Startups have a high failure rate. And those that survive never grow beyond being mom-and-pops or SMEs. So what are the forces that accelerate the growth of companies into multi-million or multi-billion businesses? Accelerator #1: Leverage. Leverage is based on a simple but powerful concept – you can lift a much heavier object by...
Different people have different motivations for starting a business. For me, there are at least five different kinds of entrepreneurs. Find out which one are you. The Escape Entrepreneur You decide you want to become your own boss because you hate your 9-to-5 job and you want to quit the rat race. Or you’re...
As an entrepreneur myself, I’ve had my own share of hits and misses. I started my own small business when I was 23 but went back to corporate work after I finished my MBA. I got into franchising as a side business when I was in my late 20s. That lasted for just a...
How do you manage your family finances? Why not run it like a business? Here’s how: Establish your purpose Did you know that some wealthy families have family constitutions? Well, you don’t have to go that far. But it could do your family well if you set your purpose. Businesses exist for a purpose,...
Lately, there have been a lot of campaigns and movements pushing for entrepreneurship among Filipinos. That is a good thing. Our country needs more entrepreneurs. While I support that, I also believe that not everyone should become an entrepreneur. I am an entrepreneur myself, but I had also been an employee. I started off...
I went into business when I was 23 years old. It was a small desktop publishing shop under the staircase of a newly built four-story building in a university area. I had two desktop PCs, a laser and inkjet printer, and a photocopying machine. I employed three people. We made business cards and letterheads...
There are so many ways to slash your career, but one way to think about how to pursue multiple careers is how to expand it. Do you go wide, deep, or wild? What do I mean? Going wide means sticking to one discipline and applying different but related skills for different industries or markets....
Mass marketing is dead. Or so that’s what everybody says. Although I wouldn’t call mass markets non-existent (there’s a good reason the big television networks and telcos are still raking it in), there is no doubt there’s been a proliferation of niche markets as never before. For sure, prosperity and technology have given rise...
Allow me to recommend 20 titles that have made an impact on my life over the 20 years that I’ve been building a library of personal finance, business, and career development. Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson. This is the first personal finance book I ever read, back in 1996, and it just...
We know slashers are everywhere and in fact have been around for centuries. But admittedly, prior to the 20th century, these multi-faceted personalities are few and far between. But that’s no longer true. In fact, a portfolio career could very well be the future of work. Not convinced? These trends will at the very least...
