Starting a company is no easy task; 99.9% of startups fail within their first year, and those that don’t often struggle to remain viable in the long-term. Yet all of today’s promising companies and Fortune 500 giants were once startup companies, striving to create a niche in their industry and turning some heads in the process. It’s this corporate casino—where most lose, but the winners win big—that makes following a startup so interesting. It’s also one of the reasons I’ve created the first-ever feature at the Upwardly Mobile, Startup Smartup, to give you an inside look at the trials, challenges, and tribulations of working on a startup from day one. Over the next few months, you’ll get a chance to learn from my mistakes and (hopefully) successes, and get an inside look at an exciting new Web 2.0 company. I’ll be discussing the practice of all those things I learned in my entrepreneurial leadership classes, and we’ll challenge the efficacy of some commonly-held beliefs about entrepreneurship.
There’s only one catch: I can’t tell you the idea yet. As much as I’d love to give you every last detail–and believe me, I’m excited enough to go on for hours–I’m sworn to secrecy for the next few weeks, at the very least. I can tell you that I’ll be posting early and often about this, however, and that you readers will be the first to know whenever I have any news. So join us for the ride and check back for an update soon!
I’ve mentioned Mint before in my article, 5-Plus Habits That Will Make You Rich, but the application is good enough that it deserves its own post. The free website allows you to easily track your spending and savings by automatically compiling and analyzing data from your credit and debit cards, bank accounts, and investment portfolio. Lifehacker has already posted a comprehensive screenshot tour to Mint’s features and security, so I won’t belabor either of those here; suffice it to say that Mint is about as secure as they come, and it has an excellent set of features to boot. What is amazing, however, is how much you can learn about your spending habits by using Mint. The website has just released a great new feature that allows you to compare your spending and investments with other mint users in your area, your state, or throughout the nation. They’ve also got a great blog that features a wide array of money management tips.
Continue reading “Compare Spending with Mint”
If you’re like most of us, when you don’t write it down, you’re likely to forget it. But sometimes writing it down just isn’t enough. What if you want to remember to do something a week, month, or year from now? If you need more than one reminder, if your idea isn’t particularly suited for your calendar, or if you’re a strict adherent to Getting Things Done
, you’re probably looking for something a little more flexible. Enter MemoToMe.com, the free email reminder service.
Continue reading “Never Forget Again: MemoToMe.com and Gmail”
If you’ve landed that new job or found that new apartment, chances are, you’re looking for a roommate. It can be tough to find a good roommate, especially one whose tastes, lifestyle, and budget are all similar to yours. Since I just went through that process myself, I thought I’d share a bit about what I learned.
Without a doubt, the two most popular services for finding a roommate online are Craigslist and Roommates.com. Both sites are popular, but which one is actually the best at connecting potential roommates?
Continue reading “Finding a Roommate: Craigslist vs. Roommates.com”
The Internet is full of people promising to make you rich, and let’s face it: most of those promises are scams. Those writers who aren’t trying to con you out of your hard-earned cash usually offer the same old obvious, tedious advice—save money each month, avoid unnecessary expenses, and keep your savings in the bank. But for those of us who want to move beyond the Puritanical, a-penny-saved mindset, a more effective method is necessary. Let’s face it: saving is for retirement, not for getting rich. There are a few simple things you can do, however, that will put you well on your way to living more prosperously without adopting the kind of frugal habits that resemble Thoreau’s life at Walden Pond.
1. Act Like You’re Already Rich - In Steve Pavlina’s article, 5 Wealth Lessons from 20 Percent of a Millionaire, Steve discusses the significant shift in identity that it takes to become a millionaire. He argues that it’s impossible to become rich without first becoming comfortable with the lifestyle that accompanies wealth. This doesn’t mean acting like a snob, but it does mean learning to live as if you already had a million bucks. If you think about your wealthy friends and acquaintances, you’ll realize that most of them do most or all of the following: Continue reading “5-Plus Habits That Will Make You Rich”
If you’ve read or seen the news lately, you’ve probably already heard of virtual assistants. Bestselling book The 4-Hour Workweek
(#1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal) and countless articles in the business sections of most major newspapers and magazines have popularized the concept of low-cost, outsourced assistants. Despite the media attention, however, the concept hasn’t caught on quite as quickly as many thought it would. Unsure of the benefits, afraid of the risks, or concerned about the difficulty of communicating with a remote, possibly foreign assistant, most professionals haven’t taken the plunge. If you’ve thought about using a virtual assistant and just haven’t taken the risk, or if you’ve tried a virtual assistant and want to work even more efficiently and effectively, this article is for you.
This article will provide a brief overview of virtual assistants, explain how to effectively use them to save time and money, and offer some free tools for improving your VA experience. Read more to learn how you can save thousands of dollars per year, free up your time, and have fun in the process!
Continue reading “Save Time & Money with Virtual Assistants”
Welcome to The Upwardly Mobile! This blog is dedicated to bringing young professionals news, tools, and tips to help them live, work, and prosper more efficiently! This blog isn’t about flashiness or elitism, but it is about the art and science of creating your own success. I’ll be sharing the tools and ideas I’ve found that work, analyzing the habits that don’t, and helping you realize your own potential. I invite you to join me in learning, growing, and living entrepreneurially.
