Blair Williams

January 13th, 2021

Eight Ways To Keep Your Company Culture Intact As Your Business Expands

Businesses never stay the same size forever. An entrepreneur may yearn for the early days when their business was just a handful of people. But over time, businesses find great success and become entities that may span several offices and regions.

January 11th, 2021

Eight Key Strategies To Get Investors Interested In Your Business

Finding funding is typically one of the most challenging parts of starting a new business. The risks versus rewards of investing in new companies can usually have investors worried about jumping in. The responsibility is then on the entrepreneur to make their business idea exciting and attractive enough to warrant investors' attention.

January 11th, 2021

11 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Start Their Day on the Right Note

January 8th, 2021

13 BEST PRACTICES FOR ENGAGING AND RETAINING MOBILE APP USERS

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer some effective ways to keep users coming back to your mobile app.

January 4th, 2021

STRUGGLING TO DELEGATE? 13 TIPS FOR THE HANDS-ON CEO

Members of Young Entrepreneur explain how hands-on CEOs can get more comfortable with delegation.

January 4th, 2021

Tips for Dealing With Controversial Topics on Social Media

Social media is a place for anyone to express their opinions and beliefs, and often that means talking about controversial topics. Sometimes, a business may post something that sparks a heated debate, or its social media followers might bring up these touchy issues on the business’s page, leaving the brand to come up with a response that won't offend or alienate its audience.

January 4th, 2021

Three Important Influencer Marketing Tips You Should Know

If you carry out social media marketing, then working with influencers is something you need to seriously consider. When you’re a small brand, it can take months of consistent effort, if not years, to build an audience.

December 30th, 2020

Eight Smart Strategies For Getting Informative Feedback From Your Customer Base

When you understand your customer, you can better tailor your products and services to their needs. The most reliable way to get to know who your customers are and what they're looking for is to get that information directly from them. But how can you persuade customers to give you the comprehensive, actionable feedback you need?

December 28th, 2020

Eight Obstacles Entrepreneurs Never Expected To Have To Overcome When Starting Their Businesses

The easiest part of opening a business is coming up with the idea and filing the paperwork. The most challenging part often might not be apparent right away. No leader can predict or prepare for every obstacle they might encounter as a business owner, and hurdles can vary by industry and by each entrepreneur. However, with a little insight from more experienced entrepreneurs and the right mindset, you can successfully guide you and your business through any challenge.

December 28th, 2020

13 Unusual But Effective Strategies for Sharing Your Company Culture With New Hires

Onboarding a new employee is an exciting time for any business. While you're eager to get your new team member up and running on their tasks, you also need to ensure they understand the company culture and will mesh with your organization for the long term. That's why we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

December 28th, 2020

Confront Adversity Head-On With These 15 Steps

Facing adversity can help you grow in ways you never imagined.

December 21st, 2020

13 Practical Steps for Conquering Self-Doubt

Self-doubt can be debilitating for some individuals. If you're trying to advance your career, the belief that you’re not good enough can quickly put an end to those aspirations. It can make you feel less confident about your abilities, which in turn can make you seem less trustworthy and dependable to others. If you can't believe in yourself, will anyone else?

December 21st, 2020

9 Things Mobile Marketers Should Do Better in Q1 The first quarter of any new year comes with its own challenges and expectations for marketers. WIth mobile marketing having grown exponentially in this pandemic-hit world of social distancing and remote work, marketers will have their work in Q1 of 2021 cut out for them. So what should mobile marketers focus on doing better in the first quarter of the new year and why?

December 17th, 2020

Want to Boost Your Team's Programming Skills? Try These 15 Expert-Recommended Tools

Programming is highly in demand in today's digital-first world. Try these tools, courses and platforms recommended by business leaders.

December 15th, 2020

No Product Reviews? Here's How to Encourage Amazon Sales Anyway

December 10th, 2020

Switching Industries? 11 Ways To Figure Out The Right Fit

Whether it’s frustration from limitations in their current industry or being shaken by the instability of the job market during COVID-19, many professionals are starting over in their careers, possibly in a new industry entirely. 

December 8th, 2020

Avoid a Boring Branded Giveaway With These 13 Creative Ideas

December 8th, 2020

Hyperfocus Versus Scatterfocus: How To Boost Your Productivity

Whether it's hyperfocusing or scatterfocusing, there is more than one way to drive productivity.

December 3rd, 2020

14 Ways to Achieve Personal Goals While Successfully Running a Company

December 2nd, 2020

14 WAYS TO REDUCE ONLINE CART ABANDONMENT AND CONVERT MORE SITE VISITORS

Everyone online shopper has added items to their cart, only to close out of the website before completing the purchase. This behavior has led to an average online cart abandonment rate of 60% to 80% for many e-commerce sites.

December 2nd, 2020

16 Excellent Sales Automation Tools

16 entrepreneurs from YEC share their favorite sales automation tools and strategies and explain why they work.

December 1st, 2020

Have You 'Outgrown' Your Original Employees? Here's How To Assess Their Evolution

When you first start your business, every member of the “founding team” -- i.e. you and your first employees -- is crucial to its early success. As your business grows and changes, there may come a time when you feel yourself starting to outgrow your original employees.

November 30th, 2020

Try These Nine Expert-Recommended Strategies To Take Your Blog To The Next Level

Blogging is a great way to share information and valuable content with your audience. It also brings a great chance to send potential consumers your way based on your search engine optimization (SEO).

November 24th, 2020

Passion Or Profit: Nine Factors To Consider When Deciding What Business To Start

New entrepreneurs sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that they can make their hobbies profitable through their business. When you're putting together a company, the first thing you may want to consider is whether you're doing this as a passion or for profit.

November 24th, 2020

Build Your Brand Via Speaking Engagements With These 10 Tips

Public speaking is a great way to gain exposure for your brand and a reputation for expertise in your field. Events with an audience allow for transparency and vulnerability—two key pieces to success when you're working to build a brand that consumers are eager to engage with. Speaking events also help you show off the core solutions your business has to offer.

November 23rd, 2020

 11 Critical Qualities Your Part-Time CFO Should Have

Occasionally, a business may require a part-time chief financial officer because their full-time employee has left or transitioned to a new portfolio. A part-time CFO doesn't need to have the same skill set as the original office-holder. However, to be successful in their endeavors on behalf of the company, they need to have a series of qualities making them suitable for the position.

November 23rd, 2020

12 Ways Service-Based Businesses Can Take Advantage of the Holiday Season

The holiday season is usually a goldmine of opportunities for product-based businesses that deploy specific marketing strategies to make their offering stand out and be relevant for that time of the year. While service-based businesses typically find it more difficult to capitalize on this season’s business opportunities, there are still several creative strategies they can deploy to make holiday marketing work in their favor. To help, we asked 12 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

November 18th, 2020

10 Smart Questions To Expect From Investors

When you set out to pitch your idea to an investor, you usually go through the most common questions that they're likely to ask. Discerning investors are careful about where they put their money, but a well-prepared entrepreneur can quickly answer a surprising amount of what they ask.

November 18th, 2020

12 SMART WAYS TO KEEP CORPORATE FILES SAFE WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME

With most people working from home and away from their office’s internal server, data security is a pressing concern for employers. Companies and employees must make security a priority and understand how to keep their data safe when they’re working outside of their business’s secure network.

November 18th, 2020

11 Elements to Consider Before Deciding to Offer an Employee a Raise

November 17th, 2020

11 Ways “Boring” Industries Can Create Compelling Lead-Gen Content Creating effective lead-generation content can be especially challenging in an industry perceived as “boring” or generating low engagement rates. But with the right strategy and a talented copywriter, even a less-exciting industry can create content or products that would successfully boost engagement and generate leads. Here are some of the best ways to do it:

November 12th, 2020

8 Low-Cost File Sharing Services for Teams

With the current corporate focus on remote work, file-sharing and syncing services have become an essential part of the modern office. While some companies have bespoke designed solutions that meet their needs, these can be complicated and clunky to implement, requiring cybersecurity and IT administration input.

November 10th, 2020

LEADING THROUGH A CHAOTIC TIME? HERE'S HOW TO REGAIN ORDER IN YOUR BUSINESS

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tips for getting things back on track when your business is going through a turbulent period.

November 10th, 2020

20 Innovative Apps Ideal for Managing a Team Remotely

These 20 entrepreneurs discuss the best features for remote management of a displaced workforce.

November 6th, 2020

How To Boost Remote Customer Support In 2020

Using the right tools and tactics can help your customer support team provide the best service. 

November 4th, 2020

Nine Creative Strategies for Keeping an Audience Engaged on Your Website

A website can be a critical marketing tool as long as you manage to keep your audience engaged. Marketing can drive traffic to your website in several ways, with video, text, or image content. But once they get there, how do you keep them there?

November 3rd, 2020

13 Strategies for a Successful Microinfluencer Partnership

Influencers are the newest way of reaching out to social media audiences. Unlike traditional advertising, these influencers have their own goals and ambitions. Influencers thrive on building relationships between themselves and their audiences. Microinfluencers tend to have fewer followers but an even more close-knit community. In many cases, this closer relationship makes it easier for them to convince users of their perspective. When dealing with micro-influencers, businesses should understand what makes this particular relationship work so well. To help, we asked 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

November 2nd, 2020

Nine Essential Tools for Documenting Internal Business Processes

November 2nd, 2020

13 Signs You May Need a Motivation Boost

Staying motivated as an entrepreneur takes a lot of effort. In several situations, business owners find themselves struggling to point themselves in the right direction, whether in their profession or in their personal life. In both of these cases, your inspiration dictates the drive you have to accomplish your goals.

October 29th, 2020

UP YOUR UGC GAME WITH THESE 13 CONTENT STRATEGIES

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some creative ideas for tech companies that want to leverage more user-generated content.

October 28th, 2020

10 Key Steps That Will Help You Make Less Biased Decisions

We all have biases that affect our decision-making. These biases can sometimes be minor and have minimal impact, but other times they can have an outsized and potentially negative influence on your business and how it’s run.

October 28th, 2020

13 Pros and Cons of Using Personality Tests to Evaluate Employees

As entrepreneurs, we understand how powerful the classification of personality types can be in recruitment. From Myers-Briggs to Enneagram, the number of ways to gauge a person's innate traits can be measured in a hundred different ways. Several companies use one or more of those personality tests to develop their employees' potentials.

October 27th, 2020

12 Critical Marketing Skills in Today’s Digital Landscape As today’s digital landscape has shifted, with more companies switching to almost-entirely online operations, marketers’ roles and responsibilities are also changing. So which are some of the newest skills and competencies that are now critical for marketers to succeed in today’s increasingly digitized world?

October 21st, 2020

12 BIG UPCOMING TECH TRENDS ENTREPRENEURS PLAN TO LEVERAGE

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the upcoming technology trends they're most excited about and how they plan to jump on board.

October 12th, 2020

How To Leverage Intrinsic Motivation For Personal Fulfillment

Anyone can find intrinsic motivation in their life.

October 9th, 2020

Hiring New Remote Employees? Here’s How to Successfully Onboard Them Virtually

Remote working has taken the world by storm, as more and more businesses are looking at hiring workers and having them operate remotely. Aside from the convenience of the workers, the company also benefits from higher productivity and worker morale. However, getting those employees onboarded can be a challenging task. Businesses can't rely on the tried-and-true formulae they've used for years to onboard on-site employees and should instead adapt their techniques to cater for remote hires.

October 9th, 2020

10 Reasons a Press Release Is Still a Valuable Business Tool Once widely used by businesses as a way to boost visibility even if they did not have any relevant news to share, press releases are now believed to be an outdated approach, according to many industry professionals. However, when used right and timed appropriately, they can still be valuable tools for an organization. Here are 10 reasons why the press release still matters:

October 6th, 2020

10 Brilliant Strategies For Maximizing Your Commute Time And Improving Your Life

Many companies that shifted to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic have helped employees eliminate their daily commute. However, some professionals do still need to make regular trips into the office – and spending time commuting to work can feel stressful and counterproductive. If you use your time wisely, though, there are plenty of ways to maximize your commute and make it a productive one.

October 5th, 2020

11 New Technologies Impacting Product-Based Businesses As technology advances by leaps and bounds, its impact on the business world is growing exponentially. For product-based businesses in particular, leveraging the right technology is key when it comes to manufacturing, promoting, advertising and commercializing their offering. Here are several recent or upcoming technologies expected to have the biggest impact on product-based businesses.`

October 5th, 2020

14 TECH TRENDS EVERY ENTREPRENEUR SHOULD PREPARE FOR

Young Entrepreneur Council members share some upcoming tech trends they believe will have an important impact on business leaders.

October 2nd, 2020

Eight Creative Ways To Sort Viable Applications When You’re Short On Time And Funds

When a business advertises for a position, you can be assured that there will be a flood of applications coming in. If you're a young entrepreneur with a small company, you'll be doing most of the application sorting yourself. The first step is determining which applications suit the character, demeanor, and qualifications you're looking for.

October 1st, 2020

14 Unique Ways to Encourage Innovation in Your Company

As a business owner, you know your company can't remain stagnant and stuck in its ways if it hopes to grow. That growth requires innovation and creativity, both of which are best sourced from everyone on your team.

September 30th, 2020

15 TIPS FOR SCALING UP YOUR SERVICE-BASED BUSINESS

Members of Yount Entrepreneur Council offer their tips for effectively growing a service-based company.

September 29th, 2020

15 Ways to Get Return Visitors to Read Your Blog

If you're like the hundreds of content marketers out there that have invested in blog content, you want people to read it. If you've been watching your metrics for visits, you might realize that many visitors don't even bother with your blog. Sure, they might follow a social post from your media to your blog, and possibly read a single entry, but they won't engage further than that.

September 28th, 2020

14 Simple Tips to Improve Your Recruiting Efforts Right Now

September 25th, 2020

13 Expert-Recommended Tricks For Accelerating Your Online Growth

For online businesses, a high-performing website that encourages engagement and conversions is the key to successful growth. It often takes time to build up a steady stream of website visitors and consistent buyers. However, there are some things you can do to help accelerate the process.

September 24th, 2020

15 Smart Ways to Get More Mileage Out Of Your Digital Content

If your company has a blog and social media presence, you know how challenging it can be to keep up with the constant demand for new content. Recycling and updating existing content is a great way to put a fresh spin on what you’ve previously published without the hassle of coming up with a brand-new idea.

September 17th, 2020

Eight Ways To Encourage Continued Employee Growth And Learning

Education is a gift that remains relevant, no matter how old you get. Businesses that encourage their employees to experience new things and educate themselves stand to benefit from the new insights their workforce will come up with as a result.

September 17th, 2020

Eight Critical Factors To Keep In Mind When Considering A Business Partnership

When you start a business, one of the first questions you ask yourself if you should be doing this alone, or if you need help. This decision determines whether your company is a solopreneurship or a partnership. Some entrepreneurs work better by themselves, but others realize the benefit of having a partner.

September 15th, 2020

Feeling Unmotivated at Work? Here Are 11 Ways to Refuel Your Drive

Motivation works cyclically. There are moments when you feel as though you can take on the world, punctuated by moments when you feel like it makes no sense to do anything. If you've been feeling unmotivated at work recently, you're not alone. Workers worldwide go through the same moments of "boom and bust" when it comes to their motivation.

September 14th, 2020

How To Grow Your Business With An Online Course

Online courses can build your customer base and improve your brand image.

September 10th, 2020

12 E-Commerce Marketing Elements That Need to Change E-commerce marketing practices vary significantly based on industry, customer habits and what you’re selling, but there are some key aspects that stay the same across the entire sector. To stay relevant and competitive, businesses need to regularly review and adjust their e-commerce marketing strategies for optimal engagement and results. Here are 12 critical aspects of e-commerce marketing that are long due an overhaul.

September 4th, 2020

14 Smart Ways to Leverage a Virtual Assistant for Productivity

September 3rd, 2020

12 Critical Elements to Consider When Looking for a Mentor

September 3rd, 2020

15 WAYS TO CREATE A MOBILE-FIRST E-COMMERCE EXPERIENCE YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL LOVE

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain how companies can optimize their mobile shopping experience.

August 31st, 2020

15 Important Questions to Ask Yourself When Developing Your Company Mission

August 31st, 2020

11 Critical Elements That Can Set Your Digital Brand Apart To stand out among the competition in an increasingly digital world, a company’s own digital brand or footprint needs to be unique and memorable. Here are 11 critical elements your organization should consider when developing a digital brand identity that is sure to get you noticed.

August 26th, 2020

14 Ways to Increase Brand Loyalty Through Social Media

Brand loyalty forms a core concept of marketing in the 21st century. In a paradigm shift, thanks to better interactivity with consumers, brand loyalty is now easier to achieve than ever before. With a medium where the brand can interact directly with clients in the form of social media, all a company has to do is use their social media presence cleverly. Once they leverage their following and provide value to the audience, brand loyalty is sure to follow. To help, we asked 14 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

August 20th, 2020

10 Smart Ways To Keep Up With Ever-Changing Social Media Functions

Social media is constantly evolving, as are the ways people use it. What was once primarily used for connecting with old friends and family has morphed into a platform for sharing perspectives and launching campaigns.

August 19th, 2020

12 Unconventional Ways To Generate Ideas For Fresh, Engaging Content

Being part of a creative team is an exciting job. However, it’s difficult to always be in an innovative, inspired mindset. Often, creatives experience burnout and roadblocks that hinder their performance.

August 18th, 2020

13 Characteristics of the Most Influential People

August 17th, 2020

Five Skills To Build A Stunning Website Without Coding Knowledge

Master these skills to build a great site that drives awareness and dollars to your brand.

August 12th, 2020

10 Techniques for Returning Work-Life Balance to Small Business Entrepreneurs

As a small to medium enterprise owner, it can be challenging to find time for anything. Even in your supposed downtime, you invest time into ensuring the company runs smoothly. Work-life balance as an always-busy professional can be hard, if not impossible, to find. When you don't focus on your well-being, both your health as well as your relationships suffer. Being busy is essential for success, but so is knowing when to stake a step back. In such an active lifestyle, however, how does an entrepreneur know how to balance work and pleasure? That’s why we asked 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

August 5th, 2020

10 Content Creation Tips Companies Can Learn From Publishers Like BuzzFeed

In today's world, every business knows that consistent, quality content is the key to engaging consumers. Publishing giants like BuzzFeed have mastered the art of drawing people in with engaging headlines and interactive features, and encouraging repeat visitors with well-researched, valuable articles.

August 5th, 2020

16 Things You Should Never Say in a Successful Negotiation

When you're negotiating a deal, misinterpreted tone or poorly-chosen words could ruin an otherwise-successful conversation. Sometimes you may not know even which phrases might turn a deal sour. That's why we asked 16 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

July 30th, 2020

12 Questions You Should Ask Customers During a Sale When making a sale, it is usually the customers who get to answer all the questions pertaining to the service or product they’re purchasing and to your business in general. But there are also key questions a business should ask a customer who is serious about making a purchase in order to better understand its target audience. Here are some of them:

July 20th, 2020

13 Searching Self-Questions to Help You Become a Better Leader

Leadership is a battle for constant improvement.

July 15th, 2020

How To Repurpose Live Videos To Boost Engagement

Come up with creative ways to repurpose your content and engage your audience.

July 14th, 2020

Here's How To Ensure Your New IoT Product Keeps Its Data Secure

The internet of things (IoT) has given consumers and businesses the ability to make their homes and offices "smart." Because IoT devices can communicate and exchange data with one other, they have vast potential for streamlining workflows and making us more efficient. However, with all the data each internet-connected device collects, stores and uses, there's also an inherent security risk.

July 13th, 2020

15 Essential Steps for Creating a Business Exit Strategy

July 10th, 2020

Is Your Side Hustle Idea Worth It? 10 Questions To Ask Yourself

Having a side hustle is a great way to develop a creative outlet outside of your regular career. However, these projects can consume a lot of your time, energy and money. That's why it's important to consider the required commitment and effort – and the potential return – before going all-in on your idea.

July 9th, 2020

Don't Want to Risk Your Own Money on Your Business? 13 Alternative Financing Strategies

Getting any business off the ground requires sufficient capital. However, all the financial stress doesn't have to fall on you as the entrepreneur – there are other ways to secure funding for your startup without assuming 100% of the risk yourself. That's why we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

July 7th, 2020

15 Useful Tips For Regaining Business Momentum

All entrepreneurs are excited to see their businesses grow, but this growth isn't infinitely exponential. Occasionally, the company's growth may become stalled. This contraction might happen due to any number of factors affecting either the business itself or the industry as a whole.

July 7th, 2020

Sophisticated Website Builders for Startups on a Shoestring Budget

You don't need to spend a ton of money to build a great business website.

July 6th, 2020

Want to Improve Your Workplace? 16 Productive Questions to Ask Yourself

As a leader, you know your workplace dynamic directly impacts employee morale and, in turn, your bottom line. No matter how great your company culture might be, there is always room for improvement. But to make impactful changes, you’ll have to first understand which areas warrant the most attention. 

June 30th, 2020

14 Quick and Easy Ways to Keep Up With Industry News

June 29th, 2020

13 Top Strategies to Up Your Twitter Game For the busy entrepreneurs looking for fast and effective ways to build a social media presence, connect with their peers and engage with their target audience in real time, Twitter is the ideal place. If used correctly, the platform can become a true goldmine of relevant industry information, valuable relationships and new customers. To help, here are several strategies busy entrepreneurs can use to up their Twitter game.

June 26th, 2020

14 Ways to Ensure Company Growth Doesn't Outstrip Business Communication

Businesses have seen a period of massive growth, especially those that deal solely with online sales and services. While this development is promising, it also opens up a business to another problem -- that of having their growth outscale their ability to communicate.

June 23rd, 2020

15 Smart Ways for Leaders to Thrive Under Stress

June 19th, 2020

Five Ways to Make Meditation Simple and Practical

It takes time, but allow yourself the opportunity to make meditation a positive part of your daily routine.

June 19th, 2020

27 Books for Success to Add to Your Summer Reading List

June 18th, 2020

14 Effective Methods for Improving Discipline in the Workplace

Professionals, regardless of their work environment, sometimes find their focus flagging. If you're someone who has to deal with divided attention between multiple tasks, the amount of effort you put into a job will start telling on your psyche before too long. To deal with this situation, you'll have to figure out how to retain your focus and discipline within the workplace.

June 16th, 2020

11 Things Every Good Employee Referral Program Needs

An employee referral program is a win-win for you and your team. Referral candidates tend to be well-qualified, since they're pre-vetted by staff members you know and trust, and hiring referrals shows you value your employees' input. To help you build a great referral program, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

June 15th, 2020

15 Ways for Leaders to Encourage Employee Self-Teaching

Within any company, the ambitions of individual team members should aid the overall organization. However, it takes a leader to fuel, direct, and inspire this ambition into a way that helps both the team members and the organization as a whole. One way leaders can get their team members to realize their ambitions is by guiding them toward self-teaching and taking initiative, as a way of expanding their knowledge and skills while also seizing new opportunities within the company. To help, we asked 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following:

June 11th, 2020

16 Things to Avoid When Doing Content Marketing The internet is full of tips and advice on what to do when developing a content marketing strategy, but knowing what not to do is equally important to ensure success. Here are 16 things marketers should definitely avoid when doing content marketing.

June 8th, 2020

15 Ways to Bounce Back When Things Are Going Badly

In all walks of life, there will be pitfalls that plague professionals. For an entrepreneur, especially, it may occasionally feel like nothing is working out, no matter what you do. There's a saying that success only comes to those who get back up each time they get knocked down. The problem is that the saying doesn't detail how you get back up from a fall. Some leaders can find themselves falling over and over, and each time the recovery takes more out of them. 

June 8th, 2020

How to Make the Most of Self-Discovery Practices: 15 Proven Strategies

Entrepreneurs can be so busy in today's business world that they lose sight of themselves. Introspection has an essential place in an entrepreneur's mindset. Understanding one's goals and motivations can help one come to terms with what one wants out of life.

June 4th, 2020

15 Effective Ways to Reach Gen Z on Social Media

As the up-and-coming generation of consumers, Gen Z has become a hot target demographic for many brands. This generation of true digital natives is even more entrenched in the world of technology than the millennials who came before them. Therefore, companies that want to reach them need to go all-in on social media, Gen Z's preferred place to "hang out" online.

June 4th, 2020

15 Low-Cost Ways to Grow Your Small Business

June 1st, 2020

[LONG-FORM EMAILED TO KELSEY] Running an Online Side Hustle From Home? 8 Tips for Achieving Balance

If you’re a driven entrepreneur who also wants to make time for family, a home-based online side hustle may seem like a great idea. While this type of work offers more flexibility than a side business you have to run on-location, being at home doesn’t mean it’s easy to find balance.

May 29th, 2020

10 Key Factors in Determining Whether an Employee Should Get a Raise

It takes a lot of mental fortitude for an employee to approach their employer for a raise. There's no playbook for managers and business owners to know how to gauge whether an employee deserves a raise or not. The factors as to whether an employee deserves to earn more can be approached in several different ways. From the addition of value to the support they provide, each plays an integral part in determining whether a raise is warranted. That’s why we asked 10 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

May 27th, 2020

How To Create Self-Acceptance (And Why You Should)

It isn't possible to always have high self-esteem, but self-acceptance can get you through all of life's vagaries.

May 26th, 2020

Here's How to Run a Successful 'Traditional' Ad Campaign for Your Local Market

Despite the overwhelming preference for digital media among modern marketers, traditional advertising methods are still being implemented today and driving great results. Newspaper, TV and radio spots can offer tons of potential for businesses looking to reach a local market -- if they're used the right way.

May 4th, 2020

8 Tips for Building Your Professional Network From Scratch

[long-form emailed to Kelsey]

May 1st, 2020

How to Boost Creativity on Your Team

By definition, creativity is about pushing boundaries and exploring unusual ideas. 

April 16th, 2020

16 Ways to Encourage Engagement With Your Brand

April 15th, 2020

14 Thing To Consider Before Making a Major Business Purchase

Making a major spending decision in your business, whether that be a new hire or a new marketing campaign, is often intimidating. You want to make sure you’re investing your money wisely, in a way that will yield a worthwhile return. To help you, we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members how to make financial decisions with confidence.

April 2nd, 2020

Simple Ways Leaders Can Keep Learning And Growing

Part of being a leader is constantly learning.

March 24th, 2020

How To Handle Negative Customer Reviews: Eight Expert Tips

A business is built on the reputation it gets through its dealings. Not all the press a company receives will be positive, however. Depending on how the consumers see the business, a company might have mixed reviews on social media.

March 24th, 2020

How To Handle Negative Customer Reviews: Eight Expert Tips

A business is built on the reputation it gets through its dealings. Not all the press a company receives will be positive, however. Depending on how the consumers see the business, a company might have mixed reviews on social media.

March 13th, 2020

4 Resolutions to Grow Your Business in 2020

Personal and business resolutions are easy to make but harder to keep.

March 2nd, 2020

Eight "Harmless" Habits That Are Keeping You Back

Entrepreneurs have habits that can both aid and hamper their efforts to be better businesspeople. Some practices even seem to be completely harmless but we don’t truly realize how damaging they can be until we make a small change that impacts them and shows how die-reaching its consequences are.

February 19th, 2020

https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/7-ways-to-effectively-communicate-complex-information.html

February 13th, 2020

How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing

It's easy to let the stress of a pending deadline or doubts in yourself impact your ability to get started.

February 10th, 2020

Identifying Your Employees’ Leadership Potential: Eight Critical Traits

A leader is someone who takes the initiative and drives the business forward to fulfill its goals. Within a company, leaders are responsible for guiding and inspiring those whose departments they lead. Many leaders get to their positions after years of experience and learning what their jobs entail.

February 4th, 2020

https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/6-telltale-signs-you-need-to-make-a-big-change-in-your-life.html

January 21st, 2020

Five Content Marketing Myths Holding Your Business Back

Understand and challenge these content marketing myths to take your strategy to the next level.

January 13th, 2020

Feeling Down? 16 Ways To Remind Yourself Of Your Potential

Everyone feels down from time to time -- especially when you're dealing with the stress of running a business. Those negative feelings can make you question everything.

While it's OK to feel down, the best way to relieve that feeling is to actively seek out positive thoughts. That's why we asked Young Entrepreneur Council members what they do in moments of doubt to help remind them of their potential. Ask yourself the following questions to regain your confidence during a mental or emotional rut.

January 9th, 2020

Track Your 2020 Departmental Goals With These 10 Effective Tactics

As your company grows, managing both company-wide and department goals can become more and more challenging. It can feel like a delicate balancing act -- and if it's not coordinated properly, prioritizing broader company goals could come at the expense of the individual departments.

As successful business leaders, the experts of Young Entrepreneur Council have learned how to track their department-specific goals as their companies have grown. That's why we asked a panel of YEC members to share their best tips for monitoring departmental objectives. Here's what they had to say.

January 6th, 2020

15 Strategies To Keep Your Team Motivated During The Winter Months

The winter months mean less sunlight, colder temperatures and often, dampened moods. It’s common for people to feel more tired and less motivated in the winter, which can negatively impact work performance. However, a winter slump is not inevitable -- it may require a bit of extra effort, but you and your teams can stay just as motivated during those colder months.

To help you out this winter, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share how they raise spirits in the workplace throughout the season. Follow their recommendations to keep your team feeling productive until spring arrives again.

December 23rd, 2019

How To Boost Content Marketing With Interactivity

Incorporate interactivity into your content calendar to enrich the customer experience.

December 10th, 2019

https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/becoming-a-great-business-leader-7-communication-secrets.html

December 9th, 2019

Going Cashless? 10 Things To Know About The Evolution Of Digital Payments

As digital payments evolve and become more commonplace, an increasing number of businesses are accepting them, with some businesses rejecting cash payments entirely. While digital payments can certainly be convenient for customers and businesses alike, it’s important to understand the process and avoid any potential pitfalls.

We asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council for their takes on digital payments. They shared 10 things you should keep in mind as digital payment options evolve, and how those offerings will impact your business in the future.

December 9th, 2019

11 Risk Management Tips For New Business Owners

Risk is often inherent in business, especially when you’re running your own. However, there are steps you can take to manage that risk.

As highly successful entrepreneurs in their industries, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have learned a lot about effectively mitigating risk and minimizing its impact on their businesses. We asked them to share some practical tips for new business owners who are also new to risk management. Read on for their best answers.

December 6th, 2019

13 Considerations When Weighing New Office Policies

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.

December 3rd, 2019

How A Community Can Contribute To Building Your Online Brand

Focusing your marketing strategy on your community builds the foundation of a strong brand.

December 3rd, 2019

https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/q1-planning-6-top-tips-to-start-new-year-on-right-foot.html

November 22nd, 2019

Prioritizing Recruitment: Eight Tips For Hiring The Best Talent On A Tight Schedule

Entrepreneurs usually don't have enough hours in a day to get everything done. That's the primary reason why prioritizing tasks is a common trait of the most successful business owners. However, many entrepreneurs overlook the importance of hiring great talent to their team and place the priority of hiring new employees way down their list.

November 21st, 2019

Dealing With Social Media Controversy? 15 Tips for Handling It Gracefully

In the age of social media, a controversy -- and a potential public relations crisis -- is always lurking. It's impossible to completely avoid controversial issues and conversations if your business is on social media, but knowing how to handle them with grace and professionalism can save you from landing your brand in hot water. To help you, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

November 19th, 2019

From Training To Travel, Here Are 12 Cool Uses Of Virtual Reality

The world has been enamored with the use of virtual reality ever since the movie “Tron” came out in the 80s. Today's VR is a bit different from the fancy world of the silver screen, but the technology has a lot of practical uses.

November 7th, 2019

How to Leverage User-Generated Content to Boost Conversions

By showing your audience that your products have a vocal and satisfied user base, you’ll see increased engagement, traffic and conversions. 

October 10th, 2019

How to Market Your Brand Through Influencers

Influencers play a crucial role in consumer buying decisions, and you have the opportunity to harness that power.

September 20th, 2019

How to Keep Your Online Store Secure in 2019

Internet security is a big concern for business owners and their customers, but you can take steps to stop hackers in their tracks.

August 29th, 2019

Three Benefits Of Using AI For Targeted Marketing Campaigns

It’s safe to say that the recent emergence of AI in marketing is just the beginning.

August 8th, 2019

Four Benefits Of Creating Video Media For Your Business

Mastering video is well worth the effort to reach consumers.

July 18th, 2019

How To Strategically Overcome Sales Objections Using Your Website

Online customer interactions have largely taken the place of face-to-face ones.

May 30th, 2019

How To Improve Engagement Within Your Remote Team

When workers care about what they do, they are more likely to stay with a company and deliver an excellent customer experience because they are happy to be there and engaged in the company culture and values.

April 2nd, 2019

How To Use Marketing Automation To Boost Personalization

Automation has made customer personalization one of the most important tools in a marketer’s tool belt.