Thomas Griffin

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Many people dream of starting their own business, being their own boss and taking charge of their work life. However, while there are plenty of benefits to going it alone, becoming a solopreneur can also feel very lonely or isolating as you navigate the ups and downs of getting a business off the ground. For this reason, many aspiring business owners choose to seek out a co-founder to help them on their journey. From giving your business more credibility to acting as a soundboard for your creative ideas, opting to enter into such a partnership may just be the perfect solution for you. Here, the business leaders of Young Entrepreneur Council explore these benefits and more as they outline 10 reasons why someone may want to find a co-founder rather than go it alone as a solopreneur.

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Starting your business with a limited budget can be difficult, as everything from creating your product to building your website seems to have some sort of cost associated with it. However, there’s one area of business that doesn’t necessarily have to cost any money: press.  Getting your company’s name out into the public and in front of potential customers by generating free press is one of the most cost-effective steps you can take to market your business. From writing guest posts on industry blogs to applying for business awards, there are numerous strategies you can use to get your company noticed. Here, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss just some of those methods and why they’re so effective at helping you positively grow your business.

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One of the most critical factors that determines how successful any business can be is its pricing structure. A model that both earns high profits and satisfies customers’ needs is one that will support a business for a long time to come. But a model that fails in any way could spell disaster for a growing company. In this way, it’s important to check in on your pricing strategy from time to time to evaluate how it’s performing and what you can do to improve it. To get you started, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council list some of the signs you may notice when it’s time to reevaluate your pricing structure, as well as discuss what your first step should be upon noticing them.

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It should come as no surprise that a healthy and happy employee is a more productive one. This is why many employers are looking to employee wellness programs to help their team members build healthier habits to improve both their physical and mental health. However, getting employees interested in taking advantage of these benefits means considering their needs and what gets them excited to participate. For a list of perks, policies and initiatives that might spark the interest of your team members, consider the following suggestions from the business leaders of Young Entrepreneur Council. Here, they recommend ideas they themselves have implemented or have seen succeed in the workplace and discuss why they believe employees are so excited to take advantage of these benefits.

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Your company mission is the North Star of your business, guiding each and every decision you make. Writing one, therefore, isn’t just about creating a clever slogan or summarizing your goals; it’s about getting to the heart of your business and laying out the true driving force behind your company and all those who work within it. And while you may have an idea of the main “why” behind your business, writing a clear, well-thought-out mission statement may require some deeper reflection. To help, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer a few questions you can ask yourself to spark a more detailed, thorough or meaningful statement for your company mission that will stand the test of time.

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No matter how focused your business is on customer satisfaction, the occasional complaint is inevitable. Whether they occur in person at a physical store or through online channels, these complaints present a unique opportunity to turn the situation around and deliver a positive experience. By actively listening to the customer's concerns, businesses can demonstrate empathy, foster trust and find effective solutions that resolve the issue at hand and encourage that person to keep coming back. To that end, Young Entrepreneur Council members share a few key actions you can take to address negative feedback and create a positive outcome for the customer—and ultimately, your business.

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It’s perfectly human to have “off” days—those when you can’t help but feel distracted by every little thought or feeling that enters your mind, or when smaller, less important tasks suddenly seem necessary to complete immediately. It can be difficult to get into a state of deep focus or even to find a normal amount of motivation on days like these, which means your productivity and ability to get things done can drastically decrease. Business leaders are no strangers to these kinds of off days, but thankfully the leaders of Young Entrepreneur Council have found a few solutions to recommend. Below, they each discuss one method they use to find their motivation for work even when they’re feeling distracted and how you can implement each tip to regain your own motivation.

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With the popularity of remote work today, companies are able to look for talent regardless of geographical location. But while this means access to a larger talent pool with varying skill sets, it also means navigating the legalities of hiring outside your home country and incorporating various cultures into your own unified company culture.  While this can be a tricky task to get right, with the right tools and tips, you can successfully expand your hiring to international applicants. To help, eight business leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the tips they would give companies for how to be successful with their global recruiting efforts as well as how this might differ from traditional, location-based recruiting. 

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The hiring process can be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, so it benefits any company to be able to find a quality candidate sooner rather than later. But hiring quickly means you may be sacrificing many of the steps or processes necessary to find the right match for the role, such as proper vetting and interviewing.  However, by adhering to the following 10 tips recommended by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council, you can weed out the wrong candidates and find the right fit quickly, efficiently and without sacrificing the quality of your hiring process.

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Delegation is a fundamental skill that every leader must hone in order to effectively manage people and achieve organizational goals. However, not all delegation methods are created equal. Here, 11 Young Entrepreneur Council members share the key strategies that are most effective for leaders when it comes to delegating tasks and responsibilities to their teams.

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The social media landscape is in a constant state of flux, with new platforms and trends coming and going all the time—with recent uncertainty surrounding potential TikTok bans in several countries leaving businesses wondering how to best maintain their social media presence. Despite these challenges, businesses must stay adaptable and learn to navigate these changes to succeed in their social media marketing efforts. To help you ensure success in an ever-changing social media landscape, members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their tried-and-true social media marketing tips for businesses.

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In the age of e-commerce, brick-and-mortar businesses face increased pressure to remain relevant and competitive. However, these businesses also have the unique advantage of being able to provide customers with an immersive in-store experience that cannot be replicated online. To help businesses innovate and attract more customers to their retail stores, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share their best customer experience tips.

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When starting out as a freelancer, the toughest step is often finding your first client. Not only do you have to convince them to take a chance on working with you when you may or may not have extensive experience in your field, but you also have to figure out where to find them in the first place. However, by following the tips provided by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council, you can make the experience a little less daunting. Here, they offer up advice to new freelancers for how to build up their client base from scratch and how to secure that first check.

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Small actions to build trust with your team can go a long way. For employees, the CEO can seem like an elusive figure -- too busy and too important to engage with on a day-to-day basis. However, leaders who take the time to build relationships with their team members can create a more connected and engaged workforce. Being approachable is key, but it's not always easy to know where to start. To help, a group of entrepreneurs shared their tried-and-true strategies for creating an approachable, open work environment and building better relationships with their teams.

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The field of marketing is a broad one, encapsulating nearly every aspect of promoting a product or service. It's also an industry that continues to evolve rapidly, particularly in the era of digital and content marketing. As new professionals enter this world, they may have an incomplete understanding of what it takes to be successful. Here, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share nine common misconceptions new professionals have about what it takes to be a good marketer and what they should be doing instead.

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As a business leader, you can sometimes make hundreds—maybe even thousands—of decisions a day. When you first start your business, the decisions you make then can often have a real impact on the way your business will function in the future, even if it seemed trivial or unimportant at the time.  As entrepreneurs themselves, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have certainly made their fair share of decisions, and below, they each share one important decision they made during the first few years of their company that impacted the way it functions today, as well as the important lessons other business owners can learn from these experiences.

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For entrepreneurs, publishing a book can be an excellent opportunity to share their expertise, experiences and perspectives with a broader audience. However, for first-timers, the process of writing and publishing a book can be daunting, and they may not know where to start or what to expect.  To help entrepreneurs who happen to be aspiring authors, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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

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A healthy company culture is critical for fostering employee engagement, productivity and overall success. However, creating a positive culture is easier said than done, and even the best efforts can fall short. When an employee comes to you with negative feedback about the company's culture, it's essential to handle the situation with care and sensitivity. To help you do this, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) share their best approaches for addressing employee feedback by responding to the following question: “When an employee approaches you with negative feedback regarding the company's culture, what's the best approach for handling it? What should be a leader's first step?” Here’s how they recommend you turn this negative situation into an opportunity for growth.

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Whether you're creating a short ad for TikTok or a longer-form video series on YouTube, the quality of your videos can have a major impact on your company’s ability to draw in and retain customers. Poor editing, distorted audio and a bad script can all make it seem like you aren’t willing to put effort into your marketing—which may make customers question the quality of your products or services as well. Thankfully, you don’t have to have a large budget to ensure high production value. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one simple way any business can improve the quality of their videos and why each tactic works so well.

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Certain business trends may be popular among the entrepreneurial crowd, but that doesn't mean they're all worth pursuing. As the business world continues to evolve, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends. It can be even harder to identify which of those fads will help your business and which just aren't worth your time. To that end, a group of successful entrepreneurs shared their thoughts on seven trends they believe business owners should steer clear of in the coming year. These insights can help small-business owners make informed decisions and set themselves up for success while avoiding common pitfalls that could stem from following these trends.

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In today's digitally driven world, tech departments are often the ones driving companies forward. It makes sense, then, that organizations would want to prioritize this team's hiring budget and build out a robust department with distinct roles and skill sets. While it may take some time to add all the positions you need to your tech department, there are a few key roles every business should focus on filling first. To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members weighed in on the following question:

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One of the first steps entrepreneurs should take after starting their business is getting word out to the public and attracting potential customers via marketing. A customer can’t find and make a purchase from a business unless they first hear about it, and this means marketing should be top of mind for any entrepreneur looking to grow their business. But when you’re new to entrepreneurship, you may not know the most effective ways to market to your audience, which could cause you to make a mistake that might unintentionally damage your efforts. Here, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the mistakes new entrepreneurs might commonly make when it comes to marketing their business, why they fall into these traps and what they should do instead.

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If you're a new entrepreneur, an important task is ensuring that your business is compliant with all local, state and federal regulations. Some legal matters require immediate consideration, and you will want to address those issues as soon as possible. To help, Young Entrepreneur Council members share 10 essential tasks to handle right away when starting a business.

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Executive team leaders serve as role models by supporting the company mission, maintaining a high standard of work output, encouraging individual growth and leading the company to success.  A member of an executive team must wear a lot of hats, so business owners should carefully consider who would be a good fit for such a key position. To help, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) reflected on the following question:

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Networking can help identify potential business partners and customers and create a sense of community and belonging. So if you haven't yet focused on creating a strong network, start working on it now. 

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When one of your early employees decides to quit your new business venture, there are a lot of emotions to process and decisions to make. Depending on the size of your company, you might be scrambling to find someone to pick up their responsibilities — or worse, end up having to add more tasks to your already lengthy to-do list. To help you handle this difficult but common situation, a group of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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Many entrepreneurs start new businesses while also balancing full-time jobs. When there’s limited time to work on developing a new company, you need to pick and choose what tasks to focus on first. Here, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members each share one task that should take priority over all others when you have limited time to work on your startup.

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Sharing bad news with your company's employees or stakeholders is never easy, especially when the bad news may directly affect them. Because of this, it's important to strike the right balance between remaining calm and professional while delivering the news in an empathetic manner. To further help you through this situation, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

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Resolving conflicts in the workplace is imperative to a healthy workplace culture. Leaving conflicts unsolved builds resentment among team members and creates a toxic environment that can be distracting from the work that needs to be completed. As a leader, it's your job to help resolve any conflicts that arise and act as a mediator between employees when necessary. Properly handling conflict resolution can also help influence employees to better solve future conflicts on their own. To help get you started, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council experts share different ways they recommend approaching conflict resolution and the example that sets for your team.

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Tech startups have a reputation for being innovative, scrappy and constantly evolving to get ahead of the competition. However, these qualities aren't just useful in the technology industry. Companies in any sector can apply the "tech startup mentality" to their operations and keep improving. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one aspect of this mentality that can be applied to any business. Here's why they believe all companies can benefit from adopting these traits.

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While some people may be naturally inclined toward leadership roles, no one is born a perfect leader. The ability to inspire, motivate and guide a team of people is built up over time, and no matter how many managerial positions someone has held, there's always more to learn. Often, your day-to-day interactions can be a source of inspiration for improving your leadership skills. Here, 12 Young Entrepreneur Council members share the inspirations in their daily lives that encourage them to be better leaders.

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With so many companies competing for consumers' attention on social media, creating compelling, unique advertising campaigns is a great way to stand out. On Facebook in particular, there are a few key strategies that can help you target your audience effectively. As successful business leaders, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have extensive experience developing and executing successful Facebook ad campaigns. Below, nine of them each share what they believe is the most important element of a great Facebook ad campaign and why it's so effective at capturing users' attention.

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In the early days of your startup, investors can make or break your business. Failing to bring on new investors can mean pushing back the launch of your service or product, or delaying a major hire or purchase. That’s why it’s so important to connect with investors from the start and to pitch your business in the right way. Here, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members share tips for practicing your pitch to potential investors and what to keep in mind before the big day.

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

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To be able to run your workplace smoothly, you may need to gain new leadership skills or strengthen skills that perhaps never seemed all that important to you before.

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

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

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Onboarding a new manager can be an overwhelming experience for both the new manager and the employee doing the training. Not only does the new hire have to learn the organizational culture and procedures, but they’ll also need to meet and establish a rapport with their team. The best way to set up a manager for success from day one is to implement a thoughtful, thorough onboarding procedure. Here, seven Young Entrepreneur Council members share their best tips for onboarding new managers, so these hires can be successful from the start.

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No matter how far along you are in your career, there are always going to be opportunities for you to learn. This is especially true when it comes to leveling up certain skills that only increase in importance as you climb the corporate ladder. Skills like empathy, adaptability and even active listening all require constant practice and refinement to truly master—even for those who already feel like they have a solid grasp on them. Here, ten members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss these skills and more, and share why they think working on the following skills can have a major impact on your career.

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

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

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When you're feeling anxious about a presentation, a looming deadline or even a decision you made, relaxation is likely the last thing on your mind. However, the business world is full of stressful situations, and if you want to navigate it successfully, you’ll need to pick up a positive habit or two that can help you cope when things get tough. Anxiety doesn’t have to overwhelm you, and with the following eight tips, you’ll be better equipped to deal with it when it happens. From acknowledging your anxiety to leveraging silence, here are a few tricks you can use to get back in a healthier mindset, as recommended by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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

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

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

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer tips that first-time founders might forget to think about. Planning the nuts and bolts of your business is a key first step to starting off with the best chance at success. Determining what the product or service will be, what to name the business, whether it’ll be strictly e-commerce or a brick-and-mortar store and many other considerations are all at the top of the to-do list for new entrepreneurs. Other aspects of launching a business may fly under the radar, however. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members lists some unheralded aspects of starting a business that first-time entrepreneurs may not be planning for and why they should if they want their businesses to thrive now and in the future.

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No matter the industry, there are many different hard and soft skills a leader should develop to be an effective and inspiring presence on their team. While some required skills will be field-specific, skills like managing your time, speaking publicly, motivating and listening apply to all leadership positions. To help their fellow leaders hone the right capabilities, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members weighed in on the following question:

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

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

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Innovation comes from teams working together to collaborate on projects and share ideas. However, when ideas aren’t flowing as they should, a little friendly competition can offer a boost of creativity and innovation. Healthy competition is good for a team and its productivity, but it’s important to do it right. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members offer some ways leaders can foster healthy competition at work, and explain how doing so can benefit the company.

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

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Small businesses starting from scratch have a long road ahead of them when it comes to building a brand. Defining a mission, finding your voice and building trust all take time to develop, but luckily there are a few key steps new entrepreneurs can take to get there a little faster.  To help get you started, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members responded to the following question:

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

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Owning a business is one of the most challenging endeavors a person can take on, and owning a small business is no exception. From strategizing to delegating and everything in between, there are many difficulties that small-business owners face, yet most of them would say that it's all worth it in the end. To offer their thoughts on why facing such trials and tribulations is worth it, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members answered the following question:

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Managing a remote team can be hard. But it can be a lot easier if you have the right tools and know the right way to use them.

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With so many forms of digital communication available, the traditional cold phone call may seem like a lesser form of gaining a sale or finding a business partnership. Some people may believe that cold calling will only lead to rejection—or worse, mid-call hang-ups. However, there are still ways to effectively cold call about prospective business transactions that will lead to success.  Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council each detail a strategy they have for effective cold calling and why it works so well. Rather than dismissing cold calls as a sales tactic, try these thoughtful and personal approaches out.

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One of the quickest and easiest ways to gather applicants for an open position is to post an ad on a job board. There are several popular boards out there today, and each has its benefits and drawbacks.  But while job boards offer a quick and easy hiring solution, they aren't the only place to find the best talent. Many companies are looking for alternatives to posting on job boards in order to find the most suitable, high-quality candidates. To help, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend some alternatives to posting on job boards when looking to hire the right talent.

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An effective sales strategy involves a precise plan explicitly crafted to sell products and meet consumer demand. When planning an optimized sales strategy with your team, it's essential to reach for a well-balanced option that satisfies your consumers while driving profit. When developing your sales approach, it's important to consider both new leads and the loyal customers or clients who have helped get you where you are. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss their advice for developing an effective strategy that addresses both audiences.

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

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When your business is one of the most important things in your life, it's hard to trust others to handle any aspect of it. No matter how good a candidate looks on paper, you likely won’t have a good idea of how trustworthy they are until you’re able to meet them face-to-face. Luckily, there are some productive questions you can ask a potential hire to help you gauge their trustworthiness. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members share their thoughts on the following question:

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Even the most confident professionals have days where they might be feeling a little low or down on their game. Whether you wake up feeling on top of the world or a little less than confident, it's helpful to have a daily affirmation to remind yourself how special and important you really are.  Affirmations can be incredibly useful for building confidence and self-esteem. Below, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their favorite daily affirmations and discuss how they might help other professionals' attitudes or mindsets at work.

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Without customer loyalty, a business can struggle to succeed. While your business may have a few standout customers who have become brand ambassadors for your product or service, the unengaged or inactive customers are often the ones you need feedback from the most. These customers can provide candid and honest feedback as to why they aren't more engaged with your business. To help get these customers excited about your business again, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one way to reconnect with unengaged customers. Follow their recommendations to gain the feedback and repeat business of these once-lost customers.

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With so many electronic devices and social media platforms, it's easier than ever before for even the most focused and organized of professionals to get distracted from the task at hand. Combine that with the fact that work-from-home and hybrid work models have become popular for many companies, and it should really come as no surprise that people are having a hard time focusing. However, with a little discipline and a few routine changes, there are some effective ways to banish procrastination, minimize multitasking and achieve focus during your workday. To that end, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) share their insights on the following question:

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

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

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Success in content marketing requires a deep knowledge of existing and prospective customers and successful, tailored campaigns to reach them all. But while reaching those customers and making the sale can be achieved with the right plan, there is still the possibility of making a lot of mistakes along the way. To see positive results from your content marketing efforts, there are some important "dos," but there are also some very important "don'ts" that should be considered. Below, 13 Young Entrepreneur Council members share their top actions to avoid in content marketing and why.

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Data is a key factor in determining many critical business decisions. As a business owner, you're most likely tracking multiple points of data each day, from transactions and payroll to projected profits. While there are many metrics out there that are important to track for business growth, there are a few high-level metrics that can uplevel your business operations. To that end, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss some high-level metrics your business should be tracking and why.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss what business leaders should do in the event of a cyberattack. You should always take great care to ensure your company is protecting itself against cybercrime. Mistakes can happen, however, and breaches can always occur. Once your company has been hit with a cyberattack, you’ll need to have an action plan in place to ensure minimal damage to your systems and data. To help, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the steps they recommend taking after your business has been affected by a cyberattack. Although opinions differ on the very first step you should take, incorporating all of these action items into your plan in some way will get you off to a great start.

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All new hires should be given a fair chance to acclimate to their new position and get used to the way things are done within your company. However, after some time, you may start noticing signs that the onboarding period simply isn't going well for your new employee. So how can you tell if it's just new-hire jitters or if they're not a good fit for the role? To help, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weigh in on the following question:

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Trust is key for any relationship to be successful, and this is especially true for manager-employee relationships. Managers rely on their employees to carry out the daily tasks necessary for the success of their business. Employees rely on their managers for guidance, support and leadership.  But in order for trust to be built, both managers and employees need to put in the work. This can be more difficult for managers who work remotely or who have to split their time between so many different people and tasks. To help you work on building trust with your team, these tips from the members of Young Entrepreneur Council are a great starting point.

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A negative mindset can be poisonous in the workplace. It can lower morale, decrease productivity and spread to other members of the team, leading to toxic work culture. As a leader, it's critical to have a positive mindset to effectively work through difficult situations and keep your team on the same page. Below, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how to exude more positivity at work and why these practices are especially crucial for those in leadership positions.

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Whether you're an experienced entrepreneur or just starting out, investors can be a crucial part of your startup's continued success. While it's possible for investors to take a chance on a business, many investors have certain criteria they'll look for before they take the plunge. Your business’s investor is just as important as your brand's values and mission, so when you find a good potential candidate, you'll want to do all you can to impress them. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some crucial tips to follow when you're trying to gain the interest of a potential investor.

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Whether your schedule allows for flexible working hours or you hold a 9-to-5 job, you may find that your energy wanes throughout your workday. Whether it's from decision fatigue, stress or just a natural productivity slump, sometimes you just need a boost of energy to keep you going for the rest of the day. If you're unsure where to look for relief, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council have some strategies that may help. Below, they each share one thing that helps them regain productivity when they're in a slump.

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Following the top CEOs closely and understanding the way they work can help you build your own strategy to create a business that makes an impact.

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No matter how good you are at your job, you’ll still have stressful days. However, it’s how you handle the stress that can make a positive or negative impact on your mindset and abilities.  For professionals who have their well-being in mind, maintaining daily habits can be beneficial to their success. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share the daily practices they adhere to in order to set their day up for success. They explain why these habits are worth sticking to no matter how busy or stressed you are and how they can motivate you to keep going, even when work gets tough.

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No matter what industry you're in, if you’re trying to hire in the current job market, chances are that you're up against some fierce competition. With so many companies to compete with, it's vital to find a way to stand out so that the best talent will want to join your team — and your job posting is the best place to start. To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members were asked to answer the following question:

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Great leaders are constantly evolving, gaining additional skills and finding new ways to effectively manage and guide their teams. This proactive style of leadership comes with practice and self-awareness of any weaknesses or blind spots you may have. To help hone these skills, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members discuss how entrepreneurs can boost their leadership abilities. Below, they share their top-recommended exercises to help leaders take stock of their skills and find out where they can improve.

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Ensuring employees are engaged is key in business, as it leads to higher company morale and improved quality of work. Further, a lack of engagement can be a telltale sign that something is wrong.  For companies finding that their employees aren’t engaged—whether it’s during meetings, feedback sessions or fun social outings—there are ways leaders can drive motivation. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss some simple things companies can do to get employees more engaged and involved.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best advice for moving your physical retail store online. As the popularity (and necessity) of online shopping continues to rise, many business owners are choosing to transition their brick-and-mortar stores to an e-commerce model. However, running a business online can differ dramatically from running a physical store, and it may require new approaches to and new mindsets about selling and advertising goods. To help make the transition easier, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council experts share their best advice for moving into the e-commerce space. Follow their tips to get your online business up and running the right way — the first time.

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When you need to cut costs in your business, it's difficult to know where to begin, especially if you have employees who rely on your business's success. However, there are a few good ways to get started on getting your business finances back on track. To help you choose the best path, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weigh in on the following question:

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Online safety is critical when you’re serving e-commerce customers. If proper protocols aren’t followed, e-commerce sites can easily fall prey to cybersecurity breaches, which may expose private customer information.  These security breaches can cost your company both in money and in customer loyalty, so it’s essential to prioritize shoppers’ online safety. To help you secure your consumers’ shopping experience, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council outline the key security steps companies should take with their e-commerce sites.

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With so many duties to juggle and schedules to maintain, executives simply can’t do it all themselves. To remedy this, many companies will hire executive assistants to help.  Executive assistants are valuable members of the executive team as they can bring order and efficiency to an executive’s role—but you have to make the right hire. To help find the best executive assistant for your company, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared the traits they believe leaders should prioritize when screening candidates.

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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.  After a time, many companies change or update their missions, and rebranding is an effective tool for signaling to customers that a company is undergoing major changes, but it can also result in pushback from the target audience if not handled well. Below, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members reveal steps you can take if your rebrand doesn’t achieve the reaction you were hoping for.

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Social media is a critical tool for a small business’s marketing efforts. With the number of social media users projected to grow to 4.4 billion by 2025, there are numerous opportunities to get your small business in front of your potential customers. However, it’s important to know how to stand out from the competition.  To help, 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) each offered their best advice on the following topic:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss why you might not be seeing a good ROI on your business's mobile app. With the number of shoppers who choose to make their purchases on mobile platforms steadily rising every year, businesses these days would be remiss not to consider building a mobile app to serve their customer bases. Although building such an app aims to increase sales, many businesses might actually find themselves losing money post-launch. Many factors can affect this sales dip, but the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have narrowed down their top 11 reasons why you might not be seeing the ROI you’d hoped for after building your mobile app. Below, they explain what you can do to turn the situation around for the better.

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Guest posts are an excellent way to gain publicity for your business. Through this form of content marketing, you'll establish yourself as a credible expert in your industry and gain valuable brand exposure to the publication's audience. However, it's not enough to write an article mentioning your product or service. With guest posts, it's important to strike the right balance between effectively promoting your company and serving the needs of the outlet that's publishing your post. If you have a guest posting opportunity coming up, be sure to follow this helpful advice from the members of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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It's about creating familiarity with, fondness for and trust in your business in the minds of your audience.

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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. New entrepreneurs may experience burnout and have a greater chance of giving up on their businesses entirely if they can’t find better work-life balance. If you're heading toward burnout because of your business, follow these recommendations from eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council. Below, they give their best tips for retaining time for loved ones and rest while still building a successful business.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggest the information you should try to find when researching your business’s competition. Every business faces competition. In order to succeed in the marketplace, companies must do what they can to stand out from each other. An important step in this process is analyzing the competition to figure out what they do well — and what they don’t — so you have a better idea of where your company stands and what you need to do to get ahead. To help get you started, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared a list of helpful pieces of data or information you’ll want to find out when studying your competition and why those things will help you succeed.

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More and more businesses have made the shift to cloud computing in recent years, and it's not hard to see why. There are countless ways the cloud can benefit a company, from cost savings and sustainability to greater work location flexibility. As cloud computing evolves, it can offer even more benefits that you may not have even realized before. To that end, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some unique ways for businesses to take advantage of cloud computing and improve their operations.

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

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

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

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When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, it put many professionals out of work. Others faced cutbacks on hours or began working remotely, which allowed more time for pursuing multiple income streams. These factors led to a major uptick in startup and small business launches, many of which are still thriving as we enter 2022.  With this fact in mind, a panel of 11 Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) experts answered the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the steps you should take when seeking an investor for your business. When bringing on an investor to your business, you’re doing more than securing financial assistance — in many ways, you’re bringing on a business partner. To protect their investment and ensure they make a quick return, investors will likely want to have a hand in the business and how it runs. In the same way you wouldn’t bring on a co-founder without first making sure they were the right person for the job, you’ll want to vet potential investors prior to any sort of agreement. In order to vet them properly, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members recommend taking these 10 steps before sealing the deal.

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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. To help fellow leaders hiring for senior-level roles, Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members weighed in on the following question:

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

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggest ways leaders can thank their teams for all their hard work. Workplace happiness is a major topic of discussion in today’s employment landscape. Employees now more than ever are discovering that their happiness is a priority when it comes to where and when they work, and many are no longer willing to compromise in favor of anything else. In order to keep current (and future) employees happy, then, employers will need to approach retention differently than they may have in the past. Luckily, the strategy behind this effort doesn’t need to be complicated, as there’s no better way to ensure your team is happy and fulfilled than by showing your gratitude for all the hard work they do. Consider the following steps recommended by Young Entrepreneur Council leaders to help get you started.

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Business owners in any industry can affirm that running a company is a lifelong lesson. Though many entrepreneurs have strong gut feelings and a long history of success when it comes to decision making, there are times when they make bad business decisions as well. In these situations, your whole outlook on your business can change. You may even feel discouraged from making significant decisions in the future. To help entrepreneurs learn from their unsuccessful decisions, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared some lessons they've learned from times they were proven wrong in business and how it has impacted their decision making now.

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With 2021 now at a close, it's the perfect time of year to start looking forward to the year ahead and setting goals for success. As you set your personal resolutions, don't forget to focus on your career aspirations for the coming year too. From earning a promotion to taking the lead on a project or upping your skills in a specific area, there are plenty of career goals you can set for 2022. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their top tips for anyone who wants to crush their career goals in the year ahead.

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The end of each year is an important time to reflect on what you accomplished throughout the year as well as any challenges you faced so that you can make a game plan to improve in the future. Sometimes it's difficult to remember everything that happened, but you don't want to overlook significant events when reflecting on them can help you accomplish more in the months ahead. When trying to get the most out of your reflection time, there are several methods you can use to look back at the year and zero in on the wins and losses that mattered most. Here, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share some tips for reflecting on the past year and how to determine what you can do better in the future.

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When you establish yourself as a thought leader, you develop a positive reputation for yourself and your business.

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As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, it's easy for your team's motivation to decline alongside it. If you don't want to see morale and productivity plummet through the winter months, it's important to take proactive steps to energize and inspire your staff. To help, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend some ways in which you can keep their spirits and motivation high all winter long.

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Every business needs to market its products and services, but there's a lot of competition out there. When you're creating a content marketing campaign for your brand, the last thing you want to do is use precious time and resources to create content that doesn't measure up to your direct competitors'. In order to differentiate your content from theirs — and gain more consumer attention — you’ll need to take certain purposeful measures. Below, 15 professionals from YEC share their best tips for creating unique content that stands out against the competition.

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Opening a small business isn't easy, even when you have plenty of money to do it. Getting a small business off the ground with little to no budget is an even more challenging feat. However, with the right amount of passion and strategic planning, anything is possible.  To help you get started, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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Launching a new product on social media can be a great way to go to market, but that’s only if you design an effective social media campaign. From creating content to scheduling, building awareness of your new product on social media requires a lot of careful planning and consideration. To help get you started, 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best tips for successfully launching a new product on social media.

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High turnover rates are a tell-tale sign that something is wrong within your business. Whether the turnover rate is in a specific department or company-wide, it’s important for business leaders to address the issues that are occurring to prevent any further issues.  Not addressing a high turnover rate can be problematic for a business and will likely lead to an unsuccessful team, a bad reputation, and low company morale. To help leaders better understand what’s happening, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members recommended some steps a business leader should take to investigate what is going on in the company and solve the root issue.

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When your business starts to grow, it's an exciting indicator of success. However, it can also be an indicator that organizational changes need to take place. If your business has outgrown its current location, it's time to start considering moving into a new office space. There's a lot to think about before making such a significant change, though. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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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. There are several ways a company can leverage YouTube to grow its customer base. Here, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the most effective strategies they know to help companies achieve the results they need.

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

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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. Sometimes all it takes to gain momentum in building an audience is one post to go viral. However, this is easier said than done, and you may find yourself feeling more often than not that you're just sharing posts into a void. Here, eight experts from Young Entrepreneur Council share their best pieces of advice on how a new business can gain those first few followers and start building an audience.

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No matter how well-aligned two business partners may be, there will inevitably be times when they don't see eye to eye. However, when larger issues arise and the partners are no longer on the same page, it's critical for both parties to get back on track to resolve their conflict. Otherwise, they risk making decisions (or making no decisions at all) that could ultimately harm the business and its culture. If you and your business partner can't seem to agree on an important issue, first remember that you're working toward the same goal: the good of the company. Then, try these 15 strategies recommended by Young Entrepreneur Council members for realigning with your partner and resolving conflict.

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When employees work with you for a long time, they become familiar with your company guidelines and policies and know the overall culture better than those who have just joined in. 

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The secret to a successful and efficient company culture is transparent communication. This is especially true when you need to announce big news to your team in a way that will make them feel confident about the company's direction and decisions. To help you do this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some important qualities companies should look for in their CTO candidates. Because the chief technology officer position is so important, you need to ensure that the right person assumes the role. A CTO needs to not only have a strong command of technology, but also project management, organization and team dynamics, among other things. If you’re hiring a CTO for the first time, you may not know exactly what to look for when reviewing applications and interviewing job candidates. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared 14 traits they look for when hiring a CTO and why each quality is so essential to the job. 

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You don’t have to wait to start your journey toward success. People often say that the key to success is to become a lifelong learner. This is because as you continue to learn new things throughout your life and career, you’re better able to adapt, innovate and grow — all of which are necessary components to a successful business. And continued curiosity around your passions can make for a fulfilling life. To get started, follow these steps recommended by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council and begin your journey to becoming a lifelong learner today.

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

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When a new business owner sets up their first company social media accounts, they may not be aware of how intentional they actually need to be with their social media strategy. While on the surface social media marketing may seem simple, it actually involves a lot of careful consideration and complex methods that businesses will want to follow in order to be successful. Once you understand the intricacies of social media marketing, however, it becomes easier to share content that keeps your target audience engaged. Staying on top of the game requires constant observation, analysis and tweaking of strategies, so below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared the most common mistakes they've noticed new businesses making on social media and how to fix them.

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Technology can be an incredible asset for a small business when its uses are carefully considered and researched. Some business owners, however, may feel overwhelmed by the amount of technology they do or don’t need to succeed. To help you avoid making poor decisions around business tech, we asked Young Entrepreneur Council members to weigh in on the common business technology mistakes startups make that you should definitely steer clear of.

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In order for any business to thrive, it needs to have a productive leader and team. However, productivity means a lot more than simply keeping busy. Sometimes, you can keep yourself busy working on tasks that essentially amount to nothing and lead you down a dead-end path of wasted time and energy.  As a leader, it's important to understand how to make the most of every moment you have and the decisions you make. To that end, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weigh in with their answers to the following question:

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

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In recent years, technological advances and the Covid-19 pandemic have paved the way for many companies to go completely or partially remote. This type of work environment means professionals are now more responsible for protecting confidential company data, no matter where they're working. From using weak passwords to logging into unsecured networks, there are many ways for well-intentioned remote workers to inadvertently open the door for hackers. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain how remote professionals can protect themselves against cyberattacks when they're not working at a central company location.

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How do you use this technique for the best results?

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Though a company's internal planning process is important, an outside perspective can also be equally beneficial. An advisory board, composed of experts who provide valuable insight and strategic advice, can offer that perspective to directors and higher-level managers. A strong board offers businesses a competitive advantage, allowing them to make informed decisions that will drive growth and success. For this reason, each member of the board must be a quality candidate who is truly invested in your organization's success. To help you find the best advisors for your business, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared nine key traits to look for in a great board advisor.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their advice on how to stop chasing an imaginary perfection and move forward with your business. Entrepreneurs naturally want their businesses to be as perfect as possible. What many business leaders may not realize, however, is that in striving for perfection, they may actually be doing more harm than good. Leaders who always seek perfection can end up delaying projects, spending unnecessary money, destroying team morale and undermining their own self-confidence if they aren’t careful about how they channel this perfectionism. To provide guidance on how to do just that, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their best advice for overcoming perfectionism in business.

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One of the most significant milestones for any business is the day it reaches a point of expansion. While every business owner looks forward to the day they can grow their business, it's important not to be hasty in doing so. A successful business expansion depends on a number of factors and needs to be carried out at the right time. To help you understand when the time is right for you to expand your business operations, 13 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answer the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council list some common missteps companies make with social media engagement. Achieving high social media engagement rates is a valuable goal for any modern company. Likes, shares and comments all give companies a quantitative way to measure how positively they’re perceived by their audience members. But in striving for these numbers, companies can overlook certain mistakes that, when resolved, would actually end up helping their efforts in the long run. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members list some of the most common mistakes companies make when it comes to engaging their audience on social media and explain what they should be doing instead.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best advice for switching career fields to technology. People often lose interest in their careers over time. Accelerating this trend, the pandemic has seemed to ignite the spark many people needed to finally realize their dissatisfaction with their current work. As a fast-growing field with unlimited opportunities for the future, the tech industry is a popular place to turn to for those seeking new challenges. Below, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tips for breaking into the tech industry when you’re new to the field and explain how you can set yourself up to land that first job. 

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Experiencing self-doubt occasionally is natural but if it happens too often, it can cause serious problems to your mental health and the health of your business.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share strategies for making your sales pitch over Zoom more effective. It’s a generally understood rule of sales that your sales pitch and technique should always adapt to the individual client or business you’re selling to. To be a truly effective salesperson, however, you must also adapt your technique to the environment in which you’re pitching. Increasingly, the sales environment of choice has been over Zoom or other video conferencing tools. Because you don’t have your usual in-person strategies to fall back on, you’ll want to consider these 10 steps recommended by a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members if you want to nail your next pitch.

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

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

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Content is the key to reaching and engaging new and existing customers. But after you've been creating content for so long, it can start to feel like you've covered everything you can possibly cover about your brand or in your niche.  Fresh content is always there, but sometimes you're just too burned out to see it. When you've hit a content roadblock, there are plenty of ways to refresh your perspective and spark new ideas. To help, 10 members of YEC share their best tips for summoning the creativity you need to take your content to the next level.

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Whether it’s about a job offer or a potential business partnership, every professional will find themselves negotiating at some point in their career. The secret to achieving a positive outcome for both parties doesn’t have to be a mystery, however, and the key is often in thorough preparation and knowing some effective negotiation strategies. To help professionals who are looking to hone their negotiation skills, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared important steps to negotiating well.

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

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss why open-source software meets small business needs better than tech from major corporations. To be an effective business, it helps to have the right technology at your disposal. Because of their name recognition and broad advertising reach, major tech corporations like Microsoft and Google may be the first thought of businesses big and small looking for the right software to meet their needs. However, they may not actually be the best choice. Especially for small businesses with limited staff and often even more limited budgets, open-source software may be exactly what they need. To explain why, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members list off some of the specific reasons why open-source software may be able to help small businesses in ways major tech companies never can.

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Being a business leader means being the boss. It means being at the top of the company, making key decisions that affect not only the business, but also those who work for it. But being a successful business leader also means being humble and understanding that you are not alone in your trials and that you can trust your teams to help you through the harshest of times. As business leaders themselves, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have learned many lessons about humility throughout their careers. Below are a few of those lessons and how they’ve helped these entrepreneurs become better leaders and people (and how you can become one too).

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School looked very different for many students this past year and a half due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For recent college grads, the future of work may seem like it’s filled with even more of the same uncertainty as the job market evolves and heals in the aftermath of 2020. But despite what’s occurred, it’s important to move forward and find ways to begin your career in a way that will set you up for success. To provide some guidance on how to do that, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered their best advice for recent graduates looking to start their careers during this unprecedented time.

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Popular television shows, books, movies and the media in general often paint an idyllic picture of entrepreneurship, but it’s not until you’re actually in the thick of business that you fully understand what it means to be a business owner. While it’s perfectly OK to view entrepreneurship as a positive goal to aspire to, it’s important to be aware of the reality behind working for yourself and running a business to ensure you start your entrepreneurial journey with the right expectations. To offer their insights, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the most common misconceptions about being a business owner and why they’re not always true.

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You aren't born successful. You have to work hard to earn it, and in doing so, you might have to give up a lot of things.

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

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain how companies can better manage the safety of their customers’ data. IoT devices like home security systems, robot vacuums, fitness trackers, smart lightbulbs and everything in between are designed to make users’ lives easier and more efficient. But to achieve that ease, users must input data, often personal, to help these devices function well—which can sometimes mean forgoing security for functionality. However, there are steps companies can take to protect their customers’ data and ensure better security for their devices. Below, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council list some of those steps and explain why managing data security for these devices is so important.

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One common piece of marketing advice is to meet your audience where they are. For the many companies looking to reach millennials, that means social media — and especially through the use of Instagram and TikTok. These social platforms provide great opportunities to engage with millennials and influence their purchasing behaviors. But how can you ensure your social media marketing efforts will be successful and won’t actually turn millennials away from your brand? With more than three billion users spread across the most popular social networking platforms today, it’s easy to get lost in the mix — even if you are spending top dollar on paid advertising and influencer outreach. The good news is, there are always new methods that are grabbing attention, while other advertisers and content creators are focusing on stale content methods. To help in this process, we’ve reach out to eleven experts from YEC to discuss their best tips on how to catch the attention of millennials and help your brand stand out among the competition. Follow their advice to provide the value this generation so desperately wants.

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

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There are some business leaders who instantly light up a room when they walk into it. They have this charisma that draws people to them and makes others want to listen. However, if you don't feel like you have this type of personality naturally, you don't have to give up on being able to make a positive impact on others. With a few simple techniques, you can be a business leader whom others look up to and wish to be.  Below, 13 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best advice for how to be a positive influence even when charisma doesn't come naturally to you.

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Thanks to search engines leveling the marketing playing field, even the smallest business can today benefit from the reach that search engine marketing (SEM) offers. But when you’re short on money, time, and resources, learning all about SEO and SEM—and how to leverage them effectively in your digital marketing strategy—can be a challenge. Here, 13 leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council share SEO and SEM tips that work for them, and that won’t break the bank.

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With the rich educational value podcasts often provide their listeners, it’s no surprise that the business community turns to this popular form of content to improve their skills and strategies. Some entrepreneurs even make major business decisions based on the information they’ve learned and the stories they’ve listened to on podcasts. With this in mind, 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council responded to the following question:

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When establishing a startup, it can be difficult to know which metrics you should be focusing on. You may be watching and reporting on basic key performance indicators (KPIs) such as your gross profit margin, but are there metrics you're overlooking? The answer is most likely yes. These eight Young Entrepreneur Council members have learned through experience that not measuring certain metrics could mean missed opportunities for company growth. So review this list of often overlooked KPIs to see if you're missing any important metrics from your reports.

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Everyone experiences changes in their lives, whether big or small, and the stress that comes along with these changes can either hurt you or allow you to grow stronger. One of the best ways to manage this stress is to learn to be more adaptable. When you're able to adapt, you're less likely to feel stressed by minor or major changes that happen in life. Here, 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain how you can adapt to whatever comes your way so you can fight off the stress of new circumstances.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council predict which industries AI is likely to have a major impact on in the near future. Artificial intelligence has already had a major impact on the tech industry. The numerous products and applications that now run on AI have allowed businesses and consumers alike to streamline everyday tasks and save valuable time and effort. As AI becomes more readily available, it will continue to become more prominent in other industries. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council experts shared which fields they believe artificial intelligence will disrupt next and why. Keep an eye out for AI-powered trends in these 14 industries.

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A positive role model is someone others want to emulate and follow, and successful entrepreneurs often become — sometimes unknowingly — the role models for other professionals. Whether it’s at work or in their personal lives, these leading entrepreneurs become a focus of attention because they have qualities that aspiring founders strive to replicate. The members of Young Entrepreneur Council recognize, however, that in order to be positive role models for others they need to work on being the best versions of themselves as well. Below, 13 of them share some ways you can work to become a great role model not only for other people, but also for yourself.

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Many people are passionate about starting their own business and being their own boss, but to be a successful entrepreneur you need a lot more than just passion.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best tips for overcoming self-doubt when starting out in business. Impostor syndrome describes the feeling that you’re somehow a fraud in your personal or professional life. People who suffer from this psychological pattern often believe that they just got where they are by luck, which invalidates or diminishes their achievements in their own minds. New entrepreneurs, especially those who have limited experience in their industry, often succumb to impostor syndrome. They may feel like they don’t know what they’re doing and that their partners, clients or employees might find out and walk away. If you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some strategies here that may help you combat it.

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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. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council examine the key elements that businesses should look at when developing packaging for a product and explain why these factors can help the product be more attractive.

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Small businesses have several benefits over larger companies, but resources aren’t usually one of them. This limitation can significantly impact the way a small business deals with new hires. While a larger company can dedicate weeks or months to training a new employee under an experienced team, smaller businesses don't always have that luxury. The result is that these smaller enterprises have to be more creative with their onboarding. Below, 13 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) delve into this topic by answering the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the most important lessons they've learned about leading from afar. The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the world’s foundations in all aspects. Countless companies have had to change their business models and switch to remote work to keep their employees safe. But after more than a year of this virtual work environment, leaders have learned valuable lessons on how to lead—and how not to lead—when their teams aren't all in one location. The members of Young Entrepreneur Council know the challenges of pivoting their leadership style in the current climate. Below, 13 of them shared the lessons that have taught them how to be better leaders in this new remote work era.

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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. When done correctly, these virtual sessions can be just as effective and engaging as in-person meetings. To help you create an educational and helpful webinar for your business, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best advice. Follow their recommendations as you plan your next online business event.

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It's an inevitability in any business; you can't please every customer and, eventually, someone will get upset. But what matters is how you deal with their expectations and come to a common solution. Dealing with an angry customer doesn't necessarily have to mean the end of your relationship with them. In fact, with the right techniques and strategies, you may be able to steer the conversation in a positive and productive direction. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their best advice for doing just this.

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Getting recognized by peers can significantly increase a business’s exposure, potentially resulting in increased visibility and more customers. However, not all awards are worth the time and effort to apply to them. Some of them don't carry a lot of weight with other experts in the field, some you may not even qualify for and others try to get businesses to pay them for consideration. But which ones are worth it? To offer their best advice, 10 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) respond to the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some important insights every entry-level tech candidate should know before joining the field. You’ve completed your education and training, you’ve done research on the job market and you’re ready to start applying for positions in the tech industry. But before you do, it's important to know how the industry operates. Like every industry, the technology sector is unique, but it's also evolving and advancing quickly, which means hopeful candidates will constantly need to evolve their skills in tandem. Keeping these facts in mind will allow you to not only find the best-fit position for you, but also map out how your career may look in the future. Below, 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share a few other insights job candidates will need to keep in mind if they want to enter and succeed in the tech space.

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The pandemic has made remote and hybrid work arrangements mainstream. But it has also given managers a unique opportunity to bring different talent to their teams from all over the country and the globe. That being said, it's also important to think about how those new hires will work and be managed in a remote setting. It takes a certain skill set to succeed in a remote work environment, so it's vital to identify some key traits that will set a candidate up for success. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared the qualifications they've been looking for in new hires lately, especially those who will be working remotely.

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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. But if you aren’t where you want to be in your career or you’re unhappy at work, getting to that frame of mind consistently can be difficult. Below, 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the ways professionals can keep a positive attitude and take charge of their own happiness at work—even if they're not in love with their job.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explore some user experience trends every app developer should be implementing. When you're developing a mobile app, there are many features to consider during your creation process. However, the most important thing to prioritize is the app’s overall usability and design. You may have a great marketing campaign to drive downloads, but if you don't create a user-friendly experience, consumers are unlikely to keep using your app. To that end, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some of the UX trends developers should consider implementing. Here’s why these user experience elements are so helpful in creating a successful mobile app.

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Not every method is going to work the same for every person. These days it seems like every working professional is trying to hack their productivity. From multitasking to juggling more work adeptly, these productivity hacks claim that they can help individuals do more in a shorter span of time. For many business owners who are strapped for time, these hacks seem like the perfect solution. However, many of them aren't worth the time that someone may dedicate to them. While these hacks work fine in theory, their effectiveness levels vary from individual to individual. Below, 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss several popular productivity hacks that they personally find highly overrated.

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To be a good leader and entrepreneur, it's important to know the difference between these two leadership styles.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their predictions for upcoming advances in encryption tech. Privacy and security are becoming increasingly important in today’s highly digital business world. With many employees working remotely and technology rapidly advancing, encryption technology will need to advance just as quickly. To that end, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared what they predict will be some of the next big steps in encryption technology in the near future. Keep an eye on these developments to see what kind of effect they’ll have on privacy and security for you and your business.

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Different people use LinkedIn for different purposes like building networks, getting hired, staying updated on industry news, etc. But no matter what your goal is, if used strategically, LinkedIn can help you achieve it and boost your professional growth to a great extent.

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Search engine optimization is a prominent concern for marketers across all industries and for any business with an online presence. Having good SEO habits is likely to get your website ranked on search engines above your competitors. However, poor SEO habits likely won’t produce the results you’re looking for and can potentially lead to your site getting heavily penalized. To help you cultivate acceptable SEO practices, 13 professionals from YEC discuss several examples of poor SEO habits they've run into and explain why these habits could have a severely negative impact on your marketing.

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Whether you’re a business leader or just someone trying to improve their life, surrounding yourself with positive people can be an important part of personal development. Aside from offering support when you most need it, positive people can also challenge you to grow and evolve as an individual, all while giving you the confidence you need to take action. But how do you find these positive people and make them a part of your inner circle? Twelve experts from Young Entrepreneur Council examine some of the steps you can take to locate and attract positive people to stand in your corner and challenge you to grow in both your personal and professional lives.

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Many entrepreneurs will concede that their worst problem is overthinking complex decisions. The issue with overthinking is not only that it stifles creativity and innovation; it also erodes your confidence as an entrepreneur and can make you second-guess yourself. In the world of business, this lack of self-confidence could spell disaster. The best way to avoid overthinking is to focus on the problem at hand and recenter yourself, but doing so requires a bit of effort. To help, these 12 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss a few practical ways to recenter yourself and avoid overthinking as an entrepreneur.

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Good web design can make or break a modern business. If your website is smooth and easy to navigate, it will attract more users and is a vote of confidence for your organization. A poorly designed site can have the opposite effect, turning users away no matter how good the product is. Below, 12 members of YEC shared what they believe is the most important design element to incorporate into your company’s homepage to increase traffic. Try out their recommendations to start bringing in more website visitors.

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When your business starts seeing success, it's natural to want to ride the momentum and build upon it. However, it's possible to grow too fast, too soon.  Even if your business is thriving, growing too quickly can tire out your staff and burn through your resources. New companies experiencing their first "growth spurt" may try to scale up before they have the team or infrastructure to support it, and this path rarely ends well. To help you scale at a reasonable pace, 12 members of YEC shared their tips for properly managing your growth rate.

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Putting together a book takes time, energy and a lot of effort. And while it accounts for a lot of the book's labor, writing isn't the only thing an entrepreneur needs to concern themselves with. Publishing the book and the marketing associated with it also have a place in the overall success equation. But not all new writers know what to expect from the writing process. To help, 11 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answer the following question:

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Bookkeeping is a tedious but necessary process for all businesses. But for small businesses with limited resources, streamlining the process becomes of even greater importance. One way to do this is to invest in a reputable accounting software or tool that keeps you organized and on track. With so many options on the market today, however, it can be difficult to know which accounting software is right for your business bookkeeping needs. It's helpful to get insights from experienced entrepreneurs who have tested out a variety of tools to find what works and what doesn’t. To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared the bookkeeping software and tools they recommend for small business owners.

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Branding makes you memorable and tells your users what to expect from you.

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Because they often have very limited resources, small businesses have to be intentional about the tools they use. They don’t have the luxury of testing out and paying for expensive software and systems they ultimately may not keep, so it’s important that their chosen solutions are budget-friendly and effective from the start. For these reasons, cloud computing and storage can provide some major benefits for these businesses. With free or low-cost pricing plans available, companies can take advantage of cloud technology to grow their businesses like never before, which is why these eight experts from Young Entrepreneur Council offered some specific and impactful ways that cloud technology can be used by small and medium companies to fuel growth.

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Sensitive information is stored and accessed digitally by businesses every day. While it's a lot more convenient for companies to have data stored digitally, unfortunately this also means these files are more vulnerable to attacks from hackers. Malicious users can gain access to a company’s data in several ways, including phishing, a method which takes advantage of unsuspecting employees as a gateway.  However, there are also a number of ways companies can protect themselves and their data from such attacks. Below, nine professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how companies can guard against these attacks and why every business should make their digital security a priority.

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Finding a core audience to market to is a crucial part of making a business profitable. Many marketing departments spend thousands of dollars building a picture of their ideal customer to inform how and where they should market. Once they do that, it's just a matter of unifying their content and media planning to target their product's most viable buyers. But how exactly should they go about this? What’s the best way to unify these two plans? To offer some guidance, eight professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council examine some of the strategies they recommend for combining content and media planning to target a specific market and explain why they’re so effective.

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Everybody dreams of having a great job. But to land your dream job, you first have to convince the hiring manager that of all the candidates who’ve applied for the position, you fit best for the role. For that, you need to know what exactly the hiring manager is looking for.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their firsthand insights on leveraging social media effectively this year. Social media is one of the most powerful tools business owners can use. How you leverage your accounts can make all the difference in terms of your overall success and business growth. As 2021 moves forward, it’s important for entrepreneurs to know how to maximize their social media use to achieve success throughout the year. To help, 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council use their firsthand experience to share some of their best social media tips for today’s business owners.

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Email marketing is a great way for small businesses to stay connected with their customers and encourage more sales. The problem is that because of their size they often have limited resources for growing their subscriber lists. So to help small business owners expand their email audience (even on a budget), the members of Young Entrepreneur Council weighed in on the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some foolproof ways to break down a complicated concept for your target market. You come up with a great idea. On paper, it makes perfect sense. You and your team talk about it together all day long, but when you go to explain the idea to your target audience, the idea just doesn’t translate well and you lose them. It can be frustrating to not have the skills or words to properly articulate your concept, but effective communication is a core skill for any entrepreneur. That’s why the members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some simple ways you can successfully explain challenging concepts to their audience. Try these strategies to help you get your idea across, no matter who you’re talking to.

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

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how you’ll know when it’s time to consider a career switch. From decreased motivation to frustration with the industry, every professional faces ups and downs in their career. It’s quite common for even the most passionate employees to fall into a funk, then come through the other side of it just as fulfilled as before. However, those negative thoughts or feelings you’re experiencing can also signify something deeper. Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the signs you may actually be ready for a significant career move. Read on to discover if you’re just in a temporary funk or if you need to consider making a change.

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If you really want to be successful, you need to keep going.

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When heading a company, there are certain budget items that should be of critical concern. Basics like payroll and product costs are easy to figure in to your operational budget. But business is nothing without its unexpected expenses, and there are bound to be a few that CEOs will forget to account for. While you won’t be able to anticipate everything, with the right information and resources, you can avoid a potentially big financial problem. To help, eight professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council offer insight into some of the unexpected expenses that CEOs should look out for and what could happen if they don't.

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For many companies, maintaining a high level of engagement and motivation among employees during the dark winter months can be quite a challenge. And with a growing remote work environment, it is even more difficult to make sure your team stays engaged and productive while also ensuring they make time for self-care. To help, 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council reflect on the following question:

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If you’re looking to expand your business, franchising your business could be a great option. Growing a company by franchising can offer many benefits—but you need to be aware of the drawbacks, too. To determine whether or not you should franchise your business, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question: What’s one tip you have for business owners who are considering franchising their business?

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer some effective ways to keep users coming back to your mobile app. Everyone with a smartphone or tablet uses mobile apps, and businesses have increasingly seen the value in creating their own. However, it’s hard to stand out in crowded app stores where many competitors are doing the same thing. Even if you do get people to download your app, the real challenge lies in getting them to come back and continue using it. To help, we asked 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council how they recommend engaging and retaining mobile app users. Here are their suggested strategies and why each is so effective.

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Staying focused at all times may not be possible. But the problem is that without proper focus, even the simplest task appears to be more complicated. This can directly affect your productivity and cause stress. 

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While it's not a common thing, some businesses do explode into popularity overnight. For the companies that do, it can be a completely new landscape to navigate. Suddenly, consumers want your product and they can't get enough of it. Your supply lines and logistics may not be able to handle the traffic at its new demanding level. Successful businesses always prepare for the possibility of growth. Still, so much expansion in such a small span of time can leave a company reeling and result in unsatisfied customers. So how should a company approach newfound success? Below, nine leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how a company can scale up to meet demand following sudden success that thrusts the business into the spotlight.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur explain how hands-on CEOs can get more comfortable with delegation. When you first started your business, you were likely very hands-on with all aspects of your company. As you've grown and hired people, you may have found that you're struggling to step back and let go of the day-to-day tasks that helped get the company off the ground. While it's good for a CEO to remain involved in their business, it's also important to know when to delegate and start giving more power to your employees. This can be tough for someone who's used to doing everything themselves, but there are ways to practice and get better at handing off business tasks. To help, we asked 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share their best delegation strategies for CEOs who want to empower their teams. Here's what they recommend.

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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? Sadly, self-doubt feeds a negative feedback loop, leading to a spiraling of emotions that may leave you scrambling to find a way out. To help guide you, thirteen experts from Young Entrepreneur Council share some valuable tips on how professionals can seek to conquer self-doubt, and explain why these suggestions can be so practical at helping you overcome this debilitating mental state.

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Every marketer uses digital marketing to grow their visibility, expand their email list, increase sales and boost their overall conversion goal. But not all see quick results from their campaign.

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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.  But pivoting to a new industry isn’t as simple as mixing and matching your current skill set and hoping it fits. It’s important to examine how your current skills and experience apply to the industry you’re ready to dive into.  To help you, we asked 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members to share strategies for how to do this and tips to convince your future employer you’re qualified to make the switch.

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Every writer faces rejection at some point, but this doesn’t mean that you should stop writing altogether. 

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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. However, in many situations, you'll need to have all your wits and focus on you if you're trying to resolve a problem. Developing a method to maintain concentration when you most need it is crucial to the success of your business and yourself as a business owner. To help, we asked 11 members of YEC what they usually do to achieve uninterrupted focus. Below, they share some of their secrets, as well as valuable advice on how other entrepreneurs could incorporate these behaviors into their schedules, helping them achieve better focus.

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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:

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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. However, sometimes, a businessperson may encounter smart questions that they never prepared to answer. Intelligent questions indicate investors that are on-the-ball, and who could be a priceless addition to your business. Ten members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the smartest questions they've gotten from an investor and how they handled them.

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Innovation is the key to a successful and progressive business, and your staff should constantly be looking for ways to grow your brand. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to keep your workers engaged and motivated. To help you inspire and encourage your staff, we asked the experts of Young Entrepreneur Council about ways to spark deeper thinking. Here are 10 important questions leaders should ask their employees to generate ideas and solutions to problems.

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These 20 entrepreneurs discuss the best features for remote management of a displaced workforce. Remote working isn't anything new. Many businesses have been leveraging the power of remote workers for years. Industries have replaced onboard hires with freelance workers who operate from anywhere globally, where they can have an uninterrupted internet connection. But with this year’s shift toward an almost entirely displaced workforce, many businesses are struggling to find the best strategies and tools for managing a fully remote team. Industries around the world have grappled with a change in the status quo before. Those businesses that had managers able to adapt to these changes were the ones that survived. With change on this scale, it's impossible to keep holding onto the traditional way of interacting with employees. The office has changed, and managers need to change with it or be replaced by those that do. Typically, upper management develops techniques that they can use in person-to-person interactions. As global offices have moved online, many of those techniques no longer work. As a result, managers are frantically searching for the right technology solutions that can allow them to run a virtual office with the same efficiency as a physical one. To help, 20 members of YEC discuss the innovative software they use to interact and manage their teams and why it's suitable for any company facing the challenges of a displaced workforce.

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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. With new features such as live video, polls and team moments, LinkedIn is offering innovative ways to foster engagement and share content on its platform. We asked the experts of Young Entrepreneur Council how business owners and other professionals can best leverage the platform's new tools. Follow their tips to up your LinkedIn game in 2021.

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A company blog isn't anything like a personal blog, yet many businesses look to individual bloggers to inform their choices on topics and content. Some strike on their own, coming up with their own ideas and fleshing them out by themselves, but the result can be just as underwhelming. Business blogs need to have a strategy behind them and clearly defined goals before the first post even hits distribution. But what exactly do these companies get wrong about their blogging? Below, 16 professionals from YEC explore some of the most common mistakes and issues they’ve seen with company blogs and suggest ways to address those problems and help ensure blogging success.

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It's often said you only get one chance to make a first impression, and that holds true for your company website. The visual appearance and written copy on your sign-up and landing pages must be compelling enough to grab a visitor's attention and convince them to take the next step in their relationship with your brand. This can be easier said than done, so to help, we asked 16 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

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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:

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Appreciation culture is an effective way to develop emotional connections between your employees and your company, which in return can motivate them to stay loyal and dedicated to the company culture.

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No matter how diligent a person is, they will, at some point, receive negative feedback in their career. Whether it’s an unsatisfied customer, an upset manager or a tense situation with a colleague, you can’t make everyone happy 100% of the time. But negative comments don’t mean you’ve failed. In fact, you can use them as a learning tool and an opportunity to build a positive outcome with the other party. To help you do this, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council their strategies for responding to negative feedback the right way. Their best responses are below. 

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some creative ideas for tech companies that want to leverage more user-generated content. Many businesses have realized that user-generated content (UGC) is a simple and low-cost way to increase online engagement and brand awareness. Strategies for leveraging UGC may seem fairly obvious for businesses with a physical product – it’s easy to share photos of customers wearing an item of clothing or using a product in their home. However, tech companies may need to get a little more creative in how they incorporate content from their users. To help you, we asked 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council for their insights. Below they shared some effective ways tech companies can leverage user-generated content.

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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. To become more mindful of your biases and how to recognize them, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council for their advice. Below they shared 10 steps leaders can take to make less biased decisions and why each step is so important.

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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. As with all approaches, however, there are significant positives and negatives to using personality tests this way. To help us understand the extent to which employers should rely on personality tests to gauge an employee's viability for recruitment or development, we asked 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the upcoming technology trends they're most excited about and how they plan to jump on board. No matter what industry you work in, staying on top of the latest tech trends can give your business a competitive edge. By implementing cutting-edge technology, you'll not only streamline your processes, but also differentiate yourself from your competitors. As successful business owners, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council stay on top of the latest business trends, including those in tech. Below, they share 12 big tech trends they’re most excited about and how they plan to leverage them. Follow their recommended steps to take advantage of these trends, too.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer suggestions for entrepreneurs that want to change up their mobile ad campaigns. Mobile web traffic continues to skyrocket as consumers spend more and more time on their smartphones and tablets. Approximately half of worldwide web traffic comes from mobile devices, so it makes sense that brands would want to focus on mobile-optimized ad campaigns. But success in mobile advertising is about more than creating visuals and video content that fits on a mobile screen. It's important to follow the right practices and create an enticing experience for viewers and potential customers. Below, 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some simple changes entrepreneurs can make to their mobile ad strategy to improve their results.

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These 20 entrepreneurs from YEC discuss their favorite market research tools and why you should be using them. Without a proper view of the market, a business has no chance to resonate with the consumers most likely to buy their product. In the past, the best way of interacting with consumers was to simply put out an ad in the most-seen public medium at the time and hope it would land on fertile ground. Thankfully, the approach has changed in modern days, and now we have a lot more tools to offer us in-depth insights into what our ideal customers like and dislike. Using this as a basis, we can adapt our marketing attempts to appeal to those customers. The question now is, how do we obtain that data? Market research tools go hand-in-hand with e-commerce and internet marketing. Visitors to a website provide the best and most accurate picture of the kind of people the website already attracts. Using this data as a baseline, a business can feed it into an analytics engine and get back valuable information about the kind of customers already coming to its site. Based on those results, the business can then adjust its marketing push to reach out to a broader demographic or drill down into converting more of those visitors to buyers. There are many layers that marketing data reveals that can be priceless to a business looking to raise its conversion rates. Today, a business that doesn't depend on market research to guide its advertising and marketing is at a distinct disadvantage to other companies that do. The companies that make the best use of available tools will be more successful in reaching out to their ideal customers. Here, 20 associates of YEC discuss their favorite market research tools and explain how those solutions can help any business achieve its marketing goals.

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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. To help, we asked 10 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain which qualities a hiring manager should seek out in a senior creative director who's working on both print and web campaigns. The right senior creative director can have a huge influence on your business’s marketing and ad campaigns. When seeking someone for this role, it’s important to consider whether they have the right skills to bridge the print and digital gap: If they came from the print world, their thought processes and experiences may be different than someone who’s only worked in digital communications. That’s why we asked 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council what specific traits and qualities to look for when you’re hiring a senior creative director who will be working on both print and web campaigns. Here’s what they believe you should seek out, and why these qualifications are different than if the creative director were hired for one media type over the other.

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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. We asked 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council how they maximize their commute time and how it helps them in their professional and personal lives. They shared their insights with us below.

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Young Entrepreneur Council members share some upcoming tech trends they believe will have an important impact on business leaders. The world of technology is evolving faster than ever. With so many new tech trends emerging, it can feel impossible to keep up with them all. However, identifying and investing in the right ones can give your business a competitive advantage and set you up for success. That’s why we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council what tech trends more entrepreneurs should prepare for and what concrete actions they can take to move in the right direction. Their best answers are below.

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Company bios are often boring pages published on your website as an afterthought — but shifting how you think about your bio can help you write a better one.

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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. Yet how much equity is too much for these non-tech hires? What are the elements to look at when considering how much equity they should get? To help, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in on what any leader should keep in mind when figuring out how much equity non-technical hires should receive in their startup.

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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. To help you put your staff in an innovative mindset, we asked 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

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With the sheer amount of productivity hacks and life hacks on the market today, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Even with all of these, it can be hard to figure out which ones work and which ones are just myths. Increasing your productivity as an entrepreneur means that you can get more done in a shorter space of time. For people who spend most of their waking time getting work done and contributing to their company's growth, productivity hacks that work can be worth their weight in gold. We asked 10 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council about how they improved their personal productivity. Below are their valuable insights into the unique habits they utilize to make themselves more productive.

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Members of Yount Entrepreneur Council offer their tips for effectively growing a service-based company. As a service provider, you’re always looking to grow your client base. But service-based businesses can be trickier to scale than a product-based business. It’s not as simple as completing a transaction; service relationships must be nurtured and built over time, and more sales mean more clients to pay attention to. To help you effectively increase your service-based business’s sales, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council for their advice. Below they shared their best tips for founders who are looking to scale up without sacrificing quality.

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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. So how do you get readers to come back to read about the amazing things you post? These 15 professionals from YEC expound on the methods that work for them to get return visitors and further explain why those techniques are so successful at maintaining user engagement.

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Social media following is an integral part of executing a successful marketing strategy. Engagement on social media is far higher than other channels. However, despite their constant presence, social media networks aren't the only way for a company to do outreach and connect to their core audience. Several other companies have delved into different methods of connecting and advertising to their core audience -- with surprising results. We asked 12 entrepreneurs from YEC to help us understand what nontraditional media channels they've seen work, and why those strategies were so beneficial to the parent companies.

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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. If you want to scale your site visits and engagement, try these 13 growth hacks recommended by the experts of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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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. However, there’s an art to repurposing content: The best brands don’t just copy and paste across platforms; they recontextualize their content and adapt it before reposting. To help you do this, we asked 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council for the best ways to get more mileage out of their online content. They gave their tips below.

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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. While stress is an inevitable part of life, it doesn't have to consume you and get in the way of your success. That's why we asked 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council how they manage to overcome the mental and emotional stressors of living and working in the modern world. Try their practical, actionable strategies the next time you're feeling overwhelmed at work or at home.

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Small-business owners realize almost immediately how different their businesses are to run than large corporations. For success, a small business needs to adopt its own strategies that work with limited available resources. Entrepreneurs in this position need to make critical decisions about what approaches they'll take to elements of business growth and development. From figuring out how to find and develop new talent to discussing how to expand the business's outreach, these entrepreneurs have to think creatively about solutions they can implement to improve operations and increase productivity. That’s why we asked 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

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Young Entrepreneur Council members share some of the most exciting trends and developments they've seen in digital marketing this year. Digital marketing is constantly evolving, and professionals must stay on top of trends to remain competitive in their respective industries. This year in particular has presented new and unprecedented circumstances for businesses around the world. As a result, companies have had to adapt their digital marketing strategy to customers’ ever-changing needs -- which, while challenging, has also led to incredible innovation. We asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council about the most exciting digital marketing developments they’ve seen this year so far. Below, they share 14 of their favorite trends and how they’re impacting the future of the industry.

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While each business and industry is different, this framework should help you pivot toward profitability once again and sustain growth in the future.

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Despite the numerous digital communications channels available today, email is still one of the best ways to get and stay in touch with your customers. Email marketing is notorious for its high return on investment, and with nearly 4 billion active email users, there’s a huge potential audience waiting to receive your messages. However, email is only effective if you follow a well-planned strategy -- one that doesn’t involve bombarding your subscribers or sending sales pitch after sales pitch. If you want to improve your email marketing efforts, follow these 10 tried-and-true methods recommended by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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When you’re overworked, it’s easy to burn out. The extra hours and workload can cause you to become stressed and ultimately less productive at work. While burnout can have a negative impact at any job level, it’s especially detrimental to executive leaders, so it’s important to understand how to reverse this feeling when you’re stuck in it. To help you, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share some recommendations for getting back on track when you feel burned out. Here are their top strategies for executives who need to reset.

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Being honest and truly helpful is a surefire way to gain your prospect's trust.

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Many businesses see a major shift in their success once they establish a website that lets them provide new information and tools to their customers. However, some may see even greater success if they develop a mobile app. But how do you determine whether an app is right for your business? And once you make that leap, how do you decide what to put on the app? To help you answer these questions, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council to lend their expertise. They share 10 clear signs your business needs a mobile app, as well as how to figure out your app’s must-have features.

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Free advertising has leveled up, as there are now more alternatives to paid ads than ever. The world's economy has taken a massive hit, which means that companies will be looking to cut down on different expenses to stay afloat. Unfortunately, many of these businesses will look at their advertising budget when considering what to cut. While advertising can be a significant expense to a business, it's necessary if the company intends to reach out to new and existing customers.  Eradicating advertising could spell disaster for a company, but luckily, there are ways to reach out to clients even if you cut the ad budget completely. Several channels exist that businesses can explore that give them a chance to advertise without the added budget. Many companies overlook them because they associate "free" with "low quality," but that isn't necessarily the case. Businesses concerned about spending on marketing and advertising should explore these channels since they offer a unique way to interact with clients.  Even if your advertising budget hasn't been slashed, these channels still provide massive value for money if you use them right. Twenty associates of YEC discuss some of the best channels and explain how they can help boost the signal of an advertising campaign, even though they cost nothing or very little to use.

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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:

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Building your brand is an important part of running a business. To truly connect with your audience, you must define and express who you are and your goals as a business. Often, the best way to do this is by telling your story. Your brand story encompasses your journey to and reason for starting your company, and the way you tell it can greatly impact the way consumers view your brand. We asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share some strategies for communicating your chosen brand story to your audience. Here’s what they had to say.

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When leaders provide team members with the tools they need to succeed, everyone wins.

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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. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to be aware of these changes so you can adapt accordingly. Your business’s social presence can make or break your reputation. That's why we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members how they keep up with evolving social media functions. They offered their best tips for using such changes to engage your audience.

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Entrepreneurs have some bad habits, one of which is not knowing when they need a break. With many young entrepreneurs, it's almost impossible to take a step back and relax. Yet studies have shown that entrepreneurs that don't take time out to smell the roses risk serious health problems later on in life. The goal of being a successful yet happy businessperson is knowing how to distance yourself from your business. Summer vacations are crucial in ensuring you keep your perspective. That’s why we asked 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

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Opt for gradual change and seek to align daily tasks with long-term goals.

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Content marketing has become a cornerstone marketing approach in the world of business and for good reason. It's a cost-effective method of getting new clients to notice the company while keeping current customers engaged with valuable information. However, for the bloggers, it can be a pain to come up with new ideas. With content so widespread on the internet, it's challenging to develop new topics or new spins on old issues. The trading value of a blog's content is how unique or exciting it is. If your content doesn't interest your core audience, then it's not doing its job. To help, nine professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council share some insight into how to come up with unique yet engaging blog content ideas, and explain how these ideas can attract a new audience.

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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. While the average business likely doesn't have the need or the resources to publish dozens of daily pieces like BuzzFeed, there's value in striving to become a publishing powerhouse that meets consumers' desire for a steady stream of content. That's why we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council what companies can learn from these media conglomerates that garner tens of millions of unique daily visitors. Here are a few publishing lessons and tips they believe business leaders can benefit from.

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These tools and strategies can make email marketing more efficient and less time-consuming. Email marketing is still a handy outreach method for businesses. It offers something unique in how companies can interact with their clientele. The big problem many companies have with email marketing is how much time it takes up from its staff. But does email marketing have to be that time-consuming? One of the things that businesses have realized over the years is that anything which used to take time can become more efficient. Email marketing isn't an exception to this rule. Where research meant digging through tons of questionnaires and noting results, today you can simply access an automatically-compiled list of preferences, sorted by an algorithm. These lists enable businesses to develop targeted, personalized emails that resonate with their target audience. These tools are only the tip of the iceberg, however. As more and more companies are looking into developing personalized marketing techniques, research needs to finish faster than ever before. Specialized tools and software exist to help businesses realize results more quickly. However, many companies are still in the dark about how they could streamline their email marketing to take up less time. We asked 17 thought leaders from YEC their take on the best tools and strategies to make email marketing a more efficient enterprise. Here's what they had to say.

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Electronic wearables were an exciting new concept just years ago. Now, they’ve slowly become the norm, with gadgets like smart watches and sleep trackers overwhelming the market. These devices collect personal data and monitor things like increased heart rate, steps taken and hours slept. But just how long will they remain in consumers' good graces? We asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members about their thoughts on what might derail the wearables revolution. Here’s what they had to say.

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Business legal matters can be intimidating, but these tools can help you understand and streamlining the process. Starting a business means dealing with some standard legal matters, like registering your business and complying with tax regulations. This can be overwhelming for new entrepreneurs, especially if they're not familiar with these legal processes. While it's always advisable to consult an experienced business attorney, there are countless resources and online tools available that make it easier to find the information you need. To help you, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council which tools they recommend to make the legal side of business less intimidating for small business owners. Try one of these suggestions when you're faced with common business legal tasks.  

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Gone are the days of Mad Men-style meetings, budgets and executives.

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As a budding young entrepreneur, you're likely to meet a lot of people telling you, "no." While some of these people are well-meaning, the constant negativity will eventually impact your self-confidence. The unfortunate truth is that you can't just stick your head in the sand and avoid naysayers altogether. While their negativity is depressing, sometimes they have valuable knowledge and information you will need. How can an aspiring young business owner deal with this situation? We asked 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council about their experiences dealing with those types of people and how they overcame the negativity to be successful. Here's what they had to say.

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One of the most significant elements in helping a business get to know its customers is their data. Over recent years, consumers have started to take notice of how businesses use their data. While many aren't bothered, a few are against a company getting its hands on their information. As a result, they are averse to sharing access to their data. By limiting the data you collect to just the most pertinent bits, you will still be able to extract useful knowledge about clients while also  earning their trust for not asking access to all of their information. To help businesses wondering what kind of data to collect, we asked 13 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

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Leadership is a battle for constant improvement. In modern business, there is a particular need for competent leadership. However, leaders don't retain their positions by being complacent. One of the most effective methods of self-reflection is by asking yourself searching questions and answering them truthfully. The catch is that this requires you to be entirely honest with yourself. But what are the questions that would encourage you to be better? What should you ask yourself to develop into a more effective leader? To help, these 13 experts from Young Entrepreneur Council share the questions they ask themselves daily in their bid for self-development.

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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. The companies that make IoT products have a responsibility to ensure the security of its users' personal data. That's why we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share some often-overlooked ways IoT companies can make their newest products more secure. Their best insights are below.

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A strong daily routine can make all the difference in a team's productivity. Things like creating a to-do list at the start of each day and blocking off time for "deep thinking" work often help people get organized and feel more focused throughout the workday. There are plenty of small habits like these that can help you be more efficient at work, but they're easy to forget when you're caught up in the daily grind. That's why we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council what habits managers should instill in their team to help them become more productive and focused. Read on for their best responses, and why you should encourage these daily habits among your team.

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The internet of things (IoT) is growing at a rapid pace, but sadly, security protocols for those devices are still in their infancy. Customer data security should be a significant concern for IoT companies. At present, there are several glaring holes in security that can be addressed with some dedicated effort. A few IoT companies have even patched out security vulnerabilities. The future holds a lot of promise for these devices, once their manufacturers can work out how to make them fully secure for consumer use. Here, eight leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council predict what they expect to see in the industry over the next few years and discuss how IoT companies can better safeguard their consumers.

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You don't need to spend a ton of money to build a great business website. A high-quality website can attract customers and give them a positive experience with your company. If you don't have much web design experience, you may be concerned about the cost and time it might take for someone else to build the site for you. Fortunately, there are tons of website building tools that allow you to create your own business website, even if you don't know how to code. Many of these platforms offer plenty of sophisticated features without the hefty price tag, while also being user-friendly. To help you explore your options, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their favorite low-cost, high-quality website builders. Check out these DIY tools before you outsource the job.

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The only way a business can garner new customers and retain current ones is by laying out the benefits that its product or services present to the consumer. In the past, all it took was a flashy headline and a few bullet points that punched home the usefulness of the product or service. Today's world has evolved to a point where traditional advertising no longer makes the same impact. Even newer, more modern methods of advertising are having a hard time getting traction among some demographics. How, then, can a company educate its target audience about its latest products or services and their benefits? Eleven contributors to Young Entrepreneur Council look at the approaches a business can take to create engaging yet informative content to attract consumers.

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Ask yourself a few questions about your learning style, budget and what you want to learn.

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Customer feedback is an invaluable asset to any company. Without this information, businesses would struggle to figure out what’s working, what isn’t and how they can improve their processes. But how exactly do you get your customers to share their honest opinions – and what do you do with that information once you have it? We asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share how they collect feedback from their customers, and how they then make that information useful to their company. Their best answers are below.

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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. As successful business leaders, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council are constantly watching and analyzing marketing trends to improve their growth and brand recognition. Below, they share the smartest social media moves they’ve seen, and how you can execute that same strategy to achieve great results.

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Winning a business or industry award can be a great honor for your business, as well as a highly effective PR opportunity. However, to be considered, you'll first need to submit an application to be reviewed by the award committee. To help you with this process, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

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Since the internet has permeated business to such an extent, PR crises are becoming far more common for companies. Many of those PR faux-pas are due to misuse or misunderstanding of social media interaction. However, as much as social media can be a tool to cause a PR crisis, it can also be useful in helping to manage it. Social media is still the best way to create a rapport and interact with a particular demographic of customers directly. We consulted 10 members of YEC to figure out what smart ways exist for business leaders to use social media to manage potential PR conflagrations. Their responses are below.

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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. Luckily, there are several approaches to reestablishing your focus at work. Productivity is linked to your mindset and your environment, after all. Below, 14 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss some of their favorite and most effective approaches.

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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:

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Feeling like you're not good enough can leave you struggling with your job and halt your career growth.

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Eliminate confusion, encourage teamwork and maintain open lines of communication no matter where your employees are located.

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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.  Recovering from a fall doesn't have to be such a trying experience, however. Here, 15 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council provide their most effective methods for bouncing back from life's setbacks.

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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. So how can you effectively build trust among your team during times of uncertainty? We asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council how leaders can earn and keep employees' trust during a pivot or critical point in the company. Their best responses are below.

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In today's always-on, digital-first world, consumers increasingly expect companies to offer fast and convenient channels for customer support. To this end, many brands now offer live chat so customers can reach them faster than an email or phone call. While live customer chat may be an attractive option that sets you apart from competitors, it's important to understand the commitment involved and how to best serve the customers who reach out to you through this channel. We asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members what businesses should keep in mind when implementing live chat functionality. Follow their advice to ensure your customers are satisfied, no matter how they reach out to your company.

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19 entrepreneurs delve into where online freelance talent is most readily found Businesses have changed their approach to hiring in recent years. More and more companies are relying on freelance talent as opposed to in-house contracts. It's not surprising that the paradigm has shifted in this way, however. Freelancers can be less of a drain on company resources, but they can also be more efficient than in-house hires. Even so, businesses need to find freelance sites that offer talented individuals, accessible search functions, and escrow services in some cases. All of these factors contribute to developing a long-lasting relationship with a freelancer. The rise of freelancing has seen several different locations open up around the internet that offer businesses a chance to interact with professionals. Unfortunately, there are many freelance sites to sort through, and finding the right fit for your needs may take some trial and error. Businesses need to be careful about sourcing their freelancers to avoid hiring someone who is not good for the project or who may have a nonprofessional behavior. How does a company narrow down the best places to source a freelancer online? We consulted 19 entrepreneurs from YEC about the best places to source freelance talent online. Here's what they told us.

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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. All that a business needs to do is to cultivate this drive for making things better. In doing so, they leverage the employee's creative urges to the benefit of the organization. Here, eight contributors to Young Entrepreneur Council examine how a company can set its employees on the path to generating innovative ideas strategically.

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18 leaders from YEC discuss what elements business leaders should keep in mind before selling their company. Selling a business is a significant step and one that entrepreneurs usually spend hours agonizing over. There are just too many uncertainties when it comes to a transaction. Is the estimation of value correct? Are you exiting the market at the right time? How do you ensure that you get the amount that you think the company's worth? Growing a business from humble beginnings to the point where it commands a decent value takes time, effort and a bit of your soul. For many small entrepreneurs, it's like selling a part of themselves. For an entrepreneur to be able to sell their company, they need to sever the emotional bonds they have with its growth and approach the sale without emotion. The best way to do this is to examine the elements that make up the sale critically before even putting the business on the market. But what features are the important ones to consider, in this case? Eighteen business owners from YEC delve into the elements they think entrepreneurs should consider before they decide to list their business for sale, and why those elements are so crucial to the decision.

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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:

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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. With this widespread loss of income and minimal social outings, many consumers have also cut back their spending. That’s why retaining your current customers is more important than ever in today's world. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some effective customer retention strategies they're leveraging during these uncertain times.

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One of the most common complaints that professionals have in the 21st century is how little time there is in a day. The truth of the matter is that the day hasn't changed, but how we manage our time has. Losing time on frivolous activities is nothing new. However, with the advent of attention-stealing applications, we lose more time than ever before without even realizing it. If you're someone who wants to reclaim those lost hours, there are practical methods of doing so. However, they require understanding what you want to get out of your revamped time-management strategy. Sixteen members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their insight into what any busy professional can do to reclaim those lost hours in a day and make each one more productive.

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Schedule some time for creative play. You may be surprised at the positive results.

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Engage in a little self-care to help you through these strange times.

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As an entrepreneur, it’s useful to have strong business acumen -- an almost intuitive skill that can and must be honed. However, good business sense alone isn’t enough; there are several other traits an entrepreneur needs in order to succeed. As some of the top leaders in their respective industries, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council know what skills are required to succeed in the business world. Below, they share 10 underrated skills that all entrepreneurs should possess, but often don't.

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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.

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Accessing capital is one of the biggest challenges many new entrepreneurs face. From loans to investments, securing the proper financing is a long and taxing process, but it can be overcome. Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explained how they worked through their funding challenges.

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Working hard is essential to success, but we need to stop praising those who work long hours and overwork their teams.

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You won't know you like something until you try it.

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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. Since these are our habits, we're usually biased and lack the correct perspective to appreciate how harmful they may or may not be be. To help entrepreneurs identify their seemingly neutral practices that have negative consequences, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council describe their experiences with "harmless" habits and how they overcame those hurdles themselves.

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Highlight all the good you're doing on the first platform people will see: your website.

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Marketing is only truly effective if it strikes a chord with the audience it's intended for. Brand messages resonate more when the business aims them at the right audience. Since branding happens across multiple channels, having a consistent plan for both content and media is necessary. As with most marketing strategies, a coherent method needs to focus on the consumer first. The audience needs to know what the brand is offering and that the product is specifically geared to their needs. Below, eight contributors to Young Entrepreneur Council look at how a business can plan its media and content marketing to target their ideal customers effectively.

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Happy email subscribers equal higher engagement rates and conversions.

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When you own a small business, you have to take on many of the day-to-day responsibilities yourself -- at least in the beginning. Having some basic knowledge across all aspects of business operations can go a long way to making your business flourish, and ultimately turn you into a more well-rounded manager when you do eventually hire staff. But which skills are the most important to develop from the get-go? We asked 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council which fundamental skill – tech, operations, leadership, etc. – all small business owners should have to manage day-to-day operations. They shared their answers below.

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Give your customer service strategy a boost as we begin the new decade.

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In the modern world, entrepreneurs typically need to maintain both an online and offline presence to generate business. It’s important to connect your digital and real-life persona to keep a consistent image, which can ultimately help build trust with your potential customer and follower base. The members of Young Entrepreneur Council have spent time honing their personal brands to grow their business. Below, they share 10 ways to successfully connect your offline and online marketing efforts.

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A New Year’s resolution is a great way to kickstart the year on the right foot, while setting the stage for continued growth. However, most people struggle with sticking to their resolutions beyond the first few weeks (or days) of the new year. So how can you beat the odds and meet your goals in 2020? We asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share how they make their New Year’s resolutions work in the long term. Their best answers are below.

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Starting a business always comes with a certain amount of risk. You’re opening yourself to the possibility of both the successes and challenges that come with entrepreneurship, many of which are difficult to predict before you start. As successful business owners, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have experienced firsthand the unexpected challenges of starting a company. Below, they share 10 of the toughest obstacles they didn't expect to face, and how other leaders can prepare for them.

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In the cold winter months, keep spirits warm and morale high with acts of service and appreciation.

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Entrepreneurs usually have to locate a source of funds to make their dreams into a reality. Sometimes, all you have is an idea, and as good as that idea is, unless you know how to get funding, it'll remain a thought in your head. Convincing people to invest in a business is more than just laying out the positives and negatives. Finding the right pitch for the correct type of investor is crucial in securing their financial help. But what method works with which investors? To guide you on your quest to land investors, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their insights into how to source funding, using their own experiences to help you figure out your path. They offer their ideas below.

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Landing a speaking engagement is as exciting as it is nerve-wracking.

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Technology advances rapidly, and business owners need to keep pace with it, or they risk losing their best talent. Thanks to connectivity in all parts of the world, entrepreneurs no longer need to have employees inside their offices at all points in time. Many businesses outsource work to professionals around the globe and leverage specialized technology that makes it easy to plan meetings and manage teams and projects from a centralized office. With these advancements in technology, asking workers to chain themselves to a desk is virtually inhumane. Below, seven contributors to Young Entrepreneur Council examine how employers can make the most of remote workers to drive their organizations’ growth and success.

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Company culture is the foundation of how a business functions. When a business hires new employees, there can be a tendency for those newcomers to shape company culture through their personalities. On rare occasions, these people can be charismatic enough to change company culture completely. If the changes benefit the organization, then this might be a good thing. However, more often than not, these changes can be detrimental to the workplace and alienate the employees who have been there longer. To help new entrepreneurs deal with hiring new employees and maintaining their company culture throughout, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain below how they managed to balance company culture with new hires.

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Admitting to your bad work habits is the first step toward conquering them.

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Online videos are one of the most successful marketing materials that a business has at its disposal. However, crafting an online video to draw people in takes a bit more skill than merely recording something and adding branding to it. A company should consider doing a short video ad like doing a mini movie. Just like a professional production, it should communicate a message and know who its target audience is. Aimless video production will only create something forgettable, the exact opposite of what a successful video should be. To help, we consulted 11 associates of Young Entrepreneur Council about what they consider to be the most vital aspects of successful online video creation.

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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. Simulation technology has improved drastically since its initial creation. Virtual reality is the next logical step in making simulation resemble the world around us. As VR is already being used in business for training and gaming for immersion, we asked 12 contributors to Young Entrepreneur Council to share the coolest application of virtual reality they had ever encountered. Here's what they had to say:

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The rate of technological advancement has seen the world change almost entirely in just a single decade. In a short space of time, humanity has managed to develop advances that people only 50 years ago would be unable to fathom. The march of tech isn't slowing anytime soon, either. From fully connected homes to self-driving cars, we are in an age where technology has changed the way we interact with the world around us as well as each other. Each year we get even more tech to experiment with. We asked 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council what technological advances they were excited to see this year and their immediate implications, as well as why they think these advances are so significant.

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The rate of technological advancement has seen the world change almost entirely in just a single decade. In a short space of time, humanity has managed to develop advances that people only 50 years ago would be unable to fathom. The march of tech isn't slowing anytime soon, either. From fully connected homes to self-driving cars, we are in an age where technology has changed the way we interact with the world around us as well as each other. Each year we get even more tech to experiment with. We asked 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council what technological advances they were excited to see this year and their immediate implications, as well as why they think these advances are so significant.

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Video content has to be entertaining enough to capture viewers and effective enough to turn them into customers.

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How will you implement Halloween into your marketing strategy this year?

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How will you refine your job search so you find remote work that’s right for you?

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Get creative with your email marketing to encourage action.