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Matthew Gordon

Educate. Innovate. Create.

Interviewing at a Startup? Read These 5 Books First

shutterstock_125936990Working at a startup is like no other job in the world. You’ll be expected to wear multiple hats, learn on your own, and

Since every employee is so critical in a small company, its founders will want to ensure that you’re a valuable hire. And the best way to prepare for an interview at a startup is to brush up on some key principles of entrepreneurship and growth.

5 Books You Should Read Before the Interview

These books will teach you about the different aspects of running a successful company and arm you with the knowledge you need to take on the startup world.

1. “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries: Ries uses business growth theory and the science of success to teach readers how to create a solid company in an environment of uncertainty. This is the blueprint for building a business that is ready for growth and a must-read for anyone considering entering the startup arena.

If you read only one chapter, don’t miss the chapter on innovation, which provides a great step-by-step model on how to nurture disruptive thinking.

2. “Predictable Revenue” by Aaron Ross: Here is your bible for lead generation, sales development, and consistent sales systems. Ross guides readers through the process of developing predictable success, creating self-managing systems, and establishing sustainability.

This is a short book, so you should read the whole thing and read it again a few months later.

3. “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni: There’s an art to building a strong team. Lencioni walks readers through the process, from participating in self-assessments to identifying the tools needed to build a high-performing organization.

If you only read one chapter, I highly recommend the fable. But if you don’t have time for that, the overview will give you 80 percent of the information you need to know.

4. “Good to Great” by Jim Collins: Have grand plans to build one of the top companies in the world? This is the book you need to read. Collins highlights the differences between good and great companies and explains why “good” is the enemy of those businesses that go the distance. He’ll teach you how to hardwire great performance into a company’s DNA.

If you read only one part, make it the chapter about the Hedgehog Concept. Take it from hedgehogs: Sometimes, simplicity is best. Just as the hedgehog rolls into a ball to outwit the clever fox, every business should find one thing and do it extremely well.

5. “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits” by Verne Harnish: Want to get (and keep) your organization on track for explosive growth quarter after quarter? Read this book for a practical set of tools that will help you with everything from building your culture to securing financing.

If you only read one chapter, make it “Mastering a One-Page Strategic Plan.” You will never execute the steps you need to succeed without a plan, and Harnish provides one of the best one-page templates I have found.

How to Nail the Interview

Once you’ve done the requisite reading, you have to make all that fresh information work for you during the interview. Here are some natural ways to incorporate these concepts into your discussion:

  • If you’re drawing a blank on personal experiences when asked about the most important lesson you’ve learned, answer with one of the principles you read about and how it applies to you.
  • If the interviewer mentions a company that’s not doing well, use a relevant reference from “Good to Great” to analyze its downfall with more context.
  • If the interviewer mentions a specific challenge the company faces, offer ideas from your reading on ways you can help the business move forward.
  • Ask insightful questions based on the principles you’ve learned to glean more information about the organization.
  • Use the concepts in the reading to explain common workplace problems in a simple way.

Reading these books and being able to apply what you’ve read will help set you apart from other candidates by showing you have the knowledge to move the company forward. Educating yourself also demonstrates initiative, which will give any founder confidence that you’ll be a valuable addition to his or her startup team.

Which books have been vital to your entrepreneurial education? Leave a comment, or connect with me on Twitter to share some of your favorites.

Matthew Gordon

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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Is A Big Company Or Small Business Best For You?

imageWhether you just graduated college or you’re simply looking for a positive life change, searching for a job is stressful. The decisions you make will directly affect not only where you work, but also your long-term career path. You have to determine if you want to be a big fish in a small pond or a minnow in the ocean.

The good news is that there are advantages to each. With a little guidance and introspection, you can find the best fit for you.

In this article, Matthew Gordon discusses how to decide if you would thrive best at a large corporation or a small business.

 

Read more at Careerealism.

Matthew Gordon

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Monday, May 5, 2014

5 Unexpected Lessons From the Part-Time Jobs I Survived

shutterstock_138628442 (1)I’ve had my fair share of part-time jobs. Some were fun, some were terrible, and others fell somewhere in between.

When I was still in school, I worked mornings, evenings, and weekends organizing a team of neighborhood kids to help shovel snow and rake leaves. Later, when I was working full-time as a teacher, I flipped houses, tackled remodeling projects, and sold everything under the sun.

While many people view part-time jobs as stopgap measures to make ends meet or to supplement their incomes during college, you can learn many valuable personal and professional lessons from these opportunities that will help define your life.

Part-Time Worker, Full-Time Learner

I learned my first lessons working part-time with my neighborhood clean-up crew and continued to learn new and valuable lessons with each job I tackled:

  1. Hard work doesn’t necessarily mean great pay. My raking and shoveling enterprise quickly taught me that it takes real effort for a kid to shovel piles of snow or rake a big yard clean. I soon realized the value of having employees and being the leader. I could motivate my crew and not end up with aching muscles at the end of the day.
  1. Earning your own money is a good feeling. I liked having my own money so I could buy things without asking my parents to spot me some cash. This reward for jobs well done also encouraged me to practice my financial management skills, a trait I continue to instill in my employees today.
  1. Reward those who work especially hard for you. When I was shoveling snow, I had a client who always gave me a little extra money for the job. Logically, I started shoveling this neighbor’s driveway first! I implement this lesson today by ensuring I always compensate employees for extra effort. Whether it’s a surprise dinner treat or a cash bonus for particularly effective sales work, rewarding extra effort can increase motivation and create a personal connection with those go-getters.
  1. Efficiency rules. During my years as a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, ordering school supplies was always a big pain. It meant dealing with the administration and district and filling out forms in triplicate just to get the necessary supplies for my classroom. Nothing will convince you to commit to running your own (efficient) business faster than dealing with red tape. In my business, we employ a system of getting what you need with as little oversight and paperwork as possible.
  1. You can only make so many personal sales contacts. When I was first selling educational products, I realized I could only shake so many hands. To expand my sales reach, I incorporated telesales to conduct business on an international scale. In addition, my company was one of the first 10,000 businesses worldwide to offer e-commerce options. While personal relationships are the bread and butter of any business, you should always be looking for ways to expand your reach on a national or global scale.

With each part-time job, I gained valuable skills and tools to help me succeed. These experiences also showed me who I was and who I didn’t want to be. It can be almost impossible to figure out what you want to do with your life without first realizing what you don’t want to do.

You need failure. There is no better lesson than failure. I live and breathe the idea that failing fast and failing early is the best education you can get. The more bad ideas you endure, the more likely you are to strike gold with a winner.

While those odd hours and low-paying jobs may not seem like much, they can and will help shape your life. Focus on what you do and how you do it today. You’ll likely use those lessons when you’re in a line of work that truly ignites your passion. Experiences instruct us for the future, even if you’re learning them by the hour.

What odd part-time jobs have you held, and what lessons did you learn?

 

Matthew Gordon is President and CEO of The Gordon Group, a holding company that primarily managesGraduationSource andAvanti Systems USA. Gordon strives to foster positive corporate culture and empower young minds.

 

Matthew Gordon

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Monday, May 5, 2014

7 Tips for Gen Y Entrepreneurs Looking for Investors

shutterstock_174116087 (1)

Dealing with investors is tricky for all entrepreneurs. But as a member of Generation Y, you don’t just have to field questions about your product or business model; you also have to learn how to anticipate and respond to common misconceptions about you.

As you probably know, Generation Y has a reputation. Most investors assume you’re tech-savvy and socially responsible, but the positive stereotypes pretty much end there. Here’s what investors are probably thinking about you before you ever walk through the door:

  • Generation Y doesn’t care about ROI. Many dot-com-era investors recall how so many Silicon Valley startups were launched without a clear strategy for earning money. They’re wary of idealistic entrepreneurs without a solid financial strategy and articulated plan for growth.
  • Generation Y wants collaboration, not direction. Investors assume you know you have other options, such as crowdfunding or angel groups. They may assume you want to use them for their industry expertise or business acumen, rather than form a lasting relationship.

To make a positive impression on investors, use these preconceptions to your advantage. Instead of highlighting how tech-savvy you are (which they already assume), use that time to talk about the viability of your idea. Make it clear from the first meeting that you’re focused on ROI and looking for a long-term partnership.

4 Things to Consider Before Meeting With Investors

In addition to addressing common generational stereotypes head-on, new entrepreneurs should spend a lot of time preparing for their first meeting to win over investors from the start.

  • Decide whether you really need investments. Look at your business and decide exactly why you need startup cash. Will it make your company grow faster? Will it make your idea more successful? Always keep your funding as lean as possible. You’d be surprised by how much you can do on your own.
  • Try letting someone else make decisions. Ask a friend or employee to make decisions about the future of your company for a few days to see how it feels. Will you be able to handle someone else making decisions for your business? If not, seriously consider whether to ask for investments. With a little more financial freedom comes less autonomy.
  • Understand investors’ motivation. Investors are not friends or advisors. Even investors who want to give back or help an industry are still primarily interested in profit, so you need to show them how your business is going to make them money.
  • Build success. If you want to attract investors, demonstrate success before approaching them. Whether it’s building a strong customer base regionally or validating your business through crowdfunding, success breeds success. Investors will see your initiative and results-driven mindset as a sign of your ability to produce results in the future.

2 Essential Tips for Meeting Investors

Once you’ve decided that you actually want to work with investors, it’s time to pitch. Pitching your idea for the first time can be intimidating, so here are a few tips to put you at ease:

  • Start the conversation with crowdfunding. New projects, ranging from video games to movies, are being created through crowdfunding. Show investors the traction you’ve built with your fans on social media. Even if you haven’t raised a lot of money, a group of contributors or users grabs investors’ attention and reflects well on your business.
  • Have a profit strategy. Determine a clear point in the future when you plan to start earning money. Nothing frustrates investors more than a great idea with little future earnings potential.

The No. 1 Mistake to Avoid

The biggest mistake I see Generation Y entrepreneurs make when pitching to investors is coming poorly prepared. Pitching your idea without financial projections or plans for future growth makes an investor doubt your ability to put your plan into action.

Great ideas often go unfunded because investors don’t grasp their value, but the burden isn’t on the investors to understand a business’ potential — it’s on you to convince them.

Generation Y has many traits that make them great entrepreneurs, but they also have a lot of preconceived notions to overcome. Do your homework, come prepared, and pitch with confidence. If you have a great idea and a solid strategy, you won’t be ignored for long.

Have you faced pushback from investors as a young entrepreneur? How did you overcome their objections?

Matthew Gordon is president and CEO of Gordon Group, a holding company that primarily managesGraduationSource andAvanti Systems USA. Gordon strives to foster positive corporate culture and empower young minds.

 

Matthew Gordon

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Thursday, May 1, 2014

How Millennial Entrepreneurs Can Define Their Own Success

Many Millennials entered the workforce caught between the challenges of starting a career in a down economy and the expectation that rewards and achievements would come as easily as they had throughout their lives. Millennials are perhaps the most criticized generation of all time, but it’s not because they don’t understand how the “real world” works. It’s because the real world has changed before their eyes.

The good news is that Millennials still believe they can make a difference. They believe in their personal value, and they don’t define success as past generations have. They want a life that is characterized by creativity, social recognition, and personal happiness rather than material things, and they want to build this life on their own terms.

Nearly 60 percent of Millennials consider themselves entrepreneurs, and 71 percent of Millennials with “regular” jobs would prefer to quit and work for themselves. Unlike their contemporaries, money is not the primary motivator; rather, it’s the freedom to be their own boss and choose projects that bring them happiness and personal recognition.

To Millennials, DIY Success Is Creative

Three years ago, 26-year-old Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz became the youngest self-made billionaire. He earned his success by revolutionizing an already revolutionary technology: the Internet.

Millennial entrepreneurs like Moskovitz would much rather risk a new path than settle for the traditional route. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fit it” no longer applies. Millennials are a maker generation — and they want to make their mark on the world.

They also want to feel unique. They want to have their own personal style, they seek to be different, and they want to be recognized by others for the value that they alone can provide. Millennials’ work satisfaction is directly tied to these feelings of uniqueness.

You can redefine success for yourself by drawing out your most unique qualities and asking, “During what percentage of my day am I using these qualities?”

If you find that you’re not utilizing your unique qualities enough, incorporate them into more of your day-to-day tasks. You’ll see an improvement in your creativity and feel more fulfilled by what you do.

DIY Success Is Social

Millennials also value recognition. In 2012, South Korean pop star Psy broke the all-time record for most views on YouTube. His music video, “Gangnam Style,” has been viewed more than 1.9 billion times. That’s a kind of social currency that simply didn’t exist 10 years ago. Even today, 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s a lot of people seeking recognition from their peers.

However, social values go beyond “likes” and retweets. The Millennial entrepreneurs I interact with value team success over individual success. In short, they want to hang out with people who bring positive energy into their lives. They focus on not only hiring candidates who are highly qualified, but also on hiring those who will enhance company culture and make the office a better place to be every day.

To feel more “social” success, make a list of people you want to associate yourself with. Then, make a list of people you don’t want to be associated with. Remove the latter group of people from your life. If they work at your company, it may be time to ask yourself why.

DIY Success Is About Being Happy

The popularity of books like “The 4-Hour Workweek” reveals that Millennials are willing to “hack” their way to happiness. The old suits-in-summer business traditions are headed out the door. Millennial entrepreneurs are looking to create relaxed business cultures.

A happy, balanced life does not happen by accident — especially for an ambitious entrepreneur. If you aren’t doing what you’re passionate about, you will burn out fast.

List your top 10 passions, and rank them from the ones you’re most passionate about to least. Take your top passion, and set a specific goal. Remind yourself of your true passions on a regular basis, and make sure your time and energy are going into what you care about most.

Just because your vision of success might not include a dollar sign at the top doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a concrete, detailed plan. Internalize your vision of success, identify the necessary steps to get there, and break those steps down into quarters, months, weeks, and days.

Once you’ve developed a plan, you can set that plan into motion. By following your passions, surrounding yourself with people who make you better, and utilizing your unique strengths every day, you’ll feel more fulfilled by your business and, ultimately, be more successful.

Matthew Gordon

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Forget Climbing the Corporate Ladder: Move Laterally Instead

The motto in traditional corporate culture is “Move up or move out,” but the career landscape is changing. While previous generations entered the workforce planning to keep one job their entire lives, more than 90 percent of Millennials will keep a job for just three years.

This new environment means job seekers need a new strategy: lateral movement.

Rather than moving up incrementally in one department (i.e., climbing the ladder), lateral movement within a company gives you firsthand experience in many departments, which makes you a more marketable hire and a more effective worker.

Why You Should Move Over Before You Move Up

Today, gaining a wide range of experiences is critical if you want to move into higher-level positions. Here are some advantages to getting experience in different departments:

1. You’ll develop a good track record. Excelling in diverse positions shows management that you’re capable of handling whatever is thrown at you. When the opportunity for leadership arises, you’ll have a history of success at the company and lots of people who can vouch for you.

2. You’ll show employers you’re flexible. Lateral movement impresses employers because it shows you’re willing to do what it takes to help the company and work outside your comfort zone.

3. You’ll develop a diverse skill set. Moving laterally helps you build skills you might need in the future. A variety of experiences also diversifies your professional portfolio and prepares you for possible career changes. You never know when your dream job will pop up, and your experience might be just the “something extra” employers are looking for.

4. You’ll see the bigger picture in your industry. Working in diverse departments gives you a bird’s-eye view of your company and your field. You’ll see how decisions affect every sector of the business and how each department connects.

Personal Barriers to Lateral Movement

Despite the advantages of lateral movement, you might still be unwilling to give a different department a try. Here are three common personal barriers to embracing lateral movement and how you can overcome them.

1. You’re afraid of failing. It can be frightening to step off the ladder, knowing you could lose everything you’ve worked for if you fail in your new role.

Solution: Seek someone you admire — inside or outside your company — who can give advice about your new role. A mentor can help you avoid pitfalls, recover quickly from mistakes, and plan how to move forward in your career.

2. You’re lazy. It’s normal to feel a sense of laziness when it comes to taking on new tasks. But laziness is usually only masking boredom or a lack of motivation.

Solution: Find your passion. Combating laziness means finding something that will light a fire under you. If you’re already employed and have some vacation days saved up, why not take a “workcation” and focus on exploring your passions for a week or two?

3. You want something more prestigious more quickly. Some people want to climb the ladder quickly for a better title and a better salary. They long for the status and pride that comes from achieving a high position. Putting time and effort into moving laterally doesn’t seem like it will pay off quickly enough.

Solution: Change your perspective to adopt long-term thinking. Understand that without learning about every area of the business, you’re less likely to succeed in future leadership positions. Consider lateral movement an investment in your career — building experiences and skills that will prepare you for your dream job.

While climbing the ladder may seem easier, think of it this way: Ladder-climbing gives you tunnel vision, while lateral movement allows you to see the bigger picture. Besides, what’s the fun in climbing a ladder that never ends when you could explore every avenue of your company and find your passion instead?

Matthew Gordon

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

How to Start an E-Commerce Company in New York

Now more than ever, entrepreneurs and investors are looking to New York City
and the surrounding areas as a center for startups.

There are many great resources and opportunities for new businesses, and the thriving cultural epicenter of New York City attracts some of the best tech talent
the world has to offer.

When starting a business in the City That Never Sleeps, you’ve got access to New York City’s unbelievable pool of resources, which includes top talent,
Wall Street, Silicon Alley, and world-class retailers and wholesalers.

If you choose to make New York your start-up’s home, you’re in good company.
Read the entire article of tips and tricks HERE

Matthew Gordon

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

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The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

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Matthew GordonI am the President and CEO of Gordon Group, a holding company that manages successful growth focused companies. My leadership at its core is to create progressive & positive corporate cultures.

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