TechLifeMashup | Entrepreneurs, Social Media, and Technology

Whether you’re a entrepreneur who has been in the game for several years or you’re just starting to get your toes wet, making sure you take the time to file your small business earnings properly is a must unless you want a very unpleasant visit from Uncle Sam.  It’s frustrating enough to file my regular taxes most years, but even more so now trying to figure out how to include my entrepreneur ventures (well the ones that profited) on top of it. Fear not for I have some excellent tax tips for any entrepreneur running a business that are sure to make your next filing much easier. More »

Starting your own business is essentially what defines you as an entrepreneur.  It’s something anyone with some time and hard work can do regardless of background or location.  I talk a lot on Techlifemashup about the benefits of running your business online, but I recently came across an interesting piece of information that some of you out there might find interesting.    CNBC just finished ranking their 40 best states to open a new business in based on a variety of factors such as quality of life and cost of living.  We’ve got the best 10 for you hear today. More »

Have your own business?  Wish you could save more money than you currently are?  You’re not alone.  Many entrepreneurs who run their own business whether it be from an office or at home, are constantly looking for ways to cut spending without hurting the business.   You may be surprised to hear that this is actually easier then it seems.  Today, I’m going to share my top 5 tips  for saving money on your business.  Not only will you save money, but you’ll be more productive too! More »

There were 672,000 new small business start-ups in 2009.  Small businesses continue to grow in popularity as more people continue to turn to this career path.  Events such as a slow economy, job cuts, and better benefits are just some of the reasons people have turned to small businesses for work.  Wondering what types of small business did well, where the best place to start a small business is, or maybe you want to know why some businesses fail and other succeed?  Well,  Focus recently published a very interesting infographic answering these exact questions.  Take a look! More »

Taking a start-up business public through stock options has been the traditional approach for most entrepreneurs of the past.  A entrepreneur would find a investor to fund the start-up.  The entrepreneur would then have to either sell the company off or have an IPO  and offer a public stock option in order to payback the investors.  IPOs and the public option have taken a backseat in recent years to corporate buyouts for a variety of reasons.  This shift in methods for generating financial revenues can easily be explained and with good reason. More »

Almost all the entrepreneurs I’ve talked to have told me the same thing, which is you can’t go it alone forever.  Many entrepreneurs often launch a start-up business with no official team to leverage for support.  This can work initially, but it can also quickly become a huge negative as your company begins to mature and grow in popularity.  The importance of team building should never be underestimated.  The sooner you start putting together a solid team of people, the better off you’ll be going forward.  Here now is an excellent quick video on the importance of team building, and how it can make a difference for your business. 


Take a look at this 5 minute video:

See this video on Vator.tv »

I would also like to take a moment to throw in my two cents here as well.  You’ll want to make sure that the team you build isn’t too large.  A small team can be just as effective as a large one.  The important thing is finding the people that fit and hiring based on the amount of actual work that needs to be done.  Remember that team building is a great way to overcome your weaknesses.

Transitioning to the job title of entrepreneur is no easy task and to obtain the title of a successful entrepreneur is often even harder.  I firmly believe anyone who has the desire and determination to do so can make it down the path of entrepreneurship.  That being said, I also think there are some personality traits and characteristics that can be very beneficial to possess for anyone looking to pursue such a career.  What those exact characteristics are is up for debate, but I was excited when I came across a list of 10 common characteristics of people who tend to pursue entrepreneurship full time.  Read on to see how you match up! More »

Have way too much to do and not enough time to do it in?  Wish you could have more time to spend with family and friends?  Well, if you find yourself saying yes then you might want to consider the possibility of hiring a Virtual Assistant to help increase your productivity and eliminate the mundane  tasks that often consume our precious time.  There is nothing more valuable than your time, and you should treat it as so.  Recently, entrepreneur Tim Ferriss did an interview on how a Virtual Assistant can save you both time and money without costing you an arm and a leg! More »

Most entrepreneurs just starting out usually have a very limited budget.  It’s therefore very important for new entrepreneurs to spend money as wisely as possible to get the most out of each dollar.  When you are getting ready to launch a product or service to the rest of the world, you want to do so in the most efficient way possible that is going to attract the greatest number of people.  Today we’re going to look at how you can use Google Adwords to do some cheap, but highly effective market testing  for your next idea! More »

Attention to any upcoming internet entrepreneur out there who has been sitting on a great idea waiting to take action – now is the time to take action!  Tim Ferriss (entrepreneur & author) and Shopify (an online store creation platform) have teamed together to put together the “Start Your Own Business & Win 100K” contest.  You heard right!  Not only is this a great incentive for anyone out there looking to make it as an entrepreneur, but it’s also a chance to get help and advice from someone who is actually living the entrepreneur life.  Read on for the full details and how you can get started in this 6 month contest scheduled to start January 1, 2010. More »