JumpStart Blog

Trust in a mentor/mentee relationship plays a key role in the success of the mentorship experience, and can also have an impact on the long term success of the business.

As an entrepreneur, when you hear common startup stories shared, you might want to ask yourself: Is what I’m hearing a myth, or reality? Sometimes it can be hard to tell.

If you’ve always dreamed of being an investor, but lack the requirements needed to be considered accredited, you may have felt it wasn’t in the cards. However, if you are passionate about helping entrepreneurs succeed, it might be time to join the crowd.

Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions! Of course, we all make resolutions with the good intention of keeping them. But let’s be honest: Resolutions, whether personal or business-related, seem like they are made to be broken.

It’s not easy being the new business on the block, which is why building your credibility needs to be an early priority. For small businesses, your first customers are extremely important to building that credibility.

Being asked to serve on a board is a big responsibility, and so prospective board members should understand the opportunity before making a commitment.

If you want to be big, you have to start small. This is especially true for entrepreneurs who are just going to market.

Whether you're creating a business around a new product or service, or coming out with a different version of something that already exists, it's important to determine the overall size of your market.

Starting a business requires an incredible amount of strategy and planning. But one thing many entrepreneurs neglect to plan for is how they will exit their business. It’s understandable: When you are immersed in the excitement of building something that’s all yours, it’s hard to imagine giving it up.

Most entrepreneurs who come to IdeaCrossing in search of funding have a solid idea and focus. They're passionate about their business, and they see a direct need for their product or service in the market. However, in some cases, these entrepreneurs don’t catch an investor’s eye right away. In other cases, perhaps an investor has expressed interest, but after a closer look felt the opportunity wasn't a good fit for him or her.

You may have heard the term, but unless you’ve actually experienced due diligence, you may not fully understand all it entails.

In our first Business Basics post, we talked about the importance of a business plan. But what exactly goes into a business plan and how do you begin tackling such a document? While plans vary based on the business, most follow the same basic structure.

It can be difficult making decisions on your own. But making decisions as a group? That can be a nightmare. Here are several techniques that you can use to keep your team out of the groupthink rut.

As an entrepreneur, it’s natural to wear many hats within the company: managing the business, handling the hiring, and perhaps even overseeing the finances. And yet, when it comes to selling their product or service to a customer or an investor, many entrepreneurs feel that sales is a skill they just don't have. The truth is, by keeping a few key tips in mind, you can become your business’s best salesperson.

You’ve decided to take the plunge into mentoring. But how do you go about becoming a business mentor? How do you know when there’s a good match? And how can you be an effective business guide?