5 reasons why you should start a company today

5 reasons why you should start a company today5 reasons why you should start a company todayIt seems like everybody today wants to be an entrepreneur.Figures like Elon Musk and Gary Vaynerchuk are exalted as rock stars, admired for their wealth, fame, and seemingly limitless amounts of brainpower.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreOddly enough, American entrepreneurship has beenon the declinefor the last four decades. And since the stock market crash of 2008, the number of startup launches has stayed around 425,000 per year, rather than the 500,000-600,000 range of years past.Im also finding that many articles published about entrepreneurship tend to play up the negative, with topics such as Why Entrepreneurship Is notlage For Everyone or Signs Youre Not Cut Out To Start Your Own Business. No doubt, being your own boss is difficult. Its a lot of hard work, and theres no guarantee i tll work out.Butbuilding your own companyis super rewarding.Starting as early as my teenage years, Ive been the founder of over 10 different businesses. Along the way, Ive realized the entrepreneurs who are fruchtwein successful over the long run are the ones who get into it for the right reasons- they love what theyre doing and feel passionate about solving a problem.If you feel driven to become an entrepreneur, embrace the challenge. Trust me when I say that your potential for success and fulfillment is truly unlimited.Here are five reasons, despite data telling you otherwise, you should start a company1 Youll experience true, liberating freedomWhile it is stressful to be entirely in charge of a ventures success or failure (not to mention the livelihood of your employees), being an entrepreneur is a liberating experience.Youre free to make decisions, set your own processes, define your destiny. Beyond just getting to call the shots, you also enjoy a deep sense of satisfaction when you put your all into something and believe in yourself with every fiber of your being.Theres real freedom to having anabundance mindset- knowing you can do anything and your opportunities are endless.2 Youll learn more than any book can teachWith Google and YouTube at your fingertips, you can teach yourself anything. Even if you dont have a computer or internet connection, you can go to a public library and find an infinite amount of free information on any topic youre interested in.But knowledge is useless without action, so you have to actually do something with all the stuff you learn.By starting my own companies, I gained more wisdom than I could from any book. When I was buildingInfluencive, for example, I acquired a new perspective on what it means to run a publication- particularly how the tech side of digital publishing works. Here, I gained a deep comprehension of all the different elements needed to start a company from the ground up.As the captain of the ship, you need to learn how everything works in order to ensure youre steering in the right direction.3 Youll push resourcefulness to its limitsEntrepreneurs create something out of nothing.They start a company from ground zero, and in the process, they figure out how to bootstrap and make things happen with few resources. This experience makes entrepreneurs very different from members of a family business who were handed their responsibilities on a platter.The ability to be resourceful, and the flexibility required to pivot after making mistakes, gives entrepreneurs a competitive edge over everyone else. They have a deep understanding of how to be successful and how to compete in the marketplace.Ten times out of ten, I bet on the person with real-life skills who puts blood, sweat, and tears into a venture.4 Youll get more respectEntrepreneurs have mutual respect for each other, and its nice to be part of that club.People generally want to help out, especially when they recognize that youre the re al deal and are passionate about what you do. If youre going to sell digital marketing services, for example, reach out to people who have already built similar companies and are doing what you want to do. The more phone calls you make and emails you send, the more likely youll get a response from someone.People reach out to me all the time to ask for advice and say they really admire what Ive done. I respond to several of those messages each week because I respect that theyre putting themselves out there.5 Youll see its not as risky as you thinkEven if youre the sole breadwinner of a big family, there are things you can do to mitigate the financialrisk of being an entrepreneur.For one, you dont have to quit your job to start a company. Instead, you can treat your business as a side hustle, devoting time to it after work and on the weekends. Additionally, you can ask yourself one simple question to realize that most of the time, the worst case scenario is actually not that bad.The q uestion is So what?Lets say your business fails. Okay, so what? Well, you wasted a bunch of time and money. So what? You didnt make any money during that period. So what? You cant pay your rent. So what? Alright, you have to find somewhere to live. Okay, so what? You stay with a friend or family member until you can make your next move. And so on. You get the idea.By adopting this type of stoic mindset, you give yourself permission to fail and gain the courage to jump into the deep end.Many things in life are risky. Even going to college requires a huge investment of time and money- and youre not even guaranteed a job after you graduate. Dont letfearor excuses hold you back from starting your own company.It takes sacrifice to achieve big things, and being an entrepreneur is no exception. With the right mindset, you can learn to cultivate the skills that will make you successful. Remember, entrepreneurship isnt as dangerous as you might thinkThis article first appeared on Minutes Mag azine.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Top 5 perfect trips for the traveler that loves to play tennis

Top 5 perfect trips for the traveler that loves to play tennisTop 5 perfect trips for the traveler that loves to play tennisFor two and a half weeks every year New York City comes alive with the tennis elite at the U.S. Open and even diehard Yankees fans suddenly find themselves tuning in to watch the action at Flushing Stadium. With Rafael Nadal turning up the heat on his opponents this year and claiming his third U.S win, avid tennis buffs went right home after with one thought how can I play like him?How about a few weeks at a tennis spa to practice up your game, learn new skills and gain an advantage? Here are five of the Squires favorites in far-flung locations around the world.Game, platzdeckchen, matchThailand Thanyapura TennisServe it and smash it with the guidance of professional mentors at Thanyapura, sheltered beneath the peaceful mountains of Phuket. Train among tennis all-stars and international teams on 6 competition-class courts. Complement tennis with a selection of fitness classes including spinning, Kinesis and Pilates. Reap the benefits of a rejuvenating sports massage at the resorts spa or indulge in holistic treatments for an enhanced sense of well-being. Reconnect with all your senses at this dedicated fitness retreat and return home with a sharper game that will have your opponents running in circles.www.thanyapura.comTurkey D-Maris Hotel TennisGain the advantage on a coastal tennis holiday at D-Hotel Maris in Turkey, overlooking the spot where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet. Learn how to sharpen your technique during private lessons with the D-Hotel Tennis School, headed up by Wimbledon champion and Olympic medalist, Goran Ivanisevic. Off-court, unwind with reviving spa treatments or take advantage of complimentary group classes, from spinning to yoga. With five private beaches to choose from, keep your winning streak going by soaking up the sunshine during a game of beach volleyball.www.dmarishotel.comSt Lucia BodyHoliday Tenni sPractice acing your serve on an active tennis holiday at BodyHoliday in St Lucia, set beside the secluded bay of Cariblue. Hit the courts for private coaching and group lessons, before testing what youve learned in a mixed doubles set with fellow guests. Round out this all-inclusive tennis holiday with a wide range of group fitness classes, land and water sports, yoga, Box Fit, mountain biking and kayaking. After an active day, relax at the spa with a range of treatments, including massages, body scrubs and facials.www.thebodyholiday.comSpain Royal Tennis Club MarbellaLocated just the toss of a ball away from the luxurious Mediterrannean hideaway that is Marbella Club, follow in the footsteps of tennis greats like Serena Williams and Boris Becker at Royal Tennis Club.With ten well-equipped courts and a talented team of professional coaches waiting to serve you, there really is no better place to perfect your technique. Unleash your competitive side with twice-weekly group tennis to urnaments and channel your inner-champion putting new-found skills to the test. After a day of serving and volleying, wind down with a personalized massage and relax in the beachfront Thalasso Spa with breathtaking views across the Med. www.royaltennisclub.com. www.royaltennisclub.comUK Grayshott Spa Tennis BreakBook an intensive two night tennis break at Grayshott Spa, set on 47 acres of peaceful woodland in the countryside of Surrey. Improve your game with two hour-long private coaching sessions with Grayshotts on-site pro, before practicing on the complimentary indoor and outdoor courts. Get your Zen on with daily walks around the grounds as well as the adjacent National Trust land, or join a variety of group classes, including yoga, Pilates, circuit training and Tai Chi. Finish off your short break with a reviving massage to return home fully rejuvenated and ready for your next match.www.grayshottspa.comThis article was originally published on Travelsquire.

Job Hunting in the Digital Age [infographic]

Job Hunting in the Digital Age infographicJob Hunting in the Digital Age Job hunting has changed in a lot of ways since HR departments began searching for profil candidates online. This may lead you to find your online presence to be an ally when it comes to your online job hunt. Your online presence is vital, allowing you to engage with recruiters around the world in exciting and powerful ways.Your Digital Footprint is an Essential Online Job Hunting ToolResearch suggests that 75 percent of hiring managers will Google potential candidates to find out mora about them. This is great, depending on what you have online, because your digital presence can also damage your job hunting prospects. Similar studies have found that 70 percent of job hunters were turned down due to a negative digital footprint.Build a Professional Profile for Your Job HuntThe infographic below details the all the essential elements you can employ to boost your digital presence professionally. Essential aspects s uch as keeping your social media accounts locked to those HR recruiters. Simply set them to private, or clean up your social media profiles.Other superb social media tips such as creating a digital resume via YouTube or Vimeo are job hunting expert advice. Developing professional social media accounts also make your digital presence invaluable. This will let you post industry related content and blogs, which will build your following, add value to your skills, and is also great for networking.Let Your Digital Footprint Open Doors, Not Lock Them ForeverBalancing your job hunt with a positive digital footprint is the first of many important ways to land the job you want. Or at least get you passed the HR gatekeeper for an interview. This makes your digital footprint absolutely essential to develop.It literally defines you as a potential candidate and it can also separate you from the huge pack of other job hungry candidates. Building an expert LinkedIn profile is easy to do on a Satur day afternoon, and it can elevate your job hunt to new levels. In fact, 89 percent of recruiters have hired candidates via LinkedIn.Employing these digital job hunting tips will raise your marketability as a potential candidate. Make your digital footprint a priority and place importance on your talents in a powerful way. Check out more great tips below and happy job hunting.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments