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DOING BUSINESS IN ILLINOIS
April 18th at 4:01pm
There are more than 1.2 million small businesses operating in the state of Illinois. These businesses employ 2.5 million people, which is 45.1% of the state’s workforce and nearly 20% of the entire population. Small businesses account for 99.6% of the state’s private enterprise, making them a vital part of Illinois’s economy. Markets like Chicago offer big advantages to businesses, both in terms of the customer base and a labor pool from which to hire top talent. Illinois is unique not only because it is home to a major metropolitan area, but it is also geographically close and well connected…
BECOMING A SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER
April 11th at 3:51pm
A social media influencer is an individual who utilises a variety of social media platforms to express their opinions on specific brands or products, consequently influencing their captive audience. The concept of an influencer is simple – they’re a ‘normal’ person who is a representative of the general public, honestly reviewing and discussing products and building a relationship of trust with their audience. They have the power to affect the purchase of specific products by reviewing them across platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram among others, effectively utilising their authority, knowledge, authenticity, leverage or position of power within the…
BIOHACKING IS A NEW BUSINESS
April 4th at 3:43pm
Biohacking is taking full control of your biology. Biohacking — also known as DIY biology — is an extremely broad and amorphous term that can cover a huge range of activities, from performing science experiments on yeast or other organisms to tracking your own sleep and diet to changing your own biology by pumping a younger person’s blood into your veins in the hope that it’ll fight aging. Biohacking is the desire to understand the body and mind you’ve been given and using everything at your disposal–cutting-edge technology, tools, and science–to become the best version of yourself. Simply put, biohacking is the art and science of changing the environment around you and inside you so you…
BUSINESS ADVICE FROM ROBERT KIYOSAKI
March 28th at 3:22pm
Robert Kiyosaki is one of the most well-known names in personal finance largely due to the success of his best-selling book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad.” He wrote that workers won’t get rich toiling away at a conventional nine-to-five job. In “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” one of Kiyosaki’s main points is that the U.S. public school system teaches kids to be employees, not entrepreneurs. And in his hierarchy, employees are at the bottom. You can’t get rich from a paycheck, he argues. You get rich from owning assets that pull in passive income – and scaling up. Specifically, he recommends real estate assets. At least…
BEST SALES BOOKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
March 21st at 3:14pm
The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation, by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson This book challenges (no, really) the notion that good salespeople are fundamentally relationship builders. Rather, it posits that a good salesperson is someone that challenges their customers. The book is based on studies of thousands of sales reps in varied industries; based on their findings, authors Dixon and Adamson categorize salespeople into five distinct types. However, only the “challenger” type is consistently highly successful. Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff Maybe it isn’t the process of finding sales prospects…
IS YOUR BUSINESS BETTER SUITED FOR A SHORT TERM FUNDING?
March 14th at 10:33pm
A short term FUNDINGan is a type of business capital funding that can provide your company with quick working capital. Like most other bank funding, you’ll receive a lump sum of cash upfront which is repaid to your short term lender over a set period of time. Some common examples of short-term debt include: Short-term bank funding. These funding often arise when a company sees an immediate need for operating cash. Short-term bank funding are due within a year. For most small business owners, a short-term funding will likely be more suitable. However, sometimes long-term financing may be necessary. Regardless…
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR BUSINESS HAS CASH FLOW PROBLEMS
March 7th at 10:25pm
In business, we focus a lot on profit, but it’s easy to forget that operating with a positive cash flow can be just as important. Companies can be profitable and yet not have adequate cash flow – in a worst-case scenario, insufficient cash flow in a business over the long term leads it to bankruptcy. To properly manage your business’s cash flow, you must first analyze the components that affect the timing of your cash inflows and cash outflows. A good analysis of these components will point out problem areas that lead to cash flow gaps for your business. Narrowing,…
COMMON MARKETING MISTAKES
February 29th at 10:25pm
Marketing is only as effective as its execution. Properly considering the experience and message being sent to future and existing customers can make or break campaigns. Common marketing mistakes and how to avoid them: Lack of Research and Testing. Skipping research and testing is one of the most common marketing mistakes that companies make. Before launching a marketing campaign, you need to understand your customers. Regardless of your campaign’s purpose — building brand awareness, increasing engagement, generating leads, etc. — it must consider the audience to be compelling.Improper Focus and Positioning. Your marketing should have and use the proper tools…