Tag Archives: Current in Entrepreneurship

How Should Entrepreneurs Use ChatGPT?

Whether or not entrepreneurs should use AI for their startup depends on the specific needs of the business. AI can be used to automate tasks, improve decision-making, and personalize customer experiences. Chat GPT and Google’s BARD AI that can generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way.

Here are some of the benefits of using AI for a startup:

  • Automate tasks: AI can be used to automate tasks that are time-consuming or repetitive, such as customer service, data entry, and marketing. This can free up employees to focus on more strategic tasks.
  • Improve decision-making: AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data to identify trends and patterns that would be difficult to see with the naked eye. This information can be used to make better decisions about product development, marketing, and pricing.
  • Personalize customer experiences: AI can be used to personalize customer experiences by understanding their preferences and needs. This can be done through things like targeted marketing, personalized recommendations, and customized customer service.

However, there are also some challenges to using AI for a startup:

  • Cost: AI can be expensive to develop and implement.
  • Complexity: AI can be complex to use and manage.
  • Data requirements: AI requires large amounts of data to train and operate.

Overall, the decision of whether or not to use AI for a startup depends on the specific needs of the business. If the business can afford the cost and complexity of AI, and has access to the necessary data, then AI can be a valuable tool for improving efficiency, making better decisions, and personalizing customer experiences.

When a new technology breaks into the mainstream, it seems like a sudden and transformative shift. Naturally, a gold rush follows, as corporations, venture capitalists and enterprising entrepreneurs alike all scramble to invent the ideal use case, or at least the use case that can most quickly get to market and find traction.  You might remember that not too long ago, an iced tea company tried to create the ideal use case for blockchain.

The rush is on with natural language generation (NLG) and the recent commercialization breakthrough heralded with ChatGPT. Believe me, everyone I know is trying to figure out how to weave the NLG  into their own business model, including me.  As a writer, I’ve got a bone to pick with ChatGPT. As an entrepreneur, I hold a patent for the first commercial platform to use natural language generation in a corporate environment. So I’m forced to play both sides.

Back in 2010, sports data entrepreneurs, along with a handful of young developers, built a platform and an engine to create human-sounding content out of large sets of data, mostly sports data at that time. We didn’t call what we were doing NLG because we weren’t aware of the term yet. It hadn’t even been coined. We were just trying to do better sports data. We built a company around that platform called Automated Insights, which was acquired by private equity in 2015.

In the past algorithms analyzed the data and determined what could be said and when it should be said, paying special attention to patterns, deltas, trends, and milestones. In the closed universe of sports and eventually industries like finance, marketing and even healthcare, my algorithms could produce some pretty amazing and magical content. Thanks to Robbie and the coding team, we could spit out those articles at the rate of tens of  thousands per second, each one unique, each one reading like it was written by an industry professional.

¨Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.¨ Marie Curie

The advances in AI tools are awe-inspiring. And if you make money online (or want to) in any niche, you need a visible online presence, automation, and streamlining.  Naturally, only relying on AI tools will never do the trick. But not using them at all will leave you behind.  That is why I prepared seven new AI tools to help you make a profit online. So keep reading if you want to discover how AI can help you become unstoppable in your business.

TutorAI

Online education has become more reliable and effective than any college or MBA. And it doesn´t leave you with massive debts.

TutorAI is an innovative new AI tool that personalizes learning experiences for individuals based on their unique needs and learning styles. This means that you can learn anything you want, from basic math skills to advanced programming languages, in a way that is tailored specifically to your abilities and preferences. This can help anyone learn faster and focus on the chosen topics.

ReContent

Repurposing content can be time-consuming, but ReContent will help you to streamline it. With this new AI tool, you can generate Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram posts based on your existing content. This means you can easily share your content on multiple platforms without manually creating individual posts for each one.

The best part? ReContent’s AI-powered editor allows you to edit the generated posts further to ensure they fit your brand voice and messaging. This gives you complete control over how your content is presented on each platform.

ReContent is a valuable tool for anyone looking to repurpose their content more efficiently. Using AI-generated posts and an interactive editor can save time and ensure your content reaches a broader audience across various social media platforms.

Public Prompts

Public Prompts website provides general tools and knowledge that anyone can access. And if you need some extra help or guidance, our PublicPrompts Discord server is the perfect resource. Here, you can connect with other like-minded individuals and get help with anything related to Stable Diffusion, from running the AI locally to training models yourself.

The creator believes everyone should have access to the tools and knowledge they need to succeed, and he is committed to making that a reality through Public Prompts.

Fathom

Fathom is a podcast player offering various features to help users discover and enjoy podcasts. One of the most impressive features is its AI-powered search function, which allows users to search for specific topics or keywords within podcast episodes. This can be particularly helpful for finding detailed information or segments within longer episodes.

Fathom also offers transcripts, chapters, clipping, and highlights to enhance your listening experience. Transcripts make it easy to follow along with the conversation and can be especially useful if you prefer reading over listening. Chapters allow users to skip ahead or return to specific points within an episode while clipping and highlighting make it easy to save and share favorite moments.

Fathom is a great option if you are looking for a comprehensive podcast player with advanced features that make discovering and enjoying podcasts easier than ever before.

Fliki

Fliki is an innovative tool that turns text into videos with AI voices in just two minutes. With Fliki, you can easily create engaging and informative videos from your scripts or blog posts using realistic voices that sound like real people.

This is especially useful for businesses and individuals who want to create video content quickly and efficiently without spending hours recording their voiceovers. Fliki makes producing high-quality videos easy and more accessible.

tl;dv

If you’re tired of manually taking notes during meetings or struggling to remember important details from your calls with customers and prospects, tl;dv may be the solution you’ve been looking for. This AI meeting assistant records your calls and provides transcriptions and summaries of the key points discussed.

This can save you time and help ensure that important information is not missed or forgotten. With tl;dv, you can focus on actively participating in the conversation rather than worrying about taking notes or missing essential details. Plus, the platform integrates with popular video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet, making it easy to use in your day-to-day work.

Thundercontent

Thundercontent is a new tool that utilizes artificial intelligence to help you overcome creative blocks and generate high-quality content in just minutes. Whether you need blog posts, product descriptions, or social media captions, Thundercontent can help.

With its advanced algorithms and machine learning capabilities, it can analyze your brand’s tone and style to ensure that the content it generates is unique, accurate, and on-brand. Best of all, Thundercontent allows you to focus on other essential aspects of your business while it takes care of your content creation process.

In conclusion, the rapid advancements in AI technology have revolutionized online money-making. While some may still be skeptical or confused about the potential of AI, Marie Curie’s words remind us that understanding and embracing new technologies is critical to overcoming fear and staying ahead.

This article explores seven unstoppable AI tools essential for monetizing the internet and achieving success in any niche. Let´s recap each of them:

  • TutorAI– learn anything
  • ReContent– repurpose content
  • Public Prompts– prompts library
  • Fathom– podcast player
  • Fliki– turn text into videos
  • td;lv– AI meeting assistant
  • Thundercontent– create any content using AI

In today’s digital age, establishing a solid online presence is crucial, and AI tools offer assistance. These tools maximize efficiency and focus on what truly matters: growing your business.

However, it’s important to note that relying solely on AI tools is not the ultimate solution. Combining human intelligence with AI capabilities creates a harmonious blend that harnesses the best of both worlds. By leveraging AI tools strategically, you can unlock new opportunities, outperform competitors, and create a sustainable monetization strategy.   AI can help find an idea for monetization. Here are some ways AI can help:

  • Analyze data: AI can analyze data to identify trends and patterns that can be used to develop new monetization strategies. For example, AI can be used to analyze customer data to identify which products or services are most popular, and then develop pricing strategies that target those customers.
  • Generate ideas: AI can also be used to generate new ideas for monetization. For example, AI can be used to brainstorm new ways to sell products or services, or to develop new ways to generate revenue from advertising.
  • Test ideas: AI can also be used to test new monetization ideas. For example, AI can be used to create a prototype of a new product or service, and then test it with a small group of customers to see how they react. This information can then be used to improve the product or service before it is launched to the wider market.

Overall, AI can be a valuable tool for businesses that are looking to find new ways to monetize their products or services. By analyzing data, generating ideas, and testing new ideas, AI can help businesses to identify the most effective monetization strategies for their specific needs.

Here are some examples of how AI is being used for monetization:

  • Netflix: Netflix uses AI to recommend movies and TV shows to its users. This helps Netflix to increase customer engagement and retention, which in turn leads to more revenue.
  • Spotify: Spotify uses AI to create personalized playlists for its users. This helps Spotify to keep users engaged and listening to music, which in turn leads to more revenue from advertising and subscriptions.
  • Amazon: Amazon uses AI to personalize product recommendations for its customers. This helps Amazon to increase customer sales and revenue.

Most marketing experts agree that creating engaging content is one of the best ways to build a following and attract customers. The challenge is that content creation takes a lot of time — in most industries, posting on social media or your blog several times per week is standard, and each piece of content generally takes anywhere from two to six hours. Unfortunately, this can pull an entrepreneur away from other critical activities involved in keeping their business operating.

ChatGPT can significantly reduce the amount of time that it takes for small business owners to generate the content they need, including articles, blog posts, video scripts and social media posts. One thing to note is that ChatGPT leverages the internet for information. You could run the risk of posting something too similar to another website, which can hurt your search engine rankings. It’s important to always add your own spin to the content. However, ChatGPT can significantly reduce the amount of time spent brainstorming ideas and creating drafts.

The future will bring many adaptions of the use of A. I.  Entrepreneurship educators have begun to use ChatGPT to help students formulate questions unique to particular end users, those targeted markets that would buy the product under development.  Chat might answer with a solution to a problem in everyday business that can lead to a breakthrough innovation.  So, we say “yes” A. I. has its place in entrepreneurship as a tool within the evidenced-based process that can make creation so dynamic.

Contributed by Builtin.com, Medium.com writers Joe Procopio and Jerry Keszka, the editor and Nicholas Leighton of Entrepreneur.com.

The Value of the DE&I Movement

MedTrans Go is a B2B healthcare appointment optimization marketplace solving the $150B problem of medical appointment cancellations in the U. S. Using a tech-enables portal the company coordinates patient care.

Your editor as a member of the Innov8GA.org consortium of metro Atlanta and North Georgia entrepreneurship educators attended the organization’s fall conference Sept. 27th at the Emory University incubator The Hatchery. The theme of DE&I was enlightening to those outside of the specialty. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), three words that have recently been grouped together are used to designate any role or initiative that aims to strengthen exactly what they define. The phrase also broadly outlines the efforts an institution takes ot create a more welcoming environment of people of less privileged identities.

*white anglo-saxon protestant. this usually refers to affluent people in the new england area, but also whites of “old money” in other areas throughout the country.

Two panels were outstanding, the first designing inclusive teaching for entrepreneurship and the second exploring inclusive accessibility to entrepreneurship ecosystems. Among the participants were educators from Spelman College’s Blackstone Launchpad, GA Tech’s Social Innovation Center, Emory University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), Georgia State’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute (ENI) and practitioners from Goodie Nation, GA Tech’s VentureLab, the Peachtree Minority Venture Fund, and the HBCU Founders Initiative. These panel members by themselves represented diversity providing a wide spectrum of players in the field practicing D, E & I.

For a mainstream former entrepreneur and WASP* adjunct professor the discussions were heartfelt and revealing. One lady professor “told it like it is” flat saying access to entrepreneurship was limited by race. Metro Atlanta is the exception because it is the chief African American middle class city and an educational hub. For this reason these panels were a perfect representation of the Atlanta entrepreneurship ecosystem.

*White anglo-saxon protestant. this usually refers to affluent people in the new england area, but also whites of “old money” in other areas throughout the country.

Editor Clint was glad he was in attendance. Asking to address the group at the end of the second panel, I gave my own experience inside the community college system as a member of the advisory board to NACCE.com, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. I have seen first hand the impact entrepreneurship has on minorities and disadvantaged persons. It is simply impactful and changes the course of peoples lives. Our poster student is Rodney Walker who was growing up listless and a high school senior on the Southside of Chicago. Curious, he took an elective course in entrepreneurship, and his life changed abruptly. Not only did Rodney start his own business, but he applied to Morehouse College getting accepted on probation. The rest, as they say, is history (see https://www.nacce.com/contacts/rodney-walker#).

Entrepreneurship is an experiential learning experience, students learning by creating and building themselves often in teams. They learn self-efficacy, how to present in front of others, follow steps to build a new enterprise, and self satisfy their own work. It is a transformative experience because they begin to think entrepreneurially, the so-called entrepreneurial mindset takes over. They see opportunity and visions others do not, and they learn how to reduce risk to an acceptable level. In a mentor process they are exposed to successful role models and get one-on-one attention. Because the learning is fun, they improve in other areas of education and acquire interest, often becoming passionate about their work.

Among my travels across the U. S. to entrepreneurship programs and conferences, two programs stand out, and they were shared with the Innov8GA organization. One is the EEVF, the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund run by NACCE.com and founded by a former college president and her husband, a tech business founder. The other is a well-know professor’s focus over time on poverty entrepreneurship. Dr. Mike Morris invented the Experimental Classroom for Entrepreneurship which I had the privilege of taking at the University of Florida. He has since moved onto Notre Dame University’s Keough School of Global Affairs and founded the UPBI Poverty Entrepreneurship Program. UPBI stands for Urban Poverty and Business Initiative, and designed to to advance knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for poverty alleviation.

Michael H. Morris, Ph.D Senior Professor of Entrepreneurship and USASBE Longenecker Fellow.

Dr. Morris focus after forty years is this endeavor which has successful enrolled 23 communities as diverse at several U. S. cities, the UK, France, Germany, Uganda, Nigeria, Canada, Pakistan, Ecuador, Bolivia, South Africa, etc. Because poverty is pervasive throughout the world, entrepreneurship has success at raising populations not just economically but issue of food security, housing, chronic health problems, transportation, safety, limited education. and limited social networks. Through this program over 80% of a given cohort end up with a formalized operating business and 35% reach a place of sustainability. Families are able to move out of poverty and experience the self-efficacy, the belief one can be successful at a specific task, i. e., starting a small micro-business.

Entrepreneurship not only raises self-worth, but it teaches by experience developing abilities to present in front of others, social skills, and most importantly it is fun to create one’s own version of a personal concept. Low-income and disadvantaged individuals are just as talented and have the same aspirations as others with different circumstance but just have not had the same opportunities to grow. These program focused on less advantaged populations are truly the most life changing of any use of entrepreneurship. More and more foundations and non-profits are discovering the impact of training populations long neglected from independent business. We leave the reader with our NACCE.com “poster child”, one Rodney Walker, who took an entrepreneurship course in a Chicago Southside high school, got into Morehouse College on probation, and, as they say, “the rest is history.” You can read about his journey at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-young-author-and-entrep_b_9632816. Editor.

Peak Productivity, The Ivy Lee Method.

What is current in entrepreneurship?
Managing Priorities Well

 

In my book Set Your Own Salary*, I detail the point at which I was overwhelmed with demands in my first startup insurance business.  Closing the office to go to the Jacksonville FL Southside library, I took ten books about time management off the shelf.  The single, most powerful change I made was this Ivy Lee Method, which single handedly made me successful.

By 1918, Charles M. Schwab was one of the richest men in the world. Schwab was the president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, the largest shipbuilder and the second-largest steel producer in America at the time. The famous inventor Thomas Edison once referred to Schwab as the “master hustler.” He was constantly seeking an edge over the competition.

One day in 1918, in his quest to increase the efficiency of his team and discover better ways to get things done, Schwab arranged a meeting with a highly-respected productivity consultant named Ivy Lee. Lee was a successful businessman in his own right and is widely remembered as a pioneer in the field of public relations. As the story goes, Schwab brought Lee into his office and said, “Show me a way to get more things done.”

“Give me 15 minutes with each of your executives,” Lee replied. “How much will it cost me,” Schwab asked. “Nothing,” Lee said. “Unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it’s worth to you.”

The Ivy Lee Method During his 15 minutes with each executive, Lee explained his simple method for achieving peak productivity:

  1. At the end of each work day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks.
  2. Prioritize those six items in order of their true importance.
  3. When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.
  4. Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.
  5. Repeat this process every working day.

The strategy sounded simple, but Schwab and his executive team at Bethlehem Steel gave it a try. After three months, Schwab was so delighted with the progress his company had made that he called Lee into his office and wrote him a check for $25,000.A $25,000 check written in 1918 is the equivalent of a $400,000 check in 2015.

The Ivy Lee Method of prioritizing your to-do list seems stupidly simple. How could something this simple be worth so much? What makes it so effective?

On Managing Priorities Well  Ivy Lee’s productivity method utilizes many of the concepts I have written about previously.  Here’s what makes it so effective:

It’s simple enough to actually work. The primary critique of methods like this one is that they are too basic. They don’t account for all of the complexities and nuances of life. What happens if an emergency pops up? What about using the latest technology to our fullest advantage? In my experience, complexity is often a weakness because it makes it harder to get back on track. Yes, emergencies and unexpected distractions will arise. Ignore them as much as possible, deal with them when you must, and get back to your prioritized to-do list as soon as possible. Use simple rules to guide complex behavior.

It forces you to make tough decisions. I don’t believe there is anything magical about Lee’s number of six important tasks per day. It could just as easily be five tasks per day. However, I do think there is something magical about imposing limits upon yourself. I find that the single best thing to do when you have too many ideas (or when you’re overwhelmed by everything you need to get done) is to prune your ideas and trim away everything that isn’t absolutely necessary. Constraints can make you better. Lee’s method is similar to Warren Buffett’s 25-5 Rule, which requires you to focus on just 5 critical tasks and ignore everything else. Basically, if you commit to nothing, you’ll be distracted by everything.

It removes the friction of starting. The biggest hurdle to finishing most tasks is starting them. (Getting off the couch can be tough, but once you actually start running it is much easier to finish your workout.) Lee’s method forces you to decide on your first task the night before you go to work. This strategy has been incredibly useful for me: as a writer, I can waste three or four hours debating what I should write about on a given day. If I decide the night before, however, I can wake up and start writing immediately. It’s simple, but it works. In the beginning, getting startedis just as important as succeeding at all.

It requires you to single-task. Modern society loves multi-tasking. The myth of multi-tasking is that being busy is synonymous with being better. The exact opposite is true. Having fewer priorities leads to better work. Study world-class experts in nearly any field—athletes, artists, scientists, teachers, CEOs—and you’ll discover one characteristic runs through all of them: focus. The reason is simple. You can’t be great at one task if you’re constantly dividing your time ten different ways. Mastery requires focus and consistency.

*https://clintoneday.com/set-your-own-salary/

Current in Entrepreneurship

Future of Work Are New Collar Jobs.

What is current in entrepreneurship?

And, Community Colleges will play the key role in training the workforce.  

Case in point is Delta Airlines use of Lansing Community College in Michigan to train aviation maintenance – LANSING, Mich., July 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Lansing Community College (LCC) has been selected as one of 43 Aircraft Maintenance schools to partner with Delta Air Lines. LCC was selected from 177 Aviation Maintenance Programs across the United States and is the only community college in Michigan to offer this program.

Over 100 criteria were used in Delta’s selection process including equipment and facilities, level of hands-on-training, and quality of teaching. This new partnership establishes Delta as a resource for continuous improvement and will broaden access for LCC graduates to become the next generation of aviation maintenance professionals.

“By providing students from these top-notch schools real-world training and direct support from Delta, we have a unique opportunity to generate awareness and interest in a very promising and enriching aviation career,” said Joe McDermott, Delta’s managing director of Cabin Maintenance, Training and Support Services.

“This partnership is a great opportunity for our students and their careers,” said LCC President, Dr. Brent Knight. “As our program continues to evolve, Delta will play a role in shaping our training to anticipate and meet the needs of the industry. To have a partner as well-renowned globally as Delta Air Lines is very powerful for our students and our community.”

LCC’s program is one of the most affordable in the nation. Graduates who attain FAA licensure as Aircraft and Powerplant Mechanics can earn a starting salary of up to $50,000.

“This is a significant achievement for our students, faculty and program,” said Mark Bathurst, director of LCC’s Aviation Program. “We are pleased Delta recognized the opportunities offered to our students and anticipate a highly productive relationship with them for years to come.”

New collar students –

So long white collar and blue collar. Now it’s all about the “new collar” job. In the current technological economy, where factories and production plants are closed or workers are replaced by computers, those computers need to be maintained and programmed. Enter “new collar” jobs — positions that require some specialized education (typically in a technical field), but not a four-year college degree.

And some companies have become so desperate for the right worker, they have started or invested in job training programs of their own, partnering with schools to equip students with the exact skills they will need to get a job, and then to do the job right.

So long white collar and blue collar. Now it’s all about the “new collar” job. In the current technological economy, where factories and production plants are closed or workers are replaced by computers, those computers need to be maintained and programmed. Enter “new collar” jobs — positions that require some specialized education (typically in a technical field), but not a four-year college degree.

And some companies have become so desperate for the right worker, they have started or invested in job training programs of their own, partnering with schools to equip students with the exact skills they will need to get a job, and then to do the job right.

Current in Entrepreneurship

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Role of Entrepreneurship in Ending Poverty and Homelessness.

What is current in entrepreneurship?
Social Entrepreneurs

Javits says social entrepreneurs are flexible. “By developing new models that cut across and blend the assets of various sectors without being stuck in orthodoxies about what each sector can or should do, social entrepreneurship opens up new possibilities to solve stubborn, seemingly insurmountable challenges.”

She also points out that social entrepreneurs think outside the box of either operating as a nonprofit surviving on donations and grants or being fully supported by revenues. Operating in that middle space creates opportunities for social entrepreneurs to leverage donor dollars with revenue generating services.

Effective social entrepreneurs relieve burdens by selling products that customers need to improve their lives. The profits from the sales create sustainable impact and provide returns to investors.

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Most shared album of entrepreneur stories on Facebook.

What is Current in Entrepreneurship?
Social Impact of Entrepreneurship

Today we hear a great deal about the economic impact of entrepreneurship. More companies are being started than ever before in American history; new and emerging companies are the source of all net new jobs in our economy; women are starting firms at far faster rates than men; 70% of high school juniors and seniors want to start their own companies when they are out of school; thirteen million Americans–25 million if you count part time entrepreneurs–are now running their own businesses from home; and so on.

But I don’t want to talk about the economic impact of entrepreneurship, as significant as it is. I want to focus instead on the social impact of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is not just an economic phenomenon. It is a force that creates social value and a resource for community development.

In “Building Community,” medal of freedom winner John Gardner presents an insightful examination of the importance of community and a provocative analysis of the need that individuals have for identification with and empowerment within the communities in which they live. He emphasizes that “Where community exists it confers upon its members identity, a sense of belonging, a measure of security.” I am convinced that entrepreneurship can help confer identity, belonging and security not only on those who elect to start and grow enterprises, but also on those who join them in that effort and on the wider environment in which they operate.

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Top Franchises You Can Launch for Less Than $50,000.

What is Current in Entrepreneurship?
Home-based and mobile franchises

Business ownership doesn’t have to be super-expensive. Sure, some franchises cost thousands–even millions–of dollars to start. But a growing number of franchisors are coming up with homebased and mobile options, as well as new technologies, to help keep costs down for franchisees. Below, you’ll find Entrepreneur ‘s Top Low-Cost Franchises, 97 businesses that can each be started for less than $50,000.

These companies are listed based on their ranking in Entrepreneur‘s 2013 Franchise 500®, which is determined using objective, quantifiable criteria, including system size, growth and financial strength and stability. This listing is not intended as a recommendation of any particular company, but merely as a starting point for your own research. Always make sure you know what you’re investing in by reading a company’s legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant and talking to franchisees.

Here are the current top 5 and their cost:

60 Reasons Why Entrepreneurship Is Amazing

What is Current in Entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship Rocks!

Every entrepreneur has a different story about why he or she decided to start a business. Some have known from day one that they wanted to work for themselves and others come up with ideas while working for someone else and decide to take the entrepreneurial leap.  Most business owners will agree on one thing — being an entrepreneur is great. There are endless reasons for this, and every entrepreneur will have his or her own personal reasons as well. Here are 60 reasons, in no particular order, why I think entrepreneurship is amazing.

1. You have full control over your destiny. You call the shots and make the decisions that ultimately determine the success or failure of your business. Nobody will get in the way of your vision.

2. Entrepreneurs are innovators. Think of all the new technology and ideas that have come to life over the past few years. Those were all once just an idea — but amazing entrepreneurs brought those ideas to life.

3. You become part of a family. The entrepreneurial culture is almost like a big family — and you won’t find a better group of people willing to offer advice and help than fellow entrepreneurs.

4. You control who represents your brand. The team you surround yourself with plays a major role in your success — you can assemble a team of like-minded individuals that share your same drive and passion.

5. No dress code. CEO and Founder of Vivint, Todd Pedersen, was recently on the TV show Undercover Boss and stated that he wears a company-branded baseball hat daily. He is the boss — he can wear whatever he wants.

6. You have the opportunity to change lives. Have an idea for a product or service that has the potential to make a huge impact? Go for it — nothing is stopping you!

7. You have full control over your workspace. Do you excel in a creative environment? Want an office with dry-erase paint so you can draw on the walls and a full espresso bar to keep you full of caffeine? Make it happen!

8. It provides a rush that is hard to duplicate. There is no greater shot of adrenaline than the one you receive after reaching a goal and knowing you worked extremely hard to get to that point.

9. You serve as a role model. As an entrepreneur, people will look up to you. You have the ability to be a role model for family, friends, employees and community members. Your success serves as motivation and inspiration.

10. You will never be bored. There is always something to do and you will more than likely always have a mile long to-do list. Every day presents new challenges and new opportunities to keep you on your toes.

11. Freedom to travel. Modern technology, remote employees and the Internet allow you the freedom to travel while still running your business. Being able to see the world while creating an amazing company is a realistic possibility.

12. There is no age barrier. Entrepreneurs are starting at very young ages — some straight out of college, some while still in high school and even children as young as 9 years old that want to create healthy treats.

13. Your mind will always be utilized. Every single decision that involves your business is your responsibility, from the initial concept and branding to the growth and goal setting.

14. The satisfaction of saying you’re a business owner. It is a great feeling to be able step back and say, “this is my company,” while proudly holding your head up. Being an entrepreneur takes an incredible amount of work — those few words feel so good coming out of your mouth.

15. Go cubicle free. Entrepreneurs have total freedom to roam, create, delegate and work. There are no cubicles or desks to be tied to all day.

16. No blame game. As an entrepreneur, there is no finger-pointing when something goes wrong. Knowing every decision that I make daily directly impacts my business is the best kind of motivation.

17. You never feel undervalued. If you have ideas to make the business better you can implement them right away — you don’t have to hope that someone in a higher position will give you the time of day and listen to your suggestions.

18. Creating something from nothing. Every business starts as an idea. You get to create it from the ground up.

19. Opportunity to make a better mousetrap. Have an idea to make something better or more efficient? Make it happen!

20. Spend more time with family. Entrepreneurs with children have the ability to adjust their schedules to attend school functions and activities.

21. You get out what you put in. If you are willing to work harder than anyone else, you will be rewarded accordingly. Want to experience more growth and opportunities? Simply work harder.

22. Provide opportunities for family members. Many will say that mixing family and business partnerships is a bad idea (and I agree) — but this is less of an issue when talking about an employer/employee relationship.

23. Opportunity to give back. Owning a business gives you the opportunity to support local charity events, local schools and nonprofit organization. Being able to make a difference in your community is a great feeling.

24. Become healthier. A flexible schedule allows you to create a fitness routine and stick to it. Hit the gym early in the morning, at lunch or in the evening — whatever works for you.

25. Enjoy your hobbies. As long as you “do the work” and give 100 percent when in work mode, your free time can be spent doing the things you love. Attend more sporting events, play more rounds of golf or fish more. Being an entrepreneur provides you with the ability to enjoy your hobbies more.

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The Changing Rules of Tech Entrepreneurship

 

What is Current in Entrepreneurship?
Tech Entrepreneurs

Since 1996, manufacturing jobs in the United States have decreased by a whopping 28%. Britain’s industrial story isn’t too rosy, either. Over the last couple of decades or so, high-growth tech companies have heralded financial growth abroad from the giants of Silicon Valley: Facebook and Google. Now, as we stand on the brink of an artificial intelligence revolution that’s making many jobs obsolete, we are grappling for an alternate socio-economic model that is sustainable.  Since technology will be at the forefront of this new era, let’s talk about good tech entrepreneurship.

What Makes A Good Tech Entrepreneur?

Tech companies make up almost one-quarter of the American stock-market index commonly known as the “S&P 500” in terms of market cap. Whether there is an impending tech bubble or not is still an ongoing debate. However, there is no doubting the fact that the tech sector is the driving force behind stock markets, not just in the United States but globally. Understandably, investors are pouring their dollars into the sector, which puts it at risk for becoming overvalued and eventually leading to a bust. On a related note, while it may be easy for you to attract investor money right now with a tech venture, it is important that you take sustainability into account. That’s the first task for a tech entrepreneur.

1. Impact is important for sustainability.

While competitive advantage may have been enough to sail a tech venture a few years back, the saturated market and the impending rise of AI mean you need a lot more to sustain. Today, that “lot more” is social impact. Now social impact does not necessarily equal a social venture. In fact, the term alludes to solving “real” problems that people will continue to value over a length of time.

2. Use “gamification” the right way.

Gamification first became a buzzword in 2010. Since then, many made failed attempts and successful attempts at it, the former making up a larger chunk. Tinder is arguably the best example of how to leverage gamification to make a valuable tech venture. Health Month is another example of gamification done right. Both give the promise of real, tangible results if people indulge in a fun “game” that doesn’t take much effort to play. Two things are paramount for gamification to be sustainable: The UX should be simple and engaging and there should be tangible rewards in place.

A lot of tech ventures, especially mobile apps, still rely on badges and trophies for gamification. If you are taking a similar approach, you are essentially creating scarcity where there is none, which is a problem. While you may see high engagement rates with such an approach, sustainability is always a question. That’s where the role of good tech entrepreneurship comes in. As a good tech entrepreneur, you must find out a better way to capitalize on gamification. For instance, if you have a music app, you could give away limited tickets to an upcoming concert in return for social shares. Similarly, if you have a food app, you could unlock a superstar chef’s recipe for a certain order value.

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