How Richard Branson Got His Start, The Entrepreneur Trifecta, and Insect Protein Making Bank
Did you know Richard Branson got his start selling...Christmas trees? See how the Billionaires started (In a Neat Infographic)
After that, he published magazines, sold mail order records, opened a record store, and then opened a recording studio. For a while, he repurposed rented roof gardens.
Self-made billionaires (and serial entrepreneurs who are always game to explore multiple opportunities) like Richard Branson, Mark Cuban, Sheldon Adelson, Eric Lefkovsky, and Elon Musk have always been driven, curious, and open to the what might be just around the river bend.
Branson said so himself, “Business opportunities are like buses. There’s always another one coming.”
This fun infographic via Entrepreneur shows the humble beginnings where these guys (who we all know as big shots now) got their first start.
Thanks go to Funders and Founders, the San Francisco-based start-up organization for the brilliant infographic.
Organizing Events Make You a Better Entrepreneur
Meeting.
Networking.
Hosting your own events.
This trifecta of tasks is what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
While some entrepreneurs are hesitant to host their own events, being in charge and organizing something will develop skills to better serve you. While not every entrepreneur is adept at putting on events, pulling together speakers, or seeing to all the fine-print details. The more you do it, the better you’ll get. AND! Seeing to these kind of fine-tooth-comb is exactly what will make you a better entrepreneur in the long run.
You see, seeing to the details requires a certain kind of focus. If you’re always in “big picture-mode” you miss the details that might make or break the deal later on. Zooming in and zooming out are each necessary for an entrepreneur's field of vision.
Entrepreneur says events are a vital way to ensure that word of mouth is doing its job—before the event, during the event, and after. Plus, when people have an in-person experience with products or other people, they’ll more likely to remember it later on down the road. This is your chance to make an impression.
Keep this in mind: simple meetings can be just as effective as lavish events.
Have you hosted an event in a while? It might be time for you to become a better entrepreneur and get to planning one.
Cricket-Based Protein Bars? It’s a Business Idea That’s Making Bank
Exo is a company that’s all about using a neglected source of protein and putting these critters to good use. What are they using? They’re using...crickets.
Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz, who were students together at Brown University, teamed up to bring this idea to life. It all started when Sewitz was attending a conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Some interesting information was presented. Insects, in fact, could be used as a sustainable food source. Fascinating!
Lewis, who made his own protein bars, decided to give this new paleo-friendly protein source a go. Sewitz and Lewis ordered a box of live crickets in the mail. The duo dried the crickets in their apartment kitchen oven and then ground the crickets into a powder. Guess what? The bar weren’t half bad! Since they were still students, actually launching the startup took time.
Exo launched in 2014, and now their gluten-free bars, in flavors like cacao nut, peanut butter and jelly, apple cinnamon, and blueberry vanilla, are sold in Whole Foods and other national retail outlets. You can also order bars directly through their Exo website.
In the future, be on the lookout for Exo’s new products, like cricket baked goods, cricket shakes, and cricket pizza dough.