Growth is exciting for a small business or startup — but it often comes with a lot of internal HR challenges, including the less-than-pleasant task of promoting or hiring the right person for the right management role (often to the disappointment of another employee). Done right, employee promotion can ensure growth. Done wrong, a promotion can lead to the kind of office politics that no CEO wants to deal with.

To find out how to turn this sticky situation into an opportunity, we asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question:

“What’s your best advice for explaining why an employee in the running for a promotion DIDN’T get a coveted new title?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Be Clear

“Outline the employee’s successes within the organization so they know the things they don’t have to focus on. Then, as tactfully as possible, outline the areas where they need improvement so they can position themselves for that promotion in the future. That way, they clearly understand what they need to work on.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

2. Have a Career Plan

“It is easier to break challenging news when there is an alternative plan to get an employee where they want to go. Employees who see a future in the company, an opportunity to move up in title, a more challenging role and higher compensation tend to stick around, even if there is a setback. If they know what their target is, and there is transparency, this conversation is much easier to have!” ~ Raoul Davis, Ascendant Group

3. Be Honest

“As this is a great opportunity for employee development, don’t save face or overly sugarcoat the information. Highlight areas the employee should work on in order to succeed in the position in question, and identify appropriate resources to help them get where they need to be. Keep them motivated by giving them intriguing new responsibilities as well.” ~ Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work

4. Explain That You’re Running a Meritocracy

“From the outset, make it very clear that your company is a meritocracy, and then act that way. I find if you set clear expectations, this type of thing has minimal negative consequences.” ~ Rob Emrich, PaeDae

5. Be Open

“You must (I hope) have had good reasons to promote the person you selected. Convey these in a concise, clear manner to the person who did not get the title. True professionals should understand, appreciate and, hopefully, learn from a logical and rational decision. ” ~ Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.net

6. Tailor the Job to the Person

“If we have a new role that someone on the team can fill, it’s rarely about a “promotion,” but instead an evolution. We’re all growing together, so the job titles and responsibilities grow as we do. By customizing it to each person, no one loses out.” ~ Derek Flanzraich, Greatist

7. Become a Flat Organization

“If you choose to have an organization with fancy titles and a hierarchical system, then you are going to run into these problems. There is no good solution to sugarcoating the news to someone that their former colleague is now their boss. In this day and age, there is no reason why we have to have a corporate-looking system of promotions, instead of everyone just accepting more responsibility. ” ~ Matt Wilson, Under30Media

8. Do Away With Titles Altogether

“Titles make people feel more important, but they don’t make you more money. We eschew titles altogether and stick with disciplines to describe what the person does — marketing, finance, development, etc. You never have to explain why someone didn’t get a coveted new title if there weren’t any titles to begin with.” ~ Michael Portman, Birds Barbershop

9. Turn It Into a Motivational Lesson

“Rather than emphasizing the things an employee may have done wrong or poorly, I prefer to focus on the things that they did right — being proactive in meetings, showing enthusiasm, arriving early and staying late when needed, etc. By turning this missed opportunity into a learning experience, you keep the passed-over employee engaged and motivated.” ~ Zach Cutler, Cutler Group

10. Use Performance Evaluations

“Many executives and managers have trouble explaining why someone didn’t get promoted because they haven’t been doing performance evaluations, which is a huge disservice to their team and their business. Good performance evaluations show current performance and indicate future potential. In lieu of evaluations, though, explaining the decision based on current performance and future potential helps.” ~ Charlie Gilkey, Productive Flourishing

11. Inspire Employee Understanding With Honesty

“Honesty is crucial when delivering news in regard to a promotion. Inform your employee about your decision, and then tactfully explain your reasoning. In some situations, it may be in regard to skill level and experience; other times, it might come down to an employee being more of a natural fit in regard to personality or soft skills. This is a chance for an employee to learn and grow.” ~ Heather Huhman, Come Recommended

Promotion Photo via Shutterstock

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Congratulations: You’ve spent a lot of blood, sweat and tears developing what you think is an incredible new product. Perhaps you’ve even built an entire company around that product. Now you’re finally ready to bring it to consumers or other businesses.

But as arduous as product development can be, getting that product onto shelves can be just as challenging, especially to first-time business owners.

To glean some tips for getting a new product the store placement it deserves, we asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question:

“What’s one piece of advice you’d give entrepreneurs trying to get a new physical product into a large store? What should they bring to the table to seal the deal?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Have a Reputable Track Record

“One thing entrepreneurs should bring to the table when trying to get a new product into a large store is solid proof of a reputable track record. If you’re a startup, big box retailers won’t give you a second look. The entrepreneur must also be willing to adjust to any requests made by the supplier, such as improving the product or adjusting the price point.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

2. Offer a Consignment Deal

“If the store is privately owned or managed by one or two individuals, you may have a great chance of getting your product on the shelves by offering a consignment deal. This means the vendor doesn’t have to take any upfront financial risk to stock your goods, but can still make money. It’s a great way to test and prove what their customers will buy, and everyone can make money at the same time.” ~ Benjamin Leis, Sweat EquiTees

3. Build Brands, Not Products

“Many entrepreneurs have developed great utilitarian products, but often forget that consumers don’t connect with products; they connect emotionally with brands. You must build a brand around your product in order for it to compete (or have credibility) in a large store setting. Stores need to see that you’re building more than a functional product — you’re committed to building a brand.” ~ Jake Stutzman, Elevate

4. Have Traction, Traction, Traction

“Ideally, you should have existing revenue or pre-orders. If you can show that your product is selling well, you greatly increase your chances of getting in. It is also important for entrepreneurs to bring production-quality prototypes and packaging, and be prepared to supply a large retailer. Crowdfunding is a great way to raise funding from customers to help achieve these milestones.” ~ Eric Corl, Fundable LLC

5. Have a Turnkey Wholesale Offering

“Large stores carry thousands of products. When you sell your product, you certainly need to demonstrate the product’s credibility (great press and a strong social following are helpful). Entrepreneurs cannot forget that large stores have very specific ways of working with vendors. Make it easy to integrate your brand by having a simple solution. Limit choice and mold your offer to their needs.” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches

6. Build Your Online Marketing Assets

“Build up your online marketing assets. Stores look at a company’s ability to support the marketing efforts for the products they’re carrying. If a small business owner or entrepreneur has the ability to drive customers to the store, the store has that much more incentive to carry the entrepreneur’s product. So, start building up that Facebook following.” ~ Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

7. Focus on Customer Service

“Look at competing products sold in your product’s distribution channel, and then read the reviews. It’s amazing the positive feedback you can garner from users when you listen to their complaints and make a move to respond by changing your product. Even when you’re trying to compete on price, having customer support is crucial to establishing your product as a value buy and not a no-name lemon.” ~ Nanxi Liu, Enplug

8. Make Sure You Can Deliver

“Big-box stores are going to be looking for a partner who can fulfill and deliver upon orders. If you aren’t set up to scale, then don’t waste a large store’s time. You don’t have to have the inventory or the money to fulfill the order; all you need to do is have the processes worked out so you can call your manufacturers and have them flip a switch as soon as you need to.” ~ Matt Wilson, Under30Media

9. Know the Store

“You need to know the store you are pitching to, inside and out. Know which aisles/floors carry which brands and products; show them that you can fit in with these products. Nothing turns wholesale buyers off faster than when they feel you do not know their customer and/or product choices.” ~ Benish Shah, Vicaire Ny

10. Build a Network Before You Need It

“Just like in everything else, who you know matters. If you already have connections at a large store, you’re going to have a much easier time getting a meeting. That alone won’t seal the deal, but having the right connections will certainly smooth out the process.” ~ Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

Store Shelves Photo via Shutterstock

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Certain speeches, from TED talks to commencement addresses, endure long after they’re delivered, thanks to the Internet.

Although entrepreneurs are no strangers to speaking engagements, not every business owner is quite as persuasive on stage as they’d like to be.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t at least tweak your speech and delivery to take your “just okay” speech to the next level.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question:

“What is your best tip for writing a great, memorable keynote-type speech that genuinely inspires the audience?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

13 Public Speaking Tips

1. Don’t Write a Speech

“The best way to really motivate an audience is to connect with them. And the best way to connect with an audience is by not reading a printed piece of paper verbatim. It’s the extemporaneousness that will really get them. Through my company, I get to speak to a lot of larger groups of high school students and their parents. I always go in with a very detailed outline – but no sentences. ~ Jessica Brondo, The Edge in College Prep

2. Use the Fact-Example-Fact Method

“I’m not all that funny, nor am I really a storyteller. I focus on providing insightful information — which makes you think people may not come away “moved.,” But at least it’s memorable. I use the Fact-Example-Fact method. Get an interesting fact, illustrate that fact with an actionable example, and restate the fact another way. Put three of these chains together – and you’re set.” ~ Liam Martin, Staff.com

3. Be Vulnerable

“I think sharing vulnerability is one of the most important and powerful parts of leadership. It has to be genuine. That’s what makes it such an emotional, personal, effective speaking tool. Everyone has vulnerabilities and everyone has weaknesses – what are yours?” ~ Derek Flanzraich, Greatist

4. Hire a Brilliant Copywriter

“I wouldn’t hire a copywriter to write a full speech at this point because it’s a process I enjoy. But I think hiring a copywriter to polish your key points is money well spent. I think the most value a copywriter can bring is to make sure you have sound bites and tweetables that people will want to share with their audiences.” ~ Natalie MacNeil, She Takes on the World

5. Make It Stick

“Owning a speakers bureau, I listen to and give a lot of presentations a year. The most important book that I have read on the subject is “Made to Stick” by Chip & Dan Heath. Basically, you consolidate all of your points into a core message of 1-2 sentences. Then you use the SUCCES (Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories) to build out your message in an engaging way. “ ~ Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers

6. Use Humor to Your Advantage

“Combine climaxes with humor. I talk about starting my first company at 14. I needed a loan to buy a computer; after discussing the challenges I say, “I went home and, finally, founded my first business.” After the applause I follow with, “I called it Apache Ax Cybernetic Enterprises Limited.” Because the audience was emotionally attached, they laugh out loud when they hear the company’s name.” ~ Alexander Torrenegra, VoiceBunny

7. Keep It Simple

“I’ve given a TED talk and delivered 100+ keynote speeches. The most important thing for writing a great, memorable speech that moves the audience is to make sure that your message is understood by the audience. An audience can’t move if it doesn’t understand where to move to. In my experience, there’s no better tip than, “Tell them what you’re going to say. Say it. And tell ‘em what you said.” ~ Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

8. Combine Mediums

“Any conversation with an audience has to keep their attention. I start by having new music playing when they come into the room — it sets the vibe. Then, I continue using different mediums throughout the conversation: video, voice, podcast clips, art, imagery/photography, etc. Making a point multiple times, in multiple ways, keeps the audience engaged and drives home the lesson.” ~ Susan Strayer LaMotte, exaqueo

9. Think in Pictures

“These days, almost every talk will be accompanied by some sort of visual slide deck. To instantly differentiate yourself from the herd, banish all words from your presentation (seriously). People think in pictures. Use that to your advantage. Fill the screen with a compelling and beautiful image that deepens the point you’re making. People will focus on what you’re saying – instead of reading.” ~ Josh Allan Dykstra, Strengths Doctors

10. Write the Tweets for Your Audience

“The best speeches capture soundbites that your audience can write down, recall and share quickly. Today, most audiences are sharing those soundbites in real time as you speak. So make it easy on them and write their tweets for them. Consider putting them on your slides. Think in soundbites and make it easy for your audience to consume your speech.” ~ Eric Koester, Zaarly

11. Get Inspired and Tell a Story

“Look at a couple of speeches by people that you know are great speakers, like Arel Moodie or Rishi Shah. These examples can provide you with the inspiration to write something epic. Also, remember to tell a story. Even if you’re presenting on something educational, you can transform it into a story to engage the audience.” ~ John Hall, Digital Talent Agents

12. Focus on the Audience

“Think, “What does the audience want to hear from me? What can I provide that is of value to them?” When you learn to speak in terms of the wants and needs of your audience, you will become an effective, persuasive speaker.” ~ Richard Lorenzen, Fifth Avenue Brands

13. Come Out Strong and Have Fun

“You have to realize that within 30 seconds, 35% of the people have decided they don’t like you. You need a really good 30-second opener to grab their attention. Don’t overburden it with too many slides or words. Weave in personal stories and a sense of humor (if you have one), and be engaging. My primary purpose in public speaking is to motivate. I come out strong and have a lot of fun.” ~ Adam DeGraide, Astonish

Speaker Photo via Shutterstock

The post 13 Tips for Delivering a Memorable Keynote Speech appeared first on Small Business Trends.

But much of what we call “culture” is about the day-to-day interactions between staff and executive team members, or customers and your service or sales departments. And so the actions you do (or don’t) take as a leader are what really influence perceptions of your company’s culture, both inside and out.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question:

“How do you communicate company culture on a daily basis — a corkboard? Email taglines? Standup meetings?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Celebrate Values Alignment Through Actions

“Culture isn’t a few platitudes on the wall. Culture flows from true values: what the company spends time and money on. Discuss how alternatives (strategy, hiring) reflect company values. Include values alignment in performance coaching. Celebrate team members when their actions embody company values. ” ~ Kevon Saber, Fig

2. Create Traditions

“Capture and create traditions that support your culture. They’re under your nose every day; you just have to find them. Look for opportunities to create “rites of passage” for new employees, stimulate healthy competition, award prizes and celebrate major accomplishments. These things all give your company personality and are what people go home talking about.” ~ Christopher Kelly, Sentry Conference Centers

3. Hold Virtual Meetings

“Virtual meetings are our tool of choice. We run a large team of 50+ employees, and getting an entire division’s — let alone the entire company’s — attention is near impossible. Instead, we do virtual meetings through Skype chat groups and a ‘virtual state of the company’ meeting where we go through our sales and next steps as a video address, which we record so the team can view it when they want.” ~ Liam Martin, Staff.com

4. Put Egg in Everything

“We include the word “egg” in a lot of our words. It’s really embarrassing, but it works: egg-cellent, egg-ceptional, egg-stra. When we’re feeling really TalentEgg-y, we even come up with more creative lines, such as “hatch your career” or “omelette you go.” ” ~ Lauren Friese, TalentEgg

5. Connect at Morning Meetings

“Each morning, we get together for the only mandatory part of our schedule: the morning meeting. We go around answering first, what we’re most excited about doing that day and then second, a silly question. (Examples include favorite children’s book, first pet’s name and No. 1 Thanksgiving dinner staple.) It’s a refreshing way to start the day and laugh a lot (one of our core values).” ~ Derek Flanzraich, Greatist

6. Send Encouraging Emails

“As an online business owner, I try to write a message each day to my staff that reinforces my organization’s culture. It may be an excerpt from our goals and initiatives, or details on a project recently completed that was in tune with our company culture.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

7. Lead by Example

“Most people could care less what you say — what’s important is what you do when the chips are down. I try to work harder than anyone else, never be to good to do the jobs that no one wants to do, and most importantly treat everyone with honesty and respect. That culture drives decisions from how we work with vendors, employees and especially customers.” ~ Erik Severinghaus, SimpleRelevance

8. Get Pumped for Game Time

“Every day, my team and I get together and talk about our goals for the day and what we learned from yesterday. What challenges, customer service and production issues did we have? The company then provides free breakfast and we tell jokes, write down goals for the day, play loud music, get pumped up and get on with our day to be a better company today. ” ~ Ak Kurji, Gennex Group

9. Show Appreciation

“I make a point of walking around the office every day and thanking people for their contributions. It could be something as small as, “I really appreciated the email announcement you crafted,” or something more substantive like, “Thanks for handling that tough situation a few days ago.” Thanking them reminds them to thank others and be appreciative of what we have.” ~ Brent Beshore, AdVentures

10. Appoint a Chief Culture Officer

“Culture is communicated, whether we try or not; it lives in all the small interactions we have and in the policies and procedures we adhere to. The goal is to be intentional about creating a great, life-giving culture — and the best way to do this is to have someone whose job is building good culture. Unless someone (or a team) is specifically paid to focus on it, it’s unlikely to be good.” ~ Josh Allan Dykstra, Strengths Doctors

11. Have a Daily Huddle

“Each and every single day at 11:11 a.m., we have a 5-minute, high-energy meeting that is open to every team member from every level of the company. We review good news and numbers from the day before, but an important part of the agenda is to share specific examples of how we’ve each demonstrated one of our company’s four core values in the last 24 hours. ” ~ Nick Friedman, College Hunks Hauling Junk

12. Share Successes Everywhere

“We make sure everyone has a channel to announce their successes and curiosities with the rest of the team. Yammer announces everyone’s daily progress, a sales gong rings throughout the office whenever we get a new client and whiteboard paint from IdeaPaint covers many of our walls so no one ever has to travel far for a brainstorming session.” ~ Robert J. Moore, RJMetrics

Vision Wall Photo via Shutterstock

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But the fact is that a business plan — even just a one-pager with a few financial projections — can be a valuable internal tool.  A roadmap for even the smallest or earliest-stage idea. It can foster alignment, set the tone for the business and even help you craft your brand messaging.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to figure out when (and why) a business plan is an asset, even if you’re not planning to raise one penny:

“What is one good reason to write a business plan even if you’re not going for a bank loan or venture capital?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Clarity

“Writing a business plan or putting together an investor deck allows you to think more clearly about what you’re doing and where you are going. Key point to remember though is that the minute that your business plan hits the printer it is already out of date, so don’t depend on it as your to-do list. Think of it as a roadmap.” ~ Paige Brown, BookingMarkets

2. Gain a Deep Understanding of Your Market

“Although it took several weeks and I’ve barely looked at it since, I credit my business plan for helping me understand a brand-new industry in an extremely deep way before actually entering it, and for forcing me to deeply examine how we would fit into the market and what TalentEgg’s probability of success was. As a “risk averse” entrepreneur, it was critical. “ ~ Lauren Friese, TalentEgg Inc.

3. Organization

“The biggest reason to write out a business plan regardless of any financing option concerns is that it can help you stay organized and remain on track. Businesses without a plan can easily get off-target, and revenues will suffer as a result. Creating a plan with expense projections, revenue forecasts, and more can help a small business remain committed to its long-term goals.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

4. Practice Makes Perfect

“It’s great to write one simply to throw it away. The mental gymnastics are great. The plan is basically worthless the moment you’re finished – but it will force you to think about things you might not have otherwise.” ~ Brent Beshore, AdVentures

5. Confirm the Math

“A lot of ideas sound great on paper and even in discussions. However, simple math can make or break an idea. Before we launch any new idea, we at least create a financial model to project the ROI from several realistic scenarios. You can save a lot of time and frustration thinking through the numbers, and making sure it’s possible to hit your revenue and profit goals.” ~ Phil Frost, Main Street ROI

6. Iron Out Possible Kinks

“Writing a business plan allows you to really think things through. Your plan should question the validity of your ideas, the product/service target markets and so on. It should force you to do your own proper due diligence.” ~ Nicolas Gremion, Free-Ebooks.net

7. Foster Alignment

“Writing a business plan is an ideal way to make sure that everyone on your founding team is aligned with the current and future plans for the business. In the early stages of a company, it’s imperative for founding team members to be on the same page as to how they’ll work together on moving the business forward to great success. Avoid any miscommunications by getting it all on paper early.” ~ Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.

8. Hold Yourself Accountable

“A business plan is a great tool that allows founders to articulate their vision and future plans for their company. When using any business plan format, there are standard questions that force you to think & create a long term vision and strategy for your idea. Once these are down on paper, they can serve as a guide to allow you to track your progress and hold yourself accountable for the future.” ~ Aron Schoenfeld, Do It In Person LLC

9. Know Your Message

“Business planning is incredibly helpful for describing what you do, understanding who your competitors are, and crafting a realistic three to five year plan. Each of these activities is crucial if you are looking to launch or expand a venture, and learning to speak concisely about your company will always be crucial no matter what stage you’re in.” ~ Garrett Neiman, CollegeSpring

10. Establish Benchmarks

“Business plans are a valuable, iterative, document that can serve as a successful benchmarking tool. Where did your business exceed expectations? In what areas did your strategy maybe fall short? While it’s fine to “pivot” your company based on what you’ve seen in the market, having something in writing puts the onus on you to be honest about your company’s performance. “ ~ Charles Bogoian, Kenai Sports, LLC

Business Plan Photo via Shutterstock

The post 10 Reasons Why You Should Write A Business Plan appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Specifically, they’re looking to capitalize on emerging industries and technologies that will shape the way we do business in the future.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out where, in 2013, the biggest opportunities can be found:

“What is one industry that is going to become the “it” business in 2013 and why?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Education

“We’re getting to a point where old models of education are crumbling, and people are demanding flexible, lower-cost ways to access empowering information. Both independently-offered online courses and startups such as Udemy are poised to fill the gap for people who value self-sufficiency and who aren’t prepared to spend years in a classroom just to gain some new skills.” ~ Amanda Aitken, The Girl’s Guide to Web Design

2. Digital Health

“The mobile health industry doubled in revenues in 2012, and is set for an even bigger explosion in 2013. As smartphones go mainstream, the power of a diagnostic, medical, or reference tool in your pocket has amazing promise.  A leading indicator of this potential is the rise of digital health incubators, lead by SF-based Rock Health.” ~ Neil Thanedar, LabDoor

3. Big Data

“We just witnessed Nate Silver predict a perfect 50-for-50 in his state by state election predictions leveraging big data and predictive analysis. The two combined will fundamentally change marketing. Big data will make online engagement and ROI easier to analyze and will facilitate the shift from traditional brand advertising communicating at people to an increasingly social approach.” ~ Ryan Stephens, Ryan Stephens Marketing

4. Healthcare

“Patients are more informed than ever, yet kept in the dark in strange ways: a few weeks ago, I helped a friend figure out how to open her MRI files, which her doctor gaver her on a CD only so that she could hand carry them to another doctor. It’s easy enough to do if you’re technically savvy, but most people aren’t. Tools for both patients and doctors represent a huge opportunity right now.” ~ Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

5. Workspace & Collaboration Tools

“Gen Y is now a decade into the workforce and is quickly climbing into key decision making positions. Their complete intolerance of cubicle-style workplaces and dry company cultures will change face of real estate and communications as we know it. Along the way, they will create large-scale opportunities not only for tech, but also for a new generation of brick and mortar entrepreneurs.” ~ Christopher Kelly, Sentry Conference Centers

6. Mobile Marketing

“Mobile marketing is set to take off in 2013. Close to one-third of the American population now owns a smartphone, and adept businesses will tap into this market to help get the word out about their companies. Mobile advertising surpassed $1 billion last year, and this number is expected to be well over $4 billion annually by 2015.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

7. NFC & Mobile Payments

“There are already several mobile devices in Asia and Europe that come standard with an NFC chip and Samsung has started the race in North America with their latest Galaxy phone. So NFC is inevitable from the mobile side of the transaction but I am excited to see how the rest of the world and other industries such as retail (Wal-Mart) and services (taxi cabs) will adopt NFC for mobile payments . ” ~ Steven Staley, Playbook Community

8. Consumer Online Video

“Consumer online video will be big. Right now, the Web is about images: Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, foursquare, iPhones, and Androids all give consumers simple ways to capture, edit, and display photos. In 2013, similar tools for online video will go completely mainstream.” ~ Matt Wilson, Under30Media

9. Food

“For whatever reason, I’ve been seeing more and more pitches focused around food. Maybe it is because everyone eats or because foodies and techies overlap, but whatever the reason I see food as a hot industry in 2013, especially where food and tech intersect. I like Farmigo (a farm-to-home marketplace), Feastly (an Airbnb for kitchens), and Kitchit (personal chef finder).” ~ Eric Koester, Zaarly

10. 3D Printing

“Consumer awareness of the 3D printing industry will skyrocket in 2013. With recent the release of Makerbot’s new “Replicator 2,” the opportunity for high-quality 3D printing in home and small office environments is greater than ever. This industry will have a major impact on the consumer products industry and 2013 will be a critical year in its evolution.” ~ Robert J. Moore, RJMetrics

11. Digital Physical Advertising

“The DooH (Digital out of Home)/DPA (Digital Place-based Advertising) has been on the upswing for the past couple of years, and 2013 is when the industry really comes into its own. The convergence of low cost hardware, high smartphone penetration, and ubiquitous social media adoption are the perfect storm for the next generation of digital signage.” ~ Nanxi Liu, Enplug

12. Gamification

“Gamification is at a point similar to where Social Media Marketing was 5 years ago. Right now, people assume that to do gamification, all you need to do is add points, create levels, and give users a badge when they complete something. In actually, gamification is an extensive field that is completely open for the taking. By the end of 2013, gamification will be required for consumer marketing.” ~ Jun Loayza, Passport Peru

13. Connected Fitness

“We’re only at the beginning of the increasing importance of health and wellness, but fitness apps, tools, and products are already hot stuff. I imagine that trend will only continue in 2013– with some clear breakaway winners by the end of it, especially in the hardware space.” ~ Derek Flanzraich, Greatist

14. Beauty & Style

“There is a lot of excitement for fashion and beauty-related companies from both consumers and brands. E-commerce for beauty and fashion is growing in double digits, and 2013 will be a year when more shoppers come online for those types of purchases because personalization is improving and new, interactive digital experiences are created. Beauty and fashion will definitely be “in vogue” next year!” ~ Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.

15. Specialized Social Media Platforms

“Facebook will lose some of its mojo as it reaches saturation in the U.S. and other countries. Conversely, other niche social platforms such as Path, Branch, Svbtle and Quora are growing exponentially and will be the next big social media “thing.” ~ Alex Lorton, Cater2.me

16. Domain Name Industry Will Explode Again

“2013 will be a breakout year for the domain name industry. It’s cheaper, you can reach a bigger audience, and you can adapt faster than with a brick-and-mortar business. A good domain name will be critical to ensure credibility and bring the right kind of customer.” ~ Aaron Pitman, API Domain Investments

17. Peer-to-Peer

“We’re still at the beginning of the peer-to-peer renaissance. When I hear of great startups like DogVacay and UpTo, I know there is still a lot of room to grow. There are still a great number of peer-to-peer ideas out there waiting to be harvested. Airbnb was just the tip of the spear. I think we’ll look back in 5 years at a lot of great, well established peer-to-peer companies that started now.” ~ Mitch Gordon, Go Overseas

Business Man Photo via Shutterstock

The post 17 Hot Industries to Watch in 2013 appeared first on Small Business Trends.

But for founders, the same time of year signals something very different — an important time to regroup and strategize for the year ahead. And you need your team by your side to do so effectively.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out how to motivate and energize team members as 2013 fast approaches:

“With the end of year fast approaching, what are some tips to keep your team energized — and brainstorming — for the year ahead?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. What Are You Waiting For?

“Most organizations make the mistake of doing planning for the next year in December. Well, by then, your team has already begun clocking out. They are thinking about holiday shopping, time off, food, and football. So early November is a GREAT time to get planning for 2013 — and if they know what is coming up, it might just help them stay focused on sales instead of pumpkin pie!” ~ Raoul Davis, Ascendant Group

2. Get (Away) Together

“End of the year is a great time for your team to get away together to spend some time working on the business instead of in it. Having your core team together in a non-office environment can encourage creativity while looking back and celebrating all the small wins you’ve accomplished this year. It is also a great time to re-sync on the company’s vision and goals while strategizing for next year.” ~ W. Michael Hsu, DeepSky

3. Look Back to Look Forward

“Create a summary of all the progress your company made since the beginning of the year to this point. Remind your team that the day-to-day developments can sometimes obscure the larger gains the company has made, and show them exactly how their hard work has paid off. Encourage them to take time to recharge and remember all the good work they did this year, and how that effort can be replicated.” ~ Zach Cutler, Cutler Group

4. Get Active

“We do bi-weekly fitness, health, and happiness activities with the team– but as we gear up to the end of the year, we plan to do them bigger and better, whether it’s a day-long hike or an epic kayak adventure.” ~ Derek Flanzraich, Greatist

5. Set Goals — and Rewards! — Together

“Goal-setting is always a fun year-end exercise. After we finish goal-setting, we dedicate time to brainstorming potential rewards for accomplishing goals – they should be team-oriented, something everyone will enjoy, and a blend of both attainable and slightly over-the-top to keep everyone reaching.” ~ Abby Ross, Blueye Creative

6. Maintain Open Lines of Communication

“I think it is important at any time of the year to keep open lines of communication and touch base to make sure the team is all pushing in the same direction and can understand what every person is struggling with. We’ve had some great insight when the team comes together and someone expresses a problem they’ve been facing…that includes sales, Web development and content.” ~ Patrick Curtis, WallStreetOasis.com

7. Share Profits

“Profit-sharing is a great boost. As an example using easy math, let’s say you expect to make $100 in 2013. Tell your team that 10 percent of any profits over $100 in 2013 will be divided among the team as bonuses.” ~ Nicolas Gremion, Foboko.com

8. Monthly Incentives

“It can be easy for people to lose focus in the last couple months of the year, especially around the holidays – so give them a reason to keep making stuff happen. This can be anything from a sales contest to a little bit of extra time off. Put yourself in your employee’s shoes. What would continue to make you excited to come in to work, even with all of the end of the year distractions?” ~ Sean Ogle, Location 180, LLC

9. Hand Out Innovation Vacations

“Give them a day off to take an innovation vacation. Tell them to relax and really think about where they are heading; provide them with a day where they think more strategically. “ ~ John Hall, Digital Talent Agents

10. Restate Your Mission and Vision

“It’s not enough for the founders to have a clear mission and vision for the future. Repetition within the company and to your prospects and customers is key. By continually reminding your team about how they are helping customers and where the company is going in the next 1-5 years, they’ll be more likely to bring fresh ideas to the table. “ ~ Phil Frost, Main Street ROI

11. It’s Time To Celebrate

“Focus on the celebrations from the past year, rather than dwell on the failures. If we can build momentum from success, we can stay positive and motivated to expand those success stories. Focus on the positive and avoid dwelling on any negative.” ~ Jordan Guernsey, Molding Box

Business Holidays Photo via Shutterstock

The post Focus Your Startup Team Before Year’s End appeared first on Small Business Trends.

But it’s easy for team members (current and future) to feel dislocated and disengaged. Whether they’re moving themselves, or just having to liaise with a brand-new department head in another city, a move can tax the very things that drove your growth in the first place — especially company culture and morale.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out their advice for navigating a company move or expansion:

“If you plan to expand your business to a new location (one you bought or a new office entirely), what’s your best tip for making sure cultural issues don’t get the best of you — or your relocated team members?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Locate Smart

“Location plays a key role in business. It can determine who your customers will be, what your network is, and the talent you’ll be able to hire. So pick a location that you like. Pick a location that you can culturally identify with and enjoy going to. Unless you are doing a huge international expansion you should choose your location based on your brand DNA. Don’t get caught up in just cost.” ~ Raoul Davis, Ascendant Group

2. Share Experiences on Social Media

“Constant communication between teams helps ensure the culture is not lost. One thing that we do is have simultaneous, similar events. Last month we had a surprise event where the NY team stopped working and went to a Yankees game while our San Francisco team went to a Giants game. We were on opposite sides of the country, but got to have a similar experience shared through Twitter and Instagram.” ~ Bobby Emamian, Prolific Interactive

3. Find a Common Ground

“Regardless of where a business is located, the mission and values of the company’s work should serve as the common ground on which all team members can bond. Thinking Caps has offices in diverse cities, but all of our employees are focused on our common mission to help students be successful and Independence learners. The whole team is behind one common value.” ~ Alexandra Mayzler, Thinking Caps Tutoring

4. Study the Market

“In the spirits business, every state is like entering a new country. Before making a move or an expansion, it is crucial for business owners to understand the market dynamics. Hit the pavement and meet with key partners, visit customers and listen. These insights will help shape your business’s expansion or move.” ~ Nikhil Bahadur, Blue Nectar Spirits Company

5. Hire for a Common Vision

“Wherever you are creating offices and hiring employees, you should be hiring people who are agree with your vision for the company. Whether you’re looking to expand to the East Coast, the West Coast, Middle America or internationally, there are people who will fit your company culture and you should seek them out. “ ~ Zach Cutler, Cutler Group

6. Communicate Often and Offer Support

“We are, in fact, consolidating a number of offices and moving our headquarters to a newly built out space in New York City. We’ve been keeping employees posted on this move for weeks, and we’ve implemented ways to support people during the transition by giving our new VP of Internal Operations the authority to handle all concerns, questions, and complaints—as well as to receive creative input.” ~ Michael Seiman, CPX Interactive

7. Yammer

“Our headquarters is currently in SF but we have offices in New York City and San Diego. Our employees love Yammer it and stay better connected to each other even across office locations. We share jokes, photos, YouTube videos, and more across offices to maintain our fun company culture.” ~ Jesse Pujji, Ampush

8. Mitigate Risk With Convenience

“There are a lot of risks with any move, whether down-the-block or across a continent, as “business as usual” will change. Work with your team to understand what about your current location is critical to their work product; try to build those features into the new spot. Maybe it’s locating near a highway for convenience, having a lot of windows for sunshine, or a fast printer!” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches

9. No Suprises — Involve Employees Now

“Give your team the information way ahead of time. Whether it is when you consider it or when you start looking for space, by sharing with your team, you may find that someone can help you or has been through it before. Talk to your employees and see if they would go with you or if you can work something out with them. So while it’s an executive decision, don’t spring it on your team last minute.” ~ Aron Schoenfeld, Do It In Person LLC

Business Move Photo via Shutterstock

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However, borrowing capital from family members is risky business. Sure, you can always cut bonds with an external investor when a deal goes sour, but you can’t exactly burn bridges with relatives, especially just before seeing them at family gatherings. Even more so, these well-meaning lenders don’t always know what they’re getting into — and what they may not be getting out it in the end.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out their advice for funding through family ties:

“What’s one piece of advice for entrepreneurs who want to raise money from family without ruining relationships?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Be Transparent ‘Til It Hurts

“It’s tempting to paint an eternally rosy picture for investors, but the reality of any startup is that there are difficult times. All of our first investors were friends and family, and we’ve managed to maintain strong, positive relationships by being completely honest — for better or worse. Transparency honors the risk early investors took and allows space for them to provide advice or help.”  ~ Martina Welke, Zealyst

2. Remember, It IS Personal

“It is easy to think that if we are upfront about the terms, transparent in our discussion, and even fair in our valuation that this will “just be business.” Unfortunately, it rarely is in the case of raising money from family. Chances are, there is going to be some type of emotion involved and it is going to be personal at some level.”  ~ W. Michael Hsu, DeepSky

3. Stay Professional

“Structure it like any other investment, and try to separate your professional self from your family self. Draw up contracts, act professional, and send formal “investor” updates each month.”  ~ Abby Ross, Blueye Creative

4. Manage Expectations

“Always manage expectations when it comes to borrowing money from family. At the time you “pitch” your family to be investors, don’t over promise on potential returns. By being transparent and continuing to keep them in the loop after they invest, you give them a sense of connection to the business — and less resentment if things go bad.”  ~ Blake Beshore, Tatroux

5. Explain the Real Risks

“Family needs to understand that they should only invest money that they are willing to lose. If they have disposable cash, then it will not be a large financial hardship if the money is lost. If family members can’t afford to lose money, they shouldn’t invest. It’s the entrepreneur’s job to be upfront and cl ear about this.”  ~ David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services

6. Do They Like to See Money Burn?

“The default state for a startup is death (http://paulgraham.com/hubs.html), according to Y Combinator founder Paul Graham. So be honest with your family. Ask them if they would be okay lighting their money on fire. If they can live with it, then let them invest. If not, then a relationship has been saved.”  ~ Wade Foster, Zapier

7. Treat Them Like Real VCs

“Pitch them as they were a high-level VC by bringing real presentation tools, a thorough business plan and facts to the table. Don’t skip on these important aspects to eliminate any bad feelings of abuse or problems down the road.” ~ Raul Pla, SimpleWifi and UseABoat

8. Represent All Outcomes

“Prepare them for the worst. Let your family know that there’s a high likelihood that they’ll lose their money, and that they should think of the investment as a gift. Most startups fail. If they aren’t willing to invest under those terms, then don’t take their money. Avoid overselling them so they don’t feel duped later.” ~ Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Test Prep

9. It’s Strictly Business

“Taking money from friends and family can be tricky. It’s important to treat the deal with the professionalism as you would when dealing with a VC. Be transparent and make sure your friend or family member has done the proper due diligence, read all the documents and is investing because he or she believes in not only you, but also your business.”  ~ Kevin Tighe II, The Brand Stars

10. Maintain Communication

“Families are a tricky bunch. Having worked with mine for the past 5 years, I’ve learned some of the nuances necessary to keep relationships healthy. Make sure you designate one person as your point of contact and by all means communicate with them. Even if it feels like court reporting, they appreciate being kept in the loop. It can feel like an extra job, but it is. You wanted family money.”  ~ David Cohen, Round Table Companies

11. Sell Your Idea

“Ideally your supporters are investing in your idea and not just in you. Tell your family and friends your idea and if they are interested and able, they will want to invest. If you know a donor is investing solely for personal reasons, accept the donation with no strings attached, but know where you stand with them and replace them with donors that care about your idea.”  ~ Melissa Kushner, Goods For Good

12. Smaller Amounts Are Key

“Don’t talk Grandma into investing her entire pension. Just make sure your family members invest a comfortable amount, in case things go sour. It’s better to have more people put in small amounts than to share your parents’ basement with Grandma after you both go bankrupt.”  ~ Nicolas Gremion, Foboko.com

Borrowing Money Photo via Shutterstock

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The approach of “MBWA” or “management by walking around” might sound like an outdated technique, but for some business owners, it still works—if not in a new way. To do so without micromanaging your employees—or even being in the same office space—impacts both a startup’s deadlines and the company culture as well.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out their advice for staying on top of their startup’s projects:

“”MBWA” or management by walking around: do you use it and if so, what’s your best tip to know what’s going on without micromanaging?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. They’re the Boss Now

“If you’ve hired well, every key employee is more talented than you in their domain. So your value in an MBWA session is to listen, and help untangle challenges. At LabDoor, I’ll usually pull up a chair and sit quietly until I’m up to speed, offer a few pieces of helpful advice, and then let my teammate get back to work.”
~ Neil Thanedar, LabDoor

2. Gen Y Likes Frequent Check-Ins

“Micromanaging gets a bad rap because keeping close tabs on your employees requires a lot of time and effort on the part of the CEO or manager. Gen Y likes to have a lot of feedback, as long as you are allowing employees enough freedom to make mistakes and grow. I think frequently checking in can be a really great thing.”
~ Caitlin McCabe, Real Bullets Branding

3. Virtual Teams Tracking Time

“With my virtual team, the primary way I review my team’s time is by asking them to log in to track their time reporting. We use oDesk, and when logged in, the program screen captures every few minutes so I can see what my team has done when they log time. This helps ensure that a VA isn’t on Facebook when time is logged for article marketing and provides extra accountability.”
~ Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems

4. Integrate Inquiries into Conversations

“I have used MBWA, and I’ve found that it really helps to strengthen one-on-one relationships with the people with whom I work. Once we start talking, it eventually becomes natural to bring up what they’re working on and get a status%2

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