7 Ways That SEO Is Uniquely Important For Entrepreneurs

Although nothing can compete with having a compelling product or service that’s a true game-changer, there are certain marketing tactics that can make a distinctive difference for entrepreneurs. Search engine optimization (SEO) is equally important for startups as well as established firms. Google , Bing, and other web searches are often the starting point for consumers seeking information or looking for businesses on the web.
According to Vocus, 82% of mobile shoppers use search to influence their purchasing decisions, and 70% of mobile searches for products or services will result in a sale in the near future. As such, being easily findable and accessible via search engines is a vital element of operating any kind of business. For entrepreneurs, that importance is magnified. Here are the top seven ways that SEO is uniquely important for entrepreneurs.
1. Reputation management is essential; and it’s much easier to suppress negative information or reviews about your brand by taking a proactive approach to prevention rather than a reactive approach when problems are already being caused. Entrepreneurs’ startups can live or die on their first impression and reputation, because cashflow is the lifeblood of any startup; and a bad reputation can stifle cashflow.
From the perspective of organic search, reputation management is all about dominating the first page of search results for branded queries, or queries that include your brand name. Your website should rank #1 for your brand name, and your social channels, such as Facebook, Twitter , Youtube, Google+, and LinkedIn , should round out the top six results. These are channels where you control the content, enabling you to control the messaging that new customers see when they research your brand.
Owning the top search results for branded queries is an extremely effective way to ensure that current and prospective clients get the best possible impression of your company when they search for your brand name or related keywords.
2. Keyword research is the most strategic way to get inside the minds of your target market. Understanding what keywords are being used to find your website (as well as your competitors’ websites) can inform your overall marketing strategy on many different levels, from subject lines used in newsletter emails, to press release titles, and more.
Not only does proper keyword research result in valuable insights into your customers’ minds, needs, wants, problems, and questions, but it can also be used to inform and optimize the copywriting on the company website, blog, and landing pages.
Keyword research is a discipline perhaps most well-understood to SEO professionals, and is often preached as the starting point for any SEO campaign (though PPC professionals are well-versed in keyword research as well, it differs significantly from the kind of keyword research SEO professionals are trained to perform). Entrepreneurs need every advantage they can get, especially with startups. Understanding a target audience and appealing to their needs is not only crucial from a content marketing standpoint, but also from a customer service and product standpoint.
SEO-professional quality keyword research informs and enables this customer intelligence, and optimizes content production as well as goal identification and targeting. These benefits, collectively, result in happier customers, better content, and better search engine rankings, which leads to more traffic, leads, and sales.
3. Organic traffic increases are a big indicator of future growth. Good ideas, products, or services tend to spread, and this buzz results in better search rankings due to inbound links, brand mentions, and social signals.
Entrepreneurs need to prove to investors the long-term viability of their company in order to secure funding, and organic search traffic increases are a major factor in establishing current trends, and can help inform future trends.
Organic search traffic is free, so conversions have huge ROI. Investors know this, which is one reason why entrepreneurs put so much effort into boosting organic search traffic.
4. Competitive gamesmanship is a basic element of any SEO campaign; it’s also a common trait in entrepreneurs. Getting ahead of your competition in organic search is a major way to set your business apart from the competition. And with every step up the organic search ladder, a competitor must fall lower; as such, climbing the rankings not only benefits your brand, but it simultaneously hurts the competition.
In a crowded startup environment filled with hungry entrepreneurs, claiming as much of the pie as possible is crucial for establishing long-term success.
5. Social media marketing has become intertwined with SEO; not only do social signals play a role in organic search rankings, high rankings in organic search results drives more traffic to your website and social media channels, accelerating their growth. As I explained in my article, “The Top 7 Social Media Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2014,” social media is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. As such, savvy entrepreneurs bolster their social media efforts with strong SEO campaigns, and vice versa.
6. Trust is an important factor in online success, especially for startups that haven’t yet established a recognizable brand name. Users tend to have more trust in sites that rank well for the keywords they’re already searching for. According to a study reported at Search Engine Land, “student subjects are heavily influenced by the order in which the results are presented, and, to a lesser extent, the actual relevance of the abstracts.” Additionally, users tend to click on the organic results as opposed to the paid search results. According to Search Engine Watch, organic search rankings essentially win over users 94% of the time, which means that if you can’t be easily found in organic search results, you can’t just make up for it in paid search. Your competitors that rank higher than you will have more inherent trust, and attract a larger share of customers. Consequently, high rankings in the search engine results pages can help a fledgling company or startup position itself at the top of the market, at least in the eyes of the target audience.

7. Long-term brand equity should be the goal for any entrepreneur, and SEO is the most strategic long-term investment for a brand’s online marketing initiative. As I outlined in my article, “SEO Vs. SEM: Are You Investing, or Just Paying Rent?” a website is a lot like real estate, and SEO is like building equity in a property whereas SEM (PPC) is like renting a home.
“For every dollar you spend on SEO, you build up long-term value, just like paying a mortgage when you buy real-estate. In contrast, SEM is a lot like renting a house. You pay to rent ad space in order to get traffic NOW, delivering short-term benefits only, with no long-term benefits. It’s like paying rent for the short-term benefit of living there now, but those dollars are not building you any sort of long-term equity in the house.”
SEO success requires traveling a long road, but it’s a Warren Buffett-type investment.
Conclusion
While there’s a wide variety of digital marketing tactics valuable to entrepreneurs, SEO yields the most strategic long-term investment. Despite the fact that SEO is time-consuming and requires lots of resources (copywriters, developers, designers, and more) in order to be successful, the long-term results can be much greater than short-term ad buys or similar tactics. SEO is a remarkably valuable investment for entrepreneurs looking to kickstart their business, establish credibility and trust, secure investments, and build a sustainable business for long-term success.

From Forbes

Top 15 Entrepreneurs Who Give Back To The Community

As a successful entrepreneur, some consider it their obligation to give back to the community. For them, it’s not “just a tax write-off” or a way to boost their PR campaign. In fact, with the world’s leading entrepreneurs such as Tej Kohli, Mark Zuckerberg and Charles Johnson constantly making Top Philanthropist lists, it’s clear that it goes deeper than an angle. When someone is blessed with a lucrative business they started from scratch, they come to learn that nothing feels better than earning money on hard work, sweat and tears—except, perhaps, giving much of it back.
According to a survey backed by Ernst & Young and conducted by Australia’s Fidelity Charitable Gift Trust, 89 percent of entrepreneurs donate to charity. An additional 70 percent donate their time as well. If a company is led by an entrepreneur, their charitable giving is on average more than double of their peers who aren’t led by entrepreneurs. Here’s a look at the top 15 entrepreneurs who give back.
1. Mark Zuckerberg
The Zuckerbergs regularly top the charts of most giving entrepreneurs. In 2013, they donated $1 billion (yes, with a “B”) to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation via company stock. Known for setting a great example as an entrepreneur and a philanthropist at a young age, the 29-year-olds have been moving Facebook shares over to non-profits for the past several years.
2. Tej Kohli 
The real estate investment tycoon is so invested in giving back that he established his own philanthropy arm, the Tej Kohli Foundation. Some entrepreneur-philanthropists do this because they’re so invested in what they believe, they want to not just give back financially but also help direct the programs. Committed to fighting poverty, ignorance and disease via human intervention, the Foundation sets the bar high.
3. Charles Johnson
Head of Franklin Resources , Charles Johnson donated $250 million in 2013 to Yale University. A former graduate, the 80-year-old takes giving back to his alma mater seriously. It might not seem “necessary” but private universities including Yale depend largely on the generosity of alums to keep producing world leaders.
4. Sergey Brin
One of the co-founders of Google, Brin donated $219 million to his own foundation in 2013, which was founded along with his wife (whom he is now separated). The couple also generously donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. The Brin Wojcicki Foundation distributes funds to a variety of diverse non-profits.
5. Paul Allen
In 2013, Allen donated $206 million largely to his own foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, but also notably to the EMP Museum. The founder of Vulcan Capital and co-founder of Microsoft, he focuses on culture, education, arts and social services program largely in the Great Northwest. Like Brin, his foundation also distributes funds to other deserving organizations.
6. Mark Cuban 
You might know Mark Cuban, the well-known American business man and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, from his appearances on TV’s Shark Tank, but you might not be familiar with his philanthropic work. In 2003, Cuban started the Fallen Patriot Fund to help families of United States military personnel killed or injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cuban matched the first one million dollars in contributions with funds from the Mark Cuban Foundation, which is run buy Mark’s brother Brian Cuban but does not directly operate any charitable activities. Rather, the Mark Cuban foundation supports charitable activities in the Dallas area and throughout the United States. Cuban is also reported to give freely to other charitable organizations.
7. John and Laura Arnold
The Texas couple founded the Laura and John Arnold Foundation after Mr. Arnold founded the Centaurus Energy hedge fund company. In 2013, they donated $296.2 million mostly to their own Foundation. It supports K-12 public education, public policy reform, and scientific research. 

8. Stephen Ross 
Donating $200 million to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 2013, Ross is the founder of Related Companies in New York—another real estate tycoon. When he made the massive pledge in autumn 2013, he said it was meant to inspire other alumni to give back and help reach the university’s massive $4 billion fundraising goal. 
9. Michael Bloomberg 
It’s no surprise that Bloomberg donated largely to improving city governments on a global scale, but he also gifted funds to education, arts, public health and environmental groups. In total, he gave $452 million in 2013. The founder of the Bloomberg news and financial group is best known as New York’s mayor from 2001-2013, but now is focusing largely on philanthropy.
10. Phil and Penelope Knight
As co-founder of Nike, Mr. Knight targets Oregon-based organizations. He donated $500 million to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in 2013, after OHSU asked “boldly” for $100 million. After seeing the incredible work being done, he shocked the non-profit teaching hospital by drastically upping the gift.
11. Stephen Scwwarzman
As co-founder and current chairman of Blackstone Group, the investor directed $103 million towards Tsinghua University in 2013. The Beijing University approached him with a pitch for a campaign to attract international students. He sees China’s economic growth as a great haven for future leaders.
12. David Rubenstein 
As co-chief and co-founder of Carlyle Group, Rubenstein donated $121.7 million in 2013 largely to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but also to a number of universities including Columbia and Duke. His goal is to donate to at least 10 non-profits each year.
13. Alfred Mann
As the founder of numerous health-based businesses, Mann is equally committed to charity. He donated $70 million in 2013 to the Nevada Community Foundation, although he has yet to report on which programs his funding will support.
14. Abraham Mitchell
Donating just over $50 million to the University of South Alabama, Mitchell co-founded the Mitchell Company and has always considered charitable giving a staple of his business practice. Specifically, he asked that half of his donation go towards scholarships.
15. Lyda Hill 
An entrepreneur from the start, Hill learned her way around business from her grandfather, oilman HL Hunt. She donated $63.2 million to a number of organizations in 2013 including the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a Nature Conservatory.
Each of these 15 entrepreneurs understand the cycle of business, and life, is all about giving back. For them, “business as usual” includes spreading the wealth to causes they hold close to their hearts.

From Forbes

Do You Think Like a Successful Entrepreneur?

Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg

Richard Cantillon, the eighteenth-century economist who coined the term "entrepreneur," defined the term as "bearer of risk." Yet research shows that entrepreneurs are just as risk-averse as the rest of us.

"Only when it comes to starting a business are [entrepreneurs] daring," James Suriowecki writes at the New Yorker, and that's "because the fundamental characteristic of entrepreneurs isn't risk-seeking; it's self-confidence."

"The confidence necessary to beat the odds and sustain a new business seems to verge on delusion".

Indeed, the confidence necessary to beat the odds and sustain a new business seems to verge on delusion. The research on how entrepreneurs overestimate themselves is staggering. Here's a digest:

According to a 1997 study from the University of Houston, entrepreneurs are overconfident about their capacity to prevent bad things from happening to their business.

According to the same study, entrepreneurs are overconfident about their business's prospects.

In a 1988 Purdue University study of 3,000 entrepreneurs, more than 80 percent of participants thought that their business had at least a 70 percent chance of success.

In the same study, 33 percent of entrepreneurs thought they had a 100 percent chance of success.

A 2013 study from Erasmus University Rotterdam found that entrepreneurs think they will live longer than everybody else.

Delusion Is Necessary

Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman says that the delusion is necessary, given that a third of American small businesses flame out within the first five years and two-thirds perish within 10.

"A lot of progress in the world is driven by the delusional optimism of some people," he said in an interview. "The people who open small businesses don't think, 'I'm facing these odds, but I'll take them anyway.' They think their business will certainly succeed."

A realist will have a harder shot at success in the world, Kahneman says, since people tend to favor optimists. They rise quicker in organizations because they believe they can.

Selling the Vision

They attract more funding for their enterprises by selling their vision. People will work harder for the optimistic leader because they want to be assured that it'll all be OK. Studies of meetings show that people don't listen to the most informed person in the room; they default to the loudest one.

That's why we say that these people have a "can-do spirit," Kahneman says. "Among other things, a 'can-do spirit' means you think you can do things you cannot do."

And sometimes, it's this semi-delusional thinking and a little luck that makes the seemingly impossible possible.

From Daily Finance

Steve Jobs Taught This Man How To Win Arguments With Really Stubborn People

Ed Catmull

Have you got any stubborn people in your life? Well, here's a brilliant life lesson shared by Pixar cofounder and Walt Disney President Ed Catmull.
He spent 26 years working with the notoriously stubborn Steve Jobs, one of Pixar's other cofounders. Jobs once told him that his method of working things out when people disagreed with him was to "just explain it to them until they understand."
So Catmull discovered a way to work with that without letting a conversation ever devolve into a heated argument, he said during a recent Stanford Entrepreneurship Corner event, first spotted by Upstart Business Journal.
Catmull was promoting his new book, "Creativity Inc.," which is loaded with anecdotes about Jobs, the famous late Apple CEO.
This is how Catmull dealt with Jobs:

"In all the 26 years with Steve, Steve and I never had one of these loud verbal arguments and it's not my nature to do that. ...  but we did disagree fairly frequently about things. ... I would say something to him and he would immediately shoot it down because he could think faster than I could. ... I would then wait a week ... I'd call him up and I give my counter argument to what he had said and he'd immediately shoot it down. So I had to wait another week, and sometimes this went on for months. But in the end one of three things happened. About a third of the time he said, 'Oh, I get it, you're right.' And that was the end of it. And it was another third of the time in which [I'd] say, 'Actually I think he is right.' The other third of the time, where we didn't reach consensus, he just let me do it my way, never said anything more about it."

So that's an interesting strategy: patience; an open mind; a willingness to be wrong; and a willingness to plow ahead when, after a fair effort, agreement didn't happen.

From Business Insider

What attorneys need to know about entrepreneurs

Many attorneys are trained to work with corporate executives. However, working with entrepreneurs can be very different. The entrepreneurial mindset is typically different than that of a corporate executive. This is manifested in their approach to risk, decision making, failure, and ambiguity. This difference can be confusing or challenging for attorneys and may create difficulties in effective communication. This article will discuss these differences and suggest some techniques to help attorneys be more effective when working with entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurial mindset

Understanding the entrepreneurial mindset can be helpful to become more effective in working with entrepreneurs. Cognitive psychology and social psychology can help us understand the differences between entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Specifically, it is important to understand psychological constructs such as risk taking, tolerance for ambiguity, optimism bias, locus of control, and tolerance for failure.

A myth about entrepreneurs is that they are big risk takers. In fact, they are not; for the most part they are calculated risk takers. However, the media tends to focus on the big risk takers like Richard Branson, which make a much more interesting story than the entrepreneur who has toiled quietly for 20 years building a successful company. Richard Branson takes big business risks and big personal risks such as flying balloons around the world. Culturally we can become biased that most entrepreneurs are big risk takers since our media sensationalizes the big risk takers. Often entrepreneurs want as much data as possible to understand the risk-to-reward ratio. They are willing to take a risk if they understand the likelihood of the corresponding rewards. In other words, they are calculated risk takers.

The next important characteristic is tolerance for ambiguity. Most entrepreneurs have a higher than average tolerance for ambiguity. For instance, they will not stress as much as the typical executive about whether the product will work, if they will make payroll, or if they will land the clients they need to be successful. It is not that they don’t stress about this stuff, it is that they have a higher tolerance for these ambiguities. Think of your peers when you graduated from college, did some want the security of a big company versus a smaller company that might provide more learning opportunity? Most corporations take measures to reduce ambiguity by putting in procedures and processes that remove risk and ambiguity. Entrepreneurs see ambiguity as opportunity.

Another important psychological characteristic is optimism bias. In this context a bias is an inclination to see the world in a predetermined manner. Most entrepreneurs are higher in optimism bias than non-entrepreneurs. This is the bias that things will work out. They will figure out the product problems, fix the client problems, or work cash flow enough to survive. Obviously this has advantages and disadvantages. When an entrepreneur is launching a company, optimism bias can be very helpful. For instance, if every entrepreneur sat down and listed all the reasons why a startup could not work they would never launch. A common saying of successful entrepreneurs who started their companies when young is, “I was not smart enough to know I could not do it when I started,” or “If I knew what I know now, I would never have started this company.” Not knowing all of the things that can go wrong can help an entrepreneur to be less distracted and focus on success. However, being too optimistic can blind an entrepreneur and lead to failure. Although experience is almost always helpful, it can bias one into not doing things. It really comes down to a choice if you allow yourself to focus on why a startup will not work or how you can make it work. Entrepreneurs focus on how to make it work.

Entrepreneurs have been found to have a higher than average internal locus of control. Locus of control is a psychological continuum. On one end, there are those who feel they have little control of their life and career. In other words, their success at work is dependent on their boss or peers. People on this end have an external locus of control, or they believe control of their lives is dictated by others. People who believe they can control most things in their life are said to have a high internal locus of control. For instance, when they run into a barrier, they find a way to get around it; in fact they might simply ignore the rules and get “around the system.” When someone with a high external locus of control runs into a barrier, they quit. Entrepreneurs have been found to have a high internal locus of control. They attack barriers and find ways around them. Often, they simply ignore the rules and procedures, which they see as guidelines to utilize when convenient, rather than something rigid that they have to abide by every time.

Failure is a part of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs have been found to have higher tolerance for failure than average. They see failure as a learning experience. I am not suggesting they enjoy or seek failure. However, many entrepreneurs accept failure as part of the process. This is connected to calculated risk taking as mentioned earlier; most entrepreneurs calculate how much risk reward each action involves. They are willing to take the risk if the rewards appear to outweigh the risk. When you combine tolerance for ambiguity, optimism bias, and internal locus of control, you can imagine why entrepreneurs in general appear to be big risk takers. In reality, they are wired differently. They see the world differently and they focus on how to accomplish something, rather than why it cannot be done.

For those attorneys reading the portion on the entrepreneurial mindset, did you find yourself saying something to the effect, “Yes, but what if they don’t think of this, or miss that.” If so, you have confirmed that you have a different mindset than your entrepreneurial client. You are wired to look for what can go wrong; an entrepreneur is wired to look at what can go right. Attorneys are trained to avoid risk, remove all or most mistakes, and anticipate the things that can go wrong. They are focused on an external locus of control. They focus on how others, whether the law or other organizations, can negatively impact their client. In addition, attorneys are trained that failure, in a legal sense, is client and career failure. Although entrepreneurs want their attorney to be focused on what can go wrong, it is helpful to remember they look at the world differently. These differences can lead to a disconnect when communicating with entrepreneurs.

Tips for Attorneys Working with Entrepreneurs

Often when communicating with a client, style differences can create disconnects within the communication. It is important for attorneys to uncover the style your entrepreneur client prefers before you launch into a detailed conversation about legal issues. It is easy to let the training received in law school be the default style of communication. Few of us are trained to really understand what is going on in conversations. Uncovering what is unsaid is often much more important than what is being said. Until we have developed a trusting relationship with someone, we might skirt around the issues, not wanting to expose our weakness or ignorance about a particular issue. This can happen when an entrepreneur is embarrassed they did something that might be illegal or on shaky grounds in a legal sense. On the other side, some attorneys may be insecure about their lack of business knowledge or general understanding of entrepreneurs.

Consider how your clients want to interact and communicate risks and detailed data around those risks. Some like a summary up front and the data later, some like a build-up to the conclusion. It is important to uncover the style of your client to understand the most effective way to communicate.

Simply ask your client how they prefer to have a specific discussion. You can do this by asking them how much detail they want, if they would prefer you to start with a summary, or build the detail up to the conclusion. Be sure you are not doing too much talking without stopping to listen and ask questions. Find ways to probe your clients to see if they understand what you are explaining without embarrassing them. This can be done by putting the issue back on you rather than asking them. For instance, if you are not sure if they understand a particular issue, ask them if you are being clear or if they would like to go over the issue again. Stopping, probing and listening are crucial to building a good client relationship.

In summary, entrepreneurs are different. They see opportunity where you may see risk and ambiguity. The more you can understand their mindset and their desired communication style, the more effective you can be in helping them.

From Orange County Register

Africa Not Giving Female Entrepreneurs Enough Support – Survey

Countries in Africa are not meeting the demands required to make business environment conducive for female entrepreneurs, Dell yesterday stated, as results of the second-annual Dell Gender-Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (2014 Gender-GEDI) which analysed 30 developed and developing countries were announced.

The report whose goal is to help guide leaders and policy makers in identifying weaknesses and developing strategies to advance female entrepreneurship indicated that 75 percent of the 30 countries surveyed globally do not meet the basic needs for female entrepreneurs to launch a successful business; signifying that there is still gender disparity between male and female entrepreneurs when it comes to accessing opportunities and launching a successful enterprise.

Access to capital, perception of opportunities, gender-dominated industries, views of women in executive roles as well as fundamental women rights were the five factors used to measure how favourable and welcoming it is for female entrepreneurs to establish a business in each country.

According to the Dell Index reports, about 50 percent or more of the female population in 14 of the 30 countries surveyed have no access to a formal bank account, posing a greater barrier to accessing funds to start a business.

On gender-dominated industries, the report says countries where there are stereotypical “male” jobs and “female” jobs are less helpful to female entrepreneurs as this does not only contribute to a wider gender gap but also “results in the concentration of women’s entrepreneurial activity within specific sectors, which can be detrimental to fully utilizing a nation’s capacity for innovation.”

However when it comes to the ability for women to identify opportunities of potential business, African women take the lead. The report says the prospect of identifying business opportunities among African females is as high as 69 percent compared to the numbers recorded for American and European women.

“Even with challenges around access to education and capital, female startup activity in the region is high at 86 female to every 100 male startups,” it says.

Nevertheless, the study shows that United States was the only country that plays the most supportive role for women as leaders and decision makers followed by Korea, Turkey, Japan and Pakistan.

The report therefore advocates for the need to have equal rights as men to allow them get ahead in business as study shows that women in 22 of the 30 countries surveyed have fewer rights compared to that of their spouse.

“Better gender rights and more women at top positions can improve the environment for female entrepreneurship,” it concluded.

Overall, United States was once again ranked the best place for female entrepreneur to establish a high growth business. It is followed by Australia, Sweden, France and Germany.

Of the countries considered, the least supportive for women entrepreneurs are India, Uganda, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

None of the African countries surveyed made the top ten rank in the 2014 Gender-GEDI rankings, but South Africa leads the pack for the continent with 11th position followed by Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Uganda and Egypt at 23, 24, 25, 27 and 28 positions respectively.

From Ventures Africa

How Entrepreneurs Can Cope With Rejection Online

Image credit: Shutterstock

There’s really no other way to phrase this: Being rejected stinks. Whether you're turned down for a date or a business prospect nixes an idea for a project, rejection can be crushing. Unfortunately, it’s part of life.

At some point in your entrepreneurial career, you will be rejected in a public online forum. And it’s going to sting. But here’s some excellent news for you, the resilient entrepreneur. Rejection can also spark inspiration.

According to research released in 2012 by Johns Hopkins University, people can pivot from rejection to imaginative thinking. Lead researcher Sharon Kim said, “Rejection confirms for independent people what they already feel about themselves -- that they're not like others."

Added Kim: "For such people, that distinction is a positive one leading them to greater creativity.” 

And last fall, research at the University of Michigan Medical School discovered that the brains of resilient people may release higher amounts of painkillers known as opioids to deal with rejection. 

Perhaps entrepreneurs are among this group of resilient people. That still doesn’t mean that rejection is desirable or easy to handle. Dedicating so much time and resources to a company's brand and product only to encounter rejection can be a major blow. But recovering from rejection may not be as difficult as one might think. Here are some suggestions:

1. Figure out the reason for the rejection. First identify what went wrong: Did you devote too much time to spreading your message on the wrong social media platform? Just because Pinterest is hot right now doesn’t mean that your client (a law firm) will attract users on that channel. LinkedIn might be more appropriate.

Or perhaps you tried to establish your authority as a guest blogger. You wrote a killer article only to realize that it wasn’t accepted by a certain prestigious website. Several factors could explain the rejection. They could be small issues (grammatical errors or not using the right keyword phrases). Or maybe you did not back your claims up with reliable sources. 

Another scenario is that your article was approved and published only to have people publicly question -- online -- your status as an industry leader. Indeed if you are new to the business world, people in your industry might have trouble trusting a newbie. This is why you need plenty of sources to back up your claims. (And don't forget to note prior relevant experience even if it is minor.) 

As you continue to launch businesses or work online, hopefully you will build up a track record and eventually earn the respect of your peers.

Before jumping to conclusions and having a meltdown, take a deep breath and retrace your steps. It may turn that the rejection resulted from a slight mistake or misunderstanding. Even if you were at fault, after thinking things through, you'll know what to do differently the next time.

2. Know that haters are going to hate. When creating online content, you have to have thick skin. Whether you’re dealing with trolls or people who need to correct or question every single word you type, you can’t please everyone. If you get upset at every negative comment, you’re not going to last very long.

While some comments may bring a mistake to your attention (extremely helpful), others people just want to cause trouble or try to prove that they are superior to you. Don’t lose any sleep over such cranks or sink to their level. That’s just how the online world works. Everyone has a voice and an opinion. Accept it and don’t take it personally.

3. Be persistent and positive. As an entrepreneur you would never give up, no matter how challenging the situation becomes. The same goes for being rejected online (whether before or after you post something). That’s just a part of life: You’re going to get rejected. Actually, you may be rejected several times. But that doesn’t mean that you should completely give up.

Instead of crawling into a hole, rise up and keep pressing on. Learn from this rejection and make the proper adjustments to break through the next time around. In the words of the legendary Willie Nelson, “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.”

4. Continue to network. Several reasons may account for the initial rejection of an inquiry online. Business psychologist and small business coach Debra Condren advises, "If you've been rejected, it doesn't necessarily mean this person will never be your client." Instead she suggests, "Keep the conversation going."

The timing may have been wrong the first time around. Be persistent, generate content and offer newsletters for email subscribers and interact with your audience. And maybe over time these people could offer you advice or become loyal customers.

5. Reflect on your accomplishments and achievements. For every failure of a foray online, you’re going to have at least a taste of success. Instead of harping on the rejections, celebrate the winning moments.

Write down or think about the best things that you achieved throughout the day. Some advise doing so prior to falling asleep. When you jot down all the things that you’re proud of on a daily basis, you may notice that the success stories are more common than your failures. 

Have you ever experienced rejection online? What did you do to overcome it? 

From Entrepreneur