I’m Jeet Banerjee, a 24-year-old serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and digital marketing consultant. Through my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve learned many things. Instead of hoarding information for no good reason, I have decided to give back to other entrepreneurs. This book contains 365 entrepreneurial tips that really helped me and continues to help me in my journey. I have probably over 1,000 tips that I could share with you. However, in order to make this eBook as strong as possible, I have chosen to give you the best of the bunch. These tips can help entrepreneurs old and new with their endeavors. I hope you enjoy this eBook and get as much out of these tips as I have throughout my career. I guarantee that you will find at least 1 tip or strategy that will improve you or your businesses instantly! GOOD LUCK!

JEET BANERJEE WWW.JEETBANERJEE.COM

Copyright © 2017 by Jeet Banerjee All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use – other than for “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews – without prior written per- mission of the publisher. The opinions set forth herein are those of the author, and do not necessarily express the views of the publisher or any other affiliates. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Characteristics 1

Customers & Clients 5

Frugality 8

Funding 11

Growth & Development 13

Knowledge 14

Legal 16

Marketing 17

Mentors 19

Personal Life 20

Preparation 23

Press & Media 25

Products & Services 27

Productivity 30

The Team 32

Time Management 35

Web 36

You, the Entrepreneur 38

About the Author 43

Getting in Touch with Me 44

The Income Incubator 45

1 Characteristics

1. Admit your mistakes, correct them and carry on. It’s important to understand when you are wrong and why you are wrong in order to be successful. 2. Success is a combination of hard work and luck. If you keep working hard on your ideas, you will catch your big break eventually. 3. It’s what you do when nobody is watching that counts. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs only show off their lavish lifestyles to the media, but their strong work ethic behind the scenes is what made it all happen. 4. Don’t assume. Never assume that someone or something is what it is, always take the extra step to confirm your assumptions. 5. Believe in yourself. If you want others to believe in your idea or company, you need to believe in it yourself. 6. Stay calm. At times, things may seem horrible. Rather than panicking and making a bad business decision, stay calm and find logical ways to get yourself out of the situation. 7. Be a perfectionist. If you have the desire to perfect everything that you work on, your products will automatically develop that zeal. 8. Be patient. Patience is a virtue. It takes time to be successful so keep working at it until you eventually get to where you want to be.

2 Characteristics

9. Always be polite. If someone gives you a negative response or seems uninterested in your product, always show kindness towards them. You never know who may end up becoming a customer. 10. Don’t give up. Just because you failed the first time around does not mean you will fail again. All the greats have failed far more than they have succeeded. 11. Keep yourself organized. Create to do lists, keep them super simple and easy to update. It is extremely important to keep track of what you’re achieving, especially if you’re not being paid for it. 12. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused on the prize and always works towards the bigger goal. Losing focus is the biggest downfall of many entrepreneurs. 13. Be confident. Confidence is a stain that can’t be wiped off. If you are confident in your business and what you do, others will see this reflection and believe in you. 14. Be modest. Nobody likes an arrogant person. Even if you are a millionaire, it’s important to stay modest and respect everyone else. 15. Trust your instincts. Always trust in your gut feeling. You know what’s best and your gut feeling shouldn’t be doubted. 16. Be a warrior. What does it mean to be a warrior? This means that you are not stopped by fear or procrastination, and you never quit even when faced with difficult obstacles. If you are going to reach the finish line, you need to be committed to your goals and work ethic.

17. Be open to change. You cannot plan every single twist and turn for a new venture from the beginning. More often than not, setbacks will occur and they will require you to take a different path than the one you originally had planned. Be open to change, as long as your initial goal remains intact.

18. Be fundamentally sound. Any strong company or entrepreneur is able to master the fundamentals. Every startup must have a strong structure built on the fundamentals. 19. Be persistent. No matter what you face, giving up should NOT be an option. Only quitters give up, but persistent individuals are the ones who thrive and achieve massive success. 20. Be flexible in the way you think. Be prepared to change the way you work, the products you use and the services you offer, in order to meet the demands of your customers.

3 Characteristics

21. Be ambitious. Stay focused on the financial rewards that await you. Making money means nothing if you don’t have the right attitude to handle both success and disappointment. Keep reminding yourself how badly you want this to constantly motivate yourself along the way. If you can visualize it, you can achieve it. 22. Be interesting. If you are planning to talk to the media, be short and sweet. People don’t like bores that sit there and waste time talking about useless things. If you have something brilliant to say, then take your time and say it, otherwise be short and sweet. 23. Be respectful. In every industry, there are always a few individuals that are looked up to and hailed as ‘gurus.’ Whether it’s your sworn enemy or your biggest competitor, show them respect and treat them respectfully. 24. Be prompt. If you have a lead or a customer inquiring for more information, don’t wait a day or two to respond to them. As they say, the early bird gets the worm. 25. Be tenacious. Do not allow any worker under your command to surrender until he has exhausted all possibilities of success in any business. The tenacity and perseverance are vital if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. 26. Don’t quit unless it’s best move. You are going to have skeptics. People are naturally skeptical, skeptical of new products, new ideas and competition; but this shouldn’t stop you. Take a rapper’s mentality and use your “haters” as fuel to your fire, take their criticisms and run with it. Your critics offer valuable insight on potential problem areas, don’t quit, innovate. Only quit if it’s the best option at the time and you are only quitting to move on to something better.

27. Be driven. Set targets for yourself, your company and your staff; your business will only do well if you are driven to achieve results. Make sure that your targets are realistic. Unless you set goals, you will not find yourself where you want to be. 28. Be eager. Since your work as an entrepreneur is quite broad, it is important for you, as the business owner, to establish particular long term and short-term goals to achieve. You must remember this in your mind; business plans and your money are just factors in making up a business, your eagerness to succeed in your chosen career is what ultimately makes you successful. 29. Be competent and confident. Competent people accomplish more in business because they are driven by a pronounced sense of purpose. They are willing to put themselves on the line, and have confidently done their homework to know what it takes. They are consistent, and unafraid to ask for help.

4 Characteristics

30. Be self-motivated. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you should be motivating yourself to work harder. If someone else has to spend their time and efforts motivating you, entrepreneurship may not be the best choice for you. 31. Be curious. Most entrepreneurs have an insatiable appetite for information about their field and related industries because they are always searching for that tiny nuance or lingering question that could lead to their next big break. 32. Be disciplined. If you know you have a lot of unfinished work, then going to the bar with your friends can wait. Be disciplined and keep yourself on track to follow your plans.

5 Customers & Clients

2 2 33. Customer service is everything. If you can service your customers when they have

a problem or need help, you will have a very high customer retention rate.

34. Think twice before making promises! People don’t like to be deceived. When promising something to your clients, just be sure that you will manage to deliver. Don’t promise anything that you can’t do!

35. Adapt to serve your market. Know what your markets needs are and fit your product

to cater to them.

36. People must love your products. The reason why Apple is such a successful brand is because people love using their products. If people are overjoyed by the simplicity or usability of your product, then they will love to use it.

37. Put yourself in others shoes. When negotiating a deal or a business proposition with

others, put yourself in their shoes to see why they feel the way they do.

38. People love FREE. If you can give people FREE things, they will love it. If you are looking to promote your company or a new launch, free items is a great way to start.

39. Don’t be too aggressive. It can backfire if you are too aggressive, as people may

feel pressured and pushed up against a wall.

40. Put your customers ahead of yourself. You aren’t the one purchasing your products, your customers are. Put their needs and desires ahead of your own.

CUSTOMERS & CLIENTS

6 Customers & Clients

41. Under promise & over deliver. Never promise more than you can deliver. It’s always better to exceed customer expectations than to disappoint them.

42. How can we make it better? Ask your customer, every single time, if there is anything

you can do better or different to make them happier the next time. Sometimes, they give you priceless feedback that changes the way you do business. Often, that question alone fixes numerous issues.

43. Breaking up is hard to do. Developing the ability to fire the “bad” clients can make the

difference between a profitable year and a year with too many headaches. Sometimes the chemistry just isn’t there or you may have grown apart from your client. Either way, the relationship needs to come to an end and it’s better for both parties involved.

44. Make a strong first impression. Introduce yourself in a positive manner right alter

answering the phone. Saying your name right away gives the customer confidence and it establishes a more personal rapport with the customer.

45. Know your audience and what it needs. It’s not about what you have made or can

make. It’s about solving a customer problem with a better solution. 46. Take the higher road. Always answer angry emails with kindness and diplomacy.

Politeness is the proper way to address any issue. Don’t let others get under your skin. 47. Watch your email tone. When responding to e-mails, try to remember that your tone

does not always translate. Your quick “no” or “yep” won’t be communicated properly and your customers may find it rude. Take a couple of moments to write a complete and professional sentence.

48. Make it memorable. Create a memorable experience for your customers so they

continue to come back! Keeping existing customers is a lot easier than acquiring new ones.

49. Turn lemons into lemonade. Approach every negative customer inquiry as an opportunity to learn from them. Always make the best of every situation.

50. Serve them their way. Sell the way your customers want to buy. You might prefer

customers order off your website rather than by phone, but what do THEY prefer? Stop doing what’s easy for you and start doing what’s easy for them.

51. Proper business. Do business in person; use phone conversations or emails to follow

up. Not only are you and the customer on the same page, but you can impress and potentially closer bigger deals in person.

7 Customers & Clients

52. Customers value more than just price. A business with a great differentiated value proposition is able to charge much more than a business that focuses on pricing. Sure pricing matters, but from a marketing standpoint, the way you really succeed as a business is delivering superior value where others fail.

53. Treat your customers like they own you, because they do. Regardless of what you own

on paper, the customers run you. Without customers, you wouldn’t exist and thus make them feel extremely important.

54. Grow with your customers. You can still grow your business while you gather new

customers. You can acquire customers and grow your business at the same time, just be sure to service your customers well.

8 Frugality

3 55. Utilize all your resources. Never be shy or scared to use any and every resource that is possibly available to you. 56. Spend money wisely. It may only seem like a dollar, but remember that every little bit adds up. A year of careless spending can potentially be the difference between profit and loss. 57. Live within your means. Forget about fancy offices, fast cars and fat expense accounts. Your wallet is your company’s life-blood. Practice and perfect the art of being frugal. Watch every dollar and triple check every expense. Maintain a low overhead and manage your cash flow effectively. 58. Time is money. Don’t goof off with your time because you truly are losing money. Spending 10 minutes a day goofing off can be the difference between a Mercedes and a Toyota in your lifetime. 59. Money doesn’t always buy happiness. You need to do what you enjoy in life or else you may not be happy. Money may make life easier, but it does not mean you are going to be happy forever because you are rich. 60. Cash in on discounts. Many entrepreneurs get great discounts at local coffee places or office supply stores. There’s nothing wrong with saving a little money by cashing in on discounts. Remember, you’re not being cheap, you’re being intelligent.

9 Frugality

61. Don’t pay for advice. The internet is one of the greatest resources available. Don’t pay for advice when you can find brilliant advice online with just a few clicks. 62. Save money. Given the recent recessions that have taken place, it’s always a good idea to save. Rather than spending every dollar out of your big paycheck, consider opening up a savings account for the dry days. 63. Don’t spend what you don’t have. You must shop smart. You must look for deals. The smart ones live on a comfortable middle class spending plan. 64. Develop a budget. A budget is a set of dreams and aspirations. Budget to buy the things you really want and eliminate the “impulses” or the toys that waste too much of our income. A budget is a map to your destination. Have one and use it! 65. Reduce spending. Yes, this comes after making a budget, because when you begin getting control of your money (rather than the other way around) you have powerful new reasons to reduce expenses. Most self-made millionaires live far below their means! You should too. 66. Watch small expenses. Be vigilant about minimizing your expenses, both in business and in your personal life. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your profits or paycheck go further than ever before. 67. Limit what you borrow. You can’t borrow your way to wealth, so be careful with loans and credit cards. In addition, if you get in over your head, negotiate with your lenders to pay what you can. Once you’re debt free, save money and start investing. 68. Use what you have. It can be easy to justify big purchases of equipment, hardware and software simply because that’s what businesses have, or you will need it eventually. Start your business using your three-year-old laptop, do the budgets in excel and manage the database in access. Stick with what you have, what you know and what is familiar. You can always upgrade as necessary later on. 69. Master your relationship with money. Some of us spend for excitement, to show off, or to prove we can. Some of us are addicted to spending and some of us are just careless about it. Whatever your relationship with money is, understand it and develop a relationship of respect and gratitude. Use your money wisely. 70. Be willing to sacrifice. There will be sacrifices. Work to find a balance so that you don’t become a financially successful loser. It’s not about the income, it’s about the outcome.

10 Frugality

71. If I spend this dollar, will it make me a dollar? This is a great question to ask yourself every time you spend money. Always see if the money that is being spent can be justified, otherwise think again. 72. Divide needs and wants. Simply put, eliminate things that aren’t absolute necessities or at least cut back on them substantially. These little things eventually add up and the $100 you save every month could translate into thousands in the future. 73. Too little funding forces discipline. The upside of having too little funding is that your business can grow organically and you’ll stay more focused on making a profit and maintaining positive cash flow. 74. Save money. Having a large savings is always helpful. You never know what may happen in the business world and it’s always good to have a backup plan. 75. You don’t need an office. If you can make money for your startup without renting out an office, then don’t waste your money. You can put that money to better use. It’s always good to remember that you don’t need to have an office. 76. Small is strong. You don’t need to own a building in downtown to be a successful company. Not only do smarter companies work faster, but they make practical purchases that reward them later on. 77. Cash is king. Keep a good eye on your money because budgets are volatile. They can disappear in a second and lost cash can be very hard to get back. You need to carefully watch your cash flow and do whatever it takes to maximize every dollar that is spent.

11 Funding

78. Investors should be your last option. Seeking financial assistance too early in a project may be detrimental. Seek financial aid when there is no other alternative route. 79. Venture capital is difficult. A venture capitalist usually has no clue about most of the investments brought to him or her. However, if you make the investor feel that they can contribute to your company and if you can show growth, the investor will be more open to funding you. 80. Know rich people. It’s never a bad thing to know too many rich people. Whether you like them or not, they can always come in handy. So make sure you always play nice with them.

81. Know how much money you need. Always have a clear-cut idea of how much money your startup will be requiring in order to be successful. 82. Always ask for more. When it comes to looking for investments, it never hurts to ask for more then you really think you will need. You never know what opportunities may come up. 83. Be personal. Angel investors like flattery just like everyone else. Do your research on the investor and explain to them why you want him/her specifically. What experience or contacts are they bringing to the table? Are you offering them a board seat or a chairman role?

84. Know what investors look for in a startup. lnvestor groups will be looking for businesses that have a proven business model, a potential for financial growth and a strong management team to support the company.

12 Funding

85. Be good at raising money. Getting a startup off the ground requires money, usually a lot of it. So raising money is an important skill to have. 86. Find the golden ticket. Look for someone who has money and experience that fits your business model. Angels and Venture Capitalists are actively looking to invest their money into successful business opportunities; you just have to convince them that you’re the right option. 87. There are multiple sources of funding. Contact your bank, reach out to the local government to see what grants they are offering and see if a crowd funding website can help you. There are tons of ways to get funded, just explore all the opportunities. 88. Create a business plan that sells the opportunity. Investors look at hundreds of prospects, so your business plan has to be clear, credible, and able to demonstrate in 10 minutes or less your dedication to solving a crucial problem. 89. Build emotion and capital. To get the capital necessary for your startup, you are going to have to emotionally move someone during your pitch. Appealing to the emotions of the investor is a great way to lure them into giving you the capital needed to be successful.

13 Growth & Development

90. Start small, but think big. Start small and work your way up, but always keep your big aspirations and goals in mind. 91. Expand your product range. If you have a wide product selection, it helps making your business more competitive. Not only do customers like having a wide selection to choose from but it can also increase your profitability. 92. Be willing to tweak your idea. If you fall too much in love with your idea, you won’t have the capacity to take feedback from other people and from the market. The idea you start with is unlikely to be the exact idea you’re going to win with. 93. Build, release and iterate. Make a list of the features you want to create over the next six months and get going! For small companies, once a week; for larger companies, maybe twice a month. 94. Always prepare for the future. As each day goes by, you get closer and closer to the future. Some of the strongest companies are so strong because of their superb preparation for the future. 95. Always plan for expansion. Just because you’ve launched your company and things are looking good doesn’t mean the work is over. It’s always good to plan expansions and new products/features you can add to strengthen yourself. 96. Business is cyclical. Work the highs and lows of businesses to gain the maximum returns for your company. 97. Repetition. The same business models and structures tend to repeatedly work. If you have a new business idea and it can fit it into a successful business model, the results will be good.

14 Knowledge

98. A degree is just a piece of paper. To be an entrepreneur, you don’t need some sort of degree or qualification. You just need to love what you do. 99. Keep learning. Regardless of how knowledgeable or successful you are, it is important to keep educating yourself on your markets. 100. Read about other successful entrepreneurs. People who are looking for great business ideas can gain a lot of benefits from reading stories of successful entrepreneurs. Not only is it a great source of inspiration and motivation, but you can also learn from these other success stories.

101. Listen to others. Entrepreneurs tend to think they are the smartest people in the world, but there are many people who may have a lot of insight to offer. Combined with your intelligence and the experience of others, you can make something big out of it. 102. Surround yourself with smart people. If you are hanging around smart people and involving yourself in intellectual conversations on a regular basis, your mind will grow. 103. Read the news every day. Everyone should know about the happenings around the world. Take 5 or 10 minutes out of your busy day to read the news. Not only are you continuing to expand your vocabulary but you are aware of what’s happening. 104. Accept criticism. Criticism isn’t always the best thing to hear, but you have to accept it. Criticism is important if you want to improve yourself and your business. 105. Be data driven – The best-managed start-ups rely heavily on standard metrics and many of their own unique measures of performance to better understand and predict revenue and costs.

15 Knowledge

106. Experience over education. You will learn more about business within a month of starting your company then you will in all your years at a business school.

107. Study your competitors. As much as you may want to hate your competitors, you can actually use them to see what they’re doing right or wrong to benefit your business.

108. Read, listen and learn. Make sure you have a mindset where you never think you know enough. Be open to learning and hungry for knowledge, whether the people are younger, older, in different places or culture groups.

109. Learn from your competitors. Your competitors in the marketplace are not your enemies. If they win a contract, use that experience to learn what they may have done better to earn what you didn’t. Always use your competitors as a measuring stick to see what you can improve upon.

16 Legal

110. Don’t save money on a lawyer. Pay the full price to get a good lawyer. A lawyer is the most important thing your company can spend money on in the early going. It’s important to have all the legal stuff taken care of properly. 111. NDA isn’t everything. Just because you have someone sign an NDA does not mean that your idea or innovation is fully protected. Even if someone is signing a NDA, be very careful about what you choose to tell them. 112. Register your trademark. The intellectual property is a critical point when it comes down to having your legal matters in place and under control. Make sure you register your company (name, logo, etc) with the USPTO. This process should take around 8 to 12 months from start to finish. 113. Hold off on patents. Regarding patents, they are very costly and you are not guaranteed of their successful registration. It is also a long process that can take up to 5 years. Therefore, we do not recommend filing a patent unless it is absolutely crucial to your type of business. However, this is just a suggestion, we highly advise you to conduct appropriate due diligence to evaluate what course of action is best for you. 114. Follow the rules. Being an entrepreneur doesn’t exempt you from registering your business, keeping records and paying taxes. Following these simple rules now will save you from legal and administrative headaches later. 115. Reduce taxes. Most Americans pay more in taxes than for food, clothing and shelter combined! It is your largest expense! The wealthy know there are legal and appropriate ways to shelter income, to invest in socially responsible ways, and that the tax code encourages this. Learn the tax laws and use them for your benefit! 116. Nifty names are important. A strong name for your business that is innovative and explains your company is extremely important.

17 Marketing

117. Market geographically. When starting a marketing campaign, it’s extremely important that you have a geographical approach that is cost-effective and makes sense. Always start around your area and spread in a circular motion to ensure that all areas are being covered. 118. Define your elevator pitch. If you have exactly 25-30 seconds to pitch what your company does, you must keep it short and sweet. Forget details and just mention the juiciest parts of what your company does and how someone else can benefit. 119. Focus on a promising niche. Build a market and specialize yourself and your startup in something that nobody else does. It’s wrong to innovate just because you’ve heard that you must do it. 120. Learn to sell. No matter what market you are entering, you are going to need to sell some part of your company at some point. Watch great sellers in action and gain your selling style. 121. Explore the demand. For entrepreneurs it is very important to know what products are in high demand within the market today. So, spend some time to research the demand. Try to understand what products or services people are ready to buy. 122. Never stop marketing. Your company can never be making too much money; thus you should never stop marketing.

18 Marketing

123. Start local. Look to your roots for your first round of customers or investors. Local customers are a quick and important start to building your business. 124. Know your audience. If you don’t know the trends of your target market, you will be in a world of trouble. You need to know their mindset better than anything else. 135. Don’t go one and done. If you’re going to just send out one direct mail marketing piece hoping for massive results, don’t waste your time. All you will do is create more trash for the earth. Direct mail marketing is a commitment that pays off over time. 136. Save the sales pitch for later. Don’t try to sell your services to someone from the first moment you meet them. Networking is about meeting potential connections, partners and developing quality relationships – it is not about closing the deal at that moment. 137. That’s textual harassment. No matter how much you like texting your friends or loved ones, keep texting out of the business world unless your customers are okay with it. 138. Your phone is a powerful business tool. Smartphones offer numerous advantages to those who know how to use them well. They not only let you work away from your desk without losing contact with clients, but also gives you access to a wide range of apps that can help you work more efficiently when you are on the go. 139. Eye contact. Sincere eye contact and focus on your audience is extremely important whether you speak to one person or hundreds of individuals. 140. Find out where your competitors are getting their leads from and try replicate it. This one is pretty straightforward. Simply find out where your competitors are getting their leads from and then try to do the same. 141. Tap into the magical power of following up. Neglecting follow ups can cause an incredible decline in your conversion rates. Focus on following up and do everything possible to close potential customers. 142. Find strategic partnerships. Pair yourself up with companies that can help your business. There’s never any harm in teaming up with another company that can help you. 143. Surprise everyone. Rather than unveiling what your next product is, try keeping it a surprise until the day of the launch. For some reason, surprises are more enjoyable for your customers.

19 Mentors

144. Pick a role model. Find someone who inspires, motivates or amazes you and use them to influence your success. 145. Invest in advisors. Give away a small amount of stock to advisors (which they can vest after a few years) who you can call on in a pickle or for general advice as issues arise. Set the ground rules so you and the advisor know how much time you have access to. 146. Find mentors outside of your industry. Some of the best mentors are those outside of your industry who may share similar business philosophies and ethics as yourself. If you find someone who inspires and guides you, you may have found yourself a new mentor! 147. Build and use a board of advisors. The right board is a group of individuals who may not know one another, but knows you and the industry you are in. Plus, they need to be willing to put their brains and their expertise at your disposal as long as you need it.

20 Personal Life

148. Don’t be discouraged by others. If your idea is good and you’re determined to stick with it through the first few difficult years, your chances of success are great. 149. Work hard, play hard. If you overwork yourself, your efficiency goes down the drain. It’s good to balance your work life with a social life. 150. Sleep more. Studies have shown that an individual lacking sleep is far less productive than one who has the proper amount of sleep. 151. See what others think. It always helps to ask your friends and family to give their opinions on ideas, products, websites, names, or any other aspect of your business. 152. Balance business with family life. When entrepreneurs spend a lot of time with family their businesses begin to suffer. When you spend a lot of time on your business – your family relationships suffer. It is very important to find a good balance between business and family life. 153. Make time for healthy food. Being an entrepreneur gives you absolutely no time to cook your own food. Thus, we spend the majority of our times eating out. Eating out can be extremely unhealthy so it’s good to look for healthy eating options. 154. Friends and family over all. Money and fame are great things to have, but at the end of the day you are nothing without your friends or family. Do not let things get to your head in life and make sure you respect and embrace your friends and family.

155. Do something physically challenging once a week. Hike to the top of a mountain. Ride your bike to the next town and back. You’ll soon start to remember how much you’re capable of... and you’ll want to do more.

21 Personal Life

156. Stretch throughout the day. Sitting at a desk may cause your muscles to tighten up and fall asleep. It’s good to stretch throughout your day for a few minutes to keep the blood flowing in your body. 157. Powernap. Powernaps are short naps, no more than 20 minutes long but can energize you quickly. 158. Give back. Success is much more rewarding if you give back. By the time you become successful, lots of people will have helped you along the way. You’ll learn, as I have, that you rarely get a chance to help the people who helped you because in most cases, you don’t even remember them all. 159. Strong mental outlook. The mental outlook you have in your business is an essential aspect of being an entrepreneur. It is very important to accept responsibility in whatever the flow of your business will be. 160. Change your work ethic. Work ON your business rather than IN your business. Make sure you have a business plan and marketing plan to guide you. 161. A good environment. Surround yourself with supportive, successful people who care about your journey to entrepreneurial success. 162. Age is nothing but a number in this world. You are never too old or young to unleash the entrepreneur in you. 163. Have fun. Do not start a company unless it’s your obsession and something you love. Passion derives the most success. 164. Be healthy. You will be much more productive when you take better care of yourself. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5 profession. Working to the point of exhaustion will burn you out and make you less productive. Don’t make excuses. Eat right, exercise and find time for yourself. 165. Travel. There are only so many resources and opportunities available in your area. If you have the opportunity to travel to another state or country, go see the world and make the most of it. 166. Stop and think. Simply take 30 minutes a day to just think. Sit in a quiet room or go to the park and just think about everything in your life, your plans, where you are going in life, where you are now, where you want to go, etc. This will help you prioritize your life and possibly even find things wrong.

22 Personal Life

158. Work out. Entrepreneurs may not have much time on their hands, but their health should always be one of the most important things on your mind. Make a daily plan to work out and stay in shape! 159. Put yourself at the top of the list. Taking care of yourself is key in being able to be fully be successful in your business and personal life. Just like on an airplane, flight attendants tell you to give yourself oxygen first before catering to your child so you are fully alert and present. 169. Hang with the right people. If you hang out with 9 broke dudes, you are guaranteed to be the 10th. Surround yourself with builders, not joiners. Surround yourself with other successful people that motivate you and can even teach you something new. 170. Enjoy your life. Celebrate the big and little wins. This is your ride so enjoy it. Embrace the bumps and thrills along the way. 171. Emotions and business don’t mix. Don’t let your emotions make your decisions. If you

are having an emotional moment, take a pause and then focus on your decision.

172. Don’t show off. Although attention is good, if you are someone worth knowing, sooner or

later people will get to know you. People who just show off draw too much attention and in

many cases are hated by others due to jealousy.

173. Increase your assets. Most people try to increase their income, but that is a mistake. Making more money means paying more taxes, this requires time and hard work. Spend your money buying stocks and buildings, these assets will make you richer.

23 Preparation

174. Be prepared to fail. If it was that easy to have that billion-dollar company, then everyone would be rich! Understand that failure and struggles will take place, you just have to bounce back. 175. Simple is better. Some of the most simplistic ideas have shown the highest rate of success and revenue. 176. Begin with a plan. Always have a well-drawn out plan that you follow closely and update as time goes by. 177. Research. Make sure you research your market, your idea and your competitors. Research is extremely important to gain the upper hand on other businesses. 178. Think things over. If you are angry or desperate, you probably start acting based off your instincts in hopes of satisfying your feelings. Instead of acting on things right away, start thinking things over because then you will be able to act based on logic instead of on feelings.

179. Assess the risks. When faced with a decision, imagine the best and worst-case scenarios. If the benefits don’t outweigh the risks, then think twice before proceeding. 180. Don’t only follow the money. Pursuing industries and products just because they are profitable is both illogical and risky. Following where the money is will only distract your company from the main reason you created it.

24 Preparation

181. Practice disciplined optimism. There will be tough times ahead and you will have to face them. Knowing this and preparing for it puts you in a better position to face the reality when it arrives. However, you need the unwavering belief that your business will achieve the desired success you envisioned from the beginning.

182. Have stamina and work hard. Be relentless in pursuing success. Make sure you have the stamina to spend all the hours that you can on pursuing your dreams. 183. Planning is essential. You need to know why you are hiring. Every successful venture has a strategy, or a strategic direction that provides focus, and a working plan for how they will execute against this strategy. 184. Get help. If you need help, go get help. Sometimes it’s impossible to launch a startup on your own. Find others that believe in the company and utilize their resources to expedite the process. 185. It’s only an idea. Remember, the idea alone will not deliver success. Execution is far more important than an idea. An idea at the end of the day is just a though. 186. Don’t think of failing. One quality of an entrepreneur is having the ultimate belief in his or her goals. If you have a great business idea, you will be able to make it a reality with the right mindset. With your capabilities and extreme faith in the idea you have, you’ll have an easier time attaining any goal you set for your business. 187. Create a good exit strategy. Every startup must have an exit strategy, not only for their investors but for themselves. If you don’t have a way out, then you shouldn’t be going in. 188. Decide to be successful. This is different from wishing, hoping or even desiring to be rich. Make a commitment that this is going to happen, financial independence is not an accident or matter of luck and it usually require inconveniences. Have you decided to achieve this goal? 189. Don’t sit around waiting. Do your homework, and be prepared to quickly make up your mind and act on it. Avoid unnecessary sitting and thinking.

190. Never suck your thumb. Do your homework and be prepared to make up your mind quickly. Be ready to act and avoid unnecessary dilly dallying.

25 Press & Media

PRESS & MEDIA 2 1 191. The media is your friend. Even though the media spends a lot of their time portraying

others negatively, they can be your friend when used wisely. The media can not only help promote your business but generate awareness for it. 192. Do not launch or release big news on Mondays or Fridays. The attention spans for people are extremely low on Mondays and Fridays. People cannot believe its Monday and are constantly zoning out while people are either leaving early or counting down the minutes before their weekends begin on Fridays. 193. Staying under the radar isn’t always a bad thing. Getting press and buzz maybe nice, but it can also cause your company to be getting too much attention. This can lead to things like increased competition. It may just be better to stay under the radar and make millions while you can. 194. Be media savvy. It’s good to know about appropriate media outlets that can benefit your startup and are willing to cover your company. 195. It’s not all about going viral. Due to the recent craze in the online world, every startup feels that they must go viral to be “big”. However, that is purely a myth. Just market your product, improve your business, and you can go big slowly. 196. Sell your story. With the way the media works today, any successful startup that wants media coverage must share some sort of story. Be sure to sell your story so well that not only the media, but others will be interested in reading more. 197. Influence. Find active journalists via twitter or other social medias and contact them directly to get coverage.

26 Press & Media

198. Speak out. Earn reputation with good press releases and endorsements from people who trust you: clients and partners. Use blogs, social networks and make presentations about what you are specialized in. 199. Editorials are huge. If you have a new editorial, send it out to all your local press contacts to see if you can get an editorial.

27 Products & Services

3 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

200. Anything can fail. Always have an exit strategy for your company regardless of how strong you may think your ideas are.

201. Make a product that can sell itself. If your product can just sit on a rack and be appealing to consumers, your money spent on marketing will be very minimal.

202. Fix problems. Find a problem with the way something is and find a simple solution for it.

203. Think outside the box. If you can’t think of a way to do something, stop thinking of the conventional methods and take outside approaches to solve the problem.

204. Don’t discount, add value. Instead of taking money out of your own pockets, find a way to add something to sweeten the deal while keeping your profits high.

205. Prove your product. You have to prove yourself in the real world. If you can show proof to other people on why your product works or is better than other things available, then success should be easy.

206. Fail fast. If it doesn’t work, get rid of that idea or concept quickly. If it does work, run with it and take action on it rapidly.

207. Just build it. You don’t need anyone’s approval and in fact, you probably won’t get it, so don’t even try. Just take action if you believe in it!

28 Products & Services

208. Don’t rush to roll out your product. All too often, as small business owners, we rush to get a product out before its time or before it’s been fully tested. A good product needs to be tested and experimented before releasing it to the public. 209. Be willing to be different. Don’t base your decisions on what everyone else is saying or doing. Think for yourself if you want to be above average.

210. Big & bold ideas. Go after unconventional, game-changing ideas. Don’t be afraid of being contrarian. In fact, the riskiest ideas are often the ones that most people believe will succeed.

211. Make sure your product passes three critical tests.

a. It should be something valuable for the customer. b. It has to be well-defined. c. It has to be different than the competition.

212. Creativity takes time. Designers have a saying...You can get creative work done cheap, quickly or good - pick two. Be patient as the best creative ideas generally don’t happen within the first hour or two of brainstorming.

213. Great ideas come from the unexpected. You never know when or where the opportunity for the next big thing may come from. That’s why it’s important to always keep your eyes, ears and most importantly brain open!

214. Keep your options open. Never be close-minded or focused on one strategy or plan. Always be open to new ideas and innovative ways to make your business stronger.

215. Find your weaknesses before your competitors do. It is bad news if competing companies can find your weakness and exploit it. Thus, it’s very important to find your own weaknesses and find solutions for them.

216. Never lose sight of the big picture. Look for innovative, little-explored directions in which to take your business.

217. Don’t overestimate success. Just because you may have a few good months does not mean that you are going to be successful over the long haul. There are many factors that can cause for outstanding numbers in one month while extremely porous numbers in another.

29 Products & Services

218. Sell benefits along with solutions. Describe what you do by showing your targets how they can take advantage of it and improve with it. They only care about what will be better for them. 219. Don’t be in the war, provide weapons for the war. This is something we’ve learned with the US Army. Don’t supply exclusively to a single client, but rather supply everyone. They will fight among themselves and no matter whom the winner is, you will profit. 220. Remember, you represent your product. You have to feel like you represent your product from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. Be synonymous with your brand. 221. Trust your intuition. Do not look to the court of public opinion to run your business. TRUST what you know and be confident in making decisions that intuitively feel right. 222. Volume is valuable. If you want to deliver or sell something, you know that the more volume you have, the less it will cost you. If you can buy goods for 6 months and save money, then do it. 223. Solidify a revenue model. Figure out who is giving you money, how you are making money, and whether this revenue model can be sustainable for a long-term period.

30 Productivity

224. Value yourself. Don’t work for less than you can afford to, but do offer a discount to customers or clients who are willing to sign long-term contracts with you. 225. Move rapidly. Successful innovators get things done quickly because they know time is not on their side. 226. Listen more, talk less. Entrepreneurs find it hard to stay silent, but sometimes you can learn a lot by just listening to what others have to say. 227. Meet deadlines. Set deadlines for yourself and ensure that you meet them. Entrepreneurs that are able to work within a time schedule are more efficient. 228. Several businesses are better than one. Do the best to have several sources of income. It is difficult to often operate numerous businesses at the same time, but if you can make it happen, more props to you. If one of your projects fails, you won’t be stuck without an income source. 229. Always find a more efficient way to do things. Just because you can get something done, it does not mean that’s the best way to do it. Always look for a more effective or efficient solution to things. 230. Be full of purpose. No matter what you are doing, always do things that have purpose. This will save you from wasting time. 231. Consistency is key. Launching one great product and other so-so products isn’t enough to be successful. You have to consistently release brilliant products to your customers to earn their business and trust. 232. Time is precious. Value your time and understand the importance of time management. Manage your time well to accomplish more.

31 Productivity

233. Take action. If you have that million dollar idea, don’t sit on it. Not only can someone else beat you to the gates, but you are potentially losing out on money every day you sit on your idea. 234. Focus on the hardest tasks first in the morning. One of the biggest reasons for procrastination is avoiding tasks you don’t want to confront. You may feel that the task is difficult to do so you try to prolong it as long as possible. If you start on it early in the morning, you will be more focused and energized to complete the task. 235. Check your emails later. A small change in your working habits can make a huge difference in your productivity. This small change is when you check your emails. Instead of starting your day by checking emails, try to do some tasks you have to do first and then check your emails later. 236. Don’t just think of your network as a source for new business leads. Reach out and ask your contacts for solutions to your growing business needs and challenges. People are eager to help, even clients because they’ve been there. 237. It’s not about talent, it’s about hard work. This is why we often see very successful people who do not seem to have an extraordinary talent. They just outwork others who might be smarter or more talented than them. 238. Make a choice. Decide what it is you are going to do, who you are going to be and why you are doing it at all.

32 The Team

239. Don’t be greedy. Give out ownership when there is a high return in value. The more you give, the more you could possibly make. 240. Two is better than one. Finding a partner is always a great choice for a successful business. Two minds thinking at once can produce much better results. 241. Build and maintain relationships. It’s good to stay in touch with people you meet. Not only can utilize their resources when necessary but you also expand your network. 242. Take the talented. If you find someone that is talented or extremely clever, pick them up at all costs. 243. The right team. Working with others to execute a vision is often difficult, that is why you must surround yourself with people who understand your business, support your goals, and challenge you in a positive way—from the very beginning. 244. Invest in an accountant. The financial aspects of a startup cannot be ignored. Accountants are extremely important because they keep track of spending, revenue, profit, loss, and all the other factors that make a successful business. 245. Strength in numbers. Most of the successful million dollar companies have had two or more founders. 246. Be a team player. A company cannot be successful from the sole efforts of one person. Everyone in the company needs to be united under one and help each other find success.

33 The Team

247. Build a balanced team. Build a team that is able to fill as many holes in the company as possible. Balance is essential to maintain a successful company. 248. Great entrepreneurs aren’t always great managers. If you recognize a weakness in your managerial skills, do not feel shy to give the role of management to someone who is good at it. 249. Hire slowly, fire fast. It takes a very long time to find the perfect fit for your company. Interviews should be a long process as finding the perfect candidate usually takes time. If someone isn’t performing to your standards, don’t be shy to fire them. 250. Choose wisely. The success of a partnership lies solely on who you pick. Not only must your partner be honest and loyal, but he/she must bring a lot to the table. 251. Give restricted stock to founders. Have restricted stock established for the founders since the beginning. This will prevent the company from having one of the founders walking away with all the stock, which can really negatively the company. 252. Incentivize employees. Adopt an equity incentive plan. Stock options and other incentives for employees and advisors attached to the company are the type of fuel that will incentivize your employees in the early stage. 253. Hire your own boss. Make sure you hire people that you would want to work for, who challenge you and you can learn from. 254. A+ DNA. Pay close attention to the first 10-12 people you hire, because they deter-mine the cultural DNA of your company and, in turn, its success or failure. Don’t settle for anything less than A+ candidates. 255. Recruitment is everything. Treat recruiting as life or death for your company because it is. Building an exceptional team is the most important thing you can do as a young leader. If you’re great at it, you will likely succeed. If not, you will likely fail. 256. Always be looking for talent. Just because you may have a full team at the moment does not mean you should ever stop looking for talent. You may find the perfect piece for your company at the most unexpected of times, always be on the lookout. 257. Set the culture. As a new business especially, everyone will look to the managers and owners to set a culture within the company. What do you want your workplace and environment to be known for? This will also help with future recruitment of employees.

34 The Team

258. Foster a village mentality. Partner with people who have shared values and perspectives, then together you work to achieve your collective and individual goals. 259. Demand excellence. Ensure that your staff is committed to execute and understand your vision. There is nothing like a new junior developer who runs circles around everyone to get people hyped up and raises the bar! Stay involved in the hiring process as long as you possibly can. 260. The convertible bond. A little known thing in the entrepreneurial world is the convertible bond. This piece of paper allows you to delegate another person’s interest in your company, through either shares in the company or an eventual pay out. This can be your best friend when starting a company. 261. There’s no “1” in entrepreneur. You might be the found, but that doesn’t mean you are the only one taking on a vision. Make sure your employees and partners understand your vision and are all-in with you. 262. Establish a set of core values. Every entrepreneur has a unique set of beliefs, and you want to make sure your team shares those beliefs - not just your initial team. 263. Checking references is critical. Ask for references and call them - this is critical to verifying the candidate’s claims regarding their experience and work ethic. Use Facebook, LinkedIn and other web-based tools to get a full 360-degree view on your candidates. There’s more to a person than just their resume. 264. Make little bets and encourage experimentation. In order to grow your business solidly, you need to try different things. With so much competition and so much buyer indecision, you need to experiment and measure results to find the best solution. 265. Centralize and organize. Centralize your operations and get organized. You’re working with a small staff, whereas corporations hire hundreds, or thousands, of employees to do. Organize your reporting, team, financial analysis, and etc. as much as possible.

35 Time Management

266. Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t look at how quickly others have achieved success. Do work at a pace that is comfortable for you.

267. Know when to call it quits. Know when it’s time to walk away. If your idea doesn’t pan out, reflect on what went wrong and the mistakes that were made.

268. Know your value and rates. You must be clear not only with potential clients but with yourself when it comes to your value. Also, be brutally honest with yourself about how much you need to earn to keep your business afloat.

269. Take time to network. Business isn’t about what you know, but also about who you know. Some of the most unexpected connections can be game changing for your business.

270. Don’t multi-task. If you’re an entrepreneur, you have lots of things on your plate. However, your productivity drops when you try to multi-task. Studies have shown that you accomplish more when focusing on one task at a time.

271. Set goals relentlessly. It’s easy to get off course without a boss or someone telling you what to do. Stay focused by creating short and long-term goals. Be sure to achieve these goals.

272. Breaks are your best friends. Entrepreneurs spend so much time thinking of complex solutions or approaches that it is a necessity to take frequent breaks to keep the mind ready.

36 Web

273. Be inspired, but do not copy. Do not copy what others have done, but rather try to find a more simplistic or innovative way to do it. 274. Make a memorable logo. Everyone around the nation can identify to the logos of McDonald’s or Facebook. It’s crucial to have a logo that represents your business in a unique and brilliant manner. 275. .com is still the best. If you can’t find a domain name for your business on .com, keep trying. Try adding small words or phrases to the end of your domain name to maintain the .com. 276. Timing is everything. Finding a hot market and launching when the buzz is just starting is a great way to be successful. If you can be the leading company in a hot new industry, your chances of success are much higher. 277. Don’t underestimate the power of color. Color has the power to persuade, influence and engage a reader. Don’t be afraid of color when working on your marketing materials. Thanks to digital printing, full color pieces have become more affordable than ever. 278. Invest in your own identity. If you are looking to start up a new venture, don’t skimp on the logo. Your logo is the first impression of your business (especially when all you have are business cards to hand out). If there is one thing to spend some money on, it’s building your identity. And don’t forget to choose a great company name! 279. Royalty free. Royalty free photography is a designer’s dream come true. The images can be purchased quickly, at a reasonable rate, and can be used an unlimited number of times. This is an excellent way to build a beautiful, cohesive look to your brand.

37 Web

280. Be vivid virtually. Developing a superior virtual presence requires a mastery of several mediums – phone, email, text messaging, as well as handwritten notes – but the payoff is undeniable. 281. Get visible online. Everyone including your customers are online. If you cannot be found online, making money will be very difficult. Invest considerable time and money to create a strong online presence for your business. 282. Blog. You need to blog for your business as much as possible. Don’t pay someone else to do it, do it yourself. Blogs help business owners establish themselves as experts in their niche while giving information away for free, which can lead to paid deals in the future.

283. Leverage your current user base. Social media is a great way to use your existing connections to spread the word about your latest happenings. 284. Analyze your traffic. Pay attention to how people are using your site, learn and then evolve. Use Google Analytics or other analytical software to understand and track traffic sources, entrance and exit paths. 285. Social media. With the new generation spending hours a day on social networks, it is mandatory for businesses to leverage the social networks to their advantage. 286. Communities have value. If you have an idea that necessarily doesn’t translate into a business, look for ways to build an online community around it. Websites like Instagram or Facebook really had no monetization method, but were able to gain massive pools of wealth by building around their user base.

38 You, the Entrepreneur

287. Network with anyone and everyone. It’s always important for entrepreneurs to always maintain a professional communication channel. 288. Blame yourself. If things aren’t going as expected, don’t play the blame game. 289. Money, money, money. If your company doesn’t have a clear cut strategy on how to make money, you are in a world of trouble. 290. Dress to impress. If you look good, you feel good, and your clients are also feeling good about you. Invest in the extra nice suit because it will pay itself off. 291. Know your weakness. Always know your weakness so you are able to defend yourself when most vulnerable. 292. Look at the silver lining in failure. Failure is never an enjoyable moment but it can be a great learning experience to make you better as an entrepreneur. 293. Small details are still important. Never disregard the small elements of your business because it may make a big difference with your customers. 294. Business is a battle for survival. Some beginner entrepreneurs think that business is a beautiful fairy tale. However, starting a business is a regular struggle against competitors and only the fittest businesses survive. 295. Opportunities are once in a lifetime. If you see a big opportunity, don’t let it slide. You may only get one big opportunity so it’s important that you jump on it! 296. Hustle hard. All successful entrepreneurs hustle hard. Get the best deals possible, look for every opportunity to benefit your startup, and make resources available to you.

297. Don’t put all your eggs in a basket. It’s good to have a few projects and ideas that you are working on. Putting all your efforts into one thing isn’t always the best idea if things don’t work out as planned.

39 You, the Entrepreneur

298. Persistence pays. Regardless of what you are working on, you have to keep at it. Whether you are trying to generate more revenue for your business or simply find the right structure for your company, do not give up. 299. Help others. lf another entrepreneur asks you for their help, it’s good to help them. Sharing favors with other entrepreneurs to help their cause is a great way to benefit your own startup. 300. Sell smartly. lf you do gel substantial offers for your business or startup. always make sure that the payout is higher than sales figures for the next 5 years. Always hold a minimal percentage in the company if you do choose to sell. 301. Know what you do and do what you know. Don’t start a business simply because it seems sexy or boasts large hypothetical profit margins and returns. Do what you love. Businesses built around your strengths and talents will have a greater chance of success. lf your heart isn’t in it, you will not be successful. 302. Always be positive. An attitude that an entrepreneur has is extremely important lf any entrepreneur wants to be successful, they need to maintain a positive attitude. 303. Risk is essential. Regardless of what your venture is, risk is an essential aspect of it However, your risk must be calculated and taken with the best possible circumstances. 304. Be a strong decision maker. Decision making is one of the most important parts of a business. lf you can make strong decisions that wilI benefit the business, you will constantly be growing. 305. Get used to hearing the word NO! Being an entrepreneur, you will have lots of things you will need. lt’s good to get used to hearing the word “No” from an early stage so it doesn’t sting as much later on. 306. Talk the talk. Communication and language are extremely important sales tips for every entrepreneur. Speaking the language of negotiation is a must to reach an agreement on business­ deals. 307. Get in the groove. lf there is something worrying or bothering you, focusing on your startup is nearly impossible. Eliminate outside distractions and get in your groove! 308. Ask the right questions. Asking questions to educate yourself is a great way to learn on the spot Ask other entrepreneurs questions to gain the knowledge to boost your company.

40 You, the Entrepreneur

309. Enjoy success. When success comes to you, make sure you enjoy it! You worked hard for it and it’s good to enjoy the upsides of success when available. 310. Attend tradeshows and seminars. Tradeshows and seminars are a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to converse with others like them. Not only that, but you can build some great connections that can really benefit you. 311. Professionalism. Be a professional whenever you aren’t out having fun with friends or family. You don’t know who you may end up meeting. 312. Have some balls. Stand up for yourself and don’t be afraid to confront others. If you let people push you around, when will it ever end? Letting others push you around may not seem like a big deal at first, but it can impact your life and business in a negative way. 313. Pick a good industry. Look for an industry with exceptional profit margins and high demand. These are usually the industries that can make you the most money. 314. Know when to sell. If you have an offer on the table that is too good to be true, take it and run with it. Your startup may be your baby and you may be attached but the richest entrepreneurs are the ones that know when to let it go. 315. Become an expert. Whatever your industry may be, it’s crucial to be an expert in your field. 316. Invest wisely. Invest in what you really need. If you don’t need something, then don’t purchase it until the desire becomes a necessity. 317. The smartest route isn’t always the easiest one – in most cases there will be multiple

paths to obtaining your goals. Instead of going with the easy route, you need to go with the

smart route.

318. Follow the unwritten rules in life. Some of the most important rules in life are actually not written. If you want to succeed in many cases you have to follow these rules or else you will be disowned from your community. 319. If you want it, then earn it. Don’t expect things to be handed to you in life. Your family’s name or money can only get you so far in life. These days the up and coming millionaires aren’t having it all handed to them, but instead are working hard for it. 320. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. Just because you haven’t seen something before doesn’t mean you should hide from it. Attack the unknown and figure out a way around it.

41 You, the Entrepreneur

332. Start with what you have. If you wait for the perfect solution to come along, you’ll never get your business going. Assume that the right tools, the right systems, and the right people will come along to refine it. 333. Visualize your dream and note it down! Putting your dream in writing is the first step to achieving it. The act of writing creates a commitment on your part, and helps you paint an even clearer picture of your future. 334. Reduce your risks. Eliminate the riskier aspects of your business for later to ensure a steady cash flow in the early goings of your startup. 335. Do your homework. More often than not, real success comes from doing your homework. There’s no use in launching a revolutionary product if your market simply isn’t ready for it. So do your analysis, beta test your product, see who bites, and don’t ever be afraid to put out a free tester. 336. Change your mindset. In spite of increasing opportunities, going it alone continues to be a frightening prospect, particularly in developing economies. However, armed with the correct mind-set, and the right amount of hard work, research and planning, there’s nothing stopping you from turning your big idea into big business success. 337. Wear many hats. In the early going of a startup, to save money, it is essential that you wear as many hats as possible. If there is some job in the company you can handle, then get ready to grind away. 338. Launching is just half of it. Just because you have launched your product doesn’t mean the grind is over. If anything, the grind has just begun and you must work two times as hard to market this product and generate revenue. 339. If you want it, you can get it. Success in anything requires a strong dedication and passion for coming out on top. If you want to be the next big startup, then you can definitely do it. 340. Don’t get too excited. It’s very easy to get ahead of ourselves when success comes to us quick. Sustainability is one of the most important things for any company looking to maintain long-term success. 341. You need a little luck. Every successful startup catches a few lucky breaks here and there. Never pass up lady luck because you have been working hard and you deserve it. 342. Know what your purpose is. What is it that you want to achieve? Knowing one’s purpose can help direct people in the right direction.

42 You, the Entrepreneur

343. Always have a Plan B. Never forget about Murphy’s Law: if a project takes a bad turn, be ready with another plan. 344. Speak up! Ask for advice, network, and look for someone who you respect that can act as a mentor. 345. Find experience elsewhere. Don’t let the lack of knowledge or experience stop you. Build a strong team around you to do what you can’t. 346. Just Do It! As Nike’s slogan says, “just do it”, this is a true statement for entrepreneurs. Don’t overanalyze, things will happen as you go along. 347. Do what makes you money first. Prioritize your to-do list and be sure to put income generating tasks first. Don’t get caught up in the business of busy work. 348. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions! You never get anything you don’t ask for. Ask for the business. Ask for referrals. Ask for a better price. 349. Success takes time. Be willing to work long hours for little to no profit for the first two to three years. The first phase of creating a startup is all about work and minimal return. 350. Able to just “get it.” Entrepreneurs who “get it” are emotionally attuned to peers and customers, so that their gut-level instincts become informed judgments that move the business forward. “With-it”-ness takes work, like reading the right blogs daily, challenging yourself to stay abreast of the latest technology and social media marketing. 351. Complex thinking. Successful entrepreneurs have an unusual capacity for connecting the dots, being able to see the big picture, how the elements should fall into place, and the next logical step. 352. Learn how to talk the talk. Talking is probably the main medium used in the world of business. Like insurance agents, you should know how to close deals. 353. Stamina matters. A few best practices: learning to set boundaries, delegating work, keeping a clear focus on goals and employing small steps toward progress. 354. Practice makes perfect. Keep practicing ways to improve your startup. The more you practice and the bigger the efforts, the better your chances for success in the long run. 355. Maintain control. When you already have your goal on hand, it is essential for you to have the value of control or discipline. This means that you must work hard not only at the

43 About the Author

Jeet Banerjee was born in Southern California. He is a serial entrepreneur, TEDX speaker and consultant looking to change the world with his passion for entrepreneurship. His first signs of entrepreneurship came at an earlier age than most others. At just 9 years old, he created his first website based around his passion of basketball, PowerDunk. He likes to say that this was best business name he has ever came up with. At the age of 15, Jeet began working jobs afterschool. He took an array of jobs during a span of 2 years. During these 2 years, he was getting fired or quitting from every single job. He took over 12 jobs before finally realizing that working for someone else wasn’t right for him. As a senior in high school, Jeet decided to launch his first company, JB Media Force. He grew this company to 20+ employees and sold it for a profit 2 years later while attending school. In February of 2012, Jeet Banerjee launched his second startup coming to compliment his passion for solving problems.

He created StatFuse, a website that helps students and their parents prepare, plan, and get accepted into college. He would go on to build this business for the next 4 years and he grew this company to over 250,000 users. In November of 2016, Jeet sold StatFuse to LendEDU making it his second successful acquisition and exit in his young career. Since then, Jeet hasn’t slowed his entrepreneurial drive down. Not only has he spoken at conferences around the world, including TEDx, but he’s launched other projects. Currently, Jeet Banerjee has founded and managed a handful of online businesses that are currently generating well over 6 figures each. These businesses are generating Jeet passive income and he has finally decided to help others find the freedom and success the has been able to achieve! You can check out Jeet’s website or read his blog at www.JeetBanerjee.com

44 Getting In Touch with Me

Personal Website:

My Blog:

www.JeetBanerjee.com/Blog

www.JeetBanerjee.com

If you are interested in contacting me, doing business with me or want to reach out to me for anything else, feel free to contact me using any of the methods listed below. From my website & blog, you can find out exactly what I am up to and get in touch with me directly.

45 The Income Incubator

DITCH YOUR SH*TTY JOB, BUILD AN EPIC ONLINE BUSINESS & LIVE LIFE ON YOUR TERMS!

Learn how you can build a successful online business with The Income Incubator. Unlike any other courses or programs, you may find on the internet, The Income Incubator is the first-ever ACADEMY poised to teach you the secrets of finding online success. Here’s the thing. Ever since I began my entrepreneurial journey at the age of 17, I have never shared how I’ve built my successful businesses or the processes that I have taken. I have kept it under wraps and completely focused on myself. Aside from my blog, I have shared very little with people. For the FIRST TIME EVER, I am ready to give back everything that I have been able to achieve. I am launching the ultimate ACADEMY that will teach you 7 different business modules that are currently making me passive income every month. Here are all the businesses you will learn:

1. Physical Products Business

2. EBooks/Digital Publishing Company

3. Hardcover/Paperback Publishing Company

4. Mobile Applications Business

5. Blogging

6. Web Applications

7. Social Media Agency Not only that, but EVERY NEW business venture I go into and become successful with will be included in the future in this academy. Take advantage NOW because this offer will NOT last forever. I am only taking a select number of students.