How My Wife and Baby Have Made Me A Better Entrepreneur

If you were isolated in a room, with no contact with anyone, how successful would you be at your online endeavors?  My guess is not very successful. Now, imagine building an online business without the support of your family and friends.  How successful would you be?  Not very... But until recently, I think I took this for granted.  I never really understood what it meant to have a support system in place to help push my business and myself forward.  But it all clicked for me last month when I went to the Financial Blogger Conference.  Here was my wife, with our 10 week old baby at home, encouraging me to go since building an online business was incredibly important to me.  That was huge. And, in hindsight, it was just one of many … [Read more...]

6 Ways Entrepreneurship Could Leave You Needing a Lawyer

Being an entrepreneur can be tough enough without thinking about the legal aspects of starting a business.  But the truth is, being an entrepreneur can leave you needing a lawyer in more situations that you probably realize.  I've been lucky enough to have some great lawyer friends who advised me in the process of setting up my business, but if you don't have that resource, there are several circumstances when you could need legal counsel. Whether you're already working your side hustle, or just thinking about beating the nine to five, here are six situations which could leave you needing a lawyer as an entrepreneur or solopreneur.   1. Setting Up Your Company The first time you probably want to consider getting a lawyer is … [Read more...]

Are Side-Entrepreneurs The Weakest Link in the Company?

I was listening to my new favorite podcast last week - Nick Loper's Side Hustle Nation - and there was an awesome guest on, Chris Guthrie from Entrepreneur Boost.  In the intro, he said something that really struck me - my boss fired me because he found out about my side job and figured that my heart wasn't all into the company.  That sucks...but it got me wondering - are side hustlers and side entrepreneurs a weak link the company?   Where Side Hustling Employees Add Value I think, in many cases, side hustling employees are some of the most valuable ones in the company.  To be able to work full time and maintain a side hustle requires a level of execution that most employees simply don't have.  I would venture a guess that … [Read more...]

How a Bad Boss, Boredom, and a School Crush Led Me To Entrepreneurship

I'm always fascinated by stories about how people decided they wanted to become entrepreneurs.  We always hear about the inspiring story, or the life changing event.  But, in most cases, it was a series of events and circumstances that all connected together to put the right pieces in place. That's my story, and I thought it would be fun to share it with you.  This starts back in 2009 when I started my first site, The College Investor, and hopefully it will give you some encouragement to start your own journey based on your own circumstances.   The Bad Boss Looking back, I really think that it all started with a bad boss that I had but really didn't even know it until looking back in hindsight.  This boss was terrible, but I … [Read more...]

Side Business Time Management 101

The hardest thing about building a side business is time management, especially as your business grows.  This has been something that I've perpetually struggled with, especially as my business has grown over time. Unless you're going to launch into your business full time (which I don't advise), you're going to start your business on the side. As such, I want to touch base on a few key time management tools and schedules for helping you balance a side business while working full time.  Plus, I hope you'll see that you can work full time and run a business.  It is possible - let me show you some tools of the trade.   The Schedule The first thing you need to figure out when it comes to side business time management is your … [Read more...]

Trigger Points: What Makes You Want to Quit Your Job?

If you're here, chances are you're looking to quit your job to go out on your own.  That's the premise of the Quitters Checklist - how to quit your job and move to self-employment. But before making any move to self-employment, you need to ask yourself - what triggered these thought and ideas in my mind?  Why do I suddenly want to give up the known for the unknown?  Yes, it's cliche, but the old saying goes: the grass is always greener on the other site.  Remember, something you don't have is something you probably idealize.  So, it may not line up with reality. That's why self-reflection and understanding on your quitting trigger points is huge.   Trigger Points for Quitting Your Job People want to quit their jobs for a … [Read more...]