Entrepreneurship in 2022: Are You Ready?

Being an entrepreneur these days is a career that can set you up for an amazing life while benefiting people’s lives too. The past couple of years hit the world hard, changing the ways we communicate to dominantly digital methods. It has changed a lot, especially the way we shop and consume media. Entrepreneurship is increasingly being adopted, the United States alone saw a 95% increase in applications to start a business in 2020. People are becoming more tech-savvy and comfortable in the online world which is allowing them to see new opportunities. If you are looking to join this category, or are in the process, it will be worthwhile to see how you can prepare yourself and your business for this new market.

We don’t know what 2022 has in store for us, what we can count on is that the attitudes towards online services are here to stay. Consumers are looking for things that make their life easier, filling that need is the job you sign up for as an entrepreneur. It’s a big responsibility, are you ready for it? If so, here are some things to keep in mind as you start the year:

Look Out For New Trends:

Trends come and go, but these past years have brought concepts that may be here to stay. Contactless services have dominated in revenue, food delivery especially while access to restaurants is limited. Uber Eats specifically dominated food delivery service during the lockdown and helped restaurants significantly. When we were slowly introduced back into the opening phase, some protocols were helpful to keep us safe. One exceptional tool is QR codes, a piece of technology barely staying relevant before the pandemic that became an incredibly helpful resource. While convenience is one thing, it is a much more sustainable option compared to printed menus.

A switch to remote work has changed a lot for people, the majority of which enjoy the change as they’ve found it to promote work-life balance. Something else important to consider is the hiring process for individuals, as now you cannot physically meet with someone. Ensuring those that you hire are capable of operating effectively in an online environment is crucial to an effective business in 2022.

Prioritize Your Brand and Messaging:

Customer service is of vital importance, always take the time to ensure the standards are set for the optimal customer experience. Put yourself in the position of a consumer. Is what you're offering something that you’d invest (time or money) in? How would it appeal to your target audience? Take the time to examine your brand and the public image you’re reflecting, stand for something you believe in.

With cancel culture being so prominent, ensure your messaging is well put together and won’t create opportunities for negative backlash. How many times did we see brands take heat from simply not reviewing their message? No matter how established a brand is, they are not immune to this. It will be valuable to spend time carefully wording your messages and looking to mitigate opportunities for accusations.

Look For Expansion Opportunities:

As an entrepreneur and a business owner, it feels natural to want to achieve everything under your brand’s title alone. However, in today's market, opportunities are abundant to partner with brands that align with your vision and goals. It's important not to shy away from this. Consumers love the collaboration between brands and it could make your business stand out. It doesn’t matter how new your brand is, two teams will share more opportunities and opinions allowing you to learn and grow together.

Embrace Company Culture:

The people who work with and for you should feel free to express themselves in the workplace. Prioritizing company culture by making the workplace an enjoyable setting will have employees engaged and passionate about their work. Companies like Zappos have had great success with this in their business. Going into 2022, this will be a large determiner in the success of companies.

Conclusion

The shift to online has made a significant impact on the way business is conducted, and the way a workplace functions. While the adjustment continues and new businesses arise, the lessons we’ve learned from these years will be helpful to any entrepreneur looking to enter this market.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

4 Habits to Benefit Your Mental Health in Times of Remote Work

As humans, we are creatures of habit, with the sudden shifts in our work and personal lives from the COVID-19 pandemic changing so much, mental health has become a center of focus. Because our homes are now our offices and classrooms, the line between work hours and personal time is beginning to blur. The reward factor of coming home from a long day is becoming obsolete. This is becoming a big issue for many individuals who thrive off getting out of the house and having an in-person connection. It was found in a study last year, that 53% of C-Suit executives admitted they were struggling with mental health while working from home. Another 94% of Gen Z workers reported negative impacts on their mental health from the pandemic. These are frightening statistics but unfortunately, this has been an uncontrollable reality as a result of the pandemic.

A lack of stimulation from going through the same routine every day is taking its toll on people's mental state. Waking up with excitement to get the day started isn’t the same, as people can predict what will happen and how they will feel throughout the whole day. That feeling of being a kid, waking up on the day of a school field trip with excitement and wonder is no longer the same. While the current situation and restrictions are beyond our control, there are efforts you can make in the best interest of taking care of your mental health.

Create boundaries between work and personal life:

Being at home offers access to comfort and temptation, unlike going into the office where a level of professionalism is required. We are in a state now where we can spend the day in sweatpants and not even taste fresh air. While it may be tempting to spend the day in bed with Netflix on in the background, this can reduce levels of productivity. Create a space that is specifically for work, a home office is good for separating personal life from the workplace while under the same roof. Make this space unique to you, add anything that has visual appeal or even scents you may like. If possible, try to make sure it gets sunlight, a lack of Vitamin D can negatively affect your mental state. 

Have a daily routine outside work hours:

One of the first steps to separating work life from personal life is to prioritize the time for tasks essential for your wellbeing. Become accustomed to having meals at certain times, exercising, showering, or anything else you may need. All of this is good not only for general wellbeing but it is good to have designated break times throughout the day. This will make you value the time you spend both for work and yourself as you are now in control of your schedule. Make promises to yourself about completing tasks and stick to them.

Use mental health leave when needed:

Since mental health is a very personal subject, it can be difficult to talk about and especially to ask for time off work because of it. Understand however that this is a completely valid reason for you to take time off work. You cannot expect to put your best foot forward if you are in a difficult place mentally. This is the equivalent of beginning a road trip with no gas. Take the necessary time off to care for yourself. The ability to do this in companies improves morale as it emphasizes value for employees and recognition of individuals' needs to be able to contribute their best effort in the workplace.

Communicate as much as possible:

As important as it is to talk to people during times of reduced contact, it is also good to know you’re not in it alone. Ask how your friends or co-workers have situated themselves under the current circumstances. Find time in the day to talk with people and share smiles. Human connection is difficult during these times but it’s essential for our wellbeing, make an effort to reach out to people, you could make someone's day by simply asking how they are. It is also valuable to take this time to connect with your family members with whom you wouldn’t regularly get to spend as much time. Loved ones can make all the difference.

Conclusion

Acknowledging that these unprecedented times create added stress, we must understand that we are not going through it alone. Stress is present in your life and coming at you no matter your environment. Feeling embarrassed or ashamed to talk about it is not going to help in any way. Reaching out for help is always the best option, especially as everyone is experiencing a difficult time right now, trust that one day this will no longer stand in the way of your day-to-day activities. Take this time as an opportunity to work on yourself, in your free time, read, write, exercise, you could find a whole new passion you never had the time to try before. Also, don’t forget to give yourself the rewards you deserve for your efforts.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

8 Traits That Create a Successful Entrepreneur

When you hear the word “entrepreneur”, what comes to mind? A man in a suit headed into a high-rise building? Do you think of the big names such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Steve Jobs? Most likely when we hear things about or listen to these individuals, we may laugh to ourselves about how incredibly rich they are and what we would do with all that money. Of course, dreaming about all the things that would be possible with that level of success is fun, but do you ever consider what qualities it took them to obtain it?

There is no natural-born talent or gene that creates business success. There is no one-way path to success. Read the story of anyone who has succeeded in anything. Failure, hard times, disappointment, these are all inevitable encounters in life. This may scare you, but some skills can help you blossom from negative experiences and use them to your advantage.

8 Traits That Successful Entrepreneurs Possess:

1. Curiosity

Kobe Bryant once said, “Certain things will happen, some may be good, some may be bad. I don’t know. That wasn’t good enough for me. I want to know why… I think it’s that constant curiosity that will separate you”. It is a constant hunger to learn that will allow you to gain the experience and tools you need to succeed.

2. Structured Experimentation

Test your market, find the demand and you will gain insight into the opportunity for creation. The basic rule of business: find a need and fill it, seems simple enough? Not without using your curiosity to find what the need is, who wants it, and how you can support this need.

3. Adaptability

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that changes arise in the business world, and your ability to handle these changes is critical. The business world is ever-changing, in order to thrive, adapting your approach is critical.

4. Decisiveness

Entrepreneurs will be in the position to make decisions every single day they call themselves an entrepreneur. Part of this means making decisions in the best interest of the company, that may not be favorable, risk-free, or make everybody happy. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you must be able to decide what is best for your business.

5. Team Building

A true entrepreneur knows what he or she is good at and where they need help. To support this, they need a supportive team that fills areas of their weak points. Also, people can learn from and help them follow the vision of the company.

6. Risk Tolerance

While launching your own business and working for yourself is already a risk, it does not stop there. Taking risks is stressful, but they can deliver tremendous benefits if they work out. Great entrepreneurs can take risks but also manage the risk being taken.

7. Enduring Failure

Accompanied with risk-taking and mitigating, entrepreneurs must accept if something fails. This does not mean that they give up, it means that they look for what went wrong and try again. The most successful of entrepreneurs have failed countless times, they never stop trying until they succeed. It typically takes a minimum of three years for a business to start succeeding after it is started. When you have the staying power to see it through and keep trying, the probability of success increases.

8. Innovation

Successful entrepreneurs do not always create an original idea, this is hardly ever the case. Taking an existing concept and then adding your vision to make it beneficial to the consumer base will set you apart from the competition. Elon Musk and Tesla is an example, he has created a sustainable method of transportation and slowly drove out the need for gas-powered vehicles. Just because someone’s already thought of it, does not mean you can't make it better.

Conclusion

Entrepreneurship is not a guaranteed life of glory and financial freedom, it requires being committed to a purpose that touches your heart. It takes being passionate and relentless in pursuit of a vision that may seem impossible at times. If you have these skills, and the staying power that is driven by your passion, there may be a life on the other side that you’ve always dreamed of.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!