Generation Y’s At Work San Diego’s Search Engine Entrepreneurs

October 2, 2007. It’s a typical day at SEOhaus in the largest office located within the company’s 1400sqft. space, employees sit in a semi-circle around a cordless speaker phone.

Keywords:

Business, Internet

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October 2, 2007. It’s a typical day at SEOhaus in the largest office located within the company’s 1400sqft. space, employees sit in a semi-circle around a cordless speaker phone.

"We need to really focus on improving our PR," a client says, his voice on speaker phone audible throughout the room.

"We can do that," one of the employees says, glancing down at the yellow legal pad on her lap. "Let’s come up with a solution."

Ten minutes later, when the meeting ends, the employees disperse to their respective offices, and the company’s owners, William Senn, 26, and William Canu, 25, take a short break from their hectic work schedules to share what it’s like being an entrepreneur under 30.

"We’re growing so fast," Canu says, leaning back in his office chair and glancing over his shoulder at the busy traffic below on Kettner Blvd. "It’s amazing."

The two Williams, who started SEOhaus from the proceeds of their last business venture's mail-order DVD rental service, have seen their company grow from a single room with two employees (themselves) to a small business with approximately ten full-time employees and growing. Next week, the company will move to a much larger office suite down the hall.

"We’re excited," says Senn, a former Google employee." The walls of the new office are being painted right now, and it (the move) is starting to feel official."

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is all about the art of achieving increased traffic, presence, and page rankings (i.e. higher search results) for a website, and this is achieved by a variety of different methods, including, but not limited to: building links, writing and marketing SEO content articles, social bookmarking, and web design.

"SEOhaus is a boutique firm," Senn explains, "We specialize in customized services, and our employees are very good at what they do."

SEOhaus and it’s twenty-something owners, represent a growing trend in American business: young entrepreneurs making an impact in their respective industries and developing successful businesses before their 30th birthday.

Their generation, known as Generation Y (1981-1995) is a generation of young entrepreneurs. The online publication Inc.com recently released the list of the "thirty coolest entrepreneurs under thirty," profiling individuals who began their own companies---some while still living in their parent’s houses, and have seen them grow exponentially in only a few short years.

Every Entrepreneur's Worst Nightmare

Gone: Customers, sales, profits. Following is a simple little tale about how it happens.

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marketing, entrepreneur, customers, sales, profits

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Gone: Customers, sales, profits. Following is a simple little tale about how it happens.

"Jones was a typical entrepreneur who worked long hours and wore many hats.

"The problem was that all the hats screamed for attention. Jones solved the problem by wearing the hat that screamed the loudest.

"Unfortunately, this was only a temporary solution since all the hats kept screaming until they were worn.

"There was, however, one hat that never screamed. It never complained, whined or whimpered, even though it was lonely. It knew it was important, whether or not it was worn. That hat was right.

"One day the customers quit coming. The other hats became quiet; they no longer were needed. It was then that Jones noticed the hat named Marketing and how little it had been worn.

"'Why didn't I wear the Marketing hat?' thought Jones.

"For one thing, Marketing hadn't screamed for attention like the other hats. The other reason was that Jones was afraid the Marketing hat was too expensive to wear and would drain profits.

"But now there were no profits; the customers were gone.

"Jones put on the Marketing hat. It was time to get the old customers back, and to get new customers, too. It was time to wear the Marketing hat regularly.

"Even the other hats perked up."

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel

Entrepreneurs Find New Way To Finance Dream

Statistics show that more than one million people in the United States start a new business each year.

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Entrepreneurs Find New Way To Finance Dream

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Statistics show that more than one million people in the United States start a new business each year. That number would be much higher if all the would-be entrepreneurs had the financing required to get a business up and running. In order to accomplish their dream of business ownership, entrepreneurs are finding new and innovative ways to finance their new ventures.

According to Leonard Fischer, President/CEO of BeneTrends, one of these new financing options is the use of a person's existing retirement funds-a pension, profit sharing, 401(k), IRA-which allows that person to start the business he or she has always dreamed of without tax penalties, consequences or mountains of debt.

Under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), retirement funds can be transferred into usable capital for business investments or operations. If a person has more than $40,000 in a retirement account and is not currently employed by the company that holds those funds, he or she qualifies for this Small Business Administration (SBA)-recognized financing approach to start a business.

Retirement funds can be used for any business purpose, including:

• Purchasing a franchise or existing business

• Start-up expenses, such as purchasing property, equipment, etc.

• Working capital, including paying salaries, franchise fees, etc.

• Business expansion, such as funding additional franchises, locations, etc.

• Equity toward SBA or other loans.

The thought of dipping into one's retirement can cause some apprehension. Through this investment strategy an individual actually has more control over his/her retirement-instead of gaining minimal growth dependent on the stock market, those savings are actually being invested in one's own business. This approach often allows an individual to set aside more money for retirement than ever before.

"Today's entrepreneur faces an environment of tremendous competition, complexity and opportunity, so starting a business the right way is more important than ever," says Dr. Germain Boer, Director of Vanderbilt University's Center for Entrepreneurship. "This financing method is a good option for an individual who has accumulated funds in his/her retirement accounts."

The entire process generally takes two to four weeks to be completed, and can be done by phone, email, fax, FedEx and regular mail.

Working with an experienced employee benefits plan expert, starting a business is as simple as these four steps:

Step 1: Establish a C-corporation.

Step 2: The new corporation creates a retirement plan.

Step 3: Funds are rolled over into the corporation's new retirement plan.

Step 4: The new retirement plan purchases the stock of the corporation.

"So many people have watched their dream of owning their own business go out the window due to lack of funding options. We help people achieve that dream every day using money they already have," says Fischer.

If you're ready to explore this innovative financing option, be sure to consult an expert to guide you through the specialized process.

Entrepreneurs - You Might Want To Drop Out Of College

Young entrepreneurs and business owners are often times faced with the choice of which road to take. On one hand, there is the more conservative route of staying in college and getting a degree. On the other hand, many have thriving businesses that are making more money than their degree will ever get for them. Is college simply a hindrance? Or is it a valuable resource that should be continued at all costs. Many college business owners don't even realize they have the choice...

Keywords:

entrepreneur, business, college

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Young entrepreneurs and business owners are often times faced with the choice of which road to take. On one hand, there is the more conservative route of staying in college and getting a degree. On the other hand, many have thriving businesses that are making more money than their degree will ever get for them. Is college simply a hindrance? Or is it a valuable resource that should be continued at all costs. Many college business owners don't even realize they have the choice of dropping out. Knowing this option is there could be vital to the success of their future business. If you are in college and are an entrepreneur or business owner you must ask your self this question: should I drop out of college?

The answer to this question often comes in many forms from many different people. I was recently at an entrepreneurial conference and had the opportunity to discuss this matter with many rich entrepreneurs. The answers I was getting from them were vastly different from those that my family had given me. On the one side I was being told that college is only useful if you are getting something out of it, and that if I was serious my businesses should take priority over schooling. From the family side I was being told to stay in school no matter what, put schooling at the forefront - there will always be time for business and it will be good to have a safe backup. Both of these answers have their merits, but which one is right?. It became clear to me that it was my decision- not the other wealthy entrepreneurs, and not your family.

Why are you in college?
This question is the fundamental element in the decision to drop out of college. Entrepreneurs must figure out the reality of why they are in college before making a decision to drop out. Some business owners are in college because their parents told them to go there, or because they didn't realize they had the choice. Other young entrepreneurs are in college because they find the information valuable and want to continue learning while they expand their business. Even more still had childhood dreams of one day being an engineer or architect and want to follow through with their early ideals. You must answer this question truthfully and honestly if you are going to make a choice about running your business full time or staying in college.

Why Do You Want to Drop Out?
It is very important to understand exactly why you want to drop out. Many business owners and entrepreneurs have vastly different reasons for dropping out of college and it is key that you understand yours. I have often fielded this question in conversation, and many times a young entrepreneur will want to drop out of college on pure speculation. This is never a good idea without a solid business plan. I recommend having a solid business plan and some backups in the least, as well as some plans for continued learning of business skills. Dropping out is a risky decision - entrepreneurs will understand and easily accept this fact. Understanding and accepting risk is part of being an entrepreneur and starting new businesses. I have also talked with many entrepreneurs who already have million dollar plus income, and are thinking about dropping out in order to focus more on their business. This instance presents an entirely new set of questions. Whatever your reasoning make sure that you understand and research your position.

Here is the Secret to Making the Decision
It all comes down to balancing the two sides of the argument. If you've figured out both your reasons for being in college and your reasons for dropping out and starting a business, then you can easily make a decision. The trick is to look at a list of both sides: your reasons for being in college and your reasons for going out and becoming an entrepreneur. If either side has reasons that aren't your own, or that have doubt in them, then you will most likely pick the other side. Here is an example situation, look at the two lists and decide what the student should do.

Student A - Reasons to Stay in College:
- My parents are paying for it, and they would flip if I left
- Everyone I know is in college, it would be weird to leave.
- A degree might give me some security later on.

Student A - Reasons to Drop Out and Pursue Business
- I have a solid business plan and have been working on it for months
- My income is almost half of my parents already
- Having more time to work on business would let me expand faster

I think it is fairly clear in this setup that we have an entrepreneur at heart. There is doubt in the reasoning behind college, and he also doubts that he will even need the security of a degree. The second list is much more profound and certain. This student knows he will be successful as an entrepreneur and he only wants to build his business more. There is certainty and understanding in his tone. With this situation it seems very likely that the student would be far better off dropping out of college and pursuing his business goals.

The case is almost never as cut and dry as the situation above, most young businessmen have far more complicated setups. Even with the complications, the end result is always the same. Follow the path that you are sure of in your heart. If you are an entrepreneur in the right position then you will know exactly why you want to drop out and that it will be better for you. Or, you will know that staying in college will teach you more about business and let you grow faster out of college. I will leave you with one last thing.

Listen to your own thoughts, and pick the path that you know is better for you.

Entrepreneurs May Have Irritating Syndrome SASS

Entrepreneurs are notorious for ADD-like symptoms. However, as Dave Crenshaw of Fresh Juice Strategy explains, what they really suffer from is Short Attention Span Syndrome, or SASS. This article offers humorous analysis and helpful advice for entrepreneurs of all kinds.

Keywords:

one to one business consulting, business consultant, fresh juice strategy, business consulting, Dave Crenshaw, Dave Crenshaw consulting, fresh juice business consulting, fresh juice, www.freshjuice.org, freshjuice, fresh juice one to one consulting,

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Know one of those brilliant brains that can't have a sustained human conversation because their mind races too fast? They may suffer from a not-so-rare disorder. And you hold the cure - if you print out the following article and hand them a copy.

Entrepreneur SASS
(With permission from Utah Valley Business Q)

We may have an epidemic among us. At the next networking meeting you attend, wash your hands immediately afterward - maybe five times for good measure. Despite medical evidence to the contrary, a previously thought incommunicable disease is spreading faster than copies of Who Moved My Cheese?

The disease is Short Attention Span Syndrome, or SASS.

Perhaps someone you know and love is affected. Perhaps you yourself have noticed some of the following symptoms.

-Shifting in your seat and coughing just a little too loudly during a boring meeting.
-Saying to your significant other, I'm sorry, honey, could you repeat that? I wasn't paying attention.
-Going to sleep while mentally rifling through a mile-long to-do list

Many with these symptoms joke, "I must have ADD!" However, only 4 to 8 percent have the genetic condition referred to as ADD - more correctly termed ADHD, - which is present from birth and, while treatable, is permanent. The dreaded disease of SASS, on the other hand, develops over time.

Symptoms begin to appear around the teenage years and slowly accelerate until they become a frenzy of activity and mental noise. SASS is viral. It passes from manager to employee, from spouse to spouse, from parents to children and from children to parents.

Most common is the passing of SASS from entrepreneurial types: business owners, risk-tasking executives, sales professionals, visionaries. Entrepreneurs develop SASS themselves, typically in the incubator of their own ever-changing minds. While most everyone has a lot to do, entrepreneurs have the tendency to pick up a lot more "To-Dos" than the average person. They then pass the virus on to those around them.

Entrepreneurs pass SASS to their employees in the form of altered objectives, multi-tasking, bold initiatives, training meetings, revised agendas, organizational restructuring, innovation after innovation, and of course, more meetings. They pass it on, unable to listen to the comments of others as they continue to create more to-dos in their mind.

Then they return to the quiet of their own homes and continue to think about more changes and more To-Do's deep into the night. They are often oblivious to the peas and carrots on their plate and the 8-year-old wanting to play Bob the Builder.

There is hope. SASS is a curable condition. Those afflicted by SASS usually have developed an altered sense of reality. Recommended therapy is as follows.

First, have the subject look in a mirror. Ask them, How many of you are there? Sometimes, the SASSy individual thinks outside the box to the point that they insist there are two of them. In this case, have them repeat 50 times the phrase, "There is only one of me. There is only one of me."

Second, have the subject look at a clock. At the beginning of a minute, ask the subject to count each second as it passes. At the end of the minute, as them how many seconds there were. If the number is anything other than 60, repeat this exercise 59 times. At the end of the hour, ask them how many minutes there were. If necessary, repeat this exercise another 23 times and ask them about hours in the day.

Finally, find the subject’s calendar. They may have more than one calendar. Explain to them that, since there is only one timeline in the real world, they can only have only one calendar. Next, look for double-bookings. Again, explain to them in a firm but loving tone that, since there is only one of them, they can only be in one place at a time. If travel time is not properly scheduled, explain to them that, since faxing one's self has yet to be invented, they will be unable to magically teleport from location to location.

As therapy continues, SASSy entrepreneurs will gradually overcome their delusion that their disease makes them more productive. They will come to learn the truth of the proverb, "man who chases two chickens catches none."

There is hope for the SASSy entrepreneur. With your help and the help of professionals, they can and most often do come back to reality.

Entrepreneurs Don't Have Average Credit Scores

Fair Isaac, the company that develops the formula to determine credit scores looks at the average statistics of consumers and factors that into your score, called a (FICO). According to Fair Isaac the average consumer will have:

· One inquiry on their personal credit report in a given year
· 54% of credit holders carry a balance of less then $5,000 on all debts other then a mortgage
· Have access to $12,190 on all credit cards combined

Keywords:

business credit,corporate credit,small business credit,business line of credit,new business credit

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Fair Isaac, the company that develops the formula to determine credit scores looks at the average statistics of consumers and factors that into your score, called a (FICO). According to Fair Isaac the average consumer will have:

· One inquiry on their personal credit report in a given year
· 54% of credit holders carry a balance of less then $5,000 on all debts other then a mortgage
· Have access to $12,190 on all credit cards combined

“Now are entrepreneurs, like you, the typical consumer?” I asked one of my clients (J.G.). “No.”, said J.G.. “You will see that as an entrepreneur, we have several more credit needs then the average consumer. So when the personal credit bureaus compare us to the average consumer, our credit consumption is not normal. Which is why your credit score lowered since starting your business.” “That's not fair” said J.G. My reply, “If you don't understand how the system works, you're right.”

Let's look at J.G.'s situation. He has applied several times with suppliers for various credit lines over the last year. Each inquiry will likely drop his credit score approximately 5-10 points. The credit bureaus as suppose to lump three together and only drop 5-10 for the three, we'll see if it happens. He also has a $60,000 line of credit available and carries a balance of $42,000. Both the amount of credit and balance are more then the consumer average which can hurt his score as well. This is without looking at anything else in the business or his personal life.

If J.G. had just taken the time to develop a business credit profile and start establishing basic lines of credit in the business name and then slowly build the businesses credit over time, he may never have ended up without the ability to buy the home he and his family wanted.

This is why I have written books and developed products and services with our company, Business Credit Services, to provide an education to the entrepreneur on how to “become the typical consumer again” and “separate your personal and business life”.

Company Brings Hope to African Entrepreneurs

News reports often tell of the struggle to lift Africans out of poverty. One entrepreneur is doing her part to bring hope to that continent through a business endeavor that is now bringing its products to the world market.

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Company Brings Hope to African Entrepreneurs

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News reports often tell of the struggle to lift Africans out of poverty. One entrepreneur is doing her part to bring hope to that continent through a business endeavor that is now bringing its products to the world market.

The desire to help others is what originally led South African Elmare Lombard to leave her successful psychological practice after 15 years to start a natural aromatherapy line.

From experimenting with essential oils and plant-based oils in her kitchen to eventually seeking international markets for the line, Lombard has made her dream a reality today. Her Molo Africa line is now being distributed in the U.S. by BioPharmetics Inc.

But her company, founded with family members and community leaders, also helps establish farming projects for disadvantaged people in her native South Africa. Molo Africa has a proactive employment policy that helps single parents get jobs with the company or affiliated businesses. This initiative is designed to promote self-sufficiency and brings a sense of pride for individuals.

Molo Africa supports the independent farmers of Africa through advice and assistance; the purchase of raw products at fair market prices; and through education initiatives that help impoverished South Africans develop skills in agriculture, basic education, entrepreneurship and computer training.

The company's product line includes pure essential oils, natural aromatic room sprays, massage butters, shea soaps and scented candles. Molo is an African greeting meaning "hello." Bearing evocative African names such as "Hamba Suka" and "Sefako," the products contain essential oils that were extracted from exotic plants farmed and processed naturally in African countries.

Gertrude Mewy is an example of the kind of success story Lombard's company helped to create. The single mother from Guguletu, Cape Town, was raising her four children on a small salary as a domestic worker. But she dreamed of being an entrepreneur. With the help of the Foundation for Economic and Business Development, she started her own pottery business.

Her hard work paid off when she became a supplier of ceramic beads to Molo Africa. Its contract with Gertrude enables her to employ two full-time workers, both of whom are single mothers. Her business now supports nine people and there are plans for more business deals between Gertrude and Molo Africa.