Entrepreneurial Goldmine

The #1 Business Opportunity for you in 2010 is the business of YOU.  As we enter this new decade, the only way YOU will be able to achieve a sustainable level of success is to embrace the convergence of technology, social media and your domain expertise.  So whether you want to pursue opportunity #3 or opportunity #8, you must understand how to operate your business in the new world.  How do the external factors that are influencing global business change impact how YOU will drive success in the 21st century differently than previous generations achieved success three decades earlier? 

As my friend and colleague, George Benckenstein points out in his post, Welcome to Our Flat World, we now live in a world without barriers.  George says “So why do we call it a “Flat World?”  The world is being referred as a flat world, thanks to Tom Friedman’s  book The World Is Flat. The world is now so well connected with the ubiquity of technology in all areas which gives you, me, all of us, the power to collaborate, coordinate, produce and distribute seamlessly across borders, and cultural and language divides. In a flat world, everything of value is now connected — no more barriers.”  You see my friends, if you want your business to be successful, YOU must learn how to compete in this new world.  With opportunity #1, I try to focus on the critical elements that will help you prepare for success, no matter what opportunity YOU choose to grab!  (continue reading…)

Did you know you could outsource the implementation of your decision to home school?  I knew education had become big business, but I primarily associated that big business with higher education or adult education – a la, University of Phoenix (UP), the godfather of online college degrees.  Since UP came on the scene, over 2500 traditional colleges and universities have joined them in leveraging technology to offer higher education programs, taking the total non-traditional educational programs to over 5000 accredited and non-accredited schools that help men and women achieve their educational requirements, desires and dreams.

The remote and non-traditional education model has been so successful that within the past 36 months, a non-traditional model for elementary and secondary level education has become extremely popular.  (continue reading…)

Go into business for yourself, but not by yourself!  That’s the basic MO of the Franchise Industry.  According to the International Franchise Association,  (IFA) there are almost 1 million franchised small businesses in the country and they’ve generated more jobs between 2001 and 2005 than several of the nations major economic sectors.  This option is a great entry level route to fulfill your entrepreneurship dreams. For the right personality type, franchising represents an awesome opportunity to earn an income and increase your net worth, but it won’t come easy. 

What do you need to know before buying a franchise?  You need a SHERPA.  Someone to guide you through the maze and help you navigate the tough terrain of ‘the devil in the details’.   IFA provides a guide  that outlines the following research requirements to buying a franchise: (continue reading…)