Essentials of Entrepreneurship - From Mindset to Launch Entrepreneurship Consulting and Marketing
Over 40 Years of Bootstrapping Business Success
Starting his first business in 1983, Greg bootstrapped a payroll processing firm into a success story with only $400 and college tuition due.
Over 40 Years of BootStrapping Business Success
Building Business, Boots On The Ground, With Little or No Cash
Starting his first business over 40 years ago, Greg bootstrapped his Payroll Processing company into a success story with only $400 in the bank and college tuition due. Boots on the Ground marketing savy and an innovative mindset, creating a multi-state firm encompassing Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. This was his first buy-out experience – as a national firm stepped into the game. He has used this model to go on and found 14 new startups since.
About US
We help Founders design Business Models the Right Way.
We teach the BALANCE Framework. Everyone, including every Founder, has their own strengths and weaknesses. Understanding both what your weaknesses are and what your life vision is allows us to help you design a business model that can lead you to success.
Often this is about getting the right people in place and designing the right business model. Jim Collines (Good to Great) wrote ” If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.”
If we have a BALANCE’d Framework – that strategic plan for both our business and our personal lives in place when we create a business – we are far more likely to create a business that is successful and leads us to success both in our financial lives and in our personal lives.
What we do
Consulting Services
Entrepreneurs
"Become part of an expanding worldwide network of distinguished entrepreneurs, thriving small businesses, talented freelancers, and creative minds. Connect with fellow innovators, discover investment opportunities, and benefit from our select panel of advisors. Enjoy exclusive discounts on essential services and more, all without enduring lengthy application processes or giving up equity!"
Digital Marketing
"Greg collaborates closely with you to develop tailored digital marketing services and strategies that perfectly match your business's specific needs. We act as an extension of your team, a partner who deeply understands your market and objectives, rather than a mere agency executing strategies without insight. Our confidence lies in our own search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing expertise to bring new customers to your website. We set ourselves apart from many agencies that might dazzle with promises but underdeliver in execution."
Corporate Innovators
"Become part of an expanding worldwide network of distinguished entrepreneurs, thriving small businesses, talented freelancers, and creative minds. Connect with fellow innovators, discover investment opportunities, and benefit from our select panel of advisors. Enjoy exclusive discounts on essential services and more, all without enduring lengthy application processes or giving up equity!"
New Venture Development and Essentials Connect
Entrepreneurship Essentials, under the leadership of Dr. Greg Watson, introduces New Venture Development coaching services through Essentials Connect, a worldwide business networking platform. This platform grants business owners and stakeholders unparalleled access to a premier innovation ecosystem. Designed for ease of use and available around the clock, Essentials Connect simplifies the process of networking with fellow visionaries and industry leaders, enabling connections anytime, anywhere inspiration strikes. This online startup community and corporate innovation hub offers comprehensive resources and support tailored for entrepreneurs and innovators at every stage of their business journey. The platform includes advanced business education models, access to seasoned advisors with extensive experience, pathways to investment and financing, and, most critically, a supportive community network. This holistic approach ensures that every aspect of entrepreneurial development is nurtured, fostering growth and success in the dynamic world of business.
Leadership Connect
In Addition to Essentials Connect suite, we provide Leadership Connect. This service is designed to enhance the capabilities and cohesion of entrepreneurial teams, fostering leadership skills that are vital in today's dynamic business environment. At the heart of this service is a focus on cultivating effective, visionary leaders and synergistic teams. Understanding that the strength of a business lies not just in its ideas but in the people who drive them, our Leadership and Team Development program offers tailored training and development strategies. These are designed to align with the unique challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurial ventures.
Private Coaching
The Advisor Network, led by Dr. Greg Watson provides private coaching services, we offer invaluable expertise, a key resource for businesses at any stage and size. Central to our community is The Entrepreneurship Essentials Advisor Network, a meticulously selected and expertly managed collective of professionals. These experts are thoughtfully matched with our members, offering continuous and tailored guidance. The Advisor Network is instrumental in delivering essential value to our community's entrepreneurs and startups. Whether it's industry-specific insights or functional business advice, or strategic assistance across various stages of a startup's lifecycle, our network is equipped to support and elevate your entrepreneurial journey.
Case Study
Juniper Foods restores growth with return to core strategies
Juniper Foods, once a thriving business with robust sales, encountered a severe downturn as the pandemic struck. The company saw a 40% drop in sales and a significant decrease in customer foot traffic, posing a critical threat to its survival.
How we helped?
Sabrina D. Clement
What can we help you overcome?
We help companies stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.
True Entrepreneurship: Creating Value For Others
Watson is a leading speaker on entrepreneurship and education. His motivational lectures on modern learning technologies, assessment, and the engaged learner experience have inspired today’s learner and challenged educators to update their approach to teaching.
Dr. Greg Watson is a serial entrepreneur and retired professor of entrepreneurship and former director of the center for teaching and learning. As co-chair of the #5 ranked Entrepreneurship New Venture Development program – he lead a mentor team overseeing student entrepreneurial ventures from the ideation stage to value proposition to validation to launch. With an emphasis on the entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurial spirit Greg helps you discover that dream.
“You didn’t learn to ride a bike in a workshop” (Sandler) – finding the right entrepreneurial mentor, training, program or entrepreneurship course is often the difference between success and failure.
Entrepreneurship Definition
We believe that the best definition of an entrepreneur is the creation of value in other people; the entrepreneur empathizes with the pain/gain needs of the customer and provides a solution that creates value for the customer.
My Students and Clients have Launched Businesses from Scratch in Every Kind of Market Imaginable
Artist, Food Safety Vaccine, Sustainability, Drop shipping, Consulting, Video Games, Solar Panel Cleaning, Lead Generation, Organic Vegetables, Public Speaking, Pitch Delivery, Job Referral, Video Game Chat, Incubator, Wholesale Office Liquidation, Electronic Auctions, Water Technologies, Healthcare Supplies, Cannabis Technologies, Asian Bakery, Personal Finance Apps, Cannabis Tea, Cancer Clinical Diagnostics, Regenerative Medicine, Meditation, Audio Visual, Virtual Cardio Exercise, Men & Women’s Apparel, Travel, Social Media Marketing.
The Right Type of Help in The Format and Time Frame You Need
You Didn’t Learn to Ride a Bicycle in a Workshop
Ok – I love workshops and courses. I love the energy, the excitement, and the entertainment.
But for most people – the next day – there isn’t a life changing behavior. They didn’t learn to ride the bicycle.
So do you want some great entertainment – a great movie story-line – learn what you should do? There are a lot of great motivational entrepreneurship workshops. But after the “emotional high” of that outstanding experience is past – typically the next day, have you changed or learned the tactical steps you need to execute or has your life changed? Or do you want a value process that is going to help you actually execute the steps and processes in your life.
The Full Story
Professor, Consultant, Speaker – Greg has received numerous award for teaching excellence. He has served on numerous boards, committees and councils, including advisory and visiting committees for the Higher Learning Commission. He serves as a consultant to industry in the crypto, hospitality, and digital commerce and marketing industry. He has founded numerous businesses including a payroll processing business, national digital advertising integrator, publishing house, hotel and hospitality management company, eCommerce and digital marketing platforms and fulfillment, and serves on boards of various venture capital firms and early stage companies.
In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Watson has been very active in education. In 2007 he returned to the University system to teach business as his way to “give back”. He was quickly drafted to lead the redevelopment of the Center for Teaching and Learning and foster innovation and excellence in teaching. Presenting nationally at distance learning conferences, he became well known within distance learning circles for innovation and emphasis on the learner experience.
This focus on the learner experience drew him to teaching workshops nationally; where he was invited to lead the the New Venture Development program for Entrepreneurship at a Division 1 university where he focused on program rankings, program innovation, and academic excellence; including the development of a Masters of Entrepreneurship program.
Great programs do not exist alone – they are part of a greater entrepreneurial ecosystem. The key for each individual is to explore their local entrepreneurial ecosystem and discover the entrepreneurial program and support system that is going to provide them the support, training, and tools to pursue their dream.
The key here is this simple concept by Sandler – you didn’t learn to ride a bike at a workshop. The scary small business failure statistics are real – who didn’t wobble or fall when first learning to ride a bike? If you are not part of a real program or system that is right for you – you are probably going to fall, crash that bike. Being part of a program isn’t a guarantee of success – but it teaches you the tool, teaches you the skills to do the market analysis, the risk assessment, and the market opportunity assessment. As well as helping you understand the skills you have and how to seek help for the skills you didn’t know you didn’t have.
But everyone has the potential to learn to ride a bike!