Jane Grant is a perfect example of a successful entrepreneur. You see, Jane is the mastermind behind Hugx which is arguably the best dog bowl ever made. That may not sound like a large feat, but with a little ingenuity Jane Grant has turned Hugx into a worldwide distributor. Jane came up with the idea for Hugx because of her busy travel life. “Travelling worldwide with work, I searched in vain for a bowl that would make it easy for my family dog to eat with less mess and less noise. So I created one from a pet’s perspective, investing my own cash alongside a grant from Invest NI.” Jane said about her entrepreneurial endeavor. Hugx is revolutionary mainly because of the angle the bowl is presented at. It has a custom stand that tilts the bowl at the optimum drinking angle for your favorite canine. This makes the bowl usable by pets with veterinary collars as well! Check out this informative video about Hugx and check it out for yourself online here.
If you are the young type who can’t stand not achieving success, then you fit the bill perfectly to be an entrepreneur. Look, being in this type of business isn’t for everyone. You have to be able to take a lot from a lot of different people. But if you can stay with what you believe in, you will archive success in no time! Now in order to get you started, here are some great ideas that will propel you to your future.
Be ready to handle the stress of owning a business- remember that this kind of work isn’t for everyone. You know the saying. “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen!”
Be ready to explain your idea- unless your rich uncle agrees with what you are doing, you’re going to need to explain your idea to investors. Have a business plan ready to make this time a whole lot better.
Maintain a professional communication channel- look, you will be working with some very mature people in this business. So if your email address is flashyflashy@gmail.com, people might not take you seriously. Get a professional looking email and a phone that people can contact you on.
Keep track of what you are doing- this might seem like a no-brainier, but you would be surprised how many people get caught up in the rush of being an entrepreneur. So if you wanna look good, keep track of what you are doing and what is getting done.
Be ready to fail- okay this one might seem a little harsh, but remember that not all start up’s make it. Just don’t stress if the worst happens and keep fighting, it will get you some where someday!
To be a successful entrepreneur you must figure out how to make your money work for you. This is easier said than done though. Plenty of rising entrepreneurs have trouble making their money work for them so here are a few tips to help get started. Budgeting
The first step is to change the way you handle your money. When you budget you make your money do what you want it to. Try assigning a category to each dollar that you control so you know where your money goes and what it does. This will be a great help in working towards making your money work for you. Getting Out of Debt
Debt is a huge hurdle to overcome on your way to becoming a successful entrepreneur. How much are you paying in interest monthly? What about your loans? You must figure out how to get yourself out of debt before you can make your money work for you. Debt limits what you can do with your own money, so getting out of it is key to success. Investing
If you invest your money in an intelligent manner you can see it work for you right before your eyes. Find causes that interest you and are similar to what you do and evaluate whether or not you think it will be successful. Establish contact with your prospect and if you think they are competent, invest. Once they become successful you will see the benefits from your investment and in turn, they may even invest in one of your ventures!
If you want to be the best entrepreneur out there, you are going to need something good to go on. Most entrepreneurs already have a great product or service to market to the world, but not everyone knows how to get the job done every day. If you are one of those people, give these tips a good try.
Surround yourself with supportive people- Remember, no one likes someone who drags everything down. If you are around people who are not supportive of your ideas, stop being around them or fire them. They can’t help you, so why keep them around.
Be flexible with the way you work- be prepared to change the way you used to work. Always tackle each problem like it is a new one.
Admit your mistakes- A very important tip, if can’t recognize that you did something wrong, you wll never fix the problem and you will not be successful.
Make your business plan- if you already have one made, make sure it is clear so other people know what you are doing.
Use the internet- Build a website, use blogging, and get noticed! The internet is a great and powerful tool, so use it to get out in the world.
Last year, Inventors and entrepreneurs alike converged to one contest to settle scores and find out who had the better product to offer the world. Last year, the competition was fierce and brutal but a winner was chosen. Today, entrees for the 2010 popular mechanics Invention Awards are being accepted right now as we speak. And if the same caliber of entries follow the ones from last year, the people at popular mechanics will have a lot of choices to make.
One of the things that i really like about this contest is the marketing opportunities that it gives to the entrepreneurs/inventors. Last years winner make a machine that could make oil. That is a big deal in my book. Plus, there will be lots of investors and sponsorship opportunities for them as well. What I am trying to say to you is this, if you have an invention, something that can change the world, sigh up. You never know that could happen.
Here is an interesting video made by Fortune Magazine. They gathered some of the most prominent women entrepreneurs at the annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit and asked for their advice regarding businesses and entrepreneurial affairs. Not only is the advice they give helpful, it is insightful and endlessly useful if you are a woman looking to get into the field of entrepreneurial work. Men, watch this video as well. You just might learn a thing-or-two.
If you have ever been one of those people who do not like to light fires with traditional methods, or just felt that lighting a fire just wasn’t manly enough then you should check out this new invention. This thing is called the Looftlighter, and this thing is a very interesting and different way of lighting a simple fire.
Instead of using lighter fluid or sparks, the Looftlighter superheats the air inside it up to 1000 degrees, that’s right, 1000 degrees! It might seem insane and honestly, i would be worried the thing would set my house on fire, let alone the log in my fireplace. But hey, I’m sure there is a steel plant in Pittsburgh somewhere that would like to see this thing. And besides, isn’t 1000 degrees a little hot for a home appliance. In fact i would call this thing an appliance, its more like a weapon to me. Either way, the thing is cool, even if it is dangerous to your health.
From January 21, 2010-April 25, 2010, 1001 Inventions will exhibit the little known history of Muslim Science—from the 7th century until now. The program will feature interactive exhibits, displays and demonstations. The exhibition is a British-based project and will take place in London.
Gamer Grub is the first snack food designed specifically for gamers. The packaging is designed so that you can eat it one handed without getting your fingers greasy. And if you have ever played a video game and eaten chips at the same time, you understand the dilemma that greasy fingers can present. Unlike the average potato chip, GamerGrub is choc full of essential vitamins which are necessary to keep going. I mean, look at the nutritional facts, seems like the ingredients for your morning vitamin right? GamerGrub is specifically targeting gamers, and is succeeding. Currently over 80 websites and locations sell GamerGrub including the world renown ThinkGeek. GamerGrub’s spot on audience targeting even caught the eye of Entrepreneur Magazine. They talked it up quite a bit in their article. Looking at this most people are probably thinking “I could have thought of that”. It takes a specific kind of person to be able to hone in so well to what it is the consumer wants. I dare you to try and do better.
Starting up a business takes a lot of work, and your own work history foundation will play a huge factor in how far you will go, or how much easier it will for you to get far. For the young aspiring entrepreneur, it is best to have work experience. Even if you have studied business in school, it is a lot different to get the hands-on experience to be able to develop the social skills and work ethic that people will be looking for when deciding as to whether they will do business with you or not. Jumping straight to making your business is not the best strategy, because even if your business does get up and running and you have lasted and grown over a couple of years, people still expect work history in order to take you more seriously. “Financial literacy is the language of owning a business,” says Irwin Rudick, the vice president of the San Diego chapter of SCORE, a nonprofit firm that gives advice and training to small business owners. On top of the work, of course taking classes in business, entrepreneurship, finances and other related topics is a must. This prepares you for how to go about your business to keep it running, because there are a million different aspects to worry about in order to keep your business afloat.
Keep up with new business strategies by taking new classes frequently. Remember, before you set fourth on your solo venture, make sure you have experience under your wing. Not only does this show people you can stay committed, but it really opens up your eyes from an employees perspective, and helps you to see many things you may never even realize when completely skipping this part of life.
