Get more traffic

Friday, 30 June 2017

Why Every Entrepreneur Needs to Take Entrepreneur Mentorship Programs

As a young entrepreneur, it is easy to fall into the trap of "I'm on the top of the world" or "I know everything about business" after getting first few tastes of success. However, you may feel stuck at times and may feel the need to reach out and connect with people for help.
Perhaps you need a "Mentor". But where do you find a mentor and how do you reach the right one who will help you take best business decisions. The answer is "Entrepreneur mentorship programs". Let's try to know more about these programs.
What Is Entrepreneur Mentoring Program?
The Entrepreneur Mentoring Programs are specifically designed for commercial and social entrepreneurs. The program provides you with trained mentors and facilitates the building of a long-term mutually beneficial trust-based relationships.
Besides offering one-to-one mentoring, the program also helps startups by providing a process to evaluate a business opportunity within the context of a Business model canvas. Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey and entrepreneurs often feel alone and look for support that can give guidance and provide an answer to the questions. The biggest benefit of such program is you get a mentor who provides you critical business insights.
Why Are Mentors Important?
For an entrepreneur, a mentor is like a compass, lighthouse, and drinking water while you are at sea. While there is no doubt about the importance of the technical know-how and the guidance the mentor provides; the most important role a mentor plays is to keep you charged especially when things are not happening as you have planned or expected.
A mentor not only guides you towards the right path but also acts as a source of inspiration and motivation. Here are some reasons why every entrepreneur needs a mentor.
Gain from Experience That Is Not Available in Books
There is a proverb "Experience is the best teacher" and it is a crucial element of success in business. You can gain so much from the experience of your mentor who has been there, seen it and done it all.
The knowledge you gain from mentor might not be available in books. It is an unstated truth that most authors are not comfortable sharing/revealing in their books. Some personal experiences of business leaders can be helpful while dealing with ups and down in business.
Mentorship allows you to connect with the person at a more intimate level where you can also gain knowledge from your mentor's personal experiences.
More Networking Opportunities
A successful mentor will have a wider network which you can also access. Since your mentor wants you to be successful, it only makes sense for the mentor to allow you to tap his/her network when the need arises. You will not have this opportunity without a mentor.
Provide Much Needed Encouragement
Failure can impact your productivity and morale. With mentor by your side, you will be in better position to deal with failures. The mentor has already experienced highs and lows in business and would provide you the much-needed encouragement to look beyond failures.
The importance of guidance and support of a mentor cannot be ignored. Entrepreneur mentoring programs offers you easy access to set of accomplished entrepreneurs as mentors who will take you towards the winning path.
Do you know other benefits of having a mentor? Let us know your comments below.
Vamaks offers a world class platform that enables people to convert bright ideas to business opportunities by providing the right environment for new and existing entrepreneurs to open a successful business with the help of entrepreneur mentorship programs and the right investors or business partners for funding the startup. To learn more, visit Vamaks/Blog.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/James_Marshall/2343370

6 Simple Tips To Help Entrepreneurs Handle Challenges

It's not that entrepreneurs are born with it, but the mindset of becoming one and doing things differently is what makes them a different breed.
Life of an entrepreneur is not easy. Every step towards success requires a lot of hard work, planning, perseverance and persistence.
Nothing comes by luck. Leadership, Patience, time management and of course a positive attitude is a must for them.
A famous quote from Picasso "it took me a lifetime to become a master" clearly explains what it takes for entrepreneurs to become a success.
Every day is full of Struggles. Luxurious things are far gone. They live in the world where the opportunity if doesn't knock on the door, they build one. That's how entrepreneurs think and go on.
The challenges they face and how they handle them is worth understanding.
At times being an entrepreneur has its challenges. You find yourself sitting in a corner finding it difficult to come up with simple solutions to the challenges in hand.
I have had a chance to work with quite a few entrepreneurs and have seen them handle challenges using simplest of techniques.
Here are 6 simple tips which will help any entrepreneurs handle challenges:
1. You Can't Walk Alone
See, the question is not how they handle the problem but what creates the problem.
Is it the team? Is the team doing the job properly? Or, something is not fitting?
A team's performance can very well be the difference in between success and failure of an Entrepreneur. Proper team with positive thinking can lead you to the top of stairs.
If you are an entrepreneur and spending most of your time in a negative environment you are landing nowhere. Finding good team is a key factor to handle the challenges faced. With a good team you can delegate work and make them a part of your struggle, where every struggle leads to positive results.
2. Approach Problems with Positive Thinking and a Proper Strategy
Problems are a part of daily routine for startups. Nothing can be accomplished without positive thinking and strength to face those problems.
Every time you see yourself failing, don't give up. Stress is a factor of negative impact.
Focus and think of the positive things in life. A simple thought related to past successes or the very reason you started your company are well enough to take you out of negativity.
Take your time, think and get your act together.
There is no way you cannot overcome the challenge at hand.
3. A Healthy Routine Leads to a Healthy Mind
Some of the most neglected things by entrepreneurs are the most essential elements to help them succeed. Every day you meet entrepreneurs who have back trouble, sleeping disorder which adversely affects their work. The simplest things in life-like sleep, exercise, healthy diet and time management are the most neglected ones.
Entrepreneurs forget that the best way to deal with the challenges they face in day today life involves a healthy body and a healthy mind frame. To dedicate your self to work requires a dedicated mind, which can only be possible if you are well fed, well slept and follow a daily routine of exercises.
Entrepreneurs are all about dedication. Trust me, working all day and night without proper food proper sleep does not allow your body to work with 100% efficiency. It inadvertently leads to health-related issues and stress.
4. Learning to Handle Multi-Tasking
Multi-tasking is a challenge. Entrepreneurs must multi task every minute, every hour.
Inability to multi task effectively takes a toll on the work entrepreneurs do. Don't mix up everything or you will end up sitting in the corner of your field. It is impossible to focus on one particular thing at a time, there is team handling, money management, business plans creation, etc, etc.
But if you mix up everything thing, there will be no work happening as per the plan. Try making a timetable or a schedule your week. Follow your routine, it's a slow process but working likewise will help you longterm.
Also, usage of scheduling, task management apps or simple schedules like Google calendar can help you plan your work and handle the challenges of work in a smart way.
5. If You Don't Understand, Ask
Over the time of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs at times turn in to aloof creatures who are afraid of asking their team for help or owning up to mistakes.
To ask someone for help is a difficult job for them which at times, makes their life more difficult.
There can be challenging tasks which their team members can do better than them but they being the boss will find it hard to own up and do the job themselves.
Asking queries to someone who works under you does you no harm. In fact, it shows you as a mature personality who has no qualms in asking what they do not understand.
6. Add Challenges To Your Daily Routine
It's for sure that you as an Entrepreneur will have challenges, problems every time you take a new step. Don't try to run from them or avoid. Do not let Procrastination become a part of your life.
Avoiding challenging tasks and putting them for a later date will only make them more difficult for you.
These are some lessons for those trying to setup startups.
Mistakes are a part of our day today life but learning from them and ensuring they are not repeated in future is what makes successful Entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs think differently, work differently as they are busy building something out of the box, disrupting existing marketspace and building innovative products.
A positive attitude and discipline is all they need to handle day to day challenges.
Jasmeet has been actively writing about politics, movies and his entrepreneurship experience for last few years. His views are a pure reflection of how he interprets the day to day happenings and how it affects the common public. Now i have addressed some major challenges faced when starting a business.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jasmeet_Singh/321947

Entrepreneurial Mindset 101 - A Positive Mindset Is A Powerful Skill To Develop

How often have we heard motivational speakers say that an entrepreneur must have a positive mindset?
Before I go any further, I want to discuss the idea of a mindset. We all have a brain. In that brain, we place our thoughts, feelings, ideas and our concepts. When you start your own business, your business will take a lot of your time. In addition, you will have to sustain that business for as long as maybe 3 years before you see a return on investment.
Their will be many times in which you will want to quit and you will not want to invest any more capital to keep your company afloat. To give yourself the best chance of sticking it through, you must develop a positive mindset. Developing a positive mindset can be acquired by:
1. Listening to powerful gurus or motivational speakers
2. Listening to uplifting music or music that makes you happy
3. Read positive books or quotes
4. Hang around positive people and strong-minded people
Once your mind is conditioned to focus on the positive perspective on any situation, you will be able to get through the tough and negative times easier.
Me personally, I have had my share of negative moments and times I wanted to quit. However, because of my positive mindset, I was able to get through the tough time and start collecting a lot of returns on my investments.
I started out as a broke college student with a dead end job. I worked on week-ends because I was a full time college student majoring in computer engineering. I had to keep my company afloat on the little paycheck I was collecting every two weeks. However, because I hanged around positive people and only surrounded myself with positive quotes on my walls, the negative times did not crush me.
Bonus Tip For Developing A Positive Mindset!
You must get educated. I recommend doing some research and educating yourself on the type of business or industry you will like to be a part of. If you are able to find out all the requirements it will take for you to succeed in your business, you will be able to brace yourself when the tough times happen.
Luckily for you, there are organizations of powerful business experts who offer free pieces of advise and information to those who are interested in building their own brand from scratch.
For more information on developing an entreprenuerial mindset and making money from home, check out Your Free Report
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marc-Eddy_Drouinaud_Jr/2289154

Thursday, 29 June 2017

How the Economy Will Impact Your Medical Staffing Business

You don't require any special knowledge, neither is it rocket science to know that you can't succeed in any business venture when the economic tides are against you, just the way it is today.
Most fortune 500 companies usually have economic guidance. As for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), they usually require the services of an economic analyst or a financial expert to aid in business growth.
Invariably, it doesn't mean a booming economy is a sure guarantee for business success and vice versa. It requires foresight and a visionary leader to ride the storm and stand tall.
In this article, I would highlight three important points you need to know about the economy today, they are;
1. We are currently in unknown territory and the usual boom - burst cycle is over. The economy is experiencing a slow growth process, and the probability of witnessing another shock is quite high, this is due to the fact that government no longer functions as optimally as it used to.
The examples are all around for us to see, from the Economic Cliff, to the Sequester, and the defaulting on National debt, these have created uncertainty that doesn't favor making business decisions. My advice would be for one to develop alternative methods to deal with opportunities or potential pit falls that may affect one's business immediately.
2. In order to gain a sizeable chunk of the market and also retain your clientele, you need to stay on top of your game. The competition is also feeling the pressure in the same way you are. So it's safe to assume they are thinking of ways to do things differently so as not to be left behind. In other for you not to be stagnant, you need to implement some of the following economic methods.
- Research markets that are immune to recession and go into business with those you think will survive.
- Provide services at price that would provide optimal value for clients.
- Develop special relationships so as to be a household name, and provide quality services to regular discounts.
- Venture into rising businesses. This way the only way you move is forward.
- Create value. This changes the perception from a cost driven business to profit driven.
- Make yourself irreplaceable to your clientele.
3. There are business environments that react in an unconventional way to economic change. These business models find ways to limit risk while demand premium fees for their services thereby making huge profits in return.
An example could be found in a company operating in a small market where the competition was leaving faster than the market was tumbling, they gained market share, raised prices and made a fortune. Another opportunity was found in a market no one ventured in because of a high risk of failure.
Any venture has risks and the medical staffing industry is no different. But, lowering the risks and understanding the industry and the economy certainly help in the success of your business. Having the right tools and the right guidance in today's economy is critical to your success.
The Workforce Staffing Network: It is the source for medical staffing entrepreneurs, recruiters and industry leaders. WSN focuses on education for all aspects of the medical staffing industry. For more information about WSN, visit us at http://www.workforcestaffingnetwork.com
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Roy_Vera/33413

Benefits Of Being Wealthy - Check Out These Amazing Benefits

It is great to be wealthy. In fact, the pursuit of wealth can be a noble initiative. You can do a lot of things if you have the necessary wealth. Being wealthy is a great advantage. Let's examine some of the things that come with being wealthy.
• One of the biggest advantages of being wealthy is that you can have the best comforts in life. Practically everything in the world is available in return for money. Being wealthy enables you to have the best houses to live in.
• You are able to provide the best education for your children. Some of the best schools and colleges in the world are exclusive for the wealthy people. Studying in such schools has its own advantages.
• You can visit every place on the earth. Visiting exotic places can help broaden your vision and expose you to many cultures in the world. Experiencing them can be a great education for your children.
• Being wealthy, it is natural that you would end up having similar friends and acquaintances. This can help you to forge better relations with them and multiply your wealth.
• You have the advantage of buying in bulk at the best stores in the world. You also have the advantage of investing in a wide range of securities.
• You can do your share of philanthropy by donating a part of your wealth to charitable organizations and medical institutes. This can help the poor and underprivileged people have decent educational and medical facilities.
• One of the noblest initiatives can be taking up the educational responsibilities of poor children. There are people in the world who have the talent but not the means to pursue higher education. You can pitch in with your contribution.
There are hundreds of things that you can do if you have the necessary wealth with you.
Here is the next thing for you to do!
You must develop some skills in order to be a successful entrepreneur. Certain skills include;
1. The skill of being discipline because many start up businesses require around 2 years of hard work before a proper return on investment is made.
2. The skill of being a closer. A closer is someone who is good at closing deals or transactions. In order to be a good closer, you must educate yourself of how to talk to clients.
3. The skill of being ambitious. You will have to have a certain level of drive to be a successful businessperson.
For more free information on how you can experience all the benefits of being wealthy and becoming your own boss, go to Your Free Report
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marc-Eddy_Drouinaud_Jr/2289154

Is It Work, or a Lifestyle?

There are two things that my friends find surprising, OK maybe 3: 
  1. I travel more now than I ever have
  2. It's Friday night at 7:30pm and I'm working
  3. I'm looking forward to some "office time" tomorrow
The misconception here is whether I'm actually working (when travelling so much) and why I give up Friday nights and Saturday mornings to spend time catching up.
The answer, truthfully, is that this isn't "work" for me, it is my lifestyle.
And comparing their work (stuck in an office on a beautiful day, set vacation weeks), I'll take my lifestyle. I've worked hard for it, and I love it.
Let's take my surprising facts from the beginning. 
  1. I travel more now than I ever have - How much fun is that! Yes, sometimes I travel for a true "shut off the email" vacation, but other times I'm just going along for the ride. I just returned from another adventure and worked more than 50% of the time. I successfully put in a full work day while on the plane; I am the master of working offline. During my 5 day trip I only actually took one day off.

  2. It's Friday night and I'm working - now I'll admit I'm sitting outside on the patio, not tucked into my office, but I am working. Why? I happen to be creative on Friday nights, and I wanted to share this time with you. I've had a busy week, and its Friday night quiet time when my mind roams, and I start pondering business, the challenges of the week, and many times this forms the basis of the blogs. But tonight, I'm sitting outside with my laptop, just so thankful for the lifestyle I have, and that includes this time with you. Not thankful, however, for the massive spider making its way over here... this is why I don't often work outside!

  3. And tomorrow, yes, I will work tomorrow morning. I have a cute little project that I've just started working on, and I've set aside "date time" with it. I have my morning planned, a good cup (OK, pot) of coffee and back outside I go to let my mind explore what's possible. I'm actually very excited about it, and have been planning it over the last few days.
What some consider work, is my lifestyle. The creative process is important to me, giving myself the space to explore the projects in front of me while my mind is relaxed and at ease is an indulgence I take seriously. I appreciate the concerns of my clients, and don't mind checking in over the weekend, if that's what helps them. We're partners, and we're on this journey together. Checking in, isn't work. It's a privilege to be on this journey with my clients.
My hope is for more of my colleagues (and friends) to break free of the concept of work, and explore their entrepreneurialism as a lifestyle, as bliss, and as an expression of their passion. Work should be what's in your heart, what your soul is telling you, and where your dreams lead you.
And if it isn't... how can you get there?
Share with us your lifestyle goals - and let's dream a way for you to get there, together.
We help business owners find more time.
Discover how entrepreneurs just like you have freed themselves from the overwhelm of tech. Download our FREE report at https://pmawebservices.com/
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Peg_Murrah/1101384

Wednesday, 28 June 2017

4 Founder Mistakes That Make Most Startups Fail

1) Believing that revenue is optional This is indigenous to the tech startup scene, but it definitely crops up elsewhere too. There is a mythology, perpetuated almost entirely by the Silicon Valley VC set, that a startup is somehow a new and trendy concept whose primary model is basically "raise lots of money, acquire as many users as possible, and then figure out how to monetise them or sell to someone who can".
It's a seductive idea because, for the founder, it bypasses the daunting prospect of having to worry about revenue, sales and all those other scary things. This feels great of course, because it allows the founder to stay in their comfort zone and indulge the satisfaction of making the perfect product without having to rely on sales to get there. In reality, it's merely delaying the day when the company has to face rejection and criticism from potential customers.
It's an approach that taps deep into our human fear of rejection and failure and promises a comforting alternative where these fears can be avoided altogether. It's such a powerful fear for most that an enthusiastic, widespread and elaborate mythology has developed around this type of "business model", with the sole purpose of trying to affirm something that we want to be true. But it isn't true: a startup is a business, and sooner or later it needs to make money. Founders who realise this and have a plan to monetise from the start are far more likely to succeed.
2) Underestimating the importance of cashflow I learned this lesson the hard way when my first business was snuffed out almost instantly by a lack of cash. The rate at which the cash ran out was much faster than I expected, but the speed at which the rest of the business fell apart as a result of running out of cash was alarming. Thankfully I was only 24 and was able to recover fairly quickly, but I see the mistake being repeated over and over again with new startups.
Why does this happen? Similarly to the previous point, it's largely avoidance psychology: the prospect of running out of cash triggers the primal fear of failure so people will go to surprising lengths to avoid facing it. Naivety is also often a major factor: spending too much on the less important things such as big plush offices and equipment, hiring too many people too quickly, failing to hustle and negotiate better deals on costs, and other such missteps. Lack of information is a common problem too, as critical cash drains like tax, insurance and travel costs are often either underestimated or simply not accounted for in the early forecasts.
All of which is avoidable with some proper planning and research before you dive in. Founders who are willing to spend the time doing that (often tedious) groundwork are giving themselves a much better chance of success.
3) Focusing on the sexy stuff Being successful in business is hard work, everybody knows that. But what separates many successful founders from the rest is their ability and willingness to do the tedious, repetitive work that drives a business forward day in and day out. In other words, pushing through the grind instead of focusing entirely on the sexy and glamorous work.
The problem is that it's very easy to be extremely busy as a founder, as there are so many things to do at any given point. And as human beings we naturally gravitate towards the things we enjoy first, leaving the boring slog work until later. As a result, many founders who are guilty of ignoring the truly hard work probably don't even realise it, only to scratch their heads when it all goes wrong.
By grind work I am not specifically referring to admin - which can easily be automated or outsourced in a number of low cost ways today - but rather activities such as analysing your customer behaviours every day, trawling through social channels daily to build up momentum, writing regular blog posts that nobody seems to read, speaking to tax advisors about R&D credits, filling out patent and trademark forms, building and testing marketing and sales automations, and all the other energy-sucking bits of unsexy work that go into building a business's early momentum. These are all things that a founder must be willing to do themselves at first, knowing that the reward is much further down the line. Many founders make the mistake of believing that they are above this type of work from day one, and they are nearly always wrong.
4) Giving up too easily This is a big one, but I see it derail people so often (myself included, in my earlier ventures). At some point, the general struggles of starting a business up from scratch will become overwhelming, and some major problem will push the founder to the edge of wanting to quit. I refer to this as the wall, in reference to the wall that marathon runners hit when their body starts screaming at them to give up.
This is often a critical milestone in a business's development. Just as in a marathon, a person's ability to push through this wall is a huge determining factor in their likelihood of finishing the race, and business is no different. But really, this is the central essence of running any kind of business. The ability and fortitude to overcome difficult challenges is one of the foundational characteristics of any successful founder, and the struggle should be the fuel that drives them. Founders who expect, embrace and face challenges head-on will be amongst those left standing after the 90% have faded away.
Conclusion The 90% statistic is accurate, but it is also an oversimplification of the landscape. Succeeding at business is not a game of chance, it is a battle of will where the most realistic, durable and pragmatic individuals thrive. Founders who have, or are willing to build, these characteristics will have the best chance of being in the 10%. Those who don't or won't, will be found out quickly enough.
Firedrop is currently crowdfunding, don't miss an amazing opportunity to be part of the future of AI website builders: https://firedrop.ai/invest/ If you want to learn more about how our platform can help your company grow, make sure to go to our website where we are offering free access to our beta.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marc_Crouch/2301747

Starting a Service Based Company

Every individual has to take into account, a basic set of guidelines when it comes to starting a service catering Company. The value of service should meet the expectation level of a customer in order to become popular. Many Companies agree that the value of a service should be measured by what the customer is willing to pay for, than on the cost of the services provided.
The purpose of any Company's Service Management department is to ensure that it has the right combination of services in order to balance the investment it has made and the ability to meet business outcomes. Service Management department should contain a catalogue of all services that the Company has promised to its clients it will deliver, the services currently delivered and those that have been taken off the field of its competitors. It should also focus on the aspect the revenue received because of services.
For example, an individual starts a small Company based on services on which he/she is experienced. There will be important factors that he/she has to concentrate on. Some of the important factors that he/she has to consider are: demand, finance, knowledge, problem management and business relationship.
Demand: The popularity of demand stems upon the fact that any new individual starting a Company based on services should have understood, anticipated the importance of influence that the customer can have for his/her type of services. The owner as well the staff should keep tabs on "capacity" to confirm that the services promised to the customer will be provided on time and when it is needed.
Finance: A proper method and source of funding is needed by a Company for designing, developing and delivering services that should comply with the needs of the customer. The financial aspect should have information on costs, issues, benefits and problems that have to be tackled.
Business relationship: A transparent relationship should be established and maintained between the Company and customer. It should also identify customer needs and ensure the services promised to the customer are provided even if the requirements change according to circumstances. Normally, a receptionist or service desk is the first point of contact for a service oriented Company. Extreme care has to be taken in this aspect, because a Company will have excellent parameters and staff but if the service desk is not up the mark, it will lose its position in the market within a short frame of time.
Knowledge: The very purpose is to share ideas, information and experience to confirm that these factors are available at the opportune moment at the required time. A database of issues, problems tackled should be maintained as this will not only save cost but also time in rediscovering knowledge.
Problem Management: An experienced individual or efficient team should be in place to tackle any kind of problems. The team or individual should take steps in the direction to not only solve the problem, but should also identify the root cause if any, keep a tab on recurring problems, design workarounds if needed and minimize the time to restore service as quickly as possible.
A team that is interested in constant learning and redefining themselves according to the circumstances should be selected.
SathyaNarayana B has done Masters in Applied Geology and is interested in writing articles on martial arts, pet care, travel, herbal remedies, daily health tips, recent IT trends, recent IT courses.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sathya_Narayana/808334

Faith in a Seed, Investment in the Roots: Cultivating the Garden of an Entrepreneurial Venture

Henry David Thoreau once stated, "Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." While I appreciate this quote, I think that it perhaps puts too much emphasis on the seed (or idea) alone. While a seed is necessary, I feel that attention should turn towards the roots (processes, goals, human capital, etc.) that single seed can lead to developing.
In fact, this observation reminds me of the recent Western Carolina University Leadership Development tour of the Cradle of Forestry in Western North Carolina, where I learned of the approach to life (and development) that an oak tree will adopt. Interestingly, in its first approximately 20 - 25 years of life an oak tree will spend ~70% - 80% of its energy and resources developing a robust and pervasive root system. In this example, while the seed is the starting point, it is the root system of a future, mighty oak that serves as the real genius of its development.
I think it is important to reflect on the oak tree's approach to life. Instead of growing tall and strong first, the oak tree stays small and chooses initially to grow deep, deep into the earth. An oak tree grows with their long or end game in mind, not for the instant gratification and short-term results. This approach to life carries a lesson for all of us as human beings, but takes on a particularly relevant lesson for those of us who, as Machiavelli stated, "choose to take on a new order of things" in the form of innovation and entrepreneurship.
For example, when you think about an entrepreneurial venture, what you see standing above the surface is but a fraction of the energy and results of the effort invested in that organization or idea. For the purpose of this article, the primary components of a start-up's root system are as follows:
• Value Proposition - identifies an aspect of your product/service that makes your offering appealing to potential customers and helps sell and market that product. This serves as the cornerstone to your venture.
• Talent Development/Cultivation - a basic strategy for bringing in, developing, inspiring, and maintaining the best talent associated with your venture with the greater goal of sustainability. Additionally, talent development can help maintain consistency, trust, and more exceptional customer service or product development, while aligning with the application of your value proposition.
• Strategic/Business Plan - frames your venture in a standard way by providing objectives and methods/strategies for reaching them. This is a recognized document that potential funders can relate to and it serves as a more accurate and robust expansion of your idea/product, the value proposition, and the stakeholders involved.
Finally, as an entrepreneur, the most valuable lesson to take away from the mighty oak is to remember to stay true to your roots. By doing this, you will invest your time, energy, expertise, and resources into your roots. If you nurture your roots, they can support you as you continue to grow to new heights and new depths!

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

6 Awesome Tips for Starting a Business Overseas

Let's do this step-by-step. It's a challenging road to success. I ran an online business in Asia focusing on providing a platform for local and foreign businesses to integrate and automate paid advertisements on social media. The platform provided unique written, designed and tested campaigns, which could be tweaked accordingly. It was a very challenging task to meet all the demands of (potential) customers, but it was well worth it.
Before packing your bags, start reading these 6 awesome tips for starting a business overseas:
1. Local Culture
The local culture and habits are extremely important for any entrepreneur who's looking to start a business in another country. It is essential to know the ins- and outs of the local environment and how to get around. As hard as it might be, try to find a local investor or a business advisor who can inform and explain key factors of doing business in a specific area. Depending on your business and target market, get to know local consumer behavior. It's key for your potential business to have local partners who are trustworthy; this key point can make or break your business.
Local business events are a great way to meet new people in the area. In case you are looking to build a network before flying out, which is a smart thing to do, use your current network to see if you can connect to someone doing business in that area. Another possibility would be to join expat communities and ask questions there. Join Facebook groups! They are surprisingly effective.
2. Language
Studying a new language is hard and very time-consuming. It may even present a bigger barrier for you than running an actual business. However, learning the local language will prove to be a huge advantage when doing business with local people. Especially in Asian countries, people will show you more respect and trust when you speak the language. Besides the fact that communication will be easier, it's easier to meet new people and you'll most likely get better deals.
3. Way of Life
Integrate with the local community and neighbors through events and other get-togethers. This is a great way to meet new people, potential clients, potential business partners and besides that, a great way to learn more about the country and its culture. It's an awesome experience to see, understand and feel how the local people live their life. Learn about their values and vision in life. Study the local market and local economy and how that knowledge can profit your business.
4. Competition
It is critical for entrepreneurs, regardless of country or business industry, to fully understand the competition. However, entrepreneurs should not only focus on the current competition model. Have a look at what happened in the past, try to find companies in your industry or somewhat related who have failed to succeed. Examine their conditions and learn from the mistakes those companies made. After all, learning from mistakes is a highly valuable asset. Also, find companies that have succeeded in their market and compare them to the failed companies. Figure out the key differences and implement this in your own business plan.
5. Network
Networking is one of the most important key aspects of running a successful business. As you make the move to another country, the network you build in your home-country will become less valuable abroad. Therefore building an international network is increasingly important. Meeting the right people at the right time can make a huge difference in your business' growth. As mentioned earlier, try to connect with expats or already established communities in the local area. Many Asian countries have specific groups that organize events for members for a small monthly fee. Or join Facebook groups that are free and offer a community atmosphere.
When I moved to Asia to build my own startup, I tried to connect to many businesses at a very early stage by emailing or calling them. It was extremely beneficial to meet businesses and other entrepreneurs and resulted in a lot of new connections and trusted contacts. It turned out to be a valuable for both sides, short- and long-term.
6. Health Insurance
An obvious, but often overlooked, factor when moving to a different country is health insurance. Many expats don't necessarily recognize the importance of good international health insurance coverage. I highly recommend finding a health insurance plan that fits your personal needs and select the most suitable plan for you. For example, if you require routine visits to a therapist or chiropractor, finding a suitable doctor in another country can be difficult. Check with your insurance provider whether they keep a list or communities of the best doctors in your new country. This will take the stress out of searching for a doctor as you're simultaneously settling in.
Starting my own business abroad was single-handedly one of the most exciting things I've ever done in my life, but it was not an easy thing to do by any means. Don't just randomly choose an industry or country, but take your time, be patient and come prepared. Of course, keep in mind some of my tips, I'm positive it will contribute to your success and give you an experience of a lifetime, something you will never forget!
About Marcel de Jong - An entrepreneur living in Asia for the past 12 years and specialized in individual & business insurances. His passion is traveling and to deliver relevant information and easy-to- use online tools. Since 2013 he's blogging for Now Health. Check out more information at https://www.now-health.com/en/
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marcel_De_Jong/2416413

Why Do Entrepreneurs Struggle?

Great Day, Attractive Thinker! It Is a Great Day to Be Alive!
As an Entrepreneur, there are a lot of goals to be accomplished! Products have to be created, services must be provided, and customers and clients need to be served! When pursuing new goals, the mind must also be aligned with the goal in order for it to be accomplished. The mind is currently "set" to the current status of the business. When the conscious desire is to reach a new goal, the subconscious mind must be informed! Everyone has 2 minds: a conscious mind (this is the mind that you use everyday to get through your day) and a subconscious mind (this is where your core beliefs, true feelings, and emotions are).
When these 2 minds are not aligned, it presents a struggle. This struggle appears as a starting and stopping motion. You attempt to take action on your goal and you're actually stopped in your tracks. The conscious mind attempts to move forward on the goals that you have for your business, yet because the subconscious mind is not engaged in the process, it pulls you right back to where you were. It's just like getting dressed to go on a family vacation. You walk out of the front door to load up the car and you turn around and your family is still in pajamas, simply lounging around in the living room. You're moving forward, but they weren't informed!
In order to end the entrepreneurial struggle, the subconscious mind must be informed of your new goals. These new goals must become your new beliefs in order to become your new reality! Repetitive affirmations, vision boards, meditation, and visualization of your new goals are life-altering tools that imprint your new goals into your subconscious mind.
Your Attractive Thinker Assignment:
Create a Vision Board with Your New Business Goals!
Create a Set of Empowering Affirmations that Support Your Goals!
Meditate and Visualize Your Goals at Least 3 Times a Day!
Speak Your Goals with Boldness and Confidence Daily!
With daily repetition of these practices, you'll reach your goal in record time! You'll begin to spot opportunities that will help you to accomplish your goal. Unexpectedly, people will show up that have the exact resource that you need to accomplish your goal. You'll receive ideas that will expedite your goal and take you further/faster! Consistency is key!
~Think, Attractively!
Dr. Toni Hatton provides Entrepreneurs with life-altering tools that uproot the mental barriers that hinder their life and business success! Visit The Attractive Thinker at http://www.theattractivethinker.guru and get your FREE Audio Download, "Turn Your Problems Into Your Solutions!" My Life's Work is to Make Your Life Better!
Remember, It's Not What You're Going Through, But How You're Viewing It!
~Think Attractively!
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr_Toni_Hatton/2097473

How Content Marketing Can Help Build Your Business

It's no secret that the internet has become the #1 source for information. The Web is the largest market for seekers of information and providers of information. No matter what your business, everyone must have a website. If you don't, you can be assured that you are a step behind your competition.
What should be included on your site? At a minimum, you must state who you are (About Us Page) and what you do (Home & Product/Services Page). This is all fine and dandy. But how do potential customers find you?
Two simple words can answer this question: "Content Marketing". The second word is easy to describe. Marketing is simply promoting/advertising your product or service. However, the traditional methods (brochures, TV ads, fliers) are being replaced by more cost effective methods. That leads us to the first word: content. Many of us have heard the term before. But what exactly does it mean?
According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is defined as "a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant, consistent, and valuable information to a defined audience." The key word here is valuable, meaning it is something the end user wants and would pay for. Compare that to and advertisement or junk mail (spam) that someone either turns off immediately or throws in the garbage because they find no value in it. Content marketing doesn't explicitly promote a brand like a commercial for Nike or Coke does. The information is targeted to a specific group who wants it or seeks it out. Thus you are building a long term, personal relationship with your (potential) customers versus treating them like a sale. No one likes to feel like they are being sold to. They want to feel like they are part of a story, and people love stories.
The next question is why would a business create content in the first place? The main answer is to build their BRAND. Your brand is your #1 asset. It can take years to build, but only minutes to destroy. Your brand shows you are an expert in your field. You also raise awareness to consumers about issues they may not have considered previously. Traditional marketing is only effective after the consumer has made the decision to buy. Content marketing moves them along the buying process.
Creating content is much more cost effective than traditional marketing, thus resulting in a greater ROI. What are some key characteristics of good content?
· It's FREE: users don't have to pay for it
· Attracts and retains audiences who will eventually become customers. Your typical :30 radio or TV add is forgotten almost immediately
· Contains backlinks to your website, thus creating a compound effect as your content is shared with your user's users and their user's users.
· Must be mobile friendly as many internet users browse on smartphones and tablets
· Must be keyword oriented for SEO algorithms used by Google and other search engines (a keyword is something you type in your browser when you want to look for something specific. I'm a writer so hopefully I'll show up when someone types in "freelance writer, copywriter, or simply writer"
· Finally, it must contain a call-to-action (prompt the user to do something)
What are some examples of content marketing?
· Blogs
· Success Stories
· Podcasts
· YouTube videos
· Whitepapers
· Articles
· Social Media posts
· E-books
· Newsletters
I hope you found this information useful, as I expect content marketing to replace traditional marketing in the not-to-distant future. I'm sure all of you will now become expert marketers and see your visitors multiply exponentially, thus resulting in more conversions.
Partner Dave is a freelance writer in Orlando, Florida. He specializes in content marketing, business plans, web copy, and building brand awareness. He is the author of the white paper "The Transaction Tax: Has the IRS Finally Met Its Match?", which discusses replacing the income tax with a transaction tax. Visit his website at http://www.partnerdavethewriter.com or email him at info@partnerdavethewriter.com.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Bialecki/2255361

Sunday, 25 June 2017

Up-Leveling Your Success - Is a Coach or Mentor Best?

If you look at top business achievers, you will find one common denominator: They didn't do it all alone.
High performing entrepreneurs and business owners know that to truly excel requires guidance and support.
Are you wanting to be a high-performer?
If so, you might be wondering what kind of guidance do you need exactly?
Do you need a mentor or coach?
How can these kinds of advisors best serve in your professional development?
Working With a Mentor
First let's look at the role of a mentor. A mentor is a more experienced individual who offers guidance, friendship, and support based on their past experiences, knowledge and expertise.
Usually there is a level of personal connection as the mentor serves as a role model to help an individual reach their potential.
Working with a Coach
A coach on the other hand serves more as an expert guiding you in a very specific area of performance. If you Google "coach" you'll see coaches for performance, marketing, financial support, sales, business growth, social media support and more.
What's unsettling is that many coaches are self-appointed experts.
While they may present themselves as knowledgeable and highly successful, many could be just one step ahead of you. While they may "talk the talk", you truly don't know if they have the experience or skills to help you succeed.
Advantages of Working with a Mentor
  • Outside Perspective - Often we are too close and emotionally tied to our business to see what's really going on. There's a great benefit to someone else taking a bird's-eye view to get a clearer picture of your situation. Sometimes we are too in love with our work to be truthful about areas that need a little work. Your mentor can probe to uncover problem issues that may not be apparent to you.

  • Help You Reach Higher - Sometimes we will do things for other people that we wouldn't do for ourselves. Having the accountability of a mentor can help you push harder to reach your goals. Knowing you have to report your results to your mentor can make you go the extra mile to get things done.

  • Business Experience - Even if you have years of corporate experience, running your own business can be a real challenge. While you probably know a lot about your particular industry, you may not know enough about running and growing a business. Having someone with experience in creating systems, delegating, marketing, and successfully growing a business is invaluable. Not only can it help you avoid costly mistakes, but it can help you grow farther, faster. Often mentors have proven templates and blueprints to boost your results in a number of areas.

  • Cheerleader - Being a business owner can be a real roller coaster ride. There are days you are on top of the world. But there are also days you doubt yourself. You wonder if you should throw in the towel. Everything seems to be going wrong. You don't know what to do. It is in those times that a mentor can dust you off and get you back on your feet again. Staying positive and motivated is key to keeping your business moving forward daily.
5 Common Blind-spots That Crush Our Success
As a mentor, I have worked with dozens of small business owners over the years. When entrepreneurs come to me for help, there are some common areas I see them struggling with.
Here are the most common "stories" we tell ourselves about our business that keep us stuck:
  1. Being In Squirrel Mode. When you spread yourself too thin, it's hard to fully monetize your business. One big mistake I see people make is when one thing isn't working, they see the next "shiny object" and try something new. The result is they never fully put in the work it takes to make a new objective take off. Having a mentor can help you find the focus you need to experience growth. They can help you create a plan to use your money, resources, and time in ways that laser focus your results.

  2. Not Admitting When Wrong. Being your own boss is awesome. You get to call all the shots and be captain of your own ship. But the problem is that you always get to be "right" - even when you aren't. There can be great value to having a mentor to reframe your situation and show you areas that need improvement that you may be overlooking. Having someone speak the truth to you when it's needed is critical to growth.

  3. Getting Stuck in Victim Mode. It can actually be cathartic to gripe and moan about how busy you are, or how out of control things have gotten, etc. but some people find a certain kind of honour in projecting themselves as a martyr that way. But people who succeed know the value is healing those wounded areas. A mentor can hold your feet to the fire and help you move through the bleeding wounds and address the bigger issues.

  4. Not Looking in The Mirror. It's your team's fault. Your software isn't working right. The market has changed... The excuses can go on forever. Until you realize that you are 100% responsible for everything that happens in your life and business, nothing changes. A mentor will be honest with you about the role you played in failures. They can help you learn the lesson, grow, and move on. Personal growth is key to your success.

  5. Trying to Do it All Themselves. Women are especially hard on themselves when it comes to thinking they should know everything they need to know to run a business. It's a sign of weakness ineptitude if they don't, so they set off to learn everything all themselves. The problem is, the more they set off to learn someone else's skillset and expertise, the less they are focusing on their own core competency and thus, not on their own business. A mentor can help you determine what you should be doing yourself to grow and expand your business, and what you should be outsourcing and delegating. This allows you to take advantage of someone else's skillset so you can spend more time focusing on your own.
Work Smarter, Not Harder - Mentoring Can Help
I'd love to provide you with the empowered support you need to grow your business. As your mentor, we'll look at what's working, what's not, and create a plan to move you forward.
Susan Friesen is the founder of eVision Media, a boutique web development and Digital Marketing firm of over 15 years that specializes in designing, building and marketing professional, unique websites for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations.
Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and grab your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results".
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293

5 Steps To Take To Ensure Your Degree Certificate Does Not Block Your Financial Success In Life

I strongly believe that you are going to find this article both eye-opening, refreshing, challenging and true because practical research and facts have been considered to ensure that you get to receive help from it.
You will get an epiphany.
Between the lines you will have a revelation like no other and most certainly you can thank me later. If you don't get the revelation, read this post again and again then come and thank me or send a postal mail or email or call using the details provided on this article.
Now to the 5 steps...
But before that, I would love to bring to your attention a true story that will prove useful now and in years to come.
A story is told of a certain African farmer who had 5 acres of land that had a stream at the lower side of the farm full of clean water. Sometime later, this farmer heard of people getting massive amounts of wealth from selling diamonds that they found on their pieces of land and he decided to sell his acres of land to go in search of those precious jewels and become rich.
Several months later, his body was found hanging on a tree because he searched with no luck and he became frustrated which made him decide to take his life.
Back in the farm that this farmer sold, the friend of the new owner came to visit him and upon close scrutiny of his fireplace he saw a large rock that this new owner had put to decorate his fireplace. He looked closer and noticed that this rock was in real sense a diamond in its natural form and in amazement he told the farmer that it was the largest diamond that he had ever seen.
Curious to know how he had come across such a large diamond, this friend asked him where he had found it. The farmer said that he had found it at the stream that was at the lower side of the farm and that there were thousands of other such stones smaller in size strewn all over the bottom of the stream.
True to what the farmer said, they went to the stream and saw them which made them dig up more. They discovered that the diamonds were occupying a whole acre of land, free and clear.
The land originally sold to this new owner was full of the same precious jewels that the previous owner went looking for after selling his land for so cheap a price.
You see, the now dead original owner made a mistake of not first doing his research to know how diamonds looked like when natural and went blindly in search of the elusive jewels whereas his own land had a whole acre of diamonds that would have made him rich beyond his expectations.
This story illustrates how today in the modern world people go in search of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow without knowing that there is no gold there.
Many look at the wrong places instead of first focusing on one thing...
The resourcefulness of their mind that has been given to them for free at no charge.
The mind of man when properly harnessed and equipped can create so much for the owner but it has become the least used resource when people want to get solutions to their problems or situations that are affecting the community.
However, it will no longer be like this to whoever takes action and follows every of the steps outlined in this article and every other resource made available here.
You see, we are in an age of what I would term as learned helplessness whereby many look to jobs and bosses as their only source of provision whereas there would be much more reward if they chose to look beyond the jobs and make use of their freely given minds to get more out of life.
The time of telling children to go to school, get a degree, get a good job, marry, get children, retire and then die is far outdated than the stone age and it is time that those who want more out of life learnt to know that opportunities exist all around us just waiting for that soul that is ready and willing to live beyond the comfort zone of just paying the bills and into a zone of leaning on your edges to do all that you can to create an impact in your environment and beyond.
And so to help you get started on being the best version of yourself and not be hindered from the success that you deserve, below you will find five simple steps that you can take today and come out of learned helplessness which may kill the spark in you.
Step 1: Think Outside The Box
This is a common term and today it will make a different meaning than what you may have ever thought it meant.
You have heard it said that good things come to those who wait?
WRONG!!
Good things come to those who show up and take massive action.
Good things come to those who dare to take action even when everything within them says no.
Good things come to those who invest in themselves without counting cost.
Good things come to those who keep moving on even when the present
circumstances do not give them the motivation or reason to keep moving on.
Good things come to those who have the mentality of an eagle and not that of an oyster. An eagle soars to go look for whatever it wants whereas an oyster is tossed to and fro by the sea waves and eats whatever the ocean brings on its way.
For you to think outside the box, it means that you are willing to keep moving on when everything within you shouts to you to stop.
To think outside the box means you have to be uncomfortable with average.
To think outside the box means that you don't want to forever be chained to a job rather you have in place the strategy to become your own boss before old age starts showing signs of approaching.
There is so much we can say about thinking outside the box but for now let's go to the next step...
Step 2: Increase Your Skills Outside Your Field of Expertise
I will not say much in this but if you ever want to go far in life equip yourself with practical knowledge that is able to inspire you to action.
There are lots of free online courses that are far much better than a university degree that you can take advantage of and learn a skill that is able to finally pay you more than your job.
And if you dare look more keenly, you will find what you seek...
Step 3: Get Entrepreneurial Genes
Most education systems have put millions of people in learned helplessness and made them stick to one line of thinking without knowing that there is so much more outside the comfort zone of a job.
To put it in plain language, never depend on a single source of income: JOB
Leverage your earnings and pocket money to start a side business using part of the little that you get.
Some side businesses need zero capital and others need very little capital.
Learn business skills like market research which will help you know how to identify the needs in the community which you can solve and cash in on them.
Step 4: Don't wait for retirement
A research has been carried out and it has been confirmed that 70% of people are in jobs they hate or work for bosses they hate which in turn has led to poor service and inferior products.
Whoever is reading this article ought not to be in that category because you will get a blueprint of how you can come out or avoid getting into the chains of a job or a boss you loathe.
You need to set goals to retire early and start your own corporation before your strength is gone.
You need to consider getting your hands dirty and start cultivating your own plantation as early as in your 20s or 30s or 40s.
Simply put, don't work for 40 years in a job just to pay the bills, desire much more than that!!
Step 5: Get a Mentor or Mentors
The final step in all this is to ensure that you model somebody who is doing what you desire to be doing.
Mentors make your success come faster than you had anticipated because you learn from their mistakes which saves you time so that you don't make the same mistakes that they made.
Mentors don't need to be meeting you face to face. You can have a mentor who you have never met or will ever meet by interacting with them virtually. Read their books, watch their videos, listen to their audios, follow them on social media and study their thought patterns through their words. And then think as they think.
In conclusion, being just an employee never gave anyone financial freedom and there is need to learn new ways to create your own economy in such a way that despite tough economic times, you can always have various skills and opportunities that you can leverage.
There is so much more within you and you need to activate your success genes by investing in yourself and buying what is able to expand your mind and grow you into a better, more knowledgeable version of yourself.
We would not want you to miss on the chance to have faith in your ability to take action and it is of great importance that you do whatever it takes to ensure that the next 90 days are going to be far much better than the last 90 days.
Life's too short for ordinary.
It is known that 99% of Being a Multimillionaire is Deciding To BE ONE. It's not what you do. It's not how hard you work. It's not even what your "job" is. I have sought to open up a lot of what could otherwise have remained hidden to millions of people and through a step by step guide, there is a blueprint that has been made available for those who want to bet on themselves and take massive action.
Click the link below and let us interact more:
http://www.financiallyfreebeforegraduation.com/the-book/

Skills Needed As An Entrepreneur

Polishing your skills as an entrepreneur can help you be a better entrepreneur. Here are the skills every successful entrepreneur ...