September 15th, 2008
One of the mission tenets of Young CEOs is to educate and provides resources for young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs about networking. The reason we believe it’s so important is that if you do not know how to network among your peers and business colleagues you will miss out on the opportunities to help each other in business and socially.
Recently, we encountered a young professional who was networking up a storm on Facebook socially. Little did he realize how much networking capital he had built up, and by posting a quick message on his wall and status that he was looking for a job, he immediately had friends of friends messaging him about opportunities. The same goes for business.
Now, networking doesn’t only happen on the internet. Attending professional associations, community organizations and social functions also serve in many ways as networking opportunities. Over the life of this blog, we hope to provide much more in the way of how to network effectively, where to network (like attending Young CEOs INTERACT professional networking events), and how to use your network to positive ends.
Do you feel like you’re a star networker? Let us know if you want to contribute your tips and tricks to our Young CEOs Business Manual!
Posted in business - general, networking | No Comments »
July 18th, 2008
We all know the dating adage “opposites attract,” but does that formula work in business? Our answer: yes. It really depends on the circumstances and its purpose, but it is an issue of determination and commitment to find positive outcomes from using polarity in your business decision-making processes.
From an entrepreneur or manager’s perspective, finding people that are different from you may seem scary to bring in people around you that may differ from your politics, management-style, work-style, educational background, experiences, culture, personality, and so on. (Notice we make no mention of character, integrity, intellect nor relationship.) You may believe it will breed conflict or stall initiatives. However, if you don’t have someone detail-oriented around you (and you aren’t), if you don’t have a person who has a way with people (and you aren’t), if you don’t have someone who is tenacious (and you aren’t), then how are you going to succeed when those skill sets are called for in your business? And, even if you have those traits, who says you’re going to want to do it or have the energy for it with everything else you need to accomplish?
That doesn’t mean you don’t use discretion in choosing the right person for the right job. We have been burned too in bringing in someone with opposing views that just didn’t work out, but that’s the rarity and we’ve learned tremendously from those experiences. You will, too.
All in all, teams in workplaces with different personalities are more productive, and you benefit from opposite traits and perspectives when you involve them in your decision-making processes and projects.
Posted in business - general, business planning, career, corporate responsibility, human resources, management | No Comments »
July 14th, 2008
If you’re not getting the interviews you desire for the management positions you are seeking, perhaps your résumé isn’t what it should be. To find out if that’s the reason, you should use your network (like your fellow Young CEOs members) to formally (as a peer group) or informally (by sending an e-mail to specific individuals to) review and critique your résumé or CV (a/k/a Curriculum Vitae, which highlights your education and related qualifications; use if you don’t have very much job-related experience for the job you are applying). Your peers know as well as you what is necessary to obtain that “C” level status, and it’s also a form of networking since once you send your final résumé it’s just as easy for them to forward it along to their entrepreneurial colleagues that are hiring.
One, albeit more expensive, option is to hire a professional résumé writer to review, design (or re-design) and suggest modifications to your current résumé or CV. Good professional résumé writers will also be able to provide you with valuable tips and tricks for snagging the job of your dreams.
Coming soon! Young CEOs’ Career Manual, a members-only, chapter-by-chapter guide to getting, keeping and excelling in your managerial career path.
Posted in career, human resources, management, networking | No Comments »
July 8th, 2008
Join 150 young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs for the networking event of the summer! ENVISION, a Young CEOs Movie Viewing and Professional Networking Event is scheduled for July 24, 2007.
Posted in business - general, marketing, networking, news | No Comments »
May 1st, 2008
We were reading through the May issue of Entrepreneur magazine and came across some statistics in their cover story, “Hot 100 of 2008.” Not only was the average age of the companies higher than the touted age of 36-37 years of age, but “people behind the companies” were an overwhelming majority of males (88%). While we have differing views on this matter with conflicting studies, we, in general, agree with the Business Pundit’s thoughts on age and entrepreneurship: there is no special time when you should start a business.
One of the other interesting items noted in the stats was the high number of sources of funding for business startups coming from savings and personal funds, and friends and family. While this comes as no surprise, we also note that venture capital was the least used source of business startup financing. In the middle range were bank loans, lines of credit, credit cards, and private investors. It’s something to think about for any person thinking about entrepreneurial ventures; there are many sources of unique, outside funding (e.g., Prosper) but that if you are not using venture capital, don’t feel like you’re alone.
All told, the “Hot 100 of 2008” is worth reading for its insights; if you can read nothing else, read the “Best advice” lines of every profiled entrepreneur.
Posted in business - general, business planning, startup financing | No Comments »
April 16th, 2008
May 21, 2008
Topic: How to Determine It’s Time to Hire Your First Employee
Description:
In need of a vacation or even a good night’s sleep because you are working too much? Starting from the group up, we will be discussing if and why companies should bring on a new employee.
Discussion Highlights
- Types of employment options available
- How to craft a rock-solid job description
- Pertinent legal interview questions to uncover mental health issues
- How to create employment expectations
Speaker:
Kristin Hiemstra, M.Ed.
B.A., UNC Chapel Hill, Anthropology
M. Ed., George Mason University, Education Counseling
Human Resources, Duke University Certification
Certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory
Kristin Hiemstra, a fourteen-year veteran of human resources and counseling services, is a recognized expert in facilitating leadership potential in individuals and organizations. A naturally engaging and passionate teacher, she works with people of all ages and backgrounds connecting them with their inner potential in fun-filled, experiential workshops.
What sets Kristin apart from other facilitators and speakers is her ability to deliver leadership concepts in practical terms. In her workshops participants actually experience connecting with their own leadership potential and leave with a huge sense immediate gratification. They don’t just feel empowered, they are empowered.
Kristin Hiemstra is a published author on leadership and goal setting.
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Posted in business - general, education, human resources, legal, management, networking, news, regulations | No Comments »
March 3rd, 2008
Co-working (or coworking) spaces are becoming quite the social, entrepreneurial movement these days; it’s finding it’s way into the media (it showed up on NYTimes.com: “An Office Space of One’s Own for Entrepreneurs“) and businesses are being created (such as CitizenDesk.com (WI) and OfficeNomads.com (WA)) that cater to “solo-preneurs” and freelancers alike. The blogosphere has been murmuring about coworking for quite some time in the freelancer-writer-developer world, but only in dribs and drabs. Now, the momentum is building and I think it has a great deal to do with the youth entrepreneurial movement–we’re not prone to be locked in a cubicle or hide away in our bedrooms on our laptops forever.
Co-working spaces are simply shared office environments that give you your own space to do your own thing but also gives you access to a coffeehouse-like community. Some of the benefits of co-working spaces are shared overhead expenses, community of fellow entrepreneurs, and a space to work outside of your home office. By consolidating the number of machines you need to lease, by sharing the cost of the square footage that you need, and having executive-level business amenities (conference room, lounge space for collaboration with your team or clients, reception area, work room or kitchen and other spaces), solo’s and small teams can enjoy growing outside of a vacuum. If you have staff or a business partner, they are being seen and interacted with, if not on a business level, at least on a social level which is always good for morale and other entrepreneurs are around so they’ll stay on their best behavior. You get to network among your peers, who are a potential customer base or can refer you to potential clients, all while learning from each other so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to figure out how to use the copier machine (or write a proposal, perhaps).
We are not talking about sharing the office with one office mate, on which Entrepreneur.com’s article guides you, and we’re not talking about virtual offices (a/k/a executive or shared office centers such as Intelligent Office, Preferred Offices and The Regus Group, though they are fine options too). There are downsides to co-working spaces, but if you choose properly they can be great for the lonely entrepreneur. Post a comment if you have experience in a co-working space.
To learn more about coworking spaces, check out this site.
Posted in business - general, business planning, facilities management, management, networking | No Comments »
February 28th, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Come check out the Young CEOs in a casual, no-pressure atmosphere. Have a drink, exchange business cards and have great conversation with your fellow young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs!
Are you looking to network among peers? Are you looking to change jobs? Are you about to start or expand a business? Are you looking to just meet some cool, young people in the area?
If you answered yes to any of them, then this is the event for you!
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Mayorga Coffee (upstairs lounge)
3303 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010
(Metro: U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo)
Price: FREE
Click here to RSVP.
Posted in networking, news | No Comments »
February 28th, 2008
Okay, so the Marketplace Morning Report on WAMU 88.5 FM (here in the Washington DC area) noted something interesting this morning in an interview of a doctoral candidate about a study that was just done at the Ross School of Business in Michigan.
They found that co-workers were socializing less outside of work than they were about 20 years ago (starting around 1985). In India and Poland, there is a stark contrast as co-workers socialize outside of work in much larger numbers than Americans. The study was somewhat (in my mind) inconclusive about the reasoning for that, but mostly pinned it on cultural reasons.
I offer this bit of thought: for a productive workforce, it is known that co-workers that have friends and acquaintances at work are more productive and stay at their jobs longer. (I don’t have a study or any other statistical data to back this up, but I’m sure you can quickly find the supporting evidence if you looked.) That said, we young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs need to make sure that we are creating not only diverse, inclusive workforces in our organizations, but also those that foster healthy socializing. Invite your co-workers out for lunch, talk to your employer or ask your employees about hiring a friend that would be great for an open position at your organization, and learn how to develop those long-lasting relationships that will not only help your social life, but also your business.
Posted in business - general, management, networking, social responsibility | No Comments »
October 15th, 2007
Young CEOs is proud to announce the launch of our official Young CEOs Business Manual (”YCBM”). The mission of our manual is to provide a one-stop resource for our members to learn about starting and running a business or organization; written for and by young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs. We welcome having members become contributors to the YCBM, but if you have an idea and don’t want to write the chapter/section, you can simply e-mail us and let us know.
We will be adding contributors every week and writing the basic sections/chapters as quickly (though thoroughly) as we can, so check back often.
This business manual is a wiki with access for all Young CEOs members; and, we will cross-reference our blog postings here on the Young CEOs Blog to refer to related sections/chapters of the wiki as necessary.
We’re very excited to bring our members this valuable resource and hope to make it a resource where members can find answers to common and not-so-common business questions. We’d like to remind you about our Young CEOs Message Board, an online community forum where you can post and reply to topical questions and answers with other young professionals, which is still active and we would love to see it more active.
Resources:
Young CEOs Business Manual – http://manual.theyoungceos.org
Posted in business - general, business planning, news | No Comments »
