November 2022

The Essential Tools Every Entrepreneur Must Use

Entrepreneurship is not a piece of cake. It requires a lot of effort, determination, dedication, and above all a lot of time-management skills. As an entrepreneur, you will get hundreds of emails, phone calls, messages, and meetings every single day and you yourself have to manage everything on your own. This is why entrepreneurship requires a lot of time-management skills. Being a life coach, I often get inquiries about how one can efficiently manage one’s time as an entrepreneur and get things done smoothly.

So, here let me, a life coach and business consultant in Nashville, Tennessee, Gordon Grigg, tell you that technology is going to be your best companion in this case. With the help of the latest apps, tools, and software, you can simplify your work significantly and manage the time conveniently. If you wonder what those tools and apps are, here I am telling you the most important ones.

The Essential Tools Every Entrepreneur Must Use

Sanebox

If your email box is flooded with important as well as unnecessary emails and you find it really difficult to deal with this mess, you should give it a try to Sanebox. It automatically sorts out your mail into several folders according to the importance of the mail. Plus, it also automatically scans the inbox and determines which emails are important and which are unwanted. In fact, it does not let not-so-important mail come into the inbox. The tool creates a separate folder with the name SaneLater and automatically moves the less important emails here. you can access the emails in this folder any time whenever you are free.

Calendly

As an entrepreneur, if you find it difficult to plan the schedule of a working day (24 hours), Calendly is here to help you with that. This remarkable software will allow you to organize the appointments and meetings between your colleagues and clients. The tool will automatically sync with your Gmail calendar and find the available time slots. You are free to set the meeting duration time like 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour and the invite will be sent to all members of that particular group.

Google Drive

Google Drive: this is probably the most popular tool in this digital world. The reason for the popularity of this wonderful tool is that it lets the users store, share, and edit their files, documents, presentations, audio files, video files, and spreadsheets. You just need to save settings once according to your preferences and the files will be automatically saved to your account from the next time. The tool, Google Drive, itself, has several other applications like Google Doc, sheets, and slides that can be used to simplify things further.

Evernote

For an entrepreneur, it is not uncommon to keep a lot of things in mind simultaneously. No matter how strong a memory you have, you are bound to forget something. There will be something that will slip away. This is where this impressive tool, Evernote, comes into play. Just install the application on your device and whenever you have something important to remember, just open the app and jot that down here. This tool lets you create important notes in a fraction of a jiffy and the interesting thing is that this app is easily accessible. In just a second, you can access your notes.

The Essential Tools Every Entrepreneur Must Use

Zoom

When you are an entrepreneur with a team, you need to conduct conference calls every now and then. This is practically not possible without the help of software or tools. This is where Zoom marks its presence and fulfills the needs of many entrepreneurs out there. It allows you to conduct a conference call in a fraction of a moment. You can send the personalized link to the other users and they can quickly join the conference simply by clicking on that link. It is quick and effortless for you as well as the end users. The best thing about this tool is that it lets you store the data from the call like who was present and how long every individual spoke.

Slack

Having effective and proper communication is the key in order to achieve success in any business, especially if you are an entrepreneur with a big team. If you are not able to connect and communicate properly with every member of your team, you can’t expect satisfying results in your business. Without using any third-party apps or tools it is obviously not possible. So, consider using Slack and take the communication flow of your business to a whole new level. From messaging to video calling and sharing screens to making folders project-wise, this communication tool offers everything all together in one place.

Buzzstream

If your business requires intense marketing and campaigns, no other marketing tool can be better than Buzzstream for you. The reason being, this stellar application is made for this purpose only. So, it helps you to organize and keep the contact details of every member of your team. You can save the email thread of your team members and open it later if you want to. Not just that, the tool even allows you the flexibility to create pitch templates to boost the consistency of your business. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the tool will definitely help you grow your digital PR and see the booming link-building results.

Momentum dashboard

As an entrepreneur, managing several tasks is not an easy task. You have hundreds of things to do in a day and if you don’t keep all your tasks in the proper way, some of them will definitely slip away from your mind. This is why it is very important for an entrepreneur to use a task-managing application like Momentum Dashboard. With the help of this tool, you can prepare a list of to-do tasks and devote all your attention to the work making your mind free. This way you will not forget any urgent work and will be able to manage all of the work efficiently. This Google Chrome app is amazingly easy to install and use.

Zapier

As a life coach, I am telling you that entrepreneurship is incomplete without automated tasks. You obviously can’t respond to each and every single message from your users or customers and not responding to them is not good business etiquette. This is why you should take the help of automated software that does this work for you. For this, you can use Zapier, which is indisputably one of the best automation tools out there. It allows you to send an automated text to the sender every time you receive a mail, chat, or message. Other than that, Zapier also allows you one more awesome functionality that lets you connect two separate apps and use them at the same time.

Pexels

Have you heard the proverb “a picture speaks louder than words”. The same goes for your business too. Whether you’re creating a Facebook ad, writing a brochure for your business, or simply writing an email, attaching a pic along with it will make it much more appealing and engaging. If you also feel the same and want to use any site or tool to get some royalty-free images, nothing can be better than Pexels. The software will give you a bunch of stock photos, which are absolutely free to use, obviously, for good purposes.

Buffer

No doubt Social media is the biggest platform to promote your business and make your words reach millions of people without much effort. Even you will agree with this fact, right? If yes, you should definitely use a social media management tool that will allow you to manage all your social media handles altogether in one place saving time and extra work. If you wonder what social media management tool you should use, I will recommend Buffer that has a bunch of features to impress its users even on the free plan. With the help of this tool, you can schedule all your social media posts for at least a week beforehand.

MailChimp

If your business is about connecting directly with your users or clients through mail, you should consider using an email service provider like MailChimp, which lets you send a single mail to all your subscribers. The interesting thing is that it has a wide range of Pre-design templates, which saves your time and allows you to connect with your users quickly. With the free plan of MailChimp, you can send mails until you have 2000 subscribers. The easy user interface and no-complex features make MailChimp the best choice for entrepreneurs.

Trello

Another useful app that can be used by businesses of all size is Trello. Users can create task boards based on their requirements. The creation and use of these task boards can be highly flexible and customizable. One can create multiple columns for task statuses such as To Do, In Progress, Done and so many others. The tool can be used for for both personal and business purposes including digital agencies, software development firms, bulletin boards, lesson planning for educational institutions, accounting firms, gaming firms, law offices, and any other use that one can think of. In a nutshell, Trello could be considered as a highly intuitive project management tool that is a fun to use.

Conclusion

Thinking to become a successful entrepreneur without using technical tools, apps, and software is like trying to win a battle without weapons. Yes, it is that difficult or you can say it is actually impossible. I, Gordon Grigg, a business consultant and life coach in Nashville, Tennessee, is telling you from my personal experience that the latest applications and software are vital in deciding the success of an entrepreneur.

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What Does It Really Take To Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

What Does It Really Take To Be a Successful Entrepreneur

The life of an entrepreneur is often considered to be glamorous and exciting. However, the reality is that it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and passion to be successful in business. There are a number of qualities that are essential for any entrepreneur who wants to build a successful startup.

Some of the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur include-

  • Passionate
  • Focused
  • Risk taker
  • Perseverance
  • Innovative mind
  • Determined
  • Hardworking
  • Excellent Planner
  • Decisive
  • Adaptable
  • Resilient
  • Customer Oriented
  • Clear Vision

The world of business is constantly evolving, and to succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to be able to adapt to change. In today’s business world, the term ‘entrepreneur’ is bandied about a lot. But what does it really take to be a successful entrepreneur?

Passionate

However, some qualities are more important than others. Passion, for example, is essential. Without it, it’s very difficult to sustain the long hours and dedication that is required to make a business successful.

Passion is one of the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur. It is what drives them to continue working hard despite the many challenges they face. This passion must be channeled into something that will drive the entrepreneur to success.

Focused

Entrepreneurship is often seen as a risky proposition, but it can be a very rewarding and fulfilling career.

There are a few key qualities that all successful entrepreneurs share. A successful entrepreneur is someone who is able to stay focused on their goals, even when faced with setbacks. They maintain their focus and continue to work towards their goals, no matter what.

The path to success is never easy. There will always be challenges and obstacles to overcome. But if you have the qualities of an entrepreneur, you will be able to overcome these challenges and find success.

Risk Taker

An entrepreneur must also be able to take risks. This means being willing to try new things and put their all into their business. Without taking risks, it is impossible to grow and succeed.

Perseverance

Another important quality of a successful entrepreneur is perseverance. This is the ability to keep going even when things are tough. It is what allows them to learn from their mistakes and continue moving forward.

A successful entrepreneur is someone who doesn’t give up when things get tough. They have the determination to see things through and find a way to overcome any obstacle.

Innovative

Being innovative is another important quality of a successful entrepreneur. A successful entrepreneur is someone who can see things in a new light and come up with new and innovative ideas. They are always looking for new ways to improve and grow their business.

Determined

Another key quality of a successful entrepreneur is determination. A successful entrepreneur is someone who is willing to put in the hard work to achieve their goals.

Determination is the driving force behind all successful businesses. It is what keeps entrepreneurs going when things get tough and motivates them to continue striving for success.

If you are thinking of starting your own business, or are already in the process of doing so, then keep determination top of mind. It may just be the key to your success!

This means having the drive and perseverance to see your vision through, even when the going gets tough. It’s important to be able to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving forward. If you’re thinking about starting your own business, or you’re already in the process of doing so, make sure you have determination!

Excellent Planner

An entrepreneur is defined as a person who starts a business or organization, assuming the risk for the sake of the profit. A successful entrepreneur is one who can; overcome adversity, identify opportunities and capitalize on them and possesses excellent planning skills. They are also able to take risks when necessary and have the ability to delegate responsibilities.

In this day and age, anyone with an internet connection can start a business. However, the key to a successful enterprise is not just having a great idea, but also the drive and determination to see it through.

If you are thinking of starting your own business, or are already in the process of doing so, here are some qualities that you should possess to increase your chances of success.

Decisive

What separates an entrepreneur from someone who just has a great idea? It is the ability to execute on that great idea. But to do so, entrepreneurs need to have certain qualities that allow them to bring their vision to life.

One of the most important qualities of an entrepreneur is decisiveness. This means being able to make clear and confident decisions, even in the face of uncertainty. Being decisive allows entrepreneurs to take actions and make progress on their goals, despite challenges and setbacks.

Being an entrepreneur is not an easy task and it requires a certain set of skills and qualities. This means being able to make quick decisions, even in the face of uncertainty. Entrepreneurs must be able to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and make the best decision for their business.

Decisiveness is the ability to make decisions quickly and efficiently. It is a quality that is essential for entrepreneurs because they have to make many decisions, often with limited information. They also have to be able to make decisions in an environment of uncertainty and change.

Being decisive also means being able to weigh all the options and then choose the best option. It also means being able to stick to a decision even when it is difficult.

Decisiveness is a quality that is essential for entrepreneurs because it allows them to make the best decisions for their businesses. It also allows them to act quickly and efficiently in an environment of uncertainty and change.

Adaptable

The 21st century is an era of constant change, and successful entrepreneurs must be adaptable to survive and thrive. Being adaptable means the ability to pivot when necessary, to take advantage of new opportunities or to overcome challenges.

In a rapidly changing world, the ability to adapt is more important than ever. Those who are adaptable are able to embrace change and use it to their advantage. They are also able to learn from their mistakes and use what they’ve learned to improve their businesses.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you must be adaptable. Here are some qualities of adaptable entrepreneurs:

  • They are open-minded and willing to change their plans.
  • They are flexible and can roll with the punches.
  • They are always learning and growing.
  • They are willing to take risks.
  • They are resilient and can handle setbacks.

Resilient

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? This is a question that has been asked since the dawn of business. And while there are many different qualities that can contribute to success, there is one that is absolutely essential: resilience.

An entrepreneur must be able to pick themselves up after a failure and keep going. They must be able to withstand the inevitable setbacks and disappointments that come with starting and running a business.

Of course, this is not to say that other qualities are not important. However, without resilience, an entrepreneur will not be able to persevere when the going gets tough. So if you’re thinking of starting your own business, make sure you have the strength to see it through – because it won’t be easy.

Resilience is the ability to recover from setbacks and learn from your mistakes. It is what allows you to keep going when things get tough and to find the strength to get back up after you’ve been knocked down.

Customer Oriented

In business, the customer is always right. This adage is especially true for entrepreneurs, who must always keep the customer in mind if they want to be successful. After all, it is the customer who will determine whether or not a business is successful.

An entrepreneur must always be focused on the customer and what they want or need. They must be able to see the customer’s point of view and understand their needs. Only then can they create a product or service that is truly customer-oriented.

In addition, an entrepreneur must be willing to listen to feedback from customers and use it to improve their business. They should also be constantly looking for new ways to reach and attract customers.

Finally, an entrepreneur must always be prepared to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the customer. They must be flexible and willing to change their product or service in order to meet the needs of the customer.

Clear Vision

A successful entrepreneur should have a clear vision for their business. They should know where they want to take their company and what they want to achieve.

This means not only having a great idea but also being able to articulate it in a way that inspires others to support your cause.

Without a vision, it is impossible to set goals and create a plan of action. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, start by developing a clear vision for your business. Then, use that vision to set goals and create a plan of action. With a clear vision and a plan of action, you will be well on your way to achieving your dreams!

However, it is also important to remember that no one is perfect and that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. The key to being a successful entrepreneur is to identify your strengths and to use them to your advantage.

Conclusion
As a business consultant, I, Gordon Grigg can extend my years of business consulting expertise to entrepreneurs at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey. Call me or write to me for any assistance.

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Why You Should Delegate Work Wisely and Do Yourself What You Do Well

Why You Should Delegate Work Wisely and Do Yourself What You Do Well

When you own a business and work with a team, delegating the work to your team members as well as to yourself is a tricky thing. For instance, you are not good at analyzing things but if you keep this work to yourself and distribute the other work to your team members, you will never be able to figure out the main cause of failures in your business. This is why it is very important to identify yours as well as your team members’ potential and then work accordingly if you really want to gain success as a businessman.

I, Gordon Grigg, a life coach and business consultant in Nashville, Tennessee, deal with many people daily who are all trying hard but not getting success only because of the lack of delegation. Hence, if you are really serious about your business, you should find the experts in everything. Read on below to know why you should hire someone for what you don’t do well and should do yourself what you’re an expert at.

Why You Should Delegate Work Wisely and Do Yourself What You Do Well

Increases productivity

The biggest benefit of delegation is that you will be able to increase the productivity of your work because when you distribute the work according to the potential of the worker, they will be able to give more in less time. Plus, they won’t feel burdened or stressed out because they would be doing the work they are an expert at. This way, the productivity of not just the workers but the whole business will be increased and you will obviously get better results.

Creates a happy workspace

Just imagine how things would be if you are asking a boxer to play cricket or a footballer to play tennis. The same thing applies to the workspaces too. If you delegate the work of a writer to a designer or the workers of the finance department working for the production department, they will never be happy. It will eventually create an unhappy workspace, where obviously nobody wants to work. Therefore you should follow the right delegation strategy and create a happy workspace for your organization.

Ensures the growth of the organization

As a business owner, everybody wants to see only the growth of the organization. Unfortunately, achieving it and then maintaining it is not as simple as it sounds. For that, you need to follow well-planned strategies and effective delegation is one of them. If you are delegating the work to the right person and keeping the right work to yourself, you will definitely see booming growth in your business, that too in very less time. The reason being, everyone will be doing their allotted work in the possibly best way.

Helps you get the best out of everyone

Getting the work done in the best way by your workers is not a piece of cake. Sometimes, you need to explain many details again and again to your workers and, even after that, they fail to give the expected results. Do you know why? Simply because they are not meant for that particular task. Everyone can’t do everything. This is why before delegating the work to your workers, first, find out their potential and then delegate the work accordingly. This way, you will be able to get the best out of everyone and obviously reap the best results.

Why You Should Delegate Work Wisely and Do Yourself What You Do Well

Helps develop a good relationship with your workers

The biggest benefit of proper delegation is that it helps you develop a good and amiable relationship with your workers. The reason being, you don’t have to nag at your workers over and over again to get a particular task done. If they are good at that particular niche, they will simply be giving their best even if you don’t explain the ins and outs of the task. You just assign the work to them and they will do it happily. Given the fact, there is no place for annoying communication or irritating behavior from either side.

Makes you a good leader

Leadership qualities and delegation strategies are two complementary things. They go hand in hand. In fact, managing delegation or working well with your workers is the first step towards good leadership. If you manage to implement delegation strategies effectively, you are definitely a good leader. However, if you are lacking in this, you are not a good leader. This is why learning delegation strategies and implementing them with yourself as well as workers make you a good leader over time.

Frees you up for bigger things

If you will do everything by yourself and won’t delegate the work to your workers, you won’t be able to achieve big things. The reason being, you will keep banging your head on small things only. Considering the fact, it is a wise idea to delegate the work to your workers according to their potential and keep yourself free for bigger things, which is your ultimate goal. As the owner of the business, it’s only you, who knows what your goal is and how you have to achieve this. If you follow the right delegation strategy, you will definitely find a lot of time for yourself to focus on bigger things while getting the other work done as best as possible.

Encourages to achieve more

When someone does their favorite work or the work they are expert at, they are encouraged automatically to achieve more and more because they enjoy the work and have fun while doing it. They love exploring new things in that particular niche and try to do something new every time. Not just that, they also use their creativity and initiatives to get better results than ever, which is not only beneficial for them but also for the organization at a big level. When you see your employees working great, you are encouraged to plan bigger things for you. Thus, effective delegation encourages both, you as well as your workers.

Why You Should Delegate Work Wisely and Do Yourself What You Do Well

Teaches to work in a team

Another benefit of well-planned delegation is that it teaches each and every employee to work in a team in a cordial way. The reason behind this is that when someone is an expert at something, he/she expresses themselves openly without any fear of what others will think about his/her knowledge. This way, things come clearly on the table by everyone and there is no room for assumptions. All employees learn to appreciate each other and work in a team to ensure the growth of the organization. Plus, they themselves learn new things from each other.

Ensures no stressed work

Tell me, will you enjoy working where you are stressed all day? Of course not, right? Well, the thing applies to everyone. If you have a stressed workspace, no employees would prefer to work for you. Nobody wants to work under pressure and stress all the time. Employees need freedom and open space where they can express themselves openly and use their own brains to give their best and this would be possible only if you are assigning them to work according to their potential. Only then, they will not feel under stress or pressure and work at their best potential.

Helps hone the skill

One never stops learning. You must have heard this proverb, right? Well, effective delegation strategies open a new door for you as well as your employees to learn new things every day and hone their skills in a wide spectrum. The reason being, they would be working with experts in a particular thing. They will learn new things from them and try to emulate themselves as well. Given the fact, here everybody has the opportunity to widen their knowledge and grow professionally.

Makes work smother

Delegation is the best way to get your work done smoothly in less time without creating any stress for yourself as well as your employees. If the right person is doing the work, he does not only increase the productivity of the work but also does it in the most efficient way. This is why it is very important to assign the work to the right person if you want to get it done in the most efficient and smoothest way.

Ensures open communication

Another good benefit of right delegation is that it ensures open communication between you and your employees as well as between the employees themselves. When someone has deep knowledge about something, he/she doesn’t shy away from talking about it. This ensures open communication leaving no space for misunderstanding between the employees. Plus, it also provides an open space for your employees to interact with you because they won’t feel any fear or hesitation while talking to their higher authority when they have deep knowledge about something.

Conclusion

As a business consultant and life coach in Nashville, Tennessee, I, Gordon Grigg, am telling you that effective delegation is very important for the growth of an organization or an entrepreneur. I have already told you the benefits of proper delegation. Now, you yourself decide. I once again say that delegation is not just giving someone a job and getting it done anyway. No, it does not work this way.

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