Articles about some of the business owners mentioned in the presentation:
Maya Penn – Atlanta Area student business owner
Blippar
Article about Blippar founder
Emotiv
Article about Emotiv Founder
Digital Compass is the only educational game that gives kids the freedom to explore how decisions made in their digital lives can impact their relationships and future.
Distracted driving is NEVER OK! Take the pledge here
Resources
Young Entrepreneurs (SBA)
This course introduces young entrepreneurs to the basics of creating and financing a successful business. You will learn to evaluate your ideas, choose the best financing options and legally register your business. The course will point you to the resources you need on your entrepreneurial journey
Get to Know Your Competition: Use SBA’s Size Up Tool to initiate your search for local competitors.
Marketing 101: A Guide to Winning Customers
Sales: A Guide for the Small Business Owner
Introduction to Customer Service
Creating a formal Business Plan
Next Steps:
Finding Mentors (excerpts from SBA.gov):
During the first few years of your business’s life, you will need a mentor…someone to turn to for advice and support.
A mentor is someone who has been there before…they are experienced, successful, and can provide critical guidance to help you make an informed decision with your business.
Free business mentor organizations such as SCORE, a nationwide network of business mentors who provide free and confidential counseling, mentoring, and advice to small business owners. SCORE offers in-person and online mentoring, hosts online and in-person training, and offers free business related templates and worksheets on their website, www.score.org
In person assistance:
• SBA’s 84 District and Branch offices connect entrepreneurs to resources, products, and services that can help them start, manage, and grow their business. These offices are located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are associated with institutions of higher education – universities, colleges and community colleges. More than 900 SBDCs offer no-cost, extensive, one-on-one long-term professional business advising, low-cost training, and other specialized services, such as procurement, manufacturing, and technology assistance, which are critical to small business growth.
• Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) provide free management and technical assistance to help women and men start and grow small businesses. There are over 100 WBCs located throughout the US and Puerto Rico.
Visit SBA Local Assistance to find a location near you.
LINK: http://1.usa.gov/1kihdhJ
Action Items: (from SBA):
Step 1: Use the “Start A Business” Wizard to find helpful resources specific to your situation.
LINK: http://1.usa.gov/1kG9tbp
Step 2: Use SBA’s Business Plan tool to start making critical decisions about your business.
LINK: http://1.usa.gov/1eOeygT
Step 3: Read SBA’s article, “10 Steps to Starting a Business” for more guidance on those first critical steps:
LINK: http://1.usa.gov/1nWqJfN
Other Examples and resources on the web:
Food Truck Business plan Sample # 2
Read books! The Power to harness the wisdom of thousands of world class business and thought leaders. Learn from the best – they already did it and are sharing their experiences. Never stop reading and learning.
Here are some the books we would recommend (selected from several recommended reads):
Self-improvement
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Carnegie’s classic book was first published in 1936 and remains a best-seller today . The crux is Carnegie’s idea that “the person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people — that person is headed for higher earning power.” Buffett took a course on the book when he was 20 and said the experience “changed my life.”
Leadership and management
The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker
This is the classic management book by business guru Drucker. For Drucker, executives’ key job is to “get the right things done.” He identifies five essential practices to business effectiveness for executives: “managing time, choosing what to contribute, knowing where and how to mobilize strength, setting the right priorities, and effective decision-making.” A favorite of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, this book offers many valuable lessons.
Marketing
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
The book that made the word “remarkable” clear to me (worth remarking on). This book delves into the importance of differentiation and of creating things that other people find worth pointing out. Seth Godin also has a blog where he has published once a day for 12 years now.
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it,” according to Simon Sinek. This book explores how having a clear purpose and mission can propel you to the success you want, both in life and in your business. It’s a must-read.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
The “lean methodology” has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs bootstrap businesses and scale them with minimum time, money, and resources. This is a great book for solo-
entrepreneurs and startups alike.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Another one of the most commonly recommended books for entrepreneurs, The Hard Thing About Hard Things provides a candid and realistic picture of just how messy starting a business can be. Read this dynamic book to become a better leader or entrepreneur.
Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel
It’s hard to find a better business and startup book than this one. Masters and Thiel provide insight on how unicorns are made, and how key principles can impact your success. It’s an easy read, yet the principles are powerful.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Ever wonder why the most successful people talk about their habits? This book will teach you the biological origins of habit, and how to use psychology and evolutionary biology to undo bad ones and replace them with new routines that will fuel your success.
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss provides a blueprint for escaping the daily grind through outsourcing and automation, so you can live the life you want instead of waiting to retire. This book will inspire you to design the life you want, and empower you with tools to build that life.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
This classic, seven-pronged approach encourages you to find your “true north,” move out of inertia, and accomplish your goals.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
A classic by business luminary Napoleon Hill, this book details and condenses the lessons obtained over 20 years of studying successful leaders into “laws” that can be applied to achieve success in any line of work.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
This book details how little changes can lead to a “tipping point” where products, ideas, and behaviors can spread like a virus.
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
The founders of Basecamp (formerly 37signals) wrote this startup playbook for the modern world, challenging readers to defy the status quo, simplify the way they work, and take action in pursuit of their dreams.