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Is the Time Right for Your Business Aspirations?

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Multi-ethnic Superhero Businessmen Confidence Concept

If you’re considering starting a business during what’s left of 2015 or anytime in 2016, there are a number of factors to keep in mind.

From the current health of the economy to the type of business itself, starting a successful business oftentimes boils down to timing.

Here are just a few tips for starting a successful business the first time around in the coming year:

Strike While the Startup Iron is Hot

Although many small and large businesses alike are still recovering from the financial crisis of 2008, all signs point to a recovering economy. This means good news for entrepreneurs looking to start a new business in the coming year.

The U.S. has regained close to nine million jobs in the past year and banks are beginning to lend to business startups again.

Likewise, if you’re trying to start a business without relying on a line of credit from a bank, crowd-funding through sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter is also at an all-time high.

It’s also important to note that a healthy economy means less competition for industries of all kinds.

Whether you’re starting an online brand or a local business, when the business world struggles less, it gives your business a better opportunity to set up shop without competing with other similar businesses hungry for sales.

Ask for Advice

Regardless of whether you’re starting your business tomorrow or in the New Year, it’s always wise to ask for advice and tips from successful business owners.

As the following article looks at, whether you’re looking for 8 tips for starting a massage therapy business or you just need some help in the marketing department, a little advice goes a long way.

You can reach out to other business owners on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, read up on business blogs, or meet with business owners in person. You’d be surprised at how willing successful entrepreneurs are to share advice on the startup process.

Timing is Everything

Although the economy is currently ripe for new businesses to take shape, that doesn’t mean you should jump right in to starting your business.

Successfully getting your business off the ground takes a ton of planning and perfect timing.

That’s why it’s so important to choose the right time to get the business ball rolling.

For example, if you’re starting a consumer retail business, consider opening your doors closer to the holidays as opposed to after the New Year.

Starting your business at the right time could give you a much-needed sales boost during those critical beginning stages.

Study the Competition

In the weeks and months leading up to your grand opening, be sure to study the competition closely. Keeping an eye on the success rates of industries and local businesses similar to yours will provide you with valuable insights.

Are similar businesses currently struggling or are they experiencing unprecedented sales numbers?

By studying the competition and asking these questions, you’ll know when the best time is to jump in the business arena.

If you’re trying to decide whether to start your business in the coming year, then keep in mind the helpful tips mentioned above.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including business startups and the economy.

Let your competition focus on you

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Rosemary O’Neill

Focus on the Path Ahead

The Summer Olympics are coming up, and I for one will be perched in front of my TV and iPhone app (yes, there’s an app for that) watching the proceedings.

I draw inspiration and courage from these athletes who dedicate their entire lives to achieving greatness in their event. There are so many lessons to take away, but one seems to jump out.

Have you ever noticed that the runners, swimmers, and other races NEVER look behind them during the race?

They focus their entire attention. Their entire being. Everything is focused on the path ahead, the swim lane ahead. The world may be on its feet screaming “he’s coming up behind you” and the sprinter is in a zone of silence.

Let your competition focus on you

The next time you’re tempted to spend time worrying about the competition, think like an Olympic swimmer. Stretch, jump, and swim like hell toward the other side.

Let them worry about you.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Thank you, Rosemary!

You’re irresistible!

ME “Liz” Strauss

Is Internal Competition Giving Your External Competition the Win?

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A Guest Post by
Natasha

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Taking care of the internal competition to compete better with external competition

Think of an organization, having different departments competing with each other, to the extent that they wouldn’t mind sabotaging each other’s work, or bringing a project to a total halt, just for the sake of jeopardizing another department’s reputation, without even thinking of the loss that the company has to suffer.

Sounds quite absurd? However, this seemingly absurd contention exists in more businesses than what you can imagine (and the chances are that it exists in your own company as well).

Many resources get wasted, brilliant ideas never get implemented, and the businesses fail to take off, just because different departments fail to collaborate with each other. And it’s not limited to large businesses, when the business is too small to have different departments, this tussle might exist between individuals.

So, how to make sure that the company’s resources are not getting wasted, just because some workers are focusing more on getting the better of each other instead of trying to outperform the real competitors.

Organizational Culture:

If probed, nine times out of ten, you will find that the organizational culture is the root cause of the problem, so the blame should be placed on the higher-ups who are responsible for influencing the culture of the company. At times, lack of collaboration between different departments can be a direct result of the higher up trying to use “divide and rule” policy, and encouraging people from different departments to come and share negligence or slip-up reports of other departments or fellow workers. When the managers’ start taking interest in such stories, the employees will try to make some on their own, and instead of focusing on their core duties, they’ll be trying to find some “material” to feed the higher-ups with more and more negativity about other departments.

Needless to say, if you are looking for better synchronization, you must not encourage, or approve of any such immature behavior.

Emphasis on common goals:

It is the leadership’s responsibility to get across this message to each and every department, that no matter how significant or non-significant the job seems to be, each and every department is in it together. So, when someone tries to disrupt or interfere with another department’s work, it will eventually hurt the organization benefits, and when the organizational benefits get hurt, the damage will ultimately come back to hurt each and every department, pretty much like a circle … together you rise and together you fall.

Rewards and Appraisals:

If not handled carefully, rewards and appraisal system often ends up adding fuel to fire, especially when different departments have goals or targets that coincide with each other. In such scenarios, departments will naturally try to take the credit for each and every accomplishment; this “credit war” is quite the same as the “turf war” (and we know the consequences of turf wars). Not only they’ll try to take the credit, the departments will go to the extent of hiding their successful strategies or techniques from other departments.

Enhance collaboration:

There are many ways to enhance collaboration, for example you can conduct joint meetings, training sessions, or recreational activities, where manager and employees from different departments can mingle with each other. But more importantly, at these joint sessions, meetings, or trainings, you can discern some tension going between two specific departments, you can call them up in person later on, and resolve the issues ASAP.

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Author’s Bio:
Natasha is an internet marketing expert by profession. When she’s not working, she likes to work out, read, and even draw (though she shares her paintings with very few people who are good at containing their laughter). Currently, she’s working for Loft conversions London that provides the services like Loft conversions in Hertfordshire .

Thanks! Natasha!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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