Part-Time Entrepreneurs Need to Be Empowered

Part-Time Entrepreneurs Need to Be Empowered

According to Industry Canada, survival rates for small and medium-sized businesses decline over time. About 85 per cent of businesses that enter the marketplace survive for one full year yet only 51 per cent survive for five years.

Yet, with commitment and passion, many have successfully made the transition from part-time start-up to full-time career.

The Intuit survey found that about one third (35 per cent) of start-ups trying to go full-time would quit their jobs if they could pull in a mere $30,000 or less. Depending on your financial goals, taking your business full-time could be closer than you think.

Are you ready to make your dream a full-time career? Here are some tips to help you take it to the next level:

  1. Define a goal and build on it
  2. Continue to innovate
  3. Brush up on your financial literacy
  4. Make your network work for you
  5. Take advantage of free services

Share your thoughts about this by leaving comments below or feel free to send us a message.

The Startup Entrepreneur’s Guide To Risk Management

The Startup Entrepreneur’s Guide To Risk Management

Only 44% of small businesses stick around four years or more. One big reason so many go away: Poor risk management.

Fortunately, help is on the way from the guys at VC Experts (subscribe to their email here).

They’ve published a helpful how-to on the art of risk management from Akira Hirai, the founder and managing director of Cayenne Consulting. With permission, we’ve excerpted the best bits below.

The Risk Management Framework

“Risk Management” is the art and science of thinking about what could go wrong, and what should be done to mitigate those risks in a cost-effective manner.

In order to identify risks and figure out how best to mitigate them, we first need a framework for classifying risks.

Once we know the severity and likelihood of a given risk, we can answer the question: Does the benefit of mitigating a risk outweigh the cost of doing so?

  1. Quadrant A: Ignorable Risks
  2. Quadrant B: Nuisance Risks
  3. Quadrant C: Insurable Risks
  4. Quadrant D: The Company Killers

Identifying & Mitigating the Company Killers

Companies flatline when the cash runs out and total current liabilities (i.e., bills due now) exceed total liquid assets. Risk management is all about identifying and mitigating the uncertainties — especially the company killers — that surround cash flows.

Uncertainty plagues businesses in countless ways, but we can group most company killers into the following categories:

  1. Market Risks
  2. Competitive Risks
  3. Technology & Operational Risks
  4. Financial Risks
  5. People Risks
  6. Legal & Regulatory Risks
  7. Systemic Risks

The knowledge of risk management is also essential establishing a startup business. If you have any opinion, leave it in the comment box below or send us a message.

8 Risk Management Tactics Your Startup Should Have in Place

8 Risk Management Tactics Your Startup Should Have in Place

What is one risk management tactic you implemented during the early stages of your business to protect you and the company?

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

  1. Voice the Red Flags
  2. Hire a Tax Advisor
  3. Mind the Cash Flow
  4. Have Good Contracts
  5. Create an LLC
  6. Get Lean
  7. Insist on Down Payments

These strategies could be simple yet important. Do you have any thoughts? Post it in the comment box below or send us a message.