More people nowadays are choosing to start their own businesses, but having a great idea and becoming a successful entrepreneur are two very different things. In this series of TED Talks, five inspirational speakers share their insights on starting a business – from trusting your instincts, to turning that spark of brilliance into a working company.
Don’t wait to be hospitalised before you start your own business – Mike Soutar
In this TED Talk, Mike Soutar, founder of ShortList Media, gives eight reasons why you shouldn’t wait to start your own business. The earlier you start, the easier it is, says Soutar. If you launch young you have less to sacrifice for your company, you will be more flexible and will be able to dedicate more time to your project. By starting young and staying nimble you can also work like an insurgent, taking risks and innovating where more distinguished companies may not.
How to build a start-up company from the heart – Bill Warner
People are often pushed to follow their head when it comes to business, says Bill Warner, but following what your heart wants often leads to better decisions. In this TED Talk, Warner talks about how to build a start-up from the heart, and the importance of creating something you are really passionate about instead of something you think someone else might be interested in.
Choose yourself: What James Altucher can teach you about starting a business
Entrepreneur James Altucher tells the inspirational story of how he lost everything in business, only to bounce back better than ever to found a multimillion dollar company. In this TED Talk, Altucher shares valuable insights about success, persuasion, negotiation and idea generation. Most importantly, his key message centers around the truth that you don’t need credentials to find leads, convert those leads to clients, and build a successful business. All you need to do is ‘choose yourself’ and you’ll be just fine.
Muhammed Fazeel – Start-up simplified
Muhammed Fazeel, entrepreneur and recipient of the Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s “Fifty for the Future” award, shares his thoughts on gaining momentum to pursue an idea for a start-up. Passion alone is not enough, says Fazeel. You need to work hard at an idea if you want to grow it. The first step in this process is sharing your idea with someone who you trust to give you objective feedback. From there, you can experiment and mould your idea until you have a working model for your business.
Ignite your idea, why you are ready to launch a start-up – Jen Storey
If you think you have a great idea for a start-up but don’t know where to go from there, then this TED Talk is for you. Business Consultant Jen Storey breaks down the process of starting a business, from how to assess the viability of your idea, to what the first steps to take are.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s post on starting a business. Follow us on Twitter for more TED Talks, Tips from the Experts and insight pieces.