For this edition of Entrepreneur University we turn to Business and Management trainer Martin Haworth. From managers of small, developing businesses and their teams, through to one-on-one work with senior executives, Martin enables a new generation of managers – and their businesses – to meet their potential – and deliver performance they only dream about.

Martin shares with us his secrets to networking differently:

“How many people do you know already?

Chances are that if you are past 25 years old, you will know upwards of a thousand people. That’s folks you would recognise if they bumped into you in the street. Hey, it might even be several thousand.

If you are looking for a career change, this is an opportunity you can leverage, through the people you know.

The common concept of ‘networking’ is different. It’s a business world in-your-face imposition where you are working against, rather than with the flow.

So why would you go off meeting people that you didn’t know, expecting them to do you a favor or two, when you have a bunch of people who already know you well enough?

The basis of all business transactions is trust. And trust is very hard to create if you are meeting people, in however friendly a setting, for a short period of time. Sure, you swap business cards and maybe meet up in the future – and at that point your trust has grown and you can do business.

It takes a lot of work, time and effort to gradually build relationships of trust, which is why so many people trying to sell things network in the ‘big-beakfast’ sense.

Desperate for the next hit of a new crowd, it’s the only way to, as they say, win the ‘numbers game’. The more people that go past you, the more likely there is one that will take the bite of the worm you’re offering.

As long as there are your sort of fish in the water, of course. What a task – and what a desperate way to try to get more business.

Think of ‘networking’ in a different way.

Great businesses make the most of the relationships they build over many years, creating repeat business. In fact some need to advertise no more, such is the power of who they are, what they do and the reputation they have built.

How about turning that into a personal value? A ‘trademark’ of who you are and what makes you different form other friends, family members and acquaintances.

So what are those ‘trademarks’ that win you the gold star credits and make others want to help you?

Try these:1 – You listen well and pay full attention – You are more interested in other people than yourself – You keep promises and do what you say you will – You are a great friend when others are in need – You share resources and put the people you know in touch with each other – You aren’t judgemental, but very objective (fact-based) when dealing with others – You talk less than you listen (see a pattern here!)

- You make time for others when you say you will – You say ‘yes’ when you can and ‘no’ when you can’t – and are honest about it – You are encouraging, enthusiastic, supportive and challenging with those you know Why do these ways of behavior build your network closely around you? Well, for one thing, when you are much more interested in those around you than you are about you, ironically you become much more attractive. So, not only do people like being around you, they are much more responsive when you need their help.

If you are looking around you for extended networks to push your efforts, then others who like you will do just that – and utilize who they know as well. If you know a thousand people, how many people do those thousand know? And how much use is a thousand thousand people all on your side?

The door you are seeking to open can become a lot easier if you have people who love you, and the way you are, on your side.

And that doesn’t involve getting up at 5am every Tuesday morning; force-feeding on a ‘heart-attack-special breakfast’; and fending off folks desperately trying to sell you even more business cards.

That’s not what you want at all.”

How have you networked to get clients for your business?

I’m pleased to announce that we’re starting a new comic strip series called Business Savvy that a local young entrepreneur is creating for us. Below you can read the first installment and stay tuned in future weeks to learn how the story develops!

Our 17th Review our Blog entry comes thanks to David de Souza from Tax Fix. You can read what he had to say about us in his blog post: Youngentrepreneur.com Review.

Tax Fix is a UK company that specalises in tax refund services from the Inland Revenue for people who have earned less than their £5235 allowance, for students and for anyone that wants to claim back emergency tax. If you have been assigned the wrong tax code we can also help claim your tax back.

Thanks for the review David! If you are interested in doing a review, check out our Review Our Blog initiative for instructions.

We’re interested in hearing your opinions at the YoungEntrepreneur.com blog to better understand the trends that today’s young entrepreneurs are facing.

In this week’s poll we’d like to know why did you start your business?

The options are:

To vote in the poll please visit the YoungEntrepreneur.com forums by clicking here.

Stay tuned next week for the results!

The popular social media website Digg was conceptualized by Kevin Rose and was actually created through a proposal on elance.com.

Many more companies now are looking to outsource their IT and internet marketing to India and other developing countries to try and save on costs.

DoubtSourcing.com is a weekly (and weakly funny) comic about IT outsourcing, written by Sandeep Sood. I came across this one recently and had to share it with you! If you’ve ever tried outsourcing your IT work you’ll find it funny:

What have your experiences been with outsourcing your IT?

Entrepreneurs know that the life of a business owner is rarely nine to five. You work all hours off the day to get your company off the ground and do every job from CEO to janitor.

It is no wonder then that many entrepreneurs burn out from stress. I came across an article in Reader’s Digest that suggested 37 ways for people to manage the stress in their lives. I think it could easily be applied to the lives of entrepreneurs.

The top 10 list is as follows:

1. Breathe Easily
“Breathing from your diaphragm oxygenates your blood, which helps you relax almost instantly,” says Robert Cooper, Ph.D., the San Francisco coauthor of The Power of 5 (Rodale Press, 1996), a book of five-second and five-minute health tips. Shallow chest breathing, by contrast, can cause your heart to beat faster and your muscles to tense up, exacerbating feelings of stress. To breathe deeply, begin by putting your hand on your abdomen just below the navel. Inhale slowly through your nose and watch your hand move out as your belly expands. Hold the breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat several times.

2. Visualize Calm
It sounds New Age-y, but at least one study, done at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, has found that it’s highly effective in reducing stress. Dr. Cooper recommends imagining you’re in a hot shower and a wave of relaxation is washing your stress down the drain. Gerald Epstein, M.D., the New York City author of Healing Visualizations (Bantam Doubleday Dell Press, 1989), suggests the following routine: Close your eyes, take three long, slow breaths, and spend a few seconds picturing a relaxing scene, such as walking in a meadow, kneeling by a brook, or lying on the beach. Focus on the details — the sights, the sounds, the smells.

3. Make Time for a Mini Self-Massage
Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, recommends simply massaging the palm of one hand by making a circular motion with the thumb of the other. Or use a massage gadget. The SelfCare catalog offers several, such as the S-shaped Tamm unit, that allow you to massage hard-to-reach spots on your back. For a free catalog, call 800-345-3371 or go to www.selfcare.com.

4. Try a Tonic
A study at Duke University in Durham, NC, found homeopathy effective in quelling anxiety disorders. Look for stress formulas such as Nerve Tonic (from Hyland) or Sedalia (from Boiron) in your health food store, or consult a licensed homeopath. To find one near you, contact the National Center for Homeopathy, 801 North Fairfax St., Suite 306, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-548-7790 or go to www.healthy.net/nch/.

5. Say Cheese
Smiling is a two-way mechanism. We do it when we’re relaxed and happy, but doing it can also make us feel relaxed and happy. “Smiling transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain, tilting the neurochemical balance toward calm,” Dr. Cooper explains. Go ahead and grin. Don’t you feel better already?

6. Do Some Math
Using a scale of one to 10, with one being the equivalent of a minor hassle and 10 being a true catastrophe, assign a number to whatever it is that’s making you feel anxious. “You’ll find that most problems we encounter rate somewhere in the two to five range — in other words, they’re really not such a big deal,” says Dr. Elkin.

7. Stop Gritting Your Teeth
Stress tends to settle in certain parts of our bodies, the jaw being one of them. When things get hectic, try this tip from Dr. Cooper: Place your index fingertips on your jaw joints, just in front of your ears; clench your teeth and inhale deeply. Hold the breath for a moment, and as you exhale say, “Ah-h-h-h,” then unclench your teeth. Repeat a few times.

8. Compose a Mantra
Devise an affirmation — a short, clear, positive statement that focuses on your coping abilities. “Affirmations are a good way to silence the self-critical voice we all carry with us that only adds to our stress,” Dr. Elkin says. The next time you feel as if your life is one disaster after another, repeat 10 times, “I feel calm. I can handle this.”

9. Check Your Chi
Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is a 5,000-year-old Chinese practice designed to promote the flow of chi, the vital life force that flows throughout the body, regulating its functions. Qigong master Ching-Tse Lee, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Brooklyn College in New York, recommends this calming exercise: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel. Bend your knees to a quarter-squat position (about 45 degrees) while keeping your upper body straight. Observe your breathing for a couple of breaths. Inhale and bring your arms slowly up in front of you to shoulder height with your elbows slightly bent. Exhale, stretching your arms straight out. Inhale again, bend your elbows slightly and drop your arms down slowly until your thumbs touch the sides of your legs. Exhale one more time, then stand up straight.

10. Be a Fighter
“At the first sign of stress, you often hear people complain, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’” says Dr. Cooper. The trouble is, feeling like a victim only increases feelings of stress and helplessness. Instead, focus on being proactive. If your flight gets canceled, don’t wallow in self-pity. Find another one. If your office is too hot or too cold, don’t suffer in silence. Call the building manager and ask what can be done to make things more comfortable.

Here are the remaining 27 tips:

11. Put It on Paper

12. Count to 10

13. Switch to Decaf

14. Just Say No

15. Take a Whiff

16. Warm Up

17. Say Yes to Pressure

18. Schedule Worry Time

19. Shake It Up

20. Munch Some Snacks

21. Boost Your Vitamin Intake

22. Get Horizontal

23. Admit It

24. Space Out

25. Try Tea

26. Take a Walk

27. Soak it Up

28. Play a Few Bars

29. Fall for Puppy Love

30. Practice Mindfulness

31. Dial a Friend

32. Stretch

33. Say a Little Prayer

34. Make Plans

35. Goof Off

36. Straighten Up

37. Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Personally when I’m stressed out I generally take a walk outside. I find that the change of scenery and fresh air helps put things into perspective and gives me the chance to come up with a creative solution.

What do you do to reduce your stress?

Ralph Lauren was working as a salesman for Brooks Brothers in New York when he decided to jump head first into a new venture: Lauren was going to start designing his own ties. After hearing the news, Lauren’s boss told him, “The world isn’t ready for Ralph Lauren.” Today, with over $4 billion in revenue, Lauren has taken the fashion world by storm. But his newfound fortune is a long way from where Lauren started off.

“There is a way of living that has a certain grace and beauty,” says Lauren. “It is not a constant race for what is next, rather, an appreciation of that which has come before.”

Much as he appreciates those who have come before him, Lauren hopes that his Polo collection will be remembered for some time to come. He might not have become a rabbi like his mother wanted, but he has managed to become one of the best-selling American designers of all time. How did this boy from the Bronx do it?

“I was working for a tie manufacturer doing private label for stores such as Brooks Brothers and Paul Stuart. I tried to convince them to do their own brand but they weren’t interested. So I approached another tie maker from Cincinnati and they got it.

My goal in design is to achieve the best reality imaginable. I believe in design that has integrity, design that lasts, and whatever it is, it must be part of the lifestyle and become more personal with time.

Your vision is very important. You should know whom you’re selling to, what your marketing and advertising says about you, and whom it’s speaking to. Me personally, I don’t try to please everyone. I understand who I am selling to and I work towards that vision all the time.

I’m totally involved with all of my products. Everything I make is my message and for years my goal has been to make the things I love.

I am not looking like Armani today and somebody else tomorrow. I look like Ralph Lauren. And my goal is to constantly move in fashion and move in style without giving up what I am.

What matters the most to me are clothes that are consistent and accessible. When I look at the people I’ve admired over the years, the ultimate stars like Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and Astaire, the ones who last the longest are the ones whose style has a consistency, whose naturalness is part of their excitement.

When you think of the blur of all the brands that are out there, the ones you believe in and the ones you remember, like Chanel and Armani, are the ones that stand for something. Fashion is about establishing an image that consumers can adapt to their own individuality. And it’s an image that can change, that can evolve. It doesn’t reinvent itself every two years.

I’ve always believed one could live many lives through the way we dress and the places we travel to, even if just in our imagination. The world is open to us, and each day is an occasion to reinvent ourselves.

The best thing you can do is go away from this saying, ‘I can do this too,’ because it’s all possible and I’m living proof.”

In keeping with our recent theme of online business I decided to tap the mind of Thomas Young for this week’s Entrepreneur University. Thomas Wood-Young, MBA, is a marketing consultant helping companies increase revenues. He is also the author of Intuitive Selling (www.IntuitiveSelling.com). Thomas shares with us his three keys to Internet selling success:

“Whereas successful selling in traditional brick-and-mortar stores is said to rely on “location, location, location,” successful Web sales rely on the three pillars of effective Web sites: design, marketing, and hosting. And like a table with three legs, a Web site needs equal support from all three.

Pillar I: Design Poor Web design will give visitors a poor opinion of your company and your products. With so many new businesses now offering Web design, it is important to choose a developer who can combine functionality and design to create a site that is visually simple, attractive, and easy to navigate.

Always design your Web site to reflect customer priorities. First find out what your customers want, and give it to them quickly. Make the user experience easy and fast.

This brings three common mistakes to mind:

Web design is often based on the mistaken idea that visitors to your site want to know more about your company. This is why most companies feature the “About Us” link first as a visitor reads the page. Actually, a customer is looking for a product or service that solves a problem. With this in mind, correct site design will highlight the information about your main products first and show your company information last for additional support.

Another common error is the use of impressive graphics without proper regard for user experience. Visitors are looking for information, not graphics. Graphics add loading time, so keep them to a minimum. A site will be an effective sales tool when you include all information your customers will need to make a buying decision.

Avoid forms that require unnecessary information. Seventy-eight percent of respondents in a recent usability survey have bailed out of filling forms because the forms required too much effort. Eighty-four percent abandoned programs that required too much information, especially home phone numbers or household income figures.

Pillar II: Hosting Integration of technology and design is crucial to the performance of your site as a sales tool. Web site functionality depends on efficient hosting and stable technology. This pillar includes all technical back-office details, from hosting to programming and newsletter list management.

Host your site on servers with sufficient bandwidth to easily and flawlessly handle your predicted level of traffic. Hire specialized database programmers to make your site interactive without a hitch. Purchase shopping cart programs that process sales efficiently and make it easy to buy. A good host will avoid down time, slow connections, interrupted service, and slow downloads to give your visitors a pleasant experience.

Pillar III: Marketing Contrary to popular belief, effective Web marketing does not require a large budget. Eighty-one percent of respondents to a recent survey admitted they had visited a site because it was advertised. However, their main influence was the Internet (61%), print ads (57%), and e-mail promotions (51%). Television, for instance, didn’t even make the top five. The secret to cost-effective Web marketing is finding low-cost to no-cost actions that reach your narrow, primary target market. Avoid expensive shotgun advertising to large markets not interested in your product or service.

Some of the most effective low-cost marketing tools include:

Listings on select portals and directories that draw traffic within your target group Search engine strategies to improve rankings on traditional search engines Strategies for pay-for-position search engines for immediate results Newsletters that reach your prospects monthly with helpful information Programmable autoresponders that deliver your message seven times or more Affiliate programs that encourage other sites to refer customers Take into account the three pillars of Web site success and reap the rewards of the Internet.”

As if you didn’t have enough incentive yesterday when we talked about the top 30 internet millionaires under 30, JP Morgan’s Internet analyst Imran Khan just put out a report 312 pages long called “Nothing but Net” that says 2008 will be the year for Internet companies.

In 2007 the S&P 500 gained 5% while Internet stocks soared with a 14% average gain. The 2008 forecast is even more bullish as Internet stocks are expected to earn a 34% return versus only 8% for the overall S&P 500. Expected big winners include: Google, Amazon, Yahoo, eBay, Expedia, Salesforce.com, Ominiture, ValueClick, Monster.com, Orbitz, Priceline, and CNET.

The increase in broadband penetration is fueling the growth but what’s even more exciting for any online entrepreneur is that the US online ad spending is rising faster than broadband penetration. This means that the average ad spend online will grow faster than the rate of high speed internet adoption. CPM Advertising, which averaged $3.31 in 2007, is expected to rise to $3.44 in 2008, $3.60 in 2009 and $3.86 by 2011. For anyone who has a website and is selling advertising – this is a very good thing!

If you’re hoping to cash out of your online business, the JP Morgan report also expects Internet acquisitions to increase in 2008 as top companies like Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, and Expedia all are expected to have more free cash than they had in 2007 to use to buy into new businesses.

Isn’t it about time that you got online?

For all of your aspiring young entrepreneurs who are trying to make millions online, Michael Dunlop from Retire at 21 put together a list of the top 30 internet millionaires who are under 30 years of age.

Holding down the number one spot is Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook. He’s only 23 years old, has an annual turnover of $700 million, and is only getting started!

Here is the complete list:

Rank – Name – Company – Age – Annual Turnover

1 – Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook – 23 – $700 Million
2 – Andrew Gower – Runescape – 28 – $650 Million
3 – Blake Ross and David Hyatt – Mozilla – 22 – $120 Million
4 – Chad Hurley – Youtube – 30 – $85 Million
5 – Angelo Sotira – Deviant ART – 26 – $75 Million
6 – John Vechey – PopCap Games – 28 – $60 Million
7 – Alexander Levin – WordPress – 23 – $57 Million
8 – Alexander Levin – Image Shack – 23 – $56 Million
9 – Jake Nickell – Threadless – 28 – $50 Million
10 – Sean Belnick – Biz Chair – 20 – $42 Million
11 – Kevin Rose – Digg – 30 – $31 Million
12 – Robert Small – MiniClips – 24 – $23 Million
13 – Ryan Block – Engadget – 25 – $20 Million
14 – Aodhan Cullen – Stat Counter – 24 – $18 Million
15 – Tom Fulp – Newgrounds – 29 – $15 Million
16 – Rishi Kacker and Matt Pauker – Voltage – 24 – $12 Million
17 – Markus Frind – Plenty Of Fish – 29 – $10 Million
18 – Catherine and David Cook – My Year Book – 17 & 19 – $10 Million
19 – Fredrik Neij – The Pirate Bay – 28 – $10 Million
20 – DAVID LEVICH – Iced Out Gear – 25 – $10 Million
21 – David Hauser & Siamak Taghaddos – GotvMail – 24 – $8 Million
22 – Jermaine Griggs – Hear and Play – 23 – $5 Million
23 – Jay Westerdal – Domain Tools – 29 – $5 Million
24 – Ashley Qualls – What Ever Life – 17 – $3 Million
25 – Mario Lavandeira – Perez Hilton – 29 – $3 Million
26 – Ben Way – Rain Makers – 27 – $2.2 Million
27 – Lauris Liberts – Frype – 25 – $2 Million
28 – Alex Tew – Million Dollar Homepage – 22 – $1.6 Million
29 – Rob Benwell – Blogging to the Bank – 23 – $1.2 Million
30 – Matt Wegrzyn – Bodis – 19 – $1 Million

When are you planning on making your first online million so we can add you to the list?