Education should be a lifelong process, especially when it comes to your livelihood. The status quo is constantly changing in every industry and these days you cannot afford to be left in the dust.
I want you to look into some tools and resources to help your business. Take charge of your education and see what you can do.
Running a small business takes time, planning, implementation, experimentation and commitment. And once you get an idea off the ground and running, only 44% of small businesses make it past four years. Initial expenses are also extreme and sometimes unexpected; small firms typically spend four and a half times as much per employee to comply with environmental regulations and 67% more per employee on tax compliance than larger companies. The amount of stress surrounding a business owner is incredible and many feel it is soley their burden to bear.
Entrepreneurs are only as strong as the knowledge and support they have behind them. No one gets to the top all alone and one of the greatest resources in the business world are peers. Reading books, articles, blogs or any other public output of information from experts or thought leaders in the field will bring immense benefits. One very helpful resource we used starting out and still read today is www.entrepreneur.com (we recommend "Use Stories to Add Oomph to Your Brand"). The knowledge, insight and motivation gained from reading the work of your peers can push you in the right direction and offer you choices and ideas you didn't know were available.
There are too many uncontrollable aspects of life, but the fate of your business should not be one of them. There are a plethora of options and avenues that can and will help your business become one of a kind and successful; you just need to arm yourself with the right tools.
Let me know if any of these resources have been helpful to you.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Time to Get in the Trenches!
This is sort of a rehash of a previous post but I feel the message is so important that I'm including it again.
With the economic downturn at the front of everyone's mind, it is easy to play it safe in business. We forget that opportunities are constantly arising, no matter where the economy goes. Now is the time to outline some goals and strive to achieve them. Get in the trenches so to speak.
The Great Depression was a time when many fortunes and millionaires were made, despite the state of the economy. Those who prospered took into consideration the challenges of the shifting economy, modifying their products, services and business model. It was a time for serious reflection, and significant innovation.
Some of the ideas and products which came out of the Depression were the electric razor, supermarkets, the chocolate chip cookie, Monopoly and Laundromats. The same was true just a few years ago during the "dot.bomb in 2000. Google began in the mid-nineties and flourished through the dot.bomb as did Amazon. While many companies around them were failing, they found their niche in the market and are two of the most successful internet companies today.
The lesson: During this recession we too need to ask ourselves, "How can I do something better?" and "What do other people need?" in order to emerge successful. Your goal must be to determine: What do you need to achieve in order to really make a difference in your life and the lives of others? By researching and deliberating these simple thoughts you may become the creator of the next big thing.
When times get tough it brings out the best in the best people, i.e. Ruth Wakefield the mastermind behind Toll House Cookies.
We'll get through this economic storm unscathed if we choose to embrace, instead of ignore, the opportunities. Sometimes taking advantage of the opportunities requires cash flow, if you or your clients are sitting on receivables call IFG to help get the cash flowing.
Read more tips for surviving the recession.
With the economic downturn at the front of everyone's mind, it is easy to play it safe in business. We forget that opportunities are constantly arising, no matter where the economy goes. Now is the time to outline some goals and strive to achieve them. Get in the trenches so to speak.
The Great Depression was a time when many fortunes and millionaires were made, despite the state of the economy. Those who prospered took into consideration the challenges of the shifting economy, modifying their products, services and business model. It was a time for serious reflection, and significant innovation.
Some of the ideas and products which came out of the Depression were the electric razor, supermarkets, the chocolate chip cookie, Monopoly and Laundromats. The same was true just a few years ago during the "dot.bomb in 2000. Google began in the mid-nineties and flourished through the dot.bomb as did Amazon. While many companies around them were failing, they found their niche in the market and are two of the most successful internet companies today.
The lesson: During this recession we too need to ask ourselves, "How can I do something better?" and "What do other people need?" in order to emerge successful. Your goal must be to determine: What do you need to achieve in order to really make a difference in your life and the lives of others? By researching and deliberating these simple thoughts you may become the creator of the next big thing.
When times get tough it brings out the best in the best people, i.e. Ruth Wakefield the mastermind behind Toll House Cookies.
We'll get through this economic storm unscathed if we choose to embrace, instead of ignore, the opportunities. Sometimes taking advantage of the opportunities requires cash flow, if you or your clients are sitting on receivables call IFG to help get the cash flowing.
Read more tips for surviving the recession.
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