Here are the best posts we found in the month of December:
7 Holiday Marketing Strategies to Improve Your Sales
During the holidays, it is often a great time to make your online store look seasonal. Think about how your online store could stand out. You can hire someone on Fiverr to create a holiday logo cheaply just by adding a snowman to your logo or a little mistletoe.
Even if you own a construction business or a plumbing business, make your online store look seasonal. A small amount of holiday cheer goes a long way. Show your customers that you are in the holiday spirit. It can also show them if you are offering a holiday gift or special.
Also, think about increasing your social media presence. Now is the time to show off your business on your social media site. How are your employees getting ready for the holidays? Show your holiday parties, your employees, and what you are doing to serve your customers better. Read more here.
Everything I’ve Learned from Growing My Startup to 10 Million Users with $0 in Funding
Rarely do I come across inspiring quotes from mathematicians, but this one, from the late Morris Kline, has been echoing in my brain for weeks: “The most fertile source of insight is hindsight.”
Startups are often urged to keep driving forward; to hit new targets, build more and grow faster, bigger, better. As Jotform recently turned 15 and unveiled our first new brand in over a decade, I’ve been inspired to pause and look back in the rearview mirror.
I launched the company in 2006, driven by a vision to create simple web forms (and fueled by gallons of Starbucks coffee). So much has changed since those early days. We’ve added hundreds of staff, opened three offices on two continents and built a product with 10 million users. And we still haven’t taken any outside funding. Read more here.
23 Businesses You Can Start on a Budget
Many people dream of starting their own business and now can do so on a low budget. Businesses with low upfront costs are easy to pursue, particularly if you have the skills to do so.
Richard Branson said, “Entrepreneurship is about turning what excites you in life into capital so that you can do more of it and move forward with it.”
Some jobs start small, and you can do them alone. This is called micropreneurship. A micropreneur or microbusiness operates on a very small scale or with no more than five employees. These business professionals usually work with little up-front costs but require discipline to work and market themselves.
Of course, you don’t have to work alone. You may prefer to start your business small with a partner or you may have hopes of having a staff one day and growing your business large. Read more here.
How To Stand Out When Your Product Solves Everyday Problems
It’s been said that the best products on the market are those that solve a clear problem for a niche target consumer. After all, consumers will always be motivated to buy their way out of pain as opposed to buying a “nice to have,” or a product that enhances their lives. Since this is an entrepreneurial truth, the market is swarming with products specifically geared toward the everyday problems consumers encounter, from how to clean up spills and messes to even smaller knick knacks made for convenience, like the toothpaste contraptions that ensure you get every last drop.
However, there’s certainly a science to standing out and catching a consumer’s attention. If your product does solve a problem, you’re already up a notch in their book, but you might be competing with a lot of other brands solving the same problem. Here’s how to stand out in the sea of products that solve everyday problems. Read more here.
8 Essential Individuals All Entrepreneurs Must Have in Their Inner Circle
Entrepreneurship will kill you physically, mentally and emotionally if you go about it alone. You need the right people around you to become successful — no matter how great your foundation is.
Surrounding myself with people I can trust has made the most significant difference in the success of my business. They challenge me to be better and push me to take actions that I would typically consider far beyond my reach.
Being alone with your business gets old quickly (trust me). I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences where I tried to do things myself — only to get overwhelmed and give up. That’s why it is so crucial to build relationships with people who support you in the right ways.
I’ve compiled a list of the eight people that every entrepreneur needs on their team. Read more here.
If you missed last month’s link roundup please check it out here.
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