Below is a sampling of articles that I have been reading this past week and wanted to share them with you. These articles include why you don’t have to be 21 to start a business, as well as how to gracefully excuse yourself from a conversation with that creepy guy/gal who came up to you at a networking event.

General

• Small Business Owners Measure Success by Happiness, Not Profit – Makes sense to me, but you also have to admit that if the money isn’t coming in, the happiness is going to be short-lived!
• Find Your Next Business Partner Now – What to look for in a biz partner and why you should always be on the lookout for a quality one.
• 10 Secrets Every Boss Should Keep – You might also want to keep secret your cross-dressing fetish. Of course, that might work well in certain companies…
• After 60 Years, Wiffle Ball Still Soars – A great story about a classic American recreational device (that sounds a bit clinical).
• Join the Creatively Entrepreneurial Revolution – Don’t be a stick in the mud all the time – let your creativity run free!
• How Great Entrepreneurs Create Their Own Luck – A story about an accidental Irish entrepreneur (say that 10 times fast!).
• Are You an Entrepreneur Imposter? I Don’t Buy It – You are successful because of who you are, so embrace it!
• Are You a Leader? Fire Yourself! – Learn to let go so that your business can soar.
• What Makes a Good Boss? Guilt – When I think of what makes a good small biz owner, having a guilty conscience doesn’t come to the front of my mind, but what do I know?
• 5 Ways to Survive the Worst Days – We all have bad/down days, especially when things aren’t going our way.

Marketing

• Can You Sell Your Customers in Zero Seconds? – Like it or not, people don’t have long attention spans, which means you have to get to your point quickly. Welcome to the Twitter generation!
• 7 Tips to Sell Your Ideas Like a Motivational Speaker – Motivational speakers have a way of drawing in their audience and selling their message. There is no reason why you can’t do the same thing.

Networking

• Non-Awkward Ways To Start And End Networking Conversations – While you might want to turn and run, these could be better options.

Starting a Business

• 5 Things You Should Never Say When Fundraising – Probably also shouldn’t ask if it is OK to use the money to fund a trip to the Caribbean.
• Sam Adams Founder Brewing Opportunities for Startups – While most companies hold their ideas and business ways close to their chest, Jim Koch has a different way of doing things.
• 3 Pieces of Advice to Grow Your Startup Smarter – Bits of wisdom for the entrepreneur looking to start a successful biz, which means every one of us should read this.
• Escaping the Cubicle: How to Start Your Own Business – While your instincts may be screaming that you don’t want to spend another day in cubicle hell, make sure you have a plan before you turn and run.
• Crowdfunding: What Are Your Options? – Do you have a brilliant idea, but need some cash to make it a reality? This might be what you are looking for!
• Number One Reason Your Startup Will Fail – Mindset and attitude really do matter!
• Older Entrepreneurs Start Companies Too – While it may seem like young twenty-somethings are the only ones starting small businesses these days, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Technology

• 7 Easy Ways to Speed Up Your Business Computers – Love them or hate them, computers are an integral part of most companies. This is why the smart biz owner buys a Mac!