Being an entrepreneur means taking risks to build something that will improve the lives of the people in your market. You have to be different to stand out. No one is going to pay attention to a company that is doing the same thing as another company. You don’t need to have a physical product or app to make it big. Pete Cashmore started Mashable when he was 19. Today, his website is one of the leading technology sites on the web.

2. Don’t be afraid to change everything

Change is necessary and nowhere can this advice be more important than in business. Don’t be afraid to change your company or products to pursue an angle that will help you realize your goals. Dennis Crowley, Foursquare’s founder, had to adjust the app in the way that people used it.

3. Know when to stop planning and start doing

What sets entrepreneurs from the dreamers is doing. There is a time to plan and a time to do. Don’t overcomplicate matters. Start shipping as fast as you can and tweak your product as your market consumers it. Eric Ries outlines this notion well in the Lean Startup book.

4. If something doesn’t work, stop

No matter how much effort and finances you pump into your business, sometimes things will just not work out. Don’t be afraid to stop a product or even close down your company. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Don’t waste your time and resources hoping things will change when it is clear they wouldn’t.

5. Looks matter

Design is everything and this is what sets brands with similar products apart. Think about design right from your product to your marketing materials. Having your office, shop, brochure, logo or website looking good will give you the much needed boost in the beginning.

6. Learn how to follow up

No man is an island and so is no business. Relationship building is important especially when you are just starting up. You want to be on the good books of suppliers, industry influencers, product evangelists and so on. This can provide you with the publicity you need for your business to take off.

7. Always be learning

Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and learn new things. Take insight from other businesses and apply it to your situation. Tweak the information you get to fit your business and challenges.

8. Be confident in your product

Cyrus Massoumi, the founder of ZocDoc (the doctor-appointment scheduling site) went door-to-door hawking the product and was kicked by security guards out because he seemed not confident in his offer.

About Jim Jacques

Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, which provides business owners with virtual office services to help them save money and grow their business. Virtual Offices include a prestigious business address in myriad U.S. cities, Virtual Phone Services, courier services and more. Google +

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Wall Street (1987)
Ah, the smell of greed in the morning. True, the entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t work out so well for Charlie Sheen’s character, Bud Fox, as he pursues his white whale, Gordon Gecko. He ends up catching jail time for violating SEC regulations. But, watching Fox take the initiative to get into Gekko’s office in the first place can inspire you to go after our own white whale with a killer pitch and bull dog tenacity.

The Secret of My Success (1987)
What is it about the ’80s? In this tale, Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) climbs from the mail room to the boardroom of a New York company using his connections, his smarts and some quick changes in the elevator and makes you believe anything is possible.

Jerry Maguire (1996)
“Help me, help you!” exhorts sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) to his one and only client. This movie captures the spirit of working for your values when Jerry leaves the big firm to pursue a more idealistic dream of representing athletes. Whether the movie completes you or not, we’ll leave that up to you.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2003)
This story of a single father overcoming homelessness and poverty to rise to the ranks of an investment firm serves as inspiration mostly because it’s a true story. Yes, the real Chris Gardner really did live this story of doing whatever it takes to provide a better life for his son. If you don’t feel inspired to pull all nighters after watching his sacrifice, then you may want to rethink your business plan.

The Social Network (2010)
Yes, the details of the film version of Mark Zuckerberg’s rise to world domination might not exactly follow reality. But when it comes to inspiration, you can’t beat the story of how a simple idea grew to change the face of the Internet, social interaction and business practically overnight. This is the tale of entrepreneurship to beat all tales.

So pop the popcorn, dim the lights and prepare to get inspired for your own efforts. Who knows? Your own story might end up on this list some day.

About Jim Jacques

Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, which provides business owners with virtual office services to help them save money and grow their business. Virtual Offices include a prestigious business address in myriad U.S. cities, Virtual Phone Services, courier services and more. Google +

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• “Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less” – Sam Carpenter

Sam Carpenter shares his experience as a business owner to show the mistakes he made in the beginning. Using examples from the destructive path he took, Sam shows you why it is critical to set-up your business from the beginning. This will allow you to spend less time putting out fires and more time making money.

• “She Takes on the World” - Natalie MacNeil

Natalie MacNeil takes readers on an action filled journey packed with plenty of useful advice on how to run the business of your dreams. You will learn how to grow your business, build a team without much money, and how to get your brand on everyone’s lips. All of this is interwoven with Natalie’s experience.

• “Small Business, Big Vision” – Matthew and Adam Torren

The Torren brothers bring together practical information on starting your own business with their own experiences as successful Internet entrepreneurs. You will get instruction on how to attract investors, put together a business plan, leverage social media, and how to outsource work to the right people. With this mix of experience and practical advice, you will see what you need to make your business a success.

• “Kidpreneurs: Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas!” - Matthew and Adam Torren

Okay, why is a kid’s book in the mix? This book is actually a brilliant summary of the basics of business. So many adults overcomplicate the process. A look at running a humble lemonade will give an experienced business person insights into how to run a successful company. Get back to basics and see what it inspires.

These books will give you insight into what a start-up needs to become a success. If you are thinking about starting your own business, take some time and read what the experts are saying. You will gain insights and learn how to make your business a success from the very beginning.

About Jim Jacques

Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, which provides business owners with virtual office services to help them save money and grow their business. Virtual Offices include a prestigious business address in myriad U.S. cities, Virtual Phone Services, courier services and more. Google +

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Manage tasks with simple, easy mobile apps. For a basic to-do list that can be shared with collaborators, Astrid Task/To-Do list provides a great organizer function, priorities and delegating options. AnyDo is another highly rated task management application. Both have won high acclaim; check them out and decide which works best for your organization style.

Stay connected with your business no matter where you are. The ability to access your business no matter where you are can make the difference between a big opportunity and a flop. For a high-end product, check out LogMeIn Ignition. This app will allow you to access any material on your office computer or laptop from your smartphone at any time. It’s a bigger investment at $25. If you’re not sure that kind of product would be helpful, you can try an app with a similar concept: GoToMyPC is a highly rated, but simpler version that gives many of the same capabilities.

Sync your data.One of the most exciting capabilities your smartphone has is syncing material to have the most up-to-date content for use with your clients and associates. If you love using Google Docs to develop content collaboratively, make sure you use the Google Drive Android app version. This gives you access to all your Google documents and other content, as well as the ability to develop content with feedback in real time.

About Jim Jacques

Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +

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On average 22% of time spent online in our country is spent on social media. It enables us to share our information, interests, activities and snippets of our lives via photos and videos, it has also turned into one of the new business marketing hotspots. Businesses have flocked to different networks to promote their brands, optimize their content and engage both current and prospective customers in order to build brand image, reputation and (hopefully and eventually) sales.

But, as with all trends, people are starting to look for different alternatives.The common Mistakes Young Entrepreneurs Make in Social Media is still relying on social media alone; traditional media will always be around, and it’s important to not forget about these channels to market your brand. The marketing campaign of IWearYourShirt is a great example of blending two types of marketing for optimal results: word-of-mouth marketing and social media marketing. With hundreds of people talking about your brand at the same time, it is more likely to be picked up by more people, and consequently more like to go viral.

So while social media is and will – at least of the foreseeable future – be one of the premier mediums through which businesses conduct their marketing campaigns, it’s important not to lose sight of more traditional strategies. Press releases are as alive as ever, and as IWearYourShirt has demonstrated, so is word-of-mouth marketing.

To learn more about the new and creative entrant to the world of marketing, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223920.

About Jim Jacques

Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +

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Aversion and avoidance is another problem with social media. Since the other person is not physically there, the temptation to respond to something important can be very great. It is also possible to forget about some people entirely as a person focuses on many clients or problems simultaneously. If the upcoming business person does not care a whole lot about his or her business, then that attitude will show through poor customer service and a long response time.

Clients and business associates will protest poor responsiveness most fiercely, but they might be even more put off by bad content. This basically means submitting a substandard draft or something shoddy or poorly researched as the final draft. This problem again arises from only interacting with a computer. A person feels like they are working for themselves and sometimes submits content without critical analysis. Learn to put personal ego on hold.

While a person can be chit-chatty with friends, young entrepreneurs must learn to distinguish between the informal writing voice and interacting with business contacts. While some associates might be relaxed, others might be very conservative. Err on the professional side until establishing a repertoire with a new contact. Social media marketing is the art of using electronic interaction to sell yourself and products, and learning effective strategies is essential to success. Its imperative to be conversational, but make sure you figure out who you can converse with before engaging.

About Jim Jacques

Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +

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