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Launching a new company often involves a lot of moving parts and a number of different hats an entrepreneur must wear in order to get the business off the ground. With so many tasks that need to get done, new entrepreneurs can be left feeling overwhelmed with a mounting to-do list and no sense of direction for what needs to be prioritized first. Is it sales? Social media? Designing the right logo? Building a website? The members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggest the answer may not be what you expect. Below, they list out eight of the tasks you should be spending more of your time on as you’re launching your business and explain why those tasks are so key to your future success as a business owner.

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During the first quarter of the year, businesses often start to notice what’s been working and what hasn’t, what goals have been accomplished and which haven't quite yet. Maybe an initiative started in the first few weeks of the year still hasn't gotten off the ground or a campaign launched at the end of January didn't show the results you expected. Whatever the case, now is the perfect time for your business to do some “spring cleaning.” Whether it's a full reworking of your business plan or reviewing your SOPs, these steps and more could be great ways to refresh your business moving into the next portion of the year. Below, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members shared what they recommend you do to “spring clean” your operations and the impact it'll have on the rest of your year.

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Small habits and practices might be contributing to burnout without you even realizing it. Burnout is becoming more common than ever in the professional world, especially among entrepreneurs. You may feel tired, unmotivated or even irritable as a result of working too much without adequate rest periods and time for yourself. From overbooking meetings to maintaining an erratic sleep schedule, there are numerous practices that might be contributing to this condition. It's important to prevent and address burnout as soon as you recognize it so you can function at 100 percent instead of feeling stretched too thin. Below, seven entrepreneurs shared some unhealthy habits that might be causing you to burn yourself out unintentionally and how you can get back on the right course.

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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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Finding the perfect candidate to fill an open position is about so much more than choosing someone with the necessary skills and experience. While it's important to hire someone with the technical knowledge and expertise to get the job done well, it's equally as important to find someone who will fit into your company culture or be a positive influence on others.  When you're assessing candidates for a position, you can look for certain traits in addition to their level of experience that will help you make the right hire. Here, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the top traits they have to see in a candidate before deciding to bring them on.

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The most successful brands usually maintain a high level of customer engagement. When customers are engaged with a brand, they're more likely to continue to buy from that brand and recommend that others do too. With the increasing use of social media among businesses, companies now have the ability to engage with customers with the click of a button. However, they need to know how to do this in the most effective way. From being incredibly transparent to using conversational marketing, here are nine effective strategies for keeping brand engagement high, as recommended by Young Entrepreneur Council members.

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Every business leader should develop some go-to coping strategies for staying calm in difficult situations. Pressure and stress are inevitable parts of any business leader's journey. The question is not necessarily what kinds of pressure you will face, but how you'll respond to them and move forward. Every entrepreneur will find their own unique strategies for succeeding under pressure, but it never hurts to hear from leaders who have mastered the art. Below, a group of successful business owners offer their best practical tactics for combating the stress of leadership and coming out stronger on the other side.

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The last couple of years have forced leaders to step up, set good examples and make tough decisions that impact those they lead. Whether they were braving the economic battles brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic or examining diversity, equity and inclusion policies, leaders have been forced to adapt and learn new skills to manage today's most challenging situations. As successful executives and business owners, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council understand the importance of keeping their skills sharp to lead effectively in the modern business world. Below, eight members each elaborated on a skill they've recently learned that has helped make them a better leader.

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Artificial intelligence has worked its way into our everyday lives, and in doing so, has given businesses in many industries a chance to leverage it for better marketing opportunities and smoother operations. Each year, new developments are being made with artificial intelligence and automation that businesses can use in various innovative ways. The year 2022 promises to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and start with a whole new realm of possibilities for artificial intelligence and automation. Below, nine professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in with their predictions of the roles artificial intelligence and automation will play in business this year.

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When you first start a job or career path, it can be easy to assume you already know everything you need to know in order to succeed in the position. While you might be able to get by with your day-to-day duties, if you want to “climb the ladder” or advance your career in some way, it’s important that you develop a “learning mindset” and figure out ways you can educate yourself, learn new skills and make yourself more marketable for whatever future position you may want to move into. But how do you get started, especially when you’re not used to taking initiative? Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer a few strategies for developing a habit and a passion for learning that can help take your career to new heights.

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At the beginning of the year, companies and employees alike are setting resolutions for the months ahead. As employees set their sights on new goals, there are a few questions leaders should be asking them at the start. With these thought-provoking questions, leaders can be a part of the solution to set employees up for success and help them contribute to the company goals. To help you identify the best things to ask, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council each offered one question business leaders should ask employees in January to pave the way for a successful year.

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The beginning of January is ripe with new possibilities. "New Year's resolution" season is the perfect time for companies to reassess their business vision and set concrete goals for the upcoming year. Not sure what resolutions you should make for your business this year? Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council each shared one resolution they believe companies should set for 2022 and why.

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No matter what industry you're in or how tumultuous the market is, hiring the right people for your business is crucial for its success. The right fit needs to have the experience and expertise to perform tasks properly, but more importantly, their personality and values should align with those of the company. Hiring the wrong person to fill a position can cost your business time and revenue. Many factors need to be considered during the hiring process to ensure that you choose the right people to fill available positions within your organization. Here, seven professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council discuss the best ways to ensure you're hiring the right people for your business, even in today’s tight labor market.

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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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As many professionals continue to leave their jobs in favor of new ones, employee turnover has been steadily rising, meaning many HR professionals have been working harder than normal. Whether that means fielding more applications, serving as a mediator when letting go of an employee or listening to burned out employees vent about their working conditions, HR teams often take the brunt of the emotional work at many establishments. This may mean that HR employees need more support from leaders and upper management during periods of high turnover. From offering additional time off to providing educational development tools, seven Young Entrepreneur Council members shared the best ways business leaders can support their HR departments in their endeavors.

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As many professional organizations shift toward a remote work environment, maintaining a supportive company culture is more important than ever. The “Great Resignation” has already upended numerous industries where employees report work environments that make them unhappy, leading to labor shortages across a variety of markets. That's why today's leaders must focus on cultivating an appealing culture that people actually want to stay in. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members offered their ideas for how leaders can bolster their workplace environment—remote or otherwise—for the better. Follow their recommendations to build a culture where people willingly collaborate and support each other.

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Great customer service is easy to spot but difficult to master. While some tactics are obvious, like treating the customer with respect and fairness, the very best techniques for improving customer service might not be what you expect. During their business journeys, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have learned some unexpected lessons about making customers happy. Below, nine of them shared surprising tidbits they've picked up along the way that can help businesses revamp and improve their existing customer service infrastructure.

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Building a positive company culture is crucial, especially with so many businesses shifting to a permanent remote work model. Employees want to work in an environment where they feel accepted and appreciated. When they feel this way, employees are more likely to be motivated and work efficiently. To help you build a great culture regardless of where your employees are, there are a few important factors your business needs to get right. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared the essential elements you’ll find in company cultures that get people excited to come to work.

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In every career, there are things to be thankful for—things like meaningful moments with co-workers, the opportunity to learn and personal growth that can put the challenges and difficulties in perspective and help you find a renewed sense of purpose at work. Reflecting on their careers and business journeys, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council each have their own moments to be thankful for. Below, nine of them shared what they appreciate most about their careers thus far and highlighted the lessons they’ve learned that can help other leaders succeed.

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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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As a company leader, your email inbox is likely overflowing with unread or missed information on a daily basis.  Missing the wrong email could cause you to miss something time-sensitive or something from a high-priority client. However, finding the time to filter through the seemingly never-ending stream of unread emails can seem impossible with a busy schedule of meetings and strategic work. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered their best recommendations for how to tame your email inbox to prioritize responses and ensure you don’t miss out on important information.

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In the chaos and busyness of the holiday rush, it can be easy to spend so much time focusing on your customers and how you can best meet their needs that you lose track of how your employees are handling the stress. The holidays are one of the most stressful times of year for many companies, and taking time to check in on the mental health and well-being of your employees can ensure you have a thriving workforce to help your business succeed. Below, seven members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss some of the steps you can take to ensure your employees are happy and healthy this holiday season.

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When you first started your business, you may have found a few trustworthy team members to back you up. As the business is growing, you may be noticing your original startup team isn't aligning with your overall vision or perhaps you've simply "outgrown" the need for the roles you hired them to do. This misalignment can ultimately lead to stagnation within all facets of your company as well as an unhappy workforce. So, how do you know when it's time to bring in fresh perspectives? Nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered some signs that may indicate your original startup team is no longer suitable for your current business direction.

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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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For most entrepreneurs, the early days of their business entail doing most of the day-to-day work themselves. However, as your business grows, so will your need to hire and effectively manage others. Expanding your team requires you to hone your leadership skills, as well as a strategic vision to keep your team on track. To help, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared some essential leadership skills every entrepreneur should nurture. Follow their recommendations to improve your management abilities and foster a strong business culture.

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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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As a leader, it’s important to ensure that every voice at your company is heard, no matter the size of the team. Barriers should be broken between upper and lower management, if they exist, to allow for the free flow of information and ideas. But it can still sometimes be difficult for lower-level employees to feel their ideas are being heard all the way at the top. Below, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members share specific steps leaders can implement to encourage the sharing of ideas across all levels of the organization.

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Since the many layoffs, firings and career pivots of 2020, many professionals have turned their sights toward entrepreneurship. Alongside the attraction of working for oneself came the opportunity to start fresh in a new space and maybe even a new industry altogether. For women, who were disproportionately affected by the economic impact of the pandemic, that meant the chance to enter fields which have historically been lacking female voices. According to a panel of female entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council, the following seven business opportunities are areas which could strongly benefit from the involvement of other female professionals. If you’re a woman in business, consider making a difference in one or more of these sectors and lending your voice to the conversation.

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In the first half of 2021, the e-commerce industry hit $408.51 billion, which is up nearly 22% from the previous year. With so much room for growth and a promising future in a digital-first world, e-commerce continually attracts entrepreneurs and their business ideas. Before launching a new venture, however, it's important to have the right strategy in place.  Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their recommended steps for entrepreneurs looking to scale an e-commerce business. Here's how to ensure your online company thrives in the current marketplace.

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Entrepreneurs who are operating and maintaining a business all on their own have a ton of work on their plates. Often, the duties of a solopreneur can seem daunting or unmanageable as they tackle every task, big or small. Even if you can outsource some tasks to vendors and contractors, however, it's still important to streamline your to-do list and make the most of your time. Many members of Young Entrepreneur Council have experience being the sole leader at the helm of a growing business. Below, 10 of them offered some tips for busy solopreneurs who want to make their days more efficient.

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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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No employee is immune to burnout—not even your "A" players—and especially not during trying times. As an employer, you may sometimes notice that the employees who are always on their game have been reaching a point of exhaustion. Some employees may even seem bored with their work and like they are craving something new. If your top performers need a little extra motivation, try these tips recommended by the members of Young Entrepreneur Council. Below, nine of them give their best advice to employers who want to reverse team burnout and get their staff back on track.

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Getting your voice out there is an important part of becoming a successful thought leader. However, it can be difficult to know the right way to convey your perspectives on different topics without a strong writing foundation. For those entrepreneurs who have never written before, the thought of publishing a piece can seem like a far-off goal—but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right strategies in place. To help guide you in the right direction, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their best writing tips for aspiring thought leaders.

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Many professionals believe that having a large network is the key to success. However, it's often more crucial to have a few select contacts you can truly count on. These individuals can not only help further your career, but they'll also come through when others won't. Below, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members shared some powerful ways to forge meaningful professional connections. Follow their tips to curate a professional network that will be there when you need them.

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Seeking a mentor is a crucial step to success, especially if you're a young person just starting out in your career journey. Mentors can help their mentees learn from their own mistakes, widen their networks and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Entrepreneurs often make great mentors, as they can speak from experience on the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurial success. However, it's not always easy to find and convince an entrepreneur to be your mentor. Below, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared what young professionals should know about seeking mentorship from a business owner.

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As social media evolves, so should your social media marketing budget. Changing trends and platforms may mean putting some advertising dollars behind your campaigns and investing in creative talent to help you create and manage content. When determining your social media marketing spend, it's important to create an effective and specific marketing budget that factors in the content, paid ads and other investments that allow you to market to the right audience. To that end, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members explained the specific questions you can consider when deciding how to break down your social media budget.

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Business leaders have a lot of responsibilities. They need to be concerned with operations, finances, company culture and the hiring process, just to name a few. But each leader prioritizes responsibilities differently and responsibilities change from company to company. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared what they believe is their most important job as a business leader. Here are the tasks they prioritize and why each one is key to running a successful business.

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As the holiday season draws near, so does the chance to market your offerings to holiday shoppers. To ensure successful end-of-year sales, it's important to plan effective campaigns that will entice shoppers to buy from your business. This means getting innovative and thinking beyond the "traditional" holiday ad campaigns and promotions consumers are used to seeing. To help you do this, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one overused holiday marketing trend they'd rather not see this year. If you want your business to stand out, avoid these tired approaches and try something fresh.

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A strong manager can inspire loyalty and guide their team toward reaching their goals, helping the company reach new heights. Conversely, a manager who is ineffective or difficult to deal with can drive away talented employees, leading to high turnover rates and the subsequent loss of time and capital. That's why it's crucial for managers of all levels to focus not only on team deliverables and outcomes, but also on their own leadership skills as well. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their best strategies for business leaders looking to help their managers succeed and retain more employees.

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In the world of business, leaders aren’t only giving advice—they’re getting it too. Whether it’s tips from books, movies, friends, family or other leaders, leaders are often surrounded by others with well-intentioned advice on how they should run their businesses or how they can succeed in top leadership positions. However, not all of it is advice that should be followed. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the leadership advice they’ve heard throughout the years and why they strongly disagree with it. Consider their insights before applying any of this advice to your career.

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Working from home was gaining popularity in the years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic. As most businesses were then forced to operate remotely during pandemic lockdowns, many people who may not have considered working remotely before got to have a taste of all its benefits. Now, many companies and organizations are choosing to keep operating with a hybrid workforce as a permanent solution. As leaders accept hybrid workforces as the new normal, they need to establish solid company cultures that revolve around working with in-office and remote teams simultaneously. Below, seven members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their thoughts on how to build a solid company culture with a hybrid workforce and talk about overcoming any challenges that leaders might face while doing so.

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Every decision you make in business will have its consequences. While you always want to make decisions that will result in positive outcomes, things don't always go as well as you hoped they would. In this way, it's important for a leader to take the time to think through a potential decision before committing to it.  Thankfully, there are some important questions you can ask yourself to help you gain clarity on a decision before you make it. Below, members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the questions they always ask before making any major business decisions for their companies and how those questions help them make better decisions overall.

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One of the most intimidating things about starting a business is having to pitch your idea to a room full of investors. Sometimes a pitch will go great—and then sometimes it won’t. When you start breaking a sweat and feeling like you’re about to mess up, it may seem like your presentation is on its way to becoming a train wreck. However, with some expert advice and a little bit of confidence, you can salvage an investor pitch meeting that’s going downhill. To help, 13 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council share key steps you can take to turn things around and get investors to take a chance on your business.

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There's a lot of planning that goes into designing the look of a retail store. While you definitely want to add style elements that are expressive of your brand, you also need to consider your target customers. A well-designed store will not only attract more customers, but can also lead to higher sales. To help you figure out the most important aspects to consider when designing your retail store, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

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No matter if your company has been remote since the start or if you’re new to the remote working environment, you can always learn new remote employee onboarding tips to improve your virtual onboarding process. From potential technical difficulties to struggles connecting with your team, the issues associated with virtual onboarding can be smoothed over with the right strategies in place. Here, 10 members of Young Entrepreneur Council list out what those strategies should include in order to be successful.

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The process of hiring new employees can be both rewarding and difficult. Hiring managers or HR representatives need to make sure each candidate not only fits into the company culture and values, but also can do the job successfully. Some hiring decisions can be particularly hard to navigate, especially as a small business owner. Below, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members shared the biggest hiring challenges they've ever faced and the steps they took to overcome them. Read their advice to help you if you're struggling to recruit, hire or onboard new talent for your company.

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Podcasts offer a convenient, time-saving way for entrepreneurs to keep up with current events and gain new insights about business and finance. Most business owners likely have a list of go-to podcasts that they tune into regularly to get advice on everything from hiring people to managing a team and other important aspects of running a business efficiently. In order to spread the wealth of knowledge they've obtained from their favorite podcasts, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:

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It’s a common tenet of American culture that with a little hard work and determination, you can make your greatest dreams come true. While being a hard worker is an admirable trait, it can quickly turn into a negative one if your everyday life is consumed by work. This fact has been amplified by the remote work era, when the line between work and personal time has become completely blurred for professionals who work from home. For any professional, however, it’s best to strive for a healthier, more balanced life instead of working around the clock. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their tips for how best to achieve this balance and break free from this negative stereotype.

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When you are interviewing job applicants, there are certain “soft skills”—that is, non-technical skills that relate more to how you work with others and solve problems—that you should be on the lookout for, as these attributes are not usually spelled out on a candidate’s resume. Here, members from Young Entrepreneur Council share 13 underrated but important soft skills they look for when they are hiring new employees.

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As companies look ahead to the post-pandemic world, many are struggling with whether or not to bring employees back into the office. Some have opted to stay remote full time, some will bring employees back to the office and others have considered embracing a hybrid workforce with a mix of in-office and remote work. No matter which path companies choose, a few hurdles are bound to crop up—especially in cases where an employee was hired remotely and is now expected to report to a physical workplace. To help curb any issues companies might face during these transitions, members of Young Entrepreneur Council proposed some solutions for employers who want to support their employees as they shift back to "normal."

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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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When starting a business, entrepreneurs are likely to encounter many barriers to success. Discoverability can be difficult, as companies may struggle to find new customers or clients at first. Cultivating an audience can then be an even larger challenge when it involves a new product or service. Customers are sometimes hesitant to spend money on something new.  But these and many other entrepreneurial challenges all relate to actually selling that first product to your first customer and building sales from there—and convincing someone to actually purchase your product isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. Below, nine experts from Young Entrepreneur Council share the key facts every company founder should know about sales and how that knowledge can lead to greater success down the road.

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Whether working from home or in an office setting, it can be easy to get distracted from work. Grabbing coffee with a co-worker or taking a quick break to surf the web can quickly turn into time lost from the task at hand. Even too much work can lead to overwhelm, frustration and, ultimately, procrastination. While managers want employees to take breaks when needed and have some freedom with their workloads, it can be challenging to balance all this while also fostering productivity. For leaders looking to help their teams achieve that balance, try encouraging your employees to take up these daily habits, suggested by a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members. Below, these experts list the habits they’ve instilled in their own teams to help them gain more focus and boost productivity.

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Having a “side hustle” can be a great way to test the waters of entrepreneurship. Aside from providing a creative outlet and a chance to develop new skills, a side hustle can also turn into a reliable income stream.  There may even come a point where you begin to wonder whether your side hustle can become your full-time gig. But how can you test whether your side hustle is actually a worthwhile business idea without risking it all?  To help you answer this question, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered some steps you can take to determine if you can turn your side hustle into a successful business venture.

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Communication breakdowns can occur at any time and in any work environment, but can seem especially prevalent in remote work situations. While remote work has its own unique benefits, it also means employees and managers are relying more on written, phone or video communication and less on the in-person communication and body language cues that can be so helpful for clarity.  So when that clarity is muddled and an employee is consistently feeling like they and their manager aren't on the same page about a project or expectations, what route should the employee take to remedy the situation moving forward? To provide the answer, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members offer eight ways employees can seek to resolve this miscommunication and gain more clarity in the future.

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Fear is a paralyzing emotion and can stop even the most experienced business owners in their tracks. For entrepreneurs — who count on moving forward as a way to keep their businesses thriving — letting fear get out of hand can be debilitating.  But like any business leader, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have had their fair share of fears throughout their own entrepreneurial journeys. Below, 13 members shared what they've been most afraid of as entrepreneurs and how they’ve changed their mindsets to reduce the impact of those fears on their businesses.

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In any type of face-to-face or video meeting, your body language can set the tone for the direction of the conversation. Depending on how you present yourself, the other person may be able to tell if you’re tense, worried or even closed off. Poor body language can have detrimental effects, especially if you’re speaking to a "very important person" who can determine the fate of your business. That's why it's important to put your best foot forward with parties like potential investors and business partners by paying extra attention to your nonverbal communications. To help you, eight Young Entrepreneur Council members shared some common body language mistakes you should avoid when speaking to a VIP.

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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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One of the most common complaints in the business world is about being forced to attend unnecessary meetings. Nobody wants to sit through an in-person meeting or video conference to hear things that could have instead been summed up in an email message. To help business leaders run more purposeful meetings, we asked 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share their best tips for how to make meetings more efficient and useful.

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Among the many major impacts the pandemic has had on the status quo, none have so disproportionately affected women quite like its impact on the labor force. Whether they were laid off, furloughed or forced to choose between family and work when alternative child care was no longer an option, millions of women left the workforce during the pandemic, outpacing the rate at which men were leaving. And not all of them are coming back. But from entry-level workers to solopreneurs and CEOs, women make up an important segment of the workforce, and to encourage women to return, these six leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council have a few ideas in mind. Below, they outline a few of the steps companies can take to remedy some of the ongoing women’s issues brought to light by the pandemic and how to better support women in the workplace moving forward.

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Searching for a new job is a long, difficult process, so when you land a job interview, it can feel like such a relief. But what if you are fighting to earn a position you should actually run away from? Some potential employers and work cultures will be toxic to your ability to work well and perform at your best. Before accepting a job offer, you should evaluate the employer and company as a whole. Here, members of Young Entrepreneur Council provide eight warning signs that a company may be a bad place to work. Job candidates can use these red flags as a guide for what to avoid and to instead help find the right environment for them.

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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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While some may argue that “words are just words,” the language a leader uses can have a major impact on their employees. A leader’s words can be responsible for boosting morale, driving progress, resolving conflict and building relationships, so it’s vital that they choose them carefully. The wrong words, even well-intentioned, can have a negative ripple effect across the organization. However, it’s not always so easy to know what not to say and why, especially when many words have become a normal part of your everyday speech. To offer some guidance, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members discuss some of the words and phrases they commonly hear business leaders use and explain why they can have such a negative impact on your employees, your business and even yourself.

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When looking for a new job, getting an offer is only half the battle. The most nerve-wracking part of the process may come when it's time to negotiate the offered salary. Many don’t know how to do it and many more are simply too afraid to ask for fear of appearing pushy. However, negotiation doesn’t have to be an intimidating process. To help, seven members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best pieces of advice for negotiating your salary after receiving a job offer. Here are their recommended strategies and why they believe more job seekers should follow them.

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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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Good business advice can come from anywhere, at any time in an entrepreneur's journey. Some of those lessons will come directly from mentors and fellow business leaders; other times, they're learned through firsthand experience. No matter the source, some tips can be so impactful that they influence the course of an entrepreneur's business. The experts of Young Entrepreneur Council each have their own pieces of game-changing advice they’ve discovered along their journey. Below, nine of them share the best lessons they've learned that they want to pass along to fellow small business owners.

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The key to success for most startups is having adequate funds for growth. In many cases, this means finding investors and raising capital to get your business off the ground. As founders seeking capital quickly learn, finding the right investor is often all about who you know. To that end, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their top tips for building and maintaining relationships with experts in your field. These industry relationships can open countless new doors for you when it comes time to seek an investor for your business.

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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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First impressions are everything, especially when you’re first starting out on the job. When you’re trying to make a name for yourself within a new role or company, it’s important to know how to make an excellent impression. As successful business leaders, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council know that first impressions can lay the foundation for the rest of your time at any organization. Below, 10 members detailed the best things a new hire can do to impress their managers and company right off the bat. Here's why those actions are so impactful and can prove your worth and value as an employee.

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Content marketing is one of the most effective methods of gaining exposure for a brand and bringing potential customers into the sales funnel. By integrating strategic distribution, search engine optimization and inbound tactics as part of this approach, most businesses see excellent returns on their investments in content marketing. Building a content marketing campaign strategy around specific goals the business wants to meet helps narrow the focus, which improves results. Brand promotion, for example, requires different content than product marketing. Here, members of Young Entrepreneur Council explore eight content marketing secrets that all business leaders should know about to successfully promote their brand.

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As a business owner, it's easy to lose sight of the office morale around you. Most entrepreneurs are focusing on many concurrent tasks that can strongly affect the business's health and success. While important, these packed schedules and heavy workloads can mean they don’t notice the issues that may be rising all around them. Ideally, a business owner must learn how to balance monitoring employee morale with completing their own tasks to ensure the efficient running of the business—but how? To help, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council talk about the strategies they employ to successfully juggle the demands of their companies while keeping an eye on the morale of their teams.

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With so many people accustomed to working in remote environments, businesses no longer need a centralized location to find success. If they make strategic choices about which technologies to adopt, ambitious entrepreneurs can launch, run and grow a successful business right from their own home. One important part of the equation in building a home-based business is having the right tech tools in place. Below, ten members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss key ways for entrepreneurs to leverage technology to help their home-based business thrive. Follow their tips to set yours up for success.

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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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Tracking the progress of your company goals is the best way to ensure they get accomplished. When a business leader sets company goals at the beginning of a year, they should also plan to check in on those goals periodically. One major common check-in time is the mid-year check. This reflection period can be a good reminder of what the organization should be focused on, as well as an opportunity to share progress and alternate plans. To get the most out of this goal discussion, leaders should have a specific and focused agenda. Below, members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggested a few factors leaders should check in on in order to stay on track all year long.

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A journal can be a valuable tool to an entrepreneur. Being able to sit down and reflect on your thoughts throughout the day can provide a much-needed dose of perspective and can help you to improve your focus. Unfortunately, there’s no one step-by-step guide on how you should journal to obtain these desired results. Some techniques work well, and others are less effective. For a busy entrepreneur, journaling effectively may require trial and error. Here, 12 leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council share their techniques for those who may be hesitant to try journaling or those who are unsure of where to begin and how those methods help them get their thoughts in order as business owners.

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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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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.