Latest news with #businessowner
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Business owner targeted by arson and vandalism: family
An Edmonton business owner has had two of her businesses destroyed by arson and a third vandalized within the last 10 days. CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha reports.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Owners shocked after their 3 businesses were damaged within 10 days
An Edmonton business owner has had two of her businesses destroyed by arson and a third vandalized within the last 10 days. Nav Sangha reports. The daughter of an Edmonton business owner said her family is in shock after two of their businesses were destroyed by fires and another was vandalised, all within the span of 10 days. 'My mom is afraid to go anywhere. She doesn't even trust her own house,' said the owner's daughter, who wishes to be anonymous for her family's safety. One of the family's businesses – Valley Nails and Spa in northwest Edmonton – was set fire to around 3 a.m. Wednesday. Valley Nails & Spa Valley Nails and Spa is seen on July 23, 2025, with its front windows smashed and front door boarded up after a fire. (Evan Klippenstein / CTV News Edmonton) Edmonton Fire Rescue Services were able to put the blaze out before 5 a.m. No injuries were reported. Security camera footage shows two people dressed in black setting fire to the nail salon. When CTV News Edmonton arrived at the scene, the front door of the business was boarded up and shards of glass littered the sidewalk. A daycare next door was closed for the day due to smoke damage. The family's other nail salon in southwest Edmonton burned down last week. And on Tuesday, the windows were smashed at the family's boba tea shop. The daughter said she doesn't know why anyone would go after her mother's businesses, and hasn't received anything in the form of texts or phone calls indicating that they're being targeted. 'We're worried about our safety, being followed,' said the daughter. 'We're afraid of anything happening to the house or us.' The family is worried their boba shop will be set fire to next. spafire The aftermath of a a fire set to a northwest Edmonton nail salon is seen on July 23, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton) 'We took so much time building up the shops,' said the daughter. 'It's heartbreaking.' She said her mother has done a lot of charity work over the years and doesn't know why anyone would do this to her. The three businesses serve as the family's only source of income. The daughter said they believe the same people are attacking their businesses after looking at video footage of the incidents. Police say the fire has been deemed suspicious and are investigating the three incidents. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha and Alex Antoneshyn
Entrepreneur
12 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
The Side Hustle Generation: Why Nearly Half of UK Adults Are Eyeing Entrepreneurship in 2025
According to Enterprise Nation, nearly half of UK adults are considering launching a business or side hustle in 2025—signaling a nationwide shift toward passion-driven, purpose-led entrepreneurship. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In kitchens, coffee shops, and co-working spaces across Britain, something is brewing—and it's not just flat whites. A quiet but powerful shift is taking place in the mindset of working adults, one that could redefine the UK's economic landscape. According to a new report from Enterprise Nation, nearly half of UK adults (47%) are now considering starting their own business or launching a side hustle in 2025. It's not just a trend—it's a movement. And it's being driven by a new generation of entrepreneurs who are rejecting outdated work models and rewriting what ambition looks like. The Rise of the Passion-Led Founder Unlike the traditional startup founder narrative—think high-stakes pitches, Silicon Valley dreams, and endless VC rounds—today's budding entrepreneurs are driven by purpose, creativity, and flexibility. Many are turning hobbies and personal interests into income streams, from homemade bakes and fashion styling to wellness coaching and digital art. According to Enterprise Nation's data, the majority of these aspiring founders cite reasons that go beyond money. Around 42% are seeking more fulfilment and meaning in their careers, while 38% are motivated by the desire to turn a passion or hobby into something tangible. Meanwhile, 36% want greater control over their time and income—reflecting a deeper shift in how people view work, purpose, and personal freedom. It's a deeply personal kind of entrepreneurship, often bootstrapped, digital-first, and community-oriented. Gen Z Leads the Charge Unsurprisingly, Gen Z—those aged 18 to 30—are leading the pack, with 62% saying they're likely to start something of their own this year. Many are choosing business ownership straight out of school or university, motivated by digital tools that lower the barrier to entry and the growing appeal of "freedom over formality." But it's not just the young. 51% of 31–40-year-olds also report they're actively considering a side hustle or full-blown venture. Even retirees and mid-career professionals are entering the game, often as consultants, makers, or online educators. Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, describes the shift as a "new wave of working," where entrepreneurial thinking is no longer reserved for a select few. "It's a movement grounded in optimism," she says. "People want more control over their future—and they're realizing that starting something small can be the most empowering way to get it." Digital Tools, Real Opportunities What's enabling this groundswell? Two things: technology and mindset. The explosion of e-commerce platforms, AI-powered productivity tools, and remote collaboration software has made starting a business from your bedroom more viable than ever. Social media, too, is playing a major role. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram aren't just marketing tools—they're launchpads. Many young entrepreneurs are building audiences before they even have a formal product, validating ideas in real-time and cultivating communities around their brand values. Meanwhile, digital marketplaces and low-cost SaaS solutions mean that selling, shipping, invoicing, and managing a business can now be done from a smartphone. Policy and Support Still Lagging Despite this enthusiasm, many new entrepreneurs are navigating the system without much formal support. Access to funding, business education, and mentorship remains uneven—particularly outside London and for those from underrepresented backgrounds. Enterprise Nation is calling on the government to streamline support for this new generation of small-scale entrepreneurs, particularly through better digital skills training, local community funding, and easier access to financial services for micro-businesses. The group is also encouraging large companies to create partnerships and procurement opportunities for side hustlers and solopreneurs—recognizing them not as fringe players, but as part of a vital and growing segment of the economy. From Side Hustle to Serious Business What begins as a creative outlet or weekend project can evolve into a thriving business. In fact, many of the UK's fastest-growing companies today started as side hustles—from skincare brands built on kitchen counters to tech consultancies launched during lockdown. And while the economic headlines may be dominated by inflation or funding slowdowns, this grassroots entrepreneurial surge suggests a more hopeful story—one of resilience, innovation, and self-determination. As 2025 unfolds, the real entrepreneurs to watch may not be those raising millions, but the ones raising the bar for what it means to work with purpose.
Forbes
18 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Remove Yourself From Sales, Without Breaking Your Business
If you're still leading every sales conversation, you become the bottleneck in your business. Most business owners don't start with the intention of becoming their business's bottleneck. But if you're still leading every sales conversation, closing every deal, and holding every client relationship in your head, you are. And here's the hard truth: If your business needs you to make a sale, you business is not ready to be sold if you ever desire to exit. that's because business buyers don't just evaluate profit, they evaluate risk. And the riskiest businesses? The ones that crumble when the founder steps away. The good news is: you can fix you being the bottleneck in sales, without losing revenue, quality, or control. In this article, I'll walk you through how to remove yourself from sales, without breaking your business. Let's start with the why. Step 1: Understand Why Founder-Led Sales Lowers Business Valuation When a business buyer looks at your business, they're not just buying revenue, they're buying reliability and predictability. If, as the founder or owner, you're the one making the sales, business buyers see: This is where many founders stall: they assume they're indispensable. But from a business buyer's perspective, you being essential is a liability, not an asset. Action Step You Can Take: Start by getting clear on exactly how involved you still are in the sales processes of your business. Grab a notepad (or a spreadsheet) and list every single sales-related task you personally handle. This becomes your Sales Dependency Map. Once you see the map, you can start removing yourself from sales related activities. Step 2: Choose Your Path to Sales Independence There are two core strategies to remove yourself from sales: This is ideal for service-based businesses with longer sales cycles and human-to-human trust: This works well for productized services, digital offers, or education-based businesses: It's the model I use for more than 15 years. I haven't been on a sales call in years. But sales happen all the time, because the Founder-Free Sales System replaces me. So how do you know which path is right? Look at your offer, your team, and your personality. Some founders thrive on relationships. Others prefer to scale through structure. There is no one-size-fits-all. But doing nothing is the only wrong choice. Step 3: Document What Only You Know If your sales process lives in your head, it can't be delegated. Start by recording yourself: Write down your typical structure: how you open, what questions you ask, and how you handle objections. If you use storytelling or case studies, add those too. Your goal is to build a Sales Playbook, a simple internal guide that includes: Think of it as your business's sales brain. Once it's written down, others can step in, whether that is a new sales agent or the buyer of your business. Step 4: Shift Your Team Into Sales Mode Here's a mindset shift: sales isn't a department. It's a company-wide culture. Even if you only have two team members, they impact the sale: Start having sales check-ins where every team member answers this question: "What did you do this week that helped someone say yes to us?" It builds buy-in into sales from the whole team. It shifts ownership. And it makes sales a shared priority, not your solo burden. Step 5: Delegate One Sales Task Now Business owners often fail at sales delegation because they try to hand over everything at once. Don't. Start small. Pick one low-risk task: Once you've delegated one piece, you build confidence and capacity. Step 6: Automate Your Sales System If you're automating (parts of) your sales process, you're giving up live client feedback. So you need another way to hear what's working well. With automations, your numbers become your ears: Set up a small spreadsheet with your key metrics. Look for trends. Iterate constantly. Your sales system should improve even when you're not touching it. Conclusion: You Don't Have to Be the Rainmaker Forever Removing yourself from your sales department isn't just a strategy. It's a key responsibility you have as the owner of your business. Your clients shouldn't have to wait for your calendar availability to get served. Your team deserves a business that grows without burning you out. The future buyer of your business is looking for a company, not a personal brand built around you. If you wait until six months before selling your business to step out of your sales department, it's already too late. Start now. Start small. But start. Because a business that does sales without you? That's a business worth buying.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Anaheim jewelry store owner scares off mob of thieves by firing warning shot
The Brief The owner of an Anaheim jewelry store scared off a mob of thieves trying to break in by shooting a warning shot at them. Around 20 people tried to break into Al-Amira Jewelry with sledgehammers and pickaxes on July 17. Some of the owner's familymembers were in the store during the attempted robbery. ANAHEIM, Calif. - An Anaheim businessowner recently scared off a mob of thieves trying to break into his store by firing a warning shot at the crowd. The whole thing was caught on store security footage. What we know The attempted robbery happened at Al-Amira Jewelry on July 17. The owner told FOX 11 that it was close to closing time, when five cars pulled up to the front of the store. Security camera footage showed about 20 people piling out of the cars and mobbing the store's entrance. Some of them had sledgehammers and pickaxes and started smashing the door. SUGGESTED: East Hollywood car crash: Dozens injured waiting outside nightclub; driver attacked Seconds later, though, the group scattered, got back into their cars, and they all drove off. Video from inside the store showed the other angle. When the people inside saw the thieves, they ran behind the counter. Several came back out to the front, armed. That's when the owner fired one shot. What they're saying The store's owner, said he thinks the group was watching the store. He said the group moved in just several minutes after one of the last customers left the store. The owner said he heard a loud noise, and when he looked at the door, he saw "many people. I can't count it." "Then I have to defend myself and my store and my employees. I take my gun, I shoot one bullet, I scare him (the person at the door), he moved and the problem is done," the owner said. The owner said that some of his familymembers were in the store when the group rushed the door. "Every single one of them was covered in black, head to toe," said Mohammad Abuershaid, an attorney for the jewelry store. "Everybody should be vigilant and careful," said Mohammed Kahn, a customer. "If they notice anything suspicious, they should speak up and report, so everyone is safe." For 30 years, Mahmud Salem has owned Sahara Falafel, a popular restaurant near Al-Amira Jewelry. He says he has never seen anything like this here before. "It was like a movie," said Salem. "It's so sad. People are hungry and looking for bigger stuff [to steal]." SUGGESTED: Several thieves storm Artesia jewelry store in bold smash-and-grab Dig deeper The owner's lawyer told FOX 11 that the store has had one similar incident before, but the thieves couldn't get into the store then either. About a month ago, another jewelry store across the street was also targeted by thieves. In that case, crooks drove a vehicle through the front of Besan Jewelry. The robbers then took jewelry estimated to be worth more than $3 million. The Source Information in this story is from security camera footage from Al-Amira Jewelry in Anahaim and an interview with the store owner.
