Keys to Entrepreneurial Success
As a budding entrepreneur, I certainly enjoy the freedom of doing the things I like with maximum productivity. Although people have different perceptions about what makes a successful entrepreneur, the key to entrepreneurial success, by my definition, has always been the same, which is to fully utilize the resources available and create something from nothing through hard work. Especially in the digital age, there are 10 important components that determine the success of any given entrepreneurs. Let’s walk through them one by one in this article.
1. Get Connected through Social Networks
Becoming a social connector in the Web 2.0 era means more trusts and more credibility. Chris Brogan has fully illustrated this concept in his book “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust.” If you have a business in certain niche area, you should be using social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, to educate your target market why what you offer is valuable and why they should trust you. In general, contemporary entrepreneurs would succeed much faster if they knew how to gain leverage through various social networks which are, more often than not, freely made available for everybody.
2. Read Blogs
No one knows everything. We are often hurt by what we don’t know. Information is crucial in the 21st century. One great way to keep yourself up-to-date with the buzz is by reading blogs. There are a few reasons why this appears to be important for entrepreneurs. To name a few:
- Blogs are updated often and on time
- Blogs are free to read (You need the Internet access)
- Blogs allow comments, which, in turn, offer you free feedback
To find out what blogs I recommend for entrepreneurs, click here.
3. Read Books
Reading blogs is not a complete replacement for reading books yet. Amazon is still one of my favorite places to purchase books. Check out following articles for books I recommend for entrepreneurs:
- 10 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
- Top 10 Web 2.0 Guide Books You Do Not Want to Miss on Amazon
4. Use Google Tools
Google is, no doubt, one of the greatest Web 2.0 companies in history. As an entrepreneur, you have to know how to use a variety of Google tools to manage your tasks (Google Doc & Google Calendar), monitor your reputation (Google Alert), better communicate with others (Google Voice), etc. I am a fan of Google’s products (who isn’t?). Check out this article to find out more efficiency-boosting Google tools.
5. Become a Networking Expert
The more contacts you know in your industry, the more options you have. Attending high quality networking events is a must for all entrepreneurs if you want to get connected. I know this fact because I have been organizing events for the past year and so. I’ve witnessed in person how the right person at the right time can save a company and turn it around sometimes. When it comes to finding high quality events, no places are better than Meetup. Check out your local meetup groups. I am sure you can find something you like.
6. Attend Conferences/Seminars/Workshops
Just like reading books, attending conferences or seminars gives you the opportunity to interact with experts in your field personally. You also have a good chance to meet other peers attending the events and bounce off a few ideas with them. Most importantly, a conference/seminar environment forces you to learn in a way you otherwise would have set yourself loose if you were by yourself.
7. Use Different Publishing Platforms
Learn how to use blogs and Twitter to write and share your thoughts. Nobody should expect to sell directly to their target market audience by using these tools. What they can use it for is to cultivate meaningful relationships which eventually lead to trust. And as we know, trust sells.
8. Do Press Releases
Nowadays, as long as you have something newsworthy, anybody can do press releases. As an entrepreneur, it makes sense for you to do PR to get more exposure for your business. There is a very well-written article on Entrepreneur.com that reveals some simple how-tos when it comes to constructing an attention getting press release.
9. Get Feedback
Nobody can succeed the first time they do something. Especially for entrepreneurs, it’s a trial and error process. During this process, you must have a mechanism of getting repeat feedback from your target market audience. As an example, I receive many different comments from my entrepreneur group members every time I finished organizing an event. Their comments and ratings may not always be accurate, but they can offer some good hints for how to organize the next event differently. On my blog, there will be people commenting on my articles from time to time, both positively and negatively. From my perspective, all these messages serve for a simple yet common purpose, which is to make me do better next time.
10. Online Resources
There are tons of other resources online via which you can learn more about entrepreneurship. Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know. This is a self-discovery process. You must be able to explore different resources on a daily basis to make yourself a stronger entrepreneur. Here are a couple of resources I have to share:
- 10 of the Best Social Media Tools for Entrepreneurs
- A Dozen of the Best Start Up Pitches on the Web
- Essential Online Tools for Your Startup
- Young Entrepreneur Resources
Let us know if these tips are helpful in your entrepreneurial journey. We always appreciate your feedback.
