Ben Landers

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When an entrepreneur brings on a business advisor, they often do so with the intention of gaining sound insight and advice—finding that “second opinion” that can help steer their business in the right direction. But, many times, an advisor turns into something more: a true mentor who can offer guidance, support, motivation and understanding when times get tough, as well as the advice needed to help get you back on your feet. When thinking about the advice from their own business advisors, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have a few key tips that come to mind. Below, each member shares one piece of sage wisdom their business advisor gave them, and why they consider it to be one of the best pieces of advice they’ve ever received.

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A company's mission serves as the foundation for everything it does. While the specific goals of the business may change over time, your original mission, vision and values should remain intact until you and your team consciously decide to change them. If you find your business moving away from its original mission unintentionally, it may be time to figure out the next steps. To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some recommended first steps you should take when you sense your company moving away from its original mission, vision and values. Follow their advice to reassess where you stand and decide whether it's best to return to your core mission or make a conscious pivot.

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As employees climb the corporate ladder, some may feel their natural next step is a managerial position. However, managerial roles aren't suited for everyone. If an employee asks you if you think they’d do well as a manager, it's important to be transparent and honest with the employee about whether their skills are up to par. If you find yourself in this situation, here are 10 essential things you should tell an aspiring manager they’ll need to succeed. Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain why these qualities and skills are so integral to a leader's job.

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Marketing is both an art and a science. It requires acute attention to detail, in-depth analysis, an understanding of mass psychology and a level of creative thinking that not many people possess. There are, however, several things that the best marketers all have in common. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss these things and explain how they make marketers so good at their jobs.

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Helping employees understand and acclimate to your company’s culture is a critical part of any new hire onboarding process. But when it comes to onboarding new managers, there are additional considerations to keep in mind.  As a key leader in your organization, a manager needs to be familiar with more than just their individual department—they also need to understand how their department fits into the structure and goals of the entire company. Below, eight Young Entrepreneur Council members offer some of the elements needed in manager onboarding if you want to set them—and your company—up for success.

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One of the best ways to attract customers to a business is by offering discounts. Whether your business is brand new or a multimillion-dollar company that's been in the game for over a decade, this tried-and-true tactic will always increase traffic. However, small businesses often can't afford to offer deep discounts on their products or services in the hopes of attracting new customers — They need to be strategic and creative in offering other incentives instead.  To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members responded to the following question:

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Even when candidates for a role have all the knowledge and experience necessary to excel in a position, they may not end up being the best fit for the job. For this reason, many employers choose to put new hires on a trial period before they decide whether or not to keep them on full time.  When conducting a trial period for a new hire, there are several things you can evaluate candidates on to ensure they’re the right fit. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the criteria they recommend using to evaluate new hires during a trial period and how these play a role in whether or not they would decide to keep them on as full-time employees.

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Every business that's been created was built by the entrepreneur taking some sort of risk. Some risks are obvious, such as taking out a large loan from a family member. Others are more subtle and harder to recognize as they're happening. As an entrepreneur, you may be taking risks right now that you don't even realize. To help you recognize and prepare for those risks, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council described some of the risks they unknowingly took when they first started their business journeys and how their experiences have shaped where they are today.

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One of the biggest challenges for new entrepreneurs across the board is learning how to manage their finances. This is especially true of cash flow management. If you're not used to handling a business budget or invoicing, it's easy to lose track of how much money is coming in versus going out of the business. Because cash flow is such an essential indicator of a company's overall financial health, it's important to learn how to master best practices and avoid critical pitfalls. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some common mistakes they've seen entrepreneurs make with their cash flow and how to avoid them as a new business owner.

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When you first started your business, you may have found a few trustworthy team members to back you up. As the business is growing, you may be noticing your original startup team isn't aligning with your overall vision or perhaps you've simply "outgrown" the need for the roles you hired them to do. This misalignment can ultimately lead to stagnation within all facets of your company as well as an unhappy workforce. So, how do you know when it's time to bring in fresh perspectives? Nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered some signs that may indicate your original startup team is no longer suitable for your current business direction.

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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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As a leader with a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, you'll likely experience many moments that cause you anxiety or fear. Whether you're battling imposter syndrome or simply taking on too much work, it's easy to feel like you're just treading water. Thankfully, there are ways you can address these stressors and insecurities to become the most empowered leader possible. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared some "brain hacks" to help leaders overcome these fearful moments. Follow their advice to help you move forward in your business with confidence.

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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.  Thankfully, there are some simple, yet powerful changes that business leaders can make in their daily routines to live healthier and more successful lives. Here, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best advice on how to stay strong and motivated without losing momentum.

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Devastating occurrences sometimes happen in business without a lot of forewarning. Entrepreneurs can leverage insurance to protect themselves from things such as fire or theft, but there are other less obvious disasters that are more difficult to prepare for. And yet, these negative situations can often be blessings in disguise, pushing the business to regroup, rethink and grow in the process. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the devastating occurrences that have affected their organizations and the lessons they learned that helped them move forward and achieve success.

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There may come a time for certain employees when they notice that their skills or interests are better suited to another part of the company and they ask to switch to a different department to better serve their goals. When this happens, managers may not know how to react as the request may come out of the blue or it could be taken as a slight on their current department. However, it’s important to keep a few key ideas in mind and help this employee grow and develop the most positive way possible. To help managers keep perspective, eight experts from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss what managers should do when an employee asks to move to a different department and why facilitating these moves could be to the benefit of the employee and the company as a whole.

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Marketing is a crucial element of any successful business, and even small business startups will need to begin building their marketing department as soon as possible. However, some marketing roles are more critical to your business’s success than others. To help you determine which role you need to hire for first, 13 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answer the following question:

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As an entrepreneur, it’s important to create and implement a branding strategy for your business. This will help you better connect with your customers and share your company’s story/personality with your target audience. Developing a branding strategy can be challenging if you don’t know where to begin, so we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share some specific brands or personalities whose top-notch branding strategies are worthy of emulation. Read their responses to familiarize yourself with these successful branding tactics.

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As a manager, you likely have a long list of responsibilities and many demands on your time. This may leave you with little time for unplanned meetings or additional questions from your team members, let alone time to complete your own work. Regardless of your workload, though, it’s vital to make yourself available to your employees. It not only ensures that everyone is able to carry out their daily tasks efficiently, but it also builds confidence and trust between you and your team members. Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share 10 ways you can make yourself available to your team, no matter how busy you are.

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It's no surprise that cold calling remains one of the most effective means of getting leads. Unfortunately, people tend to be averse to getting calls out of the blue. Some people even reject unknown numbers to avoid cold calls altogether. Despite this, user engagement with phone calls remains high, and the number of people you connect with increases your chance of success. Even though it's a numbers’ game at heart, you can develop an advantage by stacking the odds in your favor. The most critical thing to figure out is how to approach cold calling so as to get the best results. We consulted eight experts from Young Entrepreneur Council regarding their best advice for landing cold calling clients. Here's what they had to share: