Category Archives: Startup

4 Things to Consider Before Going into Business With Someone You Know

Guest post in our entrepreneurial series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Business partnerships between people who already know each other can be incredibly fruitful. They involve banding together and sharing capital, expertise, and experience to create a thriving enterprise. Partnering up with a friend or family member may seem like an excellent idea. However, you need to exercise caution when going into business with someone you are close to. Business partnership and friends do not always mix, and incompatibility in business can lead to strained relationships and broken friendships. Here are a few things that you should consider before choosing a business partner.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels

Do You Share a Similar Vision?

If you are considering starting a business, you probably already have some idea about the product or service you would like to provide, the industry you want to be in, and the type of business you want to run. When it comes down to company identity, it is essential that you both share a similar vision for your brand. In order for it to succeed, business partners need to unify to fulfill brand promises, enforce standards and live up to the company beliefs and values.

Have You Worked With Them Before?

Having a strong connection with someone in a personal way does not always mean you will work well together in business. Being comfortable with your business partner and having the ability to be honest and straight with them is important. However, possessing existing experience working with them already will help you gauge their work style and what they will be like as a partner. If you lack this experience, try working together on a smaller project to see how you work together as a team.Continue reading→

Seven Main Ways Millennials are Changing the Definition of Leadership in 2020

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Millennials are “rebellious path-breakers” who shun everything traditional and believe in making their path. And over the years, it is the millennials have collectively transformed the way we communicate and conduct business.

This is the generation that reconciles logic and emotions. The millennials are both educated and empathic, and they want to make the world a better place. And it is this optimism that reflects the way they lead business ventures as well.

Here are seven ways in which Millennials are redefining leadership in 2020

REF: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-wearing-eyeglasses-3184405/ 

Personalised Professional Workplaces

Gone are the days when people separated their personal and professional spaces. The millennial work culture is more flexible, intuitive, and interactive. And the office spaces and workstations are an extension of this attitude.

Most of the start-ups that we see around have a very vibrant, friendly vide to it. Even big shot corporations like Google have incorporated the millennial culture. A millennial leader is not dogmatic or dominating. Instead, they focus on building a personal connection with their team.

However, that being said, millennial work culture also stresses on work-life balance. Effective time management, flexible working hours, home-based working options are more prevalent than ever.

Transformations > Transactional Leadership

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BOOK: Innovating Like a Startup Executing Like a Corporation

Contributed article in our business series. We’re delighted to feature this book, written by our brilliant and experienced colleague Dr. Jean-Claude Junqua. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Why did I write this book?

Through the experience acquired with large corporations and working with many startups, I could understand the strengths and weaknesses of these two worlds, and also the gaps that currently exist with both types of organization to innovate and create new business. It became clear to me that the front-end and the back-end of innovation were often disconnected or had severe weaknesses that would prevent startups and corporations from effectively searching for new business and, when deciding to go forward with an opportunity, to execute it successfully. This realization prompted me to write this book and share my understanding, experience, and knowledge with the innovation and business community at large. This book will benefit innovators, entrepreneurs, founders, managers, and executives who are trying to break through innovation barriers by avoiding common mistakes and getting answers about practical challenges.Continue reading→

Creating Your E-Commerce Store: A Guide

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

The internet has democratized who can start a business because now all it takes is a website to get your company up and running. An e-commerce store is simply a website with added payment functionality to enable web users to make sales through your website. This is a very simple piece of code that will work in harmony with a pre-existing layout, helping you shift your goods without a physical store. There are, however, additional risks and considerations to make in relation to your e-commerce store. But don’t worry, this simple guide will take you through every element that needs to be considered.

Security

Your clients will be submitting their data to your website in order to make purchases online, therefore it is essential that you invest in the best protection for your site. There are many ways to improve your website security and to ensure that its SQL is not violated in any way. An unsecured site can be damaging for your business should it be found in breach of data regulation.Continue reading→

Interview: I Always Knew I Wanted to Work with Hemp

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Marko Sladič, founder of Hemptouch d.o.o.

Hemptouch is a Slovene independent CBD oil and skin care brand, specialized in making hemp-based therapeutic balms, wonderfully moisturizing face creams and skin-friendly shampoos and cleansers. Inspired by powerful Cannabis Sativa plant, Hemptouch’s therapeutic natural remedies soothe and calm different types of skin problems.

Hemptouch skin care products are 100% natural, free from artificial fragrances, silicones, parabens phthalates, sodium lauryl sulphate and other skin irritants, plus vegan to boot. Hemptouch CBD oil is the highest quality, CO2 extracted at low temperatures without any solvents or alcohol. Extracted from the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa) grown under strict EU regulation. Non-GMO, free from pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and parabens.

Silvija, co-founder of Hemptouch on their hemp field in a small village in Slovenia

Silvija, why did you and Marko start Hemptouch?

I always had very sensitive skin and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t find skin care products that would work for me. So I made one. It really worked so I started making skin remedies for very sensitive people, who couldn’t use conventional skin care. Marko, on the other hand had experience with industrial hemp, and it was long time ago when he planted some fields for first experimental harvests.

In 2014 we joined our two passions into one: therapeutic skin remedies based on Cannabis sativa extracts. It was around that time that first information about potential uses of CBD started trickling in and we immediately saw potential in it as a skin soother. Even more, studies showed it balanced sebum production and so products for acne and oily skin were developed.

Tell me about the beginnings …

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6 Must-Have Pages Every Ecommerce Site Needs

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

When it comes to ecommerce, your website is your most important tool. When your site has been designed and planned well, it should provide a seamless experience for customers and site visitors all day, every day.

For every minor fault on your site, you limit its effectiveness and ability to work for you. Many ecommerce businesses make the simple mistake of not ensuring that they have the basic essentials of an ecommerce store, but this can be easily rectified.Continue reading→

How to Go Self-Employed and Work From Home

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Many people like the idea of working for themselves but don’t want to or are unable to make the investment into setting up a business with all the overheads of renting premises and employing staff. Fortunately, the Internet has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for you to work from home, an approach that requires only modest investment and is full of opportunities for self-employed work.

If you have the desire and the drive to be successfully self-employed, it can be a highly rewarding lifestyle, and once you’re established, you can quickly expand into running a more extensive business if you so wish. In order to make a decent living from your self-employed work, you just need to make sure there is a market for your offer, and that you have the skills to manage to be your own boss.

Identifying Your Skills

Everyone has a skill set they’ve built up, but not all of them are adaptable to working from home. There are two key factors to consider before you decide what kind of work to take on.Continue reading→

Easy Tips For Keeping A Productive Office

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

In the working world, making sure you run a productive office is essential if you want to garner results and turn your business into a profitable, hardworking enterprise. Below are some easy tips to keep your office both a productive and welcoming work environment.

  • Consider the layout

The layout of an office can have an impact on the overall workflow. With correctly positioned desks, you can encourage collaborative discussion, or singular work when necessary. Maximizing on the space you have to ensure a comfortable flow in the office will help employees feel relaxed. Plus, in an environment where they can feel comfortable, employees are less likely to get distracted and can get on with the tasks in hand.Continue reading→