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BUSINESS

Black Entrepreneur Known For Her Trucking Company Sells Out 2023 Conference For Ambitious Women Entrepreneurs

by Ava Robinson November 6, 2023

written by Ava Robinson

Kristi Jackson-Muhammad is the visionary behind the 25th Annual Global Power Tour Conference for Ambitious Women Entrepreneurs, which has already sold out. She previously gained notoriety for her accomplishments as one of the first black female owners of a trucking firm. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for this event in Houston, Texas, and the stage is set. The world’s most esteemed and exclusive meeting of progressive women in business will occur in Houston from November 8–12.

This event, which has attracted notice globally for its unparalleled commitment to empowering and promoting the chances, talents, and ambitions of women entrepreneurs, is limited to a select group of 100. As the premier event for women looking to create a name for themselves in the business world, the conference offers current and prospective coaches a unique and priceless platform for professional growth, networking, and mentoring.
“Every year, the Global Power Tour Conference acts as a lighthouse for female coaches who are already in the industry or who want to enter it, giving them the resources, knowledge, and networks they need to succeed in the cutthroat business world,” Kristi stated.

The conference, well-known for its inspiring keynote speakers, thought-provoking seminars, and unmatched networking opportunities, is a wealth of knowledge and creativity. Whether seasoned company owners or aspiring businesswomen ready to take their first steps, attendees can anticipate a schedule with seminars meant to unleash their potential.

“This event is a boundary-breaking opportunity for women in business to network, acquire useful skills, and draw inspiration from some of the most brilliant minds in the field,” Jackson-Muhammad continued.

This historic occasion has created excitement among participants as well as in the fields of business coaching for women and women in general. The conference’s success is evidence of the increasing effect and influence of women in the international business arena.

To give present and prospective company owners the knowledge, techniques, and networking opportunities necessary to grow their companies, Global Power Tour is a 30-city business conference established in 2016.

November 6, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS

Meet the Black Woman Behind the World’s Best Banana Pudding Available in 30+ Different Flavors.

by Ava Robinson November 6, 2023

written by Ava Robinson

Meet Janel Prator, the creative force and soul of The Puddery, a Pearland, Texas-based dessert business with over 30 varieties of banana pudding. Janel is the Chief Pudding Officer (CPO), not just any officer. She embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship and unadulterated culinary enthusiasm.

Unaware that she was setting the stage for a dessert revolution in 2006, Janel was employed as a field technician for a phone company. She was usually the one to spoil her colleagues with delicious treats that she made at home.
However, the reaction she received when she took her banana pudding to work one day was remarkable. Call it a suitable frenzy. As the “born-preneur” that she considered herself to be, Janel recognized the potential in this. Thus, the Puddery came into being.

Janel reinvented the well-known southern staple, banana pudding, instead of following the predetermined path. She employed high-quality ingredients in her puddings and experimented with unusual fruits and biscuits to create a novel twist on a classic dessert.

The Puddery’s banana pudding attracted the attention of more than just Janel’s colleagues. Appearances on reality shows like The Great Food Truck Race, formerly known as Nana Queens, on the Food Network in 2010, and Mind Your Business with Mahisha Dillenger on OWN in 2018 are evidence of its skyrocketing popularity.

Now, at several neighborhood retail establishments, Janel’s designs have earned their proper position. In addition, Puddery’s candies are distributed all across the country, served on special occasions, and even delivered straight to your house!

But Janel is not going to stop there. Her future goals, which include opening more Puddery outlets and carrying on with her inventive confections, such as her cheesecakes on a stick and incredible croffles, sparkle brightly in her eyes.

Janel has moved on from her time in the phone business and is now devotedly chasing her passion daily. The world is, very obviously, her pudding bowl, with a goal as sweet and straightforward as her puddings: to spread pleasure and deliciousness in a cup around the globe.

November 6, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS

Black Entrepreneur Does Homework, Now Owns 20 Airport Restaurants to Hit $50M in Revenue This Year.

by Ava Robinson November 6, 2023

written by Ava Robinson

Introducing Randy Hazelton, the 43-year-old CEO of H&H Hospitality, a black-owned enterprise that operates eateries and concessions in major airports around the United States. Having started from nothing and learned from his mistakes, he manages over twenty airport eateries, providing jobs for nearly one hundred employees. He owns many Auntie Anne’s and Shake Shack kiosks, and his business is expected to generate $50 million in sales this year.

He traveled a lot as a child, growing up in a military household until settling in Atlanta. He attributes his discipline to his father. However, Randy claimed he preferred playing basketball to studying in class as a teenager, so he frequently skipped schoolwork to play the sport.

He became aware of his negative behaviors as a youngster after venturing into business and experiencing hardship. He quit his job in 2006 to create the restaurant and bar Café Circa in Atlanta’s downtown. Even though the company prospered, its lack of efficiency ultimately resulted in bankruptcy. Randy concluded that their lack of knowledge about the restaurant industry was the cause.

Randy told Forbes, “We didn’t do the homework, so we didn’t know how to make money.” In 2012, he sold Café Circa and utilized the proceeds to launch his franchise business.

Hazelton established H&H Hospitality in 2007, and with the help of the Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Act (ACDBE), a government initiative that promotes women- and minority-owned companies at airports receiving federal funding, the company has been flourishing.

He declared, “It changed my life.” He refers to the initiative as a “springboard” for smaller businesses looking to grow through restaurant franchising.

Freshens Yogurt and Famous Famiglia Pizzeria, located in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, one of the busiest in the world, is one of H&H’s locations. Additionally, they have partnered with Concessions International to open an Auntie Anne’s restaurant and Shake Shack on a different concourse. The business intends to build a Slutty Vegan restaurant next year. Pinky Cole is the owner of the well-known plant-based burger brand.

The company also has difficulties with fees, advertising, and staff management. Randy became a “homework nerd” and utilized a copy-and-paste method of what already works to get past them and succeed.

“Take what others have,” he advises. “Some of the greatest successes are just copycats of something already here.”

November 6, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS Young Business Leaders

Nex Cubed partners with HBCU.vc to launch scout program

by Alex Turner October 31, 2023

written by Alex Turner

To prepare the upcoming generation of black venture capitalists, Nex Cubed, the venture accelerator that established a $40 million fund targeting founders from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), today announced a venture scouting relationship with HBCU.vc, a nonprofit organization.

Students and graduates of HBCUs can apply for fellowships through HBCU.vc, and Nex Cubed has trained over 700 students through its nonprofit foundation.

CEO of Nex Cubed Marlon Evans told TechCrunch, “We decided to team up with HBCU.vc and provide them an opportunity to go beyond their fellowship program to provide their fellows with real-life experiences working with a VC firm, instead of reinventing the wheel and setting up a separate program targeted at HBCUs.”

The COO of HBCU, Chelsea Roberts, expressed her hope that more HBCU alums and students will have access to technology due to this cooperation. “To ensure HBCU talent is on an equal playing field, that means doing so with resources,” she stated, adding that essential stakeholders and actors in the sector must also assist them.

Scout programs are an excellent way for businesses to access talent and potential transactions while assisting prospective investors in developing their track records and contacts. Through this scouting program, graduates and fellows of HBCU.vc will receive mentoring on various topics, including investment memo writing and due diligence. The fellows, according to Nex Cubed, will also get a portion of the fund’s proceeds if a business they helped identify receives funding.

It has long been known that diversifying the investment community will increase the amount of cash available to minority entrepreneurs. Currently, Black entrepreneurs receive fewer than 1% of venture capital investment annually and make up less than 5% of all investors. However, in the greater scheme of finding tech and business expertise, HBCUs are sometimes overlooked despite their long history of nurturing Black brilliance. They were established in the 1800s to provide education to African Americans, as the majority were not allowed to attend the then-existing, predominately white universities.

There are currently over 100 HBCUs, with institutions like Howard University and Clark Atlanta being mentioned as Black Ivy League universities. A quarter of African-American STEM graduates come from HBCUs; these students are primarily from Spelman College, Howard University, and North Carolina A&T State University.

Other companies, Nex Cubed and HBCU.vc, attempt to assist this population segment. Fund-of-funds: The Historical Fund has given $10 million to nine historically black colleges to support their venture capital investments. Additionally, Plexo Capital investor Lo Toney attempted to persuade additional venture capital companies to accept HBCUs as limited partners.

According to Evan, ignoring HBCUs is like ignoring the future of creativity.

He stated, “One of the tenets of our investment thesis is that those with direct experience with some of these issues will be the ones to devise the most creative solutions to deal with them.” “We have a financial obligation to ensure that we are not passing up this excellent pool of talent.”

October 31, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

Egyptian health tech Almouneer raised $3.6M to scale its platform for treating diabetes and obesity.

by Alex Turner October 31, 2023

written by Alex Turner

Obesity and prediabetes are significant public health issues in Africa and the Middle East because they affect over 40% of the population in these regions. Diabetes affects twenty percent of adults in Egypt, whereas thirty percent of individuals in Saudi Arabia have the disease. Diabetes affects one out of every 17 adults in Nigeria. The problems of prediabetes and obesity are becoming increasingly common. Nevertheless, it is essential to acknowledge that most of these health problems may be avoided by controlling and observing one’s lifestyle.

It is impossible to overestimate the relevance of the Egyptian health technology business, Almouneer, within the framework of this discussion. The platform, which aims to change healthcare for patients struggling with diabetes and obesity, has invested $3.6 million to accomplish its purpose.

The first funding came from Global Ventures, located in Dubai. Other notable foreign funds and investors took part, including Proparco and Digital Africa through the Bridge Fund, Wrightwood Investments from the United Kingdom (the family office of Diane and Henry Engelhardt), and several other international investors.

Almouneer has revealed that most of the cash it raises will be used to assist in the development and growth of DRU, which it describes as the “first patient-centric, digitally-enabled lifestyle and diabetes management platform in the Middle East and Africa.” Almouneer will distribute these funds according to the disclosure. By linking patients with physicians and a vast network of healthcare professionals across the country through its mobile application, the platform plays a significant role in the prevention and management of diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity.

In an interview with TechCrunch, Almouneer’s co-founder and CEO, Noha Khater, stated that the seed investment will make it easier to recruit highly skilled individuals to work for the company. In addition, the company is investigating the possibility of expanding its product line into nearby markets in Africa and the Middle East. The healthcare provider is set to grow its business in Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in the coming year.

After substantial expansion for Almouneer, the company has pursued more funding. The Giza-based company operates out of a network of nine hospitals and clinics throughout Egypt, caring for over 120,000 patients. According to Khater, the health technology company doubled its business volumes and revenue data over the previous year.

From eye care to treatment for diabetics, we do it all.

Khater first had the idea for Almouneer in 2017 as a collection of cutting-edge medical facilities focusing on ophthalmology. According to the chief executive officer’s interview with TechCrunch, she founded the firm based on the first-hand expertise she had while working as an ophthalmologist and practicing physician. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Khater pursued his education in the United States, where the high standard of medical treatment profoundly moved him. Patients had unhindered access to every piece of medical information about them, and the quality of contact with their respective healthcare professionals was exceptional. The thorough documentation of even the most basic medical procedures completely blew her mind and had a significant impact on her.

The fact that she could observe such a high standard of medical treatment in the United States inspired her to work toward achieving comparable advantages for the people of Egypt. Because of this desire, she decided to start Almouneer alongside Rania Kadry. Kadry is the Chief Technology Officer of the firm, and she brings her expertise in economics and social science computers with her.

Even though I specialized in treating the retina, the majority of my patients had diabetes. You are aware that the course of treatment for a chronic patient might be challenging. Diabetes is a lifelong condition that affects a significant portion of the world’s population. And because so many people experience both highs and lows, there is always a need for reassurance,” Khater added. “Whether it be in terms of communicating with the doctor, asking a question, or making sure that your data and medical records are in good shape. As a result, it was abundantly clear that Egypt did not have this sort of service, and the ones that did exist were in deplorable condition. A typical diabetic or chronic patient will have many doctors treating them at numerous locations, and as a result, they will lose track of their medical history. Having all of this in a single place, such as in your pocket, was, therefore, lacking. Given that Egypt’s population has almost reached 110 million, you can imagine how many people this issue will affect.

The DRU application

Following the successful operation of technology-enabled ophthalmology clinics, Almouneer expanded its services to include those for patients who have diabetes and chronic diseases. After that, it transitioned from operating digital clinics to providing operational assistance for outside healthcare providers and professionals. In this role, Almouneer is responsible for the deployment of all-encompassing practice management software, which includes integrated financial, electronic medical records, and booking systems.

This transition also occurred at the same time as the DRU app, which is focused on the patient, was introduced. Patients can submit their medical information to DRU, which may include crucial statistics such as their blood sugar and blood pressure readings. The app gives users access to their most recent medical data and the prescriptions they are now taking, and it also enables their physicians to check these details. Additionally, consumers can communicate with healthcare professionals via voice or text chat thanks to the app’s teleconsultation features, available through a paid membership.

Because of both of these factors, a significant number of people from both Africa and the Middle East travel to Egypt for medical care. There are two reasons: first, this area’s reasonable prices, and second, the quality of the local medical professionals. When patients go back to their homes after receiving treatment, one of the most challenging issues they face is keeping in contact with their physicians or other healthcare providers, according to the chief executive officer (CEO). Even if they do, they are not provided with the same care or attention they would receive if they arrived by plane. Therefore, they can submit their medical information and the most recent test results using the app. It is also helpful when having chats with the physicians, which prevents them from having to fly back to Egypt periodically for follow-ups.

Increasing the number of products available

However, according to Khater, Almouneer plans to increase the breadth and depth of its services. The health technology company, already six years old, intends to provide patient-customized treatment and nutrition regimens within the next several months. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes and obesity have the option to subscribe to individualized regimens that emphasize improving their blood pressure and blood sugar levels. The money for Almouneer comes from subscriptions and these tailored plan purchases. The health technology company will also deduct a portion of the commissions it earns from the fees it charges physicians for referrals, and it intends to add money from marketplace transactions to the mix. Patients can connect with critical consumables such as diet plans, glucose monitors, blood sugar strip monitors, care goods for their extremities, and more through the marketplace.

In the meantime, the initial investment will play a significant role in expanding the use of the DRU app, which was just recently introduced. In addition to this, it will concentrate on growing the provider ecosystem so that it includes physicians, health coaches, laboratories, and nutritionists (among which it will introduce the DRU app for physicians in the first quarter of 2024).

“Over the years, we have had the privilege of working with a stellar group of healthcare entrepreneurs who materially improve patients’ lives worldwide, enhancing access, quality, and the cost of care.” The founder and managing partner of Global Ventures, Noor Sweid, observed the following: “Noha and Rania are now members of this group. We are thrilled to be working alongside them as they apply their specific knowledge in the areas of business development and chronic care to the challenge of addressing a widespread health problem that is prevalent throughout the Middle East and Africa. “Almouneer is a one-of-a-kind and essential innovation that is on its way to fulfilling its mission of becoming the lifelong companion of diabetic patients in the region.”

October 31, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS STARTUPS

Generative AI startup 1337 (Leet) is paying users to help create AI-driven influencers.

by Ava Robinson October 27, 2023

written by Ava Robinson

Virtual influencers, or computer-generated characters that are just as active on social media as actual people, have become more prevalent in recent years. Many businesses are making investments in the “digital human economy,” a promising sector that Gartner projects will grow to $125 billion by 2035.

These days, it’s easy to create virtual influencers because of the obsession with AI image generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. These tools allow anybody to create fake profiles with followers that interact with them like real online celebrities.

One such business, 1337 (pronounced Leet), is using generative AI to create a network of smaller content creators, or micro-influencers, driven by AI. These creators have a variety of backgrounds and hyper-individualized interests, and they aim to connect with individuals from niche communities such as gardening, emo music, vintage fashion, classical literature, and more.

The firm, which got its name from a hacker and gaming word from the 1980s, came out of stealth today with $4 million.

In addition to employing AI to generate these influencers, 1337 lets people recommend actions and words.

Co-founder and CEO Jenny Dearing told TechCrunch, “We have a unique opportunity to combine human interaction with early-stage AI today.” In a world where influencers are overly commercial or impersonal, 1337 presents various AI-driven entities that interact with people in novel and dynamic ways.

Users receive payment for their donations as well. The business presently charges a fixed rate, but it wouldn’t say how much it would set in public. Dearing stated, “Once our ‘Entities’ have followings, we will make this fee and bonus opportunities tied to the community’s engagement with content.”

1337 introduces 50 AI-driven influencers, dubbed “Entities,” each with unique abilities, characteristics, and passions. On the website of 1337, for example, Daria (she/her, they/them) is a 19-year-old, unapologetic music blogger who is passionate about “emo culture” and a “mental health advocate.” They even have a personal history; Daria, upon discovering their cousin’s vinyl record collection, was moved by the song’s “raw emotion” and took it upon herself to start a blog for other like-minded individuals with mental health issues.

Undoubtedly, each Entity has a complex life. They even discuss their worldview, preferred indoor and outdoor hangouts, and the design of their house. There are many distinct Entities to follow in 1337, each having a unique age, gender identity, nationality, and occupation. They also have public Spotify playlists, LinkedIn pages, and Instagram accounts. Instagram comments and direct messaging allow followers to communicate with the Entities.

Dearing continued, “We’re creating entities that evolve with their niche communities, adapting to the rapidly changing digital landscape where technology is evolving constantly. Our vision goes beyond mere chatbot interactions.” We sincerely believe that by doing this, we will change our understanding of social media participation and online interactions. We’re creating new ground in the process.

The entities are in beta testing. Their formal launch is scheduled for January 2024. The original 1337 team develops and designs entities with users and AI models, such as 1337’s proprietary solution, Midjourney (art), and OpenAI’s GPT-4 (for textual captions).

Co-founder Robin Raszka, who previously created the AI avatar business Alter before selling it to Google for $100 million in 2022, is also a member of the founding team with Dearing. Chief technological officer Jan Maly was formerly a machine learning engineer at software design business STRV. The team also includes a few critical strategic advisers, such as Bailey Richardson, the former Instagram community manager who presently oversees marketing and community at Substack.

Raszka told us, “We use large language models (LLMs) from open-source software (OSS) for multimedia content analysis, with an emphasis on images, and customized OSS LLMs integrated into our workflows.” “We had trouble keeping our virtual beings’ facial traits constant when creating produced material. Our solution was designed due to our quest for perfection; as a result, we can now add new entities and guarantee that their faces are constant throughout all photographs.

To co-create with an Entity, the user joins a Discord channel and responds to prompts to make four images of the Entity doing an action, posing in a specific spot, or going through an event. In addition, 1337 has a mode dubbed “Entity Point of View,” which allows users to see the world from the Entity’s perspective.

On behalf of the Entity, the moderation team accepts the post, adjusting the material according to predetermined standards such as their attitudes, actions, and voice. The originator of a post gets acknowledged in the caption upon approval.

Dearing stated, “Our creators—especially Gen-Zers—are exhibiting amazing engagement with the Entities and are producing and curating far more content every day than we can publish.”

At some point, 1337 will permit its “super creators” to start from zero and construct an entirely new Entity. The business will also provide a revenue model the following year in which producers who produce Entities receive a portion of sales as payment.

Dearing stated, “For instance, any brand collaboration would provide a revenue share model that heavily leans on supporting the creator versus 1337.” “We’ve also talked about creative business models that give creators ownership in the company, much like Substack has done.”

She said, “We are also looking at how we can help solopreneurs and nano/micro-influencers develop new strategies for interacting with their current audiences and communities to grow their enterprises.

The business informed us of some other intriguing innovations in the works, such as the ability for Entities to talk, which will enable them to create and host podcasts and films. In the first part of 2024, Audio for Entities will go live.

Credo Ventures, GFR Fund, Treble Capital, Roosh Ventures, Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue, impact investor Natalia Vodianova, and model were among the investors in 1337’s fundraising round.

The funding’s primary goal is to support expanding its worldwide creator community. Hundreds of individuals have contributed to the Entities’ material thus far.

“Today, the domains of human creativity and connectedness are home to some of the most exciting uses of diffusion models and LLMs. This confirms our belief that social media platforms will be profoundly impacted by the next wave of AI, moving marketers, followers, and artists equally, according to Karolina Mrozkova, general partner and investor at Credo Ventures.

October 27, 2023 0 comment

Image Credits: Nectar AI / Nectar AI co-founders Misbah Uraizee and Farah Uraizee

BUSINESS

Stealthy social commerce startup taps into Meta roots to create AI-first brand messaging

by Alex Turner October 27, 2023

written by Alex Turner

These days, consumers are drawn in many different directions, making it more difficult for companies to hold consumers’ attention longer than the typical social media scroll. Concurrently, it is anticipated that worldwide sales through social media platforms will approach $3 trillion by 2026.

Nectar AI aims to make it simpler for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer firms to interact with customers. The sisters Misbah and Farah Uraizee, who both worked at Meta and seen this issue personally, founded the social commerce platform.

While Farah was developing solutions for Facebook groups and communities, Misbah created AI-powered conversational and monetization tools for consumers and companies.

According to Misbah Uraizee, TechCrunch, “We were building these products to encourage people to spend more time within Meta’s ecosystem, and what we realized quickly was that the products were Band-Aids at best.” We saw a powerful trend of people gravitating toward private messaging, especially members of Generation Z. The previous five years have seen an explosion in messaging.

Uraizee cited a recent interview with Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri to prove this tendency, stating that most of the app’s growth and usage time was concentrated on the Stories and direct messaging sections.

Because of this, according to the Nectar AI team, marketers must come up with fresh ideas for engaging and converting customers where they spend most of their time. According to Farah Uraizee in an interview, the startup allows D2C and e-commerce businesses to replace the half-dozen products they now use with Nectar’s AI-generated messaging tool, which leverages massive language models and retrieval-augmented generation to connect at scale.

The business joins other e-commerce-focused companies, including SuperOrdinary, Loup (previously Social Chat), and Rebuy. Nectar AI’s unique selling point, according to the Uraizees, is its customization technology, which includes identity mapping from social media to customer profiles for commerce and a proprietary LLM centered on trade that companies can use whenever they engage with consumers.

Even if everything seems fantastic, you’ll have to wait a while to try it. According to Misbah Uraizee, the creators of Nectar AI still view the company as being quite secretive; the software is now in beta, and they do not plan to make it available to the general public until “sometime in mid-next year.”

The business just concluded a $2 million pre-seed investment round to support that launch. It featured BAM Ventures, Sophia Amoruso of the Trust Fund, XRC Ventures, Fab Ventures, Yale Index Ventures, CMDN, Dash VC, and a collection of angel investors, including Jennifer Dulski. Heather Gorham of Flying Fish Ventures oversaw it.

Initially, mid-sized fashion and beauty firms that oversee thousands of comments on their social media pages will be the focus of Nectar AI. Its technical and AI teams will grow thanks to the additional funding.

Brands that are investing extensively in both sponsored and organic efforts on social media and have a respectable level of interaction are our ideal clients, according to Misbah Uraizee. “We are currently attempting to balance how brands across the funnel receive Nectar, as they have a huge burning problem around this.”

October 27, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS

Unlocking Potential: Steps to Scale Your Business for Success

by Editor Risezine October 16, 2023

written by Editor Risezine

Learn how to scale your business for growth, by developing a strategic plan, leveraging new opportunities, and expanding your business into new markets.

Scaling your business for growth is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. As an entrepreneur, you aspire to take your business to new heights, expand your customer base, and increase profitability. However, achieving sustainable growth requires careful planning, strategic decision-making, and the ability to navigate the complexities that come with scaling.

This article will delve into the world of business scalability, exploring key strategies and insights to help you scale your business successfully. You’ll unravel the importance of evaluating business scalability, developing a growth strategy, building a scalable infrastructure, and overcoming growth challenges.

Understanding the unique dynamics of your market, identifying scalable business models, and setting clear goals are crucial elements in your scaling journey. You’ll examine real-world scenarios, providing practical examples and lessons learned from businesses that have successfully scaled.

Whether you’re a startup or an established business, this article will equip you with valuable insights and actionable steps to unlock the full potential of your business and pave the way for sustainable growth. Let’s embark on this journey of scaling your business for growth and realizing your entrepreneurial dreams.

Restructuring and Reorganizing for Growth

As your business scales and grows, accompanying organizational restructuring and reorganizing are necessary components to success. Restructuring and reorganizing can help align initiatives with goals, maximize efficiency, deliver better customer service, and better implement strategies for growth.

Identifying Areas for Sustainable Expansion

To sustain business growth, it’s important for organizations to accurately identify where further expansion opportunities exist. Strategic planning, market analysis and research, competitor analysis, customer feedback, and budgeting can all help organizations identify and prioritize areas of sustainable expansion.

Automating Tasks and Processes

Automating tasks and processes can free up resources, improve efficiency, and make scaling your business far easier. Leveraging automation for repeatable processes or tasks with large volumes of inputs can help reduce the time allocation needed for tasks that don’t necessarily provide a benefit to customer service or the bottom line.

Managing Outreach and Relationships

Managing outreach and relationships is important for businesses needing to scale. This includes managing both customer relations but also reaching out to decision-makers and influencers, networking with other industry leaders, and engaging with the public for increased brand visibility. Successful business growth relies heavily on building strong relationships with both existing and potential customers, partners, and industry professionals. Utilizing the right channels and resources for outreach and identifying and connecting with relationships necessary for natural growth is important for scaling businesses.

For businesses looking to scale, it is important to evaluate all aspects of the organization and make changes necessary to support growth. Restructuring and reorganizing, identifying areas for sustainable expansion, automating tasks and processes, and managing outreach and relationships are all important steps toward business growth. By effectively utilizing these steps, businesses looking to scale will be well-equipped to plan strategically and take the necessary steps to ensure successful scaling for larger, more sustainable business growth.

Setting Up a Growth Mindset

Having a growth-oriented mindset is essential when it comes to scaling your business for growth. When starting on your journey, it’s important to understand the impact potential growth will have. It will require you to step out of your comfort zone and develop innovative ideas that will propel your business forward. Knowing this, it’s important to develop a plan and structure to accommodate for potential expansion.

Understanding How Growth Impacts Your Business

One of the most important factors to take into account is the impact potential growth will have on your business. While it sounds exciting to think about expanding, it’s important to consider the impact it will have on various aspects of the business. Before launching into a growth phase, businesses should consider what type of resources and processes will be needed to support it. This could include:

Hiring additional staff to support growth
Investing in new technology
Developing a marketing strategy
Redefining internal processes

Before taking any steps, it’s important to determine what will need to be done to ensure a successful business scaling process.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

It’s natural to feel a bit of apprehension when it comes to scaling your business for growth. After all, it can be nerve-wracking for any entrepreneur to step out of their comfort zone and embrace something new. When facing this challenge, it’s important to recognize what exactly you can do for growth. This could involve launching new products or services, targeting new markets, or even expanding into new geographic regions.

Overcoming fears and pushing boundaries can be incredibly beneficial in the long term. It’s important to create an environment where risk-taking and innovation are encouraged. This could involve setting up workshops and beginning conversations around potential growth strategies.

Developing Innovative Ideas

Innovative ideas are essential when it comes to scaling your business for growth. After all, the development of new products and services can drive the business forward and set you apart from competitors. It’s important to create the right environment that encourages innovation. This could include setting up brainstorming sessions and allowing staff to test new ideas without fear of failure.

Developing a solid strategy is key when it comes to scaling your business. It’s important to have high-level goals to chart progress. These goals should be regularly re-evaluated to ensure that they meet the changing demands of the market. Additionally, it’s important to create a culture where staff are empowered to think outside the box. Whether it’s coming up with new marketing approaches, products, or services, having an empowered culture will ensure that there is always room for growth.

When it comes to scaling your business for growth, having a growth-oriented mindset is essential. Understanding how growth impacts your business, getting out of your comfort zone, and developing innovative ideas are key components of the business scaling process. With the right planning and strategy, your business can experience exponential growth and achieve success. By incorporating the keywords of “business growth, scaling, expansion, and strategic planning”, your business will be set up for success!

Streamlining Your Workflow

To grow your business, streamlining your workflow is essential for scaling. A streamlined workflow ensures that your business processes are running smoothly and in an efficient manner. To do this, you need to look at how tasks are completed and identify areas where you can optimize and simplify your processes.

By streamlining your workflow, you can ensure that you are not wasting resources or time on unnecessary tasks. This will help you achieve consistent results and increase the overall productivity of your business.

Delegating Tasks to Employees

When it comes to streamlining your workflow, delegating tasks to your employees is one of the most effective ways to do so. By delegating tasks, you can assign specific roles and responsibilities to the most suitable people. This ensures that everyone on the team is contributing to the growth of the company.

By delegating tasks, you are also able to better manage your workload and focus on the most important tasks that require your attention. Additionally, it allows for better division of labor amongst your team, which in turn leads to increased productivity and efficiency.

Utilizing Technology Effectively

To effectively streamline your workflow, you must make sure to utilize technology effectively. Technology can be used to automate repetitive tasks and create processes that are faster, more efficient, and better organized.

By investing in modern technology, you can automate tasks such as data entry, invoicing, or customer service, thus freeing up time for your team to focus on more strategic activities. Furthermore, using technology to streamline your workflow will also help save costs in the long run.

Leveraging Automation

Finally, leveraging automation is another important step for streamlining your workflow. Automation can help to improve the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of tasks that are regularly performed, thus eliminating potential errors.

By utilizing automation, you can improve the speed and efficiency of your processes, as well as reduce the time it takes to complete tasks. Additionally, automation can also help to free up resources, as well as save on labor costs.

By streamlining your workflow, delegating tasks to your employees, utilizing technology effectively, and leveraging automation, you can better scale your business for growth. This will enable you to focus on more strategic activities that can help you achieve your goals for growth and expansion. Strategic planning is essential for gaining a competitive advantage and scaling your business for the future. By investing in the aforementioned measures, you will be sure to set your business on a successful path to growth.

Implementing Growth Strategies

To successfully scale your business for growth, it is essential to implement effective growth strategies. These strategies lay the foundation for sustainable expansion and ensure that your business is well-positioned for long-term success. Let’s explore three key aspects of implementing growth strategies: creating a plan for sustainable growth, allocating resources to support growth, and examining your business performance.

Creating a Plan for Sustainable Growth

To achieve sustainable growth, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive plan that outlines your strategic objectives and the steps required to reach them. Start by assessing your current market position and identifying expansion opportunities. Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with your long-term vision. Develop strategies to penetrate new markets, diversify your product or service offerings, or enter strategic partnerships.

Allocating Resources to Support Growth

Scaling your business requires the allocation of appropriate resources to support your growth initiatives. This includes financial resources, human capital, technology, and infrastructure. Conduct a thorough assessment of your resource needs and develop a budget that outlines the investment required for expansion. Secure financing options, such as loans or investors, if necessary. Invest in recruiting and training talent that aligns with your growth strategy. Leverage technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency. By strategically allocating resources, you ensure that your business has the necessary foundation to support growth.

Examining Your Business Performance

Regularly evaluating and monitoring your business performance is critical to identifying areas for improvement and making informed decisions to drive growth. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) that are relevant to your business goals, such as revenue growth, customer acquisition rates, and profit margins. Analyze your financial statements, conduct market research, and gather customer feedback to gain insights into your business’s performance. Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) to capitalize on your strengths and address areas that need improvement. By continuously examining your business performance, you can make data-driven decisions that propel your growth initiatives forward.

By implementing growth strategies, creating a plan for sustainable growth, allocating resources effectively, and continuously evaluating your business performance, you can position your business for successful scaling, expansion, and long-term prosperity. These strategic measures enable you to navigate the challenges of growth while maximizing opportunities in the market. Stay focused, adapt to changing circumstances, and embrace innovation to drive your business toward achieving its growth objectives.

Final Thoughts

Scaling your business for growth is an exciting and rewarding journey that requires careful planning, strategic execution, and continuous evaluation. This article has explored the importance of implementing growth strategies, creating a plan for sustainable growth, allocating resources effectively, and examining your business performance.

By embracing strategic planning and setting clear objectives, you can create a roadmap for long-term success. Allocating the right resources, whether it be financial, human, or technological, will provide the necessary foundation to support your growth initiatives. Regularly evaluating your business performance allows you to make informed decisions and course corrections along the way.

Remember, scaling your business is not a one-time event but a continuous process. Stay agile, adapt to market changes, and embrace innovation to seize growth opportunities. As you embark on this journey, keep your vision in focus, prioritize customer satisfaction, and nurture a strong company culture.

By incorporating effective growth strategies, implementing a sustainable plan, and leveraging your resources strategically, you can propel your business toward unprecedented levels of success, expansion, and prosperity in the dynamic landscape of business growth and scaling.

October 16, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS

The Importance of Team Building and Task Delegation in the Workplace

by Editor Risezine October 16, 2023

written by Editor Risezine

Build a strong team by hiring the right people, delegating tasks effectively, providing leadership and support, and managing HR processes to ensure employee satisfaction and retention.

Building a strong team and effectively delegating tasks are critical components of successful organizations. In today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape, team building and delegation have become buzzwords that resonate across industries. From startups to large corporations, leaders recognize the significance of fostering collaboration, optimizing productivity, and maximizing the potential of their workforce.

Team building lays the foundation for a cohesive and high-performing team. By defining clear roles and responsibilities, encouraging open communication, and fostering trust, leaders create an environment where individuals can thrive collectively.

On the other hand, delegation is a key leadership skill that empowers employees, promotes growth and ensures that tasks are efficiently distributed. Delegation goes beyond simply assigning work; it involves effective communication, setting expectations, and providing support. When done right, delegation unleashes the full potential of individuals, allowing them to focus on their strengths while contributing to the overall success of the team.

This article will delve into the intricacies of team building, delegation, and their critical role in effective leadership and HR management. You’ll explore practical strategies, real-world scenarios, and proven techniques to help you build a strong team and master the art of delegation. Let’s embark on this journey of unleashing the power of teamwork and harnessing the potential of your workforce.

Building a Team

Defining Team Roles and Responsibilities

The success of any team depends on the ability of its members to work together effectively. To achieve this, it is important to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This begins with having a clear understanding of the key positions and roles needed to accomplish the goals of the team. As part of the team-building process, the leader should take the time to identify exactly which roles, skills, and capabilities are needed to carry out the tasks at hand.

Once these roles have been identified, it is important to ensure that team members are aware of their responsibilities and that each person’s unique skills and capabilities are appropriately matched to the task. It is also helpful to assign tasks in line with the strengths and interests of each team member to maximize individual contributions.

Team Communication and Collaboration

Good communication is essential for a successful team. The leader should establish effective communication channels to ensure that information and ideas are shared among team members. This could include regular team meetings, one-on-one discussions, video or telephone conferencing, email updates, and other forms of communication.

Promoting collaboration and idea sharing is also key for teams to achieve success. Encourage team members to work together to come up with creative solutions to problems, make informed decisions, and reach their goals as a team. This could involve providing a platform for open discussion, allowing everyone a chance to voice their opinions, and using team-building activities to strengthen relationships within the team.

By taking the time to build an effective team with clear roles and responsibilities, and by setting up productive channels of communication and collaboration, leaders can ensure that their team is ready to tackle any challenge thrown their way. Team building is an important part of being a successful manager and a key component of HR management. With sound leadership and proper delegation, the team has the potential to achieve great things.

Hiring and Onboarding

Recruitment Strategies

The success of any organization is heavily reliant on a strong, unified team. To ensure a cohesive and productive group of people, proper team-building and delegation techniques must be employed from the very start. It is the responsibility of HR management to ensure that the correct candidates are identified for the job.

Identifying the Right Candidates

When identifying the right candidates for a job, teams should be mindful of the skills, qualities, and experience they are looking for. Aside from matching hard skills to the available position, interpersonal characteristics and team compatibility should also be taken into account. Leadership and communication capabilities should also be considered when assessing potential candidates.

Conducting Thorough Interviews and Assessments

Once potential candidates have been identified, conducting thorough interviews and assessments is critical. Having an in-depth conversation with the applicants about their skills, qualifications, and experiences should provide a more holistic look at their individual competencies. This can help narrow the list of potential candidates to make the final selection process smoother.

Onboarding and Integration

Once a suitable candidate has been chosen, the next step is to successfully onboard and integrate them into the team. This process is key to developing a strong and cohesive unit.

Welcoming New Team Members

Having a welcoming process for new team members is critical for successful integration. This is an opportunity for the team to introduce themselves and get to know each other, as well as for the new hire to settle into the workplace and become familiar with their new team and duties.

Providing Necessary Training and Support

Providing helpful training and on-the-job support is key to helping new team members adjust and become accustomed to team active workflows. This should not only include technical app directions and tasks but also guidelines and best practices for working within the team. It is important to allow some flexibility for new members to learn and make mistakes without being overly strict. This will help foster a feeling of safety and understanding within the team, leading them to be more engaged and productive in the long run.

Overall, building a team and delegating tasks requires taking the time to properly recruit, assess, onboard, and integrate new team members. Team building and leadership techniques should be employed to ensure the team can work together harmoniously and efficiently. Through the use of careful recruitment strategies, thorough assessments, and-the-job support, and training, HR managers can cultivate strong teams that are capable of accomplishing the organization’s goals.

Delegating Tasks

Effective team building and successful delegation of tasks are cornerstones of good HR management. Strong leadership qualities often come from understanding the various facets of delegation. The process of assigning tasks in a team setting can be a difficult one, but there are numerous benefits to delegation and strategies that can be employed to ensure successful task delegation.

Understanding Task Delegation

Defining delegation and its benefits

Delegation is the process of assigning tasks and responsibilities to members of a team. By assigning tasks to others, a leader can focus their attention on more important matters or free up their own time. Delegation can also benefit employees by allowing them to take on challenging and meaningful work, develop new skills, and increase job satisfaction.

Identifying tasks suitable for delegation

In practice, it’s important to select tasks that are suitable for delegation. Complex projects may require too much effort and attention to delegate, whereas routine, repetitive tasks are more suitable. Keeping workloads reasonable, prioritizing tasks, and identifying tasks that are boring or time-consuming can all help to identify which tasks are suitable for team members to take on.

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Delegating a Complex Project

When a complex project requires delegation, the best approach is to break it down into smaller tasks. By doing so, leaders can keep their team members motivated and ensure the work is completed satisfactorily. Assigning tasks to specific team members and providing clear goals and deadlines help to ensure that each team member can complete their tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

Scenario 2: Delegating Routine Tasks

Routine tasks are a natural fit for delegation. Leaders can assign team members to take on such tasks regularly, suited to their strengths and interests. Frequent check-ins can be used to monitor progress and ensure tasks remain on track.

Scenario 3: Delegating in a Remote Team

Delegation is just as important, if not more so, in a remote team setting. When tasks are delegated to remote team members, it’s important to provide detailed instructions. Written notes, visual tutorials, and video recordings can all help to ensure that everyone understands their role and responsibilities. Regular communication and feedback can also be used to ensure tasks remain on track.

By understanding the benefits of delegation and identifying tasks that are appropriate for delegation, team leaders can effectively delegate tasks to their team members and ensure the entire team is running smoothly and efficiently. When delegating tasks, the process may seem intimidating at first, yet with the right strategies in place, it can be a powerful tool for successful team building and HR management.

Effective Delegation Techniques

Photo: MidAtlantic Employers’ Association

Delegation is an essential skill for leaders who aim to optimize team performance and foster a culture of empowerment. To ensure successful delegation, it is crucial to employ effective techniques that set clear expectations and provide ongoing support. Let’s explore two key techniques: setting clear expectations and monitoring and support.

Setting Clear Expectations

Clearly defining goals, deadlines, and quality standards is paramount when delegating tasks. This step establishes a shared understanding among team members, aligns their efforts, and ensures everyone is working towards the same objectives. By providing specific and measurable goals, leaders can guide their teams toward success.

Communicating expectations to team members is equally vital. Ensure that each team member understands the delegated task’s purpose, expected outcomes, and any constraints or limitations. Effective communication facilitates clarity and minimizes misunderstandings. Encourage open dialogue, allowing team members to ask questions, seek clarifications, and provide input. Regularly check in to ensure alignment and address any concerns promptly. By fostering a transparent and supportive environment, you empower your team to deliver their best work.

Monitoring and Support

Once tasks have been delegated, it is crucial to provide ongoing monitoring and support. This involves providing necessary resources and guidance to enable team members to complete their delegated tasks successfully.

Firstly, ensure that team members have access to the resources and tools they need. This could include equipment, software, training materials, or subject-matter experts. Clear any roadblocks and create an environment where team members have the necessary support to excel.

Regularly reviewing progress and providing feedback is another essential aspect of effective delegation. Set up regular check-ins to discuss task progress, address any challenges, and offer guidance. Recognize achievements and provide constructive feedback to help team members refine their skills and enhance their performance. Feedback should be timely, specific, and focused on growth. By offering continuous support and guidance, you cultivate a culture of learning and development within your team.

Incorporating these effective delegation techniques, such as setting clear expectations and providing ongoing monitoring and support, enhances team building, delegation, and ultimately, your overall leadership and HR management capabilities. These techniques promote a collaborative and productive work environment where team members feel empowered, motivated, and supported to achieve their best results. By mastering these techniques, you lay the foundation for building a high-performing team that consistently delivers exceptional outcomes.

Final Thoughts

In today’s dynamic business landscape, building a strong team and effectively delegating tasks are essential skills for successful leaders and HR managers. By embracing team building and delegation, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce, foster collaboration, and achieve remarkable results.

This article has explored the significance of team building in creating a cohesive and high-performing team. You’ve delved into the art of delegation, understanding its benefits and techniques for effective implementation. From setting clear expectations to providing ongoing monitoring and support, these strategies empower team members and cultivate a culture of trust and productivity.

Leaders who prioritize team building and delegation not only drive organizational success but also nurture individual growth and development. By aligning goals, communicating effectively, and offering support, leaders can inspire their teams to reach new heights.

Remember, team building and delegation are not one-time actions but ongoing processes that require continuous attention and refinement. By investing in these practices, leaders can elevate their leadership skills, foster a positive work environment, and empower their teams to excel.

Incorporating the principles of team building, delegation, leadership, and effective HR management will undoubtedly position organizations for long-term success in today’s competitive landscape. Embrace the power of building a strong team and harnessing the potential of delegation, and watch your organization thrive.

October 16, 2023 0 comment

BUSINESS

The 15-year-old black female designer will keynote the High Point, North Carolina design trade show.

by Ava Robinson October 3, 2023

written by Ava Robinson

On Saturday, Oct. 14, the High Point Theatre will host the HPMA Fall Market Opening Day Keynote event with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) practitioner, interior design consultant, and author Jessica Bantom.

Bantom’s lecture, Design for Identity: The Importance of Cultural Competence for the Design Profession, will explain how and why designers should include cultural identity.

At the High Point Market keynote, Bantom will share her Design for Identity BlueprintTM concepts, which aim to empower marginalized individuals through interior design.

Bantom wrote Design for Identity: How to Design Authentically for a Diverse World. She helps designers, companies, and teachers develop culturally sensitive creative processes in her consulting work. Bantom, a master of interior design, is certified in DEI, change management, design thinking, coaching, and facilitation.

HPMA and the Diversity Advocacy Alliance host this event.

“We are pleased to invite all interior designers and retailers to empower themselves and potentially reshape their business practices with the change management takeaways from this powerful presentation,” said DAA committee chair Patti Carpenter of Carpenter + Company. “DAA is thrilled to partner with High Point Market to bring this unique event to our community—the largest trade show in the industry.”

“We’re excited for Jessica Bantom to bring the important conversation around cultural identity in design to our registered guests at High Point Market,” adds HPMA president and CEO Tammy Nagem. Designers are essential to expanding our industry’s diversity, equality, and inclusion platform.

All registered High Point Market participants can attend the Saturday Keynote from 3 to 4 p.m., Opening at 2:30 p.m.

The trade fair organizer, HPMA, sponsors the yearly High Point Market Keynote Series.

About
The High Point Market Authority sponsors and organizes the High Point Market in North Carolina. High Range Market, the home furnishings industry’s driving force, draws tens of thousands of visitors from more than 100 countries twice a year and has exhibitors in every category, style, and price range.

October 3, 2023 0 comment

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