If you’ve been looking for a smart phone, perfect for an on-the-go entrepreneur you’re gonna’ love what we have for you this time.

How would you like a brand new, HP iPaq Glisten valued at $390 for FREE just for being a loyal reader of this blog?

Sound like a good deal?  Well it did to us too. Not familiar with the Glisten?  Read on…

HP iPAQ Glisten

The HP iPAQ Glisten is a stylish, 3G smartphone designed for on-the-go professionals who need to stay connected to the people and information they care about.
 

This quad-band world phone, featuring Windows Mobile 6.5, easily moves between work and play with advanced mobile email capabilities, multiple connectivity options, built-in Wi-Fi and GPS functionality and rich multimedia features and applications.

AT&T’s 3G network is available in more than 350 major metropolitan areas. AT&T also offers 3G data roaming in more than 100 countries, as well as voice calling in more than 215 countries.
 

The iPAQ Glisten features a full QWERTY keyboard for fast, easy and accurate messaging, including SMS/ MMS, instant messaging and e-mail.
 

A touch-enabled AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen delivers a crisp, clear display that easily allows you to navigate through menus, windows, and links at the touch of a finger.
 

Through HP’s partnership with AT&T and Microsoft, the iPAQ Glisten customers will have access to a wide variety of applications, music, ringtones, games, etc through the AT&T AppCenter and Windows Marketplace.
 

For more information visit: HP iPAQ Glisten

How to Enter

There are two easy steps you need follow in order to enter:

1. Leave a comment below so that we know you found out about the giveaway through this article. Tell us how this phone will help improve your busy life, and/or make your more efficient. Make sure you use the email address you want us to contact you at if you win.

Please leave your Twitter Screen name in your comment

2. Follow @HP_PC on Twitter, and send the following tweet to your followers:

I just entered to win a new HP iPaq Glisten from @HP_PC and @Smallbizbee, here’s how you can enter to win too http://tiny.cc/Q3wTf

Extra Credit

Doing the above gets you 1 (one) entry into the contest. For an additional 3 (three) entries simply write 1 (One) blog post about this contest, what you like most about the Glisten,  and link back to smallbizbee.com. Send me an email when you publish your post so that I can make sure you get credit for all of your entries into the contest. You have to do #1 and #2 above before you can get extra credit.

Contest Details

• Contest ends Sunday Feb 21, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.
• Winner will be drawn at random using Random.org
• We will announce the winner on this site Mon Feb 22
• You must be following @HP_PC when we pick a winner on Monday in order to qualify.
• We will contact the winner via email to arrange shipment of your brand new HP iPaq Glisten – absolutely free – within 48 hours of announcing the winner.

Good Luck

Good luck to everyone who enters. If you have any questions please contact us!

I guess I always new the day would come when I’d have to put some additional parameters around commenting on this blog.

As our blog has grown, and rankings increased, I am seeing more and more questionable comments being submitted as the incentive to drop a comment here for a link has increased.

Why The Change to a Policy?

I love the comments we get on this blog, the conversations they start, and the interaction I can get with our readers through the comments. Interacting in the comments section with our readers is one of the most satisfying things I do around here.

I want to maintain that aspect of Smallbizbee, and ensure the comments section is still a great place to hang out while your looking over our articles and content.

By putting some parameters around what kinds of comments will be accepted I feel we will continue to foster the type of environment where people feel comfortable leaving their thoughts or comments on a post.

Commenting Policy

1. Only comments relevant to the post being discussed will be accepted. “Nice post”, “Great job”, “This site rocks” type of comments will be deleted.

2. Use your name when adding a comment to the site. No more comments from “widgets are us”, or “Russian nesting dolls online” will be accepted. Making a comment for the sole purpose of getting some link juice back to your “pink flamingo shop” is just spammy.

3. Relevant links in your comments are encouraged.

4. Irrelevant links in your comments will cause your comment to be deleted.

5. I will never delete a legitimate comment just because I don’t agree with the point of view of the commenter. I will delete comments that push the envelope of common human decency (luckily we’ve had none of that so far).

I don’t want to seem like I’m coming down on commenters, quite the opposite. I hope the new comment policy will make Smallbizbee a great place to drop your comments and converse on topics related to small business and entrepreneurship.

We currently have over 2900 comments on this blog, and very few would have been filtered out due to the new policy - I’m  just making sure it stays that way.

Your Turn

Thank you for being part of this community, if you have something to say about the new policy drop a line in the comments section below.

Below is the sixth article in our $150 competition sponsored by BizSugar.com. It’s submitted by Wayne who blogs on small business and entreprenurship at WayneLiew.com. Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!

Michael Jackson passed away on June 25th, 2009. Whether you are a Michael Jackson fan or not, you cannot doubt his ability to get the attention and impress his millions of fans worldwide.

Michael Jackson’s ability to wow his audience is definitely something that you would want your business to have. In this article, I am going to give you 5 Tips to Grow Your Business Like Michael Jackson.

Be All About Your Audience

No one cares about you. If Michael goes up on stage and start singing songs that are only meaningful to himself, no one will pay attention. For example, “Heal the World” was written by Michael to be lyrically deep but melodically simple so that fans all around the world, especially those in non-English speaking countries could chant along when the song is played.

Spend time listening to the desires and wants of your prospects and customers before selling them your products or services. Not only that the selling process will be easier, your prospects will not be turned off by any hard selling tactics too.

Find Your Signature Move

What are the signature moves of Michael Jackson? Ask this question to anyone on the street and they will definitely give you answers like the Moon Walk, 45 Degrees Lean or they might even perform his dance moves, especially the spinning move for you. These are the moves that make Michael stand out from the rest of the singers. Not only that his fans were astounded by these moves when Michael first performed it, they LOVE it!

How can your business stand out from the crowd? It can be something as simple as changing the way you engage new customers or launching a marketing campaign that is so interesting and catchy that your target market just cannot get the message out of their head.

Become the Best for What You Do

As compared to modern celebrities, Michael do not have a lot of appearances on commercials, movies or his own fashion line. He knows that he is a good singer, dancer, performer and he keeps improving on these aspects until he gained the sparkling title, “The King of Pop”.

Often times, businesses deviate from what they are really good at and as a result, every single thing that they offer becomes mediocre in quality. For example, if you are running a pizza place that is rated 5 stars on Yelp, don’t start serving Chinese food just because there’s a new Chinese restaurant being set up right beside you.

Learn How to Grab Attention

Every time Michael Jackson makes an entrance, all the fans in the room or at a venue will immediately pause whatever that they are doing, turn to him and go wild. Yes, part of it is because he is the King of Pop. But there are other things that help him to get the much needed attention. For example, his fancy clothing.

In business, grabbing someone else’s attention is an important skill. Whether you are crafting a pitch to the press or writing a business plan to secure funding from investors, you need to make them focus on what you have to offer.

Go All Out Against All Odds

Michael Jackson’s success didn’t come to him easily. Michael had troubled relationships with his father, endured childhood abuse, fought a couple of sexual abuse allegations and more. However, none of these are able to stop him, or even slow him down. In fact, they made him a stronger person.

Running and maintaining a small business isn’t easy. Stay persistent, hardworking and continue to learn and acquire new skills. Stay calm when faced with challenges and slowly untangle the complexities. Success is only for those who works and strives for it.

Inspired by Michael Jackson’s Story on Wikipedia

Image Credits: Michael Jackson – WikiPic

Below is the second article in our $150 competition sponsored by BizSugar.com, submitted by Fernando who does  content marketing in Latin America. Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!

As a fellow small business owner, you, like me, are totally on board with the concept that great content via blogging and social media is the new “killer app” of the Internet marketing world. You may have already started a blog, and you may already have 20-50 RSS subscribers. You’re slowly making your way up to your 1,000th Twitter follower, and you’ve gotten decent re-tweets whenever you share your latest post on your blog.

Great job, that’s better than most.

But where are all the customers?

Well you may have missed the part that this kind of marketing is a long-term proposition.

What to do if you want to eat this month?

Vaynerchuck clearly says that his strategy is to build a personal brand, and Chris Brogan says you’ve got to build your online presence so you can become a “Trust Agent.”

But you’ve got the pay the mortgage this month, make sure your fridge isn’t empty, and keep the lights on.

Well here are 3 quick-hitting tactics I’m putting into practice because I just quit my job and I need to bring in some customers really really soon, or else, as the clichéd country song goes, “I’ll lose the house, my wife and the dog.”

These tactics were inspired by my friend, mentor and coach Jim Logan.

1. Write an eBook like Brian Clark’s Authority Rules

I’m taking a slightly different approach here. Sure I’m writing an eBook that I’ll make available without a gate on my website for people to download.

In my case I’m a.) adding a very direct call-to-action at the end of the report to “call me to schedule your free 30-minute 5-point marketing readiness assessment” on the phone, and

b.) I’m going to be sending direct mail pieces offering my eBook to specific decision-makers at targeted companies who fit the profile of my ideal suspect, and I’ll be emailing a warm list of folks I know who are not yet subscribers to my RSS feed. My strategy here is to combine direct marketing with content marketing. The trick is not to sell directly, but to sell the “free content.”

My initial direct mail target will be about 30-50.

The philosophy behind this phase is you’re offering something of value in return for nothing. Even though there’s a strong call-to-action at the end of the eBook to call me (and I may very well get a few calls), here I’m just offering free content.

2. Follow-up with another direct mail piece

Two weeks later I’m going to follow-up with another direct mail piece to the original 30-50, as well as follow-up emails to my warm list. The message in this follow-up piece will be a business message.

I do not want to come across as a sales guy, but as a business person. I’m a business owner reaching out to another business owner, and I add value because of what I know.

I’m following-up on my eBook offer. I’ve helped businesses like yours with x & y (insert your key benefit here, do NOT mention a product or service). It may or may not be relevant to your situation, but I would love to chat with you for 30 minutes about your situation and how I’ve been able to help similar people.

The philosophy behind this stage is to sell the meeting, not sell your product or service. You should map out what the stages are in your sales cycle, and only sell the next step. In my case, and if you’re selling a B2B product or service, sell the meeting. And sell it as a business person, not a sales person.

3. Follow-up with a cold “warm call.”

Finally, I’m calling these folks. I’m calling, again, as a CEO of my small business.

Business people don’t take calls from sales people anymore, unless they called the sales person before and are expecting a call back. However,  business people do take calls from fellow business people.

How do you think CEOs of major companies form strategic alliances with other major companies? They cold-call them!

You’re the CEO, you call the CEO of your target company. And you don’t sell your product or service, you have a business call about what you’re extremely knowledgeable about and what your prospect’s business situation is.

Business people want to learn from other business people.

I guarantee if you follow this method, in less than a month you’ll have some meetings and some closed business. It’s worked for Jim Logan and his clients, and I’m putting it into practice for myself.

Below is the first article in our $150 competition sponsored by BizSugar.com,  submitted by Dwayne of  www.thecharlotteagency.com Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!

Like going out on your first date with your crush, starting a small business can be pretty unnerving. As an entrepreneur, you are putting yourself out there. Will the business community accept the courtship? Will it call you back? Well before you take the business world out to dinner and a movie, one must be able to confidently answer the questions below.

What Do I Wear? (Image and Branding)

Once you step out of the car and onto their doorstep- they will be watching your every move. Likewise, once you start announcing that you are creating a small business, your entire presence will be scrutinized. How will you present yourself? Are you going to be the conservative, suit-and-tie type, or the modern khaki and polo dude? Or both? Neither option is a bad one, but based on your research of the industry, you got to make an informed decision. Does your website and business cards match? If you are going on a date, your outfit is not going to be mismatching, so neither should your business presence.

When Do I Arrive? (Timing)

Now is the best time. The U.S. business community just got out of a bad relationship with the finance and housing industry, and it is looking for a new, fresh suitor. It needs someone that will treat them right. Its boundaries are down and as a few of us know, those who are on the rebound to easier to attract.

What Should I Say? (Marketing)

You arrive on time and looking good. Really good. But now you have to open your mouth- are you ready? Grab the spotlight. You don’t have any friends to put a good word in for you, so you got to do it yourself. Don’t be bashful. Tell the U.S. business community why you and her are perfect for each other. Highlight your strengths. Remember, the worst thing that can happen is that she says no. Show her a portfolio of things you have done, and things that you want to do. What’s your philosophy? How are you going to treat the business community better than her past? And sometimes its good to be funny, the U.S. business community likes humor.

Will She Like My Friends? (Networking)

Third party recommendations are crucial when it comes to dating this particular person. Not only will they check you out, but all the people that they think know you. Therefore, that’s why you got to get out there before she does it and build a good reputation. It is good when she knows you’re a good person, but if other people tell her you’re a great guy, that’s when the comfort level starts to build.

How Far Do I Go? (Risk-taking)

Your first date with the business community is almost to a close. You both had a great time and you walk her to the door. Moment of truth- what do you do? You’re an entrepreneur; risk-taking is right up your alley! High risk reaps high reward. And if it doesn’t, well hey, at least you tried. Go in with no hesitation for the kiss.

And who knows? Maybe she’ll invite you in.

Looking for the secret to success?  Aren’t we all?  Well, Richard St John boils down the secret to success in 8 words and three minutes in this video.

 Who is Richard St John?

A self-described average guy who found success doing what he loved, Richard St. John spent more than a decade researching the lessons of success.

So What Are The 8 Secrets?

John has 8 words that he thinks are the main attributes to success. The “magic” words are:

1. Passion
2. Work
3. Focus
4. Persist
5. Ideas
6. Good
7. Push
8. Serve

He goes into detail on each, and describes why they are important, how they relate and play off one another. Well worth 3 minutes of your time, in my humble opinion.

Running Time: 3:33

Source:

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html

Have your own secrets for successs? I’d love to hear them in the comments section below

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future posts delivered to you

Photo Credit: jcbmac

It seems like a lifetime ago that I started my first business, maybe that’s because it is.  I learned a lot of lessons from that first venture, most about what not to do.

My First Business

The year was 1984 and I was 7 years old. I was the sole proprietor of a newspaper distribution company, call it old media, but newspapers were my game.

This was back in old days, before the internet, when people would get their news by reading words written on actual pages – don’t laugh, but many people would actually pay to get their news this way, including my parents.

At 7 I knew enough to know that I wanted some money, I was sure if I could get my hands on some cash I’d be out on my own in a couple years living the good life.

I also knew that these things called “papers” would stack up for a couple weeks before my parents finally took them to the trash.

An Idea is Born

I thought if my parents were reading these papers, and paying for them, the neighbors probably were reading them too, but maybe not all the neighbors.

I asked my mom how much a paper cost, then asked her if I could have the old ones, she said ”you can have the old ones, but don’t go leavin’em laying around the house!”

My business is born!  I would go door to door with the old papers my parents had and see if I could sell them for less than a new paper to any of the neighbors.

I thought maybe they didn’t get the paper so would happily pay for mine, or possibly they missed an issue and would want to catch up. If they didn’t have this thing called a “subscription”, heck maybe I could sell them a paper everyday.

My distribution mechanism was simple. I loaded up the papers in a duffel bag and headed out, knocking on every door within the neighborhood within my limits.

At that time I had boundaries set by my parents that I wasn’t supposed to cross. I was the paper czar of nearly 5 square blocks – I was in business!

5 Lessons Learned from My First Business

So that is how I spent everyday after school the two weeks I was in business. Knocking on doors trying to sell yesterday’s paper (or sometimes yester-weeks paper).

As I think about it now, it seems silly. As adults, we all can spot the flaws in my thinking, and even though I wouldn’t try something similar today – I made money!

Being able to make money selling old news taught me a lot about business, here’s five things I learned:

Lesson #1: When You’re in Business People Buy You as Much as Your Product

I was a moderately cute kid, with tons of ambition, and nothing but confidence in my paper business. When I talked to people at their door step they felt that. When they bought a paper from me, they were buying me, not the news that happened 6 days ago.

This lesson is as applicable today as it was then. Although we may not all be fresh faced kids anymore, people will sense when you are passionate, confident, and believe in what you are doing – and that’s what they’ll be buying a good portion of the time.

Lesson #2: Great Entrepreneurs Think on Their Feet

I learned quickly that in order to sell these papers, that weren’t as desirable as I thought they’d be, I better have answers to their questions – which mean’t thinking on my feet.

I remember on that first day being asked, “Why would I want to buy yesterdays paper, that stuff’s already happened”…I replied with “Well, today’s paper is filled with stuff that already happened too, but mine’s cheaper.” He bought a paper. My mom said I was being a smart aleck, I politely disagreed.

If you want to be a great entrepreneur you need the ability to think quickly on your feet. Responding to demands, making quick (good) decisions, and dealing with the numerous curveballs are essential to success.

Lesson #3: Competing on Price Alone is a Tough Game

My only selling point, and the only way I could sell even one of the old papers was to give discounts. At the time I thought this was shrewd, now I think it’s dangerous.

I had no competition in my neighborhood, and probably never would have selling old news, but what if another 7 year old (or a super bright 6 year old) had of come up with the same idea?  We’re both knocking on doors, how do we compete with each other?  Most likely price, which means it wouldn’t be too long until the pennies I was making didn’t justify the trouble, and I’d have a hard time making it up on volume.

Same goes later in life. You may be the only game in town now, but what happens when you’re not. Will you be competing on price alone, or do you bring something to the table your competitors don’t?

Lesson #4: Think About Scale Early in the Startup

I gave this absolutely no thought. I just wanted to sell some papers, and beat myself ragged going door to door I guess. If this venture had been a huge success I would have had no way to meet the demand – shoot, my parents only let me go about 5 square blocks, I would have been sunk right there.

The lesson here is that early on begin to think about how you may scale up if you’re business becomes successful. How will you reach more people?  Who will do the additional work? Can you scale? If you charge per hour, there are only so many in a day – how do you get more revenue without raising your price? If you sell a physical item, how many can you get and how can you distribute to more people? Just ask yourself these questions early, and prepare for growth going in.

Lesson#5: It’s Hard to Overcome a Flawed Business Model

We can all see the problems with my business model. Yeah, I sold some papers, but long term the flaws were going to bring my business down. If you’re not going into a venture on solid business foundations, you’re house is going to start leaning, and eventually fall over.

The Long Defunct Newspaper Distribution Company

I’ve been out of the newspaper distribution business now 25 years, but some of the lessons I learned back then are still with me today.

The real lesson in all of this is it doesn’t matter if you sell newspapers when you’re 7, lemonade when you are 10, or run a multimillion dollar company when you’re 40, the fundamentals of business don’t change.

Keep moving forward while learning from the past and you should be okay. And for anybody thinking about it, I can’t suggest you getting into the newspaper distribution business!

Photo Credit: Meanest Indian

Can’t visit Small Biz Bee on a regular basis? You can stay up to date by having the latest Small Biz Bee news delivered to you for free via RSS or Email.

For exclusive Small Biz Bee content and offers, sign up for our free newsletter:

Frank Carnevale, of Keep Moving Fourward, has an exciting announcement in this guest post for High School students intereseted in entrepreneurship. Take it away Frank…

Attention High School Students Nationwide…

The Keep Moving Fourward Entrepreneurship Competition is officially under way!

Have you ever thought about what you’re going to do with your life after high school or after yougraduate college?

Have you ever thought about working for yourself, while doing something that you love? Even if you haven’t, now is the perfect time for you to find out if being an entrepreneur is right for you!

The Competition has Two Main Goals?

1) To show high school students that they do not necessarily have to work for someone else for the rest of their lives… They do have another option: They can be an entrepreneur. In other words, they can be in business for themselves, doing something that they truly like (or hopefully, LOVE) doing.

2)To give the competition winner the tools necessary to successfully get their business idea off of the ground.

Where Should I Start?

“So what kind of business should I start though?” a student might ask. Well, what are some things that make you want to keep moving fourward? What are you passionate about? What subject or topic can keep you interested for hours on end? What kinds of things make you the happiest? Thinking this way plus constantly asking yourself good questions, will usually lead to an idea you can run with.

Other Questions to Get You In the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Here are some more questions one might ask themselves to get their entrepreneurial juices flowing:The point of all these questions is that one question will lead to another question, and another question,and another question. At the end of your series of questions lies some type of solution.

What is it about X that you love so much? Is there anything you could think of that would make you love X even more? If so, do you think it would do the same for other lovers of X?

What is the one thing that annoys you most about X? Why does it annoy you? Do you think it annoys others as well? What two things could you immediately do to make X less annoying? And so on…

Now for a dose of reality: Just because you’re passionate about something, and have a good idea related to it to pursue, does not necessarily mean that it would make a worthwhile business.

You need to also ask yourself whether the idea has the potential to generate revenue. Can this improvement on X put some money in your pocket? Can you make money consistently from a business in X? How much money will it take to get X going?

Ready To Get Started?

Get the picture? Good, enough of these questions.

For more information on the competition, and to sign up, go to http://keepmovingfourward.com/.
If you have questions or comments please email me at: frank (at) gofourward.com

Can’t visit Small Biz Bee on a regular basis? You can stay up to date by having the latest Small Biz Bee news delivered to you for free via RSS or Email.

For exclusive Small Biz Bee content and offers, sign up for our free newsletter:

Our latest Featured Entrepreneur is independent recording artist, Jennifer Grassman. I’m excited to have the opportunity to share her interview with you all, not only am I a music lover, but I think it gives a candid look at the business side of the music industry and when you’re an independent you’ll see that you have to be entrepreneurial to make it work.

Even though Jennifer operates in a very different business realm than our “typical” features at Smallbizbee.com, I decided to ask her the same questions I would of any businesses owner – and I’m glad I did.

What I realized from her answers was that we may all be in different businesses, but we are all dealing with the same businesses issues, and the drivers for success remain the same. Enjoy!

Tell us a little about yourself, your background

I am 24 years old and live in Houston with my husband, Jason, and my kitties, Agatha Mittens and Mr. Charles Bingley.

What is your business, what do you do?

I am a recording artist. I write songs, compose music, perform concerts, and distribute my music on CDs and through other digital media means. I also design all my own CD artwork and promotional graphics, book my own concerts, and manage my own website (which is www.JenniferGrassman.com).

When did you start the business?

I would say 2003 is when I really started thinking of my music seriously as a career option, and not just as a hobby or side business.

How did you get the idea for this?

It came about quite naturally. Music has always been a passion for me, so to be able to do it professionally was a dream come true. What really hooked me on songwriting was the ability to express myself and vent through the lyrics and composition of each piece. It’s great to be able to vent through your work!

By the time I was 18 I had acute “fly-the-coup” fever, and was determined to gain independence and escape my parent’s house somehow. I made up my mind that I had three choices:

1) Get a job and my own apartment

2) Get married to a really cool guy who lets me play piano all day

3) Get famous and go on a world tour

It turned out that option #2 presented itself during my freshman semester, and (even though I have entirely recovered from my “fly the coup fever”) I’ve been working on #3 ever since!

Where did your organization’s funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?

Originally, I was signed to an independent record label, which funded my first two album releases. However, I have since terminated that contract and set about managing my own career. In this way, I have much more creative freedom and control over how my business is run.

I am currently working on producing and releasing my third album (a venture which typically costs $7,000 – $10,000 – not to mention the travel expenses of a tour). Obviously, playing at coffee houses doesn’t get you that kind of pocket change. So, I began involving my fans and friends in my music business. I created some fun and easy ways that they can help me raise money in return for credit in the album booklet, free CDs, exclusive private concert invitations, and other cool gifts.

One way my fans can help me raise money is by hosting “house concerts.” So far, this has been my favorite way to generate funds. Here’s how it works: I perform a concert in their home (usually a living room or patio) for their friends and family (sometimes it’s a public gig, but not always). Every guest pays a cover of $15 to $20 and brings a bottle of wine. The proceeds then go toward funding my album.

Fans can also sponsor the album. So far, I’ve gotten sponsorships from as far away as Germany! Usually they’re not big ($20 here, $50 there), but it all adds up and every cent helps.

What was the biggest startup challenges?

I would have to say my own learning curve. I was only 17 when I started out. I trusted some people I should not have trusted, and was generally naïve about business and the music industry. I quickly found that I had a tendency to assume that other people were being nice to me out of the goodness of their hearts, and several times was rudely awakened to the realization that they were in it purely for themselves (and not always for the nicest reasons). It’s been an extreme growing process, but it’s been an amazing adventure, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

How did you overcome those challenges?

Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband, who has helped me overcome a lot of hurdles. We started dating when I was 18, and were married when I was 21. So, I feel that we really became adults together. I’ve become a lot more “people smart” since my teen years. I have worked hard to surround myself with ethical people who genuinely care about me and my music, and those are the people who I will be super happy to benefit should my music career really take off here!

What makes your business unique, what’s your “unique selling proposition”? Said another way, “why should I buy from you and not a competitor?”

I can honestly say that my music is very unique, both musically and lyrically. You should buy from me and not a competitor because I don’t HAVE any competitors! Haha! (One has to be slightly cocky to do what I do). In all seriousness though, people have compared my sound to that of Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, or Loreena McKennitt, but it’s really not something you can put in a box. You will either love it or you won’t.

Besides the fact that my music is quality art, I would also point out that I use it to promote and sponsor many wonderful causes. I prefer to write songs about things that are meaningful and inspiring … as opposed to boyfriends, drugs, and parties. For example, I love to use my music to artistically take a stand against domestic violence, abuse and sexism.

How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?

Word of mouth is priceless. Even on the internet, I find that most of my fans heard about me through another fan, and not through some social networking profile or magazine article (although, those help too, and certainly play their part in taking one’s career to the next level).

In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.

Intrepidity!

What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?

The Creative Mind. In order to be an entrepreneur you’ve got to have some kind of creative super-power. You may not be able to draw, or sing, or dance, but you’ve got to have an inspired vision that is unique enough that you can carve out your own little niche and thus not compete quite so doggedly with the major corporations who have million dollar marketing campaigns and would otherwise leave you in the dust. You’ve got to have the capacity to do something new and wow people with the novelty of it.

Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?

Gumption, determination, and a strong and unshakable belief that what you’re doing is what you are meant to be doing. If you’re planning to give up just because you aren’t rolling in the dough after the first 5 years of dog hard work, then you’re not going to have a happy adventure.

The other thing I highly recommend is bartering. For example, if you’ve got something that a website designer wants, get them to design your website in exchange for your services. I once had this running deal with a beautician. I performed for free in her coffee house in exchange for free hair cuts and highlights. It was awesome. I’ve never looked so posh!

Describe/outline your typical day?

My work comes in and out like the tide. Some days I have nothing to do but update my Twitter. Other days I have a tsunami of emails, phone calls, and bookings (but I still update my Twitter).

What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?

Friends! I rarely have the time (or the money) for a real “night out with the girls.” Since many of my concerts are on the weekends, my social life is limited to concerts where I can convince my friends to show up, and week nights.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Independence and self confidence. You have to have the ability to make decisions quickly, wisely, and effectively on your own without a panel of counsel. You also have to be something of a jack-of-all-trades, because whenever you can’t afford to hire someone to get something done for you (for example, writing a press release or updating your wesbite), you have to be able to get the job done yourself.

What would you say to someone considering starting their own business?

Do your research! Have a game plan for what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it, and how long it will take you. Also, you must be conscious of your business persona from a very early stage. Create an image and a brand and stick with it until it catches on.

If you had the chance to start your business over again, what would you do differently?

I would not sign a recording contract. I would find a way to fund my album independently and on my own terms.

Have any failures you’re willing to talk about? What have you learned from them?

When you’re an entrepreneur the first thing you learn is that there is no such thing as a failure! I once came up with a new marketing scheme. I was going to promote my Christmas album by hosting a secret concert for members of the press by invitation only. Only one person came. I could have viewed this as a failure. Instead, I decided that next time I would serve beer, and then the media would come! In other words, whenever you have a “failure,” critique what went wrong, and improve upon your foibles.

What was your greatest fear in starting a business? How did you manage that fear?

My greatest fear was a very basic and primitive one: No one will like me! I overcame that by challenging myself to do my best to prove myself wrong. You’ve got to have thick skin and lots of stubborn determination to be a small business owner.

What would say are the five key elements for starting and running a successful business?

• Self Confidence
• Creativity / Resourcefulness
• A Friendly Personality
• Determination
• Ethical Business Policies

What gets you out of bed in the morning, what inspires you?

What really solidified my business’s “mission,” was when I started getting emails, letters, and gifts from people all over the world who had suffered from terrible illnesses such as cancer, who were chronic pain sufferers, or who were abuse and rape victims, and who told me about how they derived comfort and hope from my music.

In particular, I got a letter from an adult male child abuse survivor who said that my songs comforted him when he had nightmares, panic attacks, or felt depressed. I cried when I read his story, and to know that my songs moved him toward hope … I was humbled, heartbroken, and overjoyed all at the same time. That was the biggest compliment anyone could ever give me, especially as I am a domestic abuse survivor myself. It motivated me to work harder every single day to expose more and more people to my music, in hopes that my songs would continue to propagate good in this oftentimes dark world.

What keeps you up at night, what worries you?

All the things I have to do tomorrow! I have dreams about forgetting to make important phone calls, and sometimes wake up in the wee hours of the night contemplating my next email campaign.

In one word, what’s the key to success?

Love – You’ve got to love what you do, hold onto it, and make it lovable to other people too.

Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?

In 10 years I think I will be recording my eighth album and touring the world with my husband (and possibly a kid or two). In 20 years, I’ll be recording my thirteenth album, and writing my autobiography (edited by Candace Runaas of Runaas Resources – www.runaasresources.com).

If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask yourself, and what would the answer be?

Where do you want your business to take you eventually?

Actually, I made a deal with God. I said, “God, I don’t need 10 Hummers or a $15,000 dress that barely covers me. All I want is enough money and success that I can live comfortably off my musical career, support my Mom, send my four little sisters (and eventually, kids) through college, buy my Church their own building so that they don’t have to rent anymore, support our friends whenever they need help, and donate to charity as often as possible. That is my dream.”

Thanks for your time Jennifer, we wish you the best of luck!

Find out more about Jennifer’s music, get free MP3’s, and pick up a CD or two all at: Jennifer Grassman’s Offiial Website

Jennifer Grassman "Pretty Girls" Music Video

Want to be our next Featured Entrepreneur? Contact us, and tell let us know why we should feature you!

Can’t visit Small Biz Bee on a regular basis? You can stay up to date by having the latest Small Biz Bee news delivered to you for free via RSS or Email.

For exclusive Small Biz Bee content and offers, sign up for our free newsletter:

Ah, the life of an entrepreneur. Come up with a business idea, write your business plan, line up a bunch of venture funding, and retire to a private island a few short years later when you go public.

If you’re heading off to business school right now, reading this on your iPhone, dreaming of buying your own island – sorry for the ice bath of reality I’m about to dump on you.

5 Things They Don’t Teach you in Business School About Being an Entrepreneur

1. You’re more likely to make a living than make the Forbes 500

Most entrepreneurs end up making a living, and some make a really nice living doing what they love. Very few end up buying their own island, they’re too busy saving for their kids college and making the mortgage payments.

2. There is no money line to get in

There are a lot of you’s out there competing over very scarce resources. But don’t think you’ll just get in line and pick up your check. You’ll definitely need to be the cream of the crop to attract venture funding. More realistically, look for alternative sources of funds.

3. It’s more about you than your plan

Business success has more to do with you than anything else. The best plans mean nothing in the hands of the wrong person.

4. You’re in sales, whether you think so or not

Every business on the planet is selling something. You’re either selling a product, idea, or yourself…learn sales fundamentals, and apply them to everything you’re doing. 

5. You’re going to fail

Yep, you will fail. You will probably fail multiple times. If that concerns you, pick another path for your life. If it doesn’t concern you that you will be an utter failure at some point, good – with every failure you get one step closer to success, cliché but true.

Conclusion

Being an entrepreneur can be the most satisfying thing you’ll do with your life. Understand there’s a lot more to it than supply/demand curves, business plans, target markets, or financial projections.

Most of it won’t be taught in Business 101, it’ll just be up to you – but that’s part of being an entrepreneur.

I’ll let you get back to summer vacation now…

Photo credit: losmininos

Can’t visit Small Biz Bee on a regular basis? You can stay up to date by having the latest Small Biz Bee news delivered to you for free via RSS or Email.

For exclusive Small Biz Bee content and offers, sign up for our free newsletter: