Erica Abbott — November 15, 2016 Follow @erica_abbottAmerica was built by entrepreneurs and National Entrepreneurs Day celebrates the accomplishments and dreams of go-getters everywhere. Celebrated each year in the month of November, it recognizes the millions of entrepreneurs in America who are paving the way for further success and innovation. President Barack Obama officially proclaimed November as National Entrepreneurship Month, encouraging others to support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow and those who “have always striven to achieve the next big, unknown thing.”
According to Inc., a report found last year that there were 27 million Americans who were starting or running new businesses, a record high. The report also found that more than half of the working population believed that there were good opportunities for entrepreneurship and starting a business.
To mark the day, we asked entrepreneurs from various industries what advice they would give to entrepreneurs who are just starting out. See what they had to say below:
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What advice would you give to an entrepreneur just starting out?
- Care about your users. It’s the best way to learn what they need. And caring is not only a marketing strategy. But also a life strategy. — Gabor Papp, Growth Marketer at Shapr3D — @pappgab [Tweet this]
- Focus on building relationships with people who believe in your ideas and share your vision. No entrepreneur can build a company alone. — Ludovic Huraux, CEO of Shapr — @LudovicHuraux [Tweet this]
- Start with the end in mind. — Regina Huber, CEO of Transform Your Performance — @transformdance [Tweet this]
- Promote, promote, promote. At the gym, at the grocery store, the hair salon, wherever, talk about your business and ask them to look you up! — Haralee Weintraub, CEO of Haralee.Com — @Haralee [Tweet this]
- Don’t be afraid of telling someone about your idea fearing they will steal it. You are only missing out on important feedback. — Mikael Lauharanta, COO at Smarp — @BeSmarp [Tweet this]
- Finding your bookkeeper is job #1. Trust me! List 100 people u KNOW who’ll pay 4 yr product B4 creating. — Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, President of Gracefully Global Group LLC — @GraceTiscareno [Tweet this]
- #smallbiz pro tip! Incorporate or form an LLC for your business to legitimize your company and save money on taxes. — Deborah Sweeney, CEO of MyCorporation.com — @mycorporation [Tweet this]
- Be dedicated, be adaptive, take risks & pursue innovation. — Robin Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of WeGoLook — @CrowdCween [Tweet this]
- You started your company because you are great at what you do. If your specialty is not finance, hire a trusted bookkeeper asap. — Julia Labaton President of RED PR — @JuliaLabaton [Tweet this]
- Happy Entrepreneur Day!: #StayOrganized #Network #NotTooPersonal #HireAPublicist #ThinkBig #NoRegrets — Adrienne Mazzone, President of TransMedia Group — @AdrienneMazzone [Tweet this]
- Focus on a clearly defined niche with an obvious need. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. — Amber Lee, CEO of Visual Country [Tweet this]
- Don’t sabotage your business with self-doubt. Trust yourself, learn to meditate, don’t make excuses, and keep on moving forward! — Erin Morris, Founder and Lead Designer of Evergreen Design Studio — @Er1nM [Tweet this]
- Be ready, willing and able to get right back up after being knocked down. It will happen, so be prepared. Obstacles are to be expected. — Jonathan Long, Co-founder of Sexy Smile Kit — @sexysmilekit [Tweet this]
- Outsource and delegate what you don’t have the skillset for or can be done by cheaper labor! — April Davis, Owner of LUMA — @LUMA_search [Tweet this]
- Your business will be limited by your personal development – you need to work on yourself to grow your business. — Amy Landolt, Licensed Acupuncturist and owner of Northshore Acupuncture Center LLC — @NorthshoreAcu [Tweet this]
- Time is your most valuable asset. Take advantage of all the tools & resources that streamline or automate your back end business processes. — Courtney Wilson, Founder & CEO of DropZone For Veterans — @DropZoneForVets [Tweet this]
- When choosing partners or investors, look for those with a different skillset & background to complement your own rather than duplicate them — Matt Errington, Founder and Principal of SMB: The School of Music Business — @StudyatSMB [Tweet this]
- The best defense of mediocrity is innovation. — Kristen Fusaro-Pizzo, CEO of Bath Body Candle Moments — @bathbodycandlem [Tweet this]
- Community will drive your brand. Build it. — Erica McMannes, CEO/Co-founder of HireMadSkills, Inc. — @Hire_Madskills [Tweet this]
- Don’t execute sweepstakes marketing programs because others are. Ensure ALL campaigns dovetail into your marketing plan. — Carolyn Wilman, Founder of Contest Queen — @ContestQueen [Tweet this]
- We all have the same 24 hrs a day but what separates the successful from the unsuccessful is what we do with our time. — Raphael Baker, Agency Owner of The Raphael Baker Agency [Tweet this]
- Time is your most valuable asset! If you want to do it, do it now. There is never a right time. — Daisy Jing, CEO and Founder of Banish [Tweet this]
- Beware of unrealistic optimism! Don’t let enthusiasm prevent you from doing your research. Figures don’t lie. — Cindy Readnower, Owner of Skinny Leopard Media — @CindyReadnower [Tweet this]
- Great products marketed poorly fail. Poor products marketed well succeed. Make time, figure it out, and #GETSHITDONE. — Peter Schroeder, Digital Marketing/Social Media/Growth Manager at RendrFX — @RendrFX [Tweet this]
- Fire bullets then cannonballs, always be reducing any new initiative to the smallest possible experiment to validate if it will work. — Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal [Tweet this]
- The best thing you can invest in time and time again is the person you see when you look in the mirror. Optimize your life for growth. — Ross Simmonds, Co-founder of Crate — @TheCoolestCool [Tweet this]
- Have vision, but be able to execute. It takes time to climb the mountain but with will, productivity and time, the reward is invaluable. — A.J. Bennett, Author of The Adventures of Big Sil [Tweet this]
- You are just as much your #Brand as your product or service. Help us get to know everything you have to offer! #NationalEntrepreneurDay — Carrie Aulenbacher, Exec. Admin. of Transportation Investment Group — @aully1 [Tweet this]
- Entrepreneurs face a massive learning curve, so be gentle with yourself as you learn… and remind yourself how far you’ve come. — Lisa Goller, Content Marketing Strategist of lisagoller.com — @StrategicWords [Tweet this]
- Just start something. Don’t waste time learning how to do things. Just do things. Move fast & LEARN as you GO. Don’t care what others think. — Herby Fabius, Founder of Billion Success — @billionsuccess [Tweet this]
- There is no shame in asking for help. Build smart and steady with people you can trust who share your core values and believe in your brand. — Melis Steiner, Founding Partner & Chief Consultant at Melis+Dainon Marketing/Clear Vision Brand Partners — @melisdainonsays [Tweet this]
- No matter how good you are at your craft, you will never succeed if you do not learn to also be good at business. — Marissa Russell, Certified Life Coach at The High Achieving Woman [Tweet this]
- Find your passion. Success in business requires unimaginable time and energy. Work will kill you, but your passion drives your mission. — Joe McCullum, Founder of Eagles’ Wings Business Coaching [Tweet this]
- Know your brand & be consistent. If you don’t know what sets you apart no one else will. — Jessica Markham, Attorney at Markham Law Firm — @markhamlegal [Tweet this]
- If you want a fail-proof business, have zero expenses. — Sean Iddings, Author of Intelligent Fanatics Project [Tweet this]
- Time is your most valuable asset! If you want to do it, do it now. There is never a right time. Learn, Plan, Do, Fail. Don’t stop! — Tomesha D. Walker, Owner of The Walker Group — @TomeshaWalker [Tweet this]
- Everyone won’t go on the journey with you, live YOUR dream. — Calvalyn Day, Business Coach at CGDay Services, LLC — @famandbizcoach [Tweet this]
- A good idea well marketed beats a great idea that’s not. — Samson Adepoju, Founder & CEO of SalonYourWay — @SalonYourWay [Tweet this]
- If you truly believe in your idea, give up excuses & doubt, surround yourself w a trusted & talented team, bulldoze forward, don’t look back — Lori Cheek, Founder/CEO of Cheekd — @loricheeknyc [Tweet this]
- Try and find a business partner that complements your talents. — Callie Valentino, CEO of Wed-ease.com [Tweet this]
- You have no business without your customers. Treat them that way! — Roberta Perry, Founder of ScrubzBody.com — @scrubzbody [Tweet this]
- Delegate! The devil is in the details which are always better managed by experts & specialists. — Roy Cohen, Career Coach & Best-selling Author — @RoyCohen [Tweet this]
- Enjoy the dream you’re creating. — Mickey Swortzel, CFO of New Eagle [Tweet this]
- Be adaptable. Your product or service is always a work in progress. Constantly look for ways to tweak or improve it. — Sophie Knowles, Founder & CEO of PDF Pro [Tweet this]
- If you don’t do then you just didn’t. #keepdoing — Kevin Lawton, Real Estate Salesperson at Coldwell Banker Schiavone & Associates — @kevin_lawton [Tweet this]
- Challenge the status quo. Even small improvements to what already exists can have a significant impact. Find ways to make things better. — Bryan Robertson, Co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer of Mindyra — @MindyraHealth [Tweet this]
- Find your niche. Focus on an industry you know extremely well and carve out a segment of customers. — Bob Ellis, Founder & Owner of Bavarian Clockworks — @CuckooClocks4U [Tweet this]
- There is no “hack” to successful entrepreneurship. You must DO THE WORK necessary to make your competition of no consequence. — Camille D. Jamerson, Senior Consultant & CEO of CDJ & Associates — @CDJamerson [Tweet this]
- Rely on data, track trends and analyze every creative experiment. Being predictable is one of the best things you can be in business. — Monica Georgieff, CMO of Kanbanize — @MonGeorgieff [Tweet this]
- Create as much valuable content as possible and don’t be afraid to share it. — Stefanie Parks, Founder of DermWarehouse — @dermwarehouse [Tweet this]
- Reach out and ask for help/advice/support. People reach back! — Nora Livingstone, CEO of Animal Experience International [Tweet this]
- If you’re not terrified, then you aren’t thinking big enough. The best ideas are the ones that scare you. — Emily Kent, Marketing Manager at LyncServe — @lyncserve [Tweet this]
- If you’re thinking about waiting for the perfect time to start out, there’s never a perfect time. — Ahmed Khalifa, Founder of IgniteRock [Tweet this]
- Have a long term mindset. It’ll prevent your emotions from getting caught up in day-to-day business frustrations. — Kornel Kurtz, CEO of Webtek Computer Company — @webtekcc [Tweet this]
- Build a simple financial forecast in excel and use the key drivers as key performance indicators that your entire team manages to. — Ben Mccrey, President and Co-Founder of One Park Financial [Tweet this]
- Have a realistic financial plan, with enough money to execute and watch every penny! — John Lie-Nielsen, CEO and Co-Founder of One Park Financial [Tweet this]
- You’ll have to make quick decisions & be uncomfortable most of the time. It’s ok, you’ll get better at it. — Mike Cleary, CEO of Huemor Designs LLC — @Huemor_me [Tweet this]
- Being an entrepreneur means being free to create, build, shape and innovate. — Sarah Davis, Owner of Fashionphile [Tweet this]
- Customer service is going to be the only way to set yourself apart in a global selling environment. — Joy Woodruff, Director of eCommerce at Sound of Tri-State [Tweet this]
- Owning a business is not for everyone, but for those who hunger for it – you cannot not go for it with all your might! — Niko Papasideris, Owner of New & Sealed [Tweet this]
- Success is 99% execution, 1% idea. Get the 1% wrong, the 99% won’t matter. Good ideas solve a problem. Make sure your idea solves one. — David Waring, Co-founder of Fit Small Business — @davidwaring [Tweet this]
- Never be too proud to get your hands dirty by being involved. — Rune Sovndahl, Co-founder and CEO of Fantastic Services [Tweet this]
- Go to market as soon as possible by building your MVP. Making things perfect is an endless process & the product will never be 100% perfect. — Sagi Gidali, Co-founder and CPO of SaferVPN — @SagiGidali [Tweet this]
- Cash flow is king. You can have the best product or service but w/o cash flow your biz is dead. — Randy Mitchelson, VP of iPartnerMedia — @ipartnermedia [Tweet this]
- Focus your efforts on revenue generation, instead of spending money on expenses. — Ben Brooks, Founder & CEO of PILOT — @benbrooksny [Tweet this]
- Build a company with a product or service that people need. Do your research. Find trustworthy mentors. Move the needle every day. — Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners — @RoyMorejon [Tweet this]
- If a business idea is viable, just do it. Don’t prevaricate, wait for the stars to align, or until every duck is in a row, just do it. — Gregory Dewald, Founder and CEO of Bright!Tax [Tweet this]
- Live Your Passion With Truth, Joy & Conviction … Failure Is Not An Option … Believe In Yourself. — Michael G. Velázquez, Agent at State Farm — @mgv23statefarm [Tweet this]
- Learn. Everyone knows more than you about something and your job is to politely extract that knowledge. — Mike Catania, CTO of PromotionCode.org — @chompy [Tweet this]
- Plan to spend money on #marketing – at least 10% of your annual budget. — Erika Taylor Montgomery, CEO-Chief Publicist of Three Girls Media — @PublicityErika [Tweet this]
- Trust yourself to garner experience through research and conversation, and lean on the expertise of others to help forge your path. — Bryan Weinstein, CEO and founder of Bar-B-Clean [Tweet this]
- Be highly interested in self-development, and pair it with a strong willingness to grow through strategic advancement opportunities. — Dr. Karlos Boghosian, Founder and CEO of SoVita Chiropractic Center [Tweet this]
- Play an integral role in your brand’s recognition, committing yourself to being a true innovator and market driver in your industry. — Jeff Huhtanen, President and CEO of Fix It Fast [Tweet this]
- Don’t be afraid to try something that’s never been done. Experiment, observe and always embrace change. — Michael Moorhouse, Vice President of Mosquito Shield [Tweet this]
- Never let your eagerness to succeed compromise your integrity – there is a place for both in business. — David Ellenwood, Founder and CEO of Sunny Days In-Home Care [Tweet this]
- Always be cognizant of how quickly business can change and embrace the adversity. Flexibility is a fundamental tool of business ownership. — John Covilli, Senior Vice President of Franchising at Dale CarnegieTraining [Tweet this]
- Make the call. Trust your staff. Clean your desk. Let it go. Give back. — Rick Spence, President of CanEntrepreneur Comms — @rickspence [Tweet this]
- Don’t just find a problem – find a problem people will pay to get solved. — Kirk Du Plessis, Owner and Founder of OptionAlpha.com — @OptionAlpha [Tweet this]
- Be open to making mistakes once. Just don’t make the same mistake twice. — Ed Brancheau, CEO of Goozleology Digital Marketing — @Goozleology [Tweet this]
- Keeping up with your expenses, profits, and budgets are key. — Vid Lamonte’ Buggs Jr., Founder/Owner of VLB/VBJ Enterprises, LLC [Tweet this]
- Your business idea doesn’t have to be perfect, you will iterate as real customers use it. Verify that you have a market & get started…now! — Danielle Tate, Founder & CEO of MissNowMrs.com — @elegant_entre [Tweet this]
- Your gifts, passions and motivations are your unique, competition-proof assets. Put them front and center in your game plan. — Reggie Hammond, Managing Partner at Your Crescendo — @yourcrescendo [Tweet this]
- #LoveLetter to new #Entrepreneurs and #StartUps: Trust Your Gut, Get Funded First, Do Something You Love, Get a Mentor & #TakeLeapsOfFaith — Jennifer Martin, Founder of Zest Business Consulting & Loving Your Business to Wealth — @ZestBizCoach [Tweet this]
- Build a team you trust and respect who share your values. If you hire the right people from the start, you’ll weather any inevitable storm. — Stephanie Shyu, Founder of AdmitSee.com — @sjshyu [Tweet this]
- Remember to enjoy riding the learning curve of entrepreneurship. It will be stressful, but you’ll grow faster than you ever imagined! — Mae Karwowski, Founder & CEO of Obvious.ly — @maewow [Tweet this]
- A well-crafted elevator pitch opens doors. If you can’t even get the conversation started, you’ll miss opportunity altogether! — Heather Towsley, Semantics Sorceress at Elevator Pitch Wizard — @wordwizardry [Tweet this]
- If your brand was a person, who would it sound like? What would it stand for? Decide what your brand represents & reflect that in its voice. — Kimberly Barnes, Founder of ContentPark [Tweet this]
- Hire a lean team of hardworking, motivated employees who will wear many hats. — Craig Bloem, CEO of FreeLogoServices — @CraigBloem [Tweet this]
- If there’s any decision that’s critical to a company’s future, it is the decision of who you let join your team. — Karl Sun, CEO of Lucid Software — @lucidchart [Tweet this]
- Run your own race and don’t compare your progress to others. Create your own definition of success. — Kandice Cole, Education Consultant at K. Cole Consulting — @kandicenate [Tweet this]
- Learning never stops. Find a training program on what you want specifically want to achieve and study it. — Amber Renae, Style Engineer — @AmberRenae [Tweet this]
- Build a strong team – you can’t do everything yourself and you’ll need a group of motivated team members to help you grow. — Daniel Bjarne, Co-founder and CEO of SchoolApply — @danielbjarne [Tweet this]
- Be open to advice and changes, but also stay true to your course. Success doesn’t come easy, so hard work and execution is imperative. — Bill Johnston, Co-Founder and President of Recover Brands — @recoverbrands [Tweet this]
- Be flexible! Your ideas and business will evolve over time. — Michael Banks, Founder of The Fortunate Investor — @FortunateInvest [Tweet this]
- If you have an idea that you’re passionate about, go for it. — Michael Krasman, CEO and Co-founder of UrbanBound — @UrbanBound [Tweet this]
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Talk to as many people as you can. — Paul Burke, CEO & Founder of RentHoop — @pburke24 [Tweet this]
- Remember, you are no longer trading time for money. So produce > indisputable value. — Robin Graham, Owner of Q Canvas Prints [Tweet this]
- 1. Be completely devoid of ego, yet confident, 2. Have an insatiable curiosity – don’t stop asking why, 3. Be authentic — Mark Organ, CEO/Founder Influitive [Tweet this]
- Never stop learning. Mistakes are opportunities for growth and change and stay humble in success to continue learning from what goes right. — Charles Dugan, Owner of American Image Displays [Tweet this]
- Be #lean: do it / try it / fix it, then rinse and repeat. — Jim Price, EIR at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies [Tweet this]
- When conflict arises, keep your cool. You can always burn bridges later, but you can only do it once. — Sina Eghrari, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer of SocioFabrica & Nicho — @eghrari [Tweet this]
- Don’t be afraid to be yourself. From building a biz plan to meeting with potential clients, all you can “own” is you—so do it. #doyou — Bilal Kaiser, Principal at Agency Guacamole — @bka1ser [Tweet this]
- Don’t be afraid to jump into your new venture – if you wait until every single detail is mapped, you’ll never start chasing your dream. — Rachel Delia, Founder of Flask Brands — @flaskbrands [Tweet this]
What tweetable advice would you give to an entrepreneur? Let us know in the comments section below!
Responses have been edited for clarity and length
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