Erin Blaskie

expert panel

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.

expert panel

For many growing teams, in-person leadership conferences have been the go-to method for training and developing the organization's future leaders. In today's world, though, there's a lot of uncertainty around when these types of conferences might return. In the meantime, business leaders are finding other ways to encourage virtual or self-led leadership development among their staff members. We asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members to recommend their most effective strategies for training leaders, even without in-person conferences. Here's what they had to say.

expert panel

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.

expert panel

Switching a “bad” habit for a good one is not always the best option. We all have bad habits or simply attitudes or routines we would like to change because they are not healthy for us. While not all bad habits are truly bad, it’s important to be able to discern what needs to change for us to advance in our personal and professional life. The internet is full of advice and tips from self-proclaimed gurus on how to shake off a bad habit, but that doesn’t mean their advice works for everyone. Changing your habits is a huge step to take, but before embarking on this journey, you need to become aware of the most common pitfalls and misconceptions of effecting this kind of change. To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council look at the most common misconceptions and why they may impact your ability to successfully change habits.

expert panel

Business advisers have the potential to be instrumental to a company's success. Unfortunately, not all business advisers make a positive impact, and it's up to the entrepreneur to decide which adviser they want to work with. The selection process should be as rigorous as staff selection, but should mostly focus on the adviser's previous successes. Who were their past clients? How did those partnerships turn out? These questions set the stage for expectations and temper out personal feelings toward the adviser. Here, eight associates of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best advice for choosing an adviser that would benefit one’s business.

expert panel

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.

expert panel

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.

expert panel

As more businesses start to realize the benefits of outsourcing, they slowly start cutting down on the number of things they do in house. In many industries, the reduction in costs is so significant that it allows the business to thrive and grow much faster. However, even though outsourcing is an excellent idea for increasing profitability for a business, not all solutions should be outsourced, even if they could be. How does a company determine the best tasks and functions for outsourcing, and to what extent should that outsourcing happen? Eight professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in on the indicators they use to figure out the intricacies of outsourcing in their own businesses.

expert panel

Every business owner hopes to succeed in their venture. Access to the right resources plays a huge role in that success -- but barriers do still exist, especially for female entrepreneurs. Women in the business world often talk about the importance and benefits of supporting each other. That's why we asked the women of Young Entrepreneur Council how they tap into the right resources and lift up other female leaders in the process. Here's how they've achieved their own success, and helped their fellow female entrepreneurs do the same.

expert panel

Starting your own business is not a decision to take lightly. While it’s great to be your own boss with the freedom to set your own schedule, this is only part of the equation. It takes a lot more than just a dream to be a successful entrepreneur. Before you take the leap, there are some important questions to ask yourself to understand if you’re truly ready to launch your own business. To help you make your decision, we asked 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members what everyone should ask themselves before committing to entrepreneurship.