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Planning to start an eCommerce business in 2021? Yes, sir! Then dropshipping is one of the best options.

Do you know why?

Not only is it extremely easy to start, but it is also free.

Wait, what? Free?

All you have to do is choose your e-commerce platform, set up your online store, import products from a supplier, and start promoting them on social media and search engines and you are good to go.

That does not mean that you might not face any challenges along your dropshipping journey. You will and how you cope with these challenges will determine how successful your dropshipping business becomes. Let's look at some of the dropshipping business challenges

Dropshipping Challenges

Selecting the right supplier and finding dropshipping products that customers will love are two of the biggest challenges most dropshipping business owners face during the early stages.

Lower profit margins and increasing competition have made it tough for new dropshipping businesses to survive. Offering customer support and finding the best dropshipping niches to target and the worst dropshipping niches to avoid are other hurdles you might encounter when starting a dropshipping business.

Current State of Drop Shipping Industry

According to dropshipping statistics,

• The dropshipping industry is expected to grow to $557.9 billion by 2025. That's a whopping 28.8% annual growth rate.
• Dropshippers can make 50% more profit as compared to those who maintain their own inventory.
• Best dropshipping suppliers can earn 18.33% more profit if they sell to top dropshipping stores instead of selling products through their own online stores.
• 34% of Amazon sales are fulfilled through dropshipping.
• More than 27% of online retailers have already adopted drop shipping.
• 23% of all online sales globally were fulfilled through the dropshipping model.

Which Products Sell Most?

There are three different types of products that sell well.

• Products that cost less than $10
• Products that are hard to find
• Products that are useful for your target customer

Since dropshipping businesses are usually driven by impulse buying behaviors of online shoppers, businesses can capitalize on it by promoting products through social media ads. Besides making the ad eye-catching, you should also quote an irresistible price, so users are encouraged to buy a product.

In this article, you will learn about 21 dropshipping products you can sell online in 2021.

21 Top Dropshipping Products To Sell Online In 2021

Are you thinking about the best products to dropship? Here are the 21 best dropshipping products 2021 you can sell online.

1. Face Masks

The demand for facemasks has surged due to coronavirus. These face masks were one of the most sought-after items in 2020 and we will see that trend continue in 2021. Fashion-conscious consumers jumped on the peel-off face mask to make a style statement.

2. Hand Sanitizers

Another item that stayed in demand throughout 2020 and will continue to stay in demand until this pandemic goes away was hand sanitizers. You can stock up on hand sanitizers and sell them through your dropshipping business to make a profit.

3. Infrared Thermometer

With social distancing becoming a necessity and people fearing getting infected with this deadly virus, businesses are using contactless infrared thermometers to check the temperature of both employees and customers before letting them in. As a result, demand for infrared thermometers, especially non-contact ones, has spiked.

4. Nail Paint

Despite the pandemic, the fashion industry continues to move on and so do the fashion-forward women amongst us. In addition to nail paints, there has been a surge in demand for spider nail gel. Dropshipping business owners can purchase it at a low price from different suppliers such as AliExpress and sell it for double the price.

5. Juicer and Blender

Lockdowns and work-from-home trends have made us lazy and fitness enthusiasts are trying their best to stay fit. To do so, they are extracting fresh juices from fresh fruits by using a portable blender instead of relying on bottled juices, which are available in the market. This has increased the demand for portable blenders.

6. Winter Coats

The winter season is in full swing. Winter coats made up of fur and wool help you keep warm during the chilly season. Apart from giving people a stylish look, it also protects them from the harmful effects of cold weather. Dropshipping businesses can purchase it off-season and sell it at a premium during the winter season.

7. Scarves and Mufflers

If your dropshipping business has a fashion and style-conscious target market, you should surely stock up on scarves and mufflers. In addition to making them stand out from the crowd, those zipped pockets allow them an option to carry their belongings such as their smartphones, sunglasses, or more.

8. Plush Blankets

Cold, dark, and gloomy winters can take their toll on you. People want to protect themselves from the unpleasantness each winter. That's why there's a steady demand for blankets every year. If you sell plush blankets through your dropshipping business, you will see your sales graph go up throughout the winter as they will be one of the best-selling products during the winter months.

9. Waterproof Shoe Cover

Are you a person who loves his shoes and sneakers? If yes, then this waterproof shoe cover is for you. It not only protects your shoes from water damage but also keeps them safe, clean, and dry. These covers are made up of special silicone material, making them a perfect choice for outdoor use during a rainy day.

10. Adventure Gear

Are you fed up with sitting at home during lockdowns? If yes, then you are not alone. Most people share the same feelings and want to get out of the house. If your target customers consist of adventure lovers, then they will be more than happy to see you selling adventure gear through your dropshipping business.

11. Solar Panels

There is a lot of hype surrounding clean, green, and renewable sources of energy and solar energy is one of them. As global warming grows, the environment continues to push for increasing public awareness about the use of renewable energy sources. Before these items go mainstream, it is an ideal time for online businesses to sell portable solar panels as the demand for these things will only grow over time.

12. Exercise Resistance Bands

Exercise bands in general and resistance bands, in particular, are some of the best selling products online. It might not be a surprise when you consider the worldwide lockdowns, gym closures, and businesses forcing employees to work from home. All these factors led to the growth of the home exercise culture and people started creating gyms at home with basic exercising equipment. No matter how basic your home gym might be, resistance bands were a regular feature along with other machines.

13. Yoga Mats

Staying at home and doing nothing can quickly add more pounds to your weight and fitness buffs are aware of that. They want to keep their bodies and minds in shape even during lockdowns and work-from-home periods. Yoga and meditation are two of the best ways to do that. That is why we witnessing an exponential increase in the demand for yoga mats so much so that it has become one of the most trending products to sell online.

14. Water Bottles

Did you know that the global market for reusable water bottles is worth more than $8.72 billion? Yes, you read that right. According to statistics, the compound annual growth rate of the reusable water bottle market will be 3.9% from 2019-2025, which means that this market will be worth more than $10.64 billion in 2025.

Healthy lifestyles and the increasing threat to the environment caused due to non-reusable bottles can make it one of the best things to sell online for online businesses. The best way to sell these products is to show them in action. You can do that by asking your customers to post pictures and videos of the water bottles while using them.

15. Raincoats

Irrespective of which country you live in, chances are it might receive rainfall. Yes, some countries get more rainfall than others and raincoats are a must-have accessory for people living in regions that receive moderate to high rainfall throughout the year. If your target audience belongs to any such country, you can sell them raincoats or, even better, hooded raincoats to keep them protected from downpours. You can buy a raincoat for a fraction of the cost and still sell it for many times more, especially during the rainy season.

16. Bluetooth Speakers

Want to make music listening a social experience? Want to listen to music on your next camping trip? If yes, then Bluetooth speakers might be your best bet. They are not only portable but can deliver great sound. With more and more people planning their next road trip, it could become one of your top-selling products.

What's more, these portable speakers come in all shapes and sizes, giving consumers a lot of options to choose from according to their needs. You do not have to carry bulky speaker sets to enjoy your favorite tunes on the go, thanks to these Bluetooth speakers.

17. Wireless Headphones and Earbuds

With most smartphone manufacturers ditching the headphone jack in their latest smartphones, more and more consumers have no choice but to adopt wireless headphones to listen to the audio. This has led to an increase in sales of wireless earphones, so much so that it has become one of the trending products to sell online. Apart from traditional players, many new players are also jumping into this market by looking at its potential. So, you can expect to see wireless earbuds and wireless headphones from different manufacturers in the future.

18. Posture Corrector

When you are working from home, you are more likely to work long hours. What's even more dangerous is the wrong posture you adopt while working through a long and tiring workday. You will find very few people who have the right posture, which increases the risk of back problems. Since it is a common problem with most people, more people will order it from your dropshipping business. That is where posture corrector comes into play. Whether you are working from home or office, a posture corrector is an important accessory to have.

19. Laptops

With the remote work trend in top gear, one of the items that are selling like crazy is laptops. Even though most businesses provide their employees with laptops, those who don't are rushing to buy laptops. Some remote workers are also purchasing a laptop because they don't want to work on their personal laptops due to security risks. They don't want to put their personal data at risk.

20. Monitors

Just like other tech accessories, there has been a steady increase in the demand for monitors as people continue to set up their workstations at home. They come in all sizes from different brands. Provide users with a variety of monitors to choose from so they can easily choose one according to their work needs.

Some people might even be looking to purchase a second monitor for added screen real estate so they can get more done in less time. With the holiday season about to begin, we might see many people opening their wallets to buy monitors as they are waiting for discounts and deals. If you can offer them that through your dropshipping business, you can make a quick buck.

21. Phone cases

Just like laptops, phone cases are a great way to not only keep your phone from getting damaged but also a brilliant way to make your phone look different. Most people tend to apply cases on their smartphones for added protection and durability. Even though the competition is stiff in this market, you can gain a competitive advantage by offering phone cases from different manufacturers at an affordable price.

Summary

To sum up, the top 21 dropshipping products to sell online offer a diverse range of opportunities for entrepreneurs to tap into trending markets and meet consumer demands. From innovative tech gadgets to eco-friendly essentials, these products are carefully curated to align with market trends, customer preferences, and profit potential.

You’ve been grinding away for the past ten years and religiously followed a 9-5 routine at the workplace.

One day at work, you had an epiphany.

You realize that after a professional journey of ten years and three employers, you’re still not where you wanted to be financially.

To achieve your financial aspirations, you should begin your entrepreneurial journey as you’ve amassed enough skills and knowledge in your domain.

Keeping your competence in mind, you conduct market research and look for demand gaps that you can fill with your product/service.

All of this requires a ton of perseverance and a high level of optimism to go through this initial difficult period.  Sounds tough? You bet it is.

It’s already difficult enough to begin a venture in your city, let alone in a foreign country.

Now imagine you plan to start a venture in a foreign country. For that, you make a ton of investment, hire employees, and later find that the country isn’t conducive at all for business.

How would that make you feel?

I’m sure it would be something way beyond “not good.”

That’s why no matter how much technical knowledge you have or how amazing your product is, if you don’t know the country you’re planning to start a business in then you’ve already lost it.

While in some countries, it is easy even to set up a business in a few hours, on the other end of the spectrum are countries that are absolute hell when it comes to business.

Here is a list of the best and the worst countries to start your business on the planet.

Best countries to Start a business

United Kingdom

In all the 15 criteria that Forbes used to rate countries, the UK topped Forbes list of the most stable countries to start a business.

They say that numbers don’t lie, which means that there are huge investments, capital flows, and many opportunities for entrepreneurs who are willing to go places where they can start from scratch and scale big.

These are not only the factors that will entice you to start from the UK, there are other factors as well.

• You can set up your business within an hour or so.
• The British Government offers some benefits to founders and investors who pay regular taxes, and the employees get some attractive incentives from a financial point of view.
• Moreover, the UK has one of the lowest corporate tax pay rates among other countries which is quite attractive as well.

Singapore

As per the World Bank, Singapore gives one of the healthiest opportunities to start a business. Apart from the economic indicator, there are a couple of other factors that will help you to decide better:

• Singapore is a politically stable country.
• It is one of the wealthiest countries that has a lot of disposable income.
• The labor force is strong.
• There are no dividend or capital gains taxes imposed.
• Offers free trade agreements for huge markets.
• Easy to register your business online.

Moreover, Singapore offers low airfare to the neighboring countries, which means that the business owner can easily travel to Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Canada

Even though the standard of living is high in Canada, the country is progressing at an impressive rate with its manufacturing, service, and mining sectors. With these gains, the nation transformed from a rural economy to a highly urban and industrialized economy.

The country also has vast oil and gas reserves just after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.

Canada shares a balanced trade with the US that offers enormous opportunities for investors to tap into the Canadian market through the US.

The stable political situation, excellent health care, and skilled labor are a few other advantages for starting a business in Canada. All of these make it a lucrative destination for business investors looking to take advantage of the service or industrial sector.

Hong Kong

In the past few years, Hong Kong’s economy has grown steadily, which makes it a perfect gateway for startups, and entrepreneurs to set up their businesses in Hong Kong. As a free-market economy, Hong Kong is dependent on trade and international finance.

The highly trained workforce and well-designed transport and communication make it easy to start any business. The economy is doing great in that it is established as a go-to stock market for Chinese companies that want to trade abroad.

On the other hand, natural resources are limited in Hong Kong, so the import is quite high. This might sound a bit discouraging but there are no tariffs on imported goods on a few items like petroleum, hard alcohol, methyl alcohol, and tobacco.

Worst Countries to Start a Business

Chad

The biggest problem with Chad is that everything has to be imported, which makes it challenging to start a business because even before the start, there will be transportation costs and high dependency on its neighbors.

Moreover, oil is the biggest commercial commodity, and the whole country is served by just one refinery that makes it short for businesses.

Even cheap labor is not of any use because the available work is unskilled and uneducated. Apart from the above issues, other issues surround the Chad economy:

• There is limited communication and transport infrastructure.
• The elevated level of corruption in the government is one major drawback.
• Extensive government bureaucracy

The country is an excellent dept country with unskilled labor and inadequate infrastructure. To start a business in Chad is not only impossible; it is merely frustrating at best.

Haiti

There was a time when Haiti was considered a place for gorgeous beaches and warm ocean water. But after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010, Haiti is now more of an emergency state. The economy was excellent before the earthquake, but after that, everything went south.

There is a high level of corruption, political instability, a low level of education, and a high level of poverty.

It is without a doubt that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Even though the tariff-free exports from the US are a good sign, the unskilled labor, and the vulnerability to natural disasters make it a terrible place to start a business. Plus, after the earthquake, communication and transport never became stable after 2010.

Libya

Libya was considered as an African powerhouse. But after the Arab Spring that spread like fire across the Northern African nations in 2014, Libya’s trade reduced significantly with the world.

The country is entirely dependent on oil and gas exports, but after 2015 the radicals took control of the oil terminals and after an armed conflict, the oil production was halted. 

It is due to the armed conflict that the country is not safe to work anymore. The lack of infrastructure, the lack of food & security for the people, and the lack of a stable labor force all make Libya not conducive to business investments at the moment.

India

In a survey done in Expat Insider 2019, it was revealed that India ranks fifth from the bottom in terms of safety and security among 64 countries.

The survey concluded that four out of every ten people hold negative feelings about peace in India and are worried about personal safety in a Hindu-majority country.

India scored low in the environmental pollution area as well, which makes it difficult for professionals to work in an unclean country. In a survey, an American pointed out, “I always have to take my guard with me when I go outside, I don’t feel safe working here.”

Sure, Indians are working across the globe, and maybe that sends a clear signal that India is not safe to start a business even for Indians. Moreover, the continuous political instability raises concerns for expats who feel unsafe working in India. The level of corruption in the government sector makes it very difficult for entrepreneurs to do anything reasonably.

Lastly, the above-average working hours are erratic for people who are new in the country. Just being affordable for expats doesn’t make India the safest and most peaceful place to begin your business.

Finishing it up

Even though it is tough to sleep in an uncomfortable bed, away from your family, the real motivation –passion can give you possible reasons to start a business in another country. When you plan to start a business, just be sure that you don’t pick and choose the worst countries to work in and start a market where it is advised and preferred.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs can learn valuable lessons from Amazon marketing strategy, including the importance of customer-centricity, innovation, efficient logistics, and a strong online presence.

It was in 1995 when we saw an unknown company disrupting the way we do shopping.

The company leveraged the power of the internet to make it very easy for us to purchase our favorite books.

That company I’m talking about is a homonym of the largest rainforest on the planet.

No one would’ve thought (including myself) that this one-man show would lay the foundation stone of a $25 trillion global e-commerce market.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Amazon has now become a tech goliath. From e-commerce to the cloud, from media entertainment to smart speakers; Amazon has come a long way and continues to burgeon as I write this piece.

If you can’t create success by yourself, then you should emulate those who have achieved it. Austin Kleon, in his ground-breaking book, suggests, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”

So if you want to become a wealthy man, there are countless ways to do so. Other than robbing the Bank of Spain, it’s easy to learn from market leaders and apply those strategies in your small business.

Why is it Beneficial to Steal From Amazon?

The e-commerce herculean started from scratch, and while pursuing the company’s grand vision, satisfied 350M customers as of 2019 with a revenue of $232.89B which is 31% more than in 2017.

Straight away motivation for anyone who is passionate enough to succeed regardless of the sacrifices needed to get there.

One aspect of Amazon’s huge success has to do with the way it markets itself. What can you learn from Amazon’s marketing strategy and apply it to your own business?

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the marketing strategies that have been working for Amazon for the past 20 years.

1. A Fine-Tuned Email Strategy

Since the beginning of time, Bezos forced, cursed, and in some cases humiliated employees who failed to make customers happy. From customer service to personalized emails – Amazon has done it all. Amazon was the first company to adopt personalized email tactics in their marketing.

Amazon sends nine types of emails to every customer, depending on the phase the customer is in the buyer’s journey.

Why Amazon’s email marketing is the best? The answer is quite apparent: They track data and use it well.

Amazon collects data related to the customer. Data which includes:

• Which products grab the attention of the customer?
• Which products are ordered repeatedly by the same customer?
• Which of the promotional emails does the customer click the most?
• Which of the products do customers keep in their cart without buying?

In addition to all of that, Amazon has specific email templates that are sent automatically when a particular behavior is triggered. For instance, if a customer abandons the cart without completing the purchase, the system shoots an email to the customer to find out the reason and assist him in completing the purchase. Email templates include product recommendations, membership upgrades, and cart abandonment coupons.

Amazon is not afraid to send an umpteen amount of emails to its customers about the latest product offerings and discounts. Through these customized emails, Amazon resurrects dead customers and convinces them to complete their incomplete orders. Take a look at one of the emails by Amazon to delight a nearly lost customer: 

2. Amazon’s Impeccable Product Delivery

Amazon’s grand success revolves around three simple strategies:

1. Customers come first.
2. Always offer something new.
3. Be patient at all times.

A survey done by Prophet Brand Relevant Index in 2018 revealed that Amazon became the second-most-loved company next to Apple.

How did Amazon beat Google, Disney, or Uber? It’s because Amazon treats its customer as a crown prince. If you ever want to replace the product or return it, Amazon customer service will make you fall in love with their agents.

3. What makes customer service at Amazon different?

Additionally, they keep updating their product delivery methods to align with how a customer feels. Yesterday’s science fiction of ordering cooking oil using voice commands is now a reality. Thanks to Amazon’s Alexa!

With your voice, Alexa can deliver cooking oil even on a Sunday within an hour. Everything is possible due to Amazon’s customer-first and inventive approach.

This shows the importance of delighting the customers at any cost.  

4. Customers love to speak well about Amazon

The best form of marketing is word-of-mouth marketing. It’s better than running ads on social media, on TV, or in print publications.

How does Amazon generate so much positive word-of-mouth?

This question was answered by Jeff Bezos himself 15 years ago.

“We don't do any television advertising, and we take all of the money that we would put into television advertising, and instead put it into things like free SuperSaver shipping [free shipping on most orders over $25], lower product prices, category expansion, and the invention of new features. Absolutely. The thing that we did early on is that we made it very easy for people to find very obscure products. That was something people remarked on. If you're not doing something that people will remark on, then it's going to be hard to generate word of mouth. The only way to do this consistently over time is through invention.”

The statement remains valid to this date.

Hence, to generate more orders, it’s essential to get referrals from existing customers and invest heavily in creating a seamless, hassle-free experience for the customers.

There is no point in wasting tons of money on heavy advertising if the customers don’t stay for long. Instead, a better approach is improving customer service and using innovative ways to delight customers. This will automatically increase customer retention and boost acquisition, as well.

5. Amazon’s Suicidal Review System

Can you even imagine an e-commerce store today without a review system in place?

The review system was made possible because Amazon has trained everyone to add a review of every product they purchase online. 

Do you want award-worthy e-commerce website development services to sell your products?

When Amazon started its review system on the website in 1995, critics labeled it as a “retail suicide”. However, Jeff Bezos replied smilingly, “taking a different approach…we want to make every book available — the good, the bad and the ugly…to let truth loose.”

What exactly makes the Amazon review system different from others?

Let’s dig deep into what’s happening behind the veil:

• With every purchased product, Amazon sends a review email. While most of the e-commerce websites send a single email, Amazon sends multiple emails.
• There is a set of review guidelines that customer needs to follow before their review gets published online.
• Reviews will automatically be sorted by “most helpful customer reviews“ which you can change as per your preference.
• Just by asking, “Was this review helpful?” Amazon was able to increase its revenue by $2,700,000,000 every year. The question allows Amazon to keep quality products in stock and remove everything else.

According to Amazon’s customer reviews page:

“We've worked over the years to make our millions of customer reviews as useful as possible – we’ve added features like Amazon Verified Purchase, helpful votes, and review comments in the pursuit of a system that’s open and flexible and yet structured and helpful for anyone who wants to learn more from other customers about anything we sell.”

6. For Amazon, it’s always long-term

When Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos issued a manifesto to its shareholders, he was not predicting the future; he was actually shaping it.

The same manifesto is sent every year for 20 years to all the shareholders in which Jeff Bezos explains the true definition of long-term success:

As a startup, a small business owner, or an entrepreneur, it’s vital to see the bigger picture. Don’t just see the picture, feel it, sleep with it, and work for it every single day. As per James Clear in his iconic book, Atomic Habits, “those tiny habits and practices make all the difference in the long run.” To play a long game, you must follow the grand vision and start being profitable just like Amazon.

7. Be Active and Help Customers on Social Media

With around 29M Facebook page followers and 3.1M Twitter followers, Amazon has reached its pinnacle in helping customers. Amazon employees respond promptly to the customers.

Take a look at how Amazon employees respond to customers by name and add a human touch with every comment:

Amazon uses Facebook to introduce and educate customers regarding their latest product offerings and responds to negative comments quickly.

Upon asking the question, Amazon representatives judge the mood of the customer and understand their problem before they offer any solution.

On Twitter, Amazon promotes its blogs and engages with customers to make their experience as easy as possible.  

The Pinterest page of Amazon is nothing more than an extension of the website. Amazon is careful about which images to promote on Pinterest. Unique, image-friendly, products get selected and promoted on Pinterest.

Check the Handmade category on Pinterest.

Amazon’s marketing strategy for Snapchat is quite impressive. Since the messages disappear fast, Amazon shares time-based offers to keep customers coming back for more.

Amazon has partnered with Snapchat to create a visual tool that will capture the product in Snapchat and display the name, price, and reviews regarding that product. Amazing, right?

An ever-evolving social media strategy by Amazon helps to gain more followers than its competitors. Engagement is enhanced and sales now directly come from social media.

Final Thoughts

That’s it, folks! Amazon's marketing strategy is crystal clear to you. Feel free to replicate it and get more customers for your business. Just as Amazon used Prime to expand its customer database, you need to think of something similar. Whatever you do, don’t forget to keep the customer happy at all times. Make the best use of technology and always stay patient. Happy marketing!

Every soul in this world has a higher purpose. Birth is a wondrous experience. You open your eyes to a world rife with opportunities for the taking. You can become anything. For some people, it happens in an instant. Their life’s purpose unfolds right in front of them, but for others, it takes a lifetime to understand why they were born. If your startup website is in its infancy, you might be facing something familiar. Instead of understanding your life purpose, you are struggling to find your brand purpose. If you’re one of those brands that don’t have a direction yet, here are some startup websites which can provide you with some food for thought.

1. AiroHealth.com – Simple is better

Knowledge lies in piling up facts. Wisdom is the elimination of all clutter. Airohealth.com is all about simplicity. The first glance at the website will be enough to safely venture a guess at what the company is selling. On the front page of the website, you realize that it is solving a real-life problem. If you scroll down, you will see how the product works. Next, comes how to think about anxiety and stress. Moreover, in the end, there are testimonials with a call to action.

2. RateYourSeats.com – Selling something unique

Rateyourseats.com is a ticket-selling website with a distinctive feature. Not only does it offer the most market-competitive ticket prices, but it also gives you a bird’s eye view of the seat based on crowdsourced reviews, ratings, and photos of a plethora of concert and sports avenues. This makes sure that our customers make an informed choice based on a particular seat’s rating and reviews by actual users.

3. GrooveJar.com – UI/UX Design

Much has been said about UI/UX Design. If you are looking for some solid inspiration, visit GrooveJar.com. The startup helps other startups boost their website traffic. However, their prominent feature is the clean, sleek interface of the website. Decent navigation, bulging CTAs, and giving out comprehensive information without too much scrolling, make this website a prime example of the perfect UI/UX design. The chatbox is easy to locate. Reviews can be found right at the bottom. GrooveJar offers everything that a startup website design has to offer. Take note.

4. SmarthomeNX.com - The Perfect Mobile First website

There is much buzz about mobile-first websites. In the midst of all this, smarthomenx.com makes a brilliant effort to design the perfect mobile-first website. The website is not at all complex. The Accelerated Mobile Pages allow the website to load immediately. A perfect example of a startup website design where users can log in and join in the discussions without going over lengthy registration steps.

5. Vertoe.com – Mobile Loading Speed

Google Speed Update made it clear that Google is forcing brands to decrease their bounce rate by developing mobile-optimized websites. Vertoe.com took this seriously and started working on the loading speed of the website on mobile.  The website is optimized in a way that users don’t have to download any app or wait for the website to load on their mobile. The load time is super-fast. The one-click checkout helps customers place an order seamlessly. The responsive website works on all primary mobile devices and fits across all screen sizes.

6. EFynch.com - Privacy and Payment Options

If there are a few things that a startup website capitalizes on, it is payment options and privacy policy. Other trends include AI and machine learning. Some of the payment methods include complex AI algorithms which simplify processing and make it easier to pay fast. This website teaches a lot. Also, there are some components of IoT to support the simple dashboard.

7. Printful.com – Grist for the mill e-commerce website

The best startup websites provide convenience and simplicity to users. Printful.com takes this approach to the next best level. You can talk all about white-spacing and how to optimize the website design to show quality work without sacrificing the caliber of the website. A clean eCommerce design, which can teach a lot about how eCommerce stores can use the power of minimalism to sell products online. The website offers perfect examples in its blog for entrepreneurs to apply across their businesses. How to send emails that entice customers? Moreover, how to scale business on a global scale?

8. OpenListings.com – A Clear Value Proposition

Some brands do website redesigns and fail miserably. However, if the website redesign is well-planned, the sky is the limit to what it can achieve. OpenListings just had a website revamp, and boy oh boy, the redesign turned out to be justified for the brand. The website sends a clear message on how to place the value proposition on a website that generates massive leads.  It is a modest and prevailing rubric to follow for other startups.

Over to You

As you might have noticed, the best startup websites don’t just rely on website design. They meticulously focus on the design and development of the website. For clear-cut advice, it is best to get help from experts. Whatever industry you belong to, you’ll learn what is the best strategy to take your brand forward. Are you looking forward to a professional website design agency to take all your worries away? Why not give us a try? Ask questions. Share your concerns. I am sure we can come up with innovative ways to highlight your website on Google search result pages.

For some innocent souls, creativity is a gift – something that is showered upon only on special souls like Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, and Steve Jobs. But, to attain inner peace and live peacefully, one must master the skill of creativity. Yes. Every successful person has done it, and so can you. With hands-on work, everyone can unleash and master their creativity. You might be thinking that creativity is not your cup of tea. You’ve read every book, and watched the famous talk “Does School Kill Creativity” by Sir Ken Robinson, but nothing worked for you in the long haul.

How These Creative Geniuses Polished Their Creativity?

It turns out that there are three networks in your brain. The executive attention network facilitates problem-solving by allowing you to focus on the task at hand, the imagination network springs into gear during tasks that require you to reminisce past experiences, plan for the future or project yourself in different settings in the present, while the salience network is basically for making connections in your brain. Luckily, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to practicing creativity. Think of it like writing. The ultimate goal is to be a better writer, but there are multiple ways of getting there. You can take professional courses to hone your writing skills if you want to follow along in the wake of J.K. Rowling; put on your thinking cap and start scribbling ideas to find your Eureka moment; or just read, read, and binge-read on top-drawer writers to give your creative side a rush of dopamine! On a lighter note: “Ok Google,” how do I become a big-shot writer? Creativity follows the same path. There’s no one way to fuel your creativity. Nevertheless, here are a few tangible things you can do to spark that creative side:

1. Schedule Creativity on Calendar

Every morning this man spends 45 minutes in sheer solitude, not thinking about anything, just shutting down his mind to unleash the creativity within. He takes a problem, closes his eyes, and in his mind, conjures up 10 possible solutions for that problem. The result: A couple of companies and billions of dollars to his name. You might have heard about him. Richard Branson – he is kind of a big deal in the business arena. Make creativity a priority. Every day, assign some time to ponder over all the problems that are bugging you. The best time to start is at the beginning of every day. When you assign a specific time for creativity, your brain will be programmed to unleash genius ideas that will help you solve nearly every impossible problem.

2. Boredom Leads to Creativity

If you wear “busy” as a badge of honor and boast over how much you can handle on your plate, you are basically just scheduling every second of every day, without any productive results coming out of it. When you keep your brain so occupied, it cannot wander freely. What if I tell you that you need to try inviting boredom for a change? It’s because when you are bored, daydreams kick in. The apple fell on Newton when he was probably lounging idly under the tree. Einstein presented the theory of relativity when he was bored to death. Studies have shown that boredom leads to creativity. When your mind is relaxed, it goes into a highly creative state. The good thing is that you can train your mind to stay in a creative state whenever you want. If you’re stuck in a project. Take a stroll through the park. Have some Coffee alone or take a quick nap and be more creative.

3. Experiment with a Project with Various Time Slots

Some people are more creative at night, while others get in the zone when they open their eyes first thing in the morning. How can you figure out your timings? The solution: Work on a project at various times of the day. If you switch the time, your brain will approach the problem with a new pathway. When you change the timing of a project, it will turn on your salience network and allow the mind to make new connections and pathways and bring knowledge banks from unimaginable places. A recent study has shown that if you approach a problem with a fresh mind, solutions will come in unexpected ways. This is because the creative thinking that occurs in your brain engages various parts of your brain. When you give more attention and focus on a problem with a relaxed mind, a miracle is bound to happen.

4. Get Close to Nature

When in doubt, take help from nature. An entrepreneur’s mind is buzzing with activity at any time. Sometimes, we have to go back to the basics and rely on nature to unblock neural pathways and glean new inspiration.  In fact, walking alone increases creative output by up to 60%, mostly because spending time outside can activate all three of the brain’s creativity networks and give a boost to your creativity. Pick a book and start reading in a park. While your mind is busy appreciating the beauty around you, your subconscious mind will come up with a brilliant solution to your problem. If you cannot leave your office. Install an app like Nature Sounds that can give you a flavor of nature right in your office. If you’re not a fan of creativity, you can even try popping in your headphones and listening to your favorite music. Research suggests that listening to a classical piece can break the barrier and suggest a viable solution.

5. Try Something Entirely Different

If you heed your leisurely yearnings, good for you. But if your work is too mundane, you can try moving away from your comfort zone for a while. For instance, if you are a designer. Try doodling anything that is in front of you. If you’re a writer. Try changing the genre that you normally write in. The simplest of all is to try doing the daily house chores with your weak hand. Meaning, if you are a leftie, try brushing your teeth with your right. When you do something entirely different, your brain will create new connections, and this will increase your chances of coming up with brand-grandiose ideas.

6. Become an Idea Machine

There are few people with a thirst for knowledge more profound than James Altucher. Altucher is a best-selling author, investor, and podcast host. And Altucher explained why he could find so many creative achievements. And why? His commitment to being an "idea machine". Austin Kleon is another leading expert on how to be more creative. Study the work of both geniuses and you’ll understand that anyone can achieve real creativity. Oh, and if you get an idea for a website development or a mobile app development, do talk to us. We can get your website developed in record time.

You might be an entrepreneur at heart! When he was a toddler, he used to take a screwdriver and break apart his crib. Because he felt uncomfortable while sleeping on that crib. He was faced with a problem and so he devised a solution for it. At the ages between 4 – 16, he spends most of his time with his grandparents’ ranch in Texas. Repairing the windmills with a limited set of tools available at that time. As a kid, he was fascinated with space. Which later turned into a space company called Blue Origin. Some people might label him as a lucky guy, but with a net worth of $160 billion, Jeff Bezos showed an early sign of brilliance right from his childhood. “My mom thought that the best-suited job for me was to lay carpets because she was really concerned about my future. But I was a side hustler right from my childhood.” ~Mark Cuban When all the kids were busy playing on the ground, Mark was busy completing the rarest of stamps and organizing them. Since the stamps were unique Mark was able to charge anything, and kids paid for it. If you talk to successful Entrepreneurs they will tell you that success comes from their blood, sweat, and tears. And maybe some good luck. There is no formal education for Entrepreneurship that can guarantee success. But surely if you show some early signs of being an Entrepreneur, you just need to polish those skills. Here are 10 signs which will mark you as a genuine Entrepreneur and you must work a little to highlight those skills and understand yourself better.

1. You are a Risk Taker

Most humans love to stay in their comfort zone. Risk starts when people move from the comfort zone to the unpredictable area. Where there is no one way to succeed. People who love to take risks are true Entrepreneurs. Taking the risk when you don’t know if the paycheck will come or not is the true soul of Entrepreneurship. For Entrepreneurs, every opportunity is a risk. They see it as a challenge to work out on Plan B when failure is guaranteed. They might not have a safety net at the place, but when things go south, real Entrepreneurs learn how to handle a situation without any map.

2. Sheer Confidence

At the start of his career, he applied for a police job. 5 people applied. 4 of them passed and he failed. He then applied to KFC. There were 26 people. 24 of the people got the job, and again he failed to get the job. He made a business plan and showed it to his family. None of the family members supported the plan. But Jack Ma created Alibaba and succeeded because he believed in himself. Confidence isn’t learned. It’s by birth. If you’re born with it, you can be a good Entrepreneur. As an Entrepreneur, if you have confidence in your ability and skill, go launch your business. The successful Entrepreneurs have this high level of confidence in them. The positivity makes them see the glass half full in every situation.

3. You Find a Quick Solution to a Problem

As mentioned earlier when Jeff Bezos worked in his grandparent’s farm there were no tools to do the right job. At that time Jeff started figuring out things on his own. The ability to find a quick solution to a problem is rare among common people. People with an Entrepreneurial mindset focus on solutions rather than problems. If they face any problem, they try to devise a solution for it. Some of the Entrepreneurs ask themselves the difficult question. How can this problem be solved? They collaborate with website design & development agencies and mobile app development agencies to create a solution to the problem.

4. You Hate 9-5 Job

Most of the 9-5 jobs these days don’t allow employees to move forward with their ideas. They force the employees to keep a fixed mindset and follow whatever is working for the company. The people with an Entrepreneurial mindset hate it when someone limits their creative thinking. The typical 9-5 job restricts employees, so they cannot work on new ideas. While Entrepreneurs turn their ideas into their own ventures. If you have this attitude to ignore the rules and innovate something new, pat yourself on the back. You’re an Entrepreneur!

5. You Can Sell Anything to Anyone

Being an Entrepreneur is like being a brand yourself. And if you have this natural ability to sell yourself. You can succeed as an Entrepreneur. You need to evolve your salesmanship skills so that you can sell your idea to anyone. From customers to investors, and people who are not willing to buy from you yet. If you don’t have this ability to sell your product, grab a book on sales and master the art of selling. Although you can start with a co-founder who is good at selling then you need to share the profit margin with them.

6. Being Persistent is the Ultimate Key

Talk to any successful Entrepreneur and they will brag about being consistent. Every successful Entrepreneur at some point in time felt like quitting and leaving the planet, but the genuine ones kept on going in the direction of their dreams. Some of the life challenges are more difficult than others. But Entrepreneurs are persistent. They don’t alienate themselves from failures. In fact, they move towards the storm and come out in one piece.

7. You Feel Uncomfortable with the Status Quo

While common people prefer to stick with a routine, Entrepreneurs aren’t happy with the status quo. They want to make things better with their inventions and ideas. When Richard Brandon was traveling to Puerto Rico with his wife, the flight got canceled. Instead of complaining about the airline, he picked up his phone, chartered a private plane, and gathered passengers to fly at $39 per passenger. As an Entrepreneur, you find ways to improve the process workflow. This can be a technology industry or any other industry. If you see everyday things and feel eager to fix them, you have the right spirit.

8. You Build Solutions as a Hobby

Entrepreneurs love building things. These things are mostly solutions to real-life problems. It starts with a hobby and scales to influence and improve the lives of people around them. This solution can be in the form of anything. Either a website, an app, or a digital marketing service that is aimed to generate traffic and increase leads for a brand.

9. You See Opportunity Everywhere

There is this old story. An international brand sent two salespeople to the same village and asked them about the opportunity that resides in the village. The brand was selling shoes. The first salesperson responded. ‘There is no point in going in that village, no one wears shoes there.’ And the second salesperson responded, ‘No one is wearing shoes in the village. There is unlimited opportunity for us.’ Entrepreneurs just don’t see life as positive, they see opportunity everywhere. This is what turns. This is what moves strong business owners to create a business around it.

10. You’re Always Competing

Entrepreneurs are usually competitive. Not just other brands but their own selves. They use ideas, confidence, and persistence to generate ideas and compete with themselves and others. This habit starts in childhood and never leaves people throughout their lives. Even if there are businesses already in the market, true Entrepreneurs focus on improving their brand and work on their selves to improve daily.

To Wrap it All Up

Owning a company won’t guarantee you love your job all the time, but it will increase overall satisfaction and morale. While most people could start a business at any time, it’s those with passion and a will to succeed that make things happen.

I’ve always dreamed of becoming a billionaire to run my own business. Having enough money to buy a Lamborghini without having any second thoughts. But then it occurred to me that there is a lot of demanding work involved before I realize my aspirations. The answers aren’t all peaches & cream, but this doesn’t mean there is no hope left. The interesting part is that in this era, there is no need to experience everything ourselves. There are lessons gleaned from successful people around us. From a distance, it seems like there are a lot of lessons we can all take away from business schools, such as those that emphasize planning and making informed decision-making. Regardless of how well the professors teach, they cannot instill in us everything. At the end of the day, there will still be some things they don’t teach you in business school. Sure, you can ask a few questions before joining a medical school or even an engineering degree, but this doesn't mean that you'll earn a lot of success early in life. I am extremely sorry to murder your sweet dreams, but getting an MBA degree alone won’t be a ticket to your success. But the prudent choice you made by reading this blog will indubitably make your wallet a tad bit heavier. But in terms of lessons learned, you’ll get to know what things you need to consider if you’re willing to start a business or work for a budding startup.

Lessons Learned Outside the Business School

1. How to Act Like a Leader?

Some say that leaders are born, while others say that leaders are borne of the circumstances they face while pursuing their grand dreams. According to a survey conducted by Harvard Business Review, out of the top 100 best-performing CEOs, only 24% hold an MBA degree. For a leader to be successful, there are leadership skills which cannot be learned in a classroom. You must move out of the classroom to know your strengths and weaknesses.

2. Not Everything Can be Solved on Paper

There is no single way to success. In a business school, you’re taught theories and principles from highly successful brands. While it is okay to know what worked for them, it is also important to know that it might work for you. To succeed in business, you need to move away from paper and do some practical work. On the long arc of life, you’re either falling backward or falling forward. You must figure out everything that comes to you.

3. How to Develop & Forge Good Relationships?

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~African Proverb In life and business relationships lead to more sales. If you take some time to build your soft skills, your business will grow. In a business school, you’ll learn a lot about principles, theories, and even how to grow your numbers to maximize your sales. But hardly anyone will teach you about forging relationships and closing more sales. Until you meet great people you won’t learn tricks of the trade. Meeting people will help you to learn how to interact with people and attract them towards you without freaking them out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-UfI2BZ0cU

4. How to Start a New Business?

A business school will teach you how to do research, how to make a budget, choose a great business idea, and so on. Despite lessons learned, starting a business is more about generating an idea. Do you have to learn how to build a billion-dollar business without spending time? And they don’t teach you this in high school. To build a successful brand, you can start in your parents’ basement, but to grow your startup from zero to a billion dollar you need to learn from people and successful businesses around you. Know people so they can invest in your business and make you a millionaire. And for that, you need to learn everything outside the business school.

5. Get Great at Instant Problem Solving

Business models are important. But sometimes it takes more than a set of rules to grow your business. When the conventional wisdom ends, there lies an opportunity for an Entrepreneur to surpass their limits and make something worthwhile. Business schools teach you about following rules and solving each problem with the help of a business model. While in real life there is no one way to solve a problem. Good businesses solve problems faster than their competitors. At times the usual solution doesn’t work and then what businesses do is think outside the box, and successful businesses even reward their employees for solving creative problems. Nothing of this sort is taught in business schools.

6. Taking Risks is Prohibited

MBA programs are designed in a way which limits the ability to take risks. If you take risks, you’ll fail, and failing is not an option in a business school. But without failing you cannot succeed. When it comes to weighing opportunity over potential failure, you are bound to follow certain rules and formulas in a business school. While if you don’t take risks how will you explore the depth of your pond? Unless you’re comfortable living in a shared apartment you must choose from your comfort zone & start taking risks.

7. How to Whip the Office Politics?

Regardless of how good you are as a human being, there will always be some black sheep around you. Mostly, business schools will teach you a lot about SOPs and the internal workings of an office, but what they don’t teach is how to deal with mongrels? Starting from the top-level management right to the low-level employee, this is one thing that you can only learn on the go. It is up to you. You can either create an environment of fun or you can create a never-ending cycle of problems and challenges.

How to Outdistance Your Competitors Without Killing Them?

While you’re in a business school competition keeps you alive. You’re motivated to stay ahead of the curve and get good grades. But it doesn’t teach you how to utilize your strengths & overcome your weaknesses. Despite crying real-life competition will teach you how to survive and do head-to-head competition.

1. Stop Being Logical & Start Trusting Your Instincts

“Never discredit your gut instinct. You’re not being paranoid. Your body can pick up vibrations, some better than others, and if something deep inside you says something’s not right about a person or situation, trust it and keep pushing.” Anonymous Ultra-successful entrepreneurs would prioritize their instincts over anything else. Your intuition will realize the vibrations and make course corrections along the way. While pursuing an MBA program, there are lessons learned in the books. But apart from the books, sometimes you need to trust your guts and take guidance from a higher power.

2. Goal Setting

While in an MBA program the only goal you need to worry about getting higher grades than your friends, in business you must sit down and make some long-term goals. Goal setting makes you accountable and ensures that everyone in the team is going in the same direction. With a single business goal, there is more chance of succeeding than just getting good grades in your MBA course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOfl2sbgPhk

The End

“Imagine if you will be being on your deathbed – And standing around your bed – the ghosts of the ideas, the dreams, the abilities, the talents given to you by life." – Les Brown I am sure you’re not planning to die with your song buried in your heart. If you’re serious about leaving a legacy behind, start learning and get ready to embrace every setback you get in life.

Regardless of how innovative or awe-inspiring, your product idea is, if there is no money to back it up, you will only be able to sustain your business for a fleeting time, or worse still, keep daydreaming. Well, unless you receive a random call from the producers of Shark Tank by a fluke of luck, you need to forage for finances. One of the major problems that today’s Entrepreneurs face is finding investors for their business. Amazingly, unlike old times when there were no social media and crowdfunding websites, founders used to spend their days in the garden of a potential investor, or in a networking event talking to real people. If you don’t have any idea how to pitch your product, check out pitch-deck templates that can help you persuasively pitch your business ideas. Whether you’re looking for small-term or large-scale investments, here are some ways in which you can meet your ideal potential investors & force them to invest in your business without giving any second thoughts.

Start with Friends & Family

I don’t know about you, but when I was little, I used to borrow money from friends & family to try out various ideas that kept popping up in my mind. Sometimes, it was something as simple as setting up a lemonade stand on a scorching summer day, at others, I was launching my own printing business from my room. When it comes to asking for money, friends and family are the obvious first choice. Firstly, you don’t bite your nails in apprehension at the thought of it. You know you can count on them. Second, they don’t expect a strict ROI from you. They simply invest because they believe in you and no matter how many times you mess up, it is your friends and family who will have your back time and again, without doubting your idea or efforts. But the only thing that has changed since I bade farewell to the good old innocent days, is that back then, failure didn’t mean that big of a deal to me. If something didn’t work, I simply moved on with the next idea. Now, I have bigger responsibilities to shoulder, so I must give back even if they are not asking.

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A general rule of thumb is that if you’re starting a business that requires an investment below $50,000, it is good to ask your loved ones to invest in the business. Otherwise, for investments above $50,000, you need to go for angel investors or venture capitalists.

Angel Investors

As mentioned earlier, an Angel Investor is someone who will invest more than $50,000 in your business. However, before you start looking for an angel investor, it is good to know some things first. Normally, an angel investor will ask for 8 – 10% of the profit for 5 years. The good thing about angel investors is that they won’t get involved in the business, as long as they are getting their fair share. As for venture capitalists, they seek serious involvement in the business and decision-making process. There is a difference between an angel investor and a VC. If you don’t know where to find angel investors, go for this list.

Venture Capitalists

If you are asking for an investment greater than $1.5 M, you need to hook in a venture capitalist. In return, they generally ask for a 30% share in the company. Take a good look at the list of venture capitalists and seek help from them. Venture Capitalists are more inclined toward your long-term plans. What do the figures say? When will they start getting ROI? If they are getting their money back, they won’t bug you. But, if you’re not giving them back, they will withdraw their investment, leaving you lurching by a thread.

Social Websites

Besides startup funding sites, where you can find investors, there are social websites that can help you solicit investment for your business. I am not at all talking about Facebook or Twitter, I am talking about Quora & LinkedIn. Don’t be perplexed. Yes, actual investors are hanging out on Quora. Regardless of its core purpose, which is to help people solve their problems, it is a social hub for angel investors and venture capitalists to seek new ideas and invest in them. If you’re not using these social sites, you’re missing a good chunk of investment for your startup. Another website is “Idea of Entrepreneur”. You can pitch your start-up idea and wait for the investors to invest in it.

Crowdfunding Websites

What is crowdfunding? It is basically about gathering people to support your startup. Nearly everyone is aware of Kickstarter.com. Indiegogo is another crowdfunding website that can help you get funded for your grand idea. Talk to investors, sell them your idea, and establish long-term relationships with your investors directly. Finding the investor is the easy part, but making them realize that your business is a growing business is hard.

3 Strategies to Win the Hearts & Cash of Investors

1. Knowledge & Confidence that Your Startup is the Right Place to Invest in

While talking to the investor, you need to ensure that you have a solid plan in place. Not just a PowerPoint presentation, but a persuasive pitch as well.

2. Add Value to People

Next comes adding value to people’s lives with your product. If your product is improving the lives of people, figure out an angle that can showcase it in that way. Pass on your excitement to investors and make them believe in your product.

3. Have a Deal Ready

Do you have all the numbers in place? If not, get it done before you pitch them to the investor. Future predictions, how much return will the investor get in the next 5 years? Or when can they expect ROI?

Conclusion

If you can acquire real customers, you will be under less pressure to seek outside money. When you do, you can achieve better terms from better investors. But as a startup, you should know how to find investors who can help you kick-start your business.

Failures are integral to the journey of highly successful entrepreneurs, offering valuable life-long lessons. Key takeaways include the importance of resilience, where setbacks are seen as stepping stones to success, and the necessity of taking risks for innovation, even if some ventures fail. Persistence is crucial, as overcoming obstacles often leads to long-term success. It is a never-ending debate. Some say that Entrepreneurs are born while others believe that they’re the outcome of their circumstances. One way or another, each Entrepreneur came with their own set of struggles, which they dealt with and found their way out of. JK Rowling has offered hope to aspiring authors everywhere, after revealing that she was turned down by 12 Publishers before finding success with the Harry Potter books. She was a single mother at that time and barely making ends meet. Tim Ferriss faced 25 rejections for the 4-hour week before the book was published. Every Entrepreneur, whether big or small, has faced brutal failures throughout their careers. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from others and not make the same mistakes again. Whether you have witnessed the ugly face of rejection, faced a massive failure, or got demotivated at some point in life. This list will remind you to focus on the ray of sunshine peeking out from behind the ominous clouds.

1. Bill Gates – Weak Business Model

Before all the fame and money, Bill Gates was just an ordinary guy working on projects and figuring them out. In the early 1970s, Gates came up with a company known as Traf-O-Data, which aimed to analyze the data from roadway counters and create reports for traffic engineers. Paul Allen, in an interview, revealed that the business model for Traf-O-Data was flawed. Traf-O-Data totaled the net losses of $3,494. The shop was closed shortly after that. Lesson: Always start with a solid business model. Plan the pros and cons on a strategic level.

2. Evan Williams - Wrong Launch Date

The founder of Twitter faced a massive failure with his product Odeo. Although Evan worked hard on the product, the only mistake he made was launching it on the same day as the podcast section of iTunes came out. However, the side project Twitter went on to become an instant hit. Lesson: In every business, patience is the key to success. If Evan Williams had stopped creating and testing his ideas, we wouldn’t have Twitter today. Find some side projects you can count on to earn a little extra on the side. If you play your cards right, you can turn an idea into a full-scale business.

3. Jeff Bezos – Obsession Over Competitors

When Jeff Bezos started Amazon, he was laser-focused on its competitors. The project failed massively but Bezos took important lessons out of it. Speaking in an interview, Bezos shared, ‘I was so busy focusing on our competitors that I forgot our customers.’ Lesson: With Amazon, Bezos never bothered about the competitors. Right from the word go, Bezos kept his eyes on pleasing the customers. The key here is to follow the 80/20 rule. This means that focus your energy on that 20 % of the customers who are giving you 80% of the business.

4. Fred Smith – Embrace & Learn From Failure

When a video of FedEx throwing a computer went viral, it bashed the core values that FedEx held dear for its company. Right after the video went viral, instead of playing the blame game, Fred Smith took responsibility and asked his employee to upload an apology video. Lesson: Businesses fail and succeed mostly because of their values. Once the value is injected into the customer, a customer creates the pertinent perception of the company. If that perception is wrecked, it is difficult to get it back. Therefore, it is important to hold your company values close to your heart.

5. Peter Thiel – Surviving the $7 Billion Loss

Sometimes, we learn things the hard way. Peter Thiel learned the hard lesson when one fine morning, he heard that he had lost $7 billion in the stock market; a massive 90% of his total assets. Instead of blaming anyone, Peter worked hard and created two billion-dollar businesses and sold them with pride. Lesson: In business, failure is imminent. But not learning from that failure is the real failure. If you have failed, make sure that you get back up and continue on without making the same mistakes again. It is not just about failing, it is about trying things which did not work for you. Try something else.

To Wrap it Up

As we have seen, none of the people above were an overnight success. Success comes at a heavy price. And if you’re not prepared to pay the price. It will crush you and come again for you. The key is to take lessons from every failure and move on as if nothing happened. If you harbor grudges, it won’t do anyone good. The highly successful Entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes and move on with a fresh set of eyes.

By understanding the unique skill set that gamers possess, aspiring entrepreneurs can harness their gaming experiences to build successful businesses. Remember the time when we used to spend hours on our gaming console trying to pass a stage? At times, it would become too difficult for us to just get our way around challenging bosses. Fortunately, somehow, we always used to kill the boss and finally clear that stage. Have you ever wondered how we used to do it? We used to tweak our perspectives. We used to modify our combat tactics and used to find new and better ways to position ourselves to attack them. These were the days we used to spend hours crazily tapping on our joysticks like true adrenaline junkies. Back then, gaming was mostly offline and the best option we had was to play it with a friend in multiplayer mode. However, with the advent of the Internet, and explosive advancement in graphics cards and computing power, PC gaming became the new norm of the gaming universe. It opened new doors to better options by giving a whole new gaming experience to all of us. We got online servers and game rooms to play with each other. Amazingly, with cloud networking making its way into the gaming world, it enabled us to save our progress in real-time so we can start off just where we left off the last time. So much of it transformed in such little time. Our whole gaming experience changed as we were introduced to a range of new genres including MMORPGs and MOBAs each one of them offering a whole new and different experience. According to research, it has been approved that gaming triggers the cognitive ability of the human mind in decent ways. Nowadays, game developers are designing games which move you out of a continuous repetitive cycle and intrigue you to make judgments, collaborate with other players, solve mysteries through investigation, make choices, puzzle solving, and much more. In short, gaming has changed the way it used to be back in the day. Have you ever wondered how similar online gaming is to entrepreneurship? Let’s see how gaming can teach us to become the perfect entrepreneur.

In Online Gaming, You Can’t Turn the “God Mode” On

Normally, when we used to play offline games on our console, we developed a habit of turning the difficulty level to “God Mode.” It enabled us to easily tackle some of the most difficult enemies and beat the system like a piece of cake. However, in online gaming, there is no such thing as “God Mode.” In an online game, every enemy you face is a real-life person sitting behind a screen just like you, ready to kick your butt. If you want to compete with them, you need to work on your toon skills and hone them to the maximum. The only way to beat them is to outsmart them in combats or offense/defense strategies. The life of an entrepreneur is pretty much the same. There is no such thing as God Mode in the life of an entrepreneur. When they step into the market with their big idea, challenges come their way as if they have started their first quest in an online game. In fact, there are no tutorials or walkthroughs for an entrepreneur. They have to find their way into the battle, challenge competitors, and move up in the line constantly surpassing one after another. In case, you show anyone your weaknesses, your competitor will find a way to exploit that moment and turn the tables in their favor.

Never Stop Trying Until You Succeed

There is a famous saying,

“If you want to succeed in life; don’t ever stop trying to achieve your objectives”

Following that particular quote, I believe no experience can teach you this lesson as effectively as online gaming. For online gamers, stopping themselves from trying to achieve quest objectives is second to none. Here’s food for thought: you can’t ask an online gamer to pause the game and do your bidding. Not because they are rude to you or anything, it’s just because they can’t pause! It’s an online game with real-life people battling to complete their set objectives. Have you ever played Dota 2? I am sure you can relate to what I am trying to say here. Plus, your MMR is important for you, so you just can’t stop! Period. In fact, you can relate this rule to any other multiplayer game of your choice where competition takes place. So, when you are consistently trying to achieve your goals, the chance of failing at achieving them becomes close to zero. Also, in offline gaming, you play against bots which are pretty much predictable. But in online gaming, the case is different. Your challenges are real human beings who are ironically quite unpredictable. I know what you are thinking here! How can one relate this to the life of an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurs are faced with organizational challenges… and here’s what they do: they don’t ever give up. They keep on trying hard until they find their way out of the pickle. They rethink their strategies, reiterate their operations, rework their work-hour manifestos, and plan alternate moves to get out of that corner. For entrepreneurs, it’s sort of a daily grind. They improvise their routines and tactically resolve the problem. In short, they never stop trying until they succeed.

Always Watch Your Back & Be Wary of Your Rivals

Online gaming is extremely competitive. Therefore, every time you walk into the battle zone, you always make sure that you don’t enter an arena unprepared. Secondly, studying your competition is most important. If you aren’t going to study your competitors how do you think you are going to counter them when the odds are against you on the battlefield? Here, entrepreneurs can learn a lesson or two from active gamers. An active gamer is always vigilant and looking behind his back for his competition by checking leaderboards every day... speaking like a true gamer here! Entrepreneurs can also keep a check on their leaderboards to study their competitors every day. I know that most entrepreneurs have a completely packed routine, but keeping an eye out once in a while isn’t going to cost you much of your precious time. Trust me. But unlike any gamer in town, entrepreneurs aren’t always looking for a way to beat their competitors in the market. They are, however, more inclined towards the thought of studying them to understand how they do things differently. Entrepreneurs always want to add something unique to their offering; they want an idea that can sweep the market off its feet, and to make it unique, they need to first find out if someone hasn’t already implemented it. So, keeping an eye out for competitors also helps them to stay up-to-date with competitors’ features/products/services. Also, understanding what competitors are doing better and how they are doing it better than the rest of the crowd is an important aspect that can help entrepreneurs tap into their competitors' audience.

Teamwork Gets You Ahead in the Game

Are you wondering what other perks can bring out the most in an online gamer? Here’s something that can give your entrepreneurial flame a bit of a flare. Whether you are an online gamer or an entrepreneur, effective team collaboration will always keep you ahead in the game. As we can see, the situations for both are somewhat similar, when an online gamer finds himself in the face of adversity or calamity, he always finds his way back to other teammates who are skilled enough to help him out in achieving his cause. The same goes for an entrepreneur. There are many obstacles and challenges that an entrepreneur can fail to face alone; hence, they need assistance to overcome them. The best option that an entrepreneur has in such a situation is to find some allies who can help him/her get out of the fix. Sometimes, even employees working under you aren’t adept enough to find a way out! The problem just might lie above their and your expertise. For example, you are run over by a Level 7 DDoS attack, and the protection options you have are to prevent a DDoS attack from entering at a Level 3/4 layer. What’s the best option you have? Find someone to help you fix it. There is no harm in asking for favors if you can return them back on a later date.

Time is of the Essence

Activities that are engaging can become quite time-consuming and can create havoc or disruptions. The same is the case in real life for entrepreneurs. However, online gaming has a remedy to help you buckle up and get time-bound in project execution and deliveries. So, when was the last time you played PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) lol. Some online games are time-bound and enhance your time management skills while playing. When we talk about online gaming, time management is a key to survival. If you aren’t able to complete the task within a set time span, you can ultimately end up losing points, health, or the stage itself. For example, in God of War 4, some combat modes are designed with time-bound attacks. If you fail to react to an attack inflicted by a charging opponent, you ultimately lose your grip on the battle, and they overpower you. Now, in real life, you just can’t afford that to happen, could you? Entrepreneurs spend hours mastering the art of time management. They take multiple courses, organize their schedules, and work hard to optimize their workflows so they can shave off some extra time on their clock. Yet, they always find themselves spending more hours in their business than they have already mapped out. Here’s a lesson for all of you: start playing time-bound games. They will not actually help you organize time by managing workflows, but they will help you to strategize quickly and better. If you are good at quick decision-making, it will be a whole lot easier for you to manage your time. So with that, I believe I am going to call it a day. Here are all the reasons why I believe that online gamers can actually become successful entrepreneurs. Online gaming is not so bad if you don't get too addicted to it. In fact, it teaches you a whole lot more than you can imagine. It helps you map out things subconsciously when you are too busy strategizing and finding your way through the crowd. Yes, some online game servers are hell busy with toons flooding every now and then, so be prepared until next time.