Susan Johnston Taylor

49 posts

Susan Johnston Taylor has covered business and entrepreneurship for publications including The Boston Globe, Entrepreneur and FastCompany.com. She’s also a regular contributor to the money section of USNews.com.

pitch girl

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It’s Essential to Have a Pitch for Every Niche, Says The Pitch Girl’s Laura Allen

Whether you’re pitching your business on “Shark Tank” or figuring out how to create an effective pitch during a pandemic, having an elevator pitch at the ready can help land new deals and make an...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

June 1, 2020

COVID-19 funding

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Apply for Federal COVID-19 Support Now or Risk Missing Out, Business Strategy Expert Says

As small and medium businesses scramble to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government has made billions of dollars available in loans to help companies make payroll and stay afloat. At the same...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

April 7, 2020

innovation stack square cofounder

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In Order to Succeed in Entrepreneurship, Get Uncomfortable, Says Square Co-Founder

When glassblower and computer scientist Jim McKelvey teamed up with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to launch Square, a startup that enables small business owners to accept credit cards, payment industry insiders told them they were...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

March 10, 2020

edge

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Creating Your Entrepreneurial Edge: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage

Harvard Business School professor Laura Huang spent a decade studying interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship. The former investment banker and consultant noticed that it wasn’t always the hardest workers who got ahead. Often,...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

February 25, 2020

goals Teneshia Jackson Warner

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How to Build Your Dream Life and Crush Your Business Goals in Just 90 Days

Twenty years ago, Teneshia Jackson Warner had a cushy project manager job at IBM. In 2003, Warner left that job to found EGAMI Group, a multicultural marketing and communications firm. With her unmatched tenacity and...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

January 21, 2020

problem-first thinking

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Why Problem-First Thinking is the Solution Your Startup Needs

Many entrepreneurs focus first on building products and then finding a problem for their products to solve. That’s a mistake, according to Matt Wallaert, author of “Start at the End: How to Build Products that...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

December 17, 2019

main street

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Main Street Entrepreneurship is Thriving: Here’s Why

There’s no denying that venture-backed companies located in big cities tend to get noticed. But Michael Glauser, a business professor and consultant, realized that so-called “Main Street entrepreneurs,” or those businesses located in smaller towns...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

November 18, 2019

pitch-a-kid

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How Pitch-a-Kid Connects Curious Kids and Entrepreneurs

Several years ago, startup advisor and mentor Mike Millard was hard at work on a resource website for startups in Austin, Texas, where he and his family live. When Millard’s daughter, Audrey, expressed curiosity about...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

October 21, 2019

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This Brand Loyalty Consultant Shares How to Build a Business Everyone Will Love

Kyle M.K. is a brand loyalty consultant who’s worked with major brands, including Uber, General Assembly, Walt Disney World Resort and the Ritz-Carlton. His book, “The Economics of Emotion: How to Build a Business Everyone...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

September 17, 2019

pat flynn superfans

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Thought Leader Pat Flynn Shares the Keys to Attracting Superfans

Pat Flynn started an online business in 2008 after getting laid off from a job in architecture. Since then, he’s built Smart Passive Income into a thriving online community complete with a blog, podcast and...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

August 13, 2019

strategic thinking

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How Entrepreneurs Can Sharpen Their Strategic Thinking Skills

Do some people simply possess an innate ability to think strategically, or can such a skill be developed over time? According to executive and leadership coach, Greg Githens, it’s the latter. In Githens’ new book,...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

July 23, 2019

Michael Cloran business mistakes

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Serial Entrepreneur Michael Cloran on the Mistakes That Can Sink a Startup (and How to Avoid Them)

Over the course of several startups and acquisitions, Michael Cloran has observed how hidden errors can lead to what he calls “technical debt” and ultimately tank an otherwise promising business. After Cloran connected with business...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

June 18, 2019

Unsettled

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This Entrepreneur Talks About Forming a Community of Nomadic Creative Thinkers

Several years ago, photographer and journalist Jon Kalan and entrepreneur Michael Youngblood started hosting retreats for entrepreneurs, creatives and others who wanted to work while traveling in order to connect with others in the process....

bySusan Johnston Taylor

June 8, 2019

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Build an Irresistible Brand by Connecting with Your Audience

A veteran of marketing, public relations, branding and creative direction, SheBrand founder, Liz Dennery Sanders, has helped some of the world’s most iconic brands tell their stories. Recognizing that not everyone can afford her services, Sanders recently...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

May 31, 2019

leader

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This is the Characteristic You Need to Be a Good Leader

Startups and enterprise businesses alike can struggle with stagnation and narrow-mindedness. According to Nick Liddell and Richard Buchanan, co-authors of the new book, “Wild Thinking: 25 Unconventional Ideas to Grow Your Brand and Your Leadership,”...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

May 15, 2019

Jules Pieri

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Start with a Purpose: Jules Pieri on Building Great Consumer Product Companies

Industrial-designer-turned-entrepreneur Jules Pieri co-founded product launch platform, The Grommet, in 2008. Over the past 11 years, Grommet has helped launch thousands of consumer products, including now-famous brands like SodaStream, FitBit and GoldieBlox. A former entrepreneur-in-residence...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

April 16, 2019

iFundWomen

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How Crowdfunding Platform iFundWomen Amplifies Female-Led Startups

Women have made huge strides in business, but female founders still lag behind their male counterparts in terms of venture capital dollars. Several organizations and platforms aim to elevate female founders, arming them with the...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

March 27, 2019

Damon Brown pricing

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Why Pricing Your Business Isn’t a One-Size-Fits-All Strategy

Many entrepreneurs and solopreneurs struggle to price their product or service; set the price too high and miss out on sales, or set it to low and risk under-valuing themselves. Author, speaker, coach and entrepreneur...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

February 7, 2019

Paul Jarvis Q&A

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Why You Should Make Your Startup Better Instead of Bigger

In their dogged pursuit of growth, some startups wind up growing too fast and burning out their employees or founders. Writer and designer Paul Jarvis takes a contrarian approach to business success in his new...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

January 21, 2019

InventiveLabs

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InventiveLabs Helps Aspiring Entrepreneurs with Learning Differences Reach Their Goals

Rick Fiery is a serial entrepreneur and Wharton MBA whose previous companies have raised millions of dollars in venture capital. With co-founder, Tom Bergeron, Fiery launched InventiveLabs, an Amesbury, Massachusetts-based business incubator aimed at helping...

bySusan Johnston Taylor

December 17, 2018