Easy Steps to Start a Business or Grow Your Existing One
In this roundup of great ideas and resources for small business—you’ll find a straightforward guide to help you take all the right steps to form a new business. You’ll also learn how recent research has revealed a powerful (and surprising) way to find new clients in your network, and how playing solitaire (yes, really) can be one of the best things you can do for your business.
Read on to explore this edition of The Water Cooler:
From Zero to Business in 10 Steps…
You’ve got a great idea for a business. Maybe even have a few clients lined up or some projects underway. The tinder is lit. But how do you turn this from just an idea into an official business on paper, with all of your i’s dotted and t’s crossed?
This simple online guide will take you through the 10 key steps you’ll need to take to properly form your business, covering everything from choosing your business name, obtaining an EIN (Employer Identification Number), to navigating the over 150,000 filing jurisdictions for business licensing in the U.S.
Effective Networking Is Anything But Common Sense…
Alright, you’ve heard it a million times—networking is good for business. After all, every successful businessperson will tell you so. Meeting new people and expanding your connections is one of the best ways to find new clients and uncover opportunities.
What you probably haven’t heard, however, is the new twist on how all of this really works.
Recent research is breaking down old assumptions and painting a new picture of who our most promising connections actually are. And also who they aren’t. This new spin on networking from Adam Grant will surprise you – and help you re-think the value of your existing network.
When Playing Games Is Good for Business…
Remember back to your elementary school days, working through your homework at the kitchen table each night. You would long for any distraction that would cross your path. But Mom or Dad would send you back to the table—you needed to concentrate hard and keep working to get things done. That’s the way you solve problems, after all—right?
Now you’re all grown up (sort of) and when you’ve got an important business decision, you assume you should tackle it in the same way you always have. Head down. Unwavering focus.
Well, here’s the thing. Recent research says that certain types of distractions can actually improve your decision-making skills.
