A successful entrepreneur shares her thoughts on business success and failure.

Posts published in the Business category:

Do Young Entrepreneurs Need To Go To College?

Entrepreneurs and college
Do entrepreneurs need to attend college?
As a successful entrepreneur, I often get asked if it would be beneficial for a teenager who shows a strong interest in starting a business to attend college. I have asked this question often of other successful entrepreneurs, as well, and the answer tends to go like this: “College can open up doors for young people, and it provides great networking opportunities.” In other words, a vague, unsubstantiated “yes”.

My answer is totally different: I don’t think college is beneficial for teenagers who already have a good idea of what they want to do with their lives, especially if they want to start a business.

Here’s my story…and some tips on whether college will be right for you: (more…)

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Using the News to Spot Innovative Business Ideas

Innovative business ideas.
Million-dollar innovative business ideas
may be lurking in your nearest newspaper…
When you read the news, do you make a quick judgment in your head (“Ha! That will never work!”), or do you consider what innovative business ideas you can glean from it?

Most people tend to make snap judgments about breaking business news. One of the most famous examples of this in the tech industry was Slashdot’s coverage of the original iPod release in 2001. The snap judgment? “No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.”

While it can be entertaining to make these snap judgments, it’s not really effective in helping you grow your business exponentially.

How One Article Can Show You Many New Business Ideas

(more…)

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Review: Ramit Sethi's I Will Teach You To Be Rich Boot Camp

I Will Teach You To Be Rich 6 Week Boot Camp
Review: Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Boot Camp.
Have you ever felt like your money was in control of you, instead of the other way around? Do you desperately wish your life wasn’t controlled by credit card payments and bills–and you just need a little help to get turned around?

I’m excited to help my friend Ramit Sethi in his quest to help you take back control of your financial future.

This video explains everything, but the story is also below for you…

My Story

In 2007, I nearly bankrupted my business because I didn’t keep track of my finances. I didn’t hire an accountant or financial planner because I “couldn’t afford it”. Little did I know that my business had far more money going out than coming in.

I always thought the numbers would work themselves out. I was smart; I read a ton of business books every month, and my business was growing like gangbusters. What was there to worry about?

It took our landlord locking us out of the building and me having to lay off most of my 6-person staff for me to hit bottom and realize what a terrible mistake I had made. (more…)

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How To Make A Mind Map

How to make a mind map.
How to make a mind map.
Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed by some of the projects you are working on…like you’ve set an impossible goal?

I felt that way when I first started writing my Blog Success Manifesto. I started with a blank document and quickly got lost. I had so many ideas, and it just seemed impossible that I could address all of them. The document gathered dust on my hard drive for a few months…until I figured out how to make a mind map.

I brainstormed out at least 20 topics I wanted to talk about, then realized I could sort them into five sections. Once I did that, I easily completed the entire 10,000-word ebook in just a few weeks!

This, too, may seem like a pipe dream to you…so I created a video to walk you through the process of making a mind map. In it, I show you how to map out a project to break it down into manageable pieces, so you can finally finish whatever that big project is that’s been languishing in your head for months or years. I also show you the exact mind map I used to create my Blog Success Manifesto: (more…)

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I'm Erica Douglass.
After selling my online business at age 26 for over $1 million, I created this blog to help you grow your own business quickly.

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