Competitive Advantage

Napoleon Hill told a story in the book "Think and Grow Rich".
He told of a long time ago, when a great warrior was faced with a situation where it was necessary for him to make a decision which will ensure his success on the battlefield.
He was about to send his army against a powerful enemy whose men outnumbered his own. He loaded his soldiers into ships, sailed to the enemy's country, unloaded the soldiers and equipments, then he gave a order to burn the ships that had carried them there.
Then addressing his men before the battle began, he said, "You see the boats going up in flames. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice. We win or we perish." As it was told, they won.

Our case as entrepreneurs is much like this story, we either succeed in our business or we perish. One of those factors that "kill" businesses is the COMPETITION.

It will not matter how good you are if your competitor is better, so you need to find out what your competitor is offering. Find out your competitor's advantage over you and how she goes about it.
Everyone has competitors. Do you know yours?
You will need a visit to your competitor to have a deep feel of her offer. You need to understand what gives her an edge over you. It's probably just customer service, a better knowledge of the product or service, promo given to customers etc.

You can achieve this by paying a visit to your competitor as a potential customer. You can order for the service or product being provided and then you can criticize or make a complaint as a customer to see how they respond.

Sometimes it's about a visit to their online store or website to rake in ideas that will eventually work for you.

Sometimes, you could even ask directly if you have relationship with your competitor.
If the idea works, you can replicate it in your own business.

Now you must learn to focus on your own advantage eventually.

There is something that other business is doing that you are not doing, locate it and focus on it.
Some people tend to get jealous of big businesses and wish they fold them.
Recently, the NCC wanted to force communication giants to have a high data rate. That means that data we used to buy for #1,000 might now go for #2,500. They claimed they want to do that so that small businesses can have a chance to succeed.

Small businesses fail to compete against bigger firms because they want to compete with the bigger firm on what the big firm is known for. They do not have to do that, they will continue to fail if they do that.

It's not about wishing the big company folds up, it's about you focusing on what you can do to beat them.

There are things the big firms have as advantage over the small firms; same goes to the small firms over the big firms.

For example, the big business can run a TV commercial but a small firm cannot. However, a small firm owner is close to his customers in a way big firms cannot try.
Find what gives you advantage and FOCUS.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tade_Ayodele/2372118

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

Digital Era Vs Industrial Era

The perfect dream of working in a secure job these days is slowly and increasingly getting popular according to the number of people who are looking for other ways of making an income outside of their jobs. A lot of people have become aware of the ever increasing job demands which are overwhelming when compared to what the pay is and it does seem that it is becoming an exhausting experience from putting more time and effort than ever before and not get any time for family life and just live a moderate lifestyle.

Are you one of those people who end up falling into one of those contemplating moments?

Especially when you are stressed out at work, wishing that you had more time for your family and yourself?

Wish you could just run to the beach and relax under the sun, picturing yourself with your loved one and taking a sip of an exotic drink, enjoying each other's company with smiles filled with happiness and joy... and with a blink of an eyelid you get back to reality again and stare at your computer screen filled with numbers, spending hours calculating those boring financial statements for some executive in that little cubicle of yours and you got another 5 hours to sit in there and work on more numbers!!!

There are millions of so called 'office slaves' who are married to their 9 to 5 jobs wishing they had something better, but don't think they have any other option than to suck it up and stay in those jobs for the fear of becoming jobless and not having money in the bank and becoming broke and also the thought of going through ALL the education, spending ALL that money and time to finally get that JOB and still not be happy with it.

In a nutshell, no matter what degree you hold or years of experience you have, everybody is in the same cycle of working 9 to 5 or 9 to 7 shifts or even longer for some folks and just have two short days called the WEEKEND which feels like it just passes too quickly. Our minds take one day to recover from the hard working week and then as soon as Sunday hits, the dreaded thought of another exhausting week begins to creep up in your mind which leaves you with an unhappy feeling all over again!!

We all like saying TGIF! with a smiley face at the end you see on social networks and people tweeting it by the end of every week and I'm sure most would agree that Sundays are the worst and it should be called ONIS! (OH NO It's Sunday!... with a frown face attached to it!) and we continue living in this cycle over and over again but inside of us wanting to be free and just wishing that it would change one day, but don't get me wrong, the money is good if you are earning a six figure income, but you just can't enjoy it the way you want to because of the lack of time and that leaves a lot of frustrated folks wanting better in life.

It doesn't really have to be that way if you know what I mean. The rat race of the Industrial Era is slowly dwindling to a new growing trend which we now call the 'Digital Era' or the Information Age. The internet boom and the online industry has taken a new route in the world of business and has been generating trillions of dollars in revenue over the past 20 years or so. According to eMarketer, a market research firm, projects consumers worldwide will spend $1.672 trillion online this year and the global market is growing in an alarming rate and not to mention, hundreds of thousands of Dot com earners who are reaping the benefits from this new and emerging industry.

So why are we still stuck in the dark ages of working the traditional 9 to 5 jobs when others are earning six figure incomes from home working on the internet and spending nearly half the time working and getting all the time to travel and enjoy family life at the same time?

The concept of using internet marketing strategies to generate profitable income streams is a lucrative business and not everybody understands how it actually works and requires in depth research and knowledge to implement it effectively. The owners of websites like Huffington Post, Techcrunch, Mashable and Life Hacker to name some, generate millions of dollars in revenue. The age of Digital Marketing seems to be the new future for some and it is growing as more people are getting access to the internet through a multitude of devices that are available in the market and more businesses have their products sold online than ever before.

As for those folks who want to take a dive into the world of Internet and Online marketing or Digital marketing, then it is the time to take advantage of this new wave and it is here to stay for the long haul, so why not take a shot at it and end up having the kind of income, family time and vacation that you always dreamed of?... What do you think?... is this worth it?

Ask yourselves and figure out what you really want in your life!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Fahad_Taher/2303298

Catch 'Em Young: Should Entrepreneurship Be Taught in Schools?

Just a few days ago I was reading a column by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman in which he stresses upon the need to get millions of American kids, not just the bright ones, excited about innovation and entrepreneurship again. This in order to prepare a million new businesses that won't simply give brief roadway occupations, but steady jobs that keep America on the cutting edge. To accomplish that, Friedman further made a suggestion - ensure every American kid knows about National Lab Day, get the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship to every middle and high school teacher and bring every classroom to view the documentary movie "Ten9Eight".

Though a little dated (first published in NY Times in 2010), it found resonance (most parts of it) with me especially in these times of the much talked about demographic dividend, creating more jobs and the craze for startups in India. Friedman clearly was alluding to getting younger people in school, into the fold of entrepreneurship and being "innovation ready" - meaning that along with their mortarboards, they receive the critical-thinking, co-creation and multi-tasking abilities and collaboration skills that will help them invent their own careers and in turn create more jobs.

Friedman's viewpoint provides cues to deal with India's current manpower story. By 2020, about 60% of India's population of 1.3 bn will be in the working age group of 15-59 years. It is estimated that by 2025, India will have 25% of the world's total workforce.

India it seems, can also do well to engage with teaching entrepreneurship in schools, in order to build bridges between the young minds of today and job seekers of tomorrow. Various surveys have highlighted the need of teaching entrepreneurship from school level in order to create a competitive workforce which is beyond grades.

Experts argue that unless we introduce entrepreneurship as a school subject - like math, science history or geography - most young minds would remain unmindful of an undeniable fact for long, that jobs are best created, not consumed. According to Steve Mariotti, if entrepreneurship education can create jobs, encourage students to stay in school, and provide economic rescue for people in low-income communities, why aren't we teaching it in every school.

Many are of the perspective that entrepreneurship learning- how to identify opportunities, how to work around issues, how to encourage innovation, how to overcome barriers, how to form winning teams, how to place risk in context, how to balance a mix of innovation and tradition, how to develop social, emotional and vocational skills- is best taught in the formative years of education. Some of the leading experts are also of the view that teaching entrepreneurship from a school level can be the long haul blue print for the most ambitious Make in India campaign.

Meanwhile, the government too has been quick to realize that entrepreneurship is one of the answers to sustained economic growth and job creation.. Efforts are being made to introduce entrepreneurship at the high school level, by offering it as an optional vocational subject in classes XI and XII by the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Some schools in India have already taken the step forward in integrating entrepreneurial and life skills development into formal school curriculum at the elementary level.

However, the path to taking entrepreneurship to schools is paved with unique challenges. Given the barriers of the Indian education system it is important to address concerns like curriculum design, trained teachers, should it be optional or mandatory, should it be in-house or outsourced among others.

Whether entrepreneurship should be taught in schools may remain a moot point for a while but unless we develop a comprehensive ecosystem and an entrepreneurial mindset starting from school all the way up to the industry, we may remain a country of job seekers. Watching "Ten9Eight" meanwhile may not be a bad idea after all.

Wadhwani Foundation

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Atul_Raja/2224543

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/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Raymond_Comba_Mvuria/2317871

Women Entrepreneurship

'Women entrepreneurship' is like a discipline for a child that begins at home. Women have been entrepreneurs in different ways. A house wife is an entrepreneur as she manages her time, strategizes and plans on ways to secures her children's future, passionate about her home and family and wears so many more different hats for a successful life.

Today, we have given it a name "Entrepreneur" as she steps out into the arena. In today's world, women have scaled greater heights in different industries.

Women entrepreneurs have to find a balance economically and financially both, home front and career. It is always a great idea to be active and inculcate a habit to be part of local networks of women entrepreneurs. This helps to enhance the role of women entrepreneurship, where their self owned business involves directly the policy makers at local, regional and national levels.

Women play a very important and vital role in every aspect of life thereby needs a great balance between work, personal life, family life and social life.

The main reason for most start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures to fail are the operational costs and overheads thereby directly affecting sustainability.

Kinderdance adds its value to increase the awareness of the need to create the appropriate framework conditions, both at national and local levels, to foster and support women's entrepreneurship (measures to facilitate women's access to entrepreneurship, e.g., education and training, facilities to balance work and family life, access to finance, access to networks, etc.). Women entrepreneurs contribute a great deal and can make to local economic and social development.

Women entrepreneurs unlike a struggle before have been accepted and encouraged by extended support from the family and friends. Awareness through media and parents in today's world wanting the best for their children, irrespective of a girl or a boy has helped in increasing numbers of women entrepreneurs. There is a segment though that is still conservative and with the way the Indians are adapting to the western culture, it is not going to be too long to overcome such social pressures.

It is always a great start for any woman who organizes herself and is able to dedicate to it with passion, seek opportunities and aggressively bonds with her decision making. I strongly believe the "Persistence is the key to success. When you are 100% passionate about the product and 10 times more passionate about the business concept, you are in the right direction".

Wadhwani Foundation

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Atul_Raja/2224543

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

How To Stay Alert And Aware As An Entrepreneur

What makes a successful entrepreneur? Of course, the answer to that is many different things but one of them is definitely their ability to know what is going on within their own industry, within the world of business in general and especially with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.

Successful business owners keep up on what is going on and stay informed of the latest trends, market shifts and opportunities so that they can take any advantage they can get to make their business grow. So, how they stay in the loop so successfully?

#1 Successful Entrepreneurs Talk to Other Entrepreneurs

People there in business for themselves don't exist in a vacuum. Besides their customers, suppliers and all of the other support systems that they have around their business, they also have friends and colleagues that are also entrepreneurs and keeping up with these people is one of the best ways that they have a staying informed.

Whatever the virtual water cooler happens to be of these entrepreneurs - usually a forum or social media network - they share information, give advice and keep each other updated about entrepreneurship.

#2 Successful Entrepreneurs Read (A Lot!)

One thing that you will notice about those successful in the business world is they tend to read publications, websites or even social media posts about their business - and that includes books by some of the most successful motivational authors.

The successful people like to stay informed and they like to learn new things. There is so much information on the Internet that you could spend decades learning about a subject and still not know everything about it and being as informed as possible is equal to being as successful as possible.

#3 Successful Entrepreneurs Use The Insider Intel To Improve Their Business

All this information that they gather isn't just going to sit stagnant, either. They are going to use this information to improve their business, increase their revenue or bring in more customers. Successful entrepreneurs know when they learned something useful and work to implement it as quickly as possible.

#4 Successful Entrepreneurs Help Others Succeed Too

Another thing that you'll see is that the more successful entrepreneurs they become, the more willing they are to help other people succeed at the same time. They have been where the budding entrepreneurs currently are and remember what it was like to enter the fray with only the basics. Most successful entrepreneurs are more than willing to share their knowledge and mentor the newbies.

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Lessons Learned From Business Failures

It's been a little while since the last article due to taking on a project that I never should have taken, but nonetheless was great for maturing me both professionally and personally. I thus give much appreciation to the entity that gave me the opportunity to grow in these ways although things did not work out for the long-term. While reflecting on my time on this project and the lessons learned from experiencing stress in some pretty interesting scenarios, I thought about the multiple failed attempts at business ownership that I've experienced and was ultimately motivated to share some lessons learned from them.

$$$ should not Be a Primary Motivator
Up front, I will cede the point that $$$ is a vital factor in any business endeavor and without it or a lack of it from poor management will lead to business failure and personal loss to some degree. In saying this, I would strongly state that your business motivation should not come from $$$ because you will miss one of the true foundations of any successful business: focus on keeping the customers satisfied and offer products / services that help customers solve problems and enjoy life optimally. Instead of being inward focused in terms of generating revenue and cash flow, you should become other's focused and be motivated by the solutions and joy your products / services give to your customers.

It's Not About Maximizing Every Opportunity; It's About the Context of the Opportunity
Here's my point here: all opportunity is not your opportunity. You should learn and discipline yourself to undertake opportunities in which you understand the context. Webster's Dictionary defines "context" simply as environment or setting. In other words, before jumping into business endeavors that look and sound great on the surface, take the time to 'tear apart' or 'stress test' it. Not to get too saddled down into analysis, dig in enough into the opportunity to know (if possible) the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. Take the time to understand the setting and especially its connection to where you are both professionally and personally. Don't be a rabbit chasing many trails, instead be like the tortoise and move with purpose and a committed determination to finish what you start.

Listen To But Be Not Motivated By Group Think
This one is truly colossal and to me the most important. We are by nature drawn and influenced by the company we keep, listen to, or follow. It's no different in business. True, we need others especially those who have gone before us and accomplished feats we only wish to attain to. What we forget most though is that we all take different roads to reach the end. One person's walk will more than likely be different than the next person's and that's OK. Some of the best lessons I've learned about business have been when I've ventured off the path of group think, not because I'm a rebel, but because I reacted and responded to circumstances as only I could or essentially because of the way I'm wired.

I encourage those who operate businesses or who desire to operate a business to embrace the journey and take action to serve customers in an 'other's' perspective and create / offer products / services that solve problems and help others enjoy life more.

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Entrepreneurship Misconceptions

Don't let what others think about entrepreneurs hold you back from greatness,

Misconception is a thought or opinion that is incorrect based on the faulty thinking or understanding of people. Here, we want to clarify some of the misconceptions in entrepreneurship.

They work for money

Entrepreneurship isn't all about money, it's about solving problems for people and love what they do. Also, it's about creating a name for themselves and making a positive impact in the world.

Money is also a way to do bigger and more exciting deals. The motivation of a new idea, and the risks involved have far more power to motivate the entrepreneurial spirit than money. In entrepreneurship, your business and success become an obsession not the money.

They lack courage

I've never seen anyone that is as courageous as an entrepreneur.

It takes courage to forego the predictability of a corporate job, It takes courage to take the risk of failure, It takes courage to make your dreams into reality.

And it takes courage, lots of it to hand over the reins when your startup grows beyond your ability to manage it.

That's why entrepreneurs are rightly the true heroes of our modern world.

They are professionals

Most successful entrepreneurs are not highly qualified fellows, but are success driven. Surprisingly, attending an elite university or higher education doesn't provide a significant advantage in entrepreneurship. What matters is that the entrepreneur gains a degree; the choice of major or college doesn't play a big role in success. However, the greater the education of the entrepreneur, the lower the rate of business failure and the higher the business's profits, sales and employment.

They sometimes have overnight success

It may seem to you that entrepreneurs made the huge amount of money, but do you know that there is a lot of handwork before he made it.

Overnight success is possible; entrepreneurs are inspired to start their own business by witnessing successful and established entrepreneurs. They study the success stories, the beginning of those success stories, which often includes massive struggle prior to the breakthroughs. As a matter of Fact, it takes years to become an overnight success in entrepreneurship!

Many entrepreneurs needlessly worry that they haven't perfected their ideas. No idea is ever perfect. When you have an idea, go ahead and build a prototype or two, tinker with what works, make refinements as necessary, but by all means get it out there! You can always improve on a good idea. Let the market help you improve.

You don't have to be a Harvard graduate to be an entrepreneur, but you do need to understand the characteristics of entrepreneurial. See you at the top!

Femi Adefioye is an Investor, A business man and Internet marketer, a motivational speaker, a financial consultant. He is also an Analyst. He has wealth creation blog http://entrepreneurship-skills.blogspot.com where he writes life transforming articles on entrepreneurship and wealth themes.

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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 has in common:

Doggedness.

The ability to be persistent in time of trial. Not every business will achieve that immediate success. The determination, knowing how to handle the ups and down is vital. Success does not happen overnight, some of those successful entrepreneurs out there failed again and again before finally achieving that remarkable success. Winston Churchill said: "success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm". What you need to know is that failure isn't the end but a step closer to achieving that success. This skill enables the entrepreneur to keep going when the outlook is bleak.

Stay Focused.

You have to be ready to give it all it takes, when success in the business is your priority, you will find yourself ready to tackle any kind of challenges along the way. After setting a goal, knowing how to "laser focus" on the very next step to get closer to the ultimate goal. There are so many distracting forces when trying to build a business that this skill is not easy to master.

Productivity.

This is a sensitive topic, the fact is there is no one right way to be productive that works for everybody. Learn about your peak energy times, your routines, and the productivity tools that work for you in order to create your own plan for success.

Sales.

Some entrepreneurs get stuck here, every entrepreneur is a sales person whether they want to be or not. They are either selling their ideas, products or services to customers, investors or employees. They work to be there when customers are ready to buy. Alternately, they know how to let go and move on when they are not. If you're always nervous about selling, try enrolling in a sales workshop to learn this much needed skill.

The ability to manage people.

You need to know how to manage people well. Early on in your business, you will be everyone's manager, so it pays to be effective. Entrepreneurs should know how to motivate and encourage the employees. Only by learning to leverage employees, vendors and other resources will an entrepreneur build a scalable company. They need to learn to network to meet the right people. Entrepreneurs strive to guarantee they will get honest and timely feedback from all these sources.

Adapting to change.

Change they say is constant! Successful entrepreneurs realize they don't know everything and the market is constantly changing. You have to be willing to go with the trend or change. You know what brilliant entrepreneurs does? They stay up to date on new systems, technology, and industry trends.

Strategy implementation.

You need to dedicate your time to simply dreaming about what you want for your business. Where would you like to take it? What's your vision for it? Now, how can you get there from here? Set your goals, and then develop an actionable plan to make them a reality. Then, don't forget about those goals. Keep them at the front and center to everything you do.

Take your time.

You don't need to rush things. Most entrepreneurs are not patient; they sometimes focus only on what comes next, rather than where the company needs to go. Overnight success may take 5 years or more. Entrepreneurs need to stop, pause and plan again at several intervals. Take a step at a time!

Don't be discouraged, you can learn some of these skills. Your eventual success depends on it.

See you at the top!

Femi Adefioye is a financial consultant. He is also an Analyst. He has a wealth creation blog http://entrepreneurship-skills.blogspot.com where he writes life transforming articles on entrepreneurship and wealth themes.

Notice - You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author's name, bio and website links must remain intact, active and included with every reproduction.

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8 Golden Success Secrets for Small Businesses

Running a small business is as challenging as trekking to Mt. Everest without having oxygen cylinder, prior practice, and a valid map guide. The challenges are only because there are no authentic rules that can lead a small business towards success while other major obstacles comprise: low budget, limited manpower, and lack of efficient resources. But as a small business owner, you must delve into the passcodes that help you decode the secret patterns of operating a successful startup or small business. It not only helps you to sustain your current growth but also excel your business planning's to achieve higher objectives. There are a few suggestions based on real-world experiences, which can assist you to hit the bull's eye.

1- Utilize the power of social media:

Nowadays, the entire world revolves around social media and if you are able to use its full potential, it can immediately help you increase your sales and brand reputation with very minimum resource and effort. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, help you connect with a large scale of users, where you can directly interact with them, thereby allowing you to convert them into your potential clients. It forms a two-way channel that not only allows you to put your message across but also, listen to what your targeted audience want, which eventually goes a long way in improving and growing your business.

2- Research and analyze your competition:

A business turns to be successful only if it runs on some finely grinned facts and figures. And competition analysis is one of the most important elements of the process. Competition analysis tells you the strength you will require to establish your brand in the market as well as it helps to prepare your business planning adequately so that you could avoid the chances of business failure. An additional benefit of competition research is it allows for designing and developing more feasible and user-oriented products that eventually help you attain a competitive edge over the current market.

3- Work as per your plan but be flexible too:

Efficient planning is a roadmap that drives your business to the top in the long run with predefined routes. It is always advised to stick with our planning even if we face a few hurdles while running our business given that the strategies are designed after in-depth analysis. And day-to-day challenges should not incline you to alter with whatever you planned. The winners always back their business plannings regardless of the stiff challenges, but on the other side, a successful business requires the owner to be flexible enough to embrace new changes. Adapting the new ideas and concepts not only makes a business owner take smart decisions but also, keeps their core planning intact and fresh.

4- Use informative materials to build trust and loyalty:

The Internet is the best medium to reach out to the huge audience with less effort, but you should keep the fact in mind that there is already a heavy flow of advertisements and endorsements all over the web. So, what can be an efficient way to create our presence with a significant impact?

There are definitely some better ways to do it like using informative online materials such as well-written blogs, well-designed infographics, animated videos demonstrating some set of skills, and presentation sheets, etc. Following such practices will attract a huge mass to our platform to learn and engage with us, which gives a sense of trust and ultimately convert them into our long-term clients.

5- Hire your weaknesses:

A small business consists of a team of limited dedicated professionals, having different skill sets of all the corners to tackle most of the business requirements. Small businesses, sometimes, compromise in some crucial areas since they can't hire specific individuals due to the lack of budget. To get your business positioned to the top, please don't bear with your inefficient area. Rush into hiring experienced professional(s) so that all parts of your business fire with the same intensity.

6- Be ready for mergers and acquisitions:

Even after working with your full potential, you may not generate enough force to compete with the leading competitors. Other small businesses with the same concept may face the same situations. Just find them and join in the talks to check the possibilities of the merger to form a combined force, which can provide the required pace and power to achieve the common business goals. Mergers have a long, rich history of producing successful businesses, so don't shy away with it. Similarly, business acquisitions are a noble idea to inject more strength to our business if budget allows us to do so.

7- Keep the quality service always on:

Quality service is the most important source that keeps your client for a longer period of time and it spreads huge positive feedbacks in the mass, driving in a large number of new clients. There have been more than just a few businesses reaching to the top just on the base of excellent service and even without spending a bomb on advertisements and business promotions. While there are other businesses which have failed miserably because of giving no importance to the quality of the services they provided. All in all, having the sound quality of the products/services is the key to succeeding in today's cut throat competition.

8- Don't give up:

Running a successful business is not a child's play since it requires a lot of guts, courage, and risk-taking capabilities. It, sometimes, shakes your ambitions when going through some rough patches, and you need to have the burning desires within you to keep it alive. Keeping patience is also an important character that the small business owner must have, as the formation of a business and climb the ladder of success, demands to wait for long period of time. So, as a business owner, you need to instill never give up attitude to see your dreams come true!!

Summing it up, though the above-mentioned points are not entirely foolproof but yes, following these points will definitely help you to become a smart small business owner who can defy all the challenges and get on the top of the competition. Of Course, the chances of success or failure of your business completely depends on your planning and execution.

Tina Smith is an accountant with SageNext Infotech. She is having expertise in project management, accounting operations. With SageNext, she consults the client accountants about the benefits of Sage 50 hosting. SageNext is a leading QuickBooks hosting provider, dealing in all kinds of tax and accounting application hosting.

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What You're Doing Wrong As An Entrepreneur Or In Your Small Business

Business owners and entrepreneurs are not always good at asking for help. Be honest, when did you last reach out to someone? Perhaps this is the reason why they are entrepreneurs in the first place. Business owners are self motivated and self reliant. But if you're operating a business in this way, it could be the one thing which stands in the way of progress.

Entrepreneurs are hard workers too and will work hard in areas which many people wouldn't consider. They look forward to the long term effects of their actions rather than for immediate rewards. Often business owners have built up their businesses over many years of difficulties and sacrifice.

However, thinking into the cause and effects of all this work there is one thing in common: you. As the 'owner' of a business it can be easy to become complacent. Perhaps business growth isn't what it should be? You are always the limiting factor in your life. Unless you are growing, your business isn't.

If you keep operating from the belief that you know everything, you will always keep getting the same results in your business, and in your life. Growing in awareness and developing your self along with your business is what smart entrepreneurs do.

Working Hard And Smart

It can be easy to run things 'as you've always run things'. You can get stuck in a mode of operation, especially if you're largely on your own. But working hard and working smart are not the same things. You need to get smart about working hard if you are to make any progress. Don't become a 'busy fool' doing those things which you have always done, just because it's always been that way.

Smart business owners know this, and work hard at learning what the best activities are to move their business forward. This 'trap' of working as a 'technician' in the role of an entrepreneur is easy to fall into. This is especially true if you have recently 'graduated' from a role as an employee to that of an 'owner'.

The role of an employee is to listen to your boss and do the best for them. You are paid by the hour, or for work done. An owner on the other hand isn't paid for their time. They get paid when the business makes a profit. As such this is an entirely different role. Ask yourself whether you are playing a 'technician' role in your business. Should you be doing things differently? Can someone else be employed to do what you are doing? If so the answer should seem obvious. Your role should be the 'driving engine' of the business, the overseer and the planner.

Smart Advertising

Advertising is the 'engine' of your business. If cash is the 'life blood' of your business, advertising is the heart beat. Without a successful and progressive advertising campaign, your business will at best stand still. If you're standing still while other competing businesses move forward, you're effectively moving backwards.

Today we are lucky to have the internet as a source of advertising. We can reach anyone globally and target them down to their preferences, intent and geographical location. Platforms like Google's AdWords and Facebook advertising let us 'follow' our potential customers around the internet. Should someone land on our website and not purchase, we can remind them of our business later on. The advertising available to business owners today is very clever, and we should definitely be capitalizing on it.

Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay per click advertising is one of the best things to come out of the internet for business owners. Many owners doubt the effectiveness of pay per click advertising, but this is only because they don't understand it properly, or it's potential to massively change their business.

Initially pay per click should be tested and measured. Only by testing and measuring each element of an advertising campaign can you effectively 'tweek' it and learn which elements work best for your customers. If you run a campaign but don't measure it, how can you know if it brought you any customers?

The ROI

Knowing the return on investment (ROI) of any advertising campaign is a game changer. Many owners get this wrong because they only look at the initial sale. But once you can effectively determine the long term return on investment, you will start to see why it is so important to use paid advertising.

Paid advertising is effectively buying new customers. If your business model lets you earn again and again from each customer, your long term gain from a loyal customer is far more than you might spend to attain that customer. By altering your paid for advertising to reduce your cost and increase your ROI over time, you can find yourself in the nice position of being able to scale up.

Working Against Yourself

We are predisposed to think that spending is wasteful. In terms of 'smart' advertising the opposite is true. Of course you don't start out by spending huge amounts on your pay per click campaign. You start small and only increase your budget when you see tangible results and profitable ones at that.

But the main sticking point is the contrasting viewpoint that we need to 'cut back' while at the same time wanting to expand our businesses. This is a contradiction and although this is based in safety and reasonableness, your long term goal should be to be spending more and more on advertising as your business grows.

How do you feel about that? Most likely you want to spend less and less over the course of time. However, with pay per click advertising, once you have developed your adverts to pay out double what you put in, the only reasonable decision is to increase the budget.

So initially you might tentatively spend some money on advertising, see some results and then stop your adverts. This is especially true if you don't see any tangible benefit of advertising. Most people will give up too early.

Start small with a budget you can afford to lose. Test your adverts with several different strategies, keywords, images and landing pages. By cross testing adverts you can more effectively determine which ones work the best.

Once you have done this for long enough, you will see the power of pay per click. This puts you in charge of your business. Once you have one profitable campaign set up, you can simply leave it running. Then you can move on to another one and another one. This of course takes time but this strategy puts you in the driving seat of your business and eventually will mean you can grow your business more effectively.

This is smart work. This should be the focus of your time if you intend to grow your business.

Relying on free advertising methods or 'word of mouth' advertising doesn't put you in control, however valuable those methods might be.

Being a 'technician' in your business should be the work of a manager or an employee, not the business owner. As an owner, your job is to grow your business.

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Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tim_Halloran/488644

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