Author Archive: theyec
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
5 Tips for Young Entrepreneurs Who Want to Be Taken Seriously
I was a 21 year-old entrepreneur when the dot-com bubble burst in 2001. Given the unprecedented volume of dying startups, investors and other business partners became less and less inclined to partner with new companies — especially those led by young founders. But I felt compelled to win over potential investors, customers, and team members. [...]
Top 15 Biggest Perks of Entrepreneurship
QUESTION: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PERK OF OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? Question by: Ashley LIFESTYLE OF CHOICE “Some people value creative freedom above all else. Some value work/life balance. Still others have their eye on the big bucks. For me, success is the ability to be picky about the projects I take on while still making [...]
10 Alternatives to the Formal Business Plan
Book-length business plans are out…but planning isn’t a total bust. What resource(s) do you use to put together simple business plans? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual [...]
10 Awesome Giveaways for Lead Generation
What’s the most successful giveaway offer you’ve ever used to drive lead generation? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start [...]
5 Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurial MBAs
For entrepreneurs, business school presents a unique set of choices and opportunities that can drastically alter a founder’s chance of success — for better or worse. I founded Troop ID while I was an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School in February of 2010. And while today we employ 17 people and sign up nearly 1,000 new [...]
What One Skill Do All Entrepreneurs Need to Succeed?
Question by: Ashley PERSEVERANCE “Cash will run low, clients won’t close, team members will leave, the product will have bugs, and the roof will fall on your head. There will be times when you seriously consider quitting. I’ve been there. But perseverance and dumbfounded self-confidence pushed me forward. Without perseverance, you’ll never reach success. “ [...]
What I Learned From Raising a Series A
Recently, we announced a $5 million Series A round of financing. We started raising this round and talking to investors in late fall of last year. As you can probably imagine, going through this process involves taking a step back from the day-to-day work and looking at our overall strategy and evolution. Fundraising forces you to [...]
13 Cool Ideas for Upgrading Your Office
Research shows people are happier if they like their office space. What is one tip you would give a fellow entrepreneur looking to make a fun, employee-friendly office upgrade? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, [...]
15 Tips To Do More Focused Work (Even When You’re On The Go)
QUESTION: HOW DO YOU STAY FOCUSED WHEN WORKING ON THE GO — IN AIRPORTS, CO-WORKING SPACES, STARBUCKS? TIME YOUR WORK SESSIONS “Set a timer for thirty minutes and commit to not doing anything else during that time. No phone, no email, no Facebook. Setting a timer frees your mind to focus on the single task at [...]
13 Ways to Manage Your (Hectic) Schedule And Stay On Task
Question: How do you keep yourself on task/maintain productivity with a hectic work schedule? TURN OFF THE DOPAMINE DRIP “Let’s face it — we’re all addicted to email. If you want to get stuff done, turn off your email. Close your social media feeds and web browser too. You’ll be amazed at what you get [...]
