JT Allen

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Researcher, author and speaker Brené Brown once said, “Daring leaders work to make sure people can be themselves and feel a sense of belonging.” When employees have the freedom to let their personalities shine and foster a connection to the company and their peers, what often follows is a strong sense of team loyalty and passion for their work. But building a company culture that ensures employees feel comfortable enough to be themselves can take many forms, meaning there’s no one way for leaders to approach this goal. To help you find your best path, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each discuss one specific thing leaders can do to ensure their employees feel like they can be themselves at work and why this is so important.

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As companies continue to face supply chain issues across the board, many are looking for solutions to help them get back on their feet and heading toward “business as usual.” Even when the current supply chain storm passes, savvy business leaders will be looking ahead and preparing for the next time processes go awry.  To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their advice for how entrepreneurs can weather the current supply chain storm, and explain how these tips can help them build better processes for the future.

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Entrepreneurship can be an incredibly rewarding endeavor, and many professionals one day hope for the opportunity to start their own business and live their passion. However, the entrepreneurial lifestyle isn’t for everyone. For many, it comes with long hours, missed activities and stressful judgment calls. But if you want to succeed, there are a number of small changes you can make that can have a major impact on your overall fulfillment and happiness. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the simple yet powerful changes they’ve made to their lifestyles since becoming entrepreneurs in order to be more successful, more fulfilled leaders, and how it’s had a positive effect on their lives.

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expert panel

Modern automation capabilities can free up workers’ valuable time to help them be more productive and focus on big picture tasks that will further a company’s vision. With so many tools available, how can you determine which automation technologies would be best for your company? To help you decide, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share a few of their favorite tools that have helped them automate their work and boost productivity.

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Every growing organization will experience role transitions at some point. Whether a project is changing hands, an employee is moving into a promotion, or you’re hiring someone to take on a new position, you will want the transitions to go smoothly. For the best ways to ensure successful transitions, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share their best advice.

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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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One of your most basic responsibilities as a leader is to provide your team with constructive feedback. Without feedback, employees don’t have a solid direction for moving forward, which can result in repeat mistakes and even low morale. As with any difficult conversation, the key to communicating feedback is ensuring your message and guidance are clearly understood while also being empathetic to the receiver. To that end, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share how to effectively provide feedback.

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expert panel

Partnering with another business in your industry on a campaign or promotion is an effective and mutually beneficial way to market your product or service. Not only does it bring brand awareness for your company, but you'll also expand your reach by tapping into your partner company's existing audience. If you're gearing up for a collaborative cross-promotion with another company, there are a few steps you’ll need to take in order for the partnership to go well. Below, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council each shared one step they recommend you take for a successful collaboration.

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In all the excitement of opening a business and launching that first product or service, it can be easy for aspiring entrepreneurs to forgo a thorough audit of their finances in favor of speed to market. However, it's absolutely crucial for business owners to keep a close eye on their income and expenses—especially if they want to ensure their survival past year one. Making such financial mistakes early on can be detrimental, but it doesn’t mean early-stage entrepreneurs can’t turn it around for the better. To help your business survive its first year in operation, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some important financial tips every new business owner should follow.

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expert panel

When people hear the word "sales," they may think of demanding revenue targets, nonstop calls and long hours. While some sales roles can be challenging, this one-sided perception takes away from the fact that the field of sales is often a rewarding career choice.  Depending on where you work, your sales role will likely afford you a flexible work schedule, a chance to diversify your skills and high compensation potential. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council detailed some common misconceptions about sales they don't want industry newcomers to believe. Here's why these leaders say sales is a great field to get into, especially as a recent graduate.

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At one point or another, most professionals face a crossroads in their career. Whether they simply want to change jobs, pursue a different career path or still don't know what their true calling in life is, there are a lot of questions a person can ask themselves before choosing a direction. While there's something to be said for trusting your gut, it's wise to consider your options carefully and ask the right questions of yourself when trying to determine where to take your career next. To guide you, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members offered 10 key questions that can help you illuminate the correct "next step."

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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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expert panel

You have a great business idea that you're passionate about, and you're excited to get started, but before you do, you need to choose a business partner. This person can help you make complex decisions and guide your team through projects. They can be your best ally. However, if your partner doesn't have values and goals that align with yours or adds more stress to situations, they may be detrimental to your business. To make sure you don't end up in the wrong partnership, look for eight essential qualities of a business partner from members of Young Entrepreneur Council.

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Major changes are often necessary for a company that wants to keep growing and scaling. When critical moments occur, however, (such as a merger or landing a major client) leaders need to set the tone for the rest of their employees. How they respond to them will trickle down and set the example for how everyone else will work. One of the most important things a leader can do in these times of change is fortify and maintain the trust of their employees. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their methods for keeping employees' trust during pivotal moments for a company.

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Regardless of how many hours you work in a day, not all of that time is going to be completely productive. Sometimes it's because of procrastination, other times it's because you've been so bogged down in "busy work" that you haven't made progress on important tasks. Whatever the reason, it's important to find ways to optimize your to-do list to maximize your time for important strategy work as well as personal endeavors. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discussed strategies busy professionals can use to reclaim up to five hours of their time back each week. Here's what they recommend and how these strategies have worked for them.

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Cash flow --  the amount of money that comes in and goes out of a business -- is often a concern for many new companies. Generating a healthy cash flow requires careful planning and a commitment to a strong operational strategy. However, a lack of experience in cash flow management as a new entrepreneur can put you at a disadvantage. That’s why we asked 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council about common cash-flow mistakes new business owners tend to make when they’re starting out. Here’s what they had to share from their experiences.