Welcome To Startup Students

Many of you are fresh out of college or approaching your final semesters.  Now is the time to start exploring your opportunities.  Here is 27 fresh links to do just that.

1. Collegiate Career Coach Blog Specializes in coaching college bound students, currently enrolled college students, and college graduates. Learn how to live up to your full potential and make your dreams reality.
2. CollegeRecruiter.com Blog: Learn how to bargain for your salary and impress the hiring manager. A good tool for acing the job searching process.
3. The Creative Career Observations on the transition from college into career. Insight on how students can adapt to the aspects in public relations, communications, and marketing that are always changing.
4. Job Hunting Tips Suggestions on resources and advice to help you choose a career before hunting for a job.  Topics are on best medical careers to salary negotiations.
5. Work Coach Cafe Work Coach Cafe is a place to get advice on job interviews, job searches, workplace issues and much more.
6. The Emerging Professional Learn how to be distinct while still fitting in. This Ivy League career counselor’s articles include employment trends and what the recruiters are thinking.
7. Graduate Career Coaching Get detailed posts on recruiting, interviewing, training and development. View job searching from an insider’s perspective.
8. Brazen Careerist This blog is anything but your classic career site. Formed by a group of top Gen Y thought leaders, these posts provide forward thinking and encouragement to define your own path.
9. Student Loan Blog With topics on everything from budgeting your student loans to how to make a lasting impression at that interview, this blog gives helpful hints to college students and graduates to help them be successful and choose the right career for them.
10. One Day One Job Provides listings of job opportunities for recent college graduates. Daily employer profiles are given for entry level jobs and search tips.
11. Daily Career Connection For individuals interested in growing as job professionals. When you’re just starting out or have been looking, this blog has many tips that can help.
12. EduPlan Blog This blog will inspire students and graduates into uncovering their true potential through education and maximizing opportunities for success. Brought to you by a consulting firm that offers over 15 years of expertise in the field of career development.
13. Internet Marketing Tips Denise Wakeman is a skilled internet marketing strategist, whose observations can help you grow your business. Her blog is full of marketing tips including 101 low and no cost marketing tools.
14. SoloPreneur.biz Janet Slack is the owner of Life Adventure Coaching and gives tips on business, marketing, the entrepreneur, and technology. In addition to her blog, you can download her free eBook, “Biz Tips: Entrepreneur Edition.”
15. The Savvy Entrepreneur Cristina Favreau helps virtual office assistants find their authentic marketing voice. You can make a ton of extra money by following her tips or sign up for the Get Clients Now!
16. Your Career by Design Learn from this bloggers experience as an entrepreneur running an executive recruitment firm.  Gain knowledge on how to differentiate yourself from my competitors.
17. Deb Bailey Transition Coach Get great advice from this sought after expert to discuss today’s most pressing workplace issues. Deborah Bailey helps entrepreneurs by helping them connect with their personal power in order to move forward in their transition from employee to entrepreneur.
18. Escape From Corporate America Pamela walked away from a six-figure job and a twelve-year corporate career to start her own business. Her posts are filled with practical guides for entrepreneurs and other renegades.
19. Purposefulentrepreneurblog.com dedicated to helping visionary entrepreneurs build successful businesses and share their spiritual gifts through articulating their purpose, activating their passion, and accelerating their profits.
20. Center for Balanced Living Existing solopreneurs can expand their success by leveraging their assets and clearing the inner blocks. There are also numerous articles on effective and authentic marketing to create wealth while doing something they love.
21. Instigator Blog – Lots of great entrepreneurial advice here. This Canadian entrepreneur’s blog is for entrepreneurs and small business owners, with an emphasis on how to start a business, run a business, marketing and technology.
22. Shaboominc.com A thriving business requires and provides resilience and continuity. How do you go about building a thriving career or business? Learn to regard mistakes as stepping stones to mastery.
23. Entrepreneur’s Journey Interested in Internet business and entrepreneurship? If so, you’ll love Australian entrepreneurs Yaro Starak’s blog. Perfect for those of you who are interested in making money online.
24. Gaebler Ventures Resources for Entrepreneurs At least once a week, serial entrepreneur Ken Gaebler posts a helpful article that provides great entrepreneurial advice. A must read for entrepreneurs.
25. Home Office Voice Martin Neumann shares his experiences as an Internet entrepreneur. There are nuggets of gold in his tips for building a web-based business.
26. Paul Allen-Internet Entrepreneur This Utah entrepreneur knows what he’s talking about and offers great advice and insights on all aspects of internet marketing and entrepreneurship.
27. Mind Petals Smart, creative, and young entrepreneurs from all over the world hang out at this site. It’s a community that produces informative, inspiring, and motivating content to spark the minds of all entrepreneurs.

Class dismissed.

Entrepreneur Magazine has a great article on the top five fears of entrepreneurs. But why stop at five? I’d like to expand the list to 10 common fears I hear about during my work as an executive coach.

First, Entrepreneur’s top five fears of entrepreneurs. They are:

1. Fear of Failure: “Without a doubt, an entrepreneur’s biggest fear is failing–understandably, because 95 percent of all businesses fail within the first five years. When you’re starting with those kinds of odds, it’s OK to be a little freaked out.”

2. Economic Uncertainty: “Five years ago, the economy may not have been of forefront concern for a startup entrepreneur. But today, businesses big and small, young and old, are worried about what the declining economy means for them.”

3. Being your own Boss: “As a small business, especially during the startup stages, there’s very little stability and security. Unlike traditional employment, you probably don’t have an office, employees, benefits or a paycheck. And what you definitely don’t have is a boss, someone guiding you along.”

4. Consuming Your Life: “The idea of not having any time for yourself, neglecting your family and giving up your social life can be terrifying.”

5. Staying Afloat: “You need money to start up; you need money to operate; and you need money to grow. Throw the dismal economy into the equation–when people are spending less and it’s taking longer for small businesses to get paid–and money is even harder to come by.”

Why stop at five? Here are five more:

6. High-Wire with No Net: When you have been in your own small business and survived the early years that weed out most startups, you have the fear that you can never turn back to “the devil you knew” (i.e. traditional employment). The struggles of entrepreneurship make you forget why you left corporate America in the first place and your memories become revised to dwell on how easy and happy it all was “back then.”

7. Losing Ground to the Jones’s: Even though your business may be getting more profitable every year, you look at your old car in the driveway and the Jones’s new Lexus and feel that if only you’d stuck to being a corporate (fill in the blank) you’d have new toys, too.

8. The Merry-Go-Round Stopping: Your business is cooking, but you worry that somehow, someday, and soon, the phones will go silent and no one will want what you sell anymore.

9. Stuck in Third Gear: You know how to cruise at 40 MPH but you need and want to do 90 (this is metaphorical). You fear you will never break through the wall of your business being merely “okay”.

10. Emperor Has No Clothes: And the big-daddy of all entrepreneurial nightmares–you dream that you’re walking down the street and suddenly you discover that you forgot to put your shorts on. Perhaps if you act natural no one will notice. Lots of entrepreneurs think everyone else is smarter than they are and live in fear of the world finding out their secret.

I could go on. So could you, so let’s have it: five more entrepreneurial fears from the front lines.

Oh, you were waiting for some advice on how to cure yourself of all these? How’s this: You can’t! Not completely, anyway. And I don’t think you’d want to. Fear is a great motivator. Ask anyone who owns a business if fear helps them get up in the morning and do what has to be done.

Contributing blogger Mitch York coaches executives who are evolving into entrepreneurs. Find York — and his personal blog — at www.e2ecoaching.com.

Okay Startup Students, let’s get right back into the swing of things. As you begin you new venture adventure, the “little” things can become lost as you attempt to adhere to your grand vision. One such thing you really shouldn’t overlook is maintaining the naming rights to your product or service. Trademarking is a simple process that can potentially save (or cost) you millions in the long run. We’ve all purchased aspirin, cellophane, nylon, or a thermos, and of course ridden an escalator. But, did you know that each of those began their storied lives as a brand name?

Here are some benefits to trademarking your brand name:

• If your copyright is infringed, you now have the right to sue in federal court.
• By the same token, you limit your ability to be sued.
• You will have evidence of ownership, and sometimes your name is your most valuable asset.
• Your registration can be filed with U.S. Customs Service to prevent importation of infringing foreign goods – that is huge!
• You will be able to have a small “tm” placed after your logo or design to signify that this is your trademark and that others can not use it. This adds a sense of professional to your clients.

Overall, it’s simply a good idea to do so.  For more information, or to get the ball rolling with TM registration, visit the USPTO.  Class dismissed.

Written by Greg Go of WiseBread.
A lot of people have a Great Idea. It might be a new invention or a local service business. Unfortunately for consumers, many would be entrepreneurs are waiting for “the right time” to start their Real Business. They have plenty of reasons (excuses) for the delays. From lack of time to lack of experience, our minds have creative ways of rationalizing our fears.

Here are 7 common excuses for not starting a Real Business, along with strategies for overcoming internal fear, uncertainty and doubt (“Internal FUD”).

How Internal FUD kills Great Ideas

1. I’m too busy right now. I’ll start when I have more time.

This is the most sinister of the excuses because it is completely true. You would do more for your business if you had all the time in the world. But really, are you ever going to get less busy?

Starting a new business involves risk, time and effort. As you pick up more dependents and/or expenses over time, your ability to take the risk necessary for launching a business disappears. Many would-be entrepreneurs wait far too long for a perfect moment that never comes.

Today is as perfect as it gets. Even if you only do one small thing a day (or week or month), it’s better than always waiting for tomorrow. Don’t put off your dream until you are “less busy”. It’s never going to happen.

2. After I get an MBA, I’ll be ready to start up.

Some people think they need an MBA before they can make their Great Idea happen. That is false. An MBA doesn’t guarantee success. And an MBA is not a requirement for starting a business.

At the end of the day, you’re trading a service or product for some money. If you can build/provide this product/service, and you can convince people to pay money for it, you have a business. MBA, bachelor’s or even high school degrees be damned.

3. I hate sales.

If you really hate trading a product/service for money (the definition of a “sale”), then I don’t know what to tell you. There’s no business without sales.

However, I’ll bet you don’t really hate sales. You hate used car salesmen and cold callers. The good news is that 99.9 percent of business transactions are completely unlike the pushy sales pitch. Businesses that offer actual value don’t have to work very hard to make sales. If you’re making a product or providing a service that people want and it’s priced fairly, then both you and your customers are happier because of the sale.

Dismiss this myth — you don’t hate sales. Do you love talking about your great idea? Sales is just telling people about the awesomeness of your product/service.

4. I’ll do some research after South Park.

You know the really successful entrepreneurs enjoy their work much more than traditional leisure activities like watching TV/movies. And you probably already feel guilty about watching TV instead of doing more market research. I won’t lecture you about dedication and commitment and priorities. You already know that stuff.

Instead I’ll tell you how I got out of my entrepreneurial funk. Whenever I was watching more TV than working on my Great Idea, it was because I was stuck. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my mind was avoiding making a tough decision or working through a particularly hard problem. My Internal FUD pushed me towards easier tasks. Watching TV was a whole lot easier than spending a couple hours researching, thinking about, and making the tough call. I overcame this self-imposed obstacle by giving myself a “State of the Great Idea” report.

Rediscover your motivation by scheduling 1 hour of “hard thinking time” to come up with concrete actionable tasks. Make a date with yourself to honestly evaluate your Great Idea. Stealing 10 minutes in the shower or during your commute is not good enough. You need the full hour (or more) to think through the critical problems and identify actionable tasks you can do next. Once you have some tasks to do, and have made some forward progress in turning your Great Idea into a Real Business, you will lose the craving to incessantly watch and discuss Cartman’s latest hijinks.

5. I don’t know anything about business.

Good news! Business administration is the easy part. The hard part is having a good product. There are plenty of resources (both off- and on-line) that will help you cross those business process bridges when you get to them.

Shatter this roadblock by realizing you don’t need to be a business guru to get started. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are among the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, and they didn’t know anything about business when they started.

To help you figure it out along the way, here are a few online resources to help your business get started:

• Entrepreneur.com’s Startup Basics section – articles on how to bootstrap your business
• Guide to choosing the right business entity (LLC, C corp, sole proprietorship, etc)
• IRS portal for small business and self-employed – forms and information about taxes
• How to find a good lawyer
• How to find a good accountant

Pore over articles at Entrepreneur.com and check out business books from the library. All the business know-how you need is freely available.

6. I don’t have startup capital.

Your business may legitimately need startup capital, but is your Internal FUD keeping you from looking for it? Not having the necessary capital right now is not a show stopper. There are lots of places to get startup capital.

A variation of this excuse is “I don’t want to take on partners/investors, so I need to save up the money myself.” This is Internal FUD using your greed against you. If you thought about it a bit, isn’t it better to own 50 percent of a Real Business now than 100 percent of a maybe future business that could or could not actually happen?

Don’t let Internal FUD keep you on the couch instead of raising that startup capital. Even if you wanted to retain full ownership, you have lots of financial options. Here’s a few creative ways to not take investors and overcome the money problem:

• cash out your savings
• get one or more low interest loans from friends and family
• small business credit cards
• live like a poor college student — lower your personal expenses
• do it yourself
• get a line of credit from your company’s bank
• get a loan from the Feds (basic requirements for getting a SBA loan)

Here’s a chart with more funding options and the pros and cons of each.

7. Before doing anything else, I need to write a business plan.

A business plan is important to keep you on task. Once you’ve opened your doors, you won’t have time to think big picture amidst the day-to-day fires of running a business.

Having said that, you don’t really need a business plan before getting started. Writing a beautiful 100-page plan doesn’t make you a single penny. Making a product, closing that first sale… those are the truly critical things to being a Real Business.

What you need is a stripped down, practical, internal business plan just for yourself. Just answer the following questions (and write down your answers!), and you’ll be well on your way to closing that first sale.

• What is your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
  • There are probably many potential types of customers that are interested in your product. Who are the ones that will particularly love your product/service? How many of them are there?
  • Who else is doing what you’re doing?Who are your competitors and potential competitors? Why is your product/service better?
• When will things get done?
  • Given the specific customers you describe above, how do you plan on getting them? Will you buy ads, encourage referrals from existing customers, create a website?
  • In the next 3, 6, 12 months, what are specific milestones you want to accomplish? What does your company look like in 2, 3 or 5 years?
  • What are the next steps you need accomplish this month?
• How much money will it take to start and how much will you earn?
  • How much money will it cost to make your product or provide your service?
  • How much do you have to charge to earn a profit?
  • Using this spreadsheet, plan your startup’s first year expenses and income. What month will you break even?

The next step to becoming a Real Business is easy.

At the end of the day, you only need to keep two things in mind:

1. Most of these excuses aren’t real obstacles. As soon as you recognize that’s it just Internal FUD, you can pinpoint the real problem and get busy solving it.
2. It’s not that hard. All you need to turn your Great Idea into a Real Business is to do the next action step… then another one, and so on. You don’t need to do them all at once nor do you have to know what all the steps are ahead of time. Just take the next step. It’s easy.

Recognize that there is nothing but bogus Internal FUD stopping you from turning your Great Idea into a Real Business. Good luck! I know you can do it.

If you’ve overcome your own Internal FUD, share your success stories in the comments.

Greg Go helps publish Wise Bread, a leading personal finance blog.

I’d like to start off with a quick anecdotal story. There were three frogs sitting on lily pads. Two of them decided to jump off into the murky water. How many frogs remain perched on their pads? One you say? Guess again!

There’s still three frogs sitting there. Why? Because they didn’t take action. They decided to jump off the log, but never followed through.

How many times have you decided to increase sales or network with potential customers? And of those times you decided to do so, how often did you actually take action?

Enjoy the following 82 ways to market your business, but don’t forget to take action and actually put them to use!

1. Stand Out – Especially when working online, you only have a few seconds before users hit the back button!
2. Smile – Did you know that, even over the phone, you facial expressions can be detected?
3. Stay Current – Read blogs, books, newspapers, magazines and discus your findings with clients. (”I agree, in fact I read an article about that this morning!”)
4. Record a memorable voice mail message
5. Develop A Reward System – Reward loyal customers with discounts, gifts, or free consultations.
6. Integrity Matters – Integrity is one of the top qualities of successful entrepreneurs.
7. Use layman’s terms
8. Be consistent. If a campaign works, stick with it.
9. Package Pricing – Clients find this more appealing than an hourly rate.
10. Press Outweighs Advertising– A carefully written article or press release will outperform an advertisement every time.
11. Define Your Niche
12. Build It And They Will Come – I’m not saying don’t plan first. But at he same time, don’t let your competitor beat you to the punch.
13. Sell the Value – Nobody cares how your product is made. But they do care why it brings value to them.
14. Action Words Sell – But don’t overdo it.
15. Ask Questions – Engage your customers, competition, associates, and mentors.
16. Anticipate – Have answers ready for frequently asked questions.
17. Include links to your website and blog in voice messages
18. Public Speaking – Go read “I Can See You Naked” and then solicit networking groups for speaking opportunities.
19. It’s about YOU – Take I out of the equation and focus on the customer.
20. Resolve Issues Quickly – If a customer has a bad experience, they’ll tell at least 10 people. Take action and resolve disputes immediately.
21. Get feedback – And engage customer’s as to how to correct any issues.
22. Don’t over-promise, over-deliver
23. Dress for the success
24. Be relevant – Don’t sell a truck to someone who needs a bike.
25. Respond Immediately – Take the time, best if within 24 hours, to get back to customer emails and phone calls.
26. Network – Groups such as local Chambers of Commerce, BNI, and Industry Associations offer a great ROI.
27. Show passion – People respond in kind and generally buy from those they like.
28. Stay Organized – keep a contact database.
29. Be Concise – Your customers don’t have all day.
30. Collateral – Keep your marketing materials simple and to the point.
31. Get Their Attention – Create catchy headlines and memorable quotations.
32. Know Your Competitors – Learn how/what/why they do and then beat them at their own game.
33. First Impressions Matter – So make the best of it!
34. Don’t Compete on Price – Instead, focus on creating value for your customer.
35. A Great Team – A great idea with a poor team will lose out to a great team with a poor idea.
36. Develop Your Pitch – Have a 15, 30, 60, and 120 second elevator pitch ready at all times.
37. Give Back – Community involvement makes good business sense, and good karma sense!
38. 80/20 Rule – Listen 80% of the time and only talk 20% of the time.
39. What’s Your Brand – What do you think of when you see Mercedes? Or when you see the “Can you hear me now?” commercial? What do you customers see when they hear your name?
40. Don’t oversell, over-educate
41. Remember Your Marketing Courses – Product, price, and placement still matter!
42. Freebies – Sometimes they work better than offering a discount.
43. Podcasts – Along with webinars and ebooks are great ways to infer credibility.
44. Develop A Mailing List – Then send out a monthly newsletter.
45. Testimonials – Your current clients owe you one if they are satisfied.
46. SWOT – What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats?
47. Say Thanks – Show clients you care.
48. Have Fun – Let your creative juices flow when marketing.
49. Socialize – Use every social occasion as a networking opportunity. Have your business cards ready if someone asks for one.
50. Model Your Product – If you’re a web designer, have an amazing web site.
51. Brainstorm – Dump all your ideas, then refine them.
52. Focus Groups – As simple as using something like surveymonkey.com
53. Self Publish – Writing a book will infer credibility.
54. Call To Action – Tell people what you want them to do.
55. Clients Have Needs – Find a way to fulfill them with your product or service.
56. Take Care with your spelling and grammar
57. Get a Lawyer – It’s worth the money.
58. Timing is everything
59. Gather Collateral – Cut Out memorable advertisements and figure out why they work. Then combine them to create your own.
60. 3rd Time is the Charm – People usually won’t make a big purchase until they’ve heard about it three times.
61. Don’t Make It Up – Nobody expects you to have all the answers – so don’t pretend to.
62. Wrangle the Web – Social networks can be a great source of prospects.
63. Direct Mail – Postcards produce results over envelopes.
64. Business Cards – Keep it simple and easy to read. But make it stand out at the same time.
65. What makes you the best? Determine your unique competitive advantages
66. Relationships Matter – Develop strong relationships with your customers
67. Blog – Create an industry focused blog to gain credibility.
68. Follow up – Contact everyone you network with and mention an anecdote from your conversation.
69. Cold Calling – Click here for a sample script
70. Holiday Gifts – Show customers you care by sending out a promotional piece for the holidays.
71. Go With Your Gut – Your first instinct is usually right.
72. ROI – Don’t spend what you cannot recoup.
73. Diversify – Just like in the stock market.
74. Plan For Success – Because it just might happen!
75. Educate Yourself – Attend college courses, or engage your local SBDC.
76. Outsource – www.elance.com
77. Become A Mentor – Help another small business or even a child.
78. Referral Networks – America is still a good ole’ boys club.
79. Google Matters – Invest in Search Engine Optimization to assure you come up first in Google.
80. Find Another Market – What else can your product or service be used for?
81. Engage Complaining Customers – If they care enough to complain, they are worth trying to save.
82. Attend Tradeshows – Networking opportunities abound at these.

As a student and entrepreneur, it can be quite tough attempting to juggle all of the tasks on my todo list.  Below are some great tips on setting priorities written by home office expert Lisa Kanarek.

1. Use a paper-based, electronic or computerized list to keep track of your tasks, instead of relying on your memory.  A list will give you a clear idea of what you need to accomplish.
2. Which tasks could you handle another day?  If you would face no consequences by moving a task forward, move it ahead another day or another week.  But be careful not to put it off too long!
3. Know the difference between important and urgent.  Important means a task needs to be done, while urgent means it must be done immediately.  Knowing the difference between the two will make prioritizing easier.
4. Realize that you can’t do everything.  This will help you to realistically prioritize your tasks.
5. Determine if postponing the task would affect other projects you are working on.  Tasks and projects can have a domino effect.  If you do one task, yet fail to do another, you may have wasted effort on the first task.
6. Set clear goals.  There’s a saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?”  By not setting clear goals, you may be accomplishing tasks with short-term benefits.
7. Decide if the task will help you achieve your goals.  If so, give it a higher priority.
8. Are you making a task a top priority because i’s easy?  Don’t be fooled by easy tasks, especially when they could be done days or weeks later.
9. Focus on quality, not quantity of tasks.  Accomplishing a few tasks that are a higher priority is better than accomplishing several lower priority tasks.
10. Which task will increase your income?  If the task will only serve to keep you busy, it is not a top priority.  Think in terms of how the task will improve your productivity and performance.

While Startup Students attracts a wide variety of entrepreneurs, it’s a safe assumption that a good chunk of you are still in college.  As an entrepreneur (and current college student myself) I’ve developed a number of strategies for balancing school, business, and life – all within the comforts of your dorm room or apartment.

Below are 41 tips for running a business on or near campus.  If you’d like to add a tip, don’t forget to leave a comment!

1. Space is generally limited in an apartment, bedroom, or dorm.  Try reorganizing your room to create a cubicle of sorts so you can accomplish your work related tasks in a good environment.
2. Construct a whiteboard like I did to organize your thoughts.
3. Get a mailbox at UPS.  I wouldn’t go with a PO Box – a Suite at UPS costs about the same and holds more credibility.
4. Make friends and use their abilities.  Associate with graphic designers, accounting majors, techies, socialites, and thinkers.
5. Situate your desk to provide minimal distractions.
6. Your space is limited now – but it won’t always be.  Consider purchasing modular furniture that will allow for future growth.
7. Place your bed on risers to allow more room for storage.  As your business grows, so will your filing and storage needs.
8. Get an 800 number that forwards to your dorm phone and cell phone.  This is an instant credibility boost and inexpensive.
9. Maximize your space by maximizing your school resources.
10. Invest in a laptop as opposed to an immobile desktop.
11. Throw out that CRT monitor (you know who you are) and get a flat panel.  Your desk space will thank you.
12. Hire your roommate to keep the place clean and quiet.  Outsourcing is key to juggling the busy life of an entrepreneur.
13. Speaking of outsourcing, consider sites such as elance.com for a variety of your operational and technical needs.
14. Don’t rush!  Leaving college isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, or so I’ve heard.
15. Construct a cable management system like I did to save space and reduce clutter.
16. Make friends with your Accounting professor.  Especially handy come tax time.
17. Pay students to hand out flyers for your product or service.  Beer counts as payment.
18. Use an appointment book or scheduling software to maximize your time.
19. Develop a routine for work, school, and fun.  But leave time for unexpected projects or rush orders.
20. Join campus organizations and clubs.  Not only will this relieve stress but they offer great networking opportunities for well beyond your college years.
21. Offer your services or products to your college at a reduced rate if you are just getting started.
22. No need for a fancy printer when you can use the one’s at your school’s computer lab.
23. A simple shower curtain and some engineering can turn a corner into a cubicle.
24. Hand off data entry or entry level graphic design work to fellow students.  Again, beer works as payment.
25. Spend time in your school library, sometimes you forget what a great resource it is.
26. Get out of the dorm and set up office at a coffee shop on occasion.
27. With a dresser and an extra curtain rod, your closet can now become your office.
28. A college campus makes a great place for meetings.
29. Online businesses take up little space.  Perfect for the dorm bound student.
30. Maximize space by utilizing your walls.  Calendars, important documents, filing bins, etc can all be placed on the wall to save space.
31. Go wireless.  The less wires, the more desk space.
32. Use chalk to advertise your business on sidewalks.
33. Take a full load of courses.  For me at least, it seems like the more I have to do – the more I get done.
34. When you go out, casually reinforce your need to network.  Don’t come right out and ask your friends to buy your product, rather it’s a good idea to plant the seed.
35. Get a copy of your roommate’s schedule, and find times where you can get work done quietly.
36. Attend events held by your dorm hall, they usually offer free food.
37. Utilize drop shipping companies to limit inventory.
38. Advertise directly to your University’s alumni.
39. Don’t let your grades suffer, if for no other reason than success breeds success.
40. Consider starting or joining an entrepreneur club on campus.
41. More than anything else, enjoy your time in college and maintain a healthy balance of activities.

Class dismissed.

Whenever you develop a new product or introduce a new service, it’s always a good idea to take the time and put together a solid press release.  This document can be sent to past clients, current prospects, and to a variety of free press release distributors and wire services.  A quick google search will locate a number of these services.

Instead of going at it blind, why not use the template below by Brian Solis?  The template is organized to look like a press release, but is full of tidbits of advice on how to assure PR success.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

(My keywords are throughout the release – with an emphasis on the front-end)

Press Release Example Demonstrates How to Convey Your News without Using Excessive Words or Relying on Hype

In a Perfect World – Sometime in the Near Future – Brian Solis (note how I’m not putting how I am a leader here, nor should you) drafted a new outline for wire-ready and static online press releases to help PR and communications professionals tell a more meaningful story in a way that helps convey the true value of the news – without insulting the people who read it.

This new template can include a list of bullets (note wire services cannot incorporate bullets, only dashes), quotes and links:

— Press releases can tell a story to customers that specifically demonstrate why the news is valuable to them

— These releases can include SEO (search engine optimized keywords) to improve their pickup by Google and Yahoo search and news pickup

— Traditional releases can also complement Social Media Press releases and blog posts simply by linking to them

— The difference between a traditional release, new media release, and a social media release is intent, media, socialization, and distribution

Or, the press release can be written as an article you wish to see as if you’re telling, not promoting, a story. Basically it can deliver more information as to why this information is important, how it’s different and to whom it benefits and why. The key about this paragraph is that it needs to be honest and it must demonstrate that the writer indeed analyzed the pains and needs of the market they’re trying to reach.

A supporting paragraph, in this case, is going to help round out the story. In this case, usage examples will help strengthen the story and potentially inspire people to take action. These releases can be used in a variety of ways such as traditional wires, free wires, static Web pages and in blogs. They can be written for journalists, bloggers, and analysts as well as the very people we’re hoping to reach.

(Provide genuine and interesting quote that says something other than “we are excited…”)Brian Solis of PR 2.0 weighed in on the world of press releases, “Some journalists prefer to cut and paste from a well written press release while others simply need the facts without the spin. However, what’s new here is that you can have a variety of flavors of each press release to tell a story in different, genuine ways for journalists, bloggers, and customers in different markets. Just keep them interesting and relevant.”

Links are now more important than ever:

Blog: www.briansolis.com

Website: www.future-works.com

RSS Feed: https://feeds.feedburner.com/Pr20

Market background: https://del.icio.us/briansolis

Artwork: https://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis

Or if the link is too long, simply input it into www.TinyUrl.com and get this shortened

format in return: https://tinyurl.com/3ctn2s

About This Outline

What you should not to do here is repeat information. It’s already been said above, and if this is to cross the wire, why pay for the extra words. Say something that fortifies the company’s stance in the market to offer perspective on the information that you are presenting however. It should also provide a bit more details about the company facts, market and histry that stand aside from the news and support the story.

# # #

Also, include some traditional and new media formats for contacting you more effectively.

Contact:

Brian Solis
PR 2.0 / FutureWorks
408-428-0895 Ext. 101
brian [at] future-works [dot] com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futureworks
FaceBook: https://tinyurl.com/38su7l
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/briansolis
Vcard: https://tinyurl.com/3242wm

In the second part of The Complete Guide to Business Formation we will discuss Limited Liability Companies along with Corporations.  From there, you will have the opportunity to leave comments about what type of business you want to start and I will gladly help you determine which method of formation works best for you! 

By the way, if you missed Part 1, click here.

Let’s start off with a basic understanding of the types of corporations.  A corporation is a legal entity that keeps personal assets of the shareholders from the firm’s assets.  As you can see, this is a big step in the way of limiting your liability as opposed to sole proprietorships and partnerships. 

A Limited Liability Corporation (or Company – the terms can be used interchangeably with this type of formation) is an organization owned by the “members”.  With an LLC, the corporation’s assets can be seized; however they have no recourse against the shareholders’ personal assets.  The great thing about an LLC is that earnings can be taxed at the personal income tax rates of the members.  By the way, my company, Brett Adams Design is an LLC. 

A Subchapter-S Corporation provides limited liability for shareholders plus corporate income is taxed like personal income to the shareholders.  This is a great choice for a number of business types and may provide positive tax treatment, but does involve additional paperwork compared to an LLC. 

Now that we understand the types of corporations, let’s take a look at some reasons why incorporation makes sense for most people: 

• You limit your personal liability
• By placing Inc. or LLC. at the end of your business’ name, you clearly upgrade your image
• To have the opportunity to channel some heavy expenses
• It guarantees continuity, even after your death, if set up properly
• You can offer internal financial incentives
  

At this point, between parts 1 and 2 you should have a basic understanding of the different types of entities.  Below, I’ve put together a list showing some of the associated attributes for each entity type including liability, capital sources, firm lifetime, and taxation. 

• Proprietorship
  • One owner, with a short amount of time to set up and low cost
  • Unlimited liability
  • Most equity capital will come from the owner
  • Life of the business parallels life of the proprietor and transfer of ownership is difficult
  • Taxed at one’s personal tax rate
• Partnership
  • Two or more owners, with a moderate startup time and cost
  • Unlimited liability
  • Capital sources include other partners, family, and friends
  • Life is determined by the partners and again, transfer of ownership is difficult
  • Taxed at partner’s personal tax rate
• Corporation (C)
  • One or more owners, with a high cost and time to set up
  • Liability is limited to shareholders’ investments
  • Capital investments may come from venture investors and common stock shareholders
  • Business life is unlimited and ownership transfer is easier
  • Corporate taxation; dividends subject to personal tax rates
• Subchapter S Corporation (S)
  • Less than 75 owners, with a high cost and time to set up
  • Liability is limited to shareholders’ investments
  • Venture investors & Subchapter S investors can supply capital
  • Unlimited business life and ownership transfer is moderately difficult
  • Income flows to shareholders; taxed at personal tax rates
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
  • One or more owners, with a high cost and time to set up
  • Liability is limited to members’ investments
  • Equity capital sources include venture investors and equity offerings to members
  • Business lifetime is set by the members, transfer is difficult
  • Income flows to shareholders; taxed at personal tax rates

Again, please feel free to comment with the type of business you are interested in starting and I’d be happy to offer my opinion.  Class dismissed.