Zain Jaffer

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The tone of any company is set by its leaders.

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To impress potential investors, put yourself in their shoes. One of the most difficult aspects of getting a business off the ground is finding the money to be able to do so. While there are a number of ways to fund a business — crowdsourcing, family and friends, investors, bootstrapping and more — each comes with their own pros and cons, benefits and challenges, meaning no one business will likely follow the same financial path.  However, there are a number of similar struggles you may face when trying to raise capital for your business that other seasoned entrepreneurs have also experienced. To share their own stories and advice, eight business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in on common fundraising challenges and what they would advise others do to avoid or overcome the same obstacles they faced themselves.

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Building a successful brand means understanding who you are and staying true to it. In so many areas of culture, building a successful personal brand is key to getting ahead. Who you are, what you’re known for and what value you provide to others all play a role in creating your brand, and those who create positive ones are likely to find more opportunities coming their way. But creating a personal brand isn’t as simple as some may think. It requires intentionality and a deep understanding of self to get started. Here, 14 leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of the other steps you’ll need to take if you want to build a successful personal brand, in life and in business.

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To find the best candidate, you’ll need to get to know them on a deeper level. The right team can make or break your business. A team that gets along well can help your company innovate and stand out among your competition. On the flip side, a team that is dysfunctional can drag down morale and efficiency, creating internal problems that take away from the work at hand. While teams require a number of elements to function well — including a thoughtful manager — one way company leaders can ensure they’re setting their teams up for success is by hiring the right team members. But choosing the right person out of a pool of candidates can be a challenging task, so how can leaders determine if they’re making the right hires? Below, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council offer their advice, each weighing in with one step companies can take before and during the interview process to make sure the next hire they make will be the perfect one.

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Crypto advocates look to see good solutions for the world's problems in the blockchain technology.

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Building a business can be a slow process — but it doesn’t always have to be. One of the most difficult parts of starting a new business is getting sales. When you first start out, you’re still trying to find customers to purchase your product or service, so sales can often take a while to really ramp up — even if you’ve found a few repeat customers. But such a slow start can be frustrating, especially when you’re not yet making a profit or breaking even.  While growing a business is often a test in patience, there are ways you can speed up the process and increase your sales at a quicker pace. According to the business and culture leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, implementing any of the following eight tips can give your business the major boost it needs to attract more customers, quickly increase sales and really get your budding business off the ground.