Category: Life & Leisure

When you think of an entrepreneur, do you think of an intense, type A personality who is relentless about success? Do you think of someone who is fiercely independent? You wouldn’t be entirely wrong. There are certainly entrepreneurs who fit that description.

What you may not realize is that there are many others who do not. As it turns out, entrepreneurs vary widely when it comes to goals, working styles, and personality types.

Here, we’ll explore six different types of entrepreneurs, and how each can use their talents to succeed.

Which one are you?

1. The Opportunity Seeker

Opportunity seekers are predictors and trend-watchers. They know what is likely to be popular with customers in the near future, and are able to rush to market with products and services that meet those needs.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean capitalizing on the emerging trend itself. Many good opportunists have found ways to cash in by starting businesses in complementary industries.

For example, as smartphones became more popular, and more expensive, people began to realize that there was a big market for accessories and repair services. Today, you can find stores in every city that will replace broken smartphone screens, and sell you a variety of accessories.

In addition to being able to sniff out great opportunities, these folks are experts at sales and promotion. They enjoy the process of marketing their products, and engaging with potential customers.

There are a couple of potential negatives though. Many opportunity seekers tend to be a bit impulsive. In addition to this, not all opportunities pan out.

This is an entrepreneurial type that should be prepared to temper excitement with thoughtful planning. Or simply be prepared to absorb some losses alongside your successes.

2. The Serial Entrepreneur

Some people are in love with being in love. Serial entrepreneurs are in love with launching new enterprises.

While many start a business with the dream of growing it long-term and passing it onto their children, serial entrepreneurs have a different plan. They will grow a business until it’s a success and move on to start another company.

In many cases, the serial entrepreneur earns their money by selling the companies they start. Others create long term profitability by positioning their companies for franchising. Some simply build a powerful team to run things while they busy themselves with their next venture.

If this resonates with you, that’s wonderful. You’ll just need to be aware of a few things. Serial entrepreneurs have to be relentlessly honest with the people they work with. Even if you aren’t one for long term commitment, chances are you will work with people who are putting their hearts and souls into your business.

When you are ready to move on to your next business, be certain to do so in a way that is ethical and considerate.

3. The Multi-Talented Entrepreneur

Some people are drawn to the idea of starting a business because it allows them to learn new things, and engage their talents in many ways. These are the entrepreneurs who are heavily involved in every aspect of their business. They are truly, hands on business owners.

The multi-talented entrepreneur can do a little bit of everything. They make it their business to be able to jump in and help with any problem. People who work for a multi-talented entrepreneur can count on them to stay and work late when the going gets tough.

Just be aware that there’s a fine line between being willing and able to help, and micromanaging. Use your skills to hire great people, train them well, then trust them to do their jobs!

4. The Hustler

Fubu founder Daymond John created his company with a collection of sewing machines in his mother’s apartment, and marketed his business via graffiti. He’s the classic example of a hustler entrepreneur. He started small, worked with what he had, and built his company from the ground up.

Hustlers are talented at getting friends and family members to pitch in, and help them with their budding enterprises. They are the entrepreneurs who will take on second jobs, cut expenses, and bootstrap whatever funding they can to move forward.

In addition to this, they are great motivators. Nobody works as hard as a hustler, and that makes a big difference when it’s time to ask the rest of your team to put in extra effort.

There are a few risks though. Hustlers are prone to burnout. They can also overwork their team members, or leave them feeling unappreciated. Finally, there comes a time when a good entrepreneur should focus on getting funding from investors, not simply by working harder.

5. The Buyer

Some people start businesses, only to realize life as an entrepreneur just isn’t for them. Sometimes, they simply close up shop. In other cases, they seek out a buyer to take on their company, and continue making it grow. They buyer is on the other end of these deals.

A buyer seeks out businesses to buy, and grow. They are talented at assessing a business, and determining its growth potential. They can spot undervalued assets and opportunities. Buying is often low risk, as long as there’s a proven market, and the existing business is stable.

There are a few potential drawbacks here. It takes quite a bit of capital to purchase a business that has potential. It’s less expensive to buy a struggling business, but also significantly riskier. Unless of course, the buyer has a track record of turning around struggling businesses – perhaps in a particular niche.

6. The Expert

The expert works hard to develop their talents, then they use those skills to launch a successful business. The expert is the talented software engineer who goes on to launch her own tech startup. They’re the master woodworker who goes on to build a company making custom furniture.

Because they are so good at what they do, the expert is often able to grow their business through referrals and recommendations. Many prefer to keep their businesses small in order to provide the best possible service. When they do hire employees, they tend to keep training in house. This helps them to ensure consistency.

One issue is that experts can sometimes be resistant to business growth. They want to be successful, of course, but they are driven more by their love or passion for their craft, than by pursuit of profit. This is admirable, but can be frustrating to investors and partners.

Summing up types of entrepreneurs

Which entrepreneurial type describes you? No matter which one (or ones), successful entrepreneurs have all kinds of personalities, backgrounds and talents. Knowing your type simply provides insights into the ways in which your style can work for and against you. With dedication, any entrepreneurial style or spirit can make the future bright.

There is an overwhelming percentage of people who are unsatisfied with their jobs. With so many people working jobs that have nothing to do with their interests or passion, it’s no wonder that this is the case.

Of course, while everyone wants to work a job they love, the immediate need for money to pay bills forces most of us to settle.

And so we dream of a better job, or often the ability to start a business of our own.

But that’s expensive right? And hard to do?

Actually, it doesn’t have to be.

If you’re among the many people who have thought about starting your own business, this article is for you. Read on to find out a proven plan for starting a business with little to no money.

1. Start with belief

The first thing you need when starting a business is belief. You can do this. People do it all the time, often with little to no resources. As long as you are willing to put forth some effort, and face challenges with grit and positivity, you can succeed.

2. Find your expertise

While it helps in some instances, you do NOT have to have a graduate degree to start a business or even a degree at all. The only thing you really need is advanced know-how in whatever it is you’re trying to do or sell.

Ask yourself, “what am I good at?”

Or “what am I interested in, that I could be good at?”

You might be good at writing, or graphic design, or interior design. You may be able to build things, or fix things.

Skills range from common (ie. working with computers) to obscure (baby-proofing a home). So think both inside and outside the box when brainstorming ideas.

3. Start small

Understand that any kind of business you start based on an expertise, you can start small. Even a single client can catapult your career. People refer others. Your reputation builds. With a success story and a good marketing message, suddenly, you’re in a position to promote yourself.

Once you have a small but loyal group of clients, you can grow bigger as a business.

4. Keep your day job

Have confidence in your ability to succeed, but don’t expect to be an overnight sensation.

That’s why it’s important to keep your job as you’re starting out. You have to be able to take care of yourself in order to take care of your business.

Don’t see this as a bad thing. Rather, think of your job as a stepping stone to help your business grow. The money you get from your day job can be invested into your business until your business is making money for itself.

5. Think minimal investment

Service-based businesses are one of the best types of businesses you can start if you don’t have much money to invest. For example, babysitting or nannying, blogging, photography, dog walking, graphic design, house cleaning, lawn mowing, the list goes on and on. Each of these businesses requires a level of investment that almost anyone can afford.

There are many more services that are in demand, but these three are good places to start. Know your skills and create a business that works for you.

6. Make Use of Free Business Tools

When starting your business, make use of every free business tool that is available to you, especially ones that will help to expand your business.

For advertising, there’s Yelp and Google My Business. Both are places to collect reviews, list your hours, location, contact details and website.

There are free tools for building your website like SquareSpace, free tools for hosting online meetings like Zoom, free tools for email marketing like Mail Chimp, free contact management solutions like HubSpot, and on and on.

Summing up starting a business with little to no money

Starting a business with little to no money is not impossible. In fact, it’s something people just like you do every day. Start by believing in yourself and finding an expertise that you can bring to your local community (or online community) that requires skill, but limited investment. There’s demand for it. Keep your day job, but start exploring opportunities to go out on your own – starting today.

Recently, we released a blog post and infographic about increasing office productivity. It focused on how employers could foster a healthier and more productive work environment for employees.

Of course, there’s only so much that an employer can do.

A lot of responsibility for productivity and efficiency rests with the individual employees.

Your productivity is up to you folks! Frankly, it doesn’t matter how many hours you spend at the office. It matters what you do with them. The more productive you are, the more valuable you’ll be, and the more confident and accomplished you’ll feel.

So today, we’ll discuss 7 helpful tips for maximizing your time and being more productive at work.

1. Make Lists

It’s easy for simple tasks to clutter your day and mind, distracting you from the bigger, more important ones.

Creating lists will help you visualize the big picture and prioritize each individual “to-do.” Try Trello and Simpleology to help you keep your tasks organized.

Also, it can be helpful to break a large daunting task into smaller, more manageable sub-tasks. This will help you from becoming overwhelmed, and will give you  a better idea of how long a task might take to complete.

Besides, it feels very satisfying to cross something off a to-do list.

2. Prioritize

If making lists is the first step, surely prioritizing is the second. Most of us waste too much time getting smaller, easier tasks out of the way.

I know. I know. We just acknowledged how good it feels to cross an item off the list. But being productive is not about getting things done. It’s about getting the most important things done.

High value work comes first. If you’re not focusing on your biggest, most pressing projects, that too is wasting your time and talent.

3. Stop Multitasking

It might feel like you’re accomplishing a lot in a little amount of time. But that might not be the case.

Dividing up your focus between several tasks at once can hinder your ability to complete them efficiently and comprehensively. In fact, researchers have done studies showing that multitasking inhibits productivity and wastes time.

Get used to devoting 100% of your energy to the task at hand.

4. Leverage Productivity Tools/Apps

Productivity tools are everywhere today —  for every industry and every task imaginable. That’s because automation saves you time, and helps you stay focused on the tasks that truly require your personal attention.

Start researching productivity tools for your daily tasks to free up time, streamline workflows, and foster faster, more efficient communication.

5. Give Yourself a Break

No one can stay at peak productivity for hours and hours on end. In fact, it’s suggested that 52 minutes of work, followed by a 17 minute of break is the ideal formula for productivity.

So give yourself a break! Plenty of them. And do something you are passionate about (ie. music or art over scrolling through Facebook) to maximize the benefit you get from your break.

Besides, sitting for long periods of time is not only hazardous to your health, but it can cause you to have low energy. Most office workers are at their desks for around 8 to 10 hours every day, so it’s important to get up and get some exercise.

Try scheduling set times throughout the day to get up and move, or to give your brain a mental break from work-related tasks.

6. Get Rid of Distractions

Social media can be a huge time waster.  Constantly stopping what you’re doing to check your texts, Facebook, or Twitter is distracting. It makes it hard to focus on your tasks.

Cut distractions by turning off notifications for emails, social media, texts and voicemail. Apps and browser extensions can help.

Of course, there are all kinds of other distractions too. Think about what distracts you and take steps to remove them. Close your door, clean off your workspace, put on classical music or white noise.

7. Set Personal Deadlines

It’s easy to draw out open-ended projects beyond a reasonable timeframe. That’s why it’s important to set personal deadlines. Personal deadlines keep you accountable to yourself, and ensure you stay focused and productive.

Divide larger projects into subtasks and set deadlines for those. This will keep your projects moving and progressing.

Summing up Tips for Being More Productive at Work

Being busy does not equate to being productive. It’s up to each and every person to make sure they are spending their hours usefully, and being efficient with their time. To recap, here are 7 things that will help you stay productive and maximize your time usage:

1. Make lists for yourself, and break down projects into subtasks.
2. Prioritize to ensure you’re focusing on high-value work first.
3. Stay focused on one task – don’t multi-task!
4. Find tools that streamline your work, processes and communications.
5. Give your mind and body a rest with well-earned breaks.
6. Think about your distractions and take steps to eliminate them.
7. Impose personal deadlines to keep you accountable.

What’s your best tip for being more productive at work?