Success in business is driven by connections
—but perhaps not the ones you thought.
Here are the essential connections if you
want to grow your company.
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FROM DAY 1
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Entrepreneurs are changing their game with new communications devices and techniques.
Today, businesses of every size have workforces that span the globe and customers who expect superb service 24-7. Connectivity is no longer just a communications matter; it’s the essential fabric that enables worker productivity and drives customer satisfaction. Done right, connectivity can propel a company to new heights; done poorly, it can lose your competitive advantage.
Connectivity:
The Force that
Drives Business
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Bounce Back from Adversity: Entrepreneurs and Resilience
6 Things I Wish I Knew When First Looking
For Funding
10 Best Pieces of Advice Entrepreneurs Got
From Mentors
The Biggest Lies People Told Me About Entrepreneurship
As you pursue success, it's easy to forget
what drove you in the first place.
Jonathan Santos may not have been born an entrepreneur, but he came pretty close. At age 8,
he realized that almost everyone he saw in his native Mexico ran their own business, from fruit stands to little shops. He began collecting ideas for businesses in a notebook and in 2011, he hit upon a simple concept with profound implications: backpacks.
How I Lost and
Re-found the Vision
for My Company
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why I needed to
change the "perfect"
business model
Most entrepreneurs look to solve a problem.
Once they get started, they can find a better problem.
As a chef at a seafood restaurant in Boston, Matt
Tortora knew the difficulty that restaurateurs had sourcing the fresh ingredients customers demand.
He launched WhatsGood, a Providence-based
online market that connected chefs and wholesale
buyers with farmers, fishermen, and artisans.
Entrepreneurs take note: Even well-meaning
friends can derail your priorities. Stay focused.
Sheldon Barrett is a busy guy. He is pursuing a
degree in engineering from the University of Florida with a triple minor in business administration, entrepreneurship, and sales engineering. At the same time, he is running his Gainesville, Florida, company, Cocovana, which makes an innovative “can opener” for opening coconuts safely in a few seconds.
"I Would Have Been More Careful to Not Let Friends Derail Me"
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Sometimes, It Makes Sense to Give Customers Less
After production time and costs for Ali Clark's
candies got out of hand, she had to make some
tough decisions about scaling back.
In 2009, Ali Clark’s grandfather led her into his
kitchen and taught her how to make his signature caramels-;the ones that had delighted family and
friends for decades. Four years later, she turned this passion into a business, launching Snowshoe
Candy Co. in Omaha, Nebraska. She had one goal:
“bring happiness to the people.”
Time and experience are the most effective teachers, especially when it comes to owning a business. Just think about how much of your entrepreneurial learning curve could have been shortened if you knew then what you know now. Here, entrepreneurs share their own advice to their younger selves—and give you the benefit of their hard-won lessons.
TO MY
YOUNGER SELF
What I Wish I Knew:
Understand the Market
Growing up, backpacks meant “success” to
the founders of Revive. Now, their backpack
company thrives because of a specific focus and
deep understanding of the company’s market.
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You're busy establishing your new business and ready to take the world by storm. You're wearing many hats as you get your company up and running, build awareness, and establish a solid customer base. But, it's never too soon to build scalable systems into your organization. Look for technology and communication tools that can help you automate functions and facilitate outreach to customers and prospects. Read more about how other companies are doing so.
YOU'VE GOT A
startup
WHAT I WISH I KNEW
