Baruch Labunski

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Based on my experience, here are some ways that I recommend utilizing AI tools in your business. 

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Being an entrepreneur requires a unique blend of creativity, vision and innovative thinking. To stay ahead in the ever-evolving business landscape, entrepreneurs need constant inspiration and fresh perspectives. Luckily, podcasts have become an invaluable (and readily available) source of knowledge and motivation for ambitious business minds. Whether you're just starting your entrepreneurial journey or are a seasoned professional, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) offer their suggestions by answering this question:

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In today's digital age, data privacy has become a top priority for individuals and businesses alike. Small businesses in particular need to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps to protect their customers' personal information. By doing so, they not only comply with data protection regulations but also build trust and loyalty with their customer base. While implementing robust data privacy measures can be challenging for small businesses with limited resources, even small steps can make a significant impact. To that end, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weighed in on the following question:

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There's no shortage of business masterminds offering their expertise, and there’s plenty of business-focused events billed as "must-attend" functions. However, no leader has time to access them all and, depending on your goals, many aren't even worth your time. But if you’re a high-achieving professional who is eager to learn and grow in your role or advance your business, how do you determine which events are right for you?  The members of Young Entrepreneur Council have a few suggestions. Below, they each share  one factor they look at to determine whether or not a business mastermind or certain networking event is worth their time—and how you can do the same.

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Social media has become an integral part of modern-day marketing strategies, enabling companies to reach out to their target audiences more efficiently than ever before. With the proliferation of different social media platforms, it's crucial for companies to maintain a consistent brand voice across all channels. This not only helps in establishing a strong brand identity, but it also enables companies to effectively engage and inform their audiences. To share their insights on how to do this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) experts reacted to the following question:

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Finding a job is always a matter of competition. While you may be highly qualified for a role, there could be a myriad of other applicants equally or even more qualified than you are, all hoping to be selected for the position. However, when employers can see that you’re experienced, thoughtful and motivated to learn and grow—“top talent,” so to speak—they’ll be eager to bring you on board. But to earn this reputation, you’ll need to work on building your personal brand. To do so, consider the following advice from the members of Young Entrepreneur Council. Below, they discuss some of the steps you can take to develop a “top talent” personal brand and why each step is so effective in helping you achieve your career goals.

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Entrepreneurs and business leaders are always on the lookout for great ideas and inspiration. Innovating, implementing new policies or redesigning current products all require a creative mindset to accomplish, and finding the right inspiration can help get you in that perfect headspace. However, sometimes inspiration comes when you least expect it.  The members of Young Entrepreneur Council have all felt inspired at one time or another, but below, eight of them recall some unusual places and ways they found business inspiration and discuss what occurred after they acted on it.

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There can come a time for many established businesses when processes become overwhelming, projects start running off track and tech stacks can get too complicated to function cohesively. All of these signs point to a need for simplification—a “decluttering” of the business and its systems. Taking the time to review what’s no longer necessary, keeping only what adds value to the business, is essential if you want to streamline your processes—but where should you begin? Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer a few suggestions for where you can start as well as what you might want to get rid of or reconsider this year and beyond.

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Climbing the corporate ladder all the way to the top is a common goal of many high-achieving professionals. No matter which rung you’re on, there’s always steps you can take to help you achieve that goal. From building a positive track record to taking leadership development training, there are a number of ways you can build the skills and the experience necessary to succeed in the C-suite. Here, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share this advice and more, recommending some of the steps a professional can take now if they want to be a desirable future candidate for the C-suite and why doing these things will help set them up for success.

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Networking is a scary prospect for a lot of people. Seeking out events, speaking to new people and trying not to feel imposter syndrome while doing so can be intimidating for new entrepreneurs (and even seasoned ones). And while many entrepreneurs will give networking their best effort, they may end up accidentally sabotaging their efforts if they’re not careful. To help, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss some of the seemingly harmless habits or actions that could actually be hindering new entrepreneurs’ networking success. Consider their advice for what to do instead in order to get the most from your networking experiences.

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Deciding to franchise your business is a big step in entrepreneurship and there are many factors to consider before doing so. Aside from ensuring that your main business has enough financing to support your overall brand, there are legal processes that need to be completed, hiring that needs to be done, and branding procedures that must be solidified. Here, 11 Young Entrepreneur Council members note some specific questions to ask yourself when thinking about franchising your company and why you need to do so.

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For many modern businesses, tech teams are the backbone of operations. Business leaders can support their IT staff in many different ways, from allocating an adequate IT budget to recognizing and acknowledging tech employees. Here, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members share ways to set up your tech department for success.

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Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or you’ve recently opened a business, you’re likely thinking about all the skills you’ll need to make your business thrive. While different types of businesses will require different skill sets of their owners, there are several skills that are universally useful across the small-business landscape. To share a few of their top picks, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council sound off below. Consider their recommendations if you’re looking to improve your leadership skills and better manage the day-to-day operations of your current or future business.

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Whether you lead a bustling startup or an established business, as a CEO, your days are likely full of endless meetings, questions from leadership or staff, “fires” that need putting out and very little time to get any actual work done. Without an intentional plan or schedule, your day can get away from you, allowing your work—and your stress—to build up over time. But adding a little structure to your workday doesn’t have to be complicated. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council speak to their own experience as business leaders, each recommending one way CEOs can build structure into their workday to help them maximize their productivity and why this is so critical to do.

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Many professionals look up to entrepreneurs for their determination, perseverance and freedom to have more control over their day-to-day lives. But even entrepreneurs have role models they look up to. Whether they’re other highly successful entrepreneurs, billionaires or simply inspirational people, the world is full of those with amazing stories who serve as inspiration for today’s business leaders. Below, members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share someone they look up to in the business world, an important business lesson they learned from them and how that lesson has impacted the decisions they make as an entrepreneur.

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With additional time-off requests, increased shopping and urgent customer service needs, the holiday season can be a busy time of year for any business. But for those seasonal businesses or businesses where sales really pick up during the end of the year, workload management can be a juggling act of responsibilities. To help busy businesses better strategize their time and improve overall productivity, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best advice below. Consider these tips if you and your business are starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the heavy workload of the festive season.

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While it’s often the horrible customer service experiences that go viral on social media or become the topic of discussion over dinner, when asked, most people could likely think of a time when they experienced really excellent customer service. From a friendly attitude to a personalized solution, there are plenty of reasons why these experiences might stick in our minds. For the members of Young Entrepreneur Council, positive customer service experiences are learning opportunities for the future. Below, they share what they learned from specific customer service interactions and why they chose to implement these lessons into their own company processes.

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Making your investors happy can always be a tricky task, but the situation can grow even more complex when your investors are your friends and family. Those new to entrepreneurship may not have the experience or opportunities necessary to seek out investments from traditional investors, which means they may turn to their loved ones to help them fund their dreams. While this is certainly a viable solution, it’s not without its risks to your relationships. To help you avoid any bad feelings should something go awry, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one piece of advice they’d offer an entrepreneur for how to keep things cordial when the relationship with their family and friends is on the line.

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Even if they manage to take some time off, many entrepreneurs can have a hard time actually relaxing during the holidays, and they may find themselves checking in or worrying about whether things are running properly in their business. To truly get some well-deserved rest and relaxation, however, entrepreneurs will need to find ways to unplug from business activities and step away from their day-to-day responsibilities—if only for a little while. To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best advice for enjoying the holiday season without worrying too much about your business.

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Working with a marketing professional, moving your campaigns around throughout the year and streamlining them into branding can save you money and bring great results.

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All businesses need some sort of investment to get started. Whether that money comes from the entrepreneur, their family and friends, an investor or some other solution, if you don’t have experience raising money, it can be easy to fall into certain traps or attempt certain strategies that may seem like smart moves at the time but actually end up sabotaging your efforts later on. To help ensure this doesn’t happen to you, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some guidance below. Here, they discuss the biggest mistakes they ever made while trying to raise money for their startups and what they recommend others do to avoid making those same mistakes.

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Cyber Monday and Black Friday are great opportunities to attract customers to your small business, but there is often a lot of competition from major retailers during the holiday season. While your small business may not be able to compete on the same level as a major retailer, there are a lot of strategies you can use to sell more products or services through the end of the year. To help you plan ahead for the big holiday sale days and beyond, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

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Whether it’s to make a purchase, fill out a form or sign up for a list, the natural purpose of any business website is to get visitors to convert. When first starting out, entrepreneurs may focus more on the logistics of their website—ensuring each page works properly and that it is designed to meet brand standards—but in the process, they may forget to think about action steps for potential customers. However, if entrepreneurs want to boost sales or generate leads, they’ll want to optimize their digital strategy for conversions. To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best tips for increasing conversions and explain why their advice is so effective.

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From DiSC to Myers-Briggs, there’s no shortage of personality tests available today. While leaders often use these tests to better understand their current teams, personality assessments can also provide critical information on prospective hires. Here, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share what you can learn about candidates through personality assessments—and what you can’t—and how they can be useful in finding the right talent for your team.

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Many people dream of becoming entrepreneurs, but not everyone knows how to get there. What steps should you take? What skills should you learn? The path to entrepreneurship is rarely easy, but getting started on the right foot can help you succeed along the way. For those ready to take the leap into business ownership, leveraging your downtime will be key to making progress toward your goal. To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their insights with aspiring entrepreneurs and explain what they should be doing in their downtime now to prepare to start their entrepreneurial journeys.

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One of the biggest challenges of getting a new business off the ground is gaining traction in your target market. Building awareness requires an effective public relations strategy that can create a steady stream of positive news about your company. When you're on a small startup budget, you may not have the immediate resources necessary to hire a PR firm. Fortunately, there are some simple strategies you can employ to drum up publicity yourself. Here are 10 ways to encourage positive press for your business, as recommended by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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Running a small business can be time-consuming, so certain tasks may be pushed back in favor of more pressing ones. One task that should be prioritized, however, is professional development. By making the time to learn, you'll be better poised to grow as a leader and scale your business for the long term. To help you achieve this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members responded to the following question:

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When a professional’s goal is to be an industry thought leader, the natural first step is to get their ideas out into the world. For many, this means writing an article. But once you’ve written an article—or many, many articles—what else can you do to show off your expertise and connect with others in your space? Thankfully, the journey to becoming a thought leader doesn’t end with writing, and there are a myriad of ways professionals can promote themselves online or in person. To offer their insights, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one step a professional can take to become an industry thought leader and why these actions are so effective.

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Small businesses have taken a hit over the past few years with pandemic-related supply chain issues and increased inflation. Throughout these challenges, many business owners have been able to pivot and thrive in the current climate. However, there is always room for continued financial improvements to promote sustainable long-term growth. To help, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

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Your website’s landing page gives customers their first impression of your business. Customers will notice if your page has a slow load time, too many calls to action, broken links, or if it’s just too confusing to use—and they will likely click out of your page before viewing your products or services. This is why it’s so important to have a strong landing page that draws customers in, instead of pushing them away. From A/B testing to focusing on SEO keywords, Young Entrepreneur Council members share 12 best practices for optimizing your website’s landing page.

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If your team's morale seems a bit lower than usual, acknowledgement and rewards for their hard work can go a long way. As a leader, maybe you've noticed low team morale following the submission of a large proposal or after turning in a long-term assignment. After periods of high productivity, whether professionally or personally, your employees may need to recharge. There are many different ways leaders can help facilitate this, from giving extra time off to rewarding all that hard work with a fun activity or prize. Below, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members share some specific exercises, activities and advice for leaders to encourage employees to get back on track.

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While many companies are looking to improve their efforts when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion, it’s estimated that only 34% of companies currently have the resources to support those efforts. However, promoting better inclusivity in your company doesn’t have to immediately involve major staffing changes or expensive education programs. There are steps any business leader can take today that may not require any resources at all. Here, business leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council list 10 of those steps and explain why these practices can have such an effect on your employees, your business and your overall company culture.

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Sometimes, leaders aren't able to grant an employee's request for a raise, whether it's because there's no budget for it or because the person's performance or skill set doesn’t currently warrant one. In either case, leaders need to focus on tact and kindness when declining the employee's request — a task that may feel awkward or uncomfortable for leaders who have never done it. To help leaders in this situation, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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While nearly every role has some degree of creativity involved in its duties, heavily creative roles such as those in social media content creation, marketing, video production, copywriting and more naturally require a different skill set from those roles that may rely more on logical or analytical thinking. When hiring for these roles, then, employers will be basing their decisions on a different list of desired traits and skills. So what exactly should aspiring creatives be focusing on improving or highlighting on their resumes? Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share nine skills and traits they look for when hiring for a creative role and why a candidate who possesses them is so appealing.

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Choosing the right software as a service (SaaS) tools for your business can prove to be a Herculean task. Whether it's for accounting, marketing or HR, it's important to choose software that will grow with your business and offer ongoing support for your questions and needs. It's also important to consider how well your SaaS selections will integrate and communicate with each other. As you make your decisions, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend asking yourself the following 10 questions. You might find that the answers can help make assembling your SaaS stack a little bit easier.

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When it comes to job interviews, many employers are focused on the questions they’ll be asking each candidate and the best way to phrase those questions in order to get the information they need to make a quality decision. However, what many employers may not prepare for are the difficult questions they’ll be asked by the candidates and how they should go about answering them while still shining a positive light on their company. Throughout their careers, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have been asked their fair share of tough questions by interviewees. Below, they share some of the most challenging questions, how they responded and why they believe other employers should respond the same way.

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Maintaining a positive relationship with your clients is important for both your business and theirs. However, there are times when your team and your client may disagree about how a project or initiative is being carried out. In cases like this, you'll want to find a solution to move forward respectfully, efficiently and collaboratively. To help you do this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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A healthy employee is a happy employee, and many companies that understand this go out of their way to support the health and well-being of their employees by offering employee wellness programs. However, even if a company offers an employee wellness program, its benefits can often go unused by employees. In fact, some studies suggest usage of employee assistance programs is as little as 10%.  So how can concerned employers raise participation rates and encourage better health for their team members? Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share nine tips for getting employees interested in your company’s wellness program and their own health and fitness.

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When it comes to brand building, consistency is key. If your brand is humorous and witty one day and then stark and serious the next, or if your logo has a certain look on your product packaging but a completely different look on your website, your customers may struggle to identify who you are and what you stand for—and that can translate into fewer sales and less interest overall.  One easy way to ensure brand consistency is to build a style guide. This guide should contain all the “rules” of your brand’s style and use, and can be used by all members of your staff to keep your brand consistent across mediums. But before you get started building your own, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend you consider these nine points to help make your style guide a thorough one.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their insights on what makes effective ad copy. When it comes to advertising campaigns, you can tell when a brand has knocked it out of the park. The message is concise but impactful, and it communicates what the reader needs to know while drawing them in to learn more. Equally clear is when ad copy has missed the mark and produced an ineffective campaign. Fortunately, brands can follow a few basic principles to produce excellent, conversion-worthy advertisements. To that end, 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their descriptions of the best ad copy and why they believe every marketer should meet these standards.

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Business travel is an excellent opportunity to make new connections and close deals. However, between transportation, meals, accommodations and other per diem expenses, it's easy for a traveling professional to rack up a hefty bill. To help busy travelers find ways to keep costs down during a business trip, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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While they may be effective in drawing in more customers, many ad campaigns come and go, doing just enough to catch audience attention and increase brand awareness. However, there are other campaigns that truly stick with an audience—be it a niche group or even an entire generation. These campaigns are not just memorable, but they’ve often become part of popular culture. Whether it’s with their humor, their emotion or their important message, these ads inspire and entertain all while teaching other companies what makes a truly effective campaign. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council describe the ad campaigns they greatly admire and the lessons they’ve learned about advertising and beyond.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share how changing these habits could bring you greater success in the marketing field. Marketing is a key part of any business that helps connect customers to your product or service and increases your bottom line. But even the most experienced marketers on your team may have developed bad habits throughout the years that hurt your business. Whether trying every new tool or taking on too many projects at once, some bad common practices persist among many professionals in the industry. To that end, 11 Young Entrepreneur Council members share some common bad habits they’ve seen in marketing and what you can do to change them.

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Marketing is one of the most vital aspects of business, as without any marketing efforts, your target market won’t ever hear about or find your product or service. But because of its importance, that also means marketing can come with some tough decisions. Whether it’s about what direction to take, who to work with, what your messaging should be or where to allocate your resources, these choices can have a major impact on the potential success of your product or service. When you’re tasked with making these decisions as a leader—no matter if you make the right ones or the wrong ones—you’re bound to learn something along the way. Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council describe their toughest marketing decisions and the lessons they learned as a result.

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One-on-one meetings can be powerful opportunities for employees and managers to connect on goals, reassess tasks and brainstorm ideas, but they can also turn into wasted time if not leveraged properly. If there’s no agenda to follow or neither party is sure what to discuss, the meeting may end early and without any real progress made. By asking the right questions, however, managers can gain better insights from their team members, discovering what truly motivates them and what’s holding them back from achieving their goals. To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the questions they like to ask during one-on-one meetings and why they think these questions help improve the quality of their conversations.

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Google Analytics can do so much for a business that every business owner should make a point of at least looking at it.

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A new business won't survive long if it doesn't have solid cash flow and a good accounting system in place. Unfortunately, some of the most common financial problems stem from simple mistakes new entrepreneurs may make the first time they're tasked with keeping the books. Luckily, there are ways to avoid or fix most of these common mistakes and save your business's bottom line. To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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When a company’s growth seems to be slowing down or hitting a plateau, it may be indicative of a bigger problem. However, it’s how you address the problem that can make or break your business. To help, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members share their strategies for regaining momentum in your business, and explain why these strategies work so well to help reignite your growth.

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Every team needs someone who they can turn to for guidance, inspiration and motivation. Without a great leader, a business may quickly find itself directionless and producing poor results. As successful business leaders themselves, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have learned a lot about effective leadership during their careers. Below, nine of them share some of the lessons they’ve learned recently, and explain how these lessons have helped them improve their leadership skills and, ultimately, their businesses.

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Considering all the emails consumers receive on a daily basis, email marketing can be a tricky form of marketing to undertake. However, when done right, it can be an effective communication tool to gain new clients and customers. This also means that, with a little strategic planning and creative thinking, businesses can leverage their email marketing to increase brand loyalty and keep customers. But how do they do it? Here, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share pointers on how businesses can improve their email marketing to boost brand loyalty and why this marketing tactic works so well.

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Taking up a side hustle has become increasingly popular and easier to achieve in the modern digital age. While there are countless side hustles people can take advantage of, there may be a few opportunities that are more lucrative than others. If you're looking for your next side hustle idea, it helps to get inspiration from individuals who have successfully launched and grown businesses themselves. Below, members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one side hustle they believe will be popular in the coming years and why each one is such a good opportunity.

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During job interviews, prospective hires strive to put their best foot forward and provide thoughtful, impressive answers to the interviewer's questions. While there are countless interview questions an interviewer can ask during the meeting, it's crucial for interviewees to ensure the answers they give aren't stale. No matter whether a prospective hire is only saying what they think the interviewer wants to hear or they've searched how to answer a question "correctly," some interviewers can get tired of a seemingly rehearsed answer. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the rehearsed interview answers they're tired of hearing and what candidates should say instead.

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In the remote work era, the boundaries between work and personal time have become increasingly blurred. But regardless of work environment, industry or even job level, it can be difficult to "turn off" work when the day is done, leaving professionals to struggle with consequences like burnout, mental health crises and increased stress levels. As experienced business leaders, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council know that a poor work-life balance can be a significant obstacle on the road to success. Below, 10 of them share some clear signs that you might need to improve the balance between your personal and professional lives, as well as how you can achieve it.

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In a competitive labor market, many companies are striving to put their best foot forward during job candidate interviews. However, some interviewers may stretch the truth a bit or omit certain information to better appeal to potential employees. Instead, it’s important to remember that transparency during job interviews will help companies find the best hire for the position while also maintaining company values. To share more insights, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council detail below how interviewers can be more "real" when talking to candidates and how this will help them find the right hire.

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With so many technological advancements taking place and remote and hybrid workforces on the rise, recruiting and hiring processes are much different than they used to be. These days, apps, software and social platforms are where many companies go to seek new talent.  Depending on your industry and company culture, however, some software will be more beneficial than others when it comes to hiring. Here, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss their picks for today's most impactful apps and software for recruiting and hiring.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how to build a company culture that can successfully handle any issue, mistake or challenge that arises. Businesses thrive when leaders and their teams are able to quickly pivot and change direction when necessary. Trends change frequently and problems often arise unexpectedly, and when this happens, successful companies make the changes needed to rise above the challenge. Not everyone is naturally adaptable, though, so leaders must cultivate adaptability within themselves and within their teams to achieve their goals. Below, 11 Young Entrepreneur Council members share some practical ways leaders can help build cultures of adaptability for their own companies.

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Social media management is a career field filled with limitless opportunities in our increasingly digital world. More companies than ever before are searching for tech-savvy social media managers who can uplevel their social media content and reach wider audiences. In a competitive, trending industry, it's critical to know how to stand out and put your best foot forward. For professionals just starting out as social media managers, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members offer their best advice below.

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No matter if working with a team is part of your daily routine or if it’s something you only need to do for special assignments, it's important to understand how to maintain creativity when working together. With a variety of minds and personalities working together, creative thought should flourish—but there are a few factors that can sabotage it if everyone isn’t careful. In order to avoid these factors, however, first you must identify them. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss these sabotaging factors and what teams and their leaders can do to prevent them.

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Whether it's cold calls, sales calls or building a relationship with a vendor, phone conversations are prevalent in many professionals' daily working lives. However, it can be tricky to sound confident and at ease over the phone without a face-to-face connection. No matter what your specific role is, getting comfortable with phone conversations is crucial, as these conversations can make or break sales and important working relationships. To help, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their tips for sounding more confident during business phone calls and explain why each strategy is so effective.

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Good customer service teams can help maintain healthy customer relationships and build back any trust that may have been lost due to a poor experience. Conversely, a bad support team can have the opposite effect, leaving customers feeling like their money could have been better spent elsewhere. Properly training customer service teams to handle the myriad of issues that can occur will help customers maintain a favorable opinion of your company and keep them coming back again and again. To help you do this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share the best advice a leader can impart to their staff while training on one of the more popular modes of customer support—live chat.

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Every growing organization will experience role transitions at some point. Whether a project is changing hands, an employee is moving into a promotion, or you’re hiring someone to take on a new position, you will want the transitions to go smoothly. For the best ways to ensure successful transitions, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share their best advice.

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Dealing with conflict is no easy feat — especially when it’s coming from an upset customer. Whether it’s problems finding information on your website or frustrations with a particular product or service, any issue has the potential to turn into a major conflict if not handled properly from the start. For customer support professionals, keeping the tone of conversations with customers both productive and positive can go a long way in ensuring situations don’t escalate. To help you achieve this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council experts each share their best advice for keeping customer support conversations positive and explain why these tips work so well.

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When done thoughtfully, internships can have major benefits for both the interns and the companies who host them. Interns are able to get valuable hands-on experience in their chosen field, and companies are able to get to know and evaluate potential employees before committing to hiring them. But while the basic premise is the same, the dynamic changes when the environment shifts to a virtual setup. When interns are instead behind a screen instead of in the office, managing them and their program requires extra consideration and intention. To help make this task a little easier, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council list some of their top tips for setting up and running a virtual internship program and share how you can ensure its success.

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One of the first things a business owner might do when starting their business is determine their target audience. Even after narrowing down your target audience, however, you'll still find a lot of diversity in your customer base. Whether they’re of various ages, genders, careers, cultures or needs, there are many different types of people who may be interested in and find value in your product or service. In order to appeal to them all, then, you’ll need to design your website thoughtfully. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the strategies you can use to make your website more appealing to a diverse audience. Try out one of their methods to ensure everyone has a positive experience with your business.

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In the current hiring market, competition is fierce. With so many options available to job seekers, companies must attempt to out-compete others in their industry in order to attract and hire talent, and this has led to many companies struggling to fill roles—and wondering what they can do to make the top of candidates’ lists. In today’s market especially, attracting applicants must be approached differently than in the past, and it’s likely some companies are making a few mistakes along the way. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members discuss a few of the mistakes they’re seeing companies make when it comes to competing for talent and explain what leaders should be doing to fix them.

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With so many competing companies in today's marketplace, customers have countless options when it comes to patronizing a business. To influence their decision-making, customers look for companies that they believe will add value to their lives.   Below, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their thoughts on ways small business owners can consistently bring value to customers. They explain how these methods strengthen a business's connection with its customers and ultimately ensure the company's longevity.

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Every successful entrepreneur has one special "something" that has made a unique, lasting contribution to their achievements, be it a former mentor, a previous role they held or an event that impacted their life. Our lived experiences help define who we are as individuals and hone our perspectives throughout life. As we advance as professionals, these experiences take shape as new traits, resources and accomplishments that help drive our ongoing maturity and achievement. Whether it’s in their personal or professional lives, Young Entrepreneur Council members have been influenced by many milestone moments and memories. Below, nine of them describe the most important things they've gained as they've advanced in their careers and how these additions benefit them in the roles they play now.

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Many employees are intimidated by salary negotiation, especially if they don’t have any prior experience with it. However, managers are more open to negotiation than you might think. In fact, 75% of managers expect to negotiate when making a job offer; however, workers often don’t take them up on the opportunity. To help professionals who have never done this before, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members shared salary negotiation insights from an employer’s perspective. They offered tips for successfully asking for a higher salary and shared how these strategies have worked in the real world.

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For some, the meaning of the adage “the customer is always right” has evolved from “businesses should listen to consumers because they drive the market” to “businesses should always focus on giving customers exactly what they want—no matter the ask or the cost.” However, sometimes the customer isn’t actually right, and giving in to their demands isn’t the wise move. When a customer is angry or frustrated, it’s important for a business to listen to and empathize with their concerns. But if that customer is ultimately wrong, you shouldn’t make unreasonable sacrifices or do something that’s not really in their best interests just to get back into their good graces. Here, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members share their thoughts on how to strike a balance between ensuring a customer feels well-treated and doing what’s right for your business.

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Overcoming a creative block can seem impossible at times, but with the right strategies, you can unlock more of your potential. When you’re a creative person, it’s normal to experience blocks where you feel as though you aren’t original or innovative enough. Many people experience this same lack of confidence when they don’t believe in their skills; however, knowing how to move past these blocks is critical.  For entrepreneurs in particular, a creative block can be a major barrier that hinders their ability to produce results. Below, a group of successful business leaders share their best advice for unlocking true creativity. They share examples that have worked for them and explain how they can help any business owner get past their blocks to unleash their creative side.

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A large part of the personal branding process relies on speaking with others, presenting new ideas to digital and in-person audiences, and establishing connections. To a self-described introvert, these tasks can seem like big hurdles on the way to success. But there are ways for introverts to get their names out there and create strong relationships within their network. Whether it's becoming more active on LinkedIn or publishing articles on sites within your discipline, introverts have many opportunities to be involved in the business community while still leaving space to recharge with solo activities. Below, 13 Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their keys to personal branding success as an introverted leader.

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Books can be an invaluable source of information, experience, innovation, motivation and so much more. But for business leaders and entrepreneurs, books are immensely useful tools, whether they're seeking guidance, looking for insight on a specific process or just trying to find a source of inspiration and creativity.  Here, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the books that have made the biggest impact on the way they lead their companies, and explain why they’d recommend these books to any entrepreneur looking to learn.

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Cloud computing has become wildly popular in the past decade as it offers an array of benefits for businesses—especially ones with large-scale operations that require a vast amount of computer system resources. Cloud computing services provide an affordable and secure way to store data and access it on demand so you're not losing money purchasing, storing and maintaining your own servers and data centers. While the benefits of cloud computing are clear, there are countless services available today—and countless ways of implementing them—so getting started can sometimes be overwhelming. To help, eight professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council share their top tips for business owners who are implementing cloud computing for the first time.

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Jumping on the latest cultural trends can be a good way to make some quick money or earn some fast fame. However, steering your ship off course to try to take advantage of passing trends isn't always the best long-term decision.  It often happens that businesses try to profit from what's trending just to end up wasting time and resources in the end. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their arguments for why it’s actually better to stay the course with your business and let the trends pass you by.

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Many professionals look for meaning and purpose in their work—their "true calling." Passion is a great motivator for business owners, and being intentional with your work will help generate great outcomes. If you have a specific mission and vision in place, you have something to return to any time you feel stuck in your business. However, your purpose doesn't have to be extravagant and grand; it can be as simple as you'd like it to be. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their own personal career callings and how following those paths has impacted their business journeys.

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Starting a new business isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes courage, ambition, and a tangible plan. Many people will be eager to support you on your journey, but some may actually give you advice that could hurt your chances for success. Here, members of Young Entrepreneur Council list an “unlucky 13” collection of the worst startup advice they were given, and explain why that misguided startup advice is so harmful to entrepreneurs who are just starting out.

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During the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have permanently migrated to a remote working environment. While these working arrangements have their benefits, one aspect that may be neglected is company culture, leading to low productivity and camaraderie throughout your team. During the winter months, when workers may deal with seasonal depression or post-holiday blues, it's important to keep spirits high. To help you do this, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some ways for leaders to liven up the energy of their remote teams all winter long.

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Every professional should master the art of persuasion. Whether you're negotiating for a raise, pitching to an investor, giving a presentation, or trying to win a new client, having influence can help reach your goal.   Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share top tips to appeal to others — and why those tactics work so well.

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Businesses may need to participate in fundraising efforts to secure additional capital, fund research efforts or expand their market reach. Before they can begin, however, leaders must determine their company's valuation. A valuation of a company is determined through various calculations that take into account factors such as market value and annual revenue. This step is crucial as it may determine whether or not investors choose to invest in your business. If you're about to begin the fundraising process for your startup, consider these eight factors that can influence your valuation, as shared by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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When people hear the word "sales," they may think of demanding revenue targets, nonstop calls and long hours. While some sales roles can be challenging, this one-sided perception takes away from the fact that the field of sales is often a rewarding career choice.  Depending on where you work, your sales role will likely afford you a flexible work schedule, a chance to diversify your skills and high compensation potential. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council detailed some common misconceptions about sales they don't want industry newcomers to believe. Here's why these leaders say sales is a great field to get into, especially as a recent graduate.

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When meeting with a potential investor, it’s important that entrepreneurs come prepared for any questions that may arise. You’ll likely spend hours preparing your answers, but even then, tough questions may be posed that, without good answers, could damage your confidence. Therefore, to help you avoid being surprised during a pitch, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members each shared the toughest question they’ve ever been asked during an investor meeting and how they recommend you prepare for it.

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At one point or another, most professionals face a crossroads in their career. Whether they simply want to change jobs, pursue a different career path or still don't know what their true calling in life is, there are a lot of questions a person can ask themselves before choosing a direction. While there's something to be said for trusting your gut, it's wise to consider your options carefully and ask the right questions of yourself when trying to determine where to take your career next. To guide you, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members offered 10 key questions that can help you illuminate the correct "next step."

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Competition between businesses gets fierce during the holiday season. This means your marketing game needs to be on point if you want to steal the spotlight from your competitors and attract more customers during this busy time of year — especially if you're a small- and medium-sized business operating on a limited budget. To help get you started, 12 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

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For most entrepreneurs, the early days of their business entail doing most of the day-to-day work themselves. However, as your business grows, so will your need to hire and effectively manage others. Expanding your team requires you to hone your leadership skills, as well as a strategic vision to keep your team on track. To help, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some essential leadership skills every entrepreneur should nurture. Follow their recommendations to improve your management abilities and foster a strong business culture.

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Long-term brand recognition and customer loyalty are common goals of almost every business. To create this kind of longevity, business owners will need to create brands that people like, remember and trust. As successful business leaders themselves, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council understand what it takes to build a company that withstands the test of time. Below, they shared eight key steps you can take to cultivate a truly timeless brand.

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Today's consumers are more skeptical than ever. They crave authenticity and often demand it from the companies they buy from. Today's most successful B2B and B2C organizations across many industries have learned to meet this expectation head-on. When your company comes across as authentic and trustworthy, it helps you build strong, lasting relationships with customers and clients. To help you achieve this, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered their top tips for how to be more trustworthy to your customers.

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Social media can do wonders for a business — as long as you have followers paying attention. It can be a common misconception, especially among new entrepreneurs, that you just need to create a few social media profiles and your followers will find you.  However, if you want to amass a large following of loyal, engaged customers, you’ll need to be proactive. To help set you on the right path, 14 members of YEC share their best tips and hacks for new entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their business's social media following.

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When you want your business to stand out online, it's crucial to have a never-ending supply of new and creative ideas. Sometimes new ideas come naturally, but every business owner or entrepreneur will go through times when the creative juices aren't flowing when they need them to the most.  This is when having go-to strategies for idea generation can come in handy. Here, 12 members of YEC share their best methods for coming up with new ideas to ensure your content stays fresh.

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Like any other skill, better communication comes with practice. Whether you’re a business leader or an everyday employee, communication is an essential skill that can launch your career to the next level — if harnessed correctly. The power to communicate can better your relationships with your clients and colleagues, move you forward with projects and increase your opportunities for success in your industry. But while communication comes naturally for many professionals, for others, it takes a bit more practice and intention to get right. To offer their advice, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tips for professionals looking to improve their communication skills and progress in their careers.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss why doing these things could do more harm than good for your business. Even the best businesses are bound to get a bad review at some point, and yet, for new business owners, this can be a difficult reality to face. No business leader wants to hear that a customer had a bad experience with a product or service, especially after all the time and effort put into getting it just right. This situation can lead entrepreneurs to become frustrated or dejected, and they may end up responding in a way that they come to regret later on. If you want to resolve the situation, retain your customer and boost your company’s reputation, there are certain things you should never do in response to a bad review. Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council list several of these “don’ts” and explain what you should be doing instead.

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For those working within a small business or team, it can be difficult to take time off. No one wants to go on vacation at the expense of their company and peers—especially during periods of rapid business growth. Still, employees and leaders need to establish healthy work-life boundaries, even when their team is small and the work is plentiful. To provide guidance on how to do just that, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some strategies to help small teams establish balance while their company is growing quickly. Follow their advice to help you and your team better prioritize rest and relaxation.

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Success starts with building one small habit at a time. Some of the most successful people in the world swear by following a daily routine and building positive habits. When you focus your attention on building positive work habits, you'll notice things start to change. You'll be able to communicate better, tasks will feel less overwhelming and you'll be able to approach problems with a clear mind.  Sometimes building a small habit takes a lot of focus and effort, but it's well worth it for the success of your future. Here, 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the positive work habits they have been cultivating and how those habits have helped them be more successful leaders.

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Garnering tons of social media engagement sometimes requires an out-of-the-box approach. Having a strong social media presence is a must-have for entrepreneurs, as this is where most consumers search for or connect with businesses. However, it isn’t enough just to have an active account. To really reap the benefits of social media marketing, you must actively engage with your followers.  To help companies better leverage their social media presence, 14 Young Entrepreneur Council members share some effective, yet potentially unconventional ways companies can maintain and boost engagement with their audience.

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Prioritizing and fostering creativity is vital. Pick your moment and be willing to reevaluate your plans. And touch things once to maximize efficiency.

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Learning how to speak up in a group and make your voice heard is an essential professional skill. Anyone who's worked on a group project knows how difficult it can be to ensure each person's thoughts and opinions are heard. When there's a lively discussion happening, there will always be a few people who dominate the conversation and try to take the lead. However, it's important to be able to politely interject and advocate for your ideas. To help you do this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their best insights. Here's how they recommend making your voice heard in a group setting, and why doing so is an important skill for all professionals and entrepreneurs.

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In a world filled with uncertainties, businesses want to be able to rely on customer loyalty. Many businesses know they wouldn’t be successful without their customers, but they may not be sure how to best thank them for their loyalty. To retain customers, it’s important to find effective ways to thank them for their business. That's why 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their favorite unique ways to thank loyal members of your brand community. Follow their recommendations and make your customer's day.

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The Internet of Things (IoT) has been gaining more and more traction over the past few years as connected devices and smart home and office gadgets dominate the market. According to Statista, the IoT market revenue worldwide is projected to climb to over 1 trillion dollars by 2030. With this increased revenue comes a number of new ways for businesses to leverage IoT technology. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared some business opportunities they see emerging in the IoT sector. Keep an eye out for these 10 growing trends in the B2B IoT space.

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Starting a new job can be difficult for anyone, but it can be especially daunting for someone hired for a managerial position. Integrating yourself into an established culture and work environment as a leader can be nerve-wracking and raise a lot of doubts and fears. Will your new employees accept you? How can you earn their trust and respect? To help start the job on the right foot, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members each detail one step a new manager can take to establish strong relationships with their team. Here are their recommendations and why it’s so important to follow these steps when you're starting out. 

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Cash flow is a crucial element of success whether your business is just starting out or well-established. However, as a business owner, you may find it difficult to move toward positive cash flow while juggling the other management tasks on your plate. Often, entrepreneurs and leaders make some critical errors in handling their cash flow, especially in the early stages. From having too many expenditures to neglecting taxes, there are a number of mistakes that can easily jeopardize the future of your business. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared nine common mistakes to avoid when managing your cash flow and how you can remedy them.

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In any type of face-to-face or video meeting, your body language can set the tone for the direction of the conversation. Depending on how you present yourself, the other person may be able to tell if you’re tense, worried or even closed off. Poor body language can have detrimental effects, especially if you’re speaking to a "very important person" who can determine the fate of your business. That's why it's important to put your best foot forward with parties like potential investors and business partners by paying extra attention to your nonverbal communications. To help you, eight Young Entrepreneur Council members shared some common body language mistakes you should avoid when speaking to a VIP.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss characteristics all top tech companies share and why. All companies start off in the same place—no clients, no reputation, no proven track record of success—but when you think of any top tech company, there’s usually a reason why they made it there.  As technology continues to progress and the need for technology companies grows, more and more business leaders are going to be looking for ways to emulate that success. To take some of the guesswork out of the equation, these 12 leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the traits all successful tech companies seem to have in common and why. Consider these traits when determining the right path to success for your business.

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Google is changing the rules of the game a bit.

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Office culture doesn't stagnate, and there will always be a constant change around how a business operates. Instituting new office procedures and policies as the company culture changes may mean taking some chances. Not all new plans are guaranteed to succeed, and some of them require considerable risk on behalf of the company. If a business isn't sure if a policy or proposal will turn out positively, then its implementation should be weighed carefully. Failure of the policy might mean severe drawbacks to the business as a whole. For entrepreneurs who are looking at instituting new policies, such as, for instance, allowing pets at the office, 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council examine the core considerations companies should make when evaluating the viability of implementation.

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Since JavaScript is a prime suspect for websites with lousy Google rankings, it makes sense to poke around a bit and follow the Five Commandments.

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A good online reputation leads new customers to your door. The lack of an online reputation or, worse yet, a poor online reputation can be a big, big problem. Fortunately, it’s possible to polish up reputations in need of repair.

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Schema markup makes your website work better for your business.

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It's an especially good time to reevaluate your site.

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Your content needs to not only be relevant, it has to deliver a message people are interested in reading about.

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Artificial reality and emotional intelligence are blazing the trails for a more intuitive searching experience.