Q&A:
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A: “Be passionate about your offering, be diligent in your planning, be creative in your strategy, and be prepared for longer hours, harder work and more fun that you could ever imagine. It can be lonely when you realize that no one is as committed to your success as you are. They don’t have to be — it’s not their vision, it’s yours. Dig deep to find reserves of strength, stamina and tenacity that you never knew you had. Don’t sell yourself short or bail on yourself before you realize your vision. The effort required to create something out of nothing is tremendous and so are the rewards!” —Andrew Mellen, organizational expert, founder, Unstuff U
A: “Create products or services that have the highest customer focus. Be authentic, be consistent. Products that are customer-centric are hugely successful. Understand your audience and build a brand that addresses their problems. Make sure they are simple and all segments of users are able to understand your vision. Be transparent about your approach and focus on continual improvement. Do not let success or failure affect your approach; learn to find a balance. Always keep customers first — success will follow.” —Anisha Vinjamuri, founder, InnovationsIQ
A: “Regardless of the level of persistence you put into your new business or what you learn from your mistakes along the way, luck has a lot to do with success. The single most important piece of advice I could give an entrepreneur is to be prepared to act when luck strikes and to recognize it when it comes your way.” —Nat Wasserstein, JD, MBA, CFE, NS Wasserstein & Associates, PLLC