If You Are a Prospective Startup Entrepreneur, Show Me Your First Five Paying Customers
This is a great one for all startup ventures to consider. I think I first heard this from one of my first mentors, Ian MacMillan. …
Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t “Build a Marble Staircase to a Parrot Cage”
This is a quote from one of my most important early mentors, Ian MacMillan (Mac). As Shakespeare put it, “a rose by any other name…
For Entrepreneurs, True Brilliance is Often in the Simplification of Complex Ideas
As an entrepreneur, don’t be overly impressed with complexity and flash; rather, be impressed by simplification. Consultants tend to make simple concepts complicated – that’s…
As an Entrepreneur, Don’t Business Plan in a Vacuum
You must plan in the real world, with facts, not fiction. In other words, don’t plan “in a vacuum”. I can’t tell you the frequency…
To Be Successful as an Entrepreneur, Do Projects in Bite-Size, Achievable Chunks
You must break down everything you do, no matter how complex it is, into bite-size, manageable chunks. With all the tasks you have to manage…
Bureaucracy Stifles Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Avoid It Like The Plague
Bureaucracy is the “anti-entrepreneur”. Avoid bureaucracy like the plague, in your company for sure, but also in the people and other companies with which you…
A Great Idea or Technology is Not Sufficient for a Great Small Business
Technology is important, but it is not sufficient for a business to succeed. Some businesses hardly use technology at all – in the long run,…
Data Management, Analysis, and Reporting Are Absolutely Key in a Small Business
Control your data and manage it well. Many entrepreneurs manage from their gut, which works well for them, particularly when their enterprise is small. In…
If You’re an Entrepreneur, Make Lots of Mistakes As Fast As Possible
As proud, ego-driven perfectionists, many entrepreneurs are loath to make mistakes – or certainly to admit having made them. In my observation and experience, this…
Don’t Reinvent Any Wheels in Your Small Business
Why reinvent the wheel? You hear this all the time, but do you heed this advice? There’s almost no good reason to do something from…