Success- What is it?

Success for the business owner is defined as the achievement of wealth and fame.

However, for many, this definition of success remains an unreachable dream, but there is a formula that can allow virtually anyone who desires it bad enough to reach their goals and turn those dreams into reality.
 
First step is to know your products and/or services before you even start to promote them. You
must learn everything about that which you are promoting. Know the benefits inside and out, backwards and forwards.

 If you are trying to sell something you know very little about, your potential customer will see you as a modern day snake oil salesmen. Your reputation, credibility and value to the customer will be on the line.

In promoting something just for the sake of catching an extra buck may get you some customers, but not any long-term customers or good word of mouth.

The second step is to set goals. Look at success as a roadmap and goal setting as laying out a coarse to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Without effective goal setting you wander around, hoping that you are heading in the right direction. Until you have actually sat down and committed your goals to paper, you are doing nothing more than daydreaming. I have heard from quite a few of my mentors that a goal is a dream with a deadline.
Remember the formula: Conceiving + Believing = Achieving so write down a goal today and break it down into achievable objectives with deadlines to each. Maybe your goal is to grow your business or even start a new one. Write down what it will take and then get to it.
 
Third step is, now that you have a goal on paper, make a plan for reaching your goal. Being able to break down a goal into smaller objectives is important in accomplishing the goal. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
 

Your objectives must be detailed enough to help you reach the goal, but flexible enough to allow for modifications as situations arise or “life” happens. Many times, you will find that goals change, timelines need adjustment, and other situations develop. Having detailed objectives allow you to make the changes necessary without starting from scratch every time something comes up.
 
The fourth step is to put your plan into action. Business, as in life, is based on action, not just thought. Without taking action, your goal will remain a dream, which doesn’t help your business.
 
Once you start moving in the direction of the goals and start to work on achieving the objectives, you will quickly find that your objectives will meet you half way and goals, often times, will be met before the written deadline.
 
Act immediately. Remember back to your physics classes to the first laws of motion: an object in motion tends to remain in motion. No matter how minute the objective is, start moving today.
 
Though these steps may seem simple, if you apply they will help you reach your destination…the success that you want in your business,

Here's to your success and be sure to keep an eye out for the next post where I discuss more on the topic of starting a home-based business.

 

How To Achieve Great Success From A Home Based Business

Profitability is the most important factor to success with any home based business. A home-based business can run for a long period of time as long as you make it profitable.

However, as many businesses don't make a profit to start with this is often the first goal of the home-based business owners, and you should achieve this goal as soon as possible.

To achieve this goal you should focus on business development, be careful with your expenses and focus on what you are offering.

Focusing on growth is a key way to build your home-based business profits. In order to influence your results you should have the right mindset. If you don't have a profitable mindset then you are likely going to stay where you are.

Rather focus on growth and have the mindset to notice opportunities when they come along that can lead to gain, and then take action on these opportunities right away before they are gone. Again, success loves speed.          

Next you must pay attention to your expenses seriously. All businesses have some expenses when they first start out even home-based single person businesses. Make sure you set up a budget that includes things such as advertising, utilities, office supplies and anything else that may be necessary to the specific home-based business you are considering.

On your list write down the expenses that are necessary for operating your business, these should be items that you need in order to make your home-based business profitable.

You will likely run into some expenses that you don't really need to operate your business. These are the expenses that don't make your business grow and only take away from the profits of your business.

Carefully consider before you truly need these expenses and if they don't make any profit then you should cut them for something that will actually help with the growth of your business.

However, you can only move your business so far by restricting your expenses. You also need income in order to gain profitability from your home-based venture.

Promotion is the most important factor to developing any business and gaining profitability. Basically you should focus on making your business known to people.

You can't expect to do business with them if they aren't aware of your company. While this may seem like an obvious point, the fact is that many businesses (home-based, store front, and internet based alike) fail simply because individuals don't spend enough time promoting their business. Once again, promotion is the key for your success.

If you have more than one product that requires promoting then consider focusing on just one main product for your business since you can focus most of your attention on marketing one product and once you get interested customers or visitors you can tell them about the additional products.

This will make it easier to run your business and you will also have better results from your actions. Remember, it isn’t impossible for you to promote many products at the same time, just time consuming and has a habit of dividing your concentrations.

These tips don’t just apply to those who are starting a new home-based business. You can still use these helpful advice to let you move your business in the right direction if you have been working on it for awhile and just can get it to work for you. By applying these tips you will be able to have success with your home based business no matter how long you have been in business.

Don’t forget that I am here for your success, if you have any topics that you want me to cover, drop me a line and let me know.

Love Your Accountant

 

Even if you are great with numbers, you should still have an accountant or CPA go over your numbers just to double check. Remember, these people are trained to find things that you may overlook.

The accountant is the person that generally gets overlooked in a business until tax time comes, but a good relationship with a great accountant all year round can and will be an asset to your business.

It doesn’t matter if your business is just you and a computer working from the library, (My business model for almost a year) or if you run a corporation with multiple employees, your accountant will help keep the numbers straight and the IRS off of your back.

What Is Accounting Anyway?

Anyone who's worked in an office at some point or another has had to go to accounting. They're the people who pay and send out the bills that keep the business running.

They do a lot more than that, though. Sometimes referred to as "bean counters" they also keep their eye on profits, costs and losses. Unless you're running your own business and acting as your own accountant, you'd have no way of knowing just how profitable - or not - your business is without some form of accounting system in place.

No matter what business you're in, even if all you do is balance a checkbook, that's still accounting. It's part of even a kid's life. Saving an allowance, spending it all at once - these are accounting principles.

Every business and every individual needs to have some kind of accounting system in place. Otherwise, the finances can get away from you; we wouldn’t know what we've spent, or whether we can expect a profit or a loss from the business.

Staying on top of accounting, whether it's for a multi-billion dollar business or for a personal checking account is a necessary activity on a daily basis if you're smart. Not doing so can mean anything from a bounced check or posting a loss to a company's shareholders. Both scenarios can be equally devastating.

Accounting is basically information, and this information is published periodically in business as a profit and loss statement, or an income statement.

I, myself, have always had issues with numbers; long story going back to 7^th grade and a teacher that didn’t like me much…but I digress. Anyway, in business, it is important to know the numbers but it is also one of those jobs in your business that you can turn over to a professional and concentrate on whatever it is that you do that makes your business money.

Remember that anytime you are doing something in your business that takes you away from what it is that brings in the money, you are losing money.

That being said, the next few posts are going to be about accounting, because even if you have the best accountant in the world, you still want to have an idea of where every dollar goes.

I Learned Everything I Needed To Know About Business From Childbirth

 

Are you a Mom in business? Then you already know the secret of success.

 

What is it?

 

I have found, from my daughter’s birth, that everything you need to know about succeeding in business you learned from giving birth. No, really! From my wife’s cravings on up to the big day, there are principles that you learn along the way that coincide with business.

 

Principle #1: It’s going to be more work than you think.

 

I know you read about people who have an idea that "accidentally" makes them a million, much like your neighbor's cousin twice removed who had a 2-hour painless labor.

 

Don't count on it!

 

Your business is probably going to be more work than you thought at first. For example, whatever business you are going in to, you are going in to marketing, and you'll have to discipline yourself to do those things even when you don't feel like it. And there's a reason they call it "labor" also.

 

Principle #2:  It’s going to take longer than you think.

 

Yes, that's right. It's unlikely you'll be an overnight success. It will likely take you a couple of years as well as reinvesting in your knowledge and in your business before you realize your income goals. But that's ok because...

 

Principle #3:  It’s a lot of work up front but the prize is at the end.

 

And the prize is so worth it, isn't it? In fact when you get there you may have so much fun that you immediately begin planning another! Well, I actually told people who asked that I was holding out for a puppy, but the birth of my daughter was one of the greatest things, to date, that I have ever experienced and wouldn’t change a thing…well, next time I may have someone else in there holding her hand during the contractions.

 

In business, there is a lot of work up front, but once that baby is going, if you have the right strategies in place, it starts taking care of itself more and more as it grows, leaving you to enjoy it even more. If you aren’t and still feel like you are in the rat race, then you may re-evaluate your strategies, but more on that in a later post.

 

Principle #4:  You're going to look dumb sometimes.

 

That's right. Ever looked at photos taken right after giving birth? I don’t know who looked worse for wear, my wife or me.  Oh, and then there was me taking my daughter out of the room so my wife could get some sleep, only to set off an alarm in the hospital for taking the baby out of the women’s ward and me hanging half way out of the car in the hospital parking lot trying to get that stupid car seat properly attached…the list goes on.

 

You're going to make mistakes in your business. Get over it! You have a job to do. You don't have to look and sound perfect all the time. This is also a good reason to keep a list of goals, because, trust me, they will change like dirty diapers in the beginning.

 

Principle #5:  Be sure to surround yourself with people who have done it before.

 

Even with the help of the hospital, I was a nervous wreck so I can honestly not see how anyone could do it unassisted and I don't believe in going it alone with your business either.

 

Find a mentor. Go upline, downline, online, but find someone who is doing what it is you want to do and get his or her assistance. Subscribe to their e-zine or newsletter, find out if they do mentoring, study their techniques, etc.

 

Principle #6:  Tell anyone who has something negative to say or a bad attitude to go away.

 

You don't need anyone with bad energy present at your birth. They'll slow you down and stop the communication you have with your own wisdom. In fact, this is why most hospitals don’t allow more than one other person in the room while the delivery is taking place. Similarly, don't listen to people who discourage you with your business goals!

 

Principle #7:  Just when you think you can't go on….the worst part is over.

 

Have you ever thought about giving up in your business? It just seems like too much work, you're tired and want to go home right now!? (My wife had been induced and decided that she changed her mind after about 45 minutes) You're in an important transition. Keep your eyes on the end prize.

 

If you hang in there a little longer, take it one contraction…er, day at a time, you'll get the prize, and it will be so much more than you ever dreamed. My daughter has been and so has my business.

5 Life Altering Questions

 

“Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

                                                                                        -Voltaire

 

One good question can transform your life, but one bad answer can ruin it. In some cases, many do not ask questions because they do not want the answer; they are content going through life, never asking the questions that need asking.

 

There is the chance that you just “happened” upon this post, in which case…Welcome! However, for most of you reading this, you are on a journey; a journey to a successful life.

 

As such, you cannot move forward without asking yourself questions and searching out the answers. That is what this journey is all about. It’s more of a quest; a quest to seek out answers to specific questions and not just be content to allow things in our lives to just happen.

 

So lets get started…

 

 

Question #1: What makes me happy?

 

The answer to this question will truly change your life. Many people don’t even ask this question.

If you ask yourself this question every day and you can work on the answers and implement a plan of action then your life will change forever.

Now, I know that this is not a simple question to answer and that is where the other questions start to come into play.

 

Question #2: Am I truly happy in the job I am doing?

 

We spend about a quarter of our lives working. If we are not happy in that job it literally means that we are unhappy for nearly a quarter of our lives. Most of us have to work and most of us are not working at a job we love, however it’s difficult to do a job we love and put money on the table. Though most of us can’t just drop the job and go into business for ourselves right this second, there is ALWAYS something we can do about the job we are in, you’re never too old to change careers, you might need training for a career change but 1 -3 years of your life studying for a new career is better than another 20 years being miserable in a job that you can’t stand. Whether it is changing careers or starting your own business, it doesn’t have to be a dramatic change. Start slow, part time, and at your own pace. In a later post I will discuss the value of the “side-preneur”, but for now, just know that you aren’t stuck; just start looking for the answer.

 

Question #3: Am I truly happy in my relationship?

 

When I say relationship, most minds wander to their significant other, but it goes beyond that. Not just the relationship with your mate, but what about the relationships with your family, friends, colleagues, associates, even your pets.

It is important to evaluate every relationship that you are in and ask this question.

To stay in a relationship out of convenience or procrastination or, in some cases, fear is to allow yourself to not grow. There are obviously some relationships that you can’t just cut off, but you can start to limit the amount of access and input those relationships have in your life.

In a future post, I will get more in-depth about relationships, but for now, ask this question and start figuring out which relationships need work.

 

Question #4:  What can I do to make a difference to someone else?

 

Trust me, this is not as altruistic as it sounds, but if your heart is in the right place then it doesn’t matter. The fact that you are helping someone will make a difference. Helping other people to achieve massive goals or simply helping someone with their shopping can make a difference. Giving feels much better than receiving and gives our spirits a lift.

Zig Ziglar always said, “You’ll get everything in life that you want, if you just help enough people get what they want.” If you truly want to be successful, then this is a question that you need to ask yourself every day. Do one thing a day for another person and you will see a difference, don’t worry if you don’t receive anything back from it, just know that it will make you feel good.

 

Question #5: What can I do to be healthier?

 

Most of us know the answer to this question already; it’s just that we rarely ask it out of fear of what the answer involves and what is needed in order to get there.

10 minutes of exercise per day could change your life if you are willing. Watching how much junk food we consume daily could change our lives.

You don’t need me to give you advice on your health, ask yourself this question and the basic answers will come to you, just work on answering the question if you are brave enough to ask it, that is. Health plays a major role in success believe it or not.

 

Bonus Question: What is the worst that can happen?

 

Yes, I had to slip in a bonus question here.  By answering this question, it will help alleviate any apprehension in answering the other questions as well as give you the confidence to ask yourself even more questions.

This is a fantastic question that will help you out in times of stress. The undue pressure we put on ourselves causes stress, which leads to worst case scenario thinking that ends up leading to more stress over what ifs that don’t exist.

Most situational stress can be alleviated by just asking ourselves this one question, as the answer.

More often than not, the answer usually isn’t as bad as we often think.

 

The goal of this post is to get you to asking the important questions in your life that will lead you to success. Don’t be afraid to ask the question, but more important, don’t be afraid to look for the answers.

 

We are about to get into the bare bones of copywriting, marketing and building a successful business that will lead to a successful life, but to do that, we must be able to ask ourselves the hard questions.

 

The purpose of these blog posts is to help you strive to be more successful and to create a life worth living, so I never want to end a post without giving your some sort of “power question” to ponder over. Answering these questions will help you to take action.

 

Power Question for the day:

After creating a goal, how would you feel about aiming to double that goal? For instance: if your goal is to make $50K this year, how would you feel to change that goal to $100K?

Why You, Why Now?

Success is ethereal; it isn’t the same thing to every person. This simple fact keeps many from creating the life that they so desperately want and so justifiably disserve. My new goal for 2015 is to help as many people as I can to jump the walls of the rat race maze, to break free from the golden handcuffs that are keeping them down and to help them find their true level of success and create a life and a legacy worth living. So, that being said, I ask again: Why You, Why Now? There is an old proverb that goes something like this, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Whether you believe in fate, the directing hand of God or simple coincidence, you have found yourself here for a reason. In this first blog, I am going to discuss What is keeping you from success in life How to start redirecting your future now A mind shift that will allow you to start seeing yourself as an entrepreneur and know that you can do this How big is your "WHY"? Ben Franklin once wrote, "I would rather have it said ‘He lived usefully' than 'He died rich.'" More than just words, it was the way Franklin lived his life. It was never about money. Like so many wealthy people will tell you, money is a tool, not a reason. As I get older, I have gained new perspective on the illusion of wealth and status as it relates to fulfillment. I no longer see my life as being measured by dollars and cents, or by the number of books I've authored. Rather, I want to be remembered by the lives that I've helped. With each day that passes, I feel a greater sense of urgency to make sure my time and energies are properly invested in the creation and development of new leaders and entrepreneurs. That however isn't enough. That isn't my big why. My biggest why is my daughter. I want to leave a legacy behind for her. I decided that I didn't want a life where my little girl only saw me for a few hours a day while I missed watching her grow up. Every day I see her face and it inspires me to do whatever I can to create a better life for her while, at the same time, developing a legacy that she can be proud of when I am gone. Decide now what your big why is? Think on this as long as you need to. Don't be flippant or flighty; think long and hard, why do you want to get out of the rat race? In this blog series you are going to find the tools, expertise and marketing techniques to move you along in creating the life that you want, but it's all for not if you can't define the number one reason, the WHY, for doing it. The future is now We find, in life, that we are defined not so much by the moment of an experience or situation, but by the response that we give to the experience. Do we throw in the towel and quit or do we bounce back with a new perspective? Do we hold on to bitterness or choose to forgive those who wronged us? Do we play the blame game or do we work toward acknowledging our role in the situation and improving ourselves? Whatever the case, the experiences in our lives profoundly touch us. Our life experience that we encounter is varied and different for each of us, but here are a few invaluable truths on gaining the most from them in order to change perspectives. 1. Evaluate the experience: Contrary to popular belief, experience in and of itself is not usually the best teacher. Being able to properly evaluate the experience is. Always look at every experience as a learning tool. Draw on your experiences to grow and gain wisdom. Using the present to learn from our past directs our future. 2. Properly manage emotional aspects of each experience: We are emotion driven creatures and our experiences come with attached emotions—sometimes positive, and sometimes not so much. Teach yourself to counteract the negative feelings while harnessing the momentum of the positive ones. 3. Share you story: You will find in this blog series that I teach best with stories, as do most of my mentors. I find that storytelling and using my personal experiences are some of my richest teaching materials. Make a habit of sharing the lessons learned from the experiences that have shaped your life and you will see that this is the start of a legacy that will live on way past your physical body. Sell results, not hours! The number one thing that keeps people struggling is the mindset that is often referred to as the 'paycheck mentality' or the 'scarcity mindset', but no matter what you call it, it is a mental hurdle that needs to be crossed before you can move forward. In working for someone else, they are buying your time. The most difficult obsticle that I had to overcome was shifting from selling my time to selling my knowledge. In this blog series, we will cover free and low cost ways to market, develop product, etc. but before we can do any of that we must first realize that time is the only thing that you can never get back. You can lose posessions and gain them back, you can lose friends and gain new ones, money is lost and gained every day, but once time is gone, it is gone. When you truly grasp this, you see how valuable your time is and you can start creating systems and ideals that help you to stop allowing others to control your time. This is the first step to entrepreneurship and creating a life you want and can be proud of.  If you haven't signed up yet, click on the opt-in box and enter your information. Not only will you receive my newsletter and blog updates filled with valuable content to help you grow a successful entrepreneurial venture for little to no cost, but by signing up now, you will also receive my latest report. Lets get started on creating that life that you dream of, need and deserve. Congratulations of taking the first steps to getting out of the rat race. Welcome to your new future. The purpose of these blog posts is to help you strive to be more successful and to create a life worth living, so I never want to end a post without giving your some sort of “power question” to ponder over. Answering these questions will help you to take action. Power Question for the day: If you were to FULLY live your life, what is the first change that you would start to make?