I think every entrepreneur should either borrow or buy a copy of the following books, it will make your entrepreneurial journey much more smoother.

This is a mixture of both old and new powerful books for the entrepreneurial mind.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

Linchpin by Seth Godin

Four Hour Week By Tim Ferris

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey

Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days by Jessica Livingston

Entrepreneur Journeys (Volume 1) by Sramana Mitra

“The Four Steps to the Epiphany” by Steven Gary Blank

Sun Tzu The Art of war

Guy Kawasaki’s The Art of the Start

“The Prince” by Machiavelli

Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Which Book is your favourite?
Did i miss out on any book or do you feel one of the books do not deserve to be in the list, let me know?

why do you like these books?

These are the five websites that i believe that help any university student get the right information, network, advice, expertise, funding or backing in taking their idea and turning it into becoming a business.

Cmypitch.com (Nacueventures)

Cmypitch gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with investors directly, All you do is upload your own video pitch,and that gets put out to lots of investors(The likes of james caan, Doug Richard) on the network.
Check it out to find more about it.

Smarta

Smarta gives you a platform for resources, advices for starting and running your startup, They have loads of top entrepreneurs on the site that provide support to entrepreneurs, It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your business.

Enterprise UK

Enterprise Uk are connected to almost every entrepreneur in the uk and also connect them to the right people that can help them improve their business, they also have tons of competitions to help startup with business expenses or exposure.

Shell Livewire

Shell livewire have tons of competitions in which they run to give entrepreneurs/startups the required support and exposure, check out their pitching videos section.

FlyingStartonline

They offer a lot of training and workshop to entrepreneur to help them enhance their skills.

By Honey Carew

Picture this – You are in the canteen of your workplace, school, university…etc. You have a tray where you put your food on; suddenly you’re distracted by images on the tray.

So Basically, Adspad is a new advertising tool to help local businesses to target students by using A3 paper placemats in university canteen trays.

Cool Idea, Right??

Who ever thought of such possibility for advertisement being in your face? Yes, we all see it around us everyday via internet or television….however; it has now been bought to us even when we are eating.

Such ideas manifested by Kilian Palop Dorado who is a student from Aberdeen University who is also the president of Adspad. Adspad has just recently been given a Shell Livewire Award in April 2009. His partner in crime for this invention is another student like himself, Glenn Buchan.

As we speak, they are in round two of the New Ventures Competition. These youngster aim high, dream high also are engraved with the intention to make it High.

Anand Lal Shimpi was only a decade and four years old when Anandtech came to his mind at the age of 14 , the year that marked his beginning as an entrepreneur, Now 5 years after the creation of Anandtech, It is regarded a leading authority on PC Hardware industry.

He graduated from Enloe High school and from North Carolina State University with a degree in Computer engineering. His mother is easy to term as his partner in crime, however for free. We learn things in all areas of life, Mr Shimpi academic area of life has encouraged him to practicalise what he has been taught. Not only to put such theories in action but to further his knowledge regarding anything to do with the term “Technology”.

Anandtech is now one of the largest online computer hardware journals. It consists of over 266,000 registered users. High with recognition from different organisations and magazines, such as USA Today, 48hours, 20/20, Fortune magazine and G4.

Being a smart one from a young tender age isn’t enough for him, he furthered his thirst for knowledge by publishing a book called “The Anandtech guide to PC Hardware”. He is also a regular columnist writer within CPU Magazine. Mr Shimpi hasn’t stopped there; he also became a Keynote speaker at Computex 2003.- Computex is an event that is held annually at Taipei World Trade Centre in Taipei, Taiwan.

Mr Shimpi has more knowledge to offer to this world of technology. He spoke regarding how android makes certain types of phone slow, nobody has disputed his theory. iPad is now coming into existence, Mr Shimpi’s view regarding this….well Time shall tell….

By Honey Carew

How far can your love for wine and spain push you? Josh Hackler has such a strong love for the country Spain and its wine, he decided to fuse both of his love to make a profit. Spainish wines as imports to countries have made Mr Hackler a profitable young man.

Mr Hackler is among the youngest within the sector of the wine and food industry. Gaining good grades in university wasn’t his only aim, he gave birth to Spanish Vine in 2006 while he was still studying at University of South Carolina.

Mr Hackler’s company is called Spanish Vines which provides good quality by providing wines and gourmets to countries but predominantly US. He began Spanish Vines in 2006. His aim for Spanish Vines is to portray rhythm and brilliance of the Spanish culture in all he products he offers to his customers. Presently, Spanish Vines is a leading company within US Ethic’s food and beverage brand.

Spanish Vines has received a Silver Medal at the Madrid International Wine Fair 2006 (Salon Internacional del Vino 2006), a “Best Buy” among Spanish wines from Wine Enthusiast magazine and an 87 point rating from the Daily Wine Guide.

Mr Hackler is a man that knows well about his love. One of his recent products is title “La loca…”meaning a crazy girl. Pure display of his love. His understanding increases day by day regarding Spain and its wine, he follows the motto “To understand is to enjoy”. This is just the beginning of Mr Joshua Hackler.

By Honey Carew

Many people struggled with pimples, receiving their first kiss or at the most, accepting their first crush at the age of 14. Mr Brett Klasko started a company, “Investors Alley Coporation” at the young tender age of 14.

The phrase “Catch them young” applies to Mr Klasko life. He was a graduate from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. His Presidential skills from his company became useful and were utilised within the group of Goizueta Business School Investment Club. He wasn’t only a member of such group but the President! He also won first place in the state of New Jersey for two years in a row. Knowledge was like water to this youngster…

Mr Klasko didn’t stop there; he furthered his aim by creating another company called Phinaz Media Group. This company brought to his advantage publicity which brought him toward his wealth. This company brought four consecutive profitable years. Publicity and relationship were obtained with prestigious companies like TD Ameritrade, Forbes, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Phinaz Media Group is a sport marketing firm that helps professional and college sport team increase their ticket sales. This business reflects his hobbies within the sport realm. He has integrated his knowledge with his hobbies making life a rollercoaster for himself to ride. He runs with the advice “Don’t burn bridges. You never know who you are going to cross path with again.” So far, Mr Klasko has avoided any need for fire, and fused well with other businesses likes his. He is making quite a name for himself.

By Honey Carew

A woman is capable to do more than a man – want proof? Let’s take a look at Becky Stockbridge, the president of iBec Creative, which was formerly known as MediCreative, a young female entrepreneur who has been elected to work with Port Resources Inc Board of Directors. Her ways of working wonders within the business world is proven to be full of styles and tactics yet successful.

Becky Stockbridge studied a bachelor degree in art and entrepreneurial studies, from university of Southern Maine.

She is an award – winning young businesswoman. Her first company was Medicreative, which grew to change in to the present company – iBec creative. This company helped others with boutique designing and internet marketing. Also a finalist within the 2006 Student Business plan competition

iBec Creative is used for broadcasting their customer’s businesses, creating web designs for potential websites and to also create social media integration. Ibec creative is located in Portland, Maine, United States. iBec Creative as a organisation has broken many doors, with the aim from Miss Stockbridge to break down many more. It’s a woman world!

How many of us have girlfriends who spend over 40 hours stitching up canvases and over $300 having them made into belt, well now you know of one story, This marked the beginning of two roommates Peter Smathers and Austin Branson starting up a business that will focus on how they could make needlepoint belts at lower prices and of the highest quality.

I caught up with Peter and Austin to get some details on how it all began.

Enjoy the interview and let me know your thoughts.

Hi Guys, Welcome to YHP
Can you give us some detail about your company and what roles you both perform?

We both do a little of everything. Austin heads up and oversees all the design work and ordering for our company. Peter focuses on operation, sales, and product development.

How did you come up with the idea?

We both dated girls in college who made us needlepoint belts as gifts. We thought they were great products, but extremely expensive and time consuming gifts to make for someone. The girls (one of whom is Austin’s wife now) each spent over 40 hours stitching the canvases and over $300 having them made into belt. We were convinced if we could set up production to produce these belts at a lower price and the highest quality then we’d have a unique product to build a brand around.

Can you give us some background information about yourself?

Peter grew up in Maine, graduated from Deerfield Academy in 2000 and Bowdoin College in 2004.
Austin grew up in Washington, DC, graduated from Saint Albans Academy in 200 and Bowdoin College in 2004.

How did you finance your business?

Summer earnings and cheap rent (thanks Mr. and Mrs. Branson). After graduating from school we moved in with Austin’s parents to keep overhead low. We put all of our savings into getting the company off the ground. We used things such as airline miles and credit card points to get to Vietnam to set up our production. Our initial investment was pretty small and it has been the best investment we’ve ever made. We were and continue to be very frugal with how we spend our money—stretching a budget can produce great creativity.

What is an average workday like for you guys?

Every day is different and that is what is exciting about our company. It really keeps you on your toes. Right now, we are in the middle of our wholesale show season, so we are travelling a lot and meeting with existing accounts and hopefully open new ones.

How has your market changed in the past few years? How has your business changed to keep pace?

We’ve been continuing to grow during this difficult economy, but our market continues to be bigger than we ever expected. We’ve had to hire more people and expand our production and product offerings to keep pace.

How have sales grown in the last few years?

Sales have continued to grow over the past few years. The growth hasn’t stopped, but definitely slowed down during the crisis in 2009.

How do you market your products or services?

We sell to some of the best speciality shops and golf clubs in the USA, as well as off of our website.

What has been your most effective marketing tactic or technique?

We offer the best quality products on the market and have the customer service to match. Sticking to this simple fundamental principle has helped us grow a loyal customer base. Also, we are all about grassroots growth—it has built a great buzz and foundation for our brand.

What’s your definition of success, and do you believe you’ve achieved it yet?

Success is something that is very difficult for me to define—I think I will always be chasing it no matter what happens in our business. We’ve had some success with our business early on, but success can leave you much faster than you can obtain it—so we never get too comfortable.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

Patagonia, Peter Millar

Would you say college is the perfect place/time to start a business?

If the idea is right, now is the perfect time to start a business. College can be a great time because odds are you don’t have a mortgage, spouse, children, or other responsibilities that might make starting a business difficult. Plus, you have so many resources at your finger tips.

What pointers would you give to fellow Entrepreneurial College students on juggling school and business?

Take advantage of the resources available your school—both the research facilities and faculty. The President of our college was supportive of our idea and arranged meetings for us with some industry leaders.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learnt from them?

We have definitely had our fair share of failures, but all of the problems we’ve had in our business have helped us improve or have led us to something better. Pay attention to your failures because you can often learn more from them than you can from your victories.

What is the most exciting and interesting thing you like about your business?

Watching the company grow and seeing first hand what we can accomplish with the great team that we now have in place.

Any plans for the future?

We will be creating some new features for our website, and adding new products.

What advice would you give to aspiring and young entrepreneurs?

If you plan to start your business with a partner, choose them carefully. Even if they are your best friend, make sure you structure the dissolution of your business before you get going. We have been incredibly lucky in our business partnership, but we have also seen our fair share of partnerships sour quickly.

Thanks so much for your time guys.

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