Jeff Bullas
Bio
Specialty: Blogging
Top tip: Start building an audience online in your area of expertise “before” you need them. This could be a blog or a website. This means growing your social media followers on Twitter and other social networks and your email list.
Website: http://www.jeffbullas.com
Twitter: @jeffbullas
Rank
#1
Score
576
James Altucher
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: It’s OK to fail. Start over. Hopefully before you run out of money. Hopefully before you take in investor money. Or, don’t worry about it. Come up with new ideas. Start over.
Website: http://www.jamesaltucher.com
Twitter: @jaltucher
Rank
#2
Score
573
John Jantsch
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Marketing strategy is a clear explanation of how you’re going to get there, not where or what “there” is. An effective marketing strategy is a concise explanation of your stated plan of execution to reach your objectives.
Website: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com
Twitter: @ducttape
Rank
#3
Score
563
Neil Patel
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: When I started my first business I kept trying to do too many things and expand the business even before we had a bit of revenue. This caused me to output mediocre work instead of great work. Eventually clients suffered from it and we lost revenue. If I had to do it all over again, I would just focus on one model within my business. As the revenue growth declines, I would then expand, but not until then.
Website: http://neilpatel.com/
Twitter: @neilpatel
Rank
#4
Score
556
Brian Dean
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Text can only take your content so far. Engaging images, videos and diagrams can reduce bounce rate and increase time on site: two critical user interaction ranking factors.
Website: http://backlinko.com
Twitter: @Backlinko
Rank
#5
Score
543
Derek Halpern
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: If you’re looking to generate traffic for business purposes, you’re better off focusing on practically useful content that activates high arousal emotions. It has given me the best results for the last 5 years, and still gives me great results today.
Website: http://socialtriggers.com
Twitter: @derekhalpern
Rank
#6
Score
537
Paul Graham
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: The fact that startups need less money means founders will increasingly have the upper hand over investors. You still need just as much of their energy and imagination, but they don’t need as much of your money. Because founders have the upper hand, they’ll retain an increasingly large share of the stock in, and control of, their companies. Which means investors will get less stock and less control.
Website: http://paulgraham.com
Twitter: @paulg
Rank
#7
Score
535
Joel Brown
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: You must work on yourself continuously, never be satisfied with yourself. Always know that as you invest the time and effort on you that’s the greatest ability that human beings have above animals.
Website: http://addicted2success.com
Twitter: @iamjoelbrown
Rank
#8
Score
526
Matthew Woodward
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Before launching a blog, I put thought into the execution. Having passion is all well & good but there’s got to be some sort of method to the madness!
Website: http://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk
Twitter: @MattWoodwardUK
Rank
#9
Score
520
Chris Ducker
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: It’s important to acknowledge and appreciate that no one person can handle all of these different roles. It’s about using what you’ve got at your arsenal, to get what you want out of your team building and outsourcing.
Website: http://www.chrisducker.com
Twitter: @chrisducker
Rank
#10
Score
518
Shawn Hessinger
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Create good, quality content that people actually want to see and increase engagement with your fans. Re-share old content that is highly beneficial to reach different audiences within a short span of time. Make sure the content is relevant to your audience.
Website: http://smallbiztrends.com
Twitter: @Shawn_Hessinger
Rank
#11
Score
495
Holly Reisem Hanna
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Don’t base decisions on fear. All too often people make decisions based on fear and this prevents us from making any real progress. Take smart risks and know that all entrepreneurs make mistakes; it’s how they learn and grow. So jump in and don’t be afraid to get your feet wet.
Website: http://www.theworkathomewoman.com
Twitter: @Holly_Hanna
Rank
#12
Score
487
Jill Konrath
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: Drop the “touching base” and “checking in” mentality from your vocabulary entirely. When making follow up calls, become an asset in their decision process. That’s when they’ll really want to work with you!
Website: http://www.jillkonrath.com
Twitter: @jillkonrath
Rank
#12
Score
487
Lincoln Murphy
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: First, develop your Ideal Customer Profile and research their Desired Outcome (Required Outcome + Appropriate Experience); don’t try to be all things to everyone. This’ll allow you to acquire customers that rapidly get value from what you sell, stay with you longer, buy more over time, and tell their friends.
Website: http://sixteenventures.com
Twitter: @lincolnmurphy
Rank
#14
Score
483
Sean Ogle
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: My strategy is all about creating incredibly useful, shareable content – so if I can’t see myself writing 100 unique articles over the next couple years then there’s a good chance I’m not interested in it enough to invest the time and energy into the project. Don’t get me wrong, maybe you’ll be able to, but for me, this one’s a deal breaker.
Website: http://www.seanogle.com
Twitter: @seanogle
Rank
#15
Score
472
Ana Hoffman
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is in DNA of all great business people. It’s what you do AFTER you fail that will separate you, a future small business success, from the other 80% of businesses that will crash and burn – for good.
Website: http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com
Twitter: @AnaTrafficCafe
Rank
#16
Score
469
Jamie Turner
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: You have to be a little crazy to be an entrepreneur. After all, what sane person would leave a job with a predictable paycheck to start something that has a pretty good chance of failing? I’ll tell you who would do that — the dreamers, the visionaries, the radicals, and the people who see something but who say, “I can make this better!” Hats off to those people — they’re the ones who make the world work. Trust your instincts, even if they’re a little bit crazy.
Website: http://60secondmarketer.com
Twitter: @AskJamieTurner
Rank
#17
Score
453
Meredith Wood
Bio
Specialty: Finance
Top tip: Always put finances first. Get a handle on all important financial documents before even starting. Offer a barter with a bookkeeper or an accountant so you make sure you have someone watching your finances from day one. Too often, startups waste money by not tracking spending and thinking wisely about financial investments. Don’t let yourself start a business cash poor because of your inability to make the “not so fun stuff” a priority.
Website: https://www.fundera.com
Twitter: @Mere_Wood
Rank
#18
Score
449
Jamie Spencer
Bio
Specialty: Blogging
Top tip: If your blog is aimed around professional readers and business people you might have more potential traffic from LinkedIn and Google+. If your target reader is more visual it might make more sense to focus exclusively on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for promoting your blog.
Website: http://setupablogtoday.com
Twitter: @setupablogtoday
Rank
#19
Score
444
Nellie Akalp
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: If you want to have success and be successful, you can’t make success your goal. The key is not to worry about being successful, but to instead work towards being significant and the success will naturally follow. If you have the vision, drive, and determination you can and will accomplish your small business goal!
Website: http://blog.corpnet.com
Twitter: @CorpNetNellie
Rank
#19
Score
444
Matthew Toren
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: You wouldn’t set up a physical shop without a business name and logo, so why would you do it online? Your business needs to be identifiable and have a professional look that appeals to the people you are targeting.
Website: http://www.blogtrepreneur.com
Twitter: @blogtrepreneur
Rank
#21
Score
440
Mark Glucki
Bio
Specialty: Technology
Top tip: Show you’re an expert in your field by publishing unique content on your blog at least once a week. Not only will this help with SEO and online discoverability, but your customers and prospects will get true value from your expertise. It will be well worth the extra effort.
Website: http://www.mts.ca
Twitter: @gluekey
Rank
#22
Score
428
Sujan Patel
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Focus on pre-launch marketing & start blogging early. For pre-launch, build a landing page as early as possible and describe your solution for a problem you’re solving for your target customer in as few words as possible. Blogging helps build credibility and trust with your potential customers (& email list).
Website: http://sujanpatel.com
Twitter: @sujanpatel
Rank
#23
Score
424
Marko Saric
Bio
Specialty: Blogging
Top tip: Some of your content might have been published a year ago but still gets traffic and ranks in search engines. Revisit your older content, update it, make sure it is still relevant and correct.
Website: http://howtomakemyblog.com
Twitter: @MarkoSaric
Rank
#24
Score
423
Kristi Hines
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: When it comes to blogging, don’t choose quantity over quality. It’s better to start with one amazing blog post per week and promote it like crazy than five mediocre ones.
Website: http://kristihines.com
Twitter: @kikolani
Rank
#25
Score
420
Martin Zwilling
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Top entrepreneurs spend more time putting the right team in place to accomplish their objectives than they spend on any other components of their job.
Website: http://blog.startupprofessionals.com
Twitter: @StartupPro
Rank
#26
Score
417
Phil Rozek
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: The best thing you can do is gather the kind of competitive-intel that you can use to get ahead of your competitors, and to ignore the useless facts that only allow you to ape them.
Website: http://www.localvisibilitysystem.com
Twitter: @philrozek
Rank
#27
Score
404
Joel Libava
Bio
Specialty: Franchises
Top tip: One option-if you’re on the hunt for a franchise to buy, is to buy an existing franchise. An already-operating franchise business. It’s one way to go, and there are definite advantages.
Website: http://www.thefranchiseking.com
Twitter: @FranchiseKing
Rank
#28
Score
400
Nick Loper
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Find your why. I think once you do that, it just makes doing the work so much easier.
Website: http://www.sidehustlenation.com
Twitter: @nloper
Rank
#29
Score
393
Becky McCray
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Lots of small towns have old school buildings sitting empty. Harveyville, Kansas, made a creative conference space and artistic residences out of an old school. I’ve also heard of school buildings used as a product warehouse, a youth scout council headquarters, a business incubator with commercial kitchen, and work crew housing.
Website: http://smallbizsurvival.com
Twitter: @BeckyMcCray
Rank
#30
Score
392
Daniel Newman
Bio
Specialty: Technology
Top tip: Use content to tell a story not to promote a product. Before you can sell on social you have to be social on social. It takes time and commitment, but the effort can have a huge payoff.
Website: http://millennialceo.com
Twitter: @danielnewmanuv
Rank
#31
Score
386
Stuart Walker
Bio
Specialty: Niches
Top tip: Pick a niche you both love and know well that is also profitable, it will make the whole process a lot easier for you. The more specific and focused your niche is the better. Trying to be broad and appeal to “everyone” actually usually leads to you appealing to no one.
Website: http://nichehacks.com
Twitter: @NicheHacks
Rank
#32
Score
374
Red Akrim
Bio
Specialty: Technology
Top tip: One of the best tip i can give for growing your business is to listen to your customers, analyse their behavior, see what they like and adapt your business accordingly.
Website: https://www.cloudswave.com
Twitter: @akrimred
Rank
#33
Score
372
Melinda Emerson
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: I have met many entrepreneurs who fall into the success trap. Once they start making real money, that’s the most important thing to them. Don’t let money or success change you; neither will give you peace or make you happy.
Website: http://succeedasyourownboss.com
Twitter: @smallbizlady
Rank
#34
Score
364
Lauren Hooker
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Blog. It’s a fantastic, organic way to drive traffic, build trust with your audience, and market your products and services.
Website: http://www.elleandcompanydesign.com
Twitter: @laurenelizhook
Rank
#35
Score
363
Bill Ross
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Your first marketing dollars should be spent understanding who your users are, and what they find valuable – don’t guess or assume. This step is key to defining and executing successful marketing campaigns; both digital and traditional.
Website: http://linchpinseo.com
Twitter: @billross
Rank
#36
Score
353
Lisa Barone
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Never let the business become more important than your health. Have set work hours. Get yourself in a schedule that you can live with (emphasis on the “live). The number one mistake I see new entrepreneurs make is that they sacrifice their lives and their health for this thing they’re trying to create. Be smarter than that.
Website: http://overit.com
Twitter: @LisaBarone
Rank
#37
Score
346
Cendrine Marrouat
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Commenting on other blogs in your niche is a great tactic to increase the visibility of your own blog. For example, you get to connect and build relationships with other writers, tap into a new audience, and create opportunities for guest posting.
Website: http://socialmediaslant.com
Twitter: @cendrinemedia
Rank
#38
Score
345
Chris Winfield
Bio
Specialty: Productivity
Top tip: I think it all comes down to four simple words: Start. Listen. Execute. Improve. So many people get hung up on things being perfect so they never start. Get started…start talking to your customers and really listen to them. Make progress everyday. You’ll make a ton of mistakes and that’s okay. Just focus on getting a little bit better each day.
Website: http://www.chriswinfield.com
Twitter: @chriswinfield
Rank
#39
Score
343
Ian Brodie
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Get the right offer for the right audience first. You can have mediocre marketing and content as long as you have something your audience desperately wants. But even genius marketing can’t save a crappy offer your audience doesn’t care about.
Website: http://www.ianbrodie.com
Twitter: @ianbrodie
Rank
#40
Score
338
Rich Schefren
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Here is the undeniable truth: All success is the result of a process. Here’s another one: Whether you want to believe it or not everything you do is a process.
Website: http://www.strategicprofits.com
Twitter: @richschefren
Rank
#40
Score
338
Diana Mackie
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Encourage your customers to share photos or updates about being at your business or using your products, then reshare or repost! Social media users love attention like this! Resharing also bolsters your brand, it’s the best and most authentic kind of social proof there is, and simultaneously encourages more of your customers to share even more images or posts too!
Website: http://blog.fundinggates.com
Twitter: @fundinggates
Rank
#42
Score
328
Gael Breton
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Focus on collecting emails as your #1 goal. Put it over traffic, put it over sales even. Email is your 2nd chance at making the sale if you fail at converting the first time.
Website: http://www.authorityhacker.com
Twitter: @gaelbreton
Rank
#42
Score
328
Daniel Goh
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: While this may be the best time ever to start an online business, it’s important that you’re putting the right measures in place to ensure your business is ready for the future.
Website: http://www.youngupstarts.com
Twitter: @youngupstarts
Rank
#44
Score
327
David Newman
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: If you find marketing hard, you’re doing it wrong! Small business marketing success is all about implementing strategies that you find easy, effortless, and enjoyable. Because those are the ones you’ll DO. And only action creates results.
Website: http://www.doitmarketing.com
Twitter: @dnewman
Rank
#45
Score
325
Ivana Taylor
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Focus on 5 things first. Who is your ideal customer? What is the problem that you are solving for this ideal customer? What is their perceived notion of how this problem is solved? How does the rest of the world tell them that this problem is solved? How do YOU believe this problem is solved? These 5 questions get to the core of your business, your purpose and will guide you in completing your most basic marketing plan.
Website: http://diymarketers.com
Twitter: @DIYMarketers
Rank
#45
Score
325
Andy Sernovitz
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Look for the people who are already talking about topics similar to yours in forums, blogs, and Meetup groups. They don’t have to be famous, just passionate, talkative, and curious.
Website: http://damniwish.com
Twitter: @sernovitz
Rank
#47
Score
315
Dan Western
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: When you’re setting goals for yourself, try to be as specific as possible. “Lose 5 pounds” is a better goal than “lose some weight” because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like.
Website: http://wealthygorilla.com
Twitter: @wealthygorilla
Rank
#48
Score
309
Tibor Shanto
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: My main concern with the way some people “do” Active Listening, is that all too often it is really Selective or Filtered listening. Specifically they are actively listening for those things that fit their solutions, their narrative. And if they don’t hear it they try to steer the conversation in that direction.
Website: http://www.sellbetter.ca
Twitter: @TiborShanto
Rank
#49
Score
307
Gene Marks
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: If you’re going to set up an accounting system for the first time then cough up a few bucks and involve a CPA. He or she will advise you on the necessary accounts. This way you can be sure that it’s done the right way and the system will grow with your company. Remember – do what you do best and bring in experts to do what they do best.
Website: http://www.marksgroup.net
Twitter: @GENEMARKS
Rank
#50
Score
298
Lynda Bekore
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: When funding your new or growing business, don’t invest or raise money until you’re sure what your profit model will be and how your product will generate revenue. If possible, try not to rely too much on outside funding. Bootstrapping is usually more effective in the long run, because you retain complete control and you always know where your revenue stream is coming from and how long it will last.
Website: http://smallbizclub.com
Twitter: @lynbek1
Rank
#51
Score
292
Gee Ranasinha
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Spend time on crafting and defining your company’s Value Message. Not so much *what* you’re offering, but *why* you’re offering it. Your business should have a clear narrative as to why it exists, that your target audience can embrace. This is as much to use as the essence of all customer-facing value moving forward, as it is for you to personally use as a kind of internal business compass.
Website: http://kexino.com
Twitter: @kexino
Rank
#52
Score
283
George Meszaros
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: One founder is not ideal, unless you are ready to make a herculean effort. Two is best, as we learned from Jobs and Wozniak, Larry and Sergey and Yang and Filo. Anything over three is almost always too many. It’s true you could have four, five or even more, but you’ll end up pulling your hair out trying to make collective decisions.
Website: http://www.successharbor.com
Twitter: @successharbor
Rank
#53
Score
273
Barry Moltz
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: We actually can’t sell anything to anyone. We need to be there when people are ready to buy. This is why a systematic and ongoing sales and marketing process is critical.
Website: http://barrymoltz.com
Twitter: @barrymoltz
Rank
#54
Score
265
Holly Magister
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Finding a trustworthy, business-savvy banker to work with you while launching your business is a great idea.
Website: http://exitpromise.com
Twitter: @ExitPromise
Rank
#55
Score
261
Dre Beltrami
Bio
Specialty: Branding & Visual Marketing
Top tip: Spend the time to define the foundational elements of your brand, including your brand mood & personality, exactly what you’re brand is all about, and who your perfect reader/client is before you try creating a unique brand identity. Branding really boils down to knowing exactly who you are. A killer signature style + consistency = brand recognition and online visibility. It’s all about setting yourself up for success, baby!
Website: http://thebrandedsolopreneur.com
Twitter: @drebeltrami
Rank
#56
Score
258
Sarah Santacroce
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Along with blogging I’d also start building my E-Mail list from Day 1. And I’d choose a tool with growth in mind. When I first started out I chose Mailchimp because it was recommended for small business owners. And I still recommend it to some clients, because it is a good tool. But for me it wasn’t enough anymore, because my list rapidly grew and became the centerpiece of my business. I changed from Mailchimp to Aweber and 5 years later to Active Campaign (and lost a lot of subscribers in the process, which is inevitable). So my advice: start building your list from day 1, but don’t choose the cheapest tool available. Consider the different options and then choose a tool with growth in mind.
Website: http://simplicitysmallbiz.com
Twitter: @sarahsantacroce
Rank
#57
Score
254
Brad Farris
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: James Dyson made 5,126 failed vacuum prototypes over 15 years before hitting on the design that eventually became a success. Talk about a huge cost of success! Does he think any time was wasted? No. He says, “But I learned from each one. That’s how I came up with a solution. So I don’t mind failure.ö
Website: http://www.enmast.com
Twitter: @enmastbusiness
Rank
#58
Score
250
Jacob Curtis
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Leverage social media prior and during your grand opening. There’s already a natural curiosity that comes with a new venture being started, especially for local brick and mortar businesses. Leveraging social media during your grand opening provides a major opportunity to not only generate additional buzz but also gain your first loyal customers.
Website: http://www.jacobcurtis.com
Twitter: @jacobkcurtis
Rank
#58
Score
250
Stephanie Chandler
Bio
Specialty: Business Book Publishing
Top tip: Build a solid web presence. This includes having a professionally designed website with a blog (WordPress is a great platform option), plus social media integration. You don’t need to leverage ALL of the social media sites, but most businesses can benefit from a presence on two or more (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook are the top three for most).
Website: http://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com
Twitter: @bizauthor
Rank
#60
Score
248
Stephanie Burns
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: Working for a company that makes a difference helps staff members to feel happier in the workplace, achieve more job satisfaction, build cohesion amongst their co-workers, and improve motivation.
Website: http://www.chic-ceo.com
Twitter: @StephanieABurns
Rank
#61
Score
242
Craig Wortmann
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: Create a one-sentence description of your business. Sounds simple, but it’s not. Starting a business means telling everyone you know (and many you don’t) what you do. Start a sales conversation by a clear, descriptive, and short sentence about what you do. The purpose of this sentence is simply to pull people in to a sales conversation by creating a very small foundation on which to build.
Website: http://www.salesengine.com
Twitter: @salesengine
Rank
#62
Score
240
Denise O’Berry
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Conserve your cash and bootstrap as much as you can. Your business can’t survive without cash flow. If you don’t have cash flow in your business, you don’t have a business. Here are five things you must do to manage the cash flow in your business. 1. Understand how cash works in your business. 2. Don’t sell yourself short. 3. Remember, you are not a bank. 4. Save cash for a rainy day. 5. Prepare (and use) a Cash Flow Budget.
Website: http://www.deniseoberry.com
Twitter: @deniseoberry
Rank
#63
Score
237
LaRae Quy
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Mental toughness helps us push through those moments we’re not sure we can keep moving forward. That is when we have a breakthrough, and when we do, we grow and learn a lot more about who we truly are and what we are capable of doing.
Website: http://www.laraequy.com
Twitter: @LaRaeQuy
Rank
#64
Score
233
Barbara Weltman
Bio
Specialty: Finance
Top tip: Separate your business life from your personal life. This means setting up a separate business bank account and having a separate business credit card. Doing this makes recordkeeping easier, enabling you to know how well (or poorly) your business is doing and to report your income and expenses properly for tax purposes.
Website: http://www.barbaraweltman.com
Twitter: @BarbaraWeltman
Rank
#65
Score
229
Jeff Cornwall
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: If you listen to the market, it will tell you what it really wants your business to be.
Website: http://www.drjeffcornwall.com
Twitter: @theentremind
Rank
#66
Score
219
James Carbary
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: If you want to own a business (and not let the business own you), you need to create a process for everything. Every task you perform, big and small, should be documented. When you have processes in place, you can build a team of people to execute the work….giving you the freedom that entrepreneurship provides.
Website: http://www.sweetfishmedia.com
Twitter: @jamescarbary
Rank
#67
Score
215
Darren Slaughter
Bio
Specialty: Construction Marketing
Top tip: You may hate your job, you may hate what you do, but don’t start a business if you don’t have a passion for it, because it’s going to be hard and you are going to have to love it to grow it.
Website: http://darrenslaughter.com
Twitter: @darrenslaughtr
Rank
#68
Score
214
John Baldoni
Bio
Specialty: Leadership
Top tip: Manage your time. No one else will. Set yourself a strict schedule of when you will work. As well as when you will not. Initially you may do much of the work yourself. Sooner than later you will need to prioritize and that means delegating tasks to others. Determine what you do best and do it. Delegate everything else.
Website: http://www.johnbaldoni.com
Twitter: @johnbaldoni
Rank
#69
Score
204
Richard Ruff
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: Sales success tends to be built on a foundation of saying “yesö to customers in order to garner those initial sales. But as a salesperson develops a relationship with the customer and becomes engaged in larger and more complex opportunities, always agreeing and continuously saying yes poses a challenge. It’s difficult to continue to add value simply by agreeing with everything the customer says.
Website: http://salestrainingconnection.com
Twitter: @saleshorizons
Rank
#70
Score
203
Erin Smith
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Research is crucial, but don’t waste your time researching the things that won’t make or break your business. Spend your time learning your numbers, but make quick decisions when it comes to things like web hosting, and email providers. Too many people starting do it the opposite.
Website: http://www.thestartersclub.com
Twitter: @thestartersclub
Rank
#71
Score
200
Doug & Polly White
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: We recommend that the first step for most entrepreneurs is to sell something. Put in place the minimum amount of infrastructure that you can get by with and focus on generating revenue.
Website: http://www.dougandpolly.com
Twitter: @letgotogrow
Rank
#72
Score
195
Kevin Jordan
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Interview members of your target audience and ask them what keeps them up at night. Pay attention to what they say–if you can find a way to help them with the problems they mention, you’ll have all the customers you want.
Website: http://redpointmarketingconsultants.com
Twitter: @RMCVirginia
Rank
#73
Score
193
Shameer Shah
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: A right-thinking, creative frame of mind is all it takes to achieve anything you desire. Being persistent in business will only make it easier to achieve your goals. Business is a domain that is unpredictable, but so is life. We don’t know the end result, but if you have a clear vision of the journey and what it is that you want out of your business then you are pointed in the right direction to achieve that success.
Website: https://www.businessbanter.com
Twitter: @shameerdshah
Rank
#74
Score
179
Irene Lane
Bio
Specialty: Eco Travel
Top tip: Do your homework to understand what issues or concerns are already being covered (about your topic) and, more importantly, what’s not being answered. You’ll quickly have 100 blog topics and then, when you post to Twitter, for example, you can tag who gave you the idea for the post.
Website: http://greenloons.com
Twitter: @GreenloonsEco
Rank
#75
Score
174
Amanda Littlejohn
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: I believe that I’m only productive because I compartmentalize my time, a habit I picked up when my children were very young and I was growing my business while working from home.
Website: http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com
Twitter: @amandamogul
Rank
#76
Score
170
Elinor Stutz
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: Listen to Your Inner Voice. Consistency and authenticity in all you do to include values and principles for conducting business need to be seen and heard. This is the essence of your personal brand. Your unique ideas will transform into a branding program designed to attract your desired clientele.
Website: http://www.smoothsale.net
Twitter: @smoothsale
Rank
#77
Score
165
Kendra Lee
Bio
Specialty: Sales
Top tip: Sell your offering first then create it. Too often new business owners spend all their time on creation only to find that their target market wants something slightly – or entirely – different.
Website: http://www.klagroup.com
Twitter: @KendraLeeKLA
Rank
#78
Score
161
Judy Robinett
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: There are three critical tasks for mgmt of a startup: the First prototype, First Customer, First outside $. In seeking capital, understand the investors objectives and focus on your exit. This puts you in the high potential entrepreneur category. Persistence wins.
Website: http://www.judyrobinett.com
Twitter: @judyrobinett
Rank
#79
Score
154
Rachel McDermott
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Know your ideal customer. Discover who they are by talking with them, one-on-one. Everything about your marketing – attracting customers, upsells, consumption – depends on this single step. Get it right and your business grows, get it wrong and you’ll struggle to attract the success you want.
Website: http://www.hooktowin.com
Twitter: @wisetoweb
Rank
#80
Score
149
Laurel Delaney
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Many people believe that the best way to find customers is to look for them or do it the old-fashioned way by picking up the phone and calling them. That’s a mistake. In the digital age, customers from around the world should find you. And they can, provided you create a sustainable positive online presence.
Website: http://www.globalsmallbusinessblog.com
Twitter: @LaurelDelaney
Rank
#81
Score
142
Cate Costa
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Understanding your market – who they are, where they are, what motivates them to spend – will help you feel more confident in building your business. It’s also an integral part of your planning if you do decide to become an entrepreneur.
Website: http://www.catecosta.com
Twitter: @cate_costa
Rank
#82
Score
134
John Ellison
Bio
Specialty: Design
Top tip: Start with real human needs. Emerge with empathy. Design in collaboration. Tell the story like your life depends on it. Repeat.
Website: http://writings.john-ellison.com
Twitter: @iamjohnellison
Rank
#83
Score
131
Daren Lowch
Bio
Specialty: Web Hosting
Top tip: Every business is unique. I don’t expect others to tell me what to do, but I always get references. I read about what and how are other business owners doing. Blog like BizHumm.com is very useful where there are a lot of takeaways. Then I start testing things out and decide which is best to my business. From there, I grow bit by bit.
Website: http://www.bitcatcha.com
Twitter: @DarenLowch
Rank
#84
Score
125
Benjamin Beck
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: I see too many businesses that hire someone to create content that they then try to promote to a niche that they do not understand. Creating the right content for the right audience leads to much more authority being built for your site to help you outrank your competition.
Website: http://benjaminbeck.com
Twitter: @ben_beck
Rank
#85
Score
123
Eder Holguin
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: Research your market, your competition, your ideal target market and validate your main value proposition. Getting fast and real feedback will save a lot of time, money and will allow you to make changes to your product quickly. Most new entrepreneurs spend a lot of time trying to build a business just because “they” think is a great idea.
Website: http://ederholguin.com
Twitter: @ederman1
Rank
#86
Score
116
Utkarsh Sharma
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: We are India-based e-commerce platform development business firm, providing affordable business development and marketing solutions to startups, SMEs and small stores.
Website: http://www.technophile.in
Twitter: @AskThePanda
Rank
#87
Score
100
Dan Black
Bio
Specialty: Leadership/Management
Top tip: To be successful in business you first need to be able to lead yourself successfully. Start with the person in the mirror and you will thrive in life and business.
Website: http://danblackonleadership.info
Twitter: @dbonleadership
Rank
#88
Score
99
Jesse Torres
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Don’t fear failure. Often people are taught that failing is bad. Yet without failure few entrepreneurs would know the way to success. Entrepreneurs seldom get it right the first time. But having the ability to keep moving by making adjustments improves the odds of success.
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/6260457
Twitter: @JSTORRES
Rank
#89
Score
91
Cynthia Cavoto
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: SMM involves a lot more than fooling around on Twitter or Facebook. Successful SMM strategies heavily rely on algorithms, testing, research, and analytics. Absolutely, creating excellent content is CRITICAL, yet there is a lot more involved in creating excellent content – it isn’t like journalism in which the WHOLE concentration is on good writing and investigation.
Website: https://firebrandsocialmedia.com
Twitter: @CynthiaCavoto
Rank
#90
Score
90
Tony Woodall
Bio
Specialty: Goal Achievement
Top tip: Write Goals Down, Be Specific, Set Deadlines, Create Action Plans, Track the Action Plan Daily, Reward yourself for successes. Do Again!
Website: http://goalgettingpodcast.com
Twitter: @GoalsPodcast
Rank
#91
Score
87
Erica Key
Bio
Specialty: Blogging
Top tip: When you decide to start a business, some nights, your passion for doing what you love is going to be the only thing that keeps you going. Make sure no matter what business you decide to launch you have a fiery passion for it.
Website: http://eatingwitherica.com
Twitter: @EatingWithErica
Rank
#92
Score
84
Hannah Becker
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: Don’t listen to the naysayers. When starting a new business, plenty of people will criticize you. They are just jealous that you have what it takes to start something out of nothing and they don’t. Stick to your guns – ignore the critics and follow your entrepreneurial dream.
Website: http://www.themotivatedmillennial.com
Twitter: @MotivatedGenY
Rank
#93
Score
75
Rhett Power
Bio
Specialty: Leadership/Management
Top tip: The best advice I can offer is to make time to work on your business instead of always working in your business. Take the time to think about the critical areas customer experience, product development, finance and how you can make them better.
Website: http://www.inc.com/author/rhett-power
Twitter: @rhettpower
Rank
#94
Score
72
Mike Sansone
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: There is a difference between intended audience and attending audience. Focus on your core customer and ideal prospects, rather than targeting and engaging with anyone and everyone. Building numbers on social media or email lists is not always profitable.
Website: http://smallbizlift.com
Twitter: @mikesansone
Rank
#95
Score
71
Tracy Moore
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: The buying process has evolved and so should your marketing strategy and tactics. It does not take a large marketing budget to be a successful, but it does take some know-how, creativity, insight and consistency.
Website: http://www.marketingeyedallas.com
Twitter: @TracyMooreMktg
Rank
#96
Score
59
Yura Bryant
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: A successful business is one that identifies a need/ want and provides products/ services that produce valuable solutions rather than just answers.
Website: http://entrepreneurialambitions.com
Twitter: @YuraBryant
Rank
#97
Score
57
Dr. Chris Stout
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: I have found that then most common denominator to successful startups, regardless of what area, is to understand a problem and then build a business to fix it. It’s pretty simple/elegant. Corollaries to this is to always live in beta with iterative rounds of rapid prototyping.
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/drchrisstout
Twitter: @DrChrisStout
Rank
#98
Score
54
Jasmine Crockett
Bio
Specialty: Lifestyle/Fashion
Top tip: Be consistent. You want to be cohesive in your branding, your message, and your writing. Keep your message the same across all of your platforms so you don’t confuse your audience on what your blog is about. You need to also have a schedule to at least blog 2-3 times a week to keep a consistent audience. One blog post a month doesn’t help anyone and you’ll lose your audience quick.
Website: http://jasminescrockett.com
Twitter: @jasmincrockett
Rank
#99
Score
47
Donna Phelan
Bio
Specialty: Finance
Top tip: Take the time to write a formal business plan for financing. This focuses you into critical thinking on all aspects of your business, including financial projections, sales and operations. Even if you are not currently seeking financing, you need to get prepared, strategically and financially, for that possibility.
Website: http://www.donnamphelan.com
Twitter: @donnamphelan
Rank
#100
Score
44
Highly Commended
Below are 19 other highly commended bloggers who may break into the top 100 in the months to come.
Amy Farr
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: While it is important to find a mentor who has experience in entrepreneurship, it is just as important for the person to genuinely care about you as a person. That way, you know they have your best interest in mind. Surround yourself with people who believe in you; ignore the ones who don’t.
Website: http://www.bettermarketingbyfarr.com
Twitter: @AmyFarrNews
Andrew Majorski
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Stay true to the vision you have for your business and build that brand out! Passion, mixed with good SEO and Social Media Marketing, can take you a long way in today’s digital world. Even the smallest of companies can reach a large audience with the right message.
Website: https://archetypelifestyleblog.wordpress.com
Twitter: @andrewmajorski
Andy Cabistan
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: One simple word: communication. In the startup world, anything that can go wrong will go wrong when communication is not effective. But, when you make sure that your message is clear to all the people involved in your startup, it will build the confidence of your team and reduce the amount of things going wrong. Even if you feel like you are repeating yourself, keep doing it, until you make sure that everyone gets the point.
Website: http://www.turbee.co
Twitter: @AndyCabistan
Aniekan Whyte
Bio
Specialty: Lifestyle
Top tip: Discovering your life’s vision is where your business starts – your business is the vehicle to accomplishing your life vision and goals. By realizing: Who am I? How am I wired (talents/skills/passion)? and what’s my assignment (what I call your message)? only then will your business have purpose and destination.
Website: http://www.aniekanjoshuawhyte.com
Twitter: @ANIEKANWHYTE
Brook Borup
Bio
Specialty: Productivity
Top tip: Don’t get bogged down or burnt out in your small business. Open your mind and learn to delegate so you can make proactive deliberate decisions for your business. If you think Money is a factor… IT’S NOT! Affordable options are available if you work smart and think creatively. There is a person, product or hack for any business pain!
Website: http://myclonesolution.com
Twitter: @myclonesolution
Christopher Evans
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: When starting up, self invest 15% to 30% of all sales into a CD to make sure net worth stays up. Market daily to attract customers. Make sure revenues stay ahead of expenses.
Website: http://axiomfinity.blogspot.com
Twitter: @axiomfinity
Claudia Chery
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: You must conduct research! Read books that are relevant to your business. Do extensive Google searches. Talk to people about your business ideas. Ask your first customers what they think about your product. Take what you learn, tweak your product, then move forward.
Website: http://www.greenviewcne.com
Twitter: @greenviewcne
Cynthia Sperko
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Know your target audience based on your favorite client. For example, Marcie hired you for a job. You really enjoyed working with Marcie and would like to work with her again. Play detective so to speak, and market your business to the places that interest Marcie.
Website: http://www.cynthialsperko.com
Twitter: @clsperkophotos
Dan Glickberg
Bio
Specialty: Food
Top tip: Always, always, always do more listening than talking. You’ll learn more from others than listening to yourself repeat the same pitch over and over again.
Website: http://www.danglickbergfood.com
Twitter: @danglickberg
Emily Davis
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Do something every day to get you closer to your business goal. The one thing you can control is the task at hand, and that will take you one step closer toward your ultimate goal.
Website: http://www.emilyshandmadesoaps.com
Twitter: @emilyssoaps
James Kemp
Bio
Specialty: Marketing
Top tip: It’s all about the customer. If you don’t have a product that gives them a gain or solves a pain the best marketing in the world won’t help.
Website: http://growthhq.co.nz
Twitter: @jaaims
Jason Kiesau
Bio
Specialty: Success Skills
Top tip: Work toward mastery of Success Skills 1 & 2; Self-Management and Relationship Building. Self-management is our ability to know our strength; celebrate them and be confident in them. It’s also understanding our weaknesses and opportunities for growth and managing them so they don’t hold us back.
Website: http://jasonkiesau.com
Twitter: @jasonkiesau
Jeannene Herber
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Your business is your baby. Parents are well known for constantly bragging about their beautiful babies. Brag about your business to anyone who will listen, they could be your next customer. Parenting also requires sacrifice, so does running a startup.
Website: http://luckyskygraphics.com
Twitter: @LuckySkyGraphic
Jeff Whittle
Bio
Specialty: Leadership
Top tip: There is no greater sin than wasting time.
Website: http://blog.whittleandpartners.com
Twitter: @jeffwhittletx
Jim Zumpone
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: Love what you do! Let your passion for the business drive everything. Whatever you are going to be doing, make sure it is something you would do even if monetary gain was not involved. If you are passionate (and become expert) in your chosen field, the money will come!
Website: http://www.zipperjunction.org
Twitter: @JimZumpone
Lisa Edwards
Bio
Specialty: Entrepreneurship
Top tip: Be Patient! Building a new business is like making popcorn the old fashioned way. Remember when you had to wait for the oil to get hot before the first kernel would pop, then the second, etc. You gotta wait for the oil to get hot!
Website: http://livingwellforsuccess.com
Twitter: @Living_WellSucc
Merri Cronk
Bio
Specialty: Franchises
Top tip: Do your research! With franchise ownership, you don’t have to guess. The franchisor creates the systems and processes the franchisee implements. Research is the power to understanding how to find the right franchise fit to maximize your success!
Website: http://franchisingtexas.com
Twitter: @FranNetCenTX
Michaela Logue
Bio
Specialty: Startups
Top tip: Understand fully and determine what your brand identity is. Who are you as a business? What need does your business fill in the market? Who is your customer? Be extremely specific about these few items when building your plan on how to share your message to the public. When this is established, write a 5 sentence mission statement that becomes the key focus for your new business going forward.
Website: http://www.coachmichaelalogue.com
Twitter: @coachmichaelal
Terri Maurer
Bio
Specialty: Small Business
Top tip: Successful marketing plans do not have to be overly complicated.
Website: http://www.maurerconsultinggroup.com
Twitter: @tlmaurer
Scoring Details
bizHUMM ranked the top 100 best bloggers on the basis of 6 criteria:
- Ahrefs Global Rank
- Ahrefs Domain Rating
- Alexa Global Rank
- Compete Traffic
- Klout Score
- SEMRush Traffic Value
Each of the categories contribute a maximum of 100 points for a total possible score of 600.