Stay hydrated
Studies have shown that staying hydrated is a key to staying mentally sharp. And by hydrated we mean water or juice — not soda or energy drinks. Caffeine has actually shown to make staying hydrated more difficult.

Exercise
By just exercising 30 minutes per day, you can wonders for your body and your mind. A brisk walk in the morning is a great day to jumpstart your long day ahead.

Eat fresh foods
Eating fresh foods –specifically fruits and vegetables — will give your brain the phytochemicals it needs to keep humming. Blueberries are a great snack if you are working long hours.

Take breaks
Even if you are working hard on a project, it helps to take a break a couple times a day. Read a book, meditate or even take a nap. This helps manage stress and wards off burnout.

Don't Forget Your Blueberries (Image: Flickr)

Post from: EveryJoe

Health Tips for Startup Entrepreneurs

Mark Cuban (Image: Flickr)

However, no matter what you think of Cuban, he’s one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the last few decades. He’s owned several startup companies and initially made millions and then made billions.

He’s also a very smart guy who has a great blog at BlogMaverick.com. One of his best blog entries is called Success & Motivation. In this entry, he tells his entrepreneurial stories. Reading the whole thing, you couldn’t help but get motivated.

Along the way, he offers a number of tips for entrepreneurs and startup companies. Read it and let me know what you think.

Post from: EveryJoe

Inspiration for Entrepreneurs – Mark Cuban

Founded in early 2006, OLX has received nearly $30 million in funding and now boasts 125 employees. It’s estimated that more than 1.5 million new classified postings are added on a monthly basis.

Fabrice Grinda is a name that all online entrepreneurs should know. Prior to OLX, he co-founded Aucland S.A. (a popular auction website in Europe) in 1998. Later, Fabrice Grinda founded Zingy Inc., a company that deals in wireless media. In 2004, he sold Zingy Inc. for a reported $80 million. His blog, Musings of an Entrepreneur, is required reading for anyone in the startup business world.

Without further ado, here is the interview with OLX’s Fabrice Grinda.

Stephen Kersey: During the startup phase of OLX, what were the biggest challenges you faced?

Fabrice Grinda: The biggest difficulty we faced – and still face when we launch new countries – is to attract enough people who post listings and who reply to listings.

Given the benefits if transactions happen we can usually convince car dealers, real estate brokers and head hunters to post on the site, but it takes a lot of effort to reach out to them and make them aware we exist. Fortunately, once the virtuous cycle gets started ever more posts attract ever more replies and the site takes off organically.

SK: Many people have compared OLX to Craigslist on steroids. What do see as the most important advantages of OLX?

FG: Craigslist works fundamentally well and there is no one big feature missing. It’s more the sum total of small improvements that make a step change in the user experience. Those include:

• Having a fantastic mobile site where users can do everything they can do on the web (http://m.olx.com)
• WYSIWYG Ajax editor for users to generate colorful rich listings without knowing HTML
• Direct support for pictures and videos
• Improved search in key categories – especially real estate, cars and personals with nice Ajax sliders
• The ability to search within a certain distance from your zip code, including in all categories on a national level
• Pictures on the listing and search results pages

The list is endless :)

SK: OLX is popular in many countries around the world. Going forward, what additional countries do you hope for OLX to tackle?

FG: We are already present in 87 countries so we are not missing many countries. We are currently working on launching Bangladesh, El Salvador, Iceland, Sri Lanka, Malta and Egypt.

We are considering launching in Africa and the rest of the Middle East but not taken a final decision yet.

SK: For the long-term success of OLX, do you believe that you need to make a significant dent in the American market?

FG: Our success does not depend on succeeding in the US market – there are many large markets which can sustain us. However, we believe we can become a relevant player in the US market.

SK: OLX has an amazing amount of Web 2.0, social media and mobile functionality. How much of your company’s quick growth do you attribute to those three aspects?

FG: It’s hard to make a direct attribution, but my instinct is that the improved functionality is the only reason people are willing to give us a chance at the beginning so it’s very significant.

SK: On a personal level, you’re already a very successful entrepreneur. Have you always been drawn to entrepreneurship or is it something you have learned to love?

FG: I was definitely drawn to entrepreneurship from a very young age. As a kid, I grew up playing with computers and saw Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as role models. I was lucky to see that my youthful passion could actually be turned into a job I love!

SK: What is one piece of advice you’d give to others who are considering creating an online startup company?

FG: Just do it!

Many people will tell you your idea will never work. You may fear that competitors will steal your idea. The reality is that no one really knows what will work or won’t work. As for competitive threats, they pale in comparison to the difficulties of executing on an idea.

These days, the costs of launching a startup have never been lower. If you want to try something, just launch it and see what happens. You will learn a lot and adjust accordingly. You can never launch early enough! Worse comes to worse you will have had a fun learning experience.

Check out the free classifieds OLX website and leave a comment to tell us what you think!

Free Classifieds at OLX

Post from: EveryJoe

Interview with Fabrice Grinda of OLX

SavorTheSuccess.com Screen Capture

Looking at the setup of the website, SavorTheSuccess.com does a great job of utilizing many Web 2.0 concepts. There are prominent links to the website’s Twitter and Facebook pages along with many other features such as member profile spotlights, member written blogs, an interactive forum and a listing of PR opportunities. There’s even a section to listen to radio broadcasts.

The registration process is quite easy for both professionals and media wanting to post PR opportunities. In fact, posting PR opportunities simply requires filling out a single form.

For women looking to make a name for themselves in the business world, this website looks very helpful. If you are a member or become a member, leave a comment to tell us how you like their service.

Behind the SavorTheSuccss.com website is the wife and husband duo of Angela Jia Kim and Marc Stedman. Expect to see an interview here on Startup Spark in the next few weeks.

Post from: EveryJoe

SavorTheSuccess.com – Female Entrepreneurs

Heck, it’s lonely being a solo entrepreneur!

I’ve tried BNI and even a local networking group, but both really didn’t have entrepreneurs in mind.

I’ve checked on Meetups, but nothing seems like it fits right.

You see, I’m an entrepreneur that works from my home. Many small business owners don’t get me. I think part of it is that they think I need a traditional office in order to be serious about my work.

And I understand why. I’ve met many people who have businesses from their home, and at least around my parts, they aren’t very serious about their businesses.

So what’s a gal to do? Perhaps create her own group?

If you’re having the same kind of issues finding a networking/mastermind group, let me know by leaving a comment and perhaps it’s time that we join forces.

Image credit: JMichaelSullivan, on Flickr

Post from: EveryJoe

I’m looking for a few good entrepreneurs…

But what I really love about Guy is that he offers so much information to help entrepreneurs and startups.

Take a look at this new video.  Yes, it does promote his new book, but his tips are so good, I needed you to see this.

Post from: EveryJoe

Great video from the ultimate entrepreneur: Guy Kawasaki

This week, I’m talking with Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, author of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs and the president and creator of Real Living—the first national women-focused brand in real estate.

I had a great time talking with Kaira about how women can create a business.

(Image courtesy of Shannon Cherry of BeHeardSolutions.com)

Post from: EveryJoe

Success Secrets: Real Living with for Women Entrepreneurs

And more than a quarter of the 1,003 surveyed feel that they will have contribue to work long hours for the rest of 2008 due to the tough economic climate.

So what’s it like for US small business owners? Are you working more than your counterparts across the pond?

Post from: EveryJoe

Small business owners in the UK clock 50+ hours per week

Sites like Myspace and Facebook are only a couple among the growing web of social networking sites.  There are dozens of networking sites that meet the specific needs of small businesses, such as Ladies Who Launch, counting more than 50,000 users, which was made specifically for startup businesses run by female entrepreneurs to connect with other women entrepreneurs and move forward in their business.

Reuters recently published an article stating that Forrester Research Inc. anticipates small businesses’ utilizing of social networking to grow by 20 to 33 percent this year alone!

Post from: EveryJoe

Virtual networking sites booming small businesses

You’re not alone.

The latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business index shows that half of 600 owners polled nationwide said they’ve postponed major purchases over the past three months.

In addition, just under half said they’re putting less into savings, while 31 percent have reduced their contributions to a retirement account, the survey found.

About a third said their personal finances were getting worse.

What about you?  Are you holding back from spending?

Post from: EveryJoe

Small business owners are postponing purchases