Tuesday, July 14, 2009

How to Start a Business and Make Money Within a Week.


As you might or not know, doing business is no easy task. For example, if you want to start a Deli business, you will need a lot of planning, which includes market analysis for your area, a location, a number of employees and of course a great deal of equipment in order to operate.

All of these essentials will translate into a heavy investment and a great risk of things not going exactly as planned, and not because you did not do your homework, but because that is just the way businesses are.

Of course the more attention you pay to detail and the more thorough your planning, the more chances you will succeed. But in any case, a traditional business like that will burden you with lot of expenses that will prevent you from seeing a dime in profits for at least one year.

Therefore, as much as the entrepreneurial way is the way to go, the fact is that you can go all the way building and running a successful business, from which you can make a lot of money to live comfortably, without having to go through all the stress of having thousands of dollars at stake for months or even years.

So what is the answer to your entrepreneurial call if you do not have the money or you do not want to risk too much of it and still you want top make money fast?

Start doing business online, which is far more than simply selling at eBay or at Amazon. Indeed, an etail business can be rewarding, I know this for a fact, but after several years making a living online I must say that my preference goes for more time and cost efficient options, which offer greater potential for both short term and long term growth, starting with very small investments.

A clear example -not the only one- of this kind of option is internet marketing, where you can actually create a lasting business capable of generating thousands of dollars in revenue per month without risking thousands of dollars.

Certainly, internet marketing is more about knowing rather than investing, so whereas a traditional business is 60% capital investment and 40% know-how, an online business built around internet marketing will be 5% capital investment (mostly in educational resources) and 95% know-how.

This means that when you do business online through internet marketing or any other option that allows you to execute your whole business operation online, you will be risking time and effort rather than money.

This does not mean that you can afford to be wasteful because your time and effort is also valuable (remember, time is money). What it does mean is that even with little or no money you, right now, have what it takes to do business and be successful, with the peace of mind that you have nothing to lose other than some of your energy, which thankfully is a renewable resource.

Therefore, if you start any business online you will have room for some trial and error without the fear of losing a fortune, and the distinctive advantage that many online business options like internet marketing, forex trading or stock trading offer, which is the ability to deliver actual results within days of having started, provided or course that you have the right tools and resources by your side.

Reference:
Alex Cadens

4 Best Business Opportunities in 2009.


Would you like to know the best business opportunities for this year? Well, I've got the list so read on and find out!

1. Information publishing business.
If you would like to work from home to spend more time with your family, I recommend that you sink your teeth into information publishing business which is one of the most lucrative fields in the internet today. You can sell ebooks, audio products, special newsletters, and reports. You can also offer coaching programs, advanced online classes, and teleseminars about things that you are passionate about that are truly interesting to online users. Depending on your target niche and the demand for your chosen topics, you can earn as much as $100,000 per month in this endeavor.

2. Eco-friendly products.
People cannot get more concern with planet earth these days. This is the reason why we got Earth hour (where we have to turn off our lights for at least one hour to save energy), recycling awareness campaigns, tree planting activities, etc. You can take advantage of this by selling products that are eco-friendly. You can create cloth grocery bags or anything that will replace plastic. The idea here is to offer some things that will do less damage to the environment.

3. Travel agency.
There has always been a huge tour market as most people find it fascinating to see the other parts of the globe. You can arrange tours to places that you are very familiar with to earn money. To set yourself apart from the rest, I recommend that you target certain market that are usually ignored by travel agencies. Let me give you an example; there is no denying that the number of gays from all points of the globe is increasing by the minute and not so many entrepreneurs are targeting these people. You can arrange gay-friendly tours where these people can go to places where they will have fun and where they will not be discriminated.

4. Special children's care.
Based on studies, there are so many children who are suffering from different conditions these days who need special care. If you have what it takes to offer them what they need, you can go ahead and offer relevant services. It would work to your advantage if you can attend relevant seminars that can offer you with in-depth knowledge and relevant resources as to how you can run this type of business.

How to Start a Business With an Unlimited Profit Potential


Unlimited Profit Potential...

Think big... this is a must if you want to achieve success in life, particularly in business. However, we often get scared away of the concept because we believe that in order to go big you need to have an over sized wallet, and nothing can be farther from the truth.

Indeed, most of the greatest business of yesterday and today started from scratch and grew to become industry empires and icons of the entrepreneurial world. Anything is possible, and only you can determine how far you will go.

Yes it is true that out of 10,000 or 20,000 entrepreneurs maybe one achieves that kind of success, but the good news is that you do not have to become Godzilla big or the next Bill Gates to make it happen for you big time.

I mean, being a billionaire must be fun, but I am sure that you would have a full and happy life just by getting to a six figure income every year, and that is big, but not that big, which means that such goal is literally within anyone's reach.

Do you need to have a lot of money to invest or put up front as start up capital in order to achieve this goal?

The answer is certainly no, what you need is brain power and dedication, but above all, you need the will to keep going no matter what.

I would dare say this last component is the only the real engine capable of pushing your forward as an entrepreneur, so before even moving a finger or investing any money, you must first set your mind to challenge mode.

Once you have done that, you will have to think, learn and work, but with your will and determination pushing you forward you will be able to overcome failures and disappointments and see them for what they really are: the foundations of your success.

Therefore, in order to start a business with an unlimited potential for profits all you really need is the will to do it, plus fast and decisive action, because one thing is certain, good fortune will not fall from the sky and hit you in the head.

Reference:
Alex Cadens

Entrepreneurs - Boost Productivity and Manage Stress With These 5 Strategies


Manage Stress With These 5 Strategies

As a solo business owner, would you like to be more peaceful and productive? Do you sometimes feel like it takes too much time to complete a project because you're forever fending off interruptions and distractions? Does the notion of being both productive AND peaceful seem laughable or even impossible?

There was certainly a time in my life when I was stressed to the limit and less than productive. But over the years, I've learned how to de-stress and become more efficient with my time, so I can be more successful as a coach and writer.

Listed below are some strategies I've used over the years to help me become more peaceful and productive. Feel free to try these suggestions, or better yet, find some solutions that are a better fit for you:
  • Avoid multitasking --For years, we were told that multi-tasking was the answer to our crazy busy lifestyle. Then, a couple years ago, some studies suggested that it was actually a symptom of our cultural craziness, and that multitasking, in fact, increases our stress levels and causes us to be less focused and efficient. So, instead of sending a frenzied email to a client while you're listening to a voicemail message, focus on one task at a time. You'll be more focused and attentive, which is never a bad thing when it comes to customer relations and building rapport with employees.
  • Unplug to minimize electronic distractions -- If you're working on a project that requires serious concentration, the last thing you need is a slew of distractions. So turn off your cell phone. And if you're working on your computer, close down the software programs you don't need open, including your email. When I'm able to focus on the task at hand, without watching the email messages pile up in my inbox, I'm far less distracted.
  • Stick to your schedule -- This strategy may sound obvious, but many of my clients find it challenging. My point is this: if you block off an hour for a project, move onto the next project at the appointed time. Because if you don't set limits, you'll suddenly notice that it's taken you two hours to complete a blog post, when you had only allotted half that time. If you're really having trouble staying focused, consider setting a timer to keep you on task.
  • Set boundaries and enforce them -- If you work at home, you may need to remind your family that your office is off limits during certain hours of the day, or when you are trying to concentrate on a project. If you work in an office outside your home, you may need to close your door sometimes so you can meet a deadline or work intensely on a particular project. Keep in mind that it t may take awhile for your family and colleagues to get used to your new rules and you may need to remind them, in the beginning, of your new boundaries.
  • Focus on the process not the product - Sometimes, we become so focused on the destination, that we forget to enjoy the journey. And when that happens, we twist ourselves into knots, worried that whatever we are working on may not measure up to our clients' standards or even our own. Of course, life flows more freely and easily when we relax and do our best without worrying about the future. And the best part is that when we focus on the process rather than the product, life is much more enjoyable.

If you choose to adopt one or more of these strategies, chances are good that you'll be more focused, peaceful and productive. Please let me know how it goes!

Reference:
Ellen H. Brown is a certified professional coach and the owner of Wellness Journeys, where she takes a holistic approach to coaching, helping solo business owners and busy professionals become more productive, profitable, and peaceful. She has also written about health and wellness for the past 15 years. As a result of working with Ellen, clients learn how to run successful businesses and lead more healthy, balanced lives. Because she strongly believes that you don't have to sacrifice your personal life for your business.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Does Starting Your Own Business Seem a Bit Daunting?

No Looking Back

The idea of starting your own business can be daunting. Especially if you have never done it before. It can seem like the "risky" thing to do.

But millions of people around the world have started their own home based business, and haven't looked back. And more and more people are realising that it's the smart way to go, especially in today's economy.

Times have changed. The Internet is here, and it's not going away -- but job security is.

But fear not, because...

Change is the thing that brings massive opportunity!

And the only thing that may be stopping you from taking advantage of that change is your past conditioning. Let me explain...

The Way Of The Past

A hundred plus years ago, your ancestors were entrepreneurs, not employees. They owned their own businesses. They enjoyed their own freedom and did not concern themselves with this thing called "job security."

Then along came the Industrial Age and the need for employees skyrocketed. Large industrial concerns promoted the need for "educational reform" in order to create more employees for a rapidly expanding industry.

So in stepped the government and took over the task of mass education, and adopted the Prussian system. A system designed to produce soldiers and employees -- people who would follow orders and do what they are told.

You can see how beneficial this kind of system is to the corporate world today.

And the corporate world has lured people in by offering "job security." But these days it is becoming very apparent that job security is a thing of the past. Not only may your job not be there in a couple of years, but your employer may not be.

Why Does It Matter?

"So what's the big deal about job security?" you may ask. Well...

Firstly, it isn't there anymore.
And secondly and more importantly, it comes at the expense of something very precious -- your freedom.

The price of security is freedom. And over time, people have been unwittingly trading their freedom for security.

(If you are battling to relate to this concept, think about a maximum security prison. The people there have the highest security, but no freedom.)

Today millions of people are risking having very little freedom, and little security.

So, clinging to "job security" may be costing you dearly: The life you really want to live.

And putting on the façade of driving a nice car, living in a nice home, wearing nice clothing, and doing all the nice middle-class things (all provided by credit) is not cutting it. No amount of "looking good" is going to give you or me true peace of mind. That means...

It's time to focus and "mind your own business" instead of someone else's (your employer's and your banker's).

Just like your ancestors, choose the path of freedom. Live a life of self-autonomy. Because it's worth it.

The only thing that stops us is fear. Not lack of ability. And we only fear the unknown.

So, if you have fear about starting your own business, it's because of your conditioning (education). Think about it...

You have probably spent years in a "Prussian" school system. You were taught that you have to have all the right answers or else all hell will break loose.

That may be great within the corridors of "formal education," but it's doesn't reflect reality.

How We Learn

Remember learning to ride a bike? Did you first spend months learning all the theory so that when you first got on you were sure not to fall off? To "not make a mistake?" I doubt it.

What happened is, you got on. Fell off. Learnt and made corrections. Got on. Fell off. Learnt and made corrections... And so on, until you were riding around everywhere on your back wheel!

That is how we are designed to learn. It's natural. The "formal education" way is what's unnatural in learning how to thrive in life.

We have been so conditioned to fear making mistakes. To get all the answers right. No wonder this paralyses us unless we can somehow overcome all this conditioning. Therefore, let's not attach too much significance to the word "failure." I once read a good quote that went, "Failure is an event, not a person."

So, do you need all the right answers? Bill Gates didn't. He brought a product to market, that brought value to the market, and the market embraced it in a big way. And Microsoft Windows is still not "perfect."

Henry Ford said, "Thank God for my customers. They buy my products before they are perfected."

And yep, you too have value to add! So stop waiting to be perfect and worrying about "getting it all right" and just start offering it! Believe it or not, but there are people who will relate to you and want what you can offer them.

Just Start

Start that business. It you don't, who else will? That's what I did, in spite of being "educated" otherwise.

Entrepreneurs know that they don't have to know all the right answers. They just need to know where to find the answers when necessary. Even very successful entrepreneurs are always learning. For them there is no such thing as being "educated" (past-tense). It is an ongoing process.

All persons are hypnotised from infancy by the culture in which they grow up. The prime task of adult life is dehypnotisation, enlightenment. -- Willis Harman and Howard Rheingold

So go for it. Do something bigger and more meaningful with your life.

If you don't make a difference in the world, you will be more inclined to just complain about the problems in the world. And that has never helped anybody.

It has never been easier or cheaper to start a home based business. It can even be done part-time. All thanks to the Internet.

And being non-technical doesn't have to stop you either. Technology has brought with it its own solutions to its shortcomings. It doesn't matter if you're a Generation-Y or a Pre-baby-boomer.

With the advent of the Internet and Web 2.0, and all the coaching available out there for starting a successful home business, there is practically no risk.

The risk is in sitting there watching the "old economy" melt before your eyes.

And job security is part of that old economy.

Rather make your own security -- like your ancestors did.

Because you can...

Reference:
About the Author:
Tony Kennard is a work-at-home entrepreneur. He promotes the idea of financial freedom and self-autonomy through personal business ownership.He teaches Attraction Marketing as the best method to attract people to your business (traditional or MLM), and have it flourish.

3 Tips to Help Avoid Overwhelm If You're an Entrepreneur With a Business to Run.


Most entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed at one point or another. In fact, staying focused can be one of the biggest daily challenges.

This can prevent your business moving forward as quickly as you'd like... and leads to that feeling of there never being enough hours in the day.

Here are some tips to put yourself back on track:

1. Focus on 'results' rather than 'goals'
Goals differ from results. You might have a goal to complete a new sales page by the end of the month and get it online. You may even have a series of mini-deadlines to help you achieve this goal. But what is the RESULT you want to achieve? The result you want is to land new clients. The sales page is just part of the puzzle to achieve this. Always focus on the outcome, rather than getting bogged down by short-term goals.

2. Be specific
Results need to be specific to be effective. "Increasing sales" is not specific, for example. "Get 10 new sales in the next 30 days" is a very specific outcome. As is: "Get 20 targeted leads before the end of this week." This is a much better way of monitoring your progress.

3. Prioritize
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly 'urgent' tasks and lose sight of the truly important ones. Supposing you want to increase your online sales by a specific amount this quarter. But maybe your website isn't set up to achieve this outcome. Your first priority would therefore be to get the revisions done and put online. That result would allow you to move on to your next goal of driving traffic to your website. If you do things in the right order, it makes it so much easier to achieve results.

Using these tips will help give you clarity and focus, so that you can build your business faster and with less frustration. Once you get into the habit of using them, you'll find staying on track much easier.

Starting a New Business - Uncover Remarkable Ways to Impact Starting a Business.


Nowadays with the strained economy in America and perhaps the world, there are many people that are starting their own business. Because you are already a business owner, you can share your expertise and earn high profits as a business coach. Continue reading this article and uncover remarkable ways to impact starting a new business.

1. People with little experience in business skills would benefit greatly as you show them how to start a new business. It's important for people to understand that by having a plan they can follow a roadmap to success. If you will share your expertise with them they can avoid a lot of errors that will save them a lot of money as they are developing their new business. Of course people will pay for this expertise and that is how you can make a lot of money.

2. Create business materials in a way that are simple and easy to use for your customers. Provide answers to their questions as they use your materials. When they find your materials easy to use and very profitable for them, they will continue to come back to you to hire you again and again for your business expertise. This can greatly impact your business and their business as well.

3. Since you have already experienced starting a new business, you can share with your clients past business mistakes you've made. This can save them a lot of money and frustration. Reduced frustration and increased success motivates a person to keep moving forward to achieve their business goals.

Starting Your Own Business - Discover 7 Profitable Methods to Energize the Start of Your Business.

Nowadays people are learning the value and freedom of starting their own business. You can create enthusiasm and excitement for starting a business by promoting the success of your own business to beginning entrepreneurs. Keep reading to discover 7 profitable methods to energize starting your own business.

1. Before you decide to start your own business, make sure you check and see that there is a market with money willing to pay for products you create for that market. This is a sure way to run a successful business.

2. Make sure you feel supported in the business that you operate. However you can get that support either by going to the library or by attending networking meetings or talking with other business colleagues, make sure you feel supported in your business.

3. It makes a lot of sense to hire a business coach. By using quality business coaching services, you can customize business applications to your business.

4. Learn from your mistakes and feel comfortable about making mistakes. Making mistakes is part of the way that you learn how to succeed.

5. Focus on acting professional in your business. When you focus on acting professional, people will know that you know quality business. It will be very appealing to them and help you get customers.

6. Treat yourself and your many customers respectfully. They will appreciate that and see that you are the preferred businessperson they choose to do business with.

7. Provide superior customer service. This will help you improve profits because customer service is king in business.

Start a Business - The 4 Latest Popular Ways to Accelerate Starting a Business.


With your business expertise, now is a great time for you to increase your profits by helping people learn how to start a business and run that business successfully. Continue reading to learn the latest 4 popular ways to accelerate starting a business.

1. Take advantage of the many business resources available to help you start a business. You can hire a business coach and that makes a lot of sense. That way you can customize the training to your business. Go to the library, do online research, visit the Small Business Administration, and perhaps even the business department in your local college.

2. Check to make sure that there is a market for your business before you start creating products and developing services. You're looking for people who are looking for answers to a very pressing problem. You can look on the Internet and see what problems people are experiencing. You might want to focus on people who are still employed because we know they already have money to invest in a business of their own.

3. Remember the reason that you go into business is to serve a market. Use your expertise in a particular niche to enjoy serving that market by solving the problems of that market.

4. In your sales technique develop a short, friendly and efficient way of encouraging people to improve their lives. After all, that is what they are doing in starting their business. You are asking people to improve their lives by doing something differently from their current way of doing things.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Open Up to Innovation.

Most of us would probably agree that corporate cultures stifle innovation. This has become an expectation in large firms, where the voices of customers and employees may be lost in the filter of layers of management. It's similar to the game telephone, in which the first person in a circle whispers a phrase to the next person, and that person passes it around until the last person in the chain says out loud what they heard. The message the last person hears is rarely similar to what the first person said.

Organizational distortion is subtler and even more misleading because what is filtered out may be anything upsetting to the next level of management. Often this is not a conscious process. We all try to see things in the best possible light.

Data suggesting employees are terrified of a particular manager may come out as, "Some of the employees have some issues with Manager X." Data that customers are unhappy with the latest upgrade may be translated into, "Consumers are pleased with the new features but find the user interface confusing." This is not exaggeration. Both are real examples of losing the message in context and translation.

Yet, innovation comes out of disruption. We all have heard the expression "fat, dumb and happy" applied to companies whose past success has made them complacent, so they stop innovating. Failure to anticipate market changes has brought down many companies originally known for their innovation.

In my career, I have seen a few practices that worked consistently - even in large, global firms - to create an environment in which innovation thrives, despite past success. These include:

A CEO survey, with no filter allowed. At GE, employees received periodic surveys directly from the CEO at their home addresses. The survey asked for the type of information most likely to be filtered out in the normal course of business. For instance, questions included whether the employee was proud of the quality of the company's products or whether a key initiative for the CEO was being effectively communicated and acted on deep within the organization. At Cisco, we launched a similar process in 2002-03 that continues today. With this detailed feedback, the CEO can find problems that have not come to his or her attention and act on them.

We also use "Skip Level" Meetings, at which leaders get together with the first level of nonsupervisory employees to gather feedback and talk about issues they are seeing. This approach opens a direct communications channel and sends a message that the leader really wants to hear the truth, without filters or spin. The approach also has the advantage of exposing leaders directly to talent, which helps them gauge the quality of their subordinate managers' people assessments.

Many companies gather customer data via surveys, but this can become "non data" over time. If you bought a car in the past few years, you have probably been asked to "give me a good rating" on particular questions in the survey sent to you after the purchase. Tying the pay of salespeople to customer feedback is a good idea in principle, but it can interfere with the quality of customer data received.

Direct feedback on salespeople is valuable, but an occasional face-to-face customer meeting by a higher-level leader will yield more textured data. Further, having more than one point of customer contact is important when a salesperson joins a competitor. Soliciting multiple types of feedback from a variety of sources in the customer's business is important to understand the relevance and quality of products and the customer's thought process when selecting a vendor.

In addition, moving people around within the company will put fresh eyes on business issues, which can improve the quality of data received. This also is a good hedge against salespeople who leave and take your business, as you can establish that the relationship is between the customer and your company, not the assigned salesperson.

Perhaps the most important thing to ensuring your organization hears the truth and allows the disruptions necessary to innovation is to visibly reward the courage to deliver bad news or to challenge accepted business theories and assumptions. The company culture that values truth over conflict avoidance has a big advantage in fostering innovation.

Reference:
Kate DCamp
[About the Author: Kate DCamp is the senior executive adviser at Cisco.]

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Successful Behaviour!!!

Leadership behaviour is the most critical determinant of business success...
  • Leaders can control the outcome of an event by changing their response to it
  • Feedback forms a critical aspect of leadership reaction to events
  • The onus of seeking feedback lies with the leader

It is said nothing is impossible! Everything in this world is pretty much achievable if it is pursued with discipline, truthfulness and commitment. The possibility of controlling one’s destiny appears much more real!

Leadership too, in the context of organisational working, can create and control the outcome of its decisions, if executed with deliberation. Experts believe that a leader’s reaction to the events happening around him is critical to the outcome. Thus, the basic equation of leadership success--how the outcome of any action depends on the flavour of the event and the leadership response to the event--holds good in any given context.

The underlying principle of success is that any event— joyful, dismal, good or bad—evokes a certain reaction from those affected by it. It is this reaction to the event that determines the final outcome of the event. Effective and successful leaders understand this. They are known to have mastered the art of controlling their reactions, thereby controlling the outcome.

A matter of choice!

When leaders are confronted with situations that compel them to react in ways that may not necessarily be the best and most prudent, they tend to suffer the consequences of their own decisions. However, when leaders realise that the outcome, however compelling the situation may be, is a result of their reaction, and has less to do with the event itself, they begin to analyse the choices available to them. Every situation presents leaders with two choices:

  • The choice to blame the event and crib over the outcome
  • The choice to alter one’s reaction to the event till the desired outcome is achieved

Leaders who choose to blame the event for the outcome rarely succeed and are never considered to be effective leaders. While those who choose to change their reaction till they attain the desired outcome are the ones who succeed beyond their own capabilities and create history. Great leaders realise the power of controlling their thoughts and reactions. They manage to live their dreams with far greater ease than those who get bogged down by situational exigencies.

In addition to controlling one’s reactions to influence the outcome, leaders need to develop the habit of seeking feedback from people around them. Inviting feedback from people working in close quarters with the leader is also an example of effective leadership behaviour, as it would help leaders understand the reactions of people affected by their decisions. Seeking feedback forms a critical component of leadership behaviour. Leaders who do not seek feedback for fear of being criticised seldom grow, and therefore, fail to create the kind of impact that leaders with more tolerance and openness do.

Supportive leadership

Leadership support is critical for organisational success. Leadership support is determined by the level of confidence people have in their leader. Organisations, where employees are fearless and feel free to go and discuss their concerns with leaders, are more likely to have rewarding workplace relationships, as compared to those where protocol dominates.

Leaders, however, have to exercise caution while seeking feedback from people around them. The feedback should be within a prescribed framework, indicating the sanctity of the leadership position. This does not mean that people have to mince words. It only suggests use of non-offensive language, polite conversation and fact-based feedback. Employees should neither take undue advantage of the transparency in the system nor refrain from using it, in a bid to settle scores with people.

In addition, leaders should be specific when asking for feedback. A generalised approach seldom yields the desired output as both the leaders and the person from whom the feedback is sought give out vague statements. If leaders demonstrate frankness about receiving feedback by stating their concerns, the task becomes easier. For instance, if a leader is concerned about his behaviour in the boardroom, then he must address his concern clearly, without dilly-dallying. When the leader demonstrates a straightforward approach, others feel at ease and give the required input without much ado.

Effective leadership behaviour not only benefits leaders but also impacts the organisation as a whole. Supportive leadership generates work partnerships that are more productive, congenial and friendly, thereby making the workplace a better one.

Reference:
The ManageMentor