It is possible to turn any idea into a business. Hoola hoops and yo-yos are two examples of seemingly insignificant ideas that became popular without advertising. The products themselves attracted attention, and people bought them. Unfortunately, the manufacturers went out of business as quickly as they began.

Ideas that turn into successful businesses must offer products and services that possess quality and satisfy a need or want. A business cannot survive without providing products that people are willing to pay a reasonable price.

An example of an idea turning into a massive business is Signtronix. Anyone can make a sign that advertises products. That idea has been in the business world for generations. However, to create another sign requires imagination. There has to be a new idea that is completely different from all other signs. In addition, that sign must attract attention, and say something that advertisers want to say.

The idea is born, and imagination is applied so that something new is created that can survive in the competitive world. What is the next step?

In starting any business, you should cover all of the legal requirements. You should secure patents or copyrights, and be certain that all city, county and state laws are being obeyed.

The next step is to make a business plan to determine the capital needs. After determining the capital needs, planners should look for markets to develop a cash flow. The plan should determine how long it will require to establish a sufficient cash flow to support the business. This step will determine the time of business that may be financed.

If one person can raise enough capital to fund the business, he or she may establish a sole-proprietorship. If additional funds are needed, the owner may seek partners. If the required funding is too large for an indicial, he may sell shares and form a corporation.

Another innovative way to raise capital is to use an Employee Stock Option Plan. It isn’t surprising that Signtronix chose this type of business organization because it indicates imagination. A major benefit of the ESOP is that the employees own the company and, therefore, share in the profits and losses. All employees are concerned with operating efficacy because it directly affects both products and profits.

Once the idea has turned into a business, new ideas are needed to keep it operating. No business can stand still and succeed. Every business has competitors that are constantly looking for new products and for ways to improve old products. Only new and better ideas will beat the competition. Every new business begins with an idea. The idea involves something new or makes improvements in something old. The entrepreneur recognizes opportunity as he or she sees the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Some entrepreneurs may seize the opportunity to make the hoola hoops and yo yos, but most know that they must have products that supply quality needs and wants for their businesses to become massive businesses.

Anyone who has faced the enormous obstacles of starting their own business while sipping on a cup of Starbucks coffee or reading an email or two from an Apple computer should know that the struggle to make it in the competitive business world is not impossible - take Starbucks and Apple, for example.

Many years ago, a group of men invested nearly everything they had in a garage-based computer production venture. One of those men was Steve Jobs. After selling anything from their cars to calculators, they scraped up enough capital to start working with about 50 orders. Skip ahead a few decades. Apple has become the fastest growing company in history. With an annual revenue of billions of dollars and lucrative business in dozens of countries around the world, Apple is a poster child for a small business that can make it.

Somewhere else many years ago, a small band of modest school teachers spent all they had (and some loans to boot) to invest in a small, quaint little coffee shop - Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice. Currently, Starbucks Coffee is in nearly every city across the globe, and makes billions of dollars a year through sales, sponsorship, and marketing.
But how did this happen? What was so special about these investors that skyrocketed their businesses into infamy across the world, that created a company so vast and so enormous that there’s still no end in sight for either of these powerhouse? How much effort did they spend making business models and company plans, investing, marketing, and saving? The answer is, to put it simply, a lot.

Any company who genuinely wants to become a type of business like these companies needs to know that the amount of time, energy, and innovation needed to succeed is almost infinite. Every available amount of knowledge and energy must be used to fuel market research, fund entrepreneur relations, and most importantly, create customers. None of this comes easy, but entrepreneurs such as Pepe Fanjul have and will continue to use this type of model to succeed.

The business models of companies like Apple and Starbucks are as precise as they are thorough. If a company can’t understand and utilize the business within their zip code, how are they going to tackle the differentiating cultures, companies, and customers of the city, the state, the nations? Those considering starting a business, even one out of the garage, can succeed if they pay careful attention to the specific tools and resources available to them.

The major startup capital for most of these companies came from outside investors, and continued by sustaining relationships with those above the company until they reached the top. If you want to be great, follow those who already are. If you want a big, global company, use the tools and resources big global companies did. You just might make it into the big 500.

Social media has transformed how those in developed societies communicate. While some lament the dropping popularity of telephones and other old communication methods, the shift appears to be increasing communication between friends. For those in the business field, social media is quickly becoming the best way to reach potential customers online, and young people are uniquely suited to taking advantage of what the platforms have to offer. Here are some tips.

Make attractive pages?

Current social media platforms are far more restrictive than older platforms, and many experts are crediting these clean appearances with their success. Myspace, for example, is largely believed to have failed because it gave users too much power to customize their pages. Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to remember this when creating their properties; the page should be clean and professional.?

There should, however, be hints about the branding and motifs that are used to make the business stand out. The logo is the most important part of the page, so those running the page are encouraged to ensure that the logo looks great on both desktops and smart devices.

Make connections?

The most challenging part of the process is to gain followers. When using Twitter, it is generally acceptable to search through users’ comments and follow those who may be interesting in what the business has to offer. Too much following, however, will trip Twitter’s alerts and can possible put the account at risk.?

Facebook, however, is a bit trickier to use; the best way to find followers is to run promotional events and post great content that is likely to be shared. Offering to donate to a charity once enough users “like” the page can help, and offers of discounts or even free products work as well. It is also possible to create great content that followers will share with their friends; especially good content can spread through several levels of accounts and reach a tremendous number of viewers.?

If the source page is strong, this tactic can gain a large number of followers quickly.

Find a niche and post great content

After working at Oracle, noted CEO?Charles Phillips?found a niche area in enterprise resource planning software and used it to grow his company Infor quickly and in a sustainable manner. Too often, entrepreneurs think that social media is more different from traditional business tasks than it actually is; finding a niche and posting great content is the key to keep followers engaged and to find new followers.?

Social media also provides a valuable tool that many fail to take advantage of: feedback. Comments are likely to lead to new ideas about how to better refine the company’s niche and ideas about great content to post. Further, this feedback can lead to great examples of customer interaction visible to the public.

Search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising are still the two most utilized techniques that are used by young professionals, and these two field will continue to be crucial elements for online business. Social media, however, holds the promise of being able to surpass these two fields. Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to create their social media platforms while the field is still relatively young.

The Internet’s affect on business has revolutionized nearly every aspect of a company’s day-to-day activities. Previous techniques have been changed, augmented and even abandoned, and those who fail to adapt to these fluctuations are often left behind. While many often focus on the beneficial aspects of the Internet, others fail to realize how certain aspects of the online age can negatively impact a business, and it is often older business managers who are negatively affected.

Here are some of the ways young entrepreneurs can gain an advantage over their older competitors:

* SEO and a company’s success

Search engine optimization (SEO) practices are becoming a cornerstone to successful business management. While large companies sometimes have a client base that creates their online profile for them, most companies will need to put forth a dedicated effort to form and maintain their online presence.

SEO is the art of improving a company’s results in the search engines, and the field is constantly changing. With great search engine results for the right keywords, businesses can find new customers who use their ever-growing list of Internet devices to find companies. Older companies often have management teams that focus on keeping their existing customer base and using offline advertisement campaigns to stay afloat; younger business entrepreneurs can use SEO to pull ahead.

* Online reputation management

Even old business operators who are stuck in their traditional ways understand the importance of gaining and maintaining a strong reputation. What many fail to realize, however, is how important the Internet is to this reputation. Through social media platforms and other online resources, reputations are made, fostered and destroyed online, and those who run businesses will want to be proactive and ensure that their reputations stay strong by using dedicated teams from companies such as ReputationManagers.com.

With smart phones, potential customers are looking at online reviews and making decisions while on the go; businesses that fail to maintain a strong reputation will lose customers who find negative information online. Most clients do not know about a company’s history or experience, and young entrepreneurs can use reputation management techniques and services to gain and retain customers.

* Social media and other interactive platforms

SEO and reputation management are being changed by the dominance of social media platforms. With hundreds of million of active users, Facebook and Twitter are becoming the primary communication platforms for young people in developed societies. By taking steps to help encourage positive discussion about a business on these platforms, entrepreneurs can create a buzz that leads to valuable online word-of-mouth communication, and these positive reviews can grow and spread even more quickly than tradition word-of-mouth activity.
Additionally, targeted promotional material that is humorous or insightful has a chance of being shared among groups of friends and can sometimes go “viral” across the platform. Effective social media advertising campaigns are hard to create, but they are tremendously effective when they work.

* Custom online interfaces

Customers are demanding new, online ways to interact with a company. With a bit of creativity and some work, entrepreneurs can create online portals to connect customers with the business. Online storefronts are useful, and entrepreneurs can gain an advantage over competitors by ensuring easy mobile access. Further, companies can consider creating specialized apps for various smart device platforms that encourage potential customers to use their services. New browser technology has made websites far more dynamic than those of the past, so there is tremendous room for growth and innovation online.

The Internet revolution is still in full swing, and the opportunities for using the Internet to grow as a business are as open as ever. Increasingly, however, maintaining a company’s online presence is becoming a necessity to succeed. The days when Internet properties could be viewed as luxuries have ended, and young entrepreneurs will need to use the Internet as a primary means of communication.

Marketing

You can out just about anything on a business card these days including social media profiles, QR codes, websites ect.. They are excellent marketing vehicles for your business, especially if you go to as many events that I do.

Follow up

When giving out business cards of course I will get some in return. I usually have a box at home I put them in for keeping. But when I get a business card from someone I usually write a few impactful notes about the person on the back, this will help me remember what I was talking to them about for later follow up.

Build a Contact Database

When I get home after an event, and before I put my cards in the box, I snap shots of them using CamCard for my android phone. It puts it right into my phone’s contacts and then syncs back to my gmail. This is huge for building a contact database which is great for future business.

There are a lot of places to go to buy business cards online and in person. Just make sure you don’t skimp on quality to save some cash. These cards are a direct reflection of you and how much you care about your business. Make sure you buy the best and most creative cards that you can!

Now my great friends at UPrinting.com have agreed to run a contest for some lucky reader to win 250 die-cut business cards to the person who can leave the best story on how getting a business card from someone led to a big business deal!

Some details on the Contest:

It is open to US residents only.

Sizes to choose from:

2 x 3.5″ Rounded Corners, 2×2″ Rounded Corners, 1.75×3.5″ Rounded Corners, 2×3.5″ Leaf, 2×3.5
Rounded one corner, 2×3.5″ Half Circle Side, 2×3.5″ Oval, 2.5″ Circle

Paper to choose from:

14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or 13pt Cardstock Uncoated,

Front and back printing

You can also follow UPrinting on their many social media channels to keep up to date on the latest in business cards and other printing trends!

Like UPrinting on Facebook

Follow UPrinting on Twitter

Add UPrinting on you Google+ Circles

Attempting to run a business without the use of modern technology is essentially setting yourself up for failure in today’s digital world. In a sense, modern consumers have been spoiled by the convenience that technology offers them when purchasing a product or service. Why call one auto mechanic when another service features everything the consumer needs to know on the company’s website? And why shop at this boutique when I can visit another’s website and get what I need shipped right to my door?

First and foremost, the advancement of technology has helped heat up competition among businesses of all kinds, and the company that attracts the most customers isn’t always the best out there. To keep up with this competition and earn a place among other companies on social networking platforms, apps, and elsewhere on the Internet, it’s important to keep learning about the latest technologies throughout your business education.

Tech Tools to Look Out For

As a small business owner, keeping up with modern technology can be a costly endeavor. Fortunately, recent advancements such as cloud computing have allowed entrepreneurs to take advantage of the latest technological developments without going over a strict budget. According to Ed Oswald, owner of a small freelance writing and media consulting business, cloud computing helps to reduce his technology expenses by offering 5 GB of free storage space for keeping records with important business information. In addition to saving a few bucks, Oswald claims that cloud computing offers even more convenience by being available anywhere and anytime.

Social networking is another important technology-based tool that no small business can successfully function without. Essentially any Internet presence will do, but social networking offers the most cost-effective solution for businesses on a budget. By maintaining a presence on each of the biggest social media sites out there (Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc.), your company can successfully connect with your target audience without having to spend a lot of money.

Focusing on Technology in the Classroom

Introducing students to technology early on in their education is one of the most effective ways educators can prepare future entrepreneurs and small business owners for the technology-dependent professional world. Whether it’s through online courses or flipped classrooms, institutions across the country are recognizing the vital importance of equipping students with a strong understanding of various technological tools. These media are not merely used as a different outlet to share information with students, but are simultaneously teaching students how to use technological methods in the real world.

Educators are starting to realize that knowing how to successfully operate technological devices is a fundamental part of a student’s education in the modern world. In fact, many schools are starting to make online courses a requirement for students to graduate. Since nearly every business today has an online component, hopeful entrepreneurs without this knowledge can easily get left behind. As technology develops and different devices and media become available, entrepreneurs have a responsibility to keep up—either through a formal educational program or by learning through personal experience.

Once a blog has begun to attract a substantial amount of traffic, many bloggers find that it is time to make the transition to using advertising to generate income for their site. Including advertisements in a blog can be a lucrative move for bloggers and can often lead to earning a full-time income.

While making advancements in their blogging is an exciting step for blog authors, many of them worry that including advertising may irritate their readers and even turn some of them away. However, by following the tips of people such as Bob Beck sales expert and learning from the lessons of other bloggers, online authors can include advertising in their blogs in a way that will be unobtrusive and even helpful to their readers.

Keep Advertisements Relevant to Readers

Advertisements can be included in a blog in a way that will actually enhance the content. Bloggers should select ads that are related to the topics of their articles. For example, a person who blogs about technology should include advertisements about different electronic devices, software and repair companies. If readers find that advertisements are useful, then they will not be annoyed when they come across it in a blog.

Pay Attention to Placement

Naturally, an advertisement that is flashing images in the middle of content will be jarring to a reader. However, there are many ways to include advertisements naturally throughout the blog by paying attention to the type of advertising that is used and where it is placed on the webpage.

There are many different forms for advertising and they include links, banners, images and in-text references. It can be helpful to place banners and images at either the top or the side of the page in order to avoid interfering with the text. When incorporating links and in-text references to a product, they should be written into the content in a way that flows smoothly and makes sense to the reader.

Keep Blog Posts Interesting and Informative

The best way to keep readers visiting a blog that includes advertising is to make sure that the blog articles are entertaining and include information that they will want to know. Making sure that the advertisements that are selected refer to honest products will also help to keep readers’ trust in the integrity of the blog. Just as people will continue watching television shows that have commercials because they enjoy the program, readers will continue to return to a blog as long as the articles continue to keep them fascinated.

Including advertisements in a blog is a smart decision that a successful blogger will eventually have to make. By incorporating advertisements into a blog effectively, their content can be enhanced. Including carefully placed and useful advertisements in a blog can actually lead to a better experience for the readers who visit an author’s blog.