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What advice would you give to novice entrepreneurs?

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Running a successful business is not always easy but don’t be afraid of failure you are not alone, I have failed many times as an entrepreneur, now a mentor and I may still make many mistakes in the future, off course its not a prayer but a reality that may happen. I’m not discouraged, don’t be either, choose wise and smart people, keep moving and working on your self and do due diligence about the business you are about to venture into, never forget to always pursue your passion and then the money will come. I am Chief a Consulting Business Strategist and Mentor

Report JOLLY ALBERT's answer

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Thank you for your response. How do you suggest that I get started to I can obtain my first sale?

Report Honest's answer

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  1. Do not promise what you cannot deliver

  2. Do not overextend your resources and get a reputation for poor performance.

  3. Do not tell the customer what he or she wants to hear. Tell them what they need to know. They will respect you for it.

  4. Network constantly on professional sites such as Linked In, Quora, Alignable and others. Use Groups and Q&A features to accumulate an "Expert" rating from peers in your field.

  5. Blog like there is no tomorrow. A blog is quite different than a web site. Provide good, solid information free of charge and use blog searches for synergistic businesses to team with. Teaming is an absolute necessity these days.

  6. Be prepared to provide information, samples and valuable service gratis as a marketing tool. Introduce yourself and then immediately engage the client with your presentation tools available to bring your expertise to whatever topic they are interested in. Let them take you where they want to go with their concerns and their needs. Apply your presentation tools and expertise dynamically on the fly in a sincere manner to those concerns and needs and you will be in demand for follow up business.

  7. Quote and bill what the client can afford and grow with them (in content and resources).

  8. Be dedicated to working yourself out of a job with a specific customer and having your client take over by training. They will remember you and recommend you to 10 others.

  9. Remember growth is a function of persistence and foresight. Know where your market is headed and get their first - then write and speak about your success indirectly by helping others. Demonstrate humility and a satisfaction in helping others succeed. They will find ways to give you credit. There are ways of tooting your horn without making peoples' lights go out.

  10. Word of mouth advertising from pleased clients is a sure ticket to success.

https://www.smalltofeds.com/2011/11/10-golden-rules-for-small-business.html

Report Kenneth's answer

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I think I need to be more specific. After reading the incredible advice on here, I believe I just need to go for it. I should pretend that I am at my job and sample talent my work for free until people trust me enough to buy! What do you think???

Report Honest's answer

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Here is the top advice I would give to any Novice Entrepreneur. Before you start, any business:

Define your "WHY"!

Define "why" you are getting in the business? Define what is the purpose of doing what you thinking of doing as an entrepreneur. If you have your why defined. It will help you answer everything else.

Your product/service and why is it needed Your USP Who is your TG price point Competitive advantage

and everything else. So first thing first. Define your WHY.

Report Sonia's answer

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I recommend that all entrepreneurs understand the fundamentals of business, as well as the basic to advanced information available on various platforms. In my opinion, dataromas provides you with a list of business experts' portfolios, which is really good.

Report kathie's answer

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My advice to any novice entrepreneur:

  1. Think BIG and think DEEP!

Thing BIG I always advise new business owners to think big. It's OK to think BIG. How big do you want your business to become in the next 5, 10, 15 years? Once you know that, then you can start preparing your foundations for that kind of future! Remember: You can’t build a sky scrapper on the foundation of a bungalow.

Think DEEP

Think seriously about the importance and relevance of your business. Ask questions: Will my business be relevant in the next 10 years? What is the economic value of the industry you are about to start in and the percentage of the market share? Should I seriously invest in this industry? Who are your ideal customers? Where can you find them? Think structure: Where will you set your base? How will you operate? Who will you operate with and why? How will you make money? How will you grow your business structure? A business plan will help you think deeply.

  1. Start Small!

Start from where you are or with what you have. Reduce your debts because you may not be able to pay them off on time. It's better to start your business with as little debt as possible so you can concentrate on your growth and asset acquisitions. So start small but more importantly don't over think start. The journey of a thousand miles starts first with some few steps.

  1. Grow Fast!

Do everything you can to learn all you can from experts and implement your knowledge. This is how to grow. You grow by doing not by knowing. Practice does not make perfect it makes you better! So grow and become better by doing what you have learnt from credible leaders and mentors.

I hope this helps you?

Cheers!

I am Dr.3pleA (pronounced Doctor Triple A)

Report Adeniyi's answer

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The number one thing you should have in mind is entrepreneurs rule the world and are creators of the larger jobs in the society but in as much as they do that, you should know that it comes with allot of risk taking, quick dedicated decision making, focus, and observing the little things that matters. It's a lot to take in as an entrepreneur that it is for the eyes to see. The late nights and sleepless nights just to put things in other but in all the activities persevere, the end result is always juicy doing it correctly. Mind you any wrong step can make you start all over again, but prepare for the worse knowing fully well the best entrepreneurs fail multiple times before making their marks and standing on their fit. I hope this was helpful ? My name is Idris Adamu from Nigeria.

Report Idris's answer

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