Your Guide to Partnership Marketing

If you are anything like most small business owners, you don’t have a huge marketing budget.  And while free organic social media might be helping you a bit, you are likely looking for more effective ways to market your business without spending a ton of money. That’s where partnership marketing comes in! What is Partnership […]

Start Small. Dream Big. – The Power of Beta Testing

Start Small. Dream Big. - The Power of Beta Testing

If there is one major thing all entrepreneurs have in common it’s that we dream big and get excited easily! Both of these characteristics are great, but if we don’t reign those in we can get into trouble. Successful entrepreneurs embrace the “start small, dream big” mentality and know the power of beta testing. As […]

Entrepreneurship Realities

Entrepreneurship realities

Most business owners start their ventures because they’re passionate about their craft or concept.  That passion fuels their desire to risk it all and launch their business. And while passion plays a role in entrepreneurship, the reality is your passion alone won’t create a successful business. In fact, successful entrepreneurs typically end up doing less […]

Standard Operating Procedures – Why & How

standard operating procedures

Whether you are a company of one or have 100+ employees, you have a specific way you get things done. Many business owners keep all their systems in their heads which is not super efficient especially if you plan to bring on employees or scale.  So, today we are talking about how and why you […]

7 Ways to Overcome Overwhelm

person behind overwhelming work on desk

Small business owners have their plates full with an endless list of tasks.  Everything from the daily operations, to marketing, training employees, and more stack up quickly. Most entrepreneurs I meet with are feeling overwhelmed and not sure the most effective way to move forward. So how can you overcome overwhelm? Well I stumbled onto […]

11 Must Have Business Skills

According to Forbes, there are “11 Crucial Skills That All Business Owners Need From Day On”.   Today we are going to dive into what they are so you can assess where you stand with each one. Here’s the quick list of 11 skills: Delegation While it isn’t easy to turn tasks over to others, […]

Community, Coworking and Connections for Mental Health

definition of community in book

If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s how incredibly important our mental health is. For the past 2 years, we spent more time alone, isolated, plugged into tech and feeling a reduction in work/life balance. Our mental health and wellbeing suffered as we worked to navigate this new way of life.  Now we are in […]

The Importance of Competitor Analysis

competitor analysis

No matter how unique your concept is, your business WILL have competitors. In today’s society no business is free of competition and as a result, doing a competitor analysis is crucial to your success. Competitor Analysis is a Must Competitor research gives you insight into your industry, market and competition. With that information you’re in […]

Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is King

word of mouth marketing blog post

Instagram posts and email campaigns are great, but the true magic bullet in marketing is “word-of-mouth”! When customers organically rave about your business, you’ll get more business. It’s as simple as that! The fact is 92% of consumers trust recommendations from family and friends more than advertising campaigns. Plus, click through and social media ads […]

Celebrate Makers of the Upper Cumberland

Celebrate Makers of the Upper Cumberland at Made Here Market

This Saturday May 7th, 2022 from 9:00am to 3:00pm is our 3rd annual Made Here Market.  We are excited to celebrate local makers, artists, musicians and food from the Upper Cumberland region during this family friendly outdoor event.  Why Made Here Market? As the Upper Cumberland Entrepreneur Center located in the heart of downtown Cookeville’s […]