1871 Jobs Roundup: Week of 7/1/19

Learning to balance work and home life is an ongoing challenge, especially for new entrepreneurs and business owners. Having the passion to start and build a business makes it hard to take time off or step away from your desk. While this mindset can be valuable, a lack of work-life balance quickly leads to burnout. In this guest post, Jessica Thiefels, Founder and CEO of Jessica Thiefels Consulting, looks at how new entrepreneurs can balance work and life at home. 

[Read more…] about How to Balance Work and Home Life: Non-Traditional Ideas for New Entrepreneurs

“It’ll never happen.” “It’s not possible.” “Follow the rules.” “Draw inside the lines.” “Be realistic.” We’re willing to bet that you’ve heard at least one of these phrases — or some variation — when you were a child. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; after all, why would anybody spend time chasing an unrealistic dream in hopes of becoming a rock star, an astronaut, or a professional athlete? However, brothers Joseph and Matthew Moheban, Co-founders of 220, a leadership and workforce curriculum for youth, are taking a very different view by asking, ‘why not?’

[Read more…] about Joseph and Matthew Moheban Want to Answer Your Childhood Question: ‘What do I Want to be When I Grow Up?’

It is the nature of setting up a new business that some activities will be neglected in the early stages, usually down to the dual restrictions of time and capital. As a small business owner, you are constantly having to make big decisions regarding what is considered vital, and what can be considered superfluous – at least in terms of that initial stage. In this guest blog post, Emily Marchant, Marketing Manager at AcademicBrits and OriginWritings, shares her tips on the best branding techniques for new startups.

[Read more…] about Branding Techniques To Successfully Implement As a New Startup

Entrepreneurship is never easy. You start small – small resources, small team, small budget – but a big idea that could change the world. This is usually the case and although it’s not fair, it’s the reality of the world we live in. Along the way, you have to be careful about how you navigate and scale. In this guest blog, Harry Conley of Lucky Assignments, shares his tips from experience on how you can avoid a number of common startup mistakes. 

[Read more…] about 5 Common Startup Mistakes Every Founder Should Avoid

Starting a business can be the hardest journey taken in life.  While most of the conversations center around outside funding to make that journey easier, it can be worth exploring funding the business with customer revenue.  Even though it is not as sexy, it can often lead to a more sustainable business. In this guest post, 1871 alumnus Jamie Johnson — Founder and CEO of Verde Energy Efficiency Experts, which helps companies find, implement, and maintain energy-efficient solutions, shares his insights on how you can effectively bootstrap your company. 

[Read more…] about Bootstrapping: The Chicago Way to Grow Your Startup

As a startup, your first customers have very few incentives to trust you or to return for further purchases. Why should they? You still need to establish your image as a brand and build a faithful following. Until then, you’ll have to work extra hard to earn repeat customers. In this guest post, Manish Dudharejia, Founder and President of E2M Solutions, shares a few tips on how you can establish brand loyalty with your first customers.

[Read more…] about 4 Tips for Establishing Brand Loyalty with Your Startup’s First Customers

You’re halfway through a busy workday and suddenly, your coworker comes back into the office with a slice of pizza. You take one look and see that it’s a sausage and pepperoni combo — but what really gets you is the smell. It lingers and stays with you, and suddenly, your train of thought has shifted from the annual report you’re working on to a nice slice of sausage and pepperoni pizza. In fact, you can’t think about anything else at this point — except maybe how wonderful it’d be if there was a way to eat and work at the same time. Thankfully, Maisha Burt, CEO and Founder of WorkChew, has a solution that you can find on the corner of hustle and hunger.

[Read more…] about Hungry at Work? Grab a Bite with Maisha Burt’s WorkChew

With 95 percent of U.S. single urban households willing to pay more for local food, you might be wondering why you haven’t seen more locally-sourced products at the grocery store or on restaurant menus. Thankfully, Alice Chalmers, Founder and CEO of Local Food Connection, is helping local food make its way into the mainstream. In this post, Chalmers talks about benefits of buying local, supporting farmers, and why grit is a must-have for aspiring entrepreneurs.  

[Read more…] about Farmers Produce, Chefs Create, and Alice Chalmers Connects