We all have had setbacks in business – the challenge is learn from each one to improve skills and decision making, rather than let failures get you down and reduce your chances of ever achieving success. The best entrepreneurs and business owners have experienced failure multiple times before bouncing back to a level of achievement they only dreamed of.

Image: Mark Cuban image via Flickr by jdlasica 

When was the last time you had a really good idea? Maybe they sneak up on you when you’re drifting off to sleep. Or perhaps you just don’t have time to let the creative juices flow.

As the United Nations’ World Creativity and Innovation Day shows, there are many reasons why we should make space in our daily lives to think, dream and innovate. But did you know…?

Innovation is what creates progress and change. Without the introduction of new ideas and processes, we'd never get any further in life than where we are right now. In business, specifically, innovation means changes to technology and the economy. By always releasing a new, better product, companies constantly up the game to be better in every field.

Here are some of the best innovators to watch in 2019...

Building a startup is hard work for low pay, it’s risky, and it requires total responsibility to make it work. Yet, many entrepreneurs are the happiest people I know. On the other hand, I know many unhappy individuals who are always partying, have minimal commitments, and little responsibility. I suspect the real parameters of happiness have eluded these people.

The Census Bureau recently released its annual estimates for how the populations of each of the 3,142 counties and county-equivalents in the US changed in the year between July 1, 2017 and July 1, 2018.

The above map shows the percent change in population over that year in each county, with counties in blue having growing populations and counties in red seeing declines over the year.

Image: https://www.businessinsider.com

Being an entrepreneur at a young age is quite challenging at many levels. With little experience and more spontaneity in making decisions, young entrepreneurs find it difficult to cope up in a high-stress environment like a business.

However, the good news is that with good communication practices, this problem can be dealt with.  Having a good communication model between the entrepreneur, clients and the team members vouch highly for the success of any company. Impressive communication is an essential leadership quality as well.

While Americans think of think of technology and technology companies, companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google usually come to mind. And because innovation at these companies is thriving most Americans think that United States must be doing pretty well when it comes to innovation.

Thus, it might come as a shock for most people to hear that there are serious problems in the American innovation economy, but MIT professors Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson argue that there are.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently indicated in its “Return on Investment Initiative draft green paper” that it would issue regulations effectively ending attempts to misuse march-in rights to assert government price controls over successfully commercialized federally-funded inventions. Such an announcement was bound to elicit a reaction. That it came in The Washington Post shouldn’t be a surprise.

Even during times of strong job and economic growth, as we’re experiencing today, economists are looking for warning signs about future economic distress – after all, it is called the “dismal science”. The fact that entrepreneurship is declining in the United States, and has been for some time, is one disconcerting trend that, if not reversed, will lead to a less prosperous future.

Potential startup founders are always looking for ideas to implement, when they should be looking for problems to solve. Customers pay for solutions, but there is no market for ideas. I’m often approached by people with a “million dollar idea,” but I haven’t seen anyone pay that for one yet.

Image: Image via jisc  - https://blog.startupprofessionals.com

It seems that the waves of change are not going to subside anytime soon. As AI and other advanced technologies permeate the workplace, flipping mindsets, learning new behaviours and skills and shaping organizational cultures are causing us to radically rethink work in ways that maximize the intelligences of both humans and machines. Leading companies are recognizing that these technologies are most effective when they complement humans, not replace them.

As talk of an impending economic downturn takes hold in the business world, executives can take thoughtful steps to help their companies better weather the storm.

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Quarterly executive editor Tim Dickson speaks with senior partner Sven Smit about how companies can be more resilient in the face of an impending economic downturn.

A map of the most well-funded VC-backed tech startup in every US state. #tech #capital #fundraising @wpengine in #Texas

Last year, Mark Cuban scoffed at the idea that coding is the be all and end all to professional success. He said he believes automation will eventually eliminate many of today's in-demand software jobs.

Instead, Cuban heralded creative and critical thinking as the next most in-demand job skills. And guess what? The Shark Tank oracle just might be right. Now there's real data to prove it.

Over the last decade, Sweden has established itself as an innovation center, becoming well known across traditional tech circles as a hub of entrepreneurial activity. On a per capita basis, the country generates more billion-dollar VC-backed companies than anywhere else in the world excluding Silicon Valley. Spotify, Skype, iZettle, Klarna, Oatly, Minecraft, King, to name a few, can all be classified as Swedish “unicorns."

Almost half of Americans are unhappy at work, according to the Conference Board’s latest Job Satisfaction Survey. If you’re among them, perhaps it’s time to act. Whether you’ve been at the same job for years or you’re fairly new and are unsure of your direction, consider doing some spring cleaning with your career. Take some time for reflection and identify tasks or roles that should be swept away, says Cheryl Hyatt, partner at Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search.

European universities are getting better at promoting entrepreneurship, helping students turn their ideas into useful products and services, experts at this year's European University Association (EUA) annual conference have stressed.

Drawing on examples from across Europe, EUA Senior Advisor Andrée Sursock said that the key factors for developing entrepreneurship were collaboration, sharing knowledge and allowing students to take their own initiative.

Life pits the order and intricacy of biology against the ceaseless chaos of physics. The second law of thermodynamics, or the thermodynamic arrow of time, states that any natural system will always tend towards increasing disorder. Biological aging is no different, making death inevitable. However, one of the least-addressed questions of aging is the apparent paradox between the optimizing drive of evolution, and the inevitable deterioration of the body.

Entrepreneurship is not just conceiving a business idea that too which is different from the world but also includes the passion it takes to translate this dream into Reality. Entrepreneurship is a very broad term and it takes a lot to be an Entrepreneur. There are several hurdles that come along the way in this journey and there are no short cuts except relentless hard work, willingness to achieve or a miraculous idea.

When you think of Tony Hawk or Shaun White, do you think of them as entrepreneurs or do you recognize them as simply a “skater and snowboarder?” If so, it should surprise you to learn about the successful multi-million dollar companies built by these two action sports athletes. From products to clothing to video games and real estate, these two entrepreneurs have achieved a fair amount of success. They may have never intended to create businesses but they certainly seized the opportunity to create products or companies that leveraged their passions or interests.