What is one positive business story that transpired during the pandemic? 

This pandemic has been tough on many of us, so we asked business owners and entrepreneurs this question for their pandemic business stories. From thriving through innovation to leaning into virtual recruiting, there are several ways businesses found ways to stay afloat and keep working towards a positive future. 

Here are six positive business stories that transpired during the pandemic: 

• Thriving Through Innovation
• Educating Employees on Cybersecurity
• Improving Living Spaces
• Training New Career Seekers
• Helping Teachers Navigate Virtual Schooling
• Leaning Into Virtual Recruiting

Thriving Through Innovation 

I found myself starting a new job straight out of college in the middle of the pandemic. I began my career from home, doing my training entirely on Zoom, never having met the majority of the coworkers or clients that I work with on a daily basis. While there was uncertainty at every corner, I was thankful to have a job when so many others were not as fortunate and kept the mindset that I was going to do everything in my power to make the most of my situation. Through company innovations and the launching of a knowledge-based platform, I was able to take on responsibilities that wouldn’t have presented themselves without the pandemic. Almost a year later and I am flourishing in my role, and my company is growing every day. 

Kayla Centeno, Markitors

Educating Employees on Cybersecurity 

Early in the pandemic, we saw a 500% increase in cyber crimes as employees went remote. To help fight back against phishing scams, we offered free Coronavirus phishing tests to help train employees around the world to reinforce positive communications behavior in remote environments. These simulated phishing tests helped employees see how easy hackers can claim to be someone else and how to recognize those threats in the future. This is especially important as cybercrimes continue to play a role in our new normal. 

Nick Santora, Curricula

Improving Living Spaces 

The pandemic has increased the amount of time we all spend at home. With increased time at home, there’s also an increase in people unable to access their homes due to mobility challenges with stairs. One unique side effect of the pandemic has been the number of people who are improving their living space. For our customers, that’s meant installing stair lifts to regain independence throughout their home. For others working from home, the ideas people have come up with during the pandemic to improve their workspace and surroundings are a bright spot frequently seen in daily Zoom calls. 

Joe Newstrom, Arrow Lift

Training New Career Seekers 

When the pandemic first hit, it is safe to say that I was in a state of panic. As the owner of an eyelash extension business, my work relies on clients coming into the salon and extremely close contact. Of course, that was not an option in a state of lockdown. Just when it felt like the sky was falling, I started to see an increase in activity on the other side of my business—eyelash extension training. With so many individuals losing their jobs, they were looking for ways to invest in themselves, and my business courses and online certifications serve just that purpose! Being able to pivot and see so many clients enjoying my new products made 2020 a year to never forget and be so grateful for.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Helping Teachers Navigate Virtual Schooling 

Online faxing exploded during the pandemic as more workplaces faced a paperless reality in a remote environment. Perhaps one of the industries where we were proud to support was education. Teachers were thrown into a new education environment and were asked to navigate new and sometimes complex technologies. Fortunately, our service enabled teachers across the globe to easily scan documents and send out critical information safely and securely. Taking one less worry away from teachers during a pandemic to better benefit the education of their students was definitely a positive experience, and we think that trend will only continue. 

Adam Korbl, iFax

Leaning Into Virtual Recruiting 

During the pandemic, we saw many employers pivot their hiring strategies from in-person job fairs to virtual hiring events. Embracing new recruitment technologies helped companies reduce time around tasks like screening, scheduling, and candidate Q&As. Focusing more time on top candidates and less time on manual tasks through recruitment technologies should be a lasting shift as a result of the pandemic. To talent acquisition teams around the world, that’s a huge positive. 

Josh Zywien, Paradox

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How can a business get the word out about the important work they are doing?

To help your business find new ways to get the word out about all of the important work they’re doing, we asked business leaders and marketing professionals this question for their best tips. From launching relevant campaigns to press releases, there are several ways that may help your business get the word out about its important work!

Here are eleven ways to get the word out about the important work your business is doing: 

• Email Newsletters 
• Launch Relevant Campaigns
• Send a Handwritten Note
• Always Act In The Best Interest Of The Client
• Launch A New Website
• Google My Business
• Chambers Of Commerce
• Find Micro-Influencers
• Start A Company Blog
• Press Release
• LinkedIn Content

Email Newsletters 

Email newsletters are a great way to get the word out about important work your company is doing, especially if you have a loyal customer base! Many people think that in 2021, social media is king, but with 3.9 billion email users around the world, it is clear that email is an active channel many consumers use. The key to successful email campaigns is to format them for mobile devices as your customers are most likely on the go and rarely using a desktop to check out your newsletter.

Randall Smalley, Cruise America

Launch Relevant Campaigns

Since 2007, Tic Watches has been selling watches online. We wanted to grow and thought of ways to get the word out. With cleanliness being a top priority for people around the world with the rise of COVID-19, we decided to launch a campaign called “how clean is your watch?” This excited social media users with fun comparisons showing a watch, especially a smartwatch, could be dirtier than your toilet! We then hosted simple watch cleaning tips on our website. When looking to get the word out don’t dismiss a fun timely campaign that connects with customers and ties back to your products and how your business can help. 

Daniel Richmond, Tic Watches

Write a Couple Blog Posts  

The best way to spread the word about your business or brand is to create blog posts. Conduct some keyword research for the topics and niches you would like to create content for and start writing away. Blogs provide an opportunity to utilize a whole range of long-tail keywords for SEO while also allowing you to show off your expertise about the subject at hand while building trust with potential customers and clients. Keep your blog updated with quality content, and both Google and your site visitors will applaud you for it! 

Kayla Centeno, Markitors

Send a Handwritten Note

Send a handwritten note. With all the noise that exists on social media platforms and digital media, sending a handwritten note to your customer list is a great way to draw attention to the word you are looking to get out. Whether that’s a nonprofit organization looking to share the work they’re doing, or a marketing agency sharing the latest algorithm update from Google, a handwritten note attracts attention at a time when attention is hard to get. 

David Wachs, Handwrytten

Always Act In The Best Interest Of The Client

I’ve found that the best way to get the word about a business is to always act in the best interest of the client. Word of mouth and client referrals are long-term strategies that can really help grow a business. Both the business owner and the employees need to make sure that the strategies recommended provide value and tangible benefits that best support client needs. It’s always in the best interest of the business to act in the best interest of the client. 

Chris Abrams, Marcan Insurance

Launch A New Website

Launch a new website and spend time promoting it! The most important item is a press release.  Not only does it tell journalists about your company, but it will help you see the newsworthy parts of your story.  Next, you will want to reach out to journalists directly.  A new website is a great excuse to reach out to media contacts and introduce them to your service.  Even a small local business can get exposure, as journalists can use a variety of story angles.

Axel DeAngelis, NameBounce

Google My Business

Google My Business (or GMB) is a critical element in getting the word out about your business. Google dominates the search engine industry, so small businesses should invest time and effort to create and optimize their GMB Profile. How businesses present themselves in their GMB profile can make or break customer perception. If the profile is incomplete or inaccurate, people would think it’s no longer operating or skeptical of its legitimacy. Upload clear photos on your GMB profile and always answer customer questions regularly. When businesses do this religiously, it immediately creates a good impression of your business.

Yaniv Masjedi, Nextiva

Chambers Of Commerce 

Consider joining a local chamber of commerce. Becoming a member of a chamber can help raise the visibility of your business on the local level through networking with other chamber members as well as getting a profile listing in a chamber of commerce directory. Our business recently joined the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, and it has helped add some local citations to boost our local search engine optimization efforts. 

Greg Drambour, Sedona Retreats

Find Micro-Influencers

Although some people say that good products or ideas do not need additional promotion, I don’t agree. Nobody will know about your great idea if you do not promote it. I believe influencers, bloggers, and industry leaders are the most powerful people nowadays who can promote new ideas and spread the word about valuable products. Micro-influencers who share similar views with you usually have the audience that you need. These people will become your early adopters, provide feedback, and most importantly, will help you to deliver your ideas to the broad public.

Yulia Garanok, datarockets

Start A Company Blog

Outlining your company’s purpose and mission statement is an awesome first blog post. Once you get started, you can keep updating your audience with blog posts explaining new initiatives or new product releases. Plus, because it’s a post on your website, you’re not limited by character restrictions like you are for social posts or press releases.

Ceillie Clark-Keane, Unstack

Press Release

A press release is the most effective method to get the word out. Hire a decent and well-connected Public Relations for your Communications department, and maintain a list of close media contacts in your industry. Keep in touch with them regularly, and update them often on the latest news in your company. Moreover, do not underestimate the small blogs in your industry. It’s easier to get coverage on them, and the big press does look at the small blogs for ideas.

Jill Sandy, Constant Delights

LinkedIn Content

In order for a business to get the word out about what they’re doing, there are a number of things they can do, but mainly they should focus on content creation (for example, blog writing on their website) and consistently generating content on LinkedIn. Although setting up a website or purchasing LinkedIn Premium may come at an initial cost, creating a content funnel that informs your audience and drives traffic to your website is worth the initial investment.

Eric Mochnacz, Red Clover

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As a hiring manager, you have probably recruited more than a few exceptional candidates throughout your career. On the other hand, you may have also placed a few candidates in positions they were not successful in. Sourcing and recruiting talent is an extremely difficult task because there is a lot of guesswork in the hiring process. Often, candidates are hired based on the recruiter’s experience and intuition, which isn’t always the most accurate predictor of success!

This begs the question, “How do we make smarter hiring decisions?” With so many different approaches, it can be difficult to establish a standard process. That is why we interviewed 12 experts in the field and asked them to share their top tips to help take the guesswork out of hiring! Keep reading to learn about their approach and how you can better your hiring process.

Here are 12 ways you can make smarter hiring decisions: 

• Ask For A Small Portfolio
• Value Quality Over Quantity
• Thoroughly Conduct Research
• Slow Down
• Prioritize Reference Checks
• Create A Rubric
• Hire For Character And Work Ethic
• Hire A Hire-er
• Have An Idea Of What Your Future Employees Embody
• Ask Questions That Highlight Your Core Values
• Make It Personal
• Make Sure They Are Committed

Ask For A Small Portfolio

Taking the guesswork out of hiring means going beyond interview questions and resumes. One way to see exactly what you are getting is to ask for a small portfolio from your potential candidate. When you do this, you see the physical work that they have done and the data that proves they are a qualified candidate who has previously done what you are asking them to do. 

Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital

Value Quality Over Quantity

Value quality over quantity. This can go for many aspects of the hiring process, including analyzing a candidate’s work experience. Just because someone has not had several jobs in the last few years does not mean they are not experienced. Take a look at the experience itself. This also means seeking quality candidates from the start rather than gathering hundreds of resumes and having to sort through them all. 

Gwen North, Lake Rabun Hotel

Thoroughly Conduct Research

Making smarter hiring decisions often comes down to taking the time to do thorough research about the candidate. Oftentimes, hiring managers will make decisions based on a resume or maybe a resume and an interview, but going the extra mile to call their references, old bosses and even check out their LinkedIn will give you a better idea of the overall person you are hiring. 

Ryan Nouis, TruPath 

Slow Down

Hiring the right person should never be a sprint; it’s a marathon. Hiring managers can begin to fill pressure if there is a spot to fill right away, but this is how people rush a decision and end up hiring the wrong person. Slow down, take your time with each candidate and thoughtfully weigh out each option. There are always temporary options if there is a void that needs to be filled right away, but it’s worth taking your time to make a smart hiring decision that will last. 

Kayla Centeno, Markitors

Prioritize Reference Checks

It may sound small, but reference checks are an important part of the hiring process that many people forget about! The best way to find out if a candidate is a good employee is to simply ask their previous employer. Chances are, they will be able to confirm your first impressions and make you feel more confident about extending your offer.

Eric Blumenthal, The Print Authority

Create A Rubric

Create a rubric! Before interviewing candidates for an open position, I would sit down and really think about the qualities, skills and cultural values you are looking for in a candidate. After you’ve identified those, create a rubric that you can grade each candidate on. This tactic should help you separate the good candidates from the great ones.

Brian Greenberg, True Blue Life Insurance

Hire For Character And Work Ethic

These two traits are innate and imperative. There are many different skills that can be taught through education. However, in my opinion and experience, character and work ethic is what I look for and what matter most.

Jodi Low, U & Improved

Hire A Hire-er

Build a relationship with a good head hunter/recruiter (whatever you want to call them) and let them do the heavy lifting for you. They’ll screen candidates based on your needs/values and put a few of the “right” people in front of you to, ultimately, make the final decision.

Landon Mance, YourFuture Planning Partners

Have An Idea Of What Your Future Employees Embody

I always have in mind my “future” employee. In doing so, it’s easy to see I have a pattern. It’s important to know the personality and work ethics of the individual you are hiring, as the closer your energies match, the better you will be at staying aligned on business initiatives. I can always train someone on the tasks, but I can’t make them want to learn.

Karen Loomis, No Moss Brands

Ask Questions That Highlight Your Core Values

Having an established set of Core Values that speak to your company culture, climate and expectations will help you tailor your interview questions in a way that candidates will have to demonstrate alignment with your organization. Asking situational questions, where they have to give real-life examples, will give you a solid feel for who they are, the decisions they make and how they perform. When they give you a hypothetical “I think I’d do this…” type of response, redirect them and ask them to share a time that they were in a similar situation and tell you a story about what happened. Having these questions designed to highlight your core values will help take the guesswork about who’s the best fit for you and your team.

Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X

Make It Personal

Despite what other professionals might say about hiring, make it personal. In a small business, it is critical to find people who mesh with the culture. In fact, it can be one of the most important parts of hiring! A poor match can affect the entire dynamic of a team. When hiring, pay attention to how their personality will blend with others in the company. 

Chris Dunkin, Portable Air 

Make Sure They Are Committed

During the hiring process, try to be wary of the employment trap of hiring someone full-time who actually wants to work as a freelancer. The last thing you’d want is for a remote worker to be working for you but is also working freelance gigs on your clock. To avoid this, always require your remote staff to use a time tracking software that also takes random screen captures throughout the shift.

Phillip A. Lew, C9 Staff

How do you set a professional development goal for yourself? What tip can you offer others who are looking to set goals for themselves?

To help those looking to set professional development goals for themselves, we asked business leaders and entrepreneurs this question for their best tips. From action planning to SMART goals, there are several tips that may help you set your professional development goals for the future. 

Here are 13 great tips for setting professional development goals: 

• Daily, Weekly, Quarterly, and Yearly Goals
• Start With the End in Mind
• Find Your “Right-Hand” Employees
• Use Your Blindspots As a Catalyst
• Action Planning
• Define Success
• Explore Skills You Are Curious About
• Monitor Industry Trends 
• SMART Goals
• Know Your Line of Business
• Do Whatever It Takes
• Make A Timeline
• Don’t Forget Your Values

Daily, Weekly, Quarterly, and Yearly Goals

For me, setting goals is something I look at in chunks. I have my goals for the year which I set up every December for the following year. I have quarterly goals and daily goals as well. By breaking goals into manageable pieces I feel less overwhelmed and do much better in achieving and succeeding in accomplishing them!

Jodi Low, U & Improved

Start With the End in Mind

If your goal is to get to “x” revenue or “y” new clients, think deeper as to why that metric gets you to the goal you want to obtain. For example, if your goal is to grow your company revenue by 20% in 2021 answer the question, “what do I want that growth to translate to?” Do I want $25k in additional personal income or will that number allow me to hire another salesperson? Be specific! 

Landon Mance, YourFuture Planning Partners

Find Your “Right-Hand” Employees

I recently plastered every window in my home with giant post-it notes. I strategized the remaining 2020 and early 2021 goals. In doing so, I realized, I can no longer rely only on my “execution” skills. Thus my goal in 2021 is to utilize a “right-hand” woman approach to hiring my first employee. This is big, and I’m looking forward to being able to focus my thoughts on other important business details.

Karen Loomis, No Moss Brands

Use Your Blind Spots As a Catalyst

I have established core values for my business and for myself professionally. A few times a year, I ask my team and a few trusted clients to give me feedback on my performance as it relates to those values. I listen for blind spots and opportunities to grow and the areas identified then become the catalyst for my next set of goals. Having core values established prior to setting goals helps to clarify what’s most important to me and my business and keeps my professional development goals tangible, meaningful and obtainable.

Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X

Action Planning

I am a big believer in action planning! Often, professional development goals are lofty, so it is important to break them up into smaller, more manageable goals you can tackle over a longer period. There are tons of templates online for action planning, so just find the one that works for you.

Jeanne Kolpek, Cadence Education

Define Success

Imagine your most ambitious dreams. Do you want to be CEO one day? Or perhaps you’d like to start your own company? What do you need to do to get there? Start small and move upward as you progress. Whether it be gaining new certifications or shadowing someone, identifying your steps to success begins with defining what your success means to you.

Rex Murphy, American Pipeline Solutions

Explore Skills You Are Curious About

Regardless of your career or professional experience, think about what skills you’d like to learn or topics you’d like to become knowledgeable about. Seek out opportunities you normally wouldn’t have and expand your skills. Professional development is often found in the experiences you didn’t think would ever relate to what you already know.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Monitor Industry Trends 

Look ahead and monitor growing trends in your industry. Is there a new tool or software emerging that will improve your work? Make it a goal to get ahead of the curve and learn it. Finding opportunities to be on the cutting edge of technology will become an asset to your professional life. It will also show employers your dedication to improving yourself and reflect positively on your work ethic.

Henry Babich, Stomadent Dental Lab 

SMART Goals

When setting goals for yourself, it is important to ensure that those goals are SMART. In other words, is your goal specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely? If your goal meets these criteria, then you have set yourself up for success. If not, you may need to go back to the drawing board and think through the details a little more!

Nikitha Lokareddy, Markitors

Know Your Line of Business

You have to know your business. You need to know your numbers, your past, your future projections and set goals based on attainable outcomes. If you have business partners like I do, get their perspective on things too. They may be able to see opportunities you missed!

Matthew D. Hammond, Carrot Eye Center

Do Whatever It Takes

Goals can be difficult to pin down sometimes because you’ve never done it before or you simply don’t know what to expect. If you haven’t done it before, I suggest making the goal and forcing yourself to get the results no matter what. Stay late, eat junk food while pulling all-nighters, and work weekends to make the goal happen. If you don’t know what to expect from your efforts you probably aren’t doing something right. There are ways to develop an action plan with tactics to achieve your goal (Google usually can give you some clues at least where to start), and then you can go from there.

Ben Walker, Ditto Transcripts

Make A Timeline

A goal can not be accomplished without a plan in place to achieve it. When setting a professional goal, develop a detailed plan with a timeline. Break up this plan into small, manageable steps so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Regularly analyze your progress and adjust your plan as needed to get to your overall goal! 

Michael Staton, Lyon Shield Security 

Don’t Forget Your Values

Align professional development goals with values. These values can be personal values, the core values of your company, or both. For example, one of the values at our denture center is “Trusted Expert Advice.” With the clarity of that value, setting professional development goals becomes much easier because the goal should support the ability to offer expert advice (such as certifications, training, and experiences). Identify the values first, and then create the goals. 

Peter Babichenko, DD, European Denture Center

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We’d all like to have just a little more time in the day to accomplish the tasks on our to-do list. 

Since adding more time isn’t the day, how can you save more time to be more productive?

To answer this question, we asked 10 small business owners for their best time-saving tips. From pre-planning to delegating, here are some of the best ways to save time for busy small business owners. 

Pre-Plan

The secret lies in pre-planning. Every Sunday I look at my week ahead so I am aware of, and on top of, what lies ahead. I repeat this same process every evening before winding down my workday. What does tomorrow look like: what do I need to plan for, what meetings do I have and what items do I need to bring for those, where do the kids need to be and when, etc. Simple pre-planning forces me to create a plan so I can better handle any unexpected things that come up.

Jodi Low, U & Improved

Brain Dump Software

Use a “brain dump” application or software to record those golden ideas that come to you in random places. I prefer Evernote which is available on all mobile devices and desktops across both Mac and PC. All my client intel is stored in Evernote. That’s over 140 Notebooks with 20-150 notes in each. This is what keeps my business mobile!

Karen Loomis, No Moss Brands

Time Blocking

It’s easy to get pulled in a hundred different directions when trying to get things done, and we definitely experience this with startups. I recommend practicing “time blocking” which is a time management technique in which you designate a specific segment of the day to a certain type of task. As a morning person, I find it highly productive to tackle detailed analytical work in the morning and I block-off time to complete what is required. It’s easy to get distracted by the immediate but incredibly important to allow time for the important strategic projects. If we don’t allow time for these activities they get pushed off to a later date, allocating the time today can make tomorrow easier.

Carol Bramson, Side by Side

Delegate

Delegate, delegate, delegate. In the workplace, focus on the things that you’re really good at and passionate about. And for everything else, pass it off to others that will (hopefully) enjoy it…and probably do a better job than you would anyway!

Landon Mance, YourFuture Planning Partners

Use an Automated Scheduler

My work schedule is jam packed, and using an automated scheduler frees me up from the hassle of back and forth emails when planning meetings. Having preset meeting categories available at varying times makes it simple to send a link to participants. This allows them the opportunity to choose a convenient time for them based on my availability. Additionally, reminders and follow-up emails are automatically generated.

Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X

Designate Time for Emails

As a client communications manager for a small SEO company, it is easy to get sucked into every email I get from a client, letting it trump whatever task that I am working on at the moment. This makes my everyday tasks take so much longer to get done when I am constantly checking my email and going back and forth between clients and tasks. I have set certain times for myself to check my emails and do nothing else. I set a timer and reply to emails for usually 45 minutes at a time, so I am focusing completely and responding to everyone’s needs. This allows me to focus more fully when completing other tasks and discourages distractions. I have been so much more productive and have so much time throughout my workday. 

Kayla Centeno, Markitors 

Silence Your Phone

Silence your phone and put it in another room so you aren’t tempted to check it. Your brain is being hi-jacked with every beep, chirp, or buzz of your phone. Yes, your attention and awareness are being stolen from the present moment each time you check for the next message. If you need to regularly check your cell, set a time at the top of the hour to check-in. By silencing your phone you can block time to do deep work. Deep work requires attention and focus. Blocking off time helps you discover deeper issues to “surface-level problems.” This results in developing long term sustainable solutions.

Mark Jamnik, Enjoy Life Daily

Shrink Your To-Do List

I always like to tackle smaller tasks head on before diving into more intricate ones. It feels good to see a to-do list shrink as you cross off those tasks you completed. This gives you more time to focus on those that require more concentration.

LT Ladino Bryson, vCandidates

Allocate More Time Than You Might Need For Each Task

Saving time is an important part of every day, and one of the best ways to do so is to streamline your processes. If you are working with multiple clients, handle related tasks across the board and schedule a little more time than you might think you need for each task. You may be surprised to find out how much time you spend trying to squeeze more into a task that takes longer than you anticipated. That additional time that you may save can easily turn into completing a project ahead of time, or with more targeted results.

Greg Gillman, MuteSix

Learn When You Do Different Kinds of Work Best

I work in content marketing, which means a lot of writing and editing, as well as analytics and keyword research. These are very different kinds of work, and switching back and forth always costs too much time. I’ve found that I’m better at writing and editing first thing in the morning or the end of the day, and I do better keyword research and SEO optimizations in the middle of my workday, before and after lunch. So I schedule that. If I need to write an email or a blog post, I do it first thing. If I have to edit a whitepaper, I do it before signing off at the end of the day. And whenever I need keywords or to optimize blog posts, I plan on tackling that in the middle. Once you learn when you work best, you can schedule accordingly—and make even better use of your time.

Ceillie Clark-Keane, Unstack

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Ask any successful entrepreneur about their most influential mentor and you may receive a variety of answers ranging from “my mom” to “Elon Musk.” 

The fact is that mentorship is one often cited source of entrepreneurial success. Bosses, venture capitalists, peers, or professionals in your network can offer a single piece of advice that can set an entrepreneur on an entirely new path.

The discussion around mentorship begs the question: Do you need a business mentor to be successful as an entrepreneur? Why or why not?

We asked a community of entrepreneurs about whether a business mentor is necessary. Here’s what they had to say. 

“How Did You Get to Be So Great at ____?”

I think we can all benefit from working with a mentor or guide in all aspects of life and business. Just ask any successful (and well grounded) person you know, “how did you get to be so great at _____?” I’m willing to bet they will attribute their success to the people who held their feet to the fire and helped pave the way.

Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X

Entrepreneurial Operating System

Mentorship is always encouraged for the business and the members of your team. Inviting a professional support individual into your experience can be scary, but incredibly rewarding. Our leadership team decided to use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) process and our mentor helps identify areas to grow or celebrate. Consider the knowledge of a business mentor and ways to incorporate lessons learned. As an entrepreneur your way of thinking is unique, but a mentor can share insights from a new angle.

Kelly Greene, SciTech Institute

They Deepen Your Perspective

I believe that having multiple mentors is imperative. Gaining perspectives from various leaders in different facets of business allows you to expand your knowledge as well as your depth and breadth of wisdom on a multitude of topics. Additionally, mentors can help you to avoid major pitfalls and setbacks, while still allowing you to chart your own course within your business.

Jodi Low, U & Improved

Blindspots

Mentorship is a vital piece of personal and professional growth. It is powerful to learn from someone who is where you want to be or has accomplished what you want to accomplish. Mentorship can take many forms but the best mentors are the ones who push you, challenge you and support you on your journey. The key to entrepreneurship is to be continually learning. A mentor can help you see your blind spots so you can grow stronger and faster than if you try to do it alone.

Jennifer Burwell, MAC6

Experience

I truly believe that anyone can accomplish anything they put their mind to, in spite of the doubts of others or the lack of support you might receive. But I do believe that some of the best entrepreneurs only became successful with the help of a mentor. When times get tough for entrepreneurs, as they often do, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone that has more experience than you to help you through the rough time. A mentor can offer perspective and advice that can put you back on the path to success. 

Kimberly Kriewald, Avana Capital

Your Future Path Could Be Someone’s Current Situation

My perspective may be different than others on this question as I am also co-founder of a 501c3 Non-Profit that provides Mentoring to Veterans. I know my success has been possible because of the influence Mentors have had on my career. We can’t see the future but our future often travels a similar path of others. Mentors bring experiences and perspectives different than ours which allows us to receive honest feedback and guidance beyond the thoughts we have in our own heads 24/7. As an entrepreneur, I constantly battle the internal conflict of “am I going to succeed” or “how am I going to make it work”. The time with my mentors allows me to reflect on those thoughts outside my subconscious to work through challenges and overcome obstacles.

Joe Pusz, The PMO Squad

External Support System

I believe that all entrepreneurs should either have a mentor, or belong to groups that are put together with other business owners, if for no other reason than to be able to have a support system with other people that understand how hard it is to build a business. Spouses or significant others are not always able to fully understand the struggles and it can lead to problems in the relationship. Vistage Worldwide has been a great support system for me.

Austin Peterson, Backbone Financial

Avoid Common Pitfalls

You don’t need a business mentor to be successful per se, but having one can certainly help you avoid common pitfalls when first opening your business. If you are navigating this path without a mentor, I recommend performing lots of informational interviews with people in the industry. Doing so can give you an unparalleled level of insight before making a significant investment in your business.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Honest Feedback

It’s very helpful in one’s development to have an individual who can inspire you and also provide honest feedback. There is no one path to success that works for everyone. It’s really important to figure out what you really want for yourself.

Jonathan Cohen, Generated Materials Recovery 

View Data the Supports Mentorship

Looking at the data, 70% of mentored businesses survive longer than 5 years, which is when most small businesses fail. While technically speaking, 30% of small businesses can be successful without the help of a mentor, I’m not willing to take those odds. Having a mentor helps with encouragement, networking, and advice. They help keep you on the right path and share the burden of building a business. I truly believe in the power of mentoring! 

Chris Dunkin, Portable Air 

Have ‘Secret Mentors’

As the owner of my own company, I have made it to where I am without a formal business mentor. But I do believe every business owner should have someone to look up to through their journey! A lot of hard work and learning have paved my way through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. The mentors that have truly shaped my business though have been other designers that probably don’t even know who I am. With the rise of social media, I have followed other business owners that do exactly what I do in other areas of the country and have looked to them for advice and guidance on how to handle problems we all face.  I call them my ‘secret mentors’. I have mentors that I have followed for years that I could probably contribute a lot to the success of my company.  No one needs to reinvent the wheel; having a formal mentor or ‘secret menor’ can help you succeed! 

Alisha Taylor, Alisha Taylor Interiors

They Validate, Advise and Give Opinions 

Starting a business can feel like a lonely journey. When you feel like you are innovating and developing something entirely new, it can be hard to feel like anyone has gone through your same struggles or frustrations as you. Reaching out to a business mentor is one of the most important things an entrepreneur can do on their journey! A mentor will be able to validate you on your feelings, advise you on how to move forward and give you their opinion when you are too invested to see clearly. The entrepreneurial process shouldn’t be a lonely one! Find a business mentor you trust can put you on the path to success. 

Kayla Centeno, Markitors 

Positivity and Encouragement

Our brand is all about being confident and thriving. When I started this company, I received many raised eyebrows and comments about the business I was going into. It was hard at times, but I didn’t just have one mentor that helped me through the process, I had a whole group of supporters with friends, family, and the medical community encouraging me to keep going. For every nay-sayer, I had 5 more positive ones that eventually led me to where I am today. Entrepreneurs need a support system to keep them going when times get tough! 

Stephanie Schull, Kegelbell 

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How did you start your business? What allowed you to succeed?

The origin story is one of the most fun parts about business. Hearing about how an entrepreneur started their business, and what pushed them to succeed is something that never gets old. 

You can take a listen to several inspiring origin stories on Phoenix Business Radio. But, to further explore the topic of starting a business, we turned to other entrepreneurs for their best tips for starting a business (and succeeding!).

Here are the best 11 tips for starting a business: 

• Write a Book You Would Want to Read
• Establish a Well-Connected Ecosystem
• Use Family as a Driving Force
• Listen Hard, Change Fast
• Keep Refining Your Products for Your Customers
• Keep Your Main Commitment in Focus
• Make Your Customer Perspective the Core of Business Decisions
• Surround Yourself with Brilliant Minds
• Don’t Do it All Alone
• Hold Firm to Your Purpose
• Actively Learn Something New Everyday

Write a Book You Would Want to Read

I set out to solve a problem that I was experiencing in my other business. I couldn’t find anyone who could fix the issue for me. So, like the saying goes, “If you can’t find the book you want to read, write it yourself.” I’ve found my way to success by offering that solution to other business owners. Now I get to surround myself with people who are accomplishing great things in life/business and I soak up everything I can from them.

Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X

Establish a Well-Connected Ecosystem

The Arizona Technology Council (AZTC) was established with the merger of the Arizona High Tech Industry Cluster and Arizona Software & Industry Association as the driving force to make Arizona the fastest growing technology hub in the nation. The Foundation, now doing business as SciTech Institute, was formed to provide educational programs about available technology; provide scholarships and grants for students pursuing technology careers; create community computer centers; produce reports on technology advancements and uses; and bring together volunteers from the technology industry to better serve the community. Establishing a well connected STEM Learning Ecosystem became the mission of the Foundation to build a statewide science and technology festival. In January 2021, we will host the 10th season of the Arizona SciTech Festival!

Kelly Greene, SciTech Institute

Use Family as a Driving Force

I started my business on a shoestring budget and quite frankly ran out of reserves very early on and needed to run up some considerable credit card debt to just be able to survive the first couple years. I was able to succeed by not being willing to fail, doing the right thing for the clients and knowing that I had a young family that was counting on me to succeed. My family has been the driving force behind everything that I have ever done. I try to live by the saying by David O. McKay, “No success outside the home, can compensate for failure at home”. With that as my driving force, I am laser focused on efficiency and providing stellar client service.

Austin Peterson, Backbone Financial

Listen Hard, Change Fast

Mailchimp monikered one of my favorite small business sayings of all-time: “Listen hard and change fast.” For a small business to succeed, founders and employees alike need to prioritize listening to their customers. Then, after listening to insights, a company needs to change and fast to fulfill needs. Customers tell you what they want if you listen hard enough. The more a business is willing to listen (and fail) the more successful it will be. 

Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

Keep Refining Your Products for Your Customers

We launched the Path to Promotion (P2P) in September 2019 after several years of hard work to develop and refine the content for our signature course – Success Accelerator. This involved surveying over 5,000 employees to determine what content they would want in a career development course, building, testing and filming a number of “test courses” to further refine the content then finally developing the end product. It was a lot of blood, sweat, tears and late nights. We are thrilled that in just under a year our business is now so successful, and has been featured internationally in publications like Forbes and the New York Post. It makes all the hard work worth it! Even better is that so many of our graduates have received pay rises or promotions, even in the pandemic!

Ineke McMahon, P2P Learning and Development

Keep Your Main Commitment in Focus

We opened our first European Denture Center in Caldwell, Idaho in early 2000 when we saw a growing need for dental appliances that were both comfortable to wear and were made using the latest dental technologies and materials. Since then, European Denture Center has expanded its service to include dentures, implant dentures, partial dentures, flexible partial dentures, night guards, and same-day reline and repair services. What allowed us to succeed? Keeping our main focus on excellence while committing to deliver comfortable appliances in underserved communities. 

Henry Babichenko, DD, European Denture Center

Make Your Customer Perspective the Core of Business Decisions

Our business started with the belief that people should enjoy a sanitary environment within restrooms. We began offering well known corporations and small businesses automatic bathroom fixtures like touch-free flushers, faucets, and dispensers. Several decades later we have warehouse locations across the nation to fulfill orders quickly so that employers can completely update and vastly improve the sanitation of their restroom area. Our success can be attributed to a commitment to our mission, and always putting the customer perspective at the core of our business decisions. 

Elliott Greenberg, TouchFree Concepts

Surround Yourself with Brilliant Minds

I started my business with a heart full of passion and an open mind full of questions that I had no fear in asking. I knew what my mission was, and is, and I did my best to ask people much smarter than me all of the business related questions I didn’t know the answers to. I continue to surround myself with brilliant minds who blow me away with their talents, and who allow me to focus on what I do best.

Jodi Low, U & Improved

Don’t Do it All Alone

We started MAC6 as a way to showcase all of the amazing work businesses in our community were doing. We have been successful through collaboration and developing partnerships that benefit both parties. Surrounding ourselves with a diverse group of people with a wide range of skill sets has been critical to our success. My best advice for a business owner is to find your people. Find the community that will support you, cheer for you and challenge you; don’t try to do it alone.

Jennifer Burwell, MAC6

Hold Firm to Your Purpose

Throughout our lives we run into moments where we are faced with making a difficult decision. We choose path A or B and then our lives are altered forever, or perhaps, they stay the same. This was my dilemma back in 2013 as Executive Director of the project management office for WellStar Health System in Atlanta, GA. I was unhappy at work and in a constant state of complaining about my circumstances. On March 3, 2013, my “empowerment date,” I made a decision to leave and start The PMO Squad, to end my unhappiness and start my entrepreneurial journey. I believe we’ve been successful over 7 years later because we are focused and committed to our purpose. Our purpose has remained constant, to empower people to deliver results. Through the ups and downs, trials and tribulations holding firm to our purpose has allowed us to empower employees, partners, and clients which have helped to make us successful.

Joe Pusz, The PMO Squad

Actively Learn Something New Everyday

I started my first business after I had my football injury, and couldn’t play the game I loved anymore. I wanted to work for myself and owning a business was the easiest way to do that! My first company didn’t go anywhere, but I learned so much about how a business is run and learned how to build a team. The connections I made and the skills I learned are what have helped me succeed. I take a lot of pride in learning something new every day and building a successful team I can rely on to take things to the endzone!

Loren Howard, Prime Plus Mortgages

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