Author: Karen Southall Watts

You probably know you need to network, and the primary reason you are willing to do so is to grow your business. Yet there’s a difference between just going to events and high value networking. Done well, networking gets you exposure, helps you find potential clients and customers, and opens possible joint ventures and deals. […]

Are you ready for entrepreneurship? Is business ownership for you? Before you take the leap it’s important that you understand the realities of starting and running a business. Most articles on this topic will warn you about the lack of a predictable paycheck, the need to take risks, and the importance of internal motivation. I […]

When I was in high school we learned to type business letters using standard form templates and mastering the art of carbon paper. Communication today is faster, more effective and sometimes trickier than spending the day crafting the perfect letter. After all, we often discover a mistake after clicking “send.” How can you get the […]

Baseball cards, tea cozies, stamps—humans love to collect things. Even time pressed entrepreneurs may find the time to acquire a collection of antique dolls or ceramic frogs. Business cards, however are not simply for collection. After you leave that networking event, it is essential that you follow up. Otherwise all you’ve done is stuff your […]

It’s a well-known, but dangerous maxim that entrepreneurs need to “wear all the hats.” Often the founder is the person who sweeps up and takes out the trash, especially in the start-up phase of a business. However, the goal of smart entrepreneurs is to spend as much time as possible operating in their own personal […]

Wouldn’t it be great if enthusiasm and passion could protect us from failure? Eventually, it happens to every entrepreneur—a setback. Maybe a new product line didn’t sell, or perhaps an emergency drained your cash reserves. Before you can step up after a setback you must accept that missteps, mistakes and messiness are part of the […]

You’ve decided entrepreneurship is the path for you. Now what? Successful start-ups don’t just happen, and it’s time to lay the foundation for your new enterprise. Too many budding entrepreneurs are seduced by stories of million dollar businesses sketched on the back of cocktail napkins, or mistakenly worry that they must “wear all the hats,” […]

Small business ownership, creating your own job, becoming an entrepreneur—no matter how you say it, controlling your own success is very popular and very tempting. Yet, is this the right path for you? Are you ready for entrepreneurship and all it includes? Find out by honestly answering these questions. Do I have a great idea […]

By now most of us know that networking is an essential part of entrepreneurial success. However, those of us not blessed with natural networking skills need a strategy to get the most out of the practice. One component of a successful networking plan is buddy networking. The key to making the buddy approach work for […]