, with whom he had a good relationship, to handle certain aspects of the design. He and the coder completed the work, and guess what happened next?

The client stiffed him. And not only him, but also his colleague, because he didn’t have the money to pay the web coder out of his own pocket. This caused a strain in the relationship between the consultant and his coder, and a major strain on his pockets.

Several months later, the consultant hired me and I used my magical lawyer ways to collect all of the money from the client. (Note: magical lawyer ways = calling the client, announcing that I am a lawyer and demanding payment. Okay, okay, it was more complicated than that but, most importantly, it worked). He was happy to get fully paid, but the strain on the relationship could not be erased, he lost the time value of the money he was paid in January instead of August, he spent a lot of time chasing this guy instead of working on other projects, and he was out the attorney’s fees he had spent, too.

The Solution

How would this scenario have been different if the consultant had a contract for both relationships? First of all, in his initial strategy session with me, I would have advised him that his payment collection method wasn’t working and we would have set up a better payment system. Additionally, the client contract would have required the client to pay interest on late payments and court fees plus attorney’s fees if he wound up having to take him to court. This makes it really easy to sue and win.

With such a contract, the chances of getting an enforceable judgment (read: getting paid) jump sky-high — and it won’t cost you money, since the client has to pay your lawyer’s fees.

The lesson? When you show clients that you are professional and serious about your business, they will think twice before trying to stiff you.

Regarding his relationship with the developer, an independent contractor agreement that stated that the coder would get paid when the business owner gets paid would have eliminated the bad blood between the parties.

So, Do You Need a Contract?

I often tell my clients, “Everyone is an enemy to your business!” Your business partners, customers, vendors, employees, etc. all have the ability to screw your business over. So you have to treat everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) like an enemy on paper. Only then are you free to treat them like a friend in person.

How do you do that? By having a contract for every relationship your business enters into.

Here’s my rule of thumb that will protect your business from all manner of headaches, financial loss, emotional distress and yes, lawsuits as well: Have a contract for every single relationship your business enters into. You and your buddy starting a new business? Create a contract that governs that relationship. Selling your new widgets in that new widget store up the street? Draft an agreement between you and the widget store owner. Setting up a website to advertise and/or sell your services? Have a privacy policy and/or terms and conditions to govern your relationship with people who check out your website.

These contracts do not have to be complicated. In fact, they can be pretty simple, but they do need to protect you from all (or at least most) of the ways the relationship can go wrong. And please don’t forget the all-important boilerplate at the end of the contract, because it provides lots of protection and will save you money, time and headaches.

Once you have an agreement with your independent contractors, vendors, clients and business partners, you can go back to getting enough sleep at night because you know you’re well-protected in any situation.

Note: This article is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. No information in this article creates an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader.

A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Rachel Rodgers is a business lawyer for women and/or young entrepreneurs. She runs her practice, Rachel Rodgers Law Office, entirely online. In addition to practicing law, Rachel blogs about virtual law offices and teaches a popular workshop for women lawyers who want to practice law online through her website, Her Virtual Law Office.

The following are 10 of my favorites:

1. Evernote: The beauty of Evernote (which is available for free in Web, iOS and Android versions) is that it can be whatever you need it to be. Need a simple place to store notes or track thoughts as they occur? Evernote has you covered. Want to set up a complete David Allen-style “Getting Things Done (GTD)” environment inside the program? Evernote can do that too.
2. Dropbox: As with Evernote, it probably isn’t a surprise to see Dropbox on a list of recommended productivity apps. The program’s value has been pretty well-established, all though chances are good that, even if you do have this program installed on your computer or mobile device, you still aren’t getting as much out of it as you could. To expand your usage, check out Macworld’s article on “62 Things You Can Do With Dropbox” (many of which work no matter what platform you’re using).
3. Lastpass: In an age of digital insecurity, forming secure passwords is an absolute must – but who has time to remember all those different combinations of letters and numbers? If you struggle to keep your online accounts secure, Lastpass can help by generating, storing and automatically recalling strong passwords for all of your Internet logins. It’s free to use on both PCs and Macs, though you’ll pay $12/year to have the premium version available for download to your mobile device.
4. Remember the Milk: Remember the Milk (RTM) is a widely-used to-do list management program that’s worth a look if you’re having trouble tracking your tasks. It’s highly flexible and easily customized – and can even be used to implement a GTD-style system. The Web version and basic iOS and Android apps are free to use, though daily syncing will run you $25/year.
5. Wunderlist: If RTM lacks in any one area, it’s visual appeal. So if you’re a more graphically-inclined entrepreneur, take a look at Wunderlist – a perpetual favorite on lists of the best “to do” trackers. The program is easy to navigate and can be used to quickly and efficiently track important tasks from within its free desktop, Web, iOS and Android versions.
6. Things: Although Things is only available on Macs and within Apple devices, it still warrants a mention on this list, given how intuitive the program is to use. While some users find that the RTM interface has a learning curve to fully utilize, Things makes it easy to start tracking “to do” items as quickly as possible. And, as an added bonus, it’s totally free to use!
7. Instapaper: Coming across interesting articles is one of the best parts of the Internet – and one of the worst things for your overall productivity levels. Instead of reading through new posts whenever you encounter them, save them to your Instapaper account. Your selected Web pages will be automatically saved for later browsing, when they’ll be displayed in a reading-friendly format for free on your computer, iPhone, iPad or Kindle.
8. Yast: Nearly all professionals can benefit from some type of time-tracking program – whether this type of tool is used to report billable hours back to customers or to simply measure how working hours are being spent. Yast provides an incredibly easy-to-use solution (just press the “Play” button to start tracking time to a specific account) that’s free to use for personal time tracking. Business accounts for entire teams are available as well, starting at $14/user per month.
9. Focusbooster: Plenty of entrepreneurs use the Pomodoro Technique (which alternates 25-minute long working blocks with short breaks) in order to maintain sustainable, long-term productivity. And while there are plenty of different Pomodoro timers out there, one of my favorites is the Focusbooster App. It’s free to use and provides a simple way for business professionals to stay focused over long periods of time.
10. Leech Block: If you find that the Pomodoro Technique alone isn’t enough to maintain productivity (which – let’s face it – isn’t that much of a challenge in today’s digital world of easily-accessible distractions), you may need to call in the big guns. In this case, you need Leech Block – a Firefox add-on that allows you to lock down specified websites. It’s easily customized to suit your unique working habits, and even provides a helpful reminder to get back to work when you stray to one of your blocked sites.

These are just a few of my favorite productivity apps. If you have others that you couldn’t get through the work day without, share your recommendations below!

Sujan Patel is the founder and CEO of Single Grain, one of the top Digital Marketing agencies in San Francisco, CA. With more than 10 years of Internet marketing experience, Sujan leads the digital marketing strategy for companies like Sales Force, Yahoo, Intuit and many other Fortune 500 caliber companies.

Which, in most cases, means you need a great Web or mobile developer.

However, if you’ve never looked for a quality Web or mobile developer before, the task can feel extremely daunting. Many people waste a lot of time and money running through multiple developers before they find the perfect one. Why? It’s often because you aren’t on the same page as the developer with regards to what you want, how much it’s going to cost, and how long it’s going to take.

Nevermind technical skills (those are easy enough to verify) — if you’re working on a high-tech project, interpersonal skills are just as important. These 4 qualities will help ensure you find the partner you’re looking for — the one who can bring your idea to life without wasting any of your time or money:

1. Trustworthiness.

A great Web or mobile developer isn’t just another contractor you hire to get some work done. Ideally, they become your partner. They bring skills and tools to the table that breathe life into your idea and turn your grand vision into a distinct reality. If your gut says you don’t trust them, you’re never going to feel comfortable working with them.

Without trust, chances are you and your developer will never be on the same page with anything. In the back of your mind, you’ll always be second guessing the developer’s decisions and motivations. Moving forward will become increasingly difficult as the process slows down because of the lack of trust in the partnership.

2. Passion for their work.

Someone who has a deep passion for their work is often palpably excited and positive about that work. This excitement spills over into their interactions with you.

If your developer isn’t excited to be working with you, that sentiment is going to show in their communication and demeanor — walk away!

3. Previous (positive) experience working with clients.

Some developers create incredible, high-quality work and are amazing at what they do, but they’re simply not that good at working with clients. They’re not “people” people. If your developer doesn’t have previous experience working with clients, that’s going to be a problem.

Previous experience working with clients means your developer will have an existing process and workflow in place, which creates a much smoother experience for you. They’ll be able to help prevent common problems that could arise during your project, saving you time and money.

If you’re not sure about your developer’s capacity to deliver in this respect, ask for references.

4. Excellent communication skills.

Given our increasing reliance on email as a primary form of communication, it’s easy to misinterpret what somebody is saying or how they are feeling. If your developer isn’t very good at communicating in this way, you’re likely to lose track of what’s going on with the project.

A developer who is also an excellent communicator will ensure you always have a clear overall view of the project. They’ll explain everything in layman’s terms and not drown you in confusing technical jargon. It’s part of the developer’s job to make you feel more comfortable overall about your project.

Tim Jahn is the co-founder of matchist, a curated service for freelance developers to connect with quality clients and projects. He’s also the co-founder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd, an events and media company that helps entrepreneurs move their businesses forward. As an active member of the Chicago tech community, Tim has made his mark interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs from all over the world.