Top Sources for Financing Your Business

Are you a fresh entrepreneur? Are you looking for funding ideas for your business? Here are a few ideas which will help you to fund your business:

Angel Equity - If you want to get your company to make some real progress then find a person who is an executive in the respective industry to invest in your company. He should be ready to give you venture credibility compared to other companies and start-ups.

Smart Leases - Taking fixed assets on lease basis helps preserve cash for working capital i.e., to cover up inventory and so on. It is usually tough to get financial help for an unconfirmed business.
Bank Loans - Banks are similar to supermarket of liability financing. Banks usually provide short-term, mid-term and also long-term financing according to your requirement. They provide funding for all kind of needs such as equipment, working capital, and also real estate. With this you can of course generate sufficient funding to cover the interest payments and also give back the principal amount.

State and local economic development authority - The state or local economic-development organizations may enticingly charge low rate of interest while providing funds along with a bank.
Customers - Taking advance payments from clients and assuring to provide them service assuming the conditions are not too burdensome and can provide you the funding you require. At a comparatively low cost, you can keep growing your business. But also remember advances exhibit a certain level of commitment.

Vendors - You can take funding from your vendors or suppliers. In this way your financers do not control your business but you do. Make sure to subject yourself to a handful of authoritative supplies.
Family and friends - Friends and family can be the most indulgent investors if you are lucky enough. They will not ask you to pledge your house and some might even agree on low interest rates.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants - Clearing through all the paper-work process and SBIR grants is a great method to seizure your intellectual idea into great money.

Tax Increment financing - TIF grants are generally geared to the development of real estate in a few areas. These grants can be as high as 20% to 30% of the price of the project depending on the area.
Internal Revenue Service - IRS does not do funding. It helps you to reduce your expenses. It evaluates if you can use your profit to expand your business if you pay high amount of taxes.
Bootstrapping - Most of the billion dollar entrepreneurs do not rely on financers for funding so that they can control their business and not their investors.

Need an inheritance funding company? Contact our experts!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rajesh_B_Sanghvi/1284637

An Overview of Seller Financing

Almost 90% of business owners have never sold a business before. So if you are at the start of your research on how to sell your business and haven't got a clue where to start, likely you are not alone. One of the many terms thrown around in discussions surrounding business acquisitions or business sales is seller financing. This term is one that almost immediately solicits a negative reaction from most sellers, but it should not be feared! It should be learned and understood as a tool to help sell your business.

The majority of businesses that sell today include some percentage of owner financing. With a rejection rate of about 80%, the SBA application process is often not an option for many businesses and buyers. Businesses that advertise seller financing along with their sale generate significantly more inquiries as well as a 15% higher sale price (estimation provided by Bizbuysell.com). There are many benefits, as well as some risk, to seller financing, so it is important that both the buyer and seller feel comfortable in the transaction.

In the following discussion, I will address common questions related to the subject of seller financing in hopes of opening up the discussion for future sellers and their buyers.

What is Seller Financing?

Seller financing is a loan provided by the current owner of a business to the new owner of said business.

Why Seller Financing?

Buyers negotiate seller financing for a number of reasons. First, they may be unable to afford the business at the full asking price. Second, the business transaction, as is, will not qualify for a traditional loan. Finally, there may be a level of uncertainty that the business will continue to be successful without the previous owner at its helm. So an owner's willingness to finance a portion of the sale often gives that business an edge over the competition, by removing some of the buyer's uncertainty.

How is the Seller Protected?

It is important for a seller financed transaction to be handled by professionals who can offer advice and construct documents that protect both the buyer's and seller's interests. Typically, a promissory note is drawn up that illustrates the details of the agreement. This note includes the recourse that the seller can take if a buyer defaults on the note. In the sale of a small business, the most likely scenario is that the seller would have the right to take their previously owned business back into their possession. Additional recourse avenues could be using the assets of the business as collateral or using a personal guarantee from the buyer. Utilizing a professional advisor to construct the terms of the promissory note will ensure that recourse actions are well structured.

What Other Terms Are Outlined in the Promissory Note?

The terms of the note are constructed in order to give the buyer adequate time to repay the note. Payments must be in an amount that the buyer can afford from the business income while continuing to run the business at an optimal level. The last thing either party wants is for the loan terms to constrict the buyer and eventually put them out of business. For this reason, the term length of seller financing varies depending on factors including: size of the loan, revenue of the business and the capital investment of the buyer. The interest rate charged on a seller financing note is typically in line with current banking rates.

Author: Al Fialkovich, Managing Director of Transworld Denver

If you are considering the sale of your business or have further questions on the subject of seller financing, please visit our website.

This article was written by Al Fialkovich, the Managing Director of Transworld Business Advisors of Denver. Transworld is the top business brokerage firm in Colorado. Our team of business brokers have the most and widest range of business listings for sale, inclusive of 100+ listings annually. Our service area covers the state of Colorado, focusing on the Denver Metro, Boulder and Golden areas. We assist visionary entrepreneurs in buying a business or selling a business in Colorado, specializing in helping family-owned and closely held businesses with their strategic plans for the future.

info@tworlddenver.com I (720) 259.5099 I http://www.tworlddenver.com Transworld Business Advisors of Denver ©

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Al_Fialkovich/2396253

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

2 Reasons Why Business Plans Will Never Disappear

After graduating with an MBA, I thought I had figured out the way to ensure entrepreneurial business success. Up to this time, I had failed twice in operating a pair of businesses (an online travel agency and a network marketing business). One of the things that I did not value during this time was having a clear and focused plan. The courses I took taught me about business plans, but did not make clear the value of having a comprehensive. Over ten years later and various opportunities of working with and for entrepreneurs in addition to operating a consulting business, I've come to realize that without a clear and focused business plan, the owner and / or investor is well on his or her way to a quick dissolution and a possible material decrease in personal net worth. The purpose of this article is to reinforce the importance of taking the time to create a solid business plan and initiating the action to make it a reality.

Reason 1: Is the Business Opportunity Valid?

Too many times I've had the unfortunate privilege of talking about entrepreneurial opportunities with aspiring business owners with the only goal being the desire to make money. Don't get me wrong, making money is great provided the motivation is right. Making money for the sake of having it only is a dead-end plan.

The business plan motivates one to give critical thought and time to a viable market opportunity that truly provides a solution to either a pain or need in the market. What judges whether a market opportunity is valid or not depends on the ability of the business owner to prove market demand. The best method of proving market demand is to disclose actual sales. The only way to prove a business's ability to maintain for the long-term is to disclose a sustainable sales track record.

Reason 2: Where is the Business Going?

In addition to being able to prove the business idea viability by having sustainable actual sales, the business owner needs to have an objective for operating the business. No one just starts and operates a business for the kicks and giggles of it. Either as a way to build and extract personal wealth or as a manifestation of a life long calling, the business represents a vehicle for one to achieve an ideal goal.

The business plan provides a framework for one to disclose to investors, employees, and other important components of the business why it exists and where it's going. I've learned that the business plan is a moving document in that it's always in a state of revision. As the business continues to operate, it will achieve and overcome its initial goals. As time progresses and the market changes, the business will revise and updates its reason for existence.

jerichobizfinance.com is an online platform that specializes in providing expert level advice and guidance to the micro entrepreneur in the areas of accounting / finance, operations, management, sales and marketing, human resources, and lending in order to help grow your business and maximize your cash flow.

Please visit http://www.jerichobizfinance.com to learn more.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Pierre_Pinkerton/1809337

How to Win New Clients for Your Business at Zero Cost

One of the most important things you necessarily need to do to grow your business as a coach, speaker and consultant - or if you are into the business of helping people, is to engage what I call "Marketing Partners".

One of the mistakes I made when I newly started in business as a speaker, coach and consultant, was that I tried doing everything by myself.

And the consequence was that I was worn out, I was stressed and could not get the results I truly desired. Not until I heard about "marketing partners" also known as Joint Venture Partners.

Marketing Partners are those individuals, professionals or organization/businesses who already have relationships with the people you want to attract to your business.

You want to look for those businesses that already have a database of the kind of people you want to attract to your business. Then you build relationship with them, and after a period of time, you approach them and they then introduce what you do to their database, promoting you to their contacts/networks often for FREE.

This is an easy low to no-cost marketing strategy you can use to build a steady stream of new clients with minimal effort and no stress!

So what you want to do, when you go to networking meetings or you live in an area where you can connect with other businesses or experts, who already have relationships with your desired target audience or clients.

You want to identify at least five of them - and go out to get and write down their names and contact details (especially email address and phone numbers).

Next you want to figure out what it is you can do that will benefit them? How can you create value for them?

This is important because you first of all want to go out to them and be of tangible, useful value of them in a manner that makes them appreciate and acknowledge you.

Look for what you can do to serve them first.

Once you've gotten a clear idea of how to do that, make your move to connect with them and present your (hopefully irresistibly packaged) offer.

For instance you could recommend people to them, or share ideas with them or just anything that will help them do what they do better.

You would do this so well that they would begin to feel a drive or hunger to find ways to do something on their part that will benefit you in return.

So, let me end by challenging you to go out and commit to looking for Strategic Alliance Partners or Marketing Partners that you can plan and execute Joint Venture marketing campaigns with, to help you build your business.

If you need help making use of the ideas I've shared here, send me a message using the contact form on at http://www.efeohwofasa.com.

Good luck!

PS: This article was written based on a short experience sharing video I did while taking my regular Monday morning walk in the neighbourhood park, where I live here in the United Kingdom. This early morning walk actually helps me feel alive, energized and centred. I recommend you try it - you may find it does you good as well.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Efe_Ohwofasa/2244729

The Power of Leverage - Are You Still Not Using It?

If there's only one skill that wealthy, powerful, high status people use daily to propel their successes, that will be their ability to leverage.

It's a fact of life that no one can do it all.

No matter how smart, intelligent, insightful, capable, influential, good-looking, charming, charismatic, beautiful, elegant you are, you will NOT achieve your highest point of life on your own.

Donald Trump cannot compete in the presidential election without his genius team.

Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins could not have landed on the moon in 1969 without billion dollars of research and investment, a mega team of brilliant scientists, and the support from an entire country.

Bill Gates would not have become the richest man in the world for 17 plus years had he not gained support from his partner Paul Allen back in the days.

These guys all rose to the top by using the power of leverage.

We all have 24 hours, 7 days in a week and 365 days in a year.

There's a limit in human capacity because we can only focus on one thing at a time to produce maximum results.

However, if we tap into the power of leverage, we can influence the world powerfully in a geometric scale instead of a linear scale.

Instead of relying on one's power (which can be powerful with one's strength, persistence, and will to succeed), we need to learn how to replicate ourselves.

It can be leveraging some unexploited ideas which can bring you millions.
It can be leveraging other people's previous work and blend them into something innovative.
It can be leveraging someone's money (aka. crowd funding) and time to turn your ideas into reality.

Leverage simply means you being creative about using external resources more than just your skills, talents and attributes to accomplish more with less time.

You gain a huge advantage when you use these "tools" to lift something you couldn't have done yourself.

When you combine your own awesomeness with the world's effort, knowledge, contacts, credibility, systems, tools, and brainpower, you can lead everyone to a better place.

It's like when you are a conductor of a philharmonic orchestra.

Violins, violas, cellos, double basses, brasses, trumpets, French horns, flutes, kettledrums, xylophones can all produce magnificent pieces of music on their own.

However, when you have the ability to orchestrate these musicians to work together and produce a combined piece of music, this collaborative effort will produce a legendary masterpiece that couldn't have happened alone.

Are you using leverage in your business life? Your earning ability, your mastermind, and your personal growth?

Maybe it's time to shrug off the burden of doing it all by yourself and 10x your productivity my entrepreneurial friend.

Do you REALLY not know the 5 Little Known Ways To Double Your Productivity? Join hundreds of other guys who are already using it right now in my step-by-step free training. Feel free also to check out my value-packed productivity blog here.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Keye_Wu/2314157

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

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/

How To Make Money In 2017

Three tips on how to make money in business in 2017

The year 2017 is already upon us. It is time to start making resolutions and start searching for ways to fulfill these resolutions. Every businessperson makes one common resolution every year, and that is he or she will strive to make more money in 2017 than he or she made in 2016. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being ambitious. Without ambition, no one in the world can prosper. Here are some tips for the business community on how to make money in 2017.

This is the age of digital marketing. Therefore, the top ranking tips should be on this aspect of business. Business entrepreneurs should do well to develop the following digital marketing tips on how to make money.

Analyze data:

In this day and age, Information is easy to obtain. The internet is the biggest asset you have today. Use the internet judiciously to analyze the available data. This data analysis can help you take informed decisions, understand customer preferences, conduct campaigns to ensure customer retention, and a host of other beneficial activities. This is not an optional skill anymore. Digital marketing can be done easily with the right campaign.

Content Marketing:

Manufacturing the best items in the world or providing excellent services cannot guarantee you success on its own. You need an effective marketing campaign to create awareness among the customers. Unless people are aware of your products or services, there is no way they are going to buy them. Therefore, place more emphasis on content marketing. An effective content marketing plan can definitely help you earn more money than you did in 2016.

Master SEO Skills:

The roadmap for success in business in 2017 is the digital route. It is natural to have a tremendous level of competition in this field. You have to be ahead of the rest in order to make more money. Achieving a higher SEO ranking than your nearest competitors on the search engines can ensure that more people access your website. This can obviously result in more inquiries. Automatically, this will convert into a higher number of leads thereby transforming into a higher volume of conversion to business. Of course, you should have the products or the services to match the demand. Otherwise, it would not take much time for your ranking to plummet down too.

We have just seen three tips for you to succeed in business in 2017 and make money.

For more information on how to make money

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marc-Eddy_Drouinaud_Jr/2289154

Business Vision Check-Up

In this highly-charged, energetic world, we're constantly evolving and changing, and our businesses change as a result. And sometimes we're working visions and plans that have become outdated.

Yet, here we are... in the midst of taking action for a plan that no longer fits. Our vision has changed.

In order to make sure your actions are in alignment with your Current Vision, you need to do a periodic Business Vision Check-up. This is a way to check in with what you want to do, what you want to be offering, and then how all that plays out in the next 6-12 months of your business planning, marketing, and promotional calendar.

First, sit quietly. This isn't a quick exercise to go through during the commercial break of your favorite show, or in between scrolling on Facebook. Get yourself ready to hear what your soul has to say. Don't worry if the answers scare you. That's okay. You don't actually have to DO anything right now.

But your soul does want you to listen.

Next, ask yourself the following Business Soul questions. Feel into the answers. Write them down.

• What do you want to be known for? As in, "Oh, you should talk to [YOUR NAME]! She is awesome at _____________."
• Why is that important?
• And why is THAT important? (The idea is to keep going deeper until you come up with something that makes you go, "That's it!!!")
• What is your greater purpose and mission?
• If money, current obligations, contracts, what people might say or think, etc. were no object, what kind of work would you be doing?
• If you could work with ANYONE, who would that be?
• Why?
• Jump ahead to five years. In your wildest dreams, what would you be doing?

You have some very interesting answers, I bet.

Now, answer these questions.

• What can you let go of that is part of your Old Vision? Can it be tweaked, as opposed to thrown completely out the window? (And, by the way, sometimes throwing an idea or project or even a service offering out the window is absolutely what's needed.)
• What kind of products, programs, workshops, retreats, consulting, teaching, mentoring, and other services are more in alignment with the answers from your Business Soul check-in?
• When could you start offering or promoting those? What do you need to make it happen?

You now have the basis for your Current Vision that is in alignment with your Soul Business. This is where things can really be scary, but don't let the fear keep you down. Just note all this, and breathe. You can implement this at any time... today, tomorrow, next year.

Just make sure your vision is as clear as it can be.

Want to see how systems can actually give you freedom, get you more clients, and grow a business that knocks your socks off? Of course, you do! Download your free Business Tree of Life and Sacred Systems Guide at http://www.SmartBusinessFromYourSoul.com.

Entrepreneurs - How to Find Out What Products to Sell

If you want to open a shop or set up a website and am not sure what to sell. Going door to door and asking people is a long-winded way of doing things - there are far better ways of discovering what to sell. First do some initial research:

• Go onto the big sites like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, PreLoved, GumTree, Fivver etc. and see what is selling, what is in demand. Make a list of several categories that you are interested in such as clothing, electrical etc.
• Go through the social media sites - especially the groups and see what is trending and fine tune your categories.
• Use these two operations to narrow down a field of what you might sell - say certain items in household goods.

Now narrow the field down by:
• Seeing what is already being sold, especially by the big sites and/or close by shops. You do not want heavy competition or saturation in the market.
• Checking that suppliers are available that will:
o Sell you small amounts to start with
o And will open up a credit account with you.
• You have some interest in what you can sell. A boring product area for you will tire you out very quickly and you will also lose interest in your company. Entrepreneurship is difficult and time consuming and you need some interest to keep you going.

Now, the most important part of your research - you need to find your market for these potential products.

What you are seeking is a window of opportunity as well as a ready market that will buy what you want to sell at a price you want to sell it at. A window of opportunity is you finding a ready market for what you want to sell. So back to the social media sites, especially the groups. Join in the discussions and see what they think about your potential products. This does NOT mean that you try selling- that is a quick way to get thrown out of the groups. Just generally chat about the interests of the group and use these conversations to fine tune your products.

The last part of your research is to find the price that you can sell your group of products at. This is best done by split testing. Set up some simple adverts on Facebook or Google. Set one up with one price to go to a set landing page and another with a different price to a different landing page. So as not to annoy your potential customers, use different websites and branding if you can. If this is not possible then do some more research and seek out what prices others offer the products at.

Once you have a potential price range then make a detailed check to ensure that you can sell at this price and make a reasonable profit.

Once all this research is undertaken you are ready to start your new business.

If you would like consultancy assistance then The Biz Guru, with 30 years experience, offers Skype based consultancy to assist you with starting your new business. http://www.StartMyNewBusiness.com/consultancy/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lee_Lister/15449