Entrepreneurship 101

In this post I will discuss...Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

If you slapped your forehead and moaned “Well, duh,” at that question, it might be time for you to change your frame of mind.

In your own thinking, you may not see yourself as a true, dyed-in-the-wool, bona fide entrepreneur. If that’s so, then back up a moment and take a closer look.

What is an Entrepreneur?

The reason you don’t think of yourself as an entrepreneur may be because you have a misconstrued idea of that an entrepreneur really is. The most common description that comes to mind is a person who is willing to step out on a limb and take risks; one who exudes confidence; one who is full of courage and high-level energy; one who is tenacious; and one who has an eye for the big picture and is extremely visionary. (Just to name a few commonly thought-of qualities.)

And of course, that description is true. That does paint a good picture of an entrepreneur. Or at least, what we used to think of an entrepreneur. But wait a minute. Something has happened to change all of that. That something just happens to be the Internet – the World Wide Web.

A New Breed

The Internet and all that it has to offer, has birthed an entirely new breed of “online entrepreneurs.” And very few of them possess all of the qualities listed above. In fact, some of them are just the opposite.

Doing business on the Internet has allowed all of the “average Joes” (and Janes) from any location on the globe, to step onto a fairly level playing field and get into the game of running their own business. And they are able to do it without all the stuff like courage, risk-taking, and being visionary. Of course those attributes can help and they are very beneficial. But are they the basic criteria for undertaking an online business opportunity? They are not!

Simple Turn-Key System

There is an endless array of online business opportunities to be found, and many of them are created as a “turn-key” business. All of the hard work has been done. The newbie can step in and work the business and earn while learning. Oftentimes, these turn-key businesses offer a tried and true system which is fairly simple to learn, and fairly simple to operate.

So what about all those lofty qualities that we used to think were imperative to become an entrepreneur? Do they fall by the wayside?

Actually no they don’t. What often happens in these situations, is once the newbie begins to get the feel of being at the helm of a business that is actually earning a fair income, his/her confidence begins to grow.

Surprisingly, some of the qualities that we think of as necessary for being an entrepreneur begin to surface. Voila! They were there all along, but suppressed or stifled. After all, they are muscles that have fallen into disuse. And now they are being used.

Keep an Open Mind

If you keep an open mind, and stand ready to change, grow and adapt, you might be surprised at how strong and tenacious you will become

Will operating an online business suddenly transform you from a mild-mannered Clark-Kent type into a high-flying entrepreneur Superman? Probably not. But it’s safe to say that the more you learn about online marketing and operating an online business, the more of an entrepreneur-type you will become.

And that’s a guarantee!

Make Others Wealthy – Going Clockless

Set Free

A few years ago, Best Buy began a program called “results-only work environment” or ROWE. The concept centered on allowing employees to work, more or less, when and where they chose. Rather than be chained to a time clock or a cubicle, they were set free, much better than having those mandatory meetings, schedules, and tons of traffic. The only requirement was that the work must get done, proving that this concept indeed lead to higher productivity and results.

It was not an edict from management, but rather a movement begun among the employees themselves. And since the company had been plagued for years with employees stress, burnout and high turnover, they didn’t have much to lose by the experiment.

Did it work? The execs at Best Buy report that turnover has dropped drastically, employee satisfaction is up, and amazingly, work production is also way up. Instead of worrying if people are at their desks, focus has changed to whether or not the work is getting done. And the employees love it. Those early birds can get up early and work in their homes. Those who are night owls can get their work completed at two in the morning. Still others work from a hunting cabin on the lake. Who wouldn’t want to work under those conditions? Some have dubbed it “going clockless.”

And needless to say, the concept is spreading fast in Corporate America.

Shackled Employees

Why is such a concept so appealing? And why has it worked so surprisingly well? Because for too long the workplace has been shackled to the early 20^th century concepts of clocking in and clocking out, spawned from the earliest assembly line factories. For too long businesses and corporations quite literally ruled the lives of employees while burdening them with “busy work” such as meaningless corporate meetings, and paper shuffling. There is no satisfaction or gratification in such practices.

It’s because of these out-dated and outmoded practices that so many people today are looking for a “clockless” work life by seeking an online business opportunity. There are a wide variety of opportunities available on the Internet, and for the most part, a high level of techie knowledge is not needed.

From stay-at-home-moms, to burned-out executives, to retired seniors, to aggressive college students, many are turning to the Internet for that clockless way to earn a living. And there is no glass ceiling here. In fact, there is no income ceiling at all. (And there are plenty of Internet Marketing millionaires to prove it.)

Looking for Freedom and Flexibility

Going clockless is only one reason why so many are choosing to be involved in a home-based, online business. People love the fact that the Internet offers such a wide variety of choices such as affiliate marketing, taking online surveys, online shopping malls, drop shipping and direct sales just to mention a few.

The fact that you don’t have to be an expert to get started appeals to many who may not have an earned degree or any type of higher education. Online entrepreneurs express the fact that they enjoy the feeling of independence and being in control of their own destiny.

Online Businesses Offered It First

The truth is, with regard to an Internet Business Opportunity, ROWE has been in effect before Best Buy or anyone else in Corporate America ever even thought of it. And it’s there for the taking for you today.

Just as with the actual “results-only work environment,” there is still work to be done with an online business. But if you discover the just-right vehicle, and if you will apply the needed work, and if you remain diligent and consistent, you too will reap all the benefits of ROWE, with many added bonuses that the employees of Best Buy never dreamed of!

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_50/b4013001.htm

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-237128.html?tag=content;col1

Health and Wealth – More Than Just a Rhyme

A Truthful Ditty

When your grandma was a girl, she probably learned this little verse:

Early to bed and early to rise...Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

This little ditty still holds a lot of merit. Health and wealth do go together. In fact, without health, there may be no wealth. And when health is compromised, oftentimes wisdom goes out the window.

If you’ve ever watched a family lose all their life savings due to a lingering illness, you know this fact firsthand. Perhaps it has happened to you. While you can always make more money, if you lose your health it is extremely difficult to regain that loss.

A Paradox

One of the greatest paradoxes of all times is when people throw caution to the wind and spend all their waking hours seeking after financial gain – and does so at the expense of their health. Perhaps you are not getting enough sleep, or you have unhealthy eating habits. Burning the candle at both ends, working long hours, allowing stress and worry to take control and suffering the results. Perhaps anger, fear, and anxiety have taken over. Soon your body is simply too weak to fight off disease and illness. You will catch everything that is “going around.”

Any wealth that is gained will be spent on medical bills and prescriptions. And if there is no insurance available, that means even more money lost.

When your body is in a weakened condition; be aware that your mind is in a weakened condition as well. How then, can you proceed forward to build a credible, profitable business when you can’t even think clearly?

A Wise Investment

What’s the answer?

It’s time to stop and think of the end result of your present lifestyle. Are you seriously investing in your own health on a daily basis? Or have you left it all to chance? Or worse, have you abused your body with lack of proper rest, lack of proper nutrition, and lack of proper recuperation/restoration periods?

As you rush forward in your quest for – whatever it is, a higher position, higher wages, an established business – have you lost site of the total cost? And if you consider the cost – possibly the loss of your health – will it be worth it in the end?

Vital Element of Health

One of the most vital sources of energy and health is oxygen. And yet so few people take in enough oxygen. A sedentary lifestyle means little or no vital oxygen intake. Just 30 minutes of exercise three times a week, could make an incredible difference in how much oxygen your vital organs receive. And a daily walk costs virtually nothing.

The Perfect Setup

Empty calories – food with no true nutritional value such as potato chips, pastries, soda pop, just to name a few – are a detriment to health and work to weaken all systems of the body. As unbelievable as it sounds, many Americans today suffer from malnutrition. This is not because of lack of food, but too much of the wrong types of food. Too many wrong food choices. Too much saturated fat, too many hydrogenated fats, too much sodium, too much refined sugar, too many calories.

Wrong food choices result in an extremely over-burdened body, and yet supplies very little of the essential vitamins and minerals that are necessary for good health. It’s a perfect setup for illness and disease.

If you are searching for ways to change your life for the better, to enhance your lifestyle and gain lasting wealth, you would do well to begin with the ultimate respect of your own body. Begin a simple exercise routine; determine to eat foods that are high in nutritional value; seek out times of rest and restoration.

Take care of that body. There are no trade-ins available!

Make Others Wealthy Through Coaching

A Guide Through the Maze

Business coaches have become very popular in recent years. What was once thought of as a luxury is now almost a necessity, especially for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are notorious for getting buried in many mundane tasks of running a business, and as a result lose sight of the broader picture. An objective, knowledgeable coach can remedy this by giving a clear perspective and offering guidance and helpful advice.

A coach is, to put it in simple terms, a mentor or guide. As in the field of sports, a good business coach (or mentor) will inspire you to set goals, work hard and meet those goals. That coach will be honest, telling you exactly like it is – whether you want to hear it or not. But on the f lip side, your coach will listen to what you have to say.

Had you ever wished you had someone to guide you through the maze of doing business online? Or did you think that sort of thing was out of your reach? Actually, there are a number of high-quality online business opportunities that offer mentoring as part and parcel of the package.

If you are serious about hooking up with an Internet Business Coach, what are the qualities that are most important. Believe it or not, a degree in business, or even a degree in counseling will not be at the top of the list. You are not looking for a therapist, but rather a guide and teacher.

Here are a few criteria you will want to look for as you seek out your own business coach:

Values

It will be vital that your business coach has a set of values that mirrors your own. This will greatly enhance the relationship.

Belief

You are looking for an individual with a strong core belief system. You want a person who knows who he is and knows where he is going. (Or she – whichever.)

Integrity

Your coach should be a person who is honest enough to tell it like it is; and honest enough to praise and encourage when it is due you.

Unselfish

A business coach who spends most of your phone time talking about herself and her accomplishments means it’s time to look for a new coach. While that person’s experiences will be important and will be of interest to you, remember that you are looking for a caring mentor, not an egotist.

Trust

If there is no basic trust level, then there can be no mentoring. It is extremely difficult to learn from one whom you do not trust. Granted it takes time to build trust, but if it is not forthcoming – look elsewhere.

Referrals/Testimonies

The coach you choose should have a number of referrals from others with whom they have worked. Don’t be shy about asking for these. And then don’t be shy about contacting those other clients and seeking honest answers.

While this is by no means a complete list, it gives you a starting point to use as you seek out your own business mentor.

The Magic Happens

Because your mentor is going to shorten your learning curve immensely, you will be into profits with your online business much more quickly. And, as a result, you yourself will be ready to turn around and mentor and guide others who join your team. It’s sort of magic how it happens that way.

One of the most famous business coaches of all times, Zig Ziglar put it this way:

You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.

And that, in a sentence, is truly what coaching/mentoring is all about. That’s what is meant by the phrase: Make Others Wealthy. Others help you; you turn around and help others. It’s the universal law of sowing and reaping at its best.

Creating Wealth By the Law of Attraction

Undetected Thought Patterns

The Law of Attraction, is a concept that was recently brought into the public eye via the movie, The Secret. However, it’s certainly not a new concept by any means. It’s as old as the law of gravity. It’s one of those behavior systems that we play into either in a good way or a bad way. But nearly always in an undetected way.

Like attracts like, and therefore we are attracting people, situations, and circumstances that are similar to that which we focus upon. If you are by habit a pessimistic person in constant fear that the worst is about to happen, be assured, you will reap the results of that thought pattern. On the other hand, if you constantly believe the best is in store for you, you will draw beneficial opportunities into your life, and you will connect with high caliber, like-minded people.

What is the pattern of your thoughts and attitudes? As was mentioned, unless you make it a point to stop and assess your thinking, these patterns (for good or for bad) will continue totally undetected. And all the time, you will be at the mercy of these hidden repetitive thought patterns.

What You Focus on Expands

Perhaps you are a person who distrusts others. You struggle with the thought that “everyone is out to get me.” This may be a result of many negative relationships from your past. And since whatever you focus on expands, this negative energy which exudes from you will indeed draw those types of circumstances and those types of people. This negative energy will cause you to be critical, fearful, and angry. Victim mentality breeds victim circumstances. This is a constricting spiral that works to pull you down.

Think of a magnifying glass. When you move it over a page of writing, wherever it is “focused” the words grow larger. Likewise, as you focus on negatives, on problems, on adverse circumstances, you are feeding them and allowing them to grow bigger and bigger.

A negative lifestyle is an inverted, small, and often selfish lifestyle. It’s time to break loose and begin turning the law of attraction around to benefit you and all that you attempt to do in life. By harnessing the power of attraction, you can quite literally create the best world for yourself.

You Hold the Power

The secret is to become fully aware of the law of attraction and become pro-active by making it work for you rather than against you. Believe it or not, you are not stuck in the place where you are. You have the power and ability to change your life for the better.

What you need is a plan, you need purpose, and you need a proven working business model that will help to train you as you work through this change. You could do it alone, but the chances of your success increase by working closely with a business coach who knows the process well.

The Law of Attraction, when used correctly, holds incredible power to bring you into a position where you will literally draw the right people into your life. As you become passionate about transforming your life, that passion (a positive energy) will work like a strong magnet to draw like-minded people into your midst. As you consciously put out exactly what you want in return get ready to reap the harvest. By doing so, you will, in effect, chart your own destiny.