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By focusing on what truly matters and streamlining processes, you can achieve remarkable efficiency, clarity and success in your entrepreneurial and investment endeavors.

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expert panel

Running a small business is similar to a juggling act, where entrepreneurs wear numerous hats to keep the show running smoothly. While adaptability and multitasking are key, there are specific skills that stand out for small-business leaders striving for success. These skills go beyond the basics of entrepreneurship and delve into the intricacies of leadership and management. To discuss these skills, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members responded to the following question:

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Scaling a real estate investment business is a journey that demands a blend of industry expertise and leadership prowess.

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As the year draws to a close, small service-based businesses face the challenge of not only reflecting on their past performance but also positioning themselves for success in the upcoming year. But how can these businesses stand out in the crowd to truly distinguish themselves and set a solid foundation for the year ahead? Here, 15 Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question to help small businesses rise above the competition and pave the way for a bright 2024.

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November, often associated with Thanksgiving, is a month that reminds us of the importance of giving back and expressing gratitude. For employers and managers, it's an opportune time to consider how they can give back to their employees and foster a culture of appreciation within their organizations. Below, Young Entrepreneur Council members explore meaningful ways employers can show their gratitude and give back to their teams, not only during the holiday season but throughout the year. These acts of giving, from recognition and professional development opportunities to wellness initiatives and flexible work arrangements, can have a profound and lasting positive effect on employee morale, engagement and overall workplace satisfaction.

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New artificial intelligence tools seem to crop up every day—and many businesses are implementing them just as quickly. However, while these tools are meant to make businesses more efficient, that doesn’t mean they don’t also come with their own challenges, especially when it comes to implementing them in the first place. From simply not understanding the technology to gaining customer acceptance and trust, there are numerous struggles leaders are facing while attempting to adopt artificial intelligence into their processes. Here, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss 10 of those hurdles and what they think business leaders can do to overcome them.

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Steering clear of these common pitfalls can be the defining factor in your journey toward becoming a successful investor.

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Any successful business has at least one thing that sets them apart from their competitors and that makes customers choose them over anyone else—their core strengths. Determining what those strengths are may require some reflection on the leader’s part, or even some feedback from the team. However, once you’ve determined your core strengths, you’ll likely want to make them even stronger, as doing so will put your company at an even greater advantage over others in your space. But what steps can you take to get there? Below, 12 business leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council offer their expertise and recommend just a few of the paths you can take toward improving your company’s core strengths and setting you, your team and your business apart from the competition.

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In the dynamic arena of entrepreneurship, the importance of making wise investments cannot be overstated.

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As a member of the executive team, a COO—or chief operating officer—is a key leadership position responsible for the overall daily operations of a business, ensuring long-term goals are met with everyday tasks and initiatives. Because the COO has a hand in nearly every department of the company, selecting the right one could be the difference between a major business failure and a major success.  How, then, can companies ensure they’re recruiting and hiring the best candidates for such an important role? The members of Young Entrepreneur Council break down the answer below by sharing nine tactical steps business leaders can take to ensure they hire the best COO for their team.

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In the realm of real estate investing, the decision between investing on your own or joining a fund can have significant implications for your financial success.

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expert panel

When it comes to hiring someone for their team, nearly every employer likely already has an image of their ideal candidate in mind. Whether it’s someone who isn’t afraid to push the envelope or someone who is reliable, trustworthy and gets their work done on time, the “ideal” hire can vary from employer to employer, sometimes making it difficult for potential candidates to know what qualities they should emphasize in their application. To provide a little bit of guidance, business leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council list 11 words they’d use to describe their ideal employees and explain what it is about those specific characteristics that makes someone such a great hire.

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In the world of business entrepreneurship, developing the right habits can set you on the path to becoming a true force in your career.

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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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Being an effective leader can be the difference between the success and failure of a business or team.

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Every year, new graduates enter the workforce—each entering a different job market than the one before them. Navigating such a large change successfully can be difficult on one’s own, which is why it helps to consider the advice of those who have walked the same path before and who are achieving their goals. Here, 12 members of Young Entrepreneur Council consider their own journeys and offer up their best advice to new grads entering the workforce and looking to launch their own successful careers.

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One of the most challenging quarters for business leaders is often Q4. There is often a rush to close out the year’s expenses, plan year-end initiatives and marketing campaigns, and coordinate holiday PTO. Even though Q4 is sure to be a busy season, it’s also a great time to do some business “housekeeping” and check in on annual goals that haven’t been completed. Here, eight Young Entrepreneur Council members each share one item that’s always included on their year-end checklist.

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From DiSC to Myers-Briggs, there’s no shortage of personality tests available today. While leaders often use these tests to better understand their current teams, personality assessments can also provide critical information on prospective hires. Here, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share what you can learn about candidates through personality assessments—and what you can’t—and how they can be useful in finding the right talent for your team.

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The recruiting and hiring process is one of the most important aspects of business, as a single hiring decision can have a major impact on the way the rest of the business functions. To make the right decisions during this process, business leaders can collect and analyze data to assist them in their efforts.  But once leaders have collected this information, what do they use it for? How can they best leverage it to not only hire the right talent but also improve the recruiting process overall? Here, seven members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss ways business leaders can use data to support their recruiting efforts and how doing so can help them achieve their goals.

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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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Running a small business can be time-consuming, so certain tasks may be pushed back in favor of more pressing ones. One task that should be prioritized, however, is professional development. By making the time to learn, you'll be better poised to grow as a leader and scale your business for the long term. To help you achieve this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members responded to the following question:

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expert panel

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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Sometimes, leaders aren't able to grant an employee's request for a raise, whether it's because there's no budget for it or because the person's performance or skill set doesn’t currently warrant one. In either case, leaders need to focus on tact and kindness when declining the employee's request — a task that may feel awkward or uncomfortable for leaders who have never done it. To help leaders in this situation, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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Creating a new business idea is exciting, and it can be even more thrilling when you have a business partner by your side. However, for a partnership to flourish, it’s important to discuss the day-to-day operations and long-term vision for the business right from the start. From taking the time to set collective goals to establishing trust, 11 Young Entrepreneur Council members share the first steps new business partners should take when launching a venture. Follow their advice to set yourself up for success when starting a business partnership.

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A company’s culture—or its shared values, behaviors, goals and beliefs—can be one of the most difficult aspects of business for an entrepreneur to build. It involves bringing together employees from different backgrounds, with different experiences and with differing goals, and determining commonalities and a unified vision that everyone can agree on and strive toward. Naturally, this process can involve a few bumps along the way. But no matter how difficult the journey, building a strong company culture is key to building a successful business that lasts. To help, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss 10 pain points they often hear about in company cultures and offer their best advice for addressing them.

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A healthy employee is a happy employee, and many companies that understand this go out of their way to support the health and well-being of their employees by offering employee wellness programs. However, even if a company offers an employee wellness program, its benefits can often go unused by employees. In fact, some studies suggest usage of employee assistance programs is as little as 10%.  So how can concerned employers raise participation rates and encourage better health for their team members? Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share nine tips for getting employees interested in your company’s wellness program and their own health and fitness.

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Live video is in high demand among social media audiences, but developing content that truly captivates people requires the right strategy. On nearly every major social media platform, live video has proven to be an effective way to draw in new audiences and boost engagement. However, creating good live video content can be a real challenge. Your audience will be responding in real time and you need to make sure that the content you've prepared is polished enough for a live stream. The content also needs to be engaging enough to keep your audience watching. If you're looking to incorporate live video content into your marketing strategy, follow these tips from a group of successful entrepreneurs. Their secrets to success will help you develop content people actually want to watch (while also boosting your sales).

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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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Increasing productivity and focus is something most professionals strive for. But while there are different tricks and tips for being more productive and focused on your work, the tips don’t always work for every person. The key is to find advice that works for you and your lifestyle. Here, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members share the habits they try to instill in their teams to help them be more productive and focused. Try out their recommendations and see which is most effective for you.

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It's often said that “the devil is in the details”—and getting them wrong could mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful project. If you’re working on a major project requiring attention to fine details, it’s important to keep your team organized and to have a plan in place. You may also benefit from prioritizing certain tasks and holding team members accountable throughout the project's life cycle. To help you maintain organization during a complex project, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain some key strategies for keeping your team on the right track.

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The day-to-day life of a business owner is often fast-paced, with a multitude of problems to solve and employees to answer to. This means that, when faced with a decision, entrepreneurs may not have time on their side and they may be forced to make quick decisions on the fly or with very little time to weigh out every possibility.  However, sometimes speed can equal low quality, and when it comes to solving problems that can impact not only the business, but also those who work in it, quality is key. To make quick, yet quality decisions then, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend the following eight strategies.

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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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expert panel

There are many situations in which an aspiring or established entrepreneur could benefit from a business partner. Maybe you're just starting out and believe your business idea would perform better with someone else by your side, or perhaps you've grown your company as much as you can on your own and need another person at the wheel with you to reach the next level. While it's essential to know the qualities you're looking for in a business partner, it's just as important to know what to avoid. If you're searching for your ideal business partner, keep an eye out for these nine types of people. Here's why the experts of Young Entrepreneur Council say entrepreneurs should avoid them, as well as how these qualities will affect your relationship.

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No matter if working with a team is part of your daily routine or if it’s something you only need to do for special assignments, it's important to understand how to maintain creativity when working together. With a variety of minds and personalities working together, creative thought should flourish—but there are a few factors that can sabotage it if everyone isn’t careful. In order to avoid these factors, however, first you must identify them. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss these sabotaging factors and what teams and their leaders can do to prevent them.

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As an investor, knowing what to look for and how to use the changing economic environment to your advantage can help you navigate this period.

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expert panel

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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Being a solopreneur is exciting and empowering, but it can often feel draining. Because you're starting a company by yourself, you're often forced to wear many different hats to manage all parts of the business before you can hire any staff. Constantly moving from one task to a very different one can leave you feeling stretched too thin and working longer hours than you'd anticipated. But even without a staff dedicated to helping you control the many moving parts, there are ways you can manage your energy and avoid burnout. To help you do this, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members share their best advice for "doing it all" as a solo business owner.

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We’re not living in a virtual reality yet--but we are absolutely living in a digital one.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the software or hardware that has helped them succeed while working from home. Many professionals know that having the right tools can really make a difference in your ability to get work done — and get it done well. The same is true while working from home. In addition to dealing with a different environment from a traditional office, working from home also means you may be contending with decreased focus or a lack of communication, so having the right tools in place can be paramount to your success. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council experts share some of their favorite tech tools that have helped them succeed every day while working from home and why they think others should take note.

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A product or a service can really only be effective and helpful to others if customers are able to find that product or service online. Search engine marketing (SEM) helps solve this problem by targeting customers through keywords and drawing them into your website. There are many things business owners can do to improve their SEM strategies and bring in as much website traffic as possible. From using quality backlinks to optimizing your company's video content, here's what the members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend doing when designing an effective search engine marketing strategy.

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When it comes to being a responsible and effective landlord, these are the three principles to stand by.

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When it comes to creating a successful marketing strategy, you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes a few small changes can have a huge impact on your ROI.  To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their top eight tips to help business leaders quickly level up their marketing strategy. Below, they discuss what makes these simple strategies so effective.

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Many leaders grow and advance in their careers with the help of a mentor. Because of this, it’s natural to want to "pay it forward" by helping up-and-coming industry professionals find their way. Even if your company doesn't have a formal mentorship program in place, there are ways leaders can still act as mentors for their employees. Something as simple as having an open-door policy so employees can ask questions could help encourage an open environment and support growth. To discuss this and other methods of mentorship, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members recommended some key actions business leaders can take to act as mentors to their team members.

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Believing in yourself can sometimes be the hardest part of any job. Sometimes, you can be your own worst enemy. That little voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough is often one of the only obstacles standing between you and success. This is especially true for professionals who suffer from imposter syndrome, or the belief that you're not as competent as others perceive you to be.  Professionals who suffer from imposter syndrome are prone to burnout because they tend to overwork, feel the need to prove themselves at everything, and can have a difficult time delegating tasks. To help you boost your confidence and productivity, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the most effective strategies they know for banishing imposter syndrome for good.

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Every business leader hopes to see an impressive return on the campaigns and projects they launch. These initiatives can cost a lot of time, energy and resources, and it's always disheartening when the results aren't what you anticipated. But a failed campaign isn't the end of the world. It's a great opportunity to learn from your mistakes and learn more about what your audience is looking for. Whether your team decides to hire an external auditor or spend more time doing market research first, Young Entrepreneur Council members recommend considering these nine strategies for diagnosing what went wrong in your campaign and how to improve results moving forward.

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While the flexibility and cash flow enjoyed by full-time real estate investors are attractive, there are many things to consider before jumping in with both feet.

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Hint: organization and time management go a long way. Any leader, entrepreneur, business owner, or working professional will be the first to tell you that there aren't enough hours in a day to get everything done. No matter what industry you work in, the feeling of being overwhelmed with various tasks that all seem to have the same level of priority is a common one. However, if you don't get a handle on things, you can find yourself burning out fast. Organization and time management are a couple of key factors to focus on when you want to maximize your efficiency at work. But what are the best ways to get organized and manage your time? Here, 13 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in with their best advice. Whether you’re just getting started or are already running your own business, here’s how to get more work done in less time.

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January is a time when many professionals and businesses set goals and company resolutions for the year ahead. However, even the most well-intentioned may lose sight of their goals as the year goes on. The key to following through with your business's big annual goals is measuring your progress each week, month and quarter. To help you do this, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each provided an effective solution for tracking progress on your department-specific goals over the next 12 months.

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expert panel

A CEO's email inbox can quickly become unruly if not properly managed. While being constantly bombarded with emails from various recipients making different asks of them, many CEOs may find they get overwhelmed by their inbox, leading to lower productivity and missed communication in the long run. And unfortunately, they don’t always have much time to deal with a mess of emails. While you can’t always slow down the number of emails coming in, there are tools and strategies that can help get your inbox organized. Below, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their favorite email inbox hacks to help you get a better handle on your work and priorities.

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Ultimately, crushing your 2022 career goals may require a change in mindset.

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We live in a world of constant distractions and interruptions. While it's easy to blame these external factors for our lack of focus, it's often our own reactions to and bad habits around those distractions that are truly sabotaging us. In the remote work era, certain productivity-killing habits like multitasking and constantly checking notifications have become even more common as professionals try to juggle work and home life. Below, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some practices that may be unintentionally hurting your ability to focus and how to break those bad habits for good.

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expert panel

When starting their businesses, a major concern for entrepreneurs is whether or not their company will succeed. This can hinder them from taking chances, expanding or starting a company altogether. While there isn't a way to fully guarantee your business will do well, there are signs you can look for that might indicate you’re on the path to success. To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members described these telltale signs and how to spot them in your own business.

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YouTube, a place once reserved for music videos and silly comedy sketches, is now a mecca for education and community building.

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With so many work stressors, it can often feel difficult to feel grateful for your professional life. Long days and difficult co-workers can be hard to handle, and these factors may sometimes overshadow your job’s positive benefits in your mind. However, intentionally looking for the good can help you feel more gratitude for the opportunity you’ve been given and improve your overall mental state. Below, 14 Young Entrepreneur Council members offered some ways to practice thankfulness in your everyday professional life and explained why it’s so important to do this.

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Working hard and being a creative problem-solver can go a long way. Whether managing a team or an entire business, anyone in a management position has a lot on their plates. This means that while you may be itching for a promotion, your position may not be at the forefront of your manager's mind. It's up to you to put it there.  But how can you get your manager's attention and prove to them that it's time for you to move up as a leader? Here, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in and offer their perspectives as managers who have had to give those promotions and employees who have successfully leveled up in the past.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council list some struggles business leaders face with digital marketing and how to overcome them. Consumers are spending more time online, visiting more platforms than ever before. Therefore, digital marketing is an important way to spread brand awareness and convert potential customers. But with so many evolving trends in digital marketing, keeping up and mastering best practices isn’t always easy. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members discusses some of the common hurdles entrepreneurs face when dealing with digital marketing and offer their advice on overcoming them.

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In business, conflict is bound to be a daily occurrence. While no leader desires conflict, as entrepreneurs they often experience it on a day-to-day basis. Differing opinions, struggles with working relationships and team management issues can all lay the foundation for potential conflict, and not all leaders are equipped to handle it. In order to get more comfortable with conflict then, leaders must be proactive and develop a plan to overcome their fears. To help, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared 14 ways leaders can get more comfortable with conflict and be more successful as a result.

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expert panel

With so many professionals now leaving their current jobs and rethinking their future career goals, companies are looking for ways to retain their employees for the long term. However, it can be difficult for leaders to identify a clear strategy for loyalty-building and employee retention, especially with larger teams.  To help, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared strategies for leaders to build or earn loyalty from employees. Follow their advice to keep your best workers on board and satisfied for years to come.

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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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When an entrepreneur starts a new business, it's never with the intention to give up on it one day. The sad truth, however, is that running a business unfortunately doesn't always equate to success, and a particular business venture may not work out how you’d planned. After trying so hard to make your business successful, it can be difficult to think about moving on to something else or to know exactly when to throw in the towel. To provide some guidance, eight members from Young Entrepreneur Council shared a few of the signs that will show you when your business may no longer be worth your time.

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Email marketing can be extremely effective for advertising products, whether through sale announcements or updates highlighting new items. But this marketing channel can also be leveraged in a number of other ways to connect with customers on a more direct and personal level, ultimately leading to more purchases. If you're looking to expand your current email marketing efforts, it's important to explore and execute the right strategies for your business. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some of their favorite email marketing strategies that go beyond just selling a product.

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A few simple tricks can help you regain that lost motivation. If lately you’ve been feeling disengaged at work, like you’re lacking motivation to complete daily tasks or like you’re just generally unhappy with how your career is going, you may have fallen into a work rut. While easy to fall into, ruts aren’t always easy to get out of, especially if you don’t have the right mindset or the right strategies in place. To provide some guidance, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer 13 tips for how to effectively pull yourself out of a work rut and get reengaged with your career goals. Try these steps to see where your newfound motivation takes you.

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The Lesser-Known Benefits To Investing In Real Estate

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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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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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Most entrepreneurs set daily goals for themselves in order to move their businesses forward. Yet setting those goals and meeting them are two completely different things. Loss of motivation, fatigue, listlessness and a general lack of energy are common barriers to accomplishing goals, but they are also challenging to overcome without the right strategies. Pushing past fatigue and lack of motivation takes a unique investment in yourself in order to see your tasks through to the end. To offer some guidance, nine associates of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss their strategies for accomplishing their daily tasks even when they don’t feel motivated to do so.