Member Since 2017
All Filters
Salt Lake City Area
Shu Saito established All Filters in 2009, Fact Retriever in 2016, and Godai Soaps in 2018. When developing a business plan for All Filters, Saito believed that none of the current major e-commerce software applications available at the time met the needs of most online retailers. As a result, he decided to design new software from the bottom up. His results were an easy-to-navigate, SEO friendly website and robust software with high capabilities that included a state-of-art order processing and fulfillment tool, highly targetable and customizable marketing tools, an accurate inventory tracking system, and an easy-to-use back-end administration system for employees. Saito attributes most of his success to his creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. With a background in music composition, Saito never ceased to infuse his work with his creative vision -- a vision that led to a creative, efficient way to process orders and market products. Saito is also an inherently compassionate person who not only always strives to help others but also aims to provide well-paying, rewarding jobs to those involved in his business. His three core values are to be honest, ethical, and positive.
Love them or hate them, pitches are essential components of the sales process. But it's not enough to have a simple slide deck and a few talking points. Your sales team needs an engaging presentation that truly showcases the value of your company's product or service.
Mid-year checks are a great time to reevaluate the goals your company made at the beginning of the year and ensure employees and metrics are on the right track. When conducting these check-ins, it's crucial to look at a few pertinent areas that could hinder your company's success. To that end, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weigh in on the following question:
For many professionals, having the option to work from home has brought significant benefits, like cutting commuting costs or working in a more comfortable setting. However, it can be even easier to lose time at work when sharing that space with responsibilities in the home, whether it’s the laundry sitting in the corner of the room, the kids’ homework or the dog needing to go outside.
Throughout the pandemic, it has been difficult for many professionals to build and maintain new business relationships. Interactions may have been limited to Zoom calls or virtual happy hours, while valuable in-person networking events were placed on the backburner.
Is your brand in need of a makeover? While it may seem as simple as something like changing your company’s name, rebranding is a complicated process with many moving parts.
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.
There may come a time during your entrepreneurial journey when you need to decide whether or not to sell. Maybe business is booming and sales are thriving — so how will you know when it's time to hang up your hat and walk away?
A product or a service can really only be effective and helpful to others if customers are able to find that product or service online. Search engine marketing (SEM) helps solve this problem by targeting customers through keywords and drawing them into your website.
Every business project is unique and will likely require a customized approach to manage it. No matter the size or scope of the project, though, all team members must work together to ensure each moving part is in place.
There's a story behind the start of every business, and many entrepreneurs write books to share their own. Whether it's a motivating story of overcoming challenges, an inspiring story of passion or a story full of practical lessons and advice, an entrepreneur's first book can be used to help them grow their business.
Many employees set out with dreams of climbing the company ladder and someday becoming part of the executive leadership team. But the journey to the C-suite is filled with obstacles that young professionals might not expect when they first start out.
Getting customers through the sales funnel can sometimes be an arduous task. It can also be difficult to juggle multiple prospects at different stages of the funnel, which is why it's important to automate what you can.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer steps to take if you want to keep your home-based business safe from cyberattacks.
Email marketing campaigns can be a cost-effective way to reach a lot of people in a very short period of time. However, many companies rely on ineffective practices, like clichéd subject lines and recycled “limited-time offers.” These practices can be annoying to readers and cause your email to end up in the trash.
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.
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.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how to leverage tech to meet diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
The idea of a four-day workweek isn't a new concept, but since the pandemic, whether or not this type of work model should be implemented has become a hot topic of debate in the professional world. Some say four-day workweeks make employees more productive, while others argue that, even if this is true, they can't spare their entire staff on a Friday.
The most successful brands usually maintain a high level of customer engagement. When customers are engaged with a brand, they're more likely to continue to buy from that brand and recommend that others do too.
The "Great Resignation" has forced many businesses to contend with understaffed teams, demanding customers and discouraged employees. This environment of overwork and reduced morale can naturally have a negative effect on a team’s productivity.
As an entrepreneur, you may come to realize that certain aspects of your personal and social life have to be put on the back burner to get your business off the ground. Neglecting your personal life can come at a cost, though.
While some entrepreneurs are content with one business under their belts, there are many others who run two, three or even several businesses all at once. Some business owners are simply brimming with ideas and, at some point, they may find themselves itching to launch their next venture. Others see success in their first business and want to replicate it.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggest the information you should try to find when researching your business’s competition.
Many studies show that demonstrating employee appreciation boosts morale and promotes loyalty. However, with so much "busyness" in a typical day-to-day work environment, it can be difficult to remember to slow down and show that appreciation.
Every business has employees who aren't on the same page from time to time. Whether it's clashing personalities or differences of opinion, conflicts can arise at any point, and it's up to the manager to help mediate them.
The last couple of years have forced leaders to step up, set good examples and make tough decisions that impact those they lead. Whether they were braving the economic battles brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic or examining diversity, equity and inclusion policies, leaders have been forced to adapt and learn new skills to manage today's most challenging situations.
Email marketing is an essential component of any strong marketing strategy. This form of marketing gives businesses the chance to convert their audience members into long-time customers and provide value in a convenient way.
The future of your business relies on finding the best candidates to hold senior positions. Making the right choice can spell the difference between success and failure for your company, but it isn’t always easy finding the best fit to lead your company to the next stage.
In the war for tech talent, a well-crafted, well-placed job listing can make all the difference.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer ways professionals can leverage social media when job hunting.
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.
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.
YouTube is one of the top social media platforms in the world. As such, it provides a plethora of untapped potential for many businesses. Whether you're a new business looking for ways to establish an online presence or have been on the platform a while but haven't been able to figure out how to tap into the potential it has to offer, once you know how to use it effectively, you're sure to grow your following.
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.
When you start a new business, one of the first things you need to do is create your social media pages and start building an online presence. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of expecting to have thousands of followers the moment they set up their page only to get discouraged when they have a hard time getting recognition.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend taking these steps before using content made by your audience.
The holiday season is fast approaching, which means it's time for businesses to start planning and executing their marketing strategies for the busiest time of the year. With so much riding on this season, it's not enough to recycle the same old marketing campaigns you've used in years past. Instead, try thinking outside the box and coming up with a fresh, new strategy that will entice and engage consumers throughout the season.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the innovative apps and software that help them better manage their work.
In the first half of 2021, the e-commerce industry hit $408.51 billion, which is up nearly 22% from the previous year. With so much room for growth and a promising future in a digital-first world, e-commerce continually attracts entrepreneurs and their business ideas. Before launching a new venture, however, it's important to have the right strategy in place.
Pinpointing a target audience is one of the most crucial steps in launching any successful business effort, including creating marketing campaigns and increasing sales. However, determining your audience is often much easier said than done. Before you can narrow down your ideal customer, you need to know how to do it correctly.
Before a new business can set up a marketing strategy, the very first thing it must do is determine who its target customers are. While it may seem simple to pinpoint your ideal customer, sometimes you can end up making assumptions that aren’t actually true, and if you don't get your target customer base right, your marketing efforts will be focused on the wrong people.
Getting your voice out there is an important part of becoming a successful thought leader. However, it can be difficult to know the right way to convey your perspectives on different topics without a strong writing foundation.
Seeking a mentor is a crucial step to success, especially if you're a young person just starting out in your career journey. Mentors can help their mentees learn from their own mistakes, widen their networks and encourage them to pursue their dreams.
Regular pay raises can show employees how much you appreciate their hard work and can also prevent them from feeling dissatisfied in their current environment. However, it's important to know when a raise will be the most effective and well-earned.
Your customers can be an invaluable business resource if you know what to ask.
Landing your first management position can be as daunting as it is exciting. You may feel pressure from superiors to perform well or wonder how you'll best lead your new employees.
Employees want to feel valued, included and represented at work. Not only do they want to receive encouragement from supervisors and support from upper management, but they also want to be able to express themselves and their opinions freely with colleagues without fear of retribution.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their advice on how to stop chasing an imaginary perfection and move forward with your business.
During the pandemic, consumers who couldn't safely shop in brick-and-mortar stores turned to online shopping instead. Whether it be for mundane tasks like grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions, or more leisurely activities like clothes shopping, these errands could be done efficiently from the comfort of home.
Few people stay in the same exact role at just one company for their entire career. At some point in your professional journey, you'll likely seek out change, whether it's moving up in your organization or finding a job elsewhere.
The world of marketing is ever-changing, especially in today's digital-first world. Successful marketers not only need to be masters at capturing customers' attention and showing them the benefits of their product or service, but they also need to know how to leverage the most up-to-date digital tools to reach those customers.
Turning a poor customer experience around continues to be one of the main struggles customer service professionals face daily. When the service experience goes poorly, a company can risk losing that customer forever.
Weekly standups and regular reports are great ways for leaders to check in with their teams. These are times to briefly share updates and ask about any concerns or questions the team may have before the day or week begins.
Whether working from home or in an office setting, it can be easy to get distracted from work. Grabbing coffee with a co-worker or taking a quick break to surf the web can quickly turn into time lost from the task at hand. Even too much work can lead to overwhelm, frustration and, ultimately, procrastination.
These steps will help protect your business and, more importantly, your employees and customers.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Digital receipts, online bank statements and cloud-based document storage are the norm in today's business world. Some business owners may wonder whether they truly need physical copies of any documents at all these days. However, some important documents should always exist in both physical and digital form.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss characteristics all top tech companies share and why.
New entrepreneurs start businesses every day with great ideas and visions for success. However, many of these ideas never materialize and up to 20% fail within the first year.
For many professionals, cold-calling is a tall hurdle. They dread having to make the calls, worried they'll be rejected or forget what they need to say. They know the person on the other end isn't fond of receiving these types of calls, and yet they still must pick up the phone and dial the next number on their list because they know cold-calling has the power to get more sales.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tech hacks for getting time back in your workweek.
Searching for a new job is a long, difficult process, so when you land a job interview, it can feel like such a relief. But what if you are fighting to earn a position you should actually run away from?
To be great leaders, they’ll first need a great leader.
Startup accelerators and incubators are great opportunities for new businesses to grow and scale their operations quickly. These programs are pivotal for the startups who participate in them, as they often provide access to exclusive business resources and funding opportunities.
Good business advice can come from anywhere, at any time in an entrepreneur's journey. Some of those lessons will come directly from mentors and fellow business leaders; other times, they're learned through firsthand experience. No matter the source, some tips can be so impactful that they influence the course of an entrepreneur's business.
Business leaders often think they need to have all the answers. It's true that a manager or executive should be a trusted source of information when employees or clients need something. However, it can be difficult to know how to proceed when someone asks a question you don't know the answer to.
First impressions are everything, especially when you’re first starting out on the job. When you’re trying to make a name for yourself within a new role or company, it’s important to know how to make an excellent impression.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tips for overcoming self-doubt when starting out in business.
Product packaging is often overlooked as something unimportant. However, like an extension of the product itself, it can attract customers as well as build the brand's reputation. But the look of the product packaging is only the start. The packaging should not only appeal to the customer, but also to any potential retailers.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain how to encourage employees to play an active role in shaping organizational culture.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the most important lessons they've learned about leading from afar.
Tracking the progress of your company goals is the best way to ensure they get accomplished.
Webinars have increased in popularity since the world has gone virtual and they’re only expected to maintain their prevalence. Many companies are now looking to create webinars to expand their reach, connect with their audience and establish themselves as industry thought leaders.
A journal can be a valuable tool to an entrepreneur. Being able to sit down and reflect on your thoughts throughout the day can provide a much-needed dose of perspective and can help you to improve your focus.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some important insights every entry-level tech candidate should know before joining the field.
One of the biggest influences on a business and its employees is a positive attitude. Leaders who have a positive mindset and are pleasant to be around get the most out of their peers and employees. A happy attitude is infectious, and when workers are in a good mood, they yield good results.
Being a leader is more than running meetings and managing a team. It’s a skill that takes a lifetime to master, and there will always be room to grow as a mentor, coach and source of inspiration to your employees.
Like a well-oiled machine, businesses can only function if all elements of the company are in sync and working toward shared goals. Getting each department, team and employee on the same page, however, requires a certain level of transparency. Yet, so many entrepreneurs miss this vital detail when it comes to managing their 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.
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.
When you create a company with someone else, the initial stages require you to work closely together. Eventually, a bond forms, as it usually does when people work closely together. However, as a business grows, you and your co-founder may decide to work on separate parts of the business. Sometimes this may lead to disagreements between founding members -- whether caused by lack of communication or different views on how to expand the organization.
As more people are working from home and staying in, online shopping has become the dominant means of commerce. It’s more important than ever for small brick-and-mortar retailers to get their products online and accessible to their customers. However, with so many large e-commerce competitors like Amazon, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways to achieve organic growth for your business. Having people advocate for your services can help you attract new customers and increase loyalty among your existing customer base.
Today's world is more stressful than ever. The fast-paced, always-on environment many of us operate in is enough to cause anxiety among even the most organized leaders. Throw in the current global pandemic and an economic recession, and it's no surprise that many people are experiencing doubts and fears in their personal and professional lives.
Each company gauges the contribution of its employees differently. Some focus on deliverables, while others rely on employee loyalty and worked hours to determine a worker's contribution to the business.
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.
When launching a startup, business owners often receive a lot of advice from everyone around them. As a new entrepreneur, it can be difficult to parse through it all and determine what truly applies to your business.
Leadership is a battle for constant improvement.
Learning from others is vital to your success.
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.
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.
In the age of remote work and social distancing, try these video conferencing tools for your company's online meetings.
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.
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.
A trust is about more than just money; it reflects your values and the legacy you want to leave behind.
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.
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.
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.
You often have to “act” like a boss before you truly feel like it.
Selling your ideas or your vision is what you do as an entrepreneur. You need to convince investors that what you see in your head for your company can be a reality. To do this, you'll probably find yourself going to a lot of pitch meetings to try to get funding for your ideas. Delivering speeches or giving presentations at these pitch meetings should be your best method of marketing your business.
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.
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.
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.
13 Great Methods of Expressing Gratitude
Problem-solving skills will help transform even seemingly intractable problems into interesting opportunities.
It may be time for a tune-up in your symphony across work and home.
When you define your life by significance over success, there is little you cannot do or dream.
While there is not a determined ideal time and place to hold a meeting, the key is to be aware of how and when the best decisions are made for the type of problem your company needs to solve.
From hiring to training, make sure you have a team of star performers who understand your product.
Meditation can improve concentration, health, creativity – and your business's bottom line.
Are the tax benefits worth buying over renting?
Gone are the days when social media was used solely for connecting friends and family.
A total customer experience mentality helps positively influence a customer’s perception of value, in turn increasing customer loyalty and retention.
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