NFTE blog

Social Entrepreneurs are in the spotlight a lot these days.  They value creating social solutions more than traditional profits.  Plus, it’s easier than ever with Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for social entrepreneurs to target customers who share similar passions.   Are for-benefit companies the future, will they face issues competing with larger more traditional businesses, or is there room for all types of entrepreneurs in the marketplace?

NFTE is excited announce the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Alumni Fund.  Ernst & Young has pledged to match $300,000 in donations to NFTE during the next three years.  This commitment by E&Y is in honor of the more than 8,000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year ® award winners.

Entrepreneurship isn’t without risk.  Apply all the learning moments from 2011 to make your entrepreneurial spirit and business flourish in 2012.  The focus could be on keeping better records, staying focused on executing ideas or taking the time to mentally relax (chances are you’ll be more productive). 

If you’ve long forgotten those resolutions made a mere 11 days ago use this as a time to give pause.  A number of people are ready to help.

It won’t just be cutting edge gadgets that you can’t live without being unveiled this week at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  Innovative start-ups and entrepreneurs are finally getting their own spotlight at the over-the-top annual gathering of new consumer technology.

Americans have less economic mobility than Canadians or Western Europeans, according to several recent studies cited in a New York Times article.  This is why NFTE exists.  We’re giving low income students the foundation and tools to create economic mobility for themselves and create a better future with an entrepreneurship education.

Customer feedback can be hard to take, but satisfied customers are the only ones who will return to do more business.  So how can you be sure they’ll be back to help your business thrive all year long?  Start by consistently and actively tracking customer satisfaction.  Most people aren’t inclined to reach out with a compliment.  Complaints on the other hand…

Written by Erica Nicole, founder of YFS Magazine: Young, Fabulous &  Self-Employed.

Being an entrepreneur is sexy and rewarding, but it’s also full of inherent risks. When you launch a startup you put everything on the line: Your financial well-being, career opportunities, family relationships and emotional health. Even the most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that when the time came to put up or shut up, inevitably they had to ask themselves: “Can I risk this?”

Written by Alexandra Mayzler, Founder and Director of Thinking Caps Tutoring

It seems that as soon as a business is off the ground, and sometimes even before then, talk turns to how to grow and scale the company. Often business owners think about how to delegate responsibilities, improve leadership skills, and gain financing to allow for growth. While these are important aspects to building a healthy business, one topic that can be overlooked is creating systems in order to achieve growth.

So we’re coming to the end of 2011 and I’m sure for many of you entrepreneurs out there you had your ups and downs this year. With all those highs and lows though comes a lot of good experience, and with that experience it’s time to prepare for the new year ahead.  Take some time, if you haven’t already, to start making a list of things you plan to do in 2012 and set some goals that you want to accomplish by this time next year. While making that list here are some things to think about so that the next year is the best one yet.