October 2020 - Rafferty Pendery

How Entrepreneurs Can Calm Their Speech Anxiety and Reach Their Fullest Potential

Oct 13, 2020

Public speaking is an important skill for any entrepreneur to have. However, nearly three in four people suffer from some form of speech anxiety. This can be extremely detrimental for those looking to start their own enterprising companies. It can even hold entrepreneurs back from being able to achieve all of their goals.

Rafferty Pendery, tech entrepreneur and well-known international speaker, is no stranger to the challenges that can come from public speaking. However, if you are looking for some quick and easy steps to help you combat your speech anxiety, here are some simple steps that you can start to use right now — as recommended by Rafferty Pendery.

1. Thoroughly Understand Your Topic

When publicly speaking about a topic, it’s easier to speak more confidently about a topic you are knowledgeable about. This means that you will be less likely to get off track or lose your train of thought. In the event that you do lose your place, it can also be easier to recover as you will have a thorough understanding of the subject at-hand. Speaking about a topic you know a lot about can also make it easier to utilize an outline, as opposed to a full-blown script. By writing down the specific points you want to talk about, you can ensure that you won’t miss anything important but will also have the freedom to tailor the speech to your audience.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

The importance of practice cannot be overstated enough. Not practicing ahead of time is one of the biggest entrepreneur mistakes you could make when it comes to speaking. While there are many tips for how to practice on the Rafferty Pendery website, one of the best ways is reading through your speech in front of a mirror or in front of a camera. Recording yourself can be particularly helpful, as it allows you to analyze yourself and make any necessary corrections. For example, if you find that you’re too stiff or that you’re getting hung up on a specific paragraph, you could tweak your delivery and rerecord your speech until you’re happy with the final result. Additionally, hearing the speech back can help with memorization, allowing you to stay on track and remember all of the points without having to constantly reference your notes.

3. Don’t Stress About the Silence

Many new speakers make the mistake of thinking that they have to constantly talk without pausing. This can make it difficult for your audience to absorb everything you’re saying and it can also make it seem like you’re rushing through your speech. To prevent this, make sure to practice slowing down your delivery and taking a pause between sentences and paragraphs. Now only will this make your speech seem more put together, but it can make it easier for the audience to follow along. Furthermore, you could also listen to speeches given by Rafferty Pendery in order to get a better idea of how you should model your own cadence and pauses.

4. Have a Positive Mental Attitude

The power of positive thinking is another thing that many entrepreneurs overlook. However, it can be a powerful tool in its own right. If you’re feeling nervous about an upcoming speech, instead of focusing on the negative, focus on your success and imagine your presentation going well. Even something as simple as this visualization technique can help put you more at ease and make you feel a little less anxious about speaking.

If you are an up-and-coming entrepreneur who is struggling with speech anxiety, consider these tips before your next presentation. You may also want to check out all of the additional tips and tricks listed on Rafferty Pendery’s website. There you will find numerous articles related to how you can best utilize your strengths to help you achieve all of your entrepreneurial goals.

How to Start a Business: 4 Entrepreneur Tips

Oct 12, 2020

According to research from a United States Bank study, 82% of businesses fail in their proposed business plan due to problems with their cash flow. Statistics like this can make it seem daunting for aspiring entrepreneurs or those looking to start a business in today’s market. Fortunately, there are ways to make your business model work. The key is in your first steps. This post will cover four early steps on how to start a business, including how to avoid common entrepreneur mistakes.

Plan Your Business Model

How to start a business? That’s not a simple question, and many elements go into the answer. Licensing, bookkeeping, and employee management are only a part of the details of running a business. But the bottom line is: what do you want to build? What problem can you solve for people? What skills do you have? Who will benefit from those skills? What are your business goals, and how can you break them down into actionable steps? Answering all of these questions will help you to build the foundation of your business. They will become the basis for the following steps. It is also important to remember and note: you won’t be able to do this completely alone. Finding a business partner, or partnering with other businesses or entrepreneurs who have skills and services that complement your own can mean that your business grows stronger than if you tried to learn every skill yourself.

Find Your Niche Interest

This should be one of your first goals when deciding on a business plan. The key to being successful and rising above the dozens or even hundreds of other businesses out there is to be unique. What can you offer that no one else can? What can you do that no one else can do? There are hundreds of businesses offering marketing and design services, for instance, but perhaps only you can focus your business on specifically designing marketing copy for fantasy and science fiction authors, because of your background as a writer. Find your niche, that thing that makes you different, and your business will be off to a good start.

Know Your Target Audience

One of the most important aspects of learning how to start a business is to know your audience. In fact, knowing your audience is almost as important as knowing your niche. The two go hand in hand. Going back to our example above, your audience would be indie sci-fi and fantasy authors. By having your audience narrowed down, you can start advertising and building connections with those authors who would benefit from your services. This allows you to narrow the focus of your networking and marketing, which can make your time and money even more effective and can ensure that you don’t waste either. This leads us to our final step.

Network and Market

One of the most important entrepreneur tips is to network, network, network. This can mean to network digitally by building a mailing list and connecting with your audience on social media. Or it can mean networking in person by traveling to conferences, either as a guest or a public speaker to connect and share your knowledge of the industry. Basically, it boils down to making connections and building friendships with people in your chosen niche industry.

Finding your niche, following a well laid out plan, knowing your audience and what they need, and networking yourself and your business within your industry are all steps you can take to help reach success. Starting your own entrepreneurial business is no small feat, but the rewards are more than worth it if you are patient, hard-working, and dedicated.

How to Find the Best Business Partner

Oct 6, 2020

Did you know that nearly 15 million Americans are self-employed on a full-time basis? The pandemic has set the stage for even more people to become entrepreneurs as businesses close and many in-person jobs are eliminated. The digital entrepreneur is more important than ever, so now could be the time to make your next career move.

But if you don’t want to go it alone or don’t know how to start a business, one of your first steps should be finding a business partner. Here’s how to find the right one.

Consider Current or Former Coworkers

One of the best ways for the digital entrepreneur to find a business partner is to consider current or former coworkers for the job. You already know your coworkers’ work ethics because you have worked with them before. Choose the coworker who you worked well with in the past and who takes an interest in your business.

Ask a Friend

While some people may advise against it, asking a friend to be a tech entrepreneur partner can come with several benefits. You’re probably friends in the first place because you have similar interests, get along, and trust each other. Starting a business together could be a good fit. However, if the business fails, the friendship may not survive unless you have clear boundaries and strong communication from the get-go.

Go with Family

Going with a family member as a business partner might also seem like a recipe for disaster. However, many successful entrepreneurs are related. That could be because family is more likely to have similar mindsets, values, and work ethics. Communication can sometimes be easier between family members. You’ll be less likely to have a falling out if the business doesn’t succeed, as your bond will be too strong to break.

Network

For the digital entrepreneur, networking is probably a no-brainer. Online networking communities are taking the place of in-person networking opportunities nowadays, but they also have the added benefit of reaching more people. That means you’ll have more options and you can find an online networking group for almost any job.

Go to a Business Class or Training

A great way to find a business partner (when you may not even be looking for one) is in a business class or training. A new tech entrepreneur can benefit from a class by learning more about their field and by meeting other people who also have the drive to learn more. You and another student may find that you work well together and have the same ideas — a perfect recipe for a strong partnership.

Find Someone Trustworthy

No matter where you meet your next business partner, you will want to make sure that person is trustworthy. Don’t be afraid to ask for references if you’ve just met a potential partner. You should offer up references for yourself, as trust is a two-way street. It’s also a good idea to take some time to get to know someone before you dive in.

Find Someone Eager

Whether your partner is your sibling, coworker, or someone you’ve just met, they should be eager and excited to start a business with you. If they go into this new venture halfheartedly, they may not be in it for the long haul. You want someone who’s passionate about what they do and someone who wants to succeed.

Find Someone Who Complements You

You don’t need to find a business partner who is completely like-minded. In fact, someone who complements you can make the best partner. You may possess one skill set and your partner will have another. Maybe you have a knack for finances and your partner is more capable of designing a website. You will both bring valuable skills to the table, which can create equality and a nice balance.

The digital entrepreneur may need a little help in the beginning. You may want someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to make up for what you lack, or someone who’s just as willing to put themselves out there. That’s why you should take your time to find the right business partner. Look for one in the obvious places, but don’t be afraid to try unconventional outlets, as well. The main thing is to find someone you’re comfortable with and who you can see yourself building a business with.

Follow These Tips for Avoiding Entrepreneur Mistakes

Oct 5, 2020

Nearly 22.5% of smaller businesses are known to fail during their first year of operation. That thought is staggering. You may be wondering, as a new entrepreneur, how you can avoid losing your business that quickly. How do you launch and successfully run a startup? There are actually many pitfalls when it comes to running a business, especially for first-time entrepreneurs. Avoiding entrepreneur mistakes takes guidance from digital entrepreneurs like Rafferty Pendery as well as top tips for entrepreneurs. You need to know how to start a business and keep it running efficiently.

Tip #1 Have a Business Plan

Do you have a business plan? All it takes is a basic plan to start. Failing to plan is one of the first mistakes most new entrepreneurs make. Without even the most basic plan in place, you are essentially planning to fail. It doesn’t matter how small your initial plan may be, either. It is necessary to try avoiding entrepreneur mistakes by mapping out a business plan. Keep in mind to include how much you anticipate selling products and services, how much it is going to cost to operate your business, and one of the most important aspects, who is going to purchase your products and services and why.

Tip #2 Don’t Fear Failure

Avoiding entrepreneur mistakes when learning how to succeed as a tech entrepreneur is part of the process. However, failure shouldn’t be feared. Look at failure as a key to success and fully acknowledge it and learn from it. How you respond after failure shows how capable you are of learning from your mistakes. Failure, in and of itself, is a great key to success that can point you in the right direction.

Tip #3 Know Your Target Audience and Market

Have you taken the time to fully understand your target audience and market? It is common for many startups to lose sight of this integral aspect. Avoiding entrepreneur mistakes includes knowing whether you’re on the right track or not. That means you need feedback from prospective and current customers. Building great products is only part of your success, not the entirety of it. The more you know about consumers and how they feel about your business, the better you will be able to market yourself.

Tip #4 Get and Stay Organized

Have you ever run a circus before? That’s pretty much what it feels like running a business without organization. The successful operation of a business means that you will have many things happening all at once. In order to keep track of tasks that need your attention the most, make a daily list. This is a piece of tech entrepreneur advice that goes a long way in helping you stay more productive.

Tip #5 Get the Support You Need

Yes, you may have started your small business on your own. However, you’re not alone and in order for your business to run efficiently, you need wise counsel. Avoiding entrepreneur mistakes includes seeking the advice of trustworthy advisors ready to discuss your strategy, business ideas, progress, and challenges. Great power and wisdom come with counsel. Use the savvy information from tech entrepreneurship blogs offered by Raffy Pendery to get started.

Surround Yourself with Mentors and Experts

Successful businesses are built from the ground up with support. It is imperative that you surround yourself with mentors and experts that can guide you when you need it the most. This type of support can help you avoid many pitfalls and mistakes that most entrepreneurs make. Make no mistake about it, mistakes are still going to be part of the process since they are inevitable. Just manage your expectations and don’t be afraid to fail. Learn from mistakes so you can pivot your business model when needed.