First, a favorite quote…
“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” – Michelangelo
Some things that helped my team and I get Collegeffect.com (which helps companies promote their products, services, and brand to college students) to where it is today include the following:
Having a great team of bright, creative, and persistent people! Thank you!
- Our web development branch: Desenu Web Solutions (www.desenu.com), helping our clients improve business productivity while cutting costs and increasing sales.
Marketing
To complement our college marketing services, not only are we able to get our clients’ brands in front of students on college campuses, but we also position them in front of students where they spend much of their time these days – online.
- Word of Mouth – this is probably one of the oldest marketing techniques out there, yet it still works. As advice, I would recommend attending all the networking events in your area. Another great option is to volunteer your services for some time every month to non-for-profit organizations – you are able to help a worthy cause, and it could pay dividends in terms of referrals also.
- Accounting – I’m not necessarily a numbers guy, but studying accounting was one of the most applicable subjects I took in college – so much that I’m planning to make it the focus of the MBA I go for in the near future. Several friends who are businesspeople echoed a similar belief about accounting, so if you’re wondering if it would be helpful to you as an entrepreneur, it is definitely something worth checking out.
- SCORE/SBDC – These organizations are great resources for entrepreneurs either thinking about launching a business, or currently expanding one. SCORE is an organization with many experienced, friendly retired executives who graciously volunteer their time to help business owners overcome their challenges in a confidential environment.
SBDC employs, using government funding, businesspeople, consultants, and other professionals to help business owners resolve their challenges in a similar manner to SCORE.
The cost of either program to entrepreneurs? $Free.
Great Mentor
- Having a great mentor – I believe seeking out mentors is essential to business success. I’ve been extremely fortunate to collaborate and learn from some very intelligent, intuitive and successful businesspeople. It’s also great to be able to bounce ideas off of someone neutral to your business.
Thank you for taking the time to read this “advice” page, I hope there is something that you can use for your benefit and enrichment! Also, many thanks to Rich and Jeff Sloan of StartupNation for creating a great award for young entrepreneurs. I hope that seeing it inspires many of you to grow your business; and, if you’re thinking about starting your own business, that you take the plunge and begin an awesome journey! Please feel free to contact me personally if you have any other questions, ideas, or would like to keep in touch.
