Many entrepreneurs, particular startups, are leaning heavily on this dictum. Far beyond feasibility studies and market data watch, entrepreneurial wannabes with no formal business education or no managerial experience whatsoever have to rely on their instinct and survival skills to keep their ideas going. The same people are also known to handle business on their own, directly learning from what is happening on the ground. Hence, the era of learn-on-the-job mentality came into fruition.

Others, however, debate about the effect of the trial-and-error approach to business. These old-school entrepreneurs believe in systemizing and controlling everything. While the concept of systematic entrepreneurship is known to have produced successful ventures, it cannot be denied that some have also veered into the rollercoaster ride of the trial-and-error approach. This is even amid the upsurge of smart data as well as analytics opportunities available for businesses nowadays.

But the trial-and-error learning is a long-time approach used in businesses. While other entrepreneurs may very well deny leaning on this approach, it cannot be refuted that there are just certain matters about running a venture that will push one to try without the aid of data or analytics, or for the sake of knowing if it will work or not. This is precisely the reason why some products and services in the market have to be updated every now and then.

Millennial business startups are also more engaged with the trial-and-error learning approach as they continue to drive for changes in the business arena. Amid their MBAs, extensive market research capabilities, and circle of experienced mentors, these go-getters rely on their gut feeling on various entrepreneurial pursuits. They love to innovate and one way of testing such fresh ideas is to try.

Yes, it is risky. It is not fun noting the fact that one’s whole life savings or credibility is on the line. But like other entrepreneurial geniuses who have tried and failed 99 times and only to hit it big on the 100th time, the concept of trial-and-error is one that can make or break one’s business pursuits. Persistence, it seems, is the very key that can unravel the meat of the matter. Like growing tulips, businesses that engage in trial-and-error plant their ideas on the ground hoping against hope that the chill of winter will not prevent the colorful bulbs from blooming when spring comes.

Indeed, the trial-and-error approach is far from becoming obsolete. Many successful entrepreneurs still live by the tale of trying and learning along the way. The only challenge for many robust businesses is this—how to keep up. It must be noted that the rules kept on changing. By the time an entrepreneur already managed to learn how to run a business, another challenge crops up.  So, it is essential to never stop trying and learning—a never-ending cycle that makes the business arena truly meaningful and exhilarating.

Economic experts have fearlessly forecasted 2017 to be swelling with new ideas and opportunities. Various sectors on the global landscape will be enjoying a more “mature” entrepreneurial environment partly due to the growing population leading to more demands for goods and services from housing to food, clothes, technology, support, research, and much more. Add to that the global clout of the Internet made even more available by smart gadgets—and voila!

So, what businesses are showing huge promise in the upcoming year? Noting positive market trends, the following businesses will definitely rock in 2017:

From the Americas to the Far East, the shift in shopping behavior to online has become more prominent over the years. It is said to blow-up in 2017 as more and more countries open their firewalls for free trade. This will be the perfect time for your unique local goodies to be showcased to the world and get the standing ovation they so deserved.

With a robust market, businesses will be expanding at a steady pace in 2017—and this means a swell in employment. While having its own HR team to do just that, companies will be keener in finding the best candidates. What better way to do that than by tapping a third party headhunting firm. These specialized units will tap on the right candidates capable to handle the tasks enumerated by the hiring company. If you have human resource management skills, starting an online consultancy firm will definitely be promising next year.

Correlating to the robustness of the economy and the aggressiveness of real-time reporting due to social media’s growing presence, companies will be padding its customer relations department, too. This will give rise to the number of home-based BPOs. While this may seem a boon to third world nations, local representatives will be at the helm of this outsourcing initiatives. Start by creating a team of experts and see how fast your venture will grow in a year’s time.

With the e-commerce business in full swing, logistic services will also come handy. Both inbound and outbound services will be needed to keep up with the growing demand of an equally growing market. So, why not turn this into a good business opportunity for you?

With the rise of online shopping, mobile gadget development, and growing Internet dependency by consumers, most brick-and-mortar companies will be required to have an online presence to handle real-time management and marketing needs. This will drive them to look for reliable web design and development experts to handle such huge online requirements. Such will also open huge opportunities for you to make good use of your coding and programming skills. Build a team of experts to cohesively handle all the business needs for best results.

Indeed, 2017 is going to be a promising year for everyone. It is high time to rethink about your business portfolio and to come up with new strategies. One can never go wrong with such an exciting year ahead!

Practicing mindfulness, or the state of being deeply aware or focused on the present moment and wholly accepting it without judgment, regret, or prejudice, is known to be the secret ingredient to success in many business successes. A key element in happiness and compassion, mindfulness benefits come three-fold: physical, mental, and emotional. It helps to relieve stress, improve sleep, and alleviate various health, mental and emotional issues.

Cultivated through meditation by way of repeating a “mantra”, the body and mind are systematically being placed at the center of your being to focus on matters at hand. Some make use of instructional videos and books while others listen to MP3 or recordings. There are also those who enroll in support groups and bring such practice into their daily grind to stay motivated and in control of the moment.

As an entrepreneur, you will be constantly bombarded with highly stressful situations in both your personal and professional dealings. Stress management will be an integral part of your day—and mindfulness meditation can deliver the following benefits to ensure success in your chosen endeavor:

1. Mindfulness helps build resilience and boost performance even when under stressful situations. Entrepreneurs are often under duress due to the demands of their daily grind. Spending a few minutes of meditation will help keep their composure and find solutions to problems without growing panicky.

2. Mindfulness enhances emotional intelligence, a salient element in today’s highly competitive market. Through mindfulness meditation, entrepreneurs strengthen their ability to control emotions particularly frustrations and anger. By boosting one’s EQ, entrepreneurs make more lucid decisions and build a much deeper relationship with their employees.

3. The creative mindset is further enhanced with mindfulness. Some of the greatest insights as well as innovative breakthroughs come when the mind is in a relaxed or more meditative state. Eureka moments often appear when the mind is more focused.

4. Practicing mindfulness meditation daily will easily put the mind into clear focus. With all the distractions entrepreneurs have to contend with day in and day out, the mind easily wanders into oblivion leaving a gaping hole in their psyche. Meditative mindfulness allows one to strengthen the ability to focus and boost memory and creativity in the process.

5. Relationship-building is another important aspect of mindfulness. This practice helps to enhance your sense of compassion and connection to others. This, in turn, develops a sense of mutual trust and respect essential to running a successful business venture.

Self-care, though often taken for granted, is essential in nurturing business success goals. Mindfulness is one way of taking good care of your well-being. Through constant practice, you can create that much-needed balance to become more productive and effective in both personal and entrepreneurial endeavors.

While working from home has become an open source of employment, the idea of customizing a healthy and productive workspace is another matter. Some simply make good use of their bedroom corner without minding much about the furniture they use to keep their creative juices going. But do you know that designing a healthy home office can deliver more positive results? To kickstart your new employment opportunity at home here are useful tips to get you started:

Start your home employment going by designing your workspace accordingly. The right office furniture, lighting, and other fixtures will not only enhance its functionality and ambiance but also help improve your health and quality of life. With this, you can also guarantee more productive output and a thriving career albeit based at home.

Here are online-based business startup ideas for less than $100:

Freelancing. From content writer to web design to social media manager, online freelancing is one lucrative business idea that continually pulls in more investors and successes. Arm with your talent, a computer, and a solid Wi-Fi connection, you can virtually start offering freelance services to clients looking for reliable third-party operatives.

Virtual Assistant. Simply called VA by many, this is the Internet’s version of personal assistant. Here you get to manage websites, social media posts, emails, phone calls, website content, accounting books, and other requirements a client wishes to pursue. Basically, it is akin to being someone’s personal secretary operating at a remote location.

Social Media Consultant. Maintaining multiple social media accounts can be tough to businesses. Timing and content aptitude require skills and efforts. When done right, you can get more clients and increase your business portfolio.

Vlogger or Blogger. You can either be a product or service blogger delivering fresh new contents like reviews, PRs, articles, and other written prose to market such. Or you may make good use of tech-savvy gadgets that easily captures or creates videos. Post such on YouTube, Vimeo, and other platforms to start gaining clickthroughs leading to profiting from ads.

Affiliate Marketing. For prolific and popular bloggers or vloggers, engaging in affiliate marketing can mean good business. Simply learn the secret on persuading people to click through those links or to make a purchase to earn incentives.

Web Design and Development. Arm with your skills in designing artistically powerful concept, you can build up a third party web design firm. All you need to do is to learn basic and advanced web design development and begin managing online interests for businesses. For a more in-depth and comprehensive web services, learning how to code or program websites will also help diversify your business portfolio.

Dropshipping. Basically, an online shop that bridges clients and suppliers, drop shipping gives consumers better pricing and access to wide array of products in the market. You will not maintain any physical store aside from one that will house your personal computer or laptop and online modem to begin this venture.

P2P Online Marketplace Host. Rent out one of your rooms, a detached part of your duplex, or any available space to people looking for budget-friendly accommodations. If you live in an area where vacationers flock to, this one will definitely deliver the passive income you need.

Product Reviewer. Be the first to test and deliver reviews for new products in the market. Like affiliate marketing, starting a business that delivers no-nonsense review will help give consumers more informed decision on what to buy.

Other online-based business startup ideas are resume writing services, instructional video creator, domain name buying, “flipping” websites, logo design, translator business, eBay seller, app developer, online content producer, sourcing services, and so on. The Internet is a thriving business market where consumerism thrives. Get a solid grip on your skills and talents and put them to good use. When done accordingly, you can guarantee to create a solid market base leading to success.

The marketing concept— emotional branding—refers to the practice of brand-building which directly appeals to consumer’s emotions, ego, needs, and/or aspirations. Marketers and advertisers create an unseen bond between consumers and a certain product by provoking a particular emotion. The very foundation of this concept lies in the emotion-based ego-gratification centered at consumer needs. It is a fulfillment of one’s needs by way of delivering answers or solutions to problems while appealing to the emotion subconsciously.

Many brand bigwigs have mastered emotional branding resulting to cult following. It is important to note that such practice borders on the profound. Methods being used are often meant to trigger a powerful reaction from consumers. It is not a one-time deal though. Emotional branding requires consistency and constancy to build a lasting connection with consumers.

When it comes to leveraging consumer emotions, building a loyal and lasting following requires careful identification of your brand’s promise and personality. Of course, it must also highlight the perks and distinctive features of the products or services your brand carries—and how such features and benefits connect to the emotions of consumers.

Like telling heart-rending tales, emotional branding uses archetypal and universal feelings of guilt, fear, trust, security, competitiveness, love, sense of belonging, control, desires and passion, instant gratification, freedom, sense of relaxation, being stylish or trendy, and so on. Some brands, for instance, make use of consumers’ fear of being left behind or of not being able to spend time with a loved one as a central theme of a Christmas ad featuring their product. Other brands inject the “happy” appeal to their brands to celebrate the yuletide season. Whether appealing to negative or positive emotions, both concepts drive at getting an emotional response from their end-users in an effort to make a sale and to capture their loyalty in the long run.

Emotional branding is definitely putting consumers on a pedestal. To be able to show your consumers that such is the case, it is essential to decide carefully which emotion to target. In all emotional branding strategies, it is crucial to carefully identify and define your target market’s core emotional needs. Communicate this cohesively and make sure that you add a sense of encouragement on their part.

With the Internet and social media, consistent and timely communications must also be done accordingly to reinforce the said move. A cognitive element must also be added to the mix to boost appeal on emotional intelligence. Be reminded that you can easily lose consumers to strong emotional appeal without a cognitive element. This will allow a pinch of practicality which many consumers are so keen of these days.

Indeed, the concept of emotional branding has always proven to be an effective strategy. While old practices are still alive and kicking, new rules are being injected to the concept these days by virtue of online platforms and social media. Continue relearning the ropes of the trade by updating your branding strategy. Best of all, be consistent and constant to develop a deep sense of touch with your target market and convert them into avid followers in the long run.

Digital advance allows you to reach the right buyer for your product or service at the right time.  Its the answers to all the questions that lead to more leads, increased revenue and improved client experiences.  If you plan to start a business this 2017, it is important to be ready for new tech ideas that can help propel you to success.

Here are some of the major trends that you do not want to miss:

Digital Security. One of the biggest occupational hazards in business is digital security.  There will be an even greater need this year.  Security issues have permeated the wireless sector, manufacturing and automation, data management, and other cutting edge business arenas. With most businesses using digital media in its overall operation, it is only fitting to get your cyber security skills pumped up.  Check Out The Best Small Business Antivirus Software of 2017  for more information.

Business Statistics. Decisions done in business are usually measures according to many disciplines. Risks factors, uncertainty, sales, and other aspects are continually being debated and weighed to ensure efficiency. This year, most software programs handling econometrics, auditing, financial analyses, operations, marketing research, feasibility studies will become more refined.

Automation. Going beyond the cost-cutting scheme, the constant evolution of technology will pave the way for advanced automation. Tasks which used to be dominated by humans will open a new breed of robotics or machine learning. This, though sneered by the general populace, will ultimately usher a new avenue for businesses to pursue.

Digital Consumerism. The world of retail is constantly declining at a steady pace. As more and more people prefer shopping online, businesses will be left with no choice but to jump into the digitization of consumerism. With this, the need for businesses to learn the highly aggressive and volatile nature of digital media must be carefully studied upon.

Multi-Dimensional Workforce. Business today will be more inclined to go for people who have multiple backgrounds. Gone are the days when industries look for experts in a specific field and focus on such proficiency. Topnotch employees will now be characterized as a multi-dimensional worker with propensity to integrate multiple skills and tools in delivering multiple solutions.

Empathic Big Data. Big data is continually being discussed in the digital realm for years. This accessible mass of data will be elemental in crafting better understanding and execution of business processes and operation. But unlike in the past, today’s big data will be more on visuals, quality data, and in a sense more humanized or emphatic—and more accessible.

Business On-Demand. Without a doubt, this is the era of everything on-demand. People will become more dependent on phone apps on most everything they do. From taxi ride to shopping to travel and accommodation, entertainment, and many more, the tech industry will be more accommodating this year.

Without a doubt, the tech industry will be more aggressive this year. Tech trends will be designed not only to address consumers, it will also cater to the core needs of businesses across industries. With astounding advantages on the side, it is only fitting for entrepreneurs and career-driven individuals alike to be ready.

Blogging is your way of connecting to your audience on a personal level. It keeps people informed and your promotional efforts to be omnipresent without you sounding like a broken record. But you need to understand that not all blogs are the same. To give you an idea, here’s a quick guide on how to write relevant and helpful blogs that will help connect your thoughts and messages to the psyche of the audience.

1. Write relevant topics. People go to your page for information or solution to their problems. If you sell insurance, write blogs that tell them what insurance to buy for each specific need, how to do it, where to go, and why they should. It is also important to point out relevant information like what causes accidents to happen, how to be prepared and other interrelated notions revolving untoward incidents—which, by the way, is still connected to insurance.

2. When writing almost the same things as everyone, it is important that you present matters in a unique way. While everyone may write about the same notes about insurance, you can add data and numbers into the equation. The Interest is a treasure trove of facts and data—and the least you can do is to create a storyline for it.

3. Be consistent. Like everything else, consistency is the key in maintain interest of a growing audience. So make sure to have a writing style guide handy. Think about keywords and key phrases, grammatical parsing, and tone of voice. There’s a reason why a lawyer’s website is more formal than that of a fashion blogger.

4. Think outside the box. When appealing to a highly diversified audience, it is imperative that you do not pigeonhole yourself into a few topics. Extend your scope to other areas but make sure to maintain the “connection”. You can talk about celebrities having their leg or voice insured—and it’s still within the realm of the insurance business. Subtle yet, the message is still there: an insurance coverage is vital.

5. If you have no time to write or have no interest whatsoever in writing, find employees to delegate the task with. Two employees contributing to the site’s blog at least on a twice to four times a week basis is enough to sustain its traffic needs. Do make sure to get the employees’ commitment when doing so. Consistency, as mentioned, is a vital aspect in business blogging.

6. Feel free also to reach out to third party business consultancy firms who offer digital content management. Allison Todd and her SiMar Inc. digital media team offer comprehensive services to handle such concerns. This allows you to focus on the core responsibilities of the business while maintaining engagement of your target market—at a reasonable cost.

7. Organize a content calendar. Brainstorm with your staff or your third party service provider. Have a central theme and ensure that all topics covered will revolve on that theme. This will guarantee rich content pouring in on a regular basis keeping your audience enthralled by the information and solution your business brings to their lives.

Team building helps nurture a productive workplace. When organizing one, however, it is imperative to invest time and resources in finding the right solution. Here are some ways to jumpstart your creative prowess in organizing one.

1. Make use of regular work days or hours to schedule a team building activity. Your employees or members of the team may not say it out loud, but putting extra time on weekends to attend a mandatory office-related event won’t just cut it. Choose a Wednesday or a Friday over lunch or breakfast—and provide food, of course.

2. Consider holding the event outside the office. Employees tend to interact freely when offsite. While the idea of using the company boardroom may sound fetching, organizing the team building session in another meeting space will give them a sense of liberty and the notion that such is not part of “regular” work.

3. Aside from the venue, do make sure that planned activities are clear and accessible to everyone. Without a doubt, fun activities like tug of war or relay races or other sporty activities can provide fun in team-building efforts, some may feel left out due to prevailing physical or health conditions. To ensure inclusion, choose appropriate activities that will involve everyone. Hold a brainstorming session weeks prior to know their sentiments.

4. The key is to set clear expectations. Make sure to inform your staff the intent of such activity. Whether it is to realign company goals or to come up with more efficient operational system in place or to cohesively integrate new employees with the old ones, your staff should know that it’s not just an ice breaker or an excuse to get off work for a few hours. The clearer the expectations, the more focused the efforts will be.

5. Place collaboration at the core of the event. Stress to your staff that competition, though healthy, is not the only way to succeed. In doing so, choose activities or contests that encourage them to work closely together.

6. Consider integrating the culture of philanthropy into your company’s team building efforts. Infuse the virtue of volunteerism as a way for employees to work together with the intent of doing something for those in need. Get everyone involved on community or local fundraisers. This will not only motivate them to be better employees but as responsible citizens, too.

7. Don’t forget to thank your staff for making the event successful and to gather feedback. Allow them to do so in anonymity so they can objectively provide truthful reaction on the event. Use both negative and constructive feedback as a blueprint for the next team building activity.

Team building activities create a more productive workplace with plenty of avenues for growth. Invest time and resources in organizing these events on a regular basis. Use your creative prowess or perhaps, hire an outside trainer to make the activity even more purposeful.

With almost 2 billion active users across the globe, Facebook is definitely the ultimate social networking platform! Without a doubt, business marketers and entrepreneurs alike make good use of this as a podium for their campaigns to raise awareness, to sell products and services, or simply to build up a brand. With huge data exchanges and algorithms that give marketers a glimpse on how consumers think and choose, the need to find ways to leverage such is only fitting. However, Facebook being the anointed leader in social networking is continually evolving.

As a business owner and marketer, the need to keep up with its ever-changing platform requires due diligence. This year, it is high time to restart your marketing campaigns. To kickstart your efforts, here are ways how.

Video Posts. Ditch the usual photo and infographics. Spruce up your campaign with the use of gifs and short-video marketing campaigns. People across the world let their smart gadgets do the “talking” for them. Let your video presentation convey important aspects of your products, services or brand. The key is to do it in a “realistic” way and not the usual sanitized results done by professionals.

Go Interactive. Facebook LIVE is continually being leveraged by tech startups in their quest to crowdsource. Apart from amplifying competitive advantage, interactive efforts always foster trust and sincerity to their audiences. Staged videos may still maintain its vibe but definitely, going LIVE has its advantages.

Facebook Captions. When marketing or selling on a cross-cultural platform, the use of auto video-captioning tool on Facebook also promises to be of a huge advantage. To ensure accuracy, it is wise to use professional services.

Facebook Saved Audiences. Instead of the usual shotgun effect, do focused marketing to strike at the heart of your market demographic. Simply check out its Business Manager menu and customize your audiences by setting parameters. By the way, it is FREE and had always proven to be effective.

Facebook’s “Tracking Pixel”. Double your online engagement by using this as a direct conduit between your website and social media audiences. Keep them informed and engaged by installing it on your website. This will not only increase engagement but rewards as well.

Call To Action button. Facebook allows you to place one on the right-hand corner of your cover photo. A social media follower can simply click on the button and bring you directly at your e-commerce site’s doorsteps. In addition, embedding content from Facebook into your blogs or guest postings will also create multiple touch points with a target market.

Sync Email List. This allows you the option to keep your customer base informed of any changes, improvement or promos. This offers two-fold traffic benefits to your website and to your social media presence.

Also remember that Facebook algorithms also include your page’s response time to calculate your efficiency. As important as the efforts put into your Facebook account though, responding to messages in a timely and relevant manner can help cement your brand in the market. Do it spontaneously—and sincerely.