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15.3 Selling U: Inspiration, Resources, and Assistance for Your Entrepreneurial Journey

Learning Objectives

  1. Meet some experienced entrepreneurs and learn from their successes and failures.
  2. Understand the resources available to help you pursue your entrepreneurial dream.

Meet Some Entrepreneurs

This chapter is only the beginning of thinking about selling your idea and yourself. It’s designed to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit in you. Selling U is a resource section for each chapter that provides information about how to use the concepts in “real life.” This chapter is no different. The previous chapter sections of Selling U have included resources to build your personal brand; this chapter includes insights and information about how to apply those concepts to pursue a career in an entrepreneurial environment.

Hear and read about the success and lessons from some of the best in the business. If experience is the best teacher, these entrepreneurs are excellent professors.

Business: Gotham Dream Cars
Entrepreneur: Noah Lehmann-Haupt
Video:

How leasing luxury cars became a multimillion-dollar business

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/video/small-business-rules-gotham-dream-cars-small-business-rules

Business: Jaguar Builders
Entrepreneur: Sherman “West” Westmoreland
Article:

How a quadriplegic became one of Florida’s most successful homebuilders

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4927/is_2_57/ai_n32018572/

Business: BTTR Ventures (stands for Back to the Roots)
Entrepreneurs: Nikhil Arora and Alex Velez
Article:

Interview with two college seniors started a company to recycle coffee waste

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/tom-musbach /control-your-career-destiny/2-green -entrepreneurs-take-coffee-waste

Business: Live Green
Entrepreneur: Steve Ma
Article:

How the organization that connects customers with eco-friendly businesses in the Washington, DC, area got started

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7560/is_200907/ ai_n35629263/?tag=content;col1

Business: Deano’s Italian Grille and Brick Oven Pizza, Smokin’ Lobos Barbecue and Grill, Scoops, downtown lofts, and more
Entrepreneur: Josh Nichols
Article:

How Nichols brought entrepreneurship and urban development to Dublin, Florida.

http://www.allbusiness.com/real-estate/commercial-residential-property-property/12346813-1.html

Business: Chic Gems, Etc.
Entrepreneur: Sarah Radford
Article:

This former top medical sales rep shares how she turned life’s lemons into lemonade by starting her own jewelry design business and her tips for success

http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/ guest-post-from-sales-rep-to-fashion-designer- a-story-about-making-lifes-lemons-into-lemonade- by-sarah-radford-of-chic-gems

Business: Sweat Fitness Gyms
Entrepreneur: Scott Caplan
Video:

How Sweat Fitness does what it takes to keep memberships during the recession

https://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/video/msnbc-whats-the-deal-msnbcs-your-business-small-biz-inspiration

Business: CaseStack, a logistics outsourcing company
Entrepreneur: Dan Sanker
Article:

A virtual ride-along with Sanker as he talks about how the business got started and the thrills and challenges of being an entrepreneur

http://www.e-shadow.com/interview-with-an-entrepreneur- dan-sanker-of-casestack

Business: Stonyfield Farms, organic yogurt products
Entrepreneur: Gary Hirshberg
Video:

How the company became a 25-year overnight success

https://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/video/ make-a-superior-product-ny-times-small-business-summit

Business: Wish of a Lifetime
Entrepreneur: Jeremy Bloom
Article:

How Bloom started his nonprofit organization for seniors

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1164278/index.htm

Business: Brave Spirits
Entrepreneur: David Fox
Videos:

How Brave Spirits was started

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm-9evHv2wA

Brave Spirits

http://www.bravespirits.com

Advice from the Masters: Famous Entrepreneurs Share Their Lessons

Video Clip

Balancing Act

Restaurateur Tom Colicchio (Top Chef) and Sarah Molten (formerly of Gourmet magazine) discuss the balance between being a CEO and entrepreneur.

https://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/video/ceo-vs-entrepreneur-inside-the-entrepreneurial-mind-series

Link

Secrets of Success

Seven famous entrepreneurs share the secrets of their success…and their mistakes. Wally Amos (Famous Amos Cookie Co.), Daymond John (FUBU), David Liu (The Knot), Jim Koch (The Boston Beer Co.), Liz Lange (Liz Lange Maternity), Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan (Method), and Gary Hirshberg (Stonyfield Farm) share what they learned the hard way in this article that appeared in USA Today.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smAllBusiness/startup/week3-famous-founders.htm

Link

Even the Best Fail

Even Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, has had his share of failures. The article highlights the ten Apple products that didn’t make it.

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/top_10_apple_products_which_flopped.php

Link

In the Beginning

Ten great entrepreneurs, including Gordon Segal (Crate and Barrel), Robert Redford (Sundance Institute), Mary Kay Ash (Mary Kay Cosmetics), and Jerry Yang (Yahoo!) talk about their start-up days in this slide show.

http://www.inc.com/ss/10-great-entrepreneurs-talk-about-their-start-days#0

Best in Class

Want to know the best of everything entrepreneurial? Check out these lists, articles, and slide shows. These are just a few of the many resources available. You may also find it helpful to do a Google search to read about successful entrepreneurs in your city.

Entrepreneurial Resources

No matter what stage you are in your entrepreneurial journey, there are resources to help you get to the next step. Table 15.1 "Entrepreneurial Resources" includes some of the best places to begin your research.

Table 15.1 Entrepreneurial Resources

Resource Name and Web Site Description
Government Resources

Small Business Development Centers

http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/

1,100 branch offices of the Small Business Administration; provide free one-on-one counseling and other resources

SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives)

http://www.score.org/index.html

SBA partner; counselors to America’s small businesses; free one-on-one counseling and other resources

SCORE Resources for Young Entrepreneurs

http://www.score.org/topics/young-entrepreneurs

Free tools and advice to start your journey

Small Business Administration

http://www.sba.gov/

Free tools and resources for small businesses including online Start-up Assessment Tool

United States Chamber Small Business Center

http://www.uschambersmallbusinessnation.com/toolkits/start-up

Arm of the United States Chamber of Commerce; comprehensive free resources for small businesses

Government Resources for Small Businesses

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/ mar2009/sb2009032_175015.htm ?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz +index+page_top+small+business+stories

Free resources from the government to support small businesses
Trade Journals

Inc. magazine

http://www.inc.com

Online articles and hard copy magazine with news, tips, and insights for and about entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur magazine

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Online articles and hard copy magazine with news, tips, and insights for and about entrepreneurs
Organizations and Networks

Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO)

http://www.eonetwork.org/Pages/default.aspx

Online network and chapters throughout the United States

Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO)

http://www.c-e-o.org

Online network and chapters throughout the United States

Entrepreneur America

http://www.entrepreneur-america.com

Mentoring services for small businesses and start-ups

Springboard Enterprises

https://www.springboardenterprises.org

National nonprofit dedicated to accelerating women entrepreneurs

Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST)

http://www.westorg.org

Nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs in science and technology
International Organizations

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE)

http://www.tie.org

International nonprofit for the advancement of entrepreneurialism

International Council for Small Businesses

http://www.icsb.org

Advancing entrepreneurship worldwide
Research and Resources

Kauffman Foundation

http://www.kauffman.org

Organization to connect entrepreneurs and provide resources

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

http://www.gemconsortium.org

Organization to connect entrepreneurs and provide resources
A Few Blogs and Twitter Posts Worth Reading

Guy Kawasaki

http://holykaw.alltop.com/

http://twitter.com/GuyKawasaki

Blog and microblog on entrepreneurial issues, tips, new technology, and more

Seth Godin

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Entrepreneurial thoughts of the day

Michael Simmons

http://twitter.com/michaeldsimmons

http://www.facebook.com/michaeldsimmons#/michaeldsimmons?v=wall

Part motivation, part entrepreneurial insights

Start-up Spark

http://www.bizzia.com/start-upspark/

Daily insights on entrepreneurial businesses

Mark Cuban

http://blogmaverick.com/

Entrepreneurial insights from the owner of the Dallas Mavericks
Books

Guy Kawasaki’s books

http://www.guykawasaki.com/books/index.shtml

Seth Godin’s books

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=seth+godin&x=0&y=0

Jeffrey Gitomer’s books

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jeffrey+gitomer&x=0&y=0

The best business books by entrepreneurs

http://www.inc.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/ceo-bookshelf_pagen_1.html

Free and Low-Cost Business Tools and Software

10 Free or Cheap Tools for Start-ups

http://www.inc.com/ss/10-free-or-cheap-tools-start-ups?nav=mostpopular#0

Great No-Cost Software

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20090901/great-no-cost-software.html?nav=mostpopular

Miscellaneous (worth checking out)

How-to Guides for Start-ups

http://www.inc.com/resources/start-up

E-commerce Starter Kit

http://www.inc.com/guides/sales/20696.html

American Express Open

http://www.openforum.com

Articles, videos, and forum for and about entrepreneurs

Don’t stop here! Look up local entrepreneurial organizations and get involved. Meet people, learn the ropes, and share your passion. If you have the entrepreneurial spirit, go for it and enjoy the journey!