Top 20 Entrepreneurial Quotes

The cheap revolution has a nice list of inspirational quotes from entrepreneurs that motivate him. I have listed the top 5 from his list below. I'm partial to #15, myself.

1. I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work - Thomas Edison, inventor and scientist
2. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary - Vidal Sassoon, entrepreneur
3. Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won't, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can't - Anonymous
4. A good idea is ten percent implementation and hard work, and luck is 90 percent -€“ Guy Kawasaki, entrepreneur, investor, author
5. Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory - Mahatma Gandhi, political and spiritual leader
6. Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners - Robert T. Kiyosaki, author, entrepreneur, investor

Do you have any favorites? You can read the whole list over at The Cheap Revolution.

Should You Offer a 401(k) in Your Small Business

Aside from fostering goodwill among your employees, should your small business consider starting a 401(k) plan for employees? Entrepreneur.com has a list of 5 good reasons every small business should offer a 401(k) plan:

1) It's more affordable than you think.

2) It strengthens your business by attracting and retaining high quality employees.

3) Minimal administrative burden.

4) Most small business plans are web-based and have eliminated much of the paperwork.

5) It can help secure your own retirement.

So readers, what do you think? Business owners, are the extra costs justified for small businesses? Employees, is it a deal killer if a small business doesn't have a 401(k) plan?

Best Countries For Business

Which countries are the "best" for business? Time magazine in conjunction with the World Economic Forum have released their list of the top 50 countries for business. The study was based on 113 factors ranging from quality of roads, to the independence of the country's judiciary. Below are the top 50:

1) U.S.
2) Switzerland
3) Denmark
4) Sweden
5) Germany
6) Finland
7) Singapore
8) Japan
9) U.K.
10) Netherlands
11) S. Korea
12) Hong Kong
13) Canada
14) Taiwan
15) Austria
16) Norway
17) Israel
18) France
19) Australia
20) Belgium
21) Malaysia
22) Ireland
23) Iceland
24) New Zealand
25) Luxembourg
26) Chile
27) Estonia
28) Thailand
29) Spain
30) Kuwait
31) Qatar
32) Tunisia
33) Czech Republic
34) China
35) Saudi Arabia
36) Puerto Rico
37) United Arab Emirates
38) Lithuania
39) Slovenia
40) Portugal
41) Slovak Republic
42) Oman
43) Bahrain
44) S. Africa
45) Latvia
46) Italy
47) Hungary
48) India
49) Jordan
50) Barbados

Is anyone surprised by the rankings (or the fact that the Swiss are #2)?

You can read the whole story in the Nov 26, issue of Time.

Best Promotional Gifts for Your Company

There are plenty of really crummy give aways that companies spend money on for trade shows, so why not do something different and give something away that is different and that people actually want? Inc. Magazine has a list for you with pictures, prices and where you can get them. Inc.'s list includes company logo'd fishing lures, staplers, gummy worms, and more.

Check out the full list at Inc.com.

The Entrepreneur Urge

Sure the failure rate for new businesses is high, but that doesn't undermine the fact that starting a business is right up there with owning a home in living the "American Dream." So if you are thinking about striking off on your own what do you do so your dream doesn't go up in flames like so many other start-ups.

Well aside from ironing out a good business plan here are some things you can do to get yourself started.

• Don't Wait Till You Are Sure it Will Work: Nothing is guaranteed so might as well try. But, don't bet the farm unless you are willing to lose what you bet. This is the biggest reason people never start a company based on the great idea they have had for years -- individual risk tolerances and family issues prevent lots of people from ever trying.
  
  
• Weigh Your Risks: What is the worst thing that can happen? Running a business is a ton of work, but it also has a lot of reward and is less risky than many people make it out to be. Many young people will live their corporate lives without job security or a pension, not to mention social security. If your company might cut you free as soon as business slows down, why not take things into your own hands? Of course, you get to enjoy a lot more upside if you succeed and you are the guy in charge too.
  
  
• Pick a Name: It is important that you do some research to see if your business name has been taken. Search through your state's corporate records (most all of them have databases online) to see if your name is already in use. Check to see if your domain is already reserved (GoDaddy.com is great for this, especially if you Google for some coupons first). If your domain is taken you can run a Whois search to see who owns it and when it expires and try to have a firm like GoDaddy grab it if the expiration date is approaching for about $30.
  
  
• Get Some Legal Advice: Now if you are going it alone this might not be a big deal, you can form an L.L.C. for about $100 by filling out some paperwork online and receive a tax identification number. But, if you are going into business with a partner / family member / stranger you really need a buy-sell agreement. The agreement tells how the business will be wound up. If your partner leaves will they control the company even though they are absentee. What if a relationship sours and someone wants out. A buy-sell plans for those events that you can't envision while you are excited about your business prospects (kind of like a will or prenup).
  
  
• Choose Your Business Entity: Depending on your state you likely have plenty of options, whether it is an L.L.C. or L.L.P. that give you the tax advantages of a partnership (pass through taxes), but none of the pesky liability of a partnership.
  
  
• Test the Waters: You can start small. Most businesses start as side pet projects and run that way until the entrepreneur can gain some assurance that his or her idea won't be a total flop. A domain name costs $10 and hosting just a few more dollars per month. If you have an all-in-one printer, laptop, and phone you can replicate most of the modern conveniences that renting an office would provide... now if you want to manufacture widgets this might not apply to you.
  
  
• Get Some Credit For Your Company: Limited liability is great, but not if you have to personally sign for every document. Banks and other lenders won't extend credit to your new start-up without a personal guarantee because they know how risky a new business is. Head over to Staples and open up a business credit account. Buy some pens or something each month for about 6 months and ta da you have a credit history for your new baby.
  

Post your comments and any tips you have for aspiring entrepreneurs and I will incorporate them in the next draft of my musings.


Image: Jon Cage @ Flickr