Daria Gonzalez

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Defining what makes your business unique is one of the most important tasks you can do to help answer the question of why customers should buy from you. Without a differentiating factor separating you and your competition, you ultimately give customers no reason to choose your business over another—which isn’t a helpful strategy when looking to grow your company. But if you’re new to business or haven’t considered your brand’s niche before, how do you go about determining it? The members of Young Entrepreneur Council can help. Below, they offer up 10 questions you can ask yourself that will help you define what is unique and different about your brand and explain why these are such effective questions to ask.

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Social media isn’t the only place to find the latest trends. When taking a look at the business world as a whole over the last 12-month period, you’ll find a number of trends and initiatives that took hold of a large number of organizations. Whether it’s increased flexibility or organic lead capture, these trends grew popular for a reason—but will their popularity carry over into the new year? To share their predictions, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each discuss one business trend they saw really take hold in 2022 and why they think we will—or will not—continue to see this trend in 2023.

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Speaking at events can be a great way to build thought leadership and promote your brand. But when you’re new to the business game, or even just the thought leadership space, knowing how to find, narrow down and sign up for these events can seem a little overwhelming at first. The pressure of not knowing where to begin may even prevent you from getting started at all. But finding the perfect speaking event for you doesn’t have to be an arduous task. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each offer their best piece of advice for finding great speaking engagements and explain why these tips can set you up for success as a new thought leader.

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With the end of the year looming, companies across all industries will begin scheduling end-of-year performance reviews with their employees. But rather than stick to what was always done, even if it wasn’t very effective, leaders can strive to generate more meaning from these reviews and give their team members more actionable, personal feedback they can take with them into the new year. But to do so, leaders will need to consider a few tips first. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their best advice for how businesses can make end-of-year performance reviews more meaningful and explain why these techniques may actually be better than what's traditionally done.

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In an effort to be unique, informative and persuasive, many businesses can end up with overly complicated and wordy websites that may be doing more to push customers away than pull them in. When it comes to building an effective website, often simplifying its content and design is the most effective approach, giving visitors the space they need to find the answers to their problems. But when you’re trying to ensure visitors have all the information they need to determine your product or service is the best solution for them, you may not know where to start reining it in. To help, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council each offer one piece of advice they'd give well-intentioned business owners for simplifying their websites and why these tips are so effective.

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If you approach branding as an investment instead of a necessary expense and track your results from the start, it can be an extremely rewarding process.

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Whether you run a global business or you simply live far away from your vendors and clients, maintaining quality relationships with your business’s stakeholders is key to your business’s success in the short and long term. Ensuring the happiness of your vendors, clients and team often means avoiding miscommunications, preventing problems and streamlining processes that will help maintain the smooth running of your company. But when in-person interactions are limited—or completely off the table—how should business leaders go about improving these relationships? Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their answers as well as insights behind their own relationship-building strategies.

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Hybrid and remote work models have quickly become the new normal for many companies. While working remotely offers many benefits to employees, many of the perks that used to keep staff productive and happy in an office setting are no longer relevant when employees are working from home. To learn about creative perks to offer your remote employees, members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend the following 11 ideas.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how to build a company culture that can successfully handle any issue, mistake or challenge that arises. Businesses thrive when leaders and their teams are able to quickly pivot and change direction when necessary. Trends change frequently and problems often arise unexpectedly, and when this happens, successful companies make the changes needed to rise above the challenge. Not everyone is naturally adaptable, though, so leaders must cultivate adaptability within themselves and within their teams to achieve their goals. Below, 11 Young Entrepreneur Council members share some practical ways leaders can help build cultures of adaptability for their own companies.

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

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It can be easy to assume that a sign of being a great leader is having all the answers; however, often the opposite is true. No leader knows everything, but great leaders are always willing to learn and grow in their knowledge, and often have ways of finding the answers they need.  As successful leaders themselves, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council understand these points, as well as how hard it can be to admit when you don’t know something as an entrepreneur. Below, they share their insights on how you can respond to someone when asked a question you don’t know the answer to and why these are the best responses you can give.

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Everyone struggles with self-doubt at some point in their lives, especially if they own a business. Self-doubt as a business owner can be daunting to overcome and may sometimes derail you from your goals. But part of being an entrepreneur means learning how to grow a thick skin in order to take on the adversity, rejection and low confidence that can often come with the job. To help mitigate these common feelings, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their best advice for becoming more resilient as an entrepreneur and why it's worked for them over the years.

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Think of your brand as a person. If you met them, what would be the lasting impression?

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Sales challenges are unavoidable in any business, regardless of industry. From curating an effective sales process to pinpointing your ideal customer, solving these sales challenges is crucial during the early stages of your company. As business leaders themselves, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have faced their fair share of sales obstacles when starting their companies. Below, nine members discuss challenges new businesses often face in selling their product or service and how they can work  to overcome those difficulties.

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Is your brand in need of a makeover? While it may seem as simple as something like changing your company’s name, rebranding is a complicated process with many moving parts.  After a time, many companies change or update their missions, and rebranding is an effective tool for signaling to customers that a company is undergoing major changes, but it can also result in pushback from the target audience if not handled well. Below, nine Young Entrepreneur Council members reveal steps you can take if your rebrand doesn’t achieve the reaction you were hoping for.

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Many business leaders may make the mistake of assuming that a well-designed desktop website will translate into a well-designed mobile website—and will quickly learn that’s not the case. With a different screen size, different applications and varying user behaviors, mobile requires separate consideration when it comes to design and function. But you don’t necessarily have to start from scratch if you want to make sure your existing website is mobile-friendly. For easy changes any business can make, consider the following tips from the members of Young Entrepreneur Council. Making even just one of these changes could have a positive impact on the way your users engage with your business.

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A pitch deck is more than an optimal structure and data display; it’s a story that connects present and future, helping investors believe that the future is real.

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

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

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

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

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

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Every professional should master the art of persuasion. Whether you're negotiating for a raise, pitching to an investor, giving a presentation, or trying to win a new client, having influence can help reach your goal.   Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share top tips to appeal to others — and why those tactics work so well.

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The future of your business relies on finding the best candidates to hold senior positions. Making the right choice can spell the difference between success and failure for your company, but it isn’t always easy finding the best fit to lead your company to the next stage. To help fellow leaders hiring for senior-level roles, Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members weighed in on the following question:

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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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Technology is evolving at a faster pace than ever, and each change affects the consumer market in different ways. Every year, innovations are introduced that impact the market in ways some people never would have imagined.  Now that 2021 has come to a close, professionals in every industry are anticipating the tech innovations that will take the market by storm in the coming year. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in to share which tech innovations they believe will have the greatest impact on the market in 2022.

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In a way, building a brand is like scaling the best of you, the founder, so you can actually be in many places at once. 

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While it may not always feel like it in the moment, business challenges are great opportunities for growth. When we’re thrown outside of our comfort zones, we build confidence and see our strengths. This is especially true for business leaders and entrepreneurs, who face a constant stream of challenges that can often be turned into positive opportunities. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared experiences where they used a challenge as a learning opportunity. They describe how it affected them and how they used the lesson to improve their business.

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During the pandemic era, virtual events like webinars and conferences have become more common, offering business value and education from the comfort of your home. Although these online gatherings are popular, it’s hard to drum up the same level of excitement for them that people seem to have for in-person events. As successful business leaders, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council have seen their fair share of successful digital events and understand what factors will generate interest and engagement. Below, 10 of them offered their best tips on how to draw a crowd and increase sign-ups for your company’s virtual events.

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

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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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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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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the top tools that will help any company improve their remote work process. Whether it was communicating important information or collaborating on multiple projects at once, many companies faced new challenges as they made the switch to a remote or hybrid work environment. Luckily, there exist a multitude of tools and tech solutions that can help struggling companies improve the way they work remotely. Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggest 12 of the solutions they use for their own companies and explain why they recommend you implement them to make your remote work processes a little more efficient.

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend using these e-commerce tricks for lowering shopping cart abandonment rates. Losing money is never at the top of any business owner’s to-do list, but when eager shoppers suddenly back out of the checkout process and abandon their online shopping carts, that’s exactly what happens. Implementing strategies to reduce this rate of cart abandonment, therefore, should be a top priority for every e-commerce entrepreneur. To help get you started, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their top “hacks” for lowering online shopping cart abandonment rates and why implementing these tricks is so effective.

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

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Members of Young Entrepreneur Council list the factors companies will want to consider if they want to improve their website UX. While your business’s first attempt at creating a website may have focused on necessary product information, your logo and color scheme and basic functionality, it may not have truly considered how your visitors use the site and, therefore, may not have produced the positive results you were hoping for. To get the most out of your website, it’s vital that you take a look at the full user experience first. To help guide you, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer 14 factors all companies should consider when redesigning their websites and why these particular factors can have such an impact on the way your users experience your business.

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Firing an employee for the first time in your career can be a difficult and emotional process. But whether an employee’s performance has been consistently subpar or a difficult downsizing decision has been made, sometimes it has to be done. To help you do it in the most effective, kindest way possible, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members weighed in on the following question:

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In the digital age, having a website is an extremely important and valuable way to inform customers of your services. However, it’s not enough to just have a website that looks good—the copy needs to stand out as well. Well-crafted, effective copy will help draw customers in and keep their attention away from the competition. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council offered their best tips for making your website’s copy stand out and why each tip is key to attracting customers.