Start Simple.

[VIDEO] Dave Smith explains how he helps employees find structure within their workdays.

[VIDEO] Dave Smith explains how training his employees to improve in improv comedy has helped them think quickly during client meetings.

What exactly do employers want to see from new hires on day one? To find out, we asked a panel of 15 successful entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council, "What’s one thing you expect all new hires to start doing on their first day of work to ensure their long-term success?" Here's what they had to say.

[VIDEO] David Smith uses his experience as an engineer and his belief in his business to manage pressure and his employees.

We chatted with attendees at the 2011 Inc. 500|5000 Conference about their businesses and how they got started. We felt compelled to ask about some of their childhood memories and secrets, too. Here's a sampling of their answers.

It costs a lot of money to go to business school. I think its bloody not worth it for most true entrepreneurs. To put it bluntly, business schools are old fashioned, out of touch, arrogant, and greedy. And their cost continues to grow in juxtaposition to their increasing irrelevancy to fast-moving business reality.

When it comes to social media marketing, small to medium-sized businesses often make the mistake of dedicating boundless resources trying to be all things to all people.

At the annual Inc. 5000 conference on Thursday in Phoenix, Dave Smith, the founder of New York-based IT supplier Tekscape, told the story of his worst and best customer. What can you do when an abusive customer also happens to be your biggest customer?

Once your startup actually starts to grow, founders have to step away from day-to-day management. We asked a panel of 12 successful entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council for advice on letting go of the reins. Here's what they had to say.

New York, Sept. 11, 2012 -- Inc. magazine ranked Tekscape No. 589 with three-year sales growth of 619% on Inc. 500|5000 list. Exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing privately held companies, the list represents a comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy--America's independent entrepreneurs.