Ashley Sharp

July 28th, 2022

Entrepreneurs: Stop Living For Your Résumé, Start Living For Those You Love

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what your resume says about who you are, versus what your obituary may eventually say about you.

June 30th, 2022

12 Tips to Banish Self-Doubt and Boost Your Confidence as an Entrepreneur

June 13th, 2022

12 Things You Can Do When You're Having Trouble Focusing on Work

With so many electronic devices and social media platforms, it's easier than ever before for even the most focused and organized of professionals to get distracted from the task at hand. Combine that with the fact that work-from-home and hybrid work models have become popular for many companies, and it should really come as no surprise that people are having a hard time focusing.

May 31st, 2022

12 Faux Pas to Avoid at Your Next Networking Event

May 12th, 2022

Nine Smart Strategies To Make Your Sales Pitch More Engaging

Love them or hate them, pitches are essential components of the sales process. But it's not enough to have a simple slide deck and a few talking points. Your sales team needs an engaging presentation that truly showcases the value of your company's product or service.

May 10th, 2022

10 Important Areas to Explore During Your Company's Mid-Year Check-In

Mid-year checks are a great time to reevaluate the goals your company made at the beginning of the year and ensure employees and metrics are on the right track. When conducting these check-ins, it's crucial to look at a few pertinent areas that could hinder your company's success. To that end, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weigh in on the following question:

April 25th, 2022

The Case For Entrepreneurs Embracing An Educator's Mindset

In the context of entrepreneurship, having an educator’s mindset means constantly striving to educate and reeducate the people around you about your vision.

March 31st, 2022

Looking For A Job? How To Build A Personal Brand For Your Career Path

Your personal brand is the version of yourself you showcase to the world. It encompasses your values, mission and brand personality that you showcase to customers, your network and potential employers.

March 29th, 2022

Master Working From Home With These 10 Tips

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the software or hardware that has helped them succeed while working from home.

February 22nd, 2022

Nonprofit Salaries And The Leadership Gap

Anyone who’s ever worked at a nonprofit organization will tell you that leadership is crucial to the success of your mission—and if you want your nonprofit to have the best leadership possible, then you have to provide competitive compensation.

December 27th, 2021

Don’t Call Us A 'Charity': Rethinking The Language Around Nonprofits

The word “charity” carries many connotations, some good and some not so good.

December 8th, 2021

11 Common Work Habits That Might Be Sabotaging Your Productivity And Focus

We live in a world of constant distractions and interruptions. While it's easy to blame these external factors for our lack of focus, it's often our own reactions to and bad habits around those distractions that are truly sabotaging us.

December 6th, 2021

11 Mistakes That Could Be Hurting Your Company's Credibility During the Hiring Process

November 16th, 2021

Let’s Rethink The Five-Year Plan

Smart leaders plan for the future with an understanding that things rarely go according to plan.

November 15th, 2021

14 Activities to Keep Your Team Motivated When They're Stuck in a Rut

When your team is feeling uninspired, try these activities and initiatives designed to boost morale.

November 2nd, 2021

Nine Ways Leaders Can Encourage Their Teams To Have An 'Ownership Mindset'

Part of creating a successful team is getting them to buy in on your company’s mission, vision and goals. Those employees who do this are likely to develop an “ownership mindset” in which they feel that they have ownership over their responsibilities and outcomes and are more willing to do what is necessary to accomplish tasks.

October 25th, 2021

Eight Simple And Beneficial Ways To Support Your Fellow Entrepreneurs

In business, making an active effort to support the entrepreneurial community can be game-changing for your company’s growth. After all, these individuals have been through similar experiences and challenges as business owners themselves, and can often help you navigate them.

October 18th, 2021

Follow These 15 Strategies for Better, More Transparent Communication About Big Company News

The secret to a successful and efficient company culture is transparent communication. This is especially true when you need to announce big news to your team in a way that will make them feel confident about the company's direction and decisions.

October 6th, 2021

Expanding Diversity In Design

If we start taking the right steps to expand diversity in design now, we will all reap the benefits of a stronger and more innovative profession overall.

October 5th, 2021

10 Aspects of Entrepreneurship That Can Be Major Obstacles (and How to Overcome Them Anyway)

September 21st, 2021

10 Important Things To Know If You Want An Entrepreneur To Mentor You

Seeking a mentor is a crucial step to success, especially if you're a young person just starting out in your career journey. Mentors can help their mentees learn from their own mistakes, widen their networks and encourage them to pursue their dreams.

September 14th, 2021

15 Ways for Business Leaders to Overcome Perfectionism

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their advice on how to stop chasing an imaginary perfection and move forward with your business.

September 10th, 2021

10 Simple Strategies To Draw Customers Back To Your Brick-And-Mortar Store

During the pandemic, consumers who couldn't safely shop in brick-and-mortar stores turned to online shopping instead. Whether it be for mundane tasks like grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions, or more leisurely activities like clothes shopping, these errands could be done efficiently from the comfort of home.

September 10th, 2021

11 Signs of a Great Candidate, Based on Their LinkedIn Profile

September 9th, 2021

12 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO AFTER RECEIVING A BAD CUSTOMER REVIEW

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss why doing these things could do more harm than good for your business.

September 3rd, 2021

Nine Ways Businesses Can Make Emails More Enticing To Customers

With so many other ways to keep in touch digitally and so many other places businesses can compete for attention, email may not seem like a good first choice for communicating with your customers. And yet, while it's no secret that many people ignore their emails these days, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers. 

August 30th, 2021

Eight Ways To Mediate Conflict And Generate Positivity Within Your Team

When you work in a team setting, conflict is inevitable. However, when members of your team aren't getting along, the negative energy can be toxic for the entire team and the business can suffer as a result. 

August 23rd, 2021

14 Ways Employers Can Support Positive Mental Health in the Workplace

The happiness of its employees can make all the difference in a company's success.

August 23rd, 2021

Eight Tips To Make Taking A Vacation Easier (Even As An Entrepreneur)

After more than a year of staying at home, many people are excited to travel again -- including entrepreneurs. In fact, getting some space from your business can really help clear your mind and prevent burnout. However, many business owners are still facing lingering challenges due to the pandemic, and it can be difficult to find time to step away from work.

August 20th, 2021

10 Factors to Consider Before Finalizing Your Retail Store Design

There's a lot of planning that goes into designing the look of a retail store. While you definitely want to add style elements that are expressive of your brand, you also need to consider your target customers. A well-designed store will not only attract more customers, but can also lead to higher sales. To help you figure out the most important aspects to consider when designing your retail store, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

August 18th, 2021

Falling Behind On Work? Take These Steps To Get Back On Track

No matter how organized and productive you normally are, there will be times when you'll feel overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do. Feeling like you’re behind on your work can cause additional stress that can affect your output.

August 17th, 2021

Nine Entrepreneurs Share The Biggest Hiring Challenges They've Ever Faced

The process of hiring new employees can be both rewarding and difficult. Hiring managers or HR representatives need to make sure each candidate not only fits into the company culture and values, but also can do the job successfully.

August 16th, 2021

15 Positive Habits All Entrepreneurs Should Develop to Become Successful Leaders

Success starts with building one small habit at a time.

August 12th, 2021

10 Ways To Live A Healthier Lifestyle As An Entrepreneur

Business leaders have a lot of responsibilities to juggle, which often lead to non-stop workdays and sleepless nights. The overwork culture naturally drives entrepreneurs to burn out, whether in the short or long term. 

August 10th, 2021

Nine Tips For Getting Your Groove Back When You Feel Like Your Career Has Stalled

There are many reasons why a person's career idles, but it will likely happen to just about everyone at some point. Personal issues, an economic crisis, a creativity block or financial trouble are just a few factors that might cause a person to lose their passion for work. 

August 7th, 2021

11 Everyday Actions Anyone Can Take To Improve Their Leadership Skills Today

Everyone has to start somewhere when building their skills. Here's where to begin if you want to lead.

August 4th, 2021

Eight Ways Companies Can Turn A Negative Customer Experience Into A Positive One

Turning a poor customer experience around continues to be one of the main struggles customer service professionals face daily. When the service experience goes poorly, a company can risk losing that customer forever.

August 4th, 2021

9 Tips on Finding More Diverse Candidates for Your Company’s Open Positions

August 2nd, 2021

10 Tips To Make Weekly Meetings Useful For Your Whole Team

Weekly standups and regular reports are great ways for leaders to check in with their teams. These are times to briefly share updates and ask about any concerns or questions the team may have before the day or week begins.

July 28th, 2021

Feeling Behind On Work? Get Back On Track With These Nine Time Management Tips

Time management can be a challenge when you’re faced with work that’s piled up over a period of time. It can be overwhelming to look at a list of tasks and determine which are priorities and which can be temporarily moved to the side, causing some employees to stress or panic about where to even begin. 

July 28th, 2021

Writing Your First Business Plan? Nine Elements You'll Want to Include

July 27th, 2021

Eight Ways Employees Can Solve Miscommunications With Their Managers

Communication breakdowns can occur at any time and in any work environment, but can seem especially prevalent in remote work situations. While remote work has its own unique benefits, it also means employees and managers are relying more on written, phone or video communication and less on the in-person communication and body language cues that can be so helpful for clarity. 

July 27th, 2021

Achieving Next-Level Performance Through Board Diversity

What is right for the long-term viability of an organization, especially when you’re looking to fuel growth?

July 22nd, 2021

Eight Ways Leaders Can Step Out Of Their Comfort Zone

As a business leader, you may already possess ideal traits, such as assertiveness, adaptability and conscientiousness. But perhaps you've noticed that you're lacking in other areas in which you could become a better leader. The first step is to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

July 19th, 2021

13 Fears Entrepreneurs Often Face (and How to Overcome Them)

Fear is a paralyzing emotion and can stop even the most experienced business owners in their tracks. For entrepreneurs — who count on moving forward as a way to keep their businesses thriving — letting fear get out of hand can be debilitating. 

July 13th, 2021

11 Ways Marketers Can Reach More Millennials on Social Media

One common piece of marketing advice is to meet your audience where they are. For the many companies looking to reach millennials, that means social media — and especially through the use of Instagram and TikTok. These social platforms provide great opportunities to engage with millennials and influence their purchasing behaviors. But how can you ensure your social media marketing efforts will be successful and won’t actually turn millennials away from your brand?

July 13th, 2021

Eight Ways To Calmly Handle Company Crises

A normal part of running a business is having ideas fail. However, sometimes these circumstances lead to crises within the business. When this happens, employees look to business leaders for guidance on how to respond.

July 10th, 2021

13 Tips to Make Faster, Better Decisions for Your Business

Making thorough, educated decisions doesn't have to take tons of time.

July 6th, 2021

9 Incentives You Should Offer to Attract Top Talent

July 1st, 2021

10 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO LEVERAGE TECH FOR ULTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tech hacks for getting time back in your workweek.

June 30th, 2021

Applying For A Job? Eight Signs A Company Might Be A Bad Place To Work

Searching for a new job is a long, difficult process, so when you land a job interview, it can feel like such a relief. But what if you are fighting to earn a position you should actually run away from?

June 23rd, 2021

Six Everyday Phrases Business Leaders Often Use (But Really Shouldn’t)

While some may argue that “words are just words,” the language a leader uses can have a major impact on their employees. A leader’s words can be responsible for boosting morale, driving progress, resolving conflict and building relationships, so it’s vital that they choose them carefully. The wrong words, even well-intentioned, can have a negative ripple effect across the organization.

June 17th, 2021

14 Podcasts That Have Impacted How These Entrepreneurs Run Their Businesses (and Why)

With the rich educational value podcasts often provide their listeners, it’s no surprise that the business community turns to this popular form of content to improve their skills and strategies. Some entrepreneurs even make major business decisions based on the information they’ve learned and the stories they’ve listened to on podcasts.

June 14th, 2021

Young Professionals: 10 Things You Should Include in Your Five-Year Plan

June 14th, 2021

10 Entrepreneurs Share Their Top Tips For Applying To Startup Accelerators

Startup accelerators and incubators are great opportunities for new businesses to grow and scale their operations quickly. These programs are pivotal for the startups who participate in them, as they often provide access to exclusive business resources and funding opportunities.

June 9th, 2021

Nine Game-Changing Business Tips That Helped These Entrepreneurs Find Success

Good business advice can come from anywhere, at any time in an entrepreneur's journey. Some of those lessons will come directly from mentors and fellow business leaders; other times, they're learned through firsthand experience. No matter the source, some tips can be so impactful that they influence the course of an entrepreneur's business.

June 7th, 2021

Leaders: Nine Good Ways To Handle A Business Question You Don't Know The Answer To

Business leaders often think they need to have all the answers. It's true that a manager or executive should be a trusted source of information when employees or clients need something. However, it can be difficult to know how to proceed when someone asks a question you don't know the answer to.

June 4th, 2021

12 WAYS FOR NEW ENTREPRENEURS TO CONQUER IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tips for overcoming self-doubt when starting out in business.

June 4th, 2021

10 Things A New Hire Can Do To Impress Their Boss Right Off The Bat

First impressions are everything, especially when you’re first starting out on the job. When you’re trying to make a name for yourself within a new role or company, it’s important to know how to make an excellent impression.

June 2nd, 2021

The Big Pitch: Going All Out For Investment Dollars

Here are some important takeaways we learned from pitching our nonprofit at a recent accelerator.

May 27th, 2021

Nine Factors To Consider When Creating The Perfect Product Packaging

Product packaging is often overlooked as something unimportant. However, like an extension of the product itself, it can attract customers as well as build the brand's reputation. But the look of the product packaging is only the start. The packaging should not only appeal to the customer, but also to any potential retailers.

May 27th, 2021

10 TIPS TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO FOSTER THEIR OWN COMPANY CULTURE

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain how to encourage employees to play an active role in shaping organizational culture.

May 26th, 2021

Nine Important Ways To Maintain Employee Trust During A Pivotal Moment For Your Company

Major changes are often necessary for a company that wants to keep growing and scaling. When critical moments occur, however, (such as a merger or landing a major client) leaders need to set the tone for the rest of their employees. How they respond to them will trickle down and set the example for how everyone else will work.

May 25th, 2021

11 Smart Ways For Leaders To Assess Accomplishments Each Quarter

One of the best ways to keep a business innovative and growing healthily is for leaders to set tangible goals for teams. To motivate teams to accomplish their goals, it helps to assess the progress toward meeting them on a quarterly basis. This way, at the end of every quarter, the whole team can look back and track the progress they’ve made, see what still needs to happen and prepare for the quarter ahead.

May 24th, 2021

Leaders: Eight Strategies For Monitoring Employee Morale While Juggling Your Work Too

As a business owner, it's easy to lose sight of the office morale around you. Most entrepreneurs are focusing on many concurrent tasks that can strongly affect the business's health and success. While important, these packed schedules and heavy workloads can mean they don’t notice the issues that may be rising all around them.

May 20th, 2021

Try These 10 Strategies To Get Hours Of Time Back Each Week

Regardless of how many hours you work in a day, not all of that time is going to be completely productive. Sometimes it's because of procrastination, other times it's because you've been so bogged down in "busy work" that you haven't made progress on important tasks. Whatever the reason, it's important to find ways to optimize your to-do list to maximize your time for important strategy work as well as personal endeavors.

May 17th, 2021

12 Leader-Recommended Techniques to Actually Start Journaling Effectively

A journal can be a valuable tool to an entrepreneur. Being able to sit down and reflect on your thoughts throughout the day can provide a much-needed dose of perspective and can help you to improve your focus.

May 14th, 2021

Nine Leaders Share The Traits They Look For In New Remote Hires

The pandemic has made remote and hybrid work arrangements mainstream. But it has also given managers a unique opportunity to bring different talent to their teams from all over the country and the globe. That being said, it's also important to think about how those new hires will work and be managed in a remote setting.

May 5th, 2021

How To Be More Persuasive In Business: Seven Unique Approaches

Most facets of business rely on persuading others. In sales, the goal is to convince the buyer that your product is better than your competitors’. In a job posting, it's to persuade the candidate that your company is better than others. The art of being persuasive, however, is something many entrepreneurs overlook, despite it being such a core component to a successful business.

May 3rd, 2021

Eight Critical Components Of A Valuable Client Newsletter (And Why You Should Include Them)

When it comes to creating a valuable email newsletter for your customers, you need to consider the value of the content within it. For the newsletter to create real impact, it should include a wide range of topics and content types, as some readers will respond to certain types of content differently than others.

April 29th, 2021

The New Nonprofit Approach To Team Building

The new approach to team building in nonprofits is truly an “out with the old, in with the new” shift in thinking. Our organization, and many others like it, are proof that good business principles and especially an entrepreneur’s growth-oriented ethos are foundational to nonprofit success.

April 19th, 2021

12 Effective Ways to Use Short Video Content for Your Small Business

The face of social media has changed significantly in a short time, and today short video content is dominating user news feeds. While some social media platforms use video as a feature, like Instagram Stories, others, such as TikTok, use short videos as their main form of communication. Businesses can then leverage this content on their own social media pages to help improve their customer engagement and boost sales. To share insights on how to do just that, 12 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answer the following question:

April 13th, 2021

10 Effective Strategies to Avoid Decision Fatigue as a Busy Entrepreneur

Make the decision to make fewer decisions.

April 8th, 2021

Eight Top Personal Brands And The ‘X’ Factors That Make Them Stand Out

When you think about outstanding personal branding, at least one person comes to mind. This person displays all the elements of what a personal brand should be, but they also have a little something more—an “X” factor.

April 2nd, 2021

Eight Key Steps To Take To Ensure A Successful Company Rebrand

Organizations may carry with them a long history, but sometimes, it may be necessary to revamp the way a brand appears to the public. Successful rebranding keeps the core promise of the business but reinvents how the consumer sees them. While some companies may benefit from that traditional appeal, many others realize that consumers prefer a business that they see as modern and innovative.

March 29th, 2021

13 Subtle Traits That Can Make Someone an Influential Person

If you want to lead, you may want to nurture these traits first.

March 29th, 2021

Eight Ways Startups Can Boost Their PR Efforts

Public relations can be a delicate balancing act. If your business does PR right, it could skyrocket in popularity overnight. If, however, you run afoul of public opinion, you may find your company falls as fast as it grew.

March 29th, 2021

12 Ways to Center Yourself When You Can’t Stop Overthinking

Many entrepreneurs will concede that their worst problem is overthinking complex decisions. The issue with overthinking is not only that it stifles creativity and innovation; it also erodes your confidence as an entrepreneur and can make you second-guess yourself.

March 26th, 2021

Scaling Quickly? 12 Tips to Grow at the Right Pace for You and Your Team

When your business starts seeing success, it's natural to want to ride the momentum and build upon it. However, it's possible to grow too fast, too soon. 

March 22nd, 2021

13 Entrepreneur-Recommended Habits To Maintain Productivity (Even When You're Busy)

No matter how stressed or busy you get, the right habits can keep you moving forward.

March 10th, 2021

A New Era Of Leadership

Leadership is less about power and more about empowerment.

March 8th, 2021

11 Simple Reminders That Will Help You Be a More Positive, Confident Person

Entrepreneurship is an exciting and fulfilling career path, but there might be times when you’ll feel discouraged and riddled with self-doubt. Combating these emotions isn’t always easy and takes patience and continued practice.

February 8th, 2021

Eight Nonnegotiable Traits You Should Be Looking For In Potential Hires

Your employees’ personalities and work ethics have a direct impact on how effective and efficient you and your company are at getting anything done. Because of this, putting together a well-functioning team isn’t always straightforward. For an entrepreneur who needs to have team members they can count on, a few personality traits stand out as necessary.