Entrepreneurial Advice For College Graduates — Experts Weigh In

Graduation season is in full swing and while many new grads are looking at corporate positions, others are considering paving their paths as entrepreneurs. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give a college grad considering entrepreneurship? We spoke to 70 experts who shared their best advice for post-grads interested in becoming small business owners.

1. “I started my business while I was in school and it was a challenging experience. I have gone on to start more businesses after that and found a rhythm after gaining experience. If you want to start a business, try starting it as a side hustle first, alongside a part- or full-time job for two reasons. One, capital is not guaranteed and you are going to need some foundation to support you that way and, two, if your side hustle takes over your job, you know it’s a viable business and you can keep growing from there.” — Steve Dolson, Founder, BenchMRK Digital Agency

2. “My advice to potential new entrepreneurs is to choose a consumer segment or ideal customer base that you want to serve first, then start a business to serve that market. This is counterintuitive and the complete opposite of what most businesses do, but the hardest part of a new business is finding the right customers. If you reverse those steps, you can have long-term success by having a defined target market and serving a sector you enjoy.” — Garrett Ball, Owner and President, 65Medicare.org

3. “Go for it! This is the best time in your life to pursue being an entrepreneur. Yes, you might have student loans, but as the years go by, your responsibilities and obligations will only grow. Take your tenacity and flexibility and use it to pursue a small business. With the help of a mentor, you can get on the fast track to success. Someone who has been successful in small business can help you avoid the traps and pitfalls that cause so many small businesses to fail.” — Allen Michael, Founder and Editor, TheStickVacuums.com

4. “Don’t overlook ‘boring’ industries when considering entrepreneurship. A lot of would-be entrepreneurs think you need to come up with the latest and greatest technological marvel to be successful, but if you can figure out a better (or unique) way of doing something in a long-established industry, like buying mattresses online, for example, you can find great success. There’s a lot of money to be made in changing up a mundane industry.” — Jack Anzarouth, President, Digital Ink Marketing

5. “Have the courage to go for it. It’s the best and most rewarding decision you can make. On a practical standpoint, look for resources available to you. Search Google for small business help and you will be surprised at the amount of free resources available to you. I have gotten involved with the Small Business Development Center at Columbia and their guidance and help has been beyond my expectation. The classes and seminars that are available to attend for free, the access to professors and professional business advisors, and the networking have really provided me with support during the process of starting my business.” — Karla Bonilla, Owner, Karla Bonilla Designs

6. “You’ll learn so much from starting your own company, it’s incredible. See if you can make it a side hustle first so that you can also learn how other companies operate in a smart way and where they make mistakes. Understanding both sides of that coin will really help you make your business successful!” — James Reeves, CEO, Diefendorff, Inc.

7. “Get support in your professional and personal development by finding an experienced mentor. You can find experts in your field by utilizing your friends and family network or you can use online services. Having someone knowledgeable to bounce ideas off early on can really help to avoid common pitfalls and sharpen business plans.” — Al Rose, Owner, Today Testing

8. “Start small. Try out side hustles and identify trends and niches you can build on from there. It’s a snowball effect and all the sweat and hard work you put in leads to bigger and better over the years.” –Tyler Browne, Owner, To the Cloud Vapor Store

9. “Start it as your side hustle. Get a full-time job and start your own business on the side. This is a great way to gain valuable work experience and test the market for your product/service.” — Lindsey Wigfield, Founder, Sweet Home Marketing

10. “Get a job in a field related to the type of business you want to do. Learn what you can while working for them and spend all your free time building your own business. This will help you get used to working 80 hours a week, because that’s what entrepreneurs end up doing.” — Jessica Trimberger, Owner, PAIR’D Beauty

11. “The most important steps to take to start a business are to research the industry and build a test model first. When you first have an idea for a business, it’s important to be aware of the industry. If you are launching a tech product, you should research and know what other technologies are out there and who the tech disruptors are in the current market. It’s important to know what is happening in the world so you can make sure you are going to start something that will still be relevant in the next few years. Then, start with a test model. Before you begin building something, you need to make sure it’s something worth building. You should hack together a simple test version of your vision and see if it’s something that people are interested in. Before you start a business, you really need to ask yourself if this is something you could see yourself sticking with long term. Is this something you are passionate about? Are you willing to invest in the resources you will need to make this happen? I think it’s good to think about your path and prepare yourself instead of just jumping right into it.” — Ajay Yadav, CEO & Founder, Roomi

12. “Consider temporarily working undercover at a job that’s in the industry you plan to pursue. Let that company’s systems help you create a solid foundation to launch your enterprise.” —Shirley George Frazier, Chief Basketologist, Sweet Survival LLC

13. “Before you make any strides to start your business, utilize your degree and start working at a job. This will give you income to be self-sufficient and allow you to pay off any debt you may have taken on in college. In your spare time, educate yourself about the business you want to start and absorb as much information as possible. Once you feel like you’ve learned enough to start, start your business in your spare time at night and on the weekends. Only leave your job when your business income surpasses your current income at your job.” — Matt Bigach, Co-Founder, Nexus Homebuyers

14. “My biggest piece of advice is not what you might expect: get a real job first. You’ll learn a lot about business, management styles (what you like versus what you don’t like), and countless other things that aren’t taught in school. I worked full time for 2.5 years after college before I left to start my own business and having that experience under my belt was a big factor in my success. Plus, that will give you some time to build up your personal savings, which is incredibly important for new entrepreneurs to have.” — Jeff Proctor, Founder, DollarSprout

15. “Understand how important resilience is. It’s likely that you’ll fail repeatedly before you succeed, but nothing is ever a failure if you learn from it. When you fail at something, learn what went wrong so you can avoid making the same mistake again and continue moving forward with your business. Persistence is what wins in entrepreneurship.” — Ron Stefanski, Internet Marketing Consultant, JobsForTeensHQ.com

16. “My advice to all budding entrepreneurs is to develop a higher vision and never stops learning! It’s best suited in today’s world because world is changing rapidly and you can’t rely on particular technology or product. If you constantly innovate empowered by lifelong learning to serve your higher vision, you will succeed and disrupt along the way.” — Akshay Bansal, Founder, Heuro

17. “Don’t be afraid to take a paycheck right after school. Most small businesses don’t see explosions of growth or traction overnight. Taking a job that will offer deeper industry insight into the market your business will be competing in can be a priceless continuance of any entrepreneur’s education—and it comes with a paycheck! Putting your spare time into growing your business, while earning a paycheck during normal work hours, is an uphill climb but can hedge against much of the financial risk faced by entrepreneurs when they are first starting out.” — Zack West, Director of Marketing, Novomotus

18. “Get work experience at startups and small businesses instead of large organizations. You tend to learn all you are going to learn in large companies very quickly, then once you can do the task you’re hired to do, it becomes ‘rinse, wash, repeat.’ Focus on smaller companies where you can learn more and get better, in-depth work experience. You’ll be able to get exposure to all areas of the business and that will be very valuable when starting your own business.” — Steve Benson, Founder and CEO, Badger Maps

19. “Just go for it. There will never be a better time for you to start your own business. You’re young, you’re full of fresh ideas and now is the time to risk a bit. The internet opens the global doors for you and you can pretty much start today by creating your website and starting to communicate with your target audience. Give it your best shot and I wish you good luck!” — Marko Saric, Freelance Marketing Consultant, HowToMakeMyBlog.com

20. “When you have an idea, rather than going straight for financing, push out into the market and sell your idea first. You’ll learn valuable lessons in both sales and market testing that can only be learned by taking massive action. If nobody buys, you can quickly adapt and try something else – without losing any money. And if its selling well, it’ll be easier to secure investors. So, it’s a win-win.” — Chelsey Heil, CEO, Creatives by Chelsey

21. “My advice for grads considering entrepreneurship is to seek to also find a ‘real’ job post-graduation. Start your own business on the side, so it is not your sole source of income. Far too many businesses fail from pulling out funds before proper investments are made. There is also a lot to be learned from the business world before you jump fully into your own business. Don’t suppress any dreams, but rather gain value experience along the way.” — Bill Fish, Co-Founder, Tuck.com

22. “(1) Surround yourself with mentors: experts in your specific industry, those who have experience with business development, and people who are like-minded and can be a source of motivation for you. (2) Learn, and then learn some more. Read books, listen to podcasts, and seek wisdom for those who have gone before you. (3) Have a side job, grant, or some form of financial security. Building a company, or organization with a consistent stream of profit takes time and money. Structure a schedule that will allow for you to bring in funds, while you chase your dream. Smart financial planning will pave the way for the growth of your venture.” — Laine Schmidt, Business & Career Coach, Laine Schmidt Life Coaching

23. “The best piece of advice I can give college graduates pursuing entrepreneurship is to start selling their idea as soon as possible! The best way to obtain market research, get clarity around your ideal client and feedback on what you offer is to through hands on learning! College is all about learning in the classroom while entrepreneurship is all about learning through experience. The sooner you get experience, the sooner you’ll succeed.” — Natalia Crawford, Entrepreneur and Consultant, Natalia Crawford Coaching

24. “People trust and pay more for experts than generalists. What do you do exceptionally well? What talent and knowledge do you already have that sets you apart? What niche can you fill as you see there’s a huge void? Can you do this as an entrepreneur to gain experience, contacts, and learn on someone else’s dime before going out on your own? Whether it’s a side hustle or full-time gig, you will be more successful, satisfied and known faster if you rock your expertise. At the end of the day, if you don’t do something you love that taps into your natural and learned greatness, it will feel like that much steeper a learning and growth curve.” — Sarah McVanel, Chief Recognition Officer, Greatness Magnified

25. “There is no better time in your life to start a business. You could start and fail 10+ times between now and when you’d still have plenty of time to do whatever you want in life. Whatever excuse or hesitation you have in your head about starting a business just push it aside and go for it.” — Dayne Shuda, Founder, Ghost Blog Writers

26. “Get a job within your interests and your business field so you can build your business after hours and on the weekends. This way you will be learning on the job and getting paid to fund your own small business without going further in debt while paying off your student loans.” — Mike Lindamood, Founder, Lamood Big Hats

27. “When starting a business, you will fail. You’ll fail a lot. The key is when you fail, don’t begin calling yourself a failure. The possibility for greatness and embarrassment both exist in the same space.” — Paul Angone, Author, All Groan Up

28. “Always keep your mentors and networks close. You never want to get lost in your day-to-day and lose track of the overall ‘big picture.’ Take suggestions, keep an open mind and thrive with the ability to listen.” — Sara Gotch, Owner, Gnarly Pepper

29. “If you can start securing clients/projects while in school, do so. It will be easier to network with your classmates now than after graduation. Consider forming a ‘board of directors’ even if just one person to serve as a mentor/advisor to help think through new directions, review periodic financial performance and make introductions. Entrepreneurship has a facade of ‘going solo’ but there is not any other type of business where you will rely on others so extensively.” — Terence Channon, Principal, NewLead

30. “Know, don’t guess. Immerse yourself and learn the ins and outs of the industry. Understand the operations and finance of the business. Spend time getting hands-on experience and meeting the people doing the work on the ground. Developing depth of experience will pay off many times over.” — Christopher Lee, Founder and Career Consultant, PurposeRedeemed

31. “Having started both a large business and a small business, the primary lesson is the same: have enough operating to cash to get you through a full year. Unexpected expenses and lower-than-predicted sales will absolutely occur and being prepared by having sufficient capital on hand is the most important factor.” — Stacey Giulianti, Esq., Owner, Lauderdale Comics

32. “Find a mentor. They give you honest and unbiased advice and can be a support during trying times. Finding a mentor is not as daunting as it seems. This is probably the single most valuable action you can take for yourself and your business. Your mentor doesn’t need to be in your same profession; so, they don’t even need to be in the same industry. They just need to be a business person that you respect and look up to. A mentor is so amazing, because you can talk to them about topics that seem very daunting, ask questions that feel amateur, discuss pricing candidly and share your wildest dreams for your business.” — Lindsey Nickel, Owner and Wedding Business Coach, Lovely Day Strategy

33. “Whatever venture you go in to, go into it because you are passionate about it — NOT because of how much money you can make. Have the courage to follow your heart. Your heart will always steer you in the right direction.” — Tom Ingrassia, Founder and President, The MotivAct Group

34. “My advice would be to make your dream your side hustle to start. Work your full-time job and work even harder at night to prove your business is a viable opportunity. Self-finance too, if possible. Set aside a set amount of funds that you can use 100% risk free. If you’re serious enough about your business, investing 20k of your own money is a lot better than taking on debt from a bank.” — Brian McAlister, Owner, King & Fifth Supply Co.

35. “You’ve just graduated, so it’s very normal that you either have no money or you’re in debt. I would recommend getting a somewhat-pertinent day job to pay the bills, and hustle on the side toward your entrepreneurship goals until you get to the point where it’s silly to keep your corporate job. Then, launch full-time.” — Sarabeth Lewis, Freelance Commercial Writing, Lewis Commercial Writing

36. “Work for another startup and an established small business first. They can teach you a lot about work ethic and about management styles.” — Ashley Johnson, Founder, Mouth Marketing LLC

37. “I recommend college grads to not jump into entrepreneurship directly. There are certain things that we only learn with time as well as gathering experience in a corporate environment can be very helpful. One doesn’t just learn how things are done, how they can be done better, but actually also acquires key business skills which would otherwise take you a long time and many more mistakes if you hopped straight into building your own company.” — Pamela Wagner, CEO, Ajala Digital

38. “College grads considering opening their own business should focus on being data driven. Data is one of the most important tools a new entrepreneur has at his or her disposal because it can help you make fast, informed decisions. Run frequent tests or send surveys to collect customer and audience insights. By analyzing relevant data, you can be nimble make quick decisions on anything from new website features to product costs. It’s a fundamental way to drive growth and success in a new business.” — Adrian Ridner, CEO and Co-Founder, Study.com

39. “Read as much as you can. Not just about business, but about things and people that inspire you. Secondly, find a mentor you respect, who you can learn from, and who can offer advice when things get tough. It doesn’t have to be someone who is wildly successful, but they do have to be accessible. One of my most influential mentors started out as my boss and became my partner and very close friend. He was much older than me and at the age when I thought I knew it all, was able to offer me incredibly practical advice from experience that has stayed with me throughout my career and helped me get where I am today.” — Logan Estop-Hall, Co-Founder and CEO, Rebel Hack

40. “Be creative, resilient and scrappy—you will be told no a lot but keep at it and find new ways and energy to come back with a new idea or twist and try again. Be pleasantly persistent until you find a way to make it work. Entrepreneurs never give up. Embrace negative feedback and keep moving forward there are valuable nuggets and insights if you listen more than you talk, see where they have push back and find a way to address it better it will make your business stronger. Have fun! If you are not passionate about your business, why should anyone else be?” — Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder and CEO, Mavens & Moguls

41. “Focus on personal finance expertise so that you can excel with business finances—balance sheets and understanding cash flow are must have skills. If you’re a person of color, be financially prepared to fund yourself. You may have to get a day job and work your business part-time until you get the revenue you need to work it full-time.” — Phedra Arthur, Founder and Chief Project Officer, Human Centered Project Management

42. “Find an entrepreneur that’s in the role you’d like to be in 15-25 years from now and do whatever it takes to apprentice them for the next year. The things you’ll learn simply taking things off their plate and watching them operate could accelerate your career by 10 years or more.” — Kurt Uhlir, Venture Partner, Uhlir Ventures

43. “Love it. It sounds like a cliché but if you just want to make money and you don’t love the foundation of the business, then when it gets hard, and it will, you’ll quit. Stick with it. Expect that it’s going to take you at least 10 years to make it work. If you don’t get the exact result you want initially, then make changes but keep pushing your product/service until you hit the mark. Then, push even harder to scale it. Read everything. Constantly read books written by people who have done great things. You pick up big and small ideas from them, and four years later a situation will arise, and you will have the answer because you read it in some book.” — Will Davies, Founder, Car Next Door

44. “Graduates should consider finding a mentor before they start their entrepreneurial journey. Preferably, the mentor has ten or more years of business experience and has experience failure.” — Linda Murray Bullard, Chief Business Strategist, LSMB Business Solutions

45. “Remember that success is a personal measurement. A successful day is measured by your own (ongoing) commitment to your goals. It’s important to be proud of your choices and accomplishments each day. If you can do that, you can check that day off as a success.” — Ashley Walter, Healthy Living Expert, Living with Ashley

46. “My advice is to consider a business at the intersection of your passion and demand. The demand keeps the money coming and the passion keeps you going when things get tough, and trust me, things always get tough in business.” — Roman Debotch, Owner, BlackExcellence.com

47. “Don’t focus on your competitors too much. As a young entrepreneur, I think there is a real temptation to look at your competitive landscape as a form of validation. This approach may make you feel like you are on the right track in the beginning, but don’t let it distract you from the original market insight that you had. I’ve seen too many innovative companies end up with product offerings that resemble the rest of the marketplace because they are too focused on one-upping their competitors. Don’t let the day-to-day competition distract you from innovative insights that caused you to embark on your entrepreneurial journey in the first place.” — Samar Shah, Founding Partner and Patent Attorney, Shah IP Law, PLLC

48. “Try to focus more on your clients’ needs than investor attraction. Do a research, learn what kind of issues your target audience faces and create a solution for them. It will help you not to waste time on creating solutions no one needs and make you more interesting for investors.” — Daria Dubinina, Founder and CEO, Crassula

49. “Study and learn from successful people who have already achieved what they want.” — Davis Lin, Founder, Client Acquisition Lab

50. “Developing an appetite to learn is, without a doubt, the most beneficial personality trait for an entrepreneur to cultivate. The modern world moves so quickly that even very traditional industries are having to completely reinvent themselves. If you have one way of doing something and aren’t interested to learn new skills, you won’t keep up with change and your business will fail. It’s tough to hear but that doesn’t make it any less true.” — Stephen Hart, CEO, Cardswitcher

51. “I’d strongly recommend not doing it on your own. Two heads are better than one and you’ll want another person to share decisions, tricky situations, cover you when you need a break etc. The reality is you can’t do everything, and it helps to play to each other’s strengths and experiences – in a nutshell, someone needs to do the work, and someone needs to find the work. No one said it would be easy, but the bigger the personal risk, the bigger the personal reward to watch something you’ve created grow.” — Richard Barnes, Founder and Managing Director, Buffalo7

52. “Surround yourself with like-minded people. Entrepreneurship is a completely different lifestyle than the corporate 9-5 — and being so young, our friends usually don’t understand all that owning a business entails. Join networking groups and organizations in your area for entrepreneurship and connect with others who also own a business. I have made some of my greatest friends simply by building relationships with other entrepreneurs, as they understand all of the ups and downs of owning a business.” — Ashley Mason, Social Media Consultant, Dash of Social

53. “Get a business partner who compliments your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re going straight into starting a business or even embarking on a side hustle, you’re much more likely to succeed if you’re working with someone who can weather the ups and downs with you and who is amazing in the areas where you may not be as strong.” — Ally Compeau, Founder and CEO, Woof Signs

54. “Look for something VERY needed and wanted that either doesn’t yet exist or, if it does already exist, it is hard to deliver, and you make it easier. You’ll need something that makes what you’re doing unique and better than what they can get elsewhere — either how it’s delivered or what it is. Doing something faster, with better quality, and for a better price is what makes consumers (and businesses) pay attention.” — Joy Gendusa, Founder and CEO, PostcardMania

55. “First, get a job in the corporate or professional world. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, but most importantly, corporate helps you discover what you like and dislike about working a traditional 9-5. The skills and habits you acquire in corporate will follow you into entrepreneurship, so be aware of what those are exactly. For post-grads who might already have a job and hate it, make sure you have an exit plan before quitting. There is a safe and responsible way to ditch your day job, and you want to make sure you’re amongst the wise ones!” — Lillian Adé, Exit Strategist, Lilly Adé

56. “I would tell new graduates looking to open their own businesses is to use their personal networks! Don’t be afraid to share your entrepreneurial endeavors with your friends, family, followers, and peers. You never know who your next investor may be.” — Shampaigne Graves, ICF Certified Professional Coach, Endurance 4 Life Training & Wellness

57. “Find something you’re passionate about when deciding what your business will be. Then, decide what your business will do and won’t do. This will help you stay focused on your business and not jump on every passing opportunity that sounds good. Once you have a plan, set goals you want to achieve at one month, three months, etc. and celebrate reaching those milestones to stay motivated.” — Vladimir Gendelman, Founder and CEO, Company Folders

58. “Learn as much as you can, because grads and post-grads have something super valuable: time. Even if you’re just tinkering or learning new skills, use the time you must research and dig in, because you may not have that time later.” — Shawn Rubel, Founder and CEO, Vecteezy

59. “(1) Shadow someone who does what you think you would like to do. There is nothing like seeing in granular details what it means to run a business and whether you are suited for it! (2) Take inventory of things that you are naturally good at. Are you great at coding, organizing spaces, or making sense of numbers? Next, think about businesses that require these skills.” —Faizun Kamal, Franchise Coach, Franchise Consulting Company

60. “You’ll never be more in-touch with what your generation wants, values, and will actually buy than you are now. This is the time to start, and you should begin your search by understanding what it is that your friends and peers want, but don’t have.” — Jan Bedar, CEO, ShipMonk

61. “Remain focused, logical, and brave. When starting an entrepreneurship at young age, you need to be focused on what exactly you want to do in the next steps. You need to think logically to weigh every option comes in your way. You will most likely be proven wrong in some decisions, but do not be afraid of taking them because through these you will learn what not to do. Go ahead with your gut feelings.” — Andrei Vasilescu, CEO and Digital Marketing Expert, DontPayFull

62. “If you’re going to start your own business, the only piece of advice that matters are to talk to your customers as much as possible. Once they give you feedback make those changes as fast as humanly possible.” — Daniel Ndukwu, Founder, KyLeads

63. “(1) Make sure you have an offering (product or service) that offers unique value in a competitive world and for which there is a demand. You got to have something good to sell and something that people want. (2) Have some source of funds to live off while you get the business off the ground. You need patience. It is very likely you will make very little money the first or even second year, so make sure you can support yourself in the interim. (3) Build a team of experience knowledgeable advisors, especially ones who may have expertise in areas you are not strong in. Do not be arrogant and think you know it all. Leverage the knowledge of those experienced people who may be twice or three times your age. (4) Finally, be positive and patient!” — Stan Kimer, President, Total Engagement Consulting

64. “For aspiring entrepreneurs, plan out as much as you can and then act. Don’t get caught in the paralysis of planning, and don’t hold to your plan too tightly, but adapt to changing circumstances.” — Courtney Barbee, COO and Co-Owner, The Bookkeeper

65. “Start yesterday. You probably have fewer responsibilities and less bills to pay than people older than you. Take on a side hustle while you grow your enterprise and start ASAP. You can’t go wrong, and you have very little to lose.” — Liz Theresa, Copywriter and Web Designer, LizTheresa.com

66. “(1) Your degree doesn’t mean anything. Your hustle, skill acquisition, and relentless focus on executing is what will make your own business a success. (2) Don’t be a chronic learner of entrepreneurship, be an unrelenting practitioner of entrepreneurship.” — Nik Ingersoll, Co-Founder and CMO, Barnana

67. “Use the power of your mind. It’s easy to get swept up in building the foundations of what you hope to be a successful endeavor, however, it is important to remember that you have the power to direct its trajectory. Think of the life you want, what does it look like, what does it feel like, and then take one step and the universe will work with you by showing opportunities and consequences to help guide your path. If something isn’t working, instead of letting it swallow you up, remember that you can do something about it. You have the power to chase after an alternate means, you can take a step back and reassess the situation to gain clarity. Allow yourself to stretch beyond your limitations and you’ll find there are a lot more opportunities than you initially thought. The world will show you them if you take that first step.” — Gina Yarrish, Accelerator Coach/Founder/CEO, Yarcort

68. “Entrepreneurship is known for having high highs and low lows. My best piece of advice for riding the entrepreneurial rollercoaster is to act and remain resilient in your business. If you do that, you will always be moving forward.” — Matthew Stewart, Co-CEO and Founder, College Works Painting

69. “Take the time to create a business plan with pro forma financial statements so you have realistic expectations of what your business will look like and what your capital requirements are. Find a mentor that has become a successful entrepreneur that is willing to offer advice and coaching along the way.” — Ted Ma, Entrepreneur, Ted Ma Enterprises

70. “Know your market. Develop a useful product or service that people will love and find ways to make use of them. Know your brand. Focus on core strengths that set you apart from anyone else on the market and get people talking. Know your audience. Listen to and build real relationships with your customers. Look for ways to innovate and engage. Recognize an opportunity to pivot—i.e. take your business in a new and potentially even more lucrative direction. (Case in point: Amazon started off selling only books online and has expanded enormously since, both vertically and horizontally).” — Lucas Lu, CEO and Founder, 5miles

Are you a college grad aspiring to start your own business? Let us help! Give us a call at 1-877-692-6772, or visit us at mycorporation.com.

Deborah Sweeney

Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With extensive experience in the field of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah provides insightful commentary on the benefits of incorporation and trademark registration.

Education: Deborah received her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pepperdine University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in corporate and intellectual property law.

Experience: After becoming a partner at LA-based law firm, Michel & Robinson, she became an in-house attorney for MyCorporation, formerly a division in Intuit. She took the company private in 2009 and after 10 years of entrepreneurship sold the company to Deluxe Corporation. Deborah is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with some of the top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites including Forbes, Business Insider, SCORE, and Fox Business, among others.

Fun facts/Other pursuits: Originally from Southern California, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin and Christopher, and practicing Pilates. Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Deborah, and MyCorporation, have previously been honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s List of the Valley’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses in 2012. MyCorporation received the Stevie Award for Best Women-Owned Business in 2011.

View Comments

  • Everyone dreams of having their own business. Starting up your own business would take up a huge amount of capital and time. The best business to start is something that you are passionate about which could be a hobby or anything you're really interested about. The path to starting up your own business at a young age would always start with struggles. It is better to face failures in the beginning because it would mean that there is room for improvement in your business. There are a lot of competitors in this world and this competition is what drives us to become better. Always keep in mind why you wanted to start your business and sooner or later it would become a success with the effort you put into it.

  • Very good selection of tips from entrepreneurs. I think it will help or at least suggest the right direction for many students.

  • Great piece and some pretty good advice in here. My own two cents: As an entrepreneur in a service related industry, create a great experience for your customer and tell a unique story. There are so many companies out there vying for the same piece of the pie, in most cases. Without something to differentiate yourself from the pack, why shouldn't your customer choose the other company where they might even save a few dollars. Incorporate this differentiation strategy into all aspects of your marketing and customer service, and you'll find you can acquire and keep customers even if you're charging more than the competition.

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