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ExactDrive had the opportunity to be interviewed by SiteProNews who publishes the latest articles and breaking news on technology, social media, search engines, SEO, business, marketing, content writing and webmaster resources.

Working at a start-up is bittersweet. For every opportunity to work remotely and play ping pong at the office, you also have to deal with long work hours and the possibility of failure lurking around every corner. Despite its ups and downs, its exactly this type of excitement that draws people to the start-up world and away from the traditional 9-5. Needless to say, this type of environment can also cause a lot of stress, and in such situations, it’s important to have a leader that stays level-headed, one who can effectively maintain staff morale. We spoke to various startup CEOs at different stages in their careers, and asked what the most important factors are when attempting to boost staff morale during stressful times at work. Here’s what they had to say.

1. Communication

“Stress is a by-product of the thought of losing control, whether that be missing a deadline, or feeling something is no-longer achievable. By implementing a culture of open communication staff can more quickly raise and discuss issues, which helps combat the stress at source, by allowing the issues to be dealt with. Having that knowledge of support also helps potentially stressful situation become less so.”

— Ian Naylor, AppInstitute

ExactDrive recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by StartupNation. Since it’s inception in 2002, StartupNation.com has steadily grown to become one of the leading small business destinations on the internet delivering over 250,000 pages of valued content and attracting over 3.1 million unique visitors in 2013. StartupNation has inspired, educated and consistently attracted entrepreneurs and small business owners from Main Street America who want to be their own bosses and live the American Dream.

If your interviewing for a startup job, its important to know that your embarking on an entirely different experience from the traditional 9-5 work environment. You have to prepare yourself to work flexible hours, wear many different hats at once, and become an expert on any given subject in a short period of time. Most importantly, you have to demonstrate that your personality and work ethic will fit into the vision and values of the company culture. The best way to so, and to set yourself apart from other candidates, is by asking questions which demonstrate your entrepreneurial ambition and drive. We spoke to various startup founders and asked what questions most impressed them during previous job interviews, here’s what they had to say.

 recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Digital Connect Mag, which was started by a group of tech enthusiasts with the sole purpose of helping consumers, businesses and IT professionals. They aim to cover pretty much every topic under the sun which is related to Technology, Business and Information Technology.

A startup’s success is dependent on a number of factors, the most important, and often the most overlooked being the startup’s company culture. Regardless of how solid a product and the funding behind it is, the strength of the company culture will ultimately be the determining factor behind the startup’s long-term success.

The most important aspect when creating your company culture is establishing a set of values which will define your company from its early stages to maturity, values that your company will adhere to during both successful and difficult times. This effort needs to be made from the very beginning stages of your entrepreneurial endeavor, since the values you establish initially will determine the direction in which your company grows. By making a concerted effort to build your company around that value system, and by setting clear expectations for the type of relationships that your team should have, you can exert a far greater control over what your company will look like in the next five to 10 years.

ExactDrive was recently quoted in an article posted on YoungUpstarts.com, which focuses on stories and thought leadership pieces that help businesses small or large, the entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, or those who simply want to become better at what they do.

by Philip Acuña

Hiring a developer isn’t just about finding someone with the right technical skills. Though technical prowess is obviously important, non-technical qualities such as self-motivation and problem-solving abilities are crucial when it comes to ensuring that your vision becomes a reality. Countless entrepreneurs have hired candidates that look great on paper, but often lack the imagination or tenacity to complete the project independently or to the entrepreneur’s liking.

To help you avoid having to face this problem, we spoke to several startup CEOs and asked them to share some of the most important non-technical traits that every developer should have.

ExactDrive was recently quoted in an article posted on Noobpreneur.com, which is an award winning small business online magazine offering tips and ideas for small business owners and those who want to enter entrepreneurship with the right mindset.

Developing an excellent product does not necessarily mean that a company will become the success story of their respective industry. Entrepreneurial lore is ripe with stories of companies whose less than adequate products outshine their more capable competitors. The primary reason behind this is the former’s ability to effectively brand their product, regardless of whatever shortcomings it may have. The ability to do so has become the determining factor to the success and failure of many companies, especially in a market saturated with so many similar solutions.

ExactDrive was recently quoted in an article posted on Founders Space, which is dedicated to helping exceptionally talented entrepreneurs reach their full potential. Their goal is to nurture the brightest, most creative people from around the world, and help them grow their startups, get funding, and bring their unique visions to life.

Mistakes tend to happen for even the most seasoned startup veterans. Maybe you scaled too quickly, mistimed your product launch, or perhaps you just hired the wrong person. Whatever the reason, mistakes often provide a humbling opportunity for reflection and personal growth, and most importantly, give you an idea of what not to do going forward. At the end of the day however, there are some mistakes that can easily be avoided by listening to the advice of others.

We spoke to nine startup founders and asked them what their best advice was for avoiding the most common startup mistakes. Here’s what they said.

In the beginning stages of any company, the value each team member brings to the table is central to its success. This is particularly true when it comes to startups, where being a team member is not simply a job, but more importantly, a lifestyle. Being part of this lifestyle means having to work long hours and irregular hours, as well as having the ability to constantly innovate and improve upon the business.

So what do you weigh when looking for new employees? What skills does one look for?

Each startup has different needs and subsequently, will look for different qualities in an employee, but there are certain characteristics that every prospective startup employee must have. Here is some insight into what various startup founders believe to be the most important skill that every startup employee should have.

ExactDrive was recently quoted in an article posted on LudoTech, a leading technology blog.

Its only natural that startup founders contemplate failure, especially considering that the majority of startups don’t last more than five years. More often than not however, the fear of failure tends to be quite irrational and often prevents entrepreneurs from focusing on the very goals they need to accomplish to achieve success. Rather than dwelling on the negative, its important to embrace the possibility of success and constantly envision your business in growth and continuous improvement. 

We spoke to several startup founders at different stages in their careers, and asked what advice they had for overcoming their fear of failure.

ExactDrive was recently quoted in an article posted on YoungUpstarts.com, which focuses on stories and thought leadership pieces that help businesses small or large, the entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, or those who simply want to become better at what they do.

by Philip Acuña

As a start-up, it’s seemingly impossible to compete with the Facebooks and Googles of the world, who can offer six figure salaries to the talented professionals you’d want on your team. Because of that asymmetry, it can often be more important to create novel ways of attracting top talent to a new company, than it is to obtain operational funding.

This poses a massive challenge for any young and innovative tech start-up hoping to build a top-notch team, one that is not only able to get the startup off the ground, but most importantly, lead it to enduring success.