7 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Invest in Themselves

Startup entrepreneurs often go it alone or almost alone, serving every function in their new companies. They are the idea people, the passionate leaders, the team builders, engineers, marketing experts, logistics officers, bookkeepers and strategists all in one.  

The reality is that often this phase is necessary. That means that one of the most challenging things for the startup-minded to do is to keep investing, keep building their own personal skills and abilities. Time and focus-wise, it’s a monumental challenge. Most entrepreneurs skip the personal investments because those investments seem disconnected from their businesses and products. If an entrepreneur has an extra hour, for example, many prefer to invest in their company over investing in themselves.

The problem with that approach is that most entrepreneurs are their brands and products.

Moreover, if you can take a step back and see that your entire entrepreneurial venture rests on a single set of shoulders, it makes business sense to ensure that those shoulders are as prepared, as skilled and as strong as possible. That means investing in yourself because, from that perspective, it’s the same as investing in your product.

Because entrepreneurs spend so little time thinking about boosting their personal skills and strengths, remaining focused on their work, they often don’t know where to start. Since I’ve spent most of my professional life at the intersection of business and education, I have a few suggestions on how you can keep making investments in yourself, even if you’re an overwhelmed entrepreneur. Here are seven:

Go to school

Few things do more to enhance both your credibility and intellectual capacity than higher education. The learning environment itself can provide new connections and spark creativity. There are incubators offering specialized training now in every city. Finishing your degree or starting a new one can make a big difference and just about every school has a part-time or returning student or executive program.

Teach

A school environment is just as powerful if you’re teaching. And, like an advanced degree, being a teacher confers a great deal of credibility. Teaching also forces you to know what you’re teaching at expert level, confront and consider new ideas and explain things in new ways. If you’re an expert in something, reach out to community learning programs or colleges in your area and get in the classroom.

Online program

While the online learning environment is still buyer beware, more and more very credible institutions and incubators are offering online courses and programs. It’s possible to earn certifications in a variety of business-related subjects from places such as Harvard or Stanford or any number of state universities.  Even if you’re just exercising your mind or staying up-to-date on current topics and trends, it’s a good investment.

Read unrelated things

If you’re a reader, make sure your reading list includes topics that are unrelated to your business endeavors. Read crime thrillers or romance novels or theoretical physics – whatever will distract you from your hour-to-hour obsessions. Giving your mind a break will inspire creative problem solving and invigorate your work when you return to it. Just a few hours a week of reading about ants or Adam Ant can make a big difference.

“I read spy and espionage thrillers exactly because they district me from trying to run and grow my business,” said Edgar M. Duarte ofDuarte Monteiro Group in Miami. “If I read all business books or things in my field, I’d absolutely get sick of it. Taking a mental break allows me to really focus on business when I need to.”

Physical health

Among the biggest oversights entrepreneurs make is neglecting their physical health. If your ability to work is the most essential thing to your business success, it makes no sense to risk it. I know how hard it is, but get to the gym, make good health and diet choices. Take vacations. As with all these suggestions, staying healthy is an investment in your business – it may help to think of it that way.

Co-working

Consider moving yourself and your business to a co-working community. The collaborative, entrepreneurial spirit of shared ambition and sacrifice can be intoxicating and empowering. By co-locating, you’ll find mentors, partners and different-thinkers – all of whom can add to your personal growth and strategic creativity.

Network

Join organizations and attend events. Most people view networking as opportunities to advance their businesses. But they are just as important in building personal connections – assets you can take with you from project to project or business to business. Investing in networking and getting to know your network personally will increase your personal reach and capacity.

Amy Rosen

18 Of The Most Bittersweet Feelings You Experience In Your Last Few Weeks Of College

1. That moment when your friends are all together, doing nothing extraordinary besides enjoying one another’s company. And you look around, feeling incredibly grateful and simultaneously heartbroken that it will never be exactly this way ever again.

2. Walking back from class and stopping to say hello to various people sitting on front lawns or bar patios.
 And appreciating these special little interactions, while knowing there are only so many left.

3. When you walk by a building or area of campus where you spent a lot of time freshman year, and you start reminiscing on how much has changed since then – how much you’ve learned, how much you’ve went through, how much you’ve grown.

4. Spending most of your remaining days goofing off with your friends, instead of being productive or studying. And not feeling guilty about it at all. You know that won’t remember what you got on your sociology term paper, but you will remember sitting on the porch with your friends for 5 hours on that one Thursday afternoon.

5. Deciding to go out with your friends at the last minute, even though you have an exam the next morning, because you know there are few opportunities left for you to be able to do this.

6. Hearing advice from people about how life truly does go on after college, and knowing that they’re telling the truth but still having a really hard time believing them.

7. Walking around campus on a particularly beautiful day, and feeling a deep pressure in your chest that is both joyful and painful.

8. Remembering how awkward and unsure you were when you first got here, and thinking back on that insecure version of yourself with a knowing and highly amused smile.

9. When you feel tears well up in unexpected, ordinary moments, like when you walk to the nearby store with your best friend to grab a six pack, or you sit at your kitchen table with one of your roommates and shoot the shit for a couple hours. And you know that even though it’s random to get emotional in these types of situations, it’s also not, because these ordinary, special moments are the ones that made up your entire college experience.

10. Observing ridiculously cliched college things, like people reading books on blankets outside or throwing a frisbee around, and smiling because as cliched as it is, it’s also extremely real and true.

11. Looking around at all the random furniture in your house or apartment, and loving it all the more for how disorganized and mismatched and cluster-fucky that it is.

12. Feeling the blissful release that comes after finishing your last final or turning in your last paper, but knowing you only have so much time in-between this moment and the moment that you drive away from campus for the last time as a student.

13. Feeling a strange relief about your sadness, because you know that even though it’s painful, it means that you truly grew to love this place and you honestly felt like you found another home.

14. Stopping what you’re doing, only for a second, to watch all of your friends in this moment, to observe how happy they all are, and to let those feelings of thankfulness wash over you in order to help you to ease the anxiety that keeps churning in your stomach.

15. Looking at all the decorations in your room and loving the fact that instead of having a structured, well-designed adult living space, your walls are just covered with posters, banners, pictures, flyers, papers, t-shirts, postcards, notes, and other memorabilia that you’ve amassed over the past 4 years.

16. Being at the bar with your friends when that one song comes on that you’ve all been wanting to hear all night. And feeling the excitement and the energy that rushes through the bar as the song plays, while you watch everyone screaming the words and you know that this is just a special, special moment that you will not ever let go of.

17. Experiencing random, unexpected moments of disbelief where you look around and simply can’t believe that you’ve gotten this far. That you’re this person who’s done these things and taken these classes and gone to this school and made a life for yourself in this place.

18. Hating the fact that this will all be over too quickly, while simultaneously feeling a comforting sense of peace about the fact that you lived out every last moment and had a better experience than you could have ever imagined. 

Kim Quindlen

HOW TO USE INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Instagram is an awesome platform for sharing your brand and business with the world. It’s simple, it’s clean, based around great photography and easy to use. Best of all, unlike Facebook and Pinterest, every single one of your followers will see your posts in their feed. It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Instagram and the power it has for your business.
But where’s a business owner looking to dominate on Instagramm to start? Let my list of ideas for How to Use Instagram for Business guide you below!
I’ve been on Instagram for years but it wasn’t until one year ago that I started ‘analyzing’ my online presence. What was I sharing and why was I sharing it? Did I take notice of how certain images looked in my feed or did I simply post whatever I wanted? I’m not saying we should “perfect” our lives by any means, however, it’s important to understand how our feeds represent our business and what we share (photos and content) does matters.

INSTAGRAM “DO’S” FOR BUSINESS

• DO post consistently to your feed.
• DO include a link to your most recent blog post in your Instagram profile.  When you post an image, let followers they can click the “Link in profile” to access the latest.
• DO tag the location of your photo to provide your account extra exposure. (But be safe – don’t tag your home or office.)
• DO try to vary the composition of photos posted. For example, share an image with lots of negative space next to an image where the subject fills the frame. It allows “breathing room” for the look of your feed. (The two examples below are from the feeds of J.Crew and Anthropologie.)
• DO schedule your instagram posts sometimes using Latergram.me. It’s handy to not have to think about your feed in real time. (I find it really handy to schedule an image that specifically relates to a blog post you have pre-written. You can also use Latergram to preschedule a Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s post, etc.)
• • DO design quotes in Photoshop or a free online program and share in yourinstagram feed for variety. Pay attention to the branding and colours – keep consistency in your feed’s theme.
  • DO ask for engagement! Ask your followers an insightful question that will encourage comments. It really works. 
  • DO follow users in your niche and comment on their posts. You get what you give!
  • DO share behind-the-scenes of your blog, business, customers, portfolio, etc as well as personal photos of your life (in limited doses – but sharing personality makes you human!)
  • DO carefully consider which images you share in your feed, taking time to note the colours/contrast and how they’ll pair with your already-posted images. (If I’m near my computer, I’ll pull up my Instagram profile on Instagram.com to compare the image on my phone to my feed side by side.) Instagrammers @emthegem and @imkristen_ model a consistent style really well in their feeds:
  • DO treat your Instagram feed like an extension of your brand. I struggled with this for a long time, I felt that carefully choosing what to post and when was “inauthentic.” It’s easy to fall into this trap, our brands are ourselves and we feel silly sharing a curated version. However, when you look at Anthropologie’s Instagram feed do you ever think, “That silly social media manager, this is not her home. She carefully thought about what to post and styled those candles on the ‘breakfast in bed’ tray on the white fluffy king size bed?” (If you do that’s weird, because that’s the social media manger’s job.) We are our own social media managers – so don’t feel bad about your feed representing you.
  • DO engage with your followers. If somebody takes the time to comment, take the time to comment back! I love using Iconosquare.com for this if there are a ton of comments. It’s easier to type on the computer than my phone!
  • DO edit your Instagram photos using VSCO or a similar app. Use similar filters each time to keep consistency for your followers!
  • DO post an introduction of yourself (#fridayintroductions) ask your followers to introduce themselves every now and then! It’s so fun to hear who’s following you and this encourages engagement, too!
  • DO use hashtags to categorize some of your best content. For my business, I use#jamiedelainephotography to keep all of my photography work in an easy to access portfolio. Search for popular hashtags in your business and use them.
  • 
    DO create a iPhone shortcut on your phone for easy hash-tagging. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts and hit the “+” button in the top right. Enter in your phrase (what you want to hashtag) and your shortcut (what you’ll type to have the phrase inserted.) Create a list of different hashtags for different photos and next time you post, save yourself 2 minutes of time! 
  • Do create your own custom backgrounds for clean iPhone photos! Read this postto learn more about taking great iPhone photos (and watch a free tutorialon iPhone photo editing!)

  INSTAGRAM “DON’TS” FOR BUSINESS

  • DON’T share hashtags in the main caption of your image. That can get obnoxious to viewers. A better way is to share your hashtags in a “comment” on your photo rather than in the caption. Once you have a couple comments, your hashtag list will be hidden and less annoying. (Bonus tip: create your hashtags shortcuts–see tip above–with a few line breaks with periods. Then when your hashtag comment is posted, users won’t even see your hashtags!)
  • DON’T forget that primarily your Instagram must be curated to reflect your brand and business. (Ten photos in a row of the hilarious trick your pet was doing last night won’t cut it.)
  • DON’T post more than 1-3x a day, depending on your audience and niche. Respect your follower’s feed space.
  • DON’T post those 3 photos in a row – space out your posting times strategically!
  • DON’T switch between crops. Choose all squares, all squares with a border, all circles using a fancy app, doesn’t really matter, but consistency is the key with the Instagram platform. See this example below of my feed one year ago, compared to recently. I’ve found providing a consistent look is key for followers.
  • DON’T hesitate to create a secondary Instagram profile for “personal” use. Keep it private, share whatever photos you like, don’t edit them, crop anyway you want, post 10x a day and follow close family and friends. This is wonderful! But remember you = your business, so your “business” Instagram needs to reflect professionalism.
  • DON’T forget to add a caption to every post! Captions matter.
  
  
  Jamie Delaine Watson

Are You Building Leaders for Tomorrow?

The outlook for future leadership certainly seems bleak, judging from the current landscape managers describe nationwide:

• The 2015 Business and Human Capital Challenges report from the Society of Human Resource Management found that one of the top concerns among HR and business leaders was the development of the next generation of leaders.
• Workplace Trends’ Global Workforce Leadership survey in February and March said that leadership is the hardest skill to find in employees.
• A 2015 Gallup study of 2.5 million manager-led teams found that a mere 18 percent of current managers said their companies had the talent required for leadership.
• Not surprisingly, among the 1,000 employees surveyed by Workplace Trends, only 36 percent said leadership was a strength in their organization.

With the demand for leadership development on the rise, companies are scrambling for solutions that are effective and quick and require a minimal investment of time and money. Fortunately, there is good news.

That news? Leaders are made, not born. While no one is created with leadership in his or her bones, many people in business are ambitious, strong communicators from the start. So, it’s up to employers to determine who shows the motivation and tendency toward leadership -- and then develop it.

But how does an organization find these diamonds in the rough? The answer is, observe how employees communicate, and identify those who seem to be the most motivational team members These young leaders are usually hiding in plain sight. They solve problems creatively, take charge and plan strategies well, and are the people others go to when they have questions or need guidance.

Once these "A" players are found, organizations should cultivate their leadership skills and "grow them" within the company using the following simple techniques:

1. Use technology to educate.

Fires don’t start with roaring flames -- they need kindling, logs, access to air and, finally, a spark. Those who want to learn leadership skills will do so, given the right opportunity andtools. Give them their spark.

Many employers worry about the cost of professional development, which is understandable. Why would they invest time and money into employees who may leave at the drop of a hat? Good news: There are many free online resources employers can offer to their staff to develop their leadership skills. Examples include Coursera, Alison.com, Open Learn, andMindtools.com. MIT even offers an online version of Organizational Leadership and Change, a graduate level university course.

Other resources vary in cost, but may be worth a look. For example, career counselors help employees gain confidence and feel more inspired. They typically use processes and build action plans geared toward goal achievement.

Webinars are also great tools. Professional organizations like the American Management Association offer webinars that are interactive and offer step-by-step guides to learning new skills.

2. Encourage networking and engagement.

Great leaders keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry. A great method for keeping informed is regularly networking and engaging with colleagues.

Teach employees to create professional relationships and confidently initiate conversations. Expanding their networks builds crucial leadership skills like communication and makes them strong representatives for the company.

Refer them to tools like Let’s Lunch, so they can easily coordinate and meet with experts in their field who can help them achieve career success.

In addition to outside experts, focus on internal mentors. The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey found that 94 percent of 7,700 respondents surveyed said their mentors' advice was good, and 91 percent said their mentors showed a good level of interest in the their development. When managers can create a relationship with employees that makes the former feel less like a boss and more like a guide or a coach, they can have a great influence on employees.

Establish this dynamic to earn trust and respect. Employees are more apt to listen to and engage with leaders who develop a strong sense of camaraderie on the team. When those employees see an investment of time and energy from their employer, they will reciprocate and show an eagerness to grow in the company.

3. Suggest personal development techniques.

Personal development is a major part of any great leader’s life. Encourage employees to explore techniques in their personal lives to improve their awareness, develop their talents and build human capital while enhancing their quality of life.

There are various tools companies can use -- like exercise.  An April 2015 study from Leeds Metropolitan University found an increase in productivity and satisfaction and improved time management skills when employees exercised during business hours. Encourage exercise regimens and offer flexibility during business hours to provide employees with gym time.

Mindfulness practices are another tool. Yoga, tai chi and meditation are all great for building a sense of "present moment" awareness that helps with decision-making and productivity. There are several free and low cost online resources that can teach meditation, such as Headspace, Calm,Sattva and Buddhify.

These lifestyle choices can increase knowledge and effectively reduce stress and improve productivity. A less-stressed, more productive employee is more apt to learn and develop his or her leadership skills.

Heather R Huhman

12 Best Long Weekend Destinations This Summer

Without full-freedom summers like those of our school days, adults have one saving grace for our collective sanity in hot weather: summer Fridays. They are legit the best invention to hit the workplace since the water cooler and G-Chat. By the end of the summer, you barely remember what it’s like to work a five-day week (#Legalize4DayWorkWeeks).

Some of those long weekends are best used for catching up on sleep and completing mundane errands around the house. But there will be times when you’re going to want more. You’re going to need a change of scenery — an adventure, if you will.

The long weekend vacation is an art. You want a destination with a blend of local charm and a laid-back attitude. What you DON’T want is a location so jam-packed with activities that it will leave you feeling stressed when you inevitably can’t hit everything.

There’s a fine balance that must be struck.

Here are 12 long weekend destinations that check all the right boxes for those summer Fridays.

Bar Harbor, ME

No one would tell you to take a weekend trip to Maine in the winter…or fall…or even spring. But when summer hits this northeastern gem, the magic is palpable.

Bar Harbor has all the trappings of a classic beach town (local ice cream shops, quaint local boutiques), only it’s even more idyllic than what you’re probably accustomed to. Its rocky coast boasts an adorable lighthouse and amazing lobster, plus manageable prices to boot.

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Reno, NV

“The biggest little city in the world.” That’s Reno’s tagline, and it’s ready to defend that reputation.

With Vegas completely oversaturated in the American tourism industry, Reno is on the rise for the same traits of glitz and gambling, only with fewer tourists. Bonus: There’s a growing brewery culture in the city, so you can trade in those sugary casino cocktails for some craft beer.

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Point Pleasant, NJ

Seaside Heights and the Wildwoods get all the glory of the Jersey Shore. Yet if you want a little less fist pumping and a little more relaxing, head due north to Point Pleasant.

Time-travel your way back to the 1950s with a stay in a “Doo Wop Motel,” so-called because the décor is filled with golden-era kitsch.

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Upper Peninsula, MI

The upper Midwest is all about that Lake Life, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is the crème de la crème of Lake Life, with its myriad charming towns and wilderness adventures.

One day you can be kayaking through the Les Cheneaux area; the next you can explore Tahquamenon Falls; and then you can end the day with a dinner at one of the many marinas on Lake Superior.

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Willamette Valley, OR

There had to be a wine weekend included in this list, yet the Sonoma and Napa Valleys of California are so well-known they’re almost a given at this point. Trade in California’s vines for the burgeoning wine scene of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Given its proximity to hipster Portland, you’ll find many oenophiles exploring the wine trails on their bikes. It’s a good way to work off those Pinot Noir calories.

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Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque tourism is booming, putting this modest city on the cusp of becoming the next great southwest metropolis.

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St. Louis, MO

There’s more to St. Louis than the famous arch (though let’s be honest, that’s pretty cool too). The “Gateway to the West” is chock-full of green space, with a fabulous botanical garden and its urban sculpture park, Citygarden.

And let’s not forget about that mouth-watering BBQ. Ribs are a must when you’re in St. Louis.

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Adirondack Mountains, NY

Here’s something you probably didn’t know: Adirondack Park is bigger than both Yellowstone and Yosemite in terms of National Parks. That’s 6 million acres of High Peaks, pristine lakes and practically unspoiled nature.

Try staying in the small town of Saranac Lake, or opt for the site of the 1980 Olympics, Lake Placid.

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Sedona, AZ

Red Rock is one of the coolest natural wonders in the continental US, and Sedona, Arizona, has them in spades. Among the most popular, and coolest, are the Pink Jeep tours of the Red Rocks. It’s bound to bring out the renegade inside you.

When you’ve satisfied your sense of adventure, you can unwind with a prickly pear margarita (a local specialty) or soak up the culture at one of the many lauded art galleries.

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Pacific Coast Highway, CA

Everyone needs a solid road trip to make a summer memorable. The Pacific Coast Highway is the gold standard of road trips. US 1 is hella scenic, with its cliffs and ocean views.

Within a long weekend, think of how many coastal towns you can visit. You can hit the Danish village of Solvang in the morning, and then stop for some fresh avocados in Santa Barbara in the afternoon — and that’s just day one.

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Quebec, Canada

You can’t have a productive long weekend in Europe without feeling like you missed everything. Look instead to our neighbor to the north, and try out Quebec for a weekend.

It has all the feel of a French village (French is the official language after all) — only at a fraction of the cost. Plus there’s always a festival for you to experience a taste of local culture.

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Maui, HI

I know, I know. A weekend in Hawaii is a SPLURGE. But sometimes you just have to treat yourself, and if you’re going to treat yourself, Hawaii is the place to do it.

Maui is the long weekend destination of your dreams. White sand beaches, clear water, amazing surfing. And when you need a break from all that sunlight, the island boasts some incredible spas to make you forget about all your tension and troubles.

I mean, put it this way: Would you ever regret a weekend in Hawaii? I don’t think so.

 Blair Thill