Tag Archives: starting a business

Announcing The Biz100 Tour: Bootstrap While Starting Your Own Business

September 13, 2010 – 9:29 am
bootstrap bootstrapping business biz100 starting your business Ja-Nae blogworld blogher ali brown

I have been excited all weekend and it’s been hard to contain myself. It’s official! We’re going on tour this fall! The tour is entitled, “The Biz100 Tour: Bootstrap while Starting Your Own Business with $100”
When I wrote “How to Start Your Business with $100,” I didn’t know that it would have the impact that it has had. I am absolutely humbled and grateful that this book is getting into the hands of the people who need and want the information the most. But to me, it’s not enough. We need to connect people with one another in their own communities, get them working together, and show people that whether you’re just starting your own business or have had a small business for a few years, there are simple ways to growing that business.
The website will be up shortly, so stay tuned.
If you want The Biz100 Tour to head to your city or if you are looking to reach entrepreneurs and small businesses as a sponsor, then feel from to connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
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Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

The Secret to Delegating

September 1, 2010 – 9:26 am
delegating how to delegate effective delegation

Mike needed to know the key to effective delegation. He was sinking in the work that he was doing for his business. As someone who was just starting a business, he had the misconception that many people have: You have to do everything yourself.
Are you one of those people who is looking to be more productive or measures productivity by the number of goals that can be achieved within a day or a week? This video explains the one simple secret that you can do in order to effectively delegate out tasks that you are looking to outsource.

What about you? Do you delegate on a daily basis? What works for you? What lessons have you learned how effective delegation? I would love to hear from you.
Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
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Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

How Foursquare Will Win the Battle Against Facebook

August 20, 2010 – 10:35 am
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We all like a challenge. When you’re starting a business it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the competition. When you are a VC funded startup who happens to be dominating the scene, there can be a tendency to sit back and allow yourself to breathe for a moment. That is, until a mega brand such as Facebook joins the the game. Then the fun begins.
Foursquare, who has been dominating the location-based services arena now has some heavy competition since Facebook launched Places. As ReadWriteWeb writes, the day after Facebook launched Places, Foursquare reported record signups. However, with such steep competition, everyone is wondering: How can Foursquare even stay in the game, yet alone win?
Sounds like the typical David and Goliath, right? In Malcolm Gladwell’s “How David Beat Goliath,” Gladwell asks the question:  How do underdogs beat superior opponents? Within the article, he attributes the underdog’s success to two basic principles:

Operate in real time, much faster than the established powers; and
Replace ability with effort — especially effort targeted at the overdogs’ weakest points.

He goes on to write,  “We tell ourselves that skill is the precious resource and effort is the commodity. It’s the other way around.”
So, what are some of [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (4)

Looking for the Next Big Idea? Einstein’s Secret

August 9, 2010 – 8:51 am
the creative brain and the creativity expert and the brain and creative strategies

People are always looking for the next big THING; the idea that will change the course of mankind; the thing that will change life as we know it. Most innovation comes from creativity. I would actually argue that all innovation comes from creativity. In today’s world, generating new fresh ideas is essential to survival. Whether you’re coming up with an integrated marketing campaign, the next Google or just looking for ways to innovate your life, here are 3 simple ways to feed your brain and get those creative juices flowing:
1. Lumosity is a site full of games to increase your attention span, improved your memory, and better your concentration. The site allows you to create a training course based on the areas that you are looking to improve upon. 10 minutes a day will do wonders. I love this site and cannot say enough about it!
2. Daydream Believer: Einstein did some of his best work while daydreaming. He would sit and stare out the window for hours. It was the secret to his revelations. If you have an idea that you are working out or trying to solidify, why not daydream about it? Write down your problem or your idea [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Starting a Business? The One Vital Thing You Need to Know.

August 3, 2010 – 9:53 am
starting a bussness women small business owners

Many entrepreneurs and small business owners seem to be looking for “something.” They think it’s the solution to all their problems; that it will help grow their business overnight; that this one thing will be the answer to all of their problems.
If you’re starting a business or find that you’re one of these people searching for an answer, then I have a small secret for you: There is NO secret.
Instead, consider:

Making stronger connections to your network/community
Finding mentors who are willing to share with you all that they know
Prioritizing your company’s growth above your latté addiction

And if you need a step-by-step guide on how to start your business and how to market that business, consider buying “How to Start Your Business with $100.”
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By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Yes We Can! …Maybe

July 20, 2010 – 11:41 am
realistic goals, business plan, entrepreneurship

In a recent Telegraph Finance article, Daniel H. Pink raises the taboo question of, “Is it okay for a businessperson to question their ability to achieve a particular goal?”
Thankfully, he does so using the adorable Bob the Builder as a model entrepreneur for the humble and self-reflective businessperson. In my experience as a life coach and home-based business mentor, I find that it is a fine line to walk between encouraging freelancers, entrepreneurs, and home-based businesspeople to think positively/dream big and helping burgeoning entrepreneurs set achievable goals in the midst of starting their own businesses. This same conundrum is present in various leadership arenas as well: I want to encourage my team without allowing them to set unrealistic expectations. My advice to those with similar dilemmas: your choice of words and tone to colleagues and team members should encourage positivity and self-reflexivity. Instead of asking whether or not something can be done, ask questions that encourage a scaffolded approach to a project or goal. Questions like, “How can you achieve ‘X’” or “Is there a way to reach ‘X’ in the timeframe we are allowing ourselves?” are better alternatives than, “So [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Strategy | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

What’s Your Unique, UnFair Advantage?

June 23, 2010 – 11:07 am
starting a buiness staring business starting a busness starting a buiness starting a businesss starting a bussness starting a businees

In order to succeed in business, you have to be unique and find the niche that works for you and the people you serve. Today at The Momentum Summit (#mosum, if you’re on Twitter), Ben Fischman, CEO of Rue La La remarked at his morning interview, “I believe in unique unfair advantages.” Rue La La has found theirs. What’s yours? Here are three steps to finding your unique, unfair advantage:
1) Ask: Why do people depend on you? What is it about you or your company that is working and happens naturally? How can you improve upon that? Survey your friends, clients, and colleagues for their feedback.
2) What’s Important? To Rue La La, exclusivity became important. The need to protect their customers, led to an unsearchable site. Of course, this resulted in an aire of mystique around the brand. Understand what is important to your customers and to your company and treasure it.
3) Experiment: What you perceive as your unique, unfair advantage may not actually be the case. Do some measurable tests to see what is working and what is not. Your experimentation may lead to an avenue you hadn’t thought of before.
What other ways can you find your unique, [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

201+ Amazing Tools and Resources for the Freelancer

June 22, 2010 – 8:46 pm
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I have been receiving a bunch of emails requesting more blog posts for the freelancer. I went through some of my favorite blogs and websites and compiled a list of over 201+ tools and resources:
35+ Online Tools to Make Your Life Easier
5 Online Tools For Dealing With Clients in Other Time Zones
PIXELMATOR : LOW BUDGET TOOL
15 Online Financial Tools for Freelance Designers
25 Free Online Tools for Web Designers, Developers, Freelancers and Individuals
14 Free Things for Writers
You can also bid for work on Elance or Freelance.com
What are your favorite Freelancing tools and websites? Feel free to share them with us. We would love to hear about them.
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By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

10 Vital Entrepreneurial Lessons I Learned from My Dad

June 21, 2010 – 12:36 pm
starting a business how to start a business with no money freelancing freelancer outsourcing women and funding leadership how to leader how to manage management tips

My father and I have not always had the best relationship. While he and my mother were going through their divorce, I found that I resented him more and more for abandoning us in such a horrific situation. This led to tons of conflict and I was constantly fighting any advice he would give, even when I knew he was right. Ah, the joys of teenage angst!
Though we have mended our relationship, there are tons of things that we still do not see eye to eye on. So, when I started my first business, dad was more than happy to offer me advice. Some of it I was willing to absorb. I mean, here is a man who has had a successful company with my aunt and uncle for over 15 years. I may be rebellious, but I am not stupid. They were obviously doing something right and I am a sponge for knowledge. So, in honor of my dad and Father’s Day (Yes, I know I am a day late) here are the 10 vital lessons I learned from him about starting a business and building it successfully:
1. Respect: At my father’s 50th birthday party, I had the pleasure [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments (4)

Business Tip: 3 Ways HR MUST Use Social Media

June 18, 2010 – 8:37 am
talent management strategy social media basics social media marketing hr and social media talent acquisituin the talent age

I have been so pleased to see more and more Recruiters and HR Professionals using social media to acquire great talent. Even small business owners are having their virtual assistants use it to recruit new candidates. However, most of what I see are companies broadcasting their message out. Though that is useful on some level, here are 3 ways your HR department MUST use social media to save you money:
1. Listen and Observe: If someone is contacting your company to apply for a job, observe how they interact with their “social circles”.  Do they share information? What do they value? What is their online personality like? Do they come across as someone who would be a good fit for your company?
2. Run a Virtual Open House: Allow people to get to know the company, its values,  and its culture. Invite candidates and the general public to a virtual open house.  This could be done once a week or once a month. Run it as a phone conference, on Skype, on your Facebook page, or over Twitter. This will also give people a chance to ask questions that they might have about the company or a specific position.
In the end, you [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)