Kelly Richardson

December 30th, 2020

12 Leader-Recommended Marketing Strategies (And Why They’re so Effective)

December 30th, 2020

12 Promising Industries to Start a Business in Today

December 22nd, 2020

Get Started On Your End-Of-Year Review: Seven Useful Tips

End-of-year reviews are an essential tool to gauge the business's effectiveness and efficiency over the previous year. Unfortunately, few businesses implement a review, and some that do only look at the cursory metrics that would give them a basic understanding of the company's strengths and weaknesses.

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 15th, 2020

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

December 3rd, 2020

Nine Simple Ways A Young Founder Can Demonstrate Their Industry Thought Leadership

When you’re young and inexperienced, stepping up to a leadership position can be more difficult than usual. Without a strong standing in their industry, a new entrepreneur may not be able to navigate the terrain as easily as others. However, these leaders can still bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table.

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.

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

11 Best Methods for Achieving Uninterrupted Focus

Entrepreneurs can be easily distracted. Whether it's new ideas popping into their heads or the demands of their businesses, distractions abound and can easily steal away your focus.

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 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 9th, 2020

10 Ways To Use LinkedIn's New Tools To Boost Your Outreach

LinkedIn is often thought of as the go-to social network for professionals, but it’s more than just a social media platform. It’s a powerful marketing tool for brands to engage with customers, employees and business partners.

November 2nd, 2020

Nine Essential Tools for Documenting Internal Business Processes

November 2nd, 2020

Want Loyalty From Your Team? Here's How To Earn It

A business is only as good as its employees. In order to thrive, you have to ensure our workers are on the same page and willing to grow with you. A truly loyal team will stand with your business during the ups and downs and dedicate themselves to the business’s overall success.

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 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 26th, 2020

10 Women Share The Biggest Career Risk They Ever Took (And Why It Paid Off)

Taking risks is always intimidating. It can be scary to leave comfort and safety behind and leap toward a potentially difficult and life-altering decision. But anything worth having rarely comes from taking the easy path.

October 15th, 2020

14 SIMPLE CHANGES THAT WILL IMPROVE YOUR MOBILE ADVERTISING STRATEGY

Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer suggestions for entrepreneurs that want to change up their mobile ad campaigns.

October 12th, 2020

20 Uniquely Useful Tools for Conducting Market Research

These 20 entrepreneurs from YEC discuss their favorite market research tools and why you should be using them.

October 9th, 2020

10 Great Reasons To Hire A Business Coach For Yourself

Some entrepreneurs who want to scale their companies and fast-track their growth hire a business coach to help them get there. These professionals often have years of business experience themselves and can help you take your business to new heights with their insights.

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 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

11 Considerations When Offering Equity To Early-Stage Non-Tech Hires

When you set up your startup and start hiring your first few people to staff, not all of them will be tech workers. Non-tech professions such as sales, marketing, etc. are also crucial to the success of a product. Some companies don't offer these hires any equity, but this may be a huge mistake. You can lose talented professionals if you don't sweeten the deal enough.

September 24th, 2020

Move Your Career Forward By Making Your Core Strengths Even Stronger

Whether you’re job hunting or starting a business, it’s important to play to your strengths throughout your career. By zeroing in your natural interests and aptitudes, you’re more likely to find the right opportunities and achieve success. That’s why it’s a good idea to continually refine and improve upon your core strengths.

September 15th, 2020

THE 14 MOST EXCITING DIGITAL MARKETING DEVELOPMENTS OF 2020 (SO FAR)

Young Entrepreneur Council members share some of the most exciting trends and developments they've seen in digital marketing this year.

September 14th, 2020

Seven Critical Actions After Nailing An Investor Pitch

No other feeling comes close to hitting the ball out of the park for your investor pitch meeting. Unfortunately, many business owners see these small wins as overcoming the largest hurdle. The truth is that nailing the investor pitch is only the first significant hurdle.

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

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.

September 1st, 2020

Here's How To Truly Take 'Time Off' As An Entrepreneur

It’s easy to have an “always-on” mentality when you’re an entrepreneur. You own a business that depends on you to survive, so you never really get a day off – right?

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 31st, 2020

Improve Your Mood in Under 10 Minutes With These 12 Strategies

August 27th, 2020

Nine Cool AR/VR Elements To Include In Your Personal Branding Strategy

Once seemingly confined to the spheres of gaming and technology, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are becoming increasingly common in both personal and professional ventures. In fact, VR and AR can be used to great effect in one’s personal branding strategy, especially if it's giving your audience a deeper connection or more intimate look at your business.

August 26th, 2020

10 Smart Ways To Ensure Your Employee Wellness Program Succeeds

Businesses are increasingly focusing on wellness in the workplace to increase employee productivity and overall satisfaction. Choosing a wellness program for your company is an important first step, but you’ll also need to ensure that it runs smoothly and that your employees get the most out of it.

August 20th, 2020

14 Ways to Get HR Reps and Hiring Managers on the Same Page

August 18th, 2020

13 Characteristics of the Most Influential People

August 7th, 2020

Eight Critical Considerations When Selecting A Business Adviser

Business advisers have the potential to be instrumental to a company's success. Unfortunately, not all business advisers make a positive impact, and it's up to the entrepreneur to decide which adviser they want to work with.

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

10 Smart Habits For A Successful Marketing Career

A marketer's job is a challenging one in today's always-on, digital-first world. Not only do they have to come up with an appealing brand image and message, but they have to figure out how to adapt marketing collateral to countless different channels and learn best practices for each one.

July 30th, 2020

10 Leadership Habits That Will Set A Great Example For Your Employees

Great leaders don’t simply tell their team what to do; they lead by example and “walk the talk.” Staff members are much more willing to listen to instructions and respect leadership if their boss is doing the same. 

July 27th, 2020

17 Small Business Legal Tools to Make Your Life Easier

Business legal matters can be intimidating, but these tools can help you understand and streamlining the process.

July 24th, 2020

Eight Of The Hardest Decisions A Young Entrepreneur Can Face

Running a business is not easy, especially as a young entrepreneur. It always feels like the industry is stacked against you, and that you're destined to fail. Keeping hold of your morals while navigating a field like this can be a challenge.

July 20th, 2020

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

Leadership is a battle for constant improvement.

July 15th, 2020

14 Essential Lessons for Young Entrepreneurs

Learning from others is vital to your success.

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 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

13 Mobile 'Priorities' That Just Aren't Worth It, According to Entrepreneurs

July 3rd, 2020

Seven Ways To Leverage Customer Complaints For Business Growth

Customer complaints are a necessary part of a business, but it can be discouraging to deal with them. A good leader knows how to look at customer complaints and extract the positives out of those disparaging comments. A skilled leader can take these complaints and turn them into a power to motivate and direct the business's positive growth.

June 30th, 2020

14 Quick and Easy Ways to Keep Up With Industry News

June 30th, 2020

10 Smart Social Media Moves That Can Help Boost Your Business

Social media is becoming an increasingly important part of every business’ marketing strategy. Making the right move with your social content at the right time can help bring positive attention and new customers to your business.

June 29th, 2020

16 Ways Leaders Can Stress Less and Adapt to Opportunities

Stress is common when you’re in a management position. With countless tasks to complete, employees to manage and business operations to oversee, it’s no surprise many leaders end up feeling overwhelmed at one point or another.

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 24th, 2020

16 HR Quality Checks to Ensure You're Recruiting With Equity

June 23rd, 2020

15 Smart Ways for Leaders to Thrive Under Stress

June 22nd, 2020

How Transparent Should You Be With Your Team? 10 Considerations For Leaders

Transparency in business has become a practice that’s favored by not only consumers, but by employees as well. When leaders are transparent with their team about the business, it builds a sense of trust and equips employees to make informed decisions. However, sharing more information than necessary can be distracting at best, and detrimental to company culture at worst.

June 19th, 2020

27 Books for Success to Add to Your Summer Reading List

June 16th, 2020

Nine Strategic Ways To Handle A Company Crisis Calmly And Competently

Leading a business can be like a roller coaster: There will always be ups and downs. No matter how smoothly things run most of the time, the occasional problem is inevitable, and when one pops up, your team will turn to you for guidance.

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

10 Entrepreneurs Share Their Top Business Plan Writing Tips

Business plans are more than just documents outlining your steps to launching and growing your startup. This plan acts as a map throughout the entire process, and helps you figure out what to do when you face roadblocks or wrong turns.

June 12th, 2020

Nine Common Words Leaders Should Stop Using (And What To Say Instead)

When you spend time in the business leadership world, you start to hear a lot of cliché phrases and vague terms that other managers frequently use. Sometimes they use them sound smart; other times they're not sure of a better alternative. Either way, these overused words begin to sound like jargon over time, and may lose their meaning when you're communicating with your staff.

June 10th, 2020

Six Effective Ways To Gauge Employee Happiness

Over the years, multiple studies have shown that employee happiness is a crucial factor in developing a successful business. Employees who are happier tend to be more productive and also stay with the company long term.

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 5th, 2020

10 Effective Ways To Develop Employee Trust During Periods Of Change

Trust is essential in a team, especially in times of change. Leaders need to believe employees will carry out their tasks properly, and employees need to believe heir leaders are taking them in the right direction. But trust between people isn’t a given -- it has to be earned.

June 5th, 2020

Nine Tips For Keeping Customer Conversations Productive And Positive

Your relationship with your customers shouldn’t exclusively be transactional. To build a bond that leads to customer loyalty, you have to thoughtfully connect with them and continue the conversation with them.

June 4th, 2020

Here's How To Effectively Gauge Your Team's Morale

It's often said that a happy employee is a motivated, productive one. If your team members are feeling good about themselves and their work, they’ll bring that positive energy into everything they do. That's why it's so important to keep a close eye on your overall team morale.

June 4th, 2020

15 Low-Cost Ways to Grow Your Small Business

June 2nd, 2020

19 Places to Find Talented Freelancers

19 entrepreneurs delve into where online freelance talent is most readily found

June 1st, 2020

Eight Strategic Approaches To Encouraging Employee Innovation

There's no question as to how vital innovation is to a business. However, the pitfall that most entrepreneurs fall victim to is thinking that all change must come from the top. If a company hires right, its talented employees could offer a vast resource in terms of their innovation to the company.

June 1st, 2020

The Keys to Success: Affirmations, Visualization and Action

Harness the power of your subconscious mind through meditation, affirmations, visualization, breathing and more.

May 29th, 2020

10 Effective Ways To Retain Customers Through An Unanticipated Business Disruption

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every business and industry in some capacity. Some non-essential employees have taken to remote work, while many others have faced reduced hours or layoffs.

May 21st, 2020

Measure Your Customer Service ROI More Effectively With These 10 Tactics

Customer service is vital to any organization, and investing in it can make all the difference in attracting and retaining clients. But the true return on those customer service investments -- whether you're hiring and training staff or increasing your support channels -- can be hard to quantify with a single number.

May 19th, 2020

Facing Adversity At Work? 10 Ways To Build A Thicker Skin

At times it can be difficult to turn off our emotions -- especially when it comes to separating personal feelings and work. While it’s perfectly normal to have negative feelings in the face of difficult work situations, wallowing in these emotions for too long can affect your job performance as well as your overall well-being.

May 7th, 2020

Seven Strategic Approaches To Assessing Quarterly Accomplishments

Moving into the second quarter of the year, entrepreneurs should be well aware by now that the only way to ensure that their company gets more efficient is to examine its performance in the previous quarter and see where it can improve. Performance evaluation is much more than just assessments that focus on a small core of metrics.

April 6th, 2020

Don’t Ignore These Four Commonly Neglected Aspects Of Content Marketing

Content alone can't drive traffic.

March 11th, 2020

Pivoting Your Business? 10 Tips For A Smooth Transition

As your business develops over time, you may find its original purpose changing as well. Whether you’re incorporating a new service or changing industries completely, trying a new direction for your company can be risky.

Fortunately, taking the steps to ensure a smooth transition can set the stage for success, as well as make the process easier for all involved. Below, 10 members ofYoung Entrepreneur Council shares their best strategies for companies looking to pivot to something new.