Secrets Of A Teenage Entrepreneur

By Lydia Quinn

While many entrepreneurs happen to be work at home moms and dads, former corporate slaves or just someone with a driving ambition and the desire to be their own boss, there is also another category of entrepreneur that has had a significant impact on e-commerce. I'm talking about the teenage entrepreneur. You'd be surprised how many websites and online businesses were actually started by or are run by teenagers with a little motivation, free time and willingness to try anything.

20 years ago, before the ubiquitousness of the Internet, it was much harder for a teen to start their own business. They may have been relegated to the typical teen jobs like paper boy or lawn mower. However, with the Internet and the World Wide Web as we now know it, the playing field was leveled and age was no longer such a limiting factor in the world of business. Today, entrepreneurs are limited only by their own skills and imagination.

What can we learn from a teenage entrepreneur that we can apply to our own business? Maybe alot. I talked to Brandon Anderson, who started his own online business in the 9th grade. Today, he runs one of the top sites on the Internet for traffic safety supplies including barricade lights and accessories.

Brandon said he started the company due to the easy availability of his product due to a relative's business connections. Brandon says, "He suggested I try and set up a site to get sales and see what happens. I decided, what the hell, it's not a big investment, so I might as well just try." And so Brandon purchased a domain name, appropriately BrandonSafetyLights.com and set up a simple website that included pictures of the lights and supplies, descriptions and Paypal ordering buttons for each product. To minimize costs, Brandon used Paypal as his merchant services provider. While the site started out slow, traffic steadily grew and so did customers and sales. With outside promotion help including the services of a search engine optimization firm, the site is now ranked very well for the majority of its targeted search terms on the most popular search engines including Google. The site and business has grown steadily and continues to grow with it now attracting a loyal customer following.

Advantages

The advantages of the business are many. With it being a solely online business, the maintenance of the site is minimal. It basically runs itself. Though there are costs related to hosting, merchant fees and advertising costs, the site is profitable and makes for a tidy income for Brandon, now a freshman at Syracuse University. In addition, the site can basically be run from anywhere.

Drawbacks

Being a teenage entrepreneur isn't without its drawbacks though. Brandon says, "Dealing with school and owning a business can be tough at times. Talking about barricade lights to a customer outside a classroom or in a lunch room can be embarrassing. Also, I usually get my calls during class time, so I can't respond right away. I have to wait until after school and can lose sales this way. Or if a customer just needs some info and I can't get that back to them until after the school day, it hurts my relationship with that company. But, I learn to deal with it."

For Brandon and the many other teenage entrepreneurs, the Internet continues to challenge the old school mentality and rules of business, as teenage entrepreneurs have changed the landscape of e-commerce.

Lydia Quinn writes for Brandon Safety Lights, a leading provider of barricade lights and traffic safety supplies. Visit us at: http://www.brandonsafetylights.com/

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How to Become a Successful Online Entrepreneur

By Mike Fordham

There is no doubt that many people would like to know exactly how to become a successful online entrepreneur.

For a start let us take a look at the dictionary definition of entrepreneur. I think we need to be clear about what exactly an entrepreneur is before going any further.

Cambridge dictionaries online define an entrepreneur as

Someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves risks

So there is no confusion here. It is very clear. If you start your own business you are an entrepreneur but it does seem to have to also include an element of risk.

You could argue that any new business involves risk and that is certainly true, but successful entrepreneurs are willing to take much greater risks than your average new business starter

How exactly do you become a successful entrepreneur?
Well that has to be the million dollar question. If there were a prescribed and reliable formula, we would all be multi millionaires. There would be no risk and so paradoxically, perhaps no more entrepreneurs!

There are certain characteristics that successful entrepreneurs seem to possess, such as absolute dedication.

So what drives an entrepreneur and what makes them different to most other people? What is their vision compared to mere mortals?

For certain there are a number of qualities they all share and without them, they would probably not be entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurial qualities
You could say that any person willing to work hard at their own business is an entrepreneur but it has to be more than that. Many people try unsuccessfully to make it on their own, and many, in fact most fail, often just giving up because their efforts do not produce the hoped for results quickly enough

The true entrepreneur is remorseless in the pursuit of their goal. It is as much about achievement as it is about money but the money, as you might guess, is the real sign of success.

Entrepreneurial ism has making money at its heart and the means to this is almost incidental.

You could sum up the major qualities of a successful entrepreneur as follows

A successful entrepreneur thinks outside the box and is never satisfied with mediocrity in any part of their life.

A successful entrepreneur is not necessarily obsessive, but is extremely highly motivated and committed to achieving their goal.

The journey will be determined by its likelihood of success, not because it is enjoyable or laudable (although it might be either or both). Ultimately the enjoyment is in the success.

All successful entrepreneurs leverage the efforts of others. This is a good and beneficial thing as long as it does not involve exploitation.

No obstacle (short of death maybe) is too difficult to overcome. Where there is a will, there is a way. It is all in the mindset!

There is no giving up even when the way is fraught with setbacks. Expect them.

The successful entrepreneur will do whatever it takes to reach the goal even if it means starting again.

The successful entrepreneur must be able to handle both risk and stress. If not, burn out is extremely likely.

So where does that leave you?
It seems clear that the entrepreneur is a special breed
Is it your intention to become one or are you already an entrepreneur?

Do you think you have at least some of the above qualities? You will probably need them all unless you just happen to get lucky in some way.

Are you or have you already been successful? This will help.

The new Entrepreneur
I believe a new breed of entrepreneur is emerging. They have all the necessary qualities of determination but are of a different mindset and they want success quickly. Most of their business is conducted online often utilising powerful software and the opportunities provided by Web 2.0 (at least at the time of writing)

But it is not just about making money for many of them. Many are also dedicated to helping others and often set up and fund special projects to achieve this. This is not a show of wealth but a genuine act of benevolence.

With this in mind, perhaps there is a further quality we should be adding to our list of what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.

Sharing success with others, and especially with those whose lives are deprived or impoverished in comparison to our own.

The new successful entrepreneur is most likely an online operator because it is more than possible to have a great deal of success, even just working from home.

The risks are much smaller working online and it is a relatively inexpensive start-up compared to most traditional businesses.

The secret of how to become a successful online entrepreneur is quite simple. You need a proven system that can easily and quickly be tapped into where all the hard work has already been done for you. You just buy into the ride.

There are many offers available but the best solution has to be a top tier, high ticket, business in a box, with a minimum commission of around $1000 (one thousand dollars).

I would not involve myself in any other kind of business. Why bother when it takes no more effort to make a thousand dollars than it does to make a hundred.

Article related website: TheMillionDollarGamePlan [http://www.mikefordham.com]

About the Author: Mike Fordham is a freelance writer, Internet marketer and musician/song writer.

Based in the uk his interests are Business and Abundance, Music and the pursuit of 'The Truth' in all things.

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Entrepreneurs: It's time to get moving as the economy picks up

Chancellor George Osborne today declared that the UK economy was “out of intensive care” after GDP grew by 0.3% in the last quarter, and the outlook for growth is improving.

Now, one of the special skills of entrepreneurs is the ability to recognise an opportunity when it comes along; react quickly to it; and take advantage of it. And the big opportunity that’s here for entrepreneurs is to get your business ideas launched Right Now! This way, you will have things in position, up and running just at the time that people and businesses start buying again later this year.

So get prepared; get going; and get the rewards as the economy grows out of recession. Take action today!

How To Become A Successful Home Business Entrepreneur

By Ian C Ghidella

If you are looking for a business opportunity, or perhaps you are already a successful person looking for a new direction to challenge yourself, then there are some outstanding home business concepts that are definitely worth a look. You may already be a successful entrepreneur, in which case you understand that recognising opportunities means everything when it comes to being successful.

For the less experienced, all you need is to be willing to learn and stay focused and you will be rewarded with the same success as the experienced and established business men and women around the world. Learn to follow their lead.

There is a misconception that you have to be born an entrepreneur. It was thought that the ability, skill and desires were a trait you either did or didn't have. The truth is entrepreneurs learn to do what they do plus they learn to be who they are. So in fact they are made not born.

Everyone is different, however there are some common characteristics successful entrepreneurs tend to posses:

• A strong passion to achieve their goals
• A spirit for adventure
• A desire to achieve personal accomplishment
• Self confident and self reliant
• Persistence and motivation
• Hard working
• Positive mental attitude
• Strong sense of commitment
• Innovative, creative and versatile

If this describes you, then you need to take action. Put your skills and talent to work building a successful business and home based business concepts are the models of the 21st century. A home business will increase your income and improve your personal success, and success will come from taking risks and working hard.

If you are looking for more in your life, either professionally, socially or personally, you need to consider a home business. The doors of opportunity that can open for you are endless. And once you learn to recognise opportunity your success will continue to grow, endlessly. Imagine the benefits to not only you, but your family friends and even people you don't know. Entrepreneurs help people all over the world in many ways, and may never meet them.

Financial freedom allows you to leverage your time to other opportunities. This may be in the form of another business, or perhaps your favourite charity, an around the world trip perhaps to write a book. Whatever your dream is, you can have it, once you have the financial success which allows you to leverage your time and channel your abilities in other directions. This is what being an entrepreneur is all about, and you can get is from working your own home business.

If you're up to the challenge you should investigate the home based businesses that are available, find one that appeals to you and get started today. To the already successful, knowledge and experience will motivate that sixth sense. And to the novice ready to start their journey to success - accept the challenge. Go for it and success will be yours.

I discovered the perfect home business to begin my entrepreneurial journey. Financially and personally my life has changed for good, success is now something I strive for not wish for. I've learnt to recognize opportunity and embrace it. I no longer fear the unknown and I am sharing my knowledge and personal growth to help others achieve their own success. You can do what I do, find out how today. For more information on how to become a successful home business entrepreneur and to receive a free report, click the link.

http://www.superchargedlife.com/become-a-successful-entrepreneur.html

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The 3 Biggest Reasons for Entrepreneurship

By Elaine Lockard

Most of us at one time or another have dreamed of owning our own business and being our own boss. We love the thought of working on our schedule, not someone else's. We can take vacations when we want or spend time with the family in the middle of the day. We want the satisfaction of creating something that is ours and succeeding at it.

But the one thing we don't often fully understand and think through is that it takes a lot of time, investment, and hard work to get to the point of being able to do these things. It can take years of working seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours or more a day, spending less time with the family and going on less vacations just to make a sustainable business and living.

So why do we do it? Why do we want to be an entrepreneur so badly?

Well I already touched on a couple of reasons. One is money. We hope and dream that we will become so successful that we can afford to have whatever we want. Money is so seductive, it draws us in to pursue as much of it as we can or as much of it as we need. The world runs on money and we have been led to feel it gives you more power and control over and in your life and business.

Our society instills in us that one goal for success and a happy life is money and plenty of it. We are brainwashed to an extent and will pursue it whenever and wherever we can.

Secondly, the independence and flexibility factor is so enticing. We all want to work our own hours and not account to anyone else. If we want to get up in the middle of the night and work and go to the beach during the day, we can make that choice. If you have a family with young kids, you can choose to spend more time with them and not have to pay for daycare or a babysitter. Whatever you wish to do, at whatever time, fully becomes under your control.

Lastly, and this is a very big one, probably the single biggest reason for entrepreneurship is passion. You have an interest or hobby that you so love, you want to immerse yourself in it and make a living from it.

Just think, if you don't love what you are doing, then how are you going to spend long days, weeks, months and years working your business? How are you going to succeed if you start slowing down or putting off work because you're not liking what you're doing or it has become boring?

Whatever your passion is, from an interest or hobby to just loving the fact of running a business whatever the business is, passion is your motivator, you're driving force to succeed and have the previous two goals happen for you in your life.

There are other reasons to work for yourself but these three are the biggest. So, what's your passion? Who knows, you may decide to become an entrepreneur yourself.

What are your tips on staying motivated in your business!

Are you unknowingly sacrificing your success? Have you tried other Executive coaching and mentoring services but didn't get the results you wanted?

I am Elaine Lockard, an Executive, Leadership and Business Coach and Intuitive Business Mentor. I help you transform your pain to profit by putting your higher self in charge of your income!

Visit http://elainelockard.com to find out how I can be of service to YOU so YOU can have the profitability and fulfillment you deserve.

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Email Marketing Campaigns: How to set one up and what software to use...

                                                       


In this article Dawn Marchant is going to provide you with an example of how to construct an effective marketing campaign. You can use it as a template to start creating your own.

It's important to start with the big picture to have a clear overview of what you want to accomplish with your email campaign......

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON SETTING UP AN EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN.....

Become an Entrepreneur Through the Power of Your Customer List

By Joshua Black

Your customer list is the most powerful audience for developing a new business. If you're ready to start your next entrepreneurial venture, look to your list to help you build a successful business before you create a single product.

As an entrepreneur, you can't create a business first, then try to convince people to buy what you're pitching. Most of the time you're wrong. The best way to start and grow a new business idea is to grow straight to your customers.

You don't want to ask your customer demographic what they're looking for. This will lead you to the wrong place. Your customers don't know what they want until you deliver it.

However, your customer list will help you indirectly. You can look at their buying habits, the questions they email you, and even the surveys they answer. The secret to your list, is using it to hone in on their biggest problem, the golden issue that keeps these customers awake at night.

Once you use your list to discover the problem, you can use it to laser focus the product, find out how much they'll spend, and test the specific words that will get their attention.

Using this technique, your odds of success will swing higher in your favor. As an entrepreneur, it's your job to create the new product, but you can't do it in a vacuum. Allowing your targeted list to help guide your way towards your next business venture, will position your business successfully from day one.

...and if you're serious about your next entrepreneurial venture you may want to check out this site:

Visit Joshua Black's flagship resource site for small business entrepreneurs at www.UnderdogMillionaire.com for the free Underdog Millionaire Wealth Pack: including 5 FREE e-books and weekly wealth building tips for the bootstrapping small business owner- in the areas of sales, marketing, and more.Get your FREE Wealth Pack here.

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"THE APPRENTICE": new series is nearly here!

"The Apprentice" new series starts soon

Entrepreneurs Get Ready!


Our favourite TV show is back very soon now.


Read more HERE about the new series of "The Apprentice"

The World's Most Successful Teenage Entrepreneurs

By Annie Whitney

         Successful teenage entrepreneurs are among the most inspirational people in the world. Given their creativity and the ability to see things in new perspectives, it is no wonder that many teenagers-individuals ageing from 13 to 19 years old-have become some of the world's most successful and richest people.

Experts say that in the world of business, age doesn't always have to matter, since some of the freshest ideas may come from teenagers who are still in school. If you are one of those teenagers who are trying to find your niche in the world of business, then what you might need is some inspiration to push you to take that leap which could change the course of your life forever.

For teenagers who are thinking of starting a business, but who might be afraid to fail, take time to read some of the inspiring stories behind the world's most successful teenage entrepreneurs.

The first teenage entrepreneur who would probably inspire you is Cameron Johnson. At the age of nine, Cameron kicked off his business career with greeting cards, stationery, and invitations that he personally made. Given his creativity, Cameron's cards became so popular not only to his family and friends, but also in the entire neighborhood. As his products increased in popularity, he decided to name his company "Cheers and Tears."

When he reached the age of 12, Cameron ventured into another business by taking advantage of the Internet. He used his Internet marketing skills through eBay, which earned him $50,000 a year. He also took time to research the stock market, where his investments made his company grow to sales in excess of $15,000 per day; he accomplished this by the age of 15. Now 27, Cameron has been featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines around the globe; Newsweek, Business Week, USA Today, The New York Times and Time Magazine, to name a few. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, MSNBC, ABC, and dozens of Japanese television programs as well.

Next on the list would be a girl named Ashley Qualls. At the age of 14, Ashley showed the world that there could be more to girls her age than just partying and dating. She began her very own website called "whateverlife.com". The inspiration for her business stemmed from the idea of providing free MySpace layouts and tutorials, using advanced and creative HTML for her fellow teenagers.

Her starting income was $2,790, but then Ashley's business grossed more than $1 million in less than four years. At age 20, Ashley continues to bask in the success she has achieved as an entrepreneur. She continues to endeavor in incorporating innovations in her business through many new ventures.

Then there's the brother/sister act, Catherine and David Cook. They were ages 15 and 17, respectively, when they started their business called "My Year Book." These two teenagers proved that new opportunities can be derived from existing elements. Their business started by recreating an old year book, then made it more applicable to modern times by creating an online version. By making it interactive, their Internet business grew in popularity, with 950,000 members joining during its initial launch in 2005. To date, the business continues to be extremely successful, with a total net worth of $10 million.

There are many recognized teenager entrepreneurs across the globe, and in a vast variety of fields. If you want to be one of them, now is the time to discover your interests, and use your ingenuity to create and re-create something of lasting value. Who knows, your story might be the inspiration for future generations of young people.

Annie Whitney is a Relationship and Internet Sponsoring Expert, specializing in helping others generate Leads & Cash Flow. For the exact step by step strategies, using honest & proven methods for quick success, and proven health, you can learn more by clicking here => annieoklie.org

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What Is the Most Important Business Skill for an Entrepreneur

By Ajaero Tony Ifeanyi

One of the criteria for climbing the corporate ladder or earning a high income as an employee is to specialize. That's why PhD holders, surgeons, attorneys, CPAs or accountants, etc receive high paychecks monthly. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to the business world. To become a successful entrepreneur, you must be a generalist; that means you must know a little of everything with respect to building a business.

"Skills make you rich, not theories." - Rich Dad

Now what does it take to build a successful business? I have been building businesses and from my experience, I can tell you that building a business require a synergy of skills. Successful entrepreneurs became successful because they invested time and resources to develop their entrepreneurial skills. That's why I advise my protégés wanting to start a business to first get in the right mindset; then work on improving their business skills. Now what are the necessary business skills you need to build a successful business?

Five Important Business Skills you need to become a Successful Entrepreneur

1. Accounting skill
"Accounting is the language of business." - Warren Buffett

2. Leadership skill
"The speed of the leader determines the speed of the gang." - Mary Kay Ash

3. Sales skill
"If you cannot sell, you will be sold."

4. People skill
"People are your company's greatest asset." - Mary Kay Ash

5. Time management skills
"Time is your most important resource. You can do so much in ten minutes. Ten minutes; once gone is gone for good." - Ingvar Kamprad

If you observe the quotes of the entrepreneurs above, you will come to understand that each of the business skill listed is very important to the successful piloting of a business. But of the five skills list above, one is the most important. Without it, nothing can be done with respect to building a business.
Now what is the most important business skill?

The most important business you need and you must constantly work on improving upon is sales skills. Yes; sales skill is the most business skill because without it, your business is dead on arrival.

"The ability to sell is the number one skill in business. If you cannot sell, don't bother thinking about becoming a business owner." - Robert Kiyosaki

Bill Gates became the richest man in the world not because he was a great programmer. The reason he became successful was that he possessed the ability to sell. Creativity did not make Steve Jobs rich; selling did. Successful entrepreneurs don't thrive on great products or ideas only; they thrive on their ability to woo customers, suppliers, employees and investors.

Selling is the most important duty and number one job of an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur must first sell his business ideas and plan to investors to raise capital for his business. After that, he must sell his company's culture so as get the best employees and business team. Then he must sell his business prospects to suppliers to gain their trust and strike a deal. Selling the company's product comes next and after that, an entrepreneur must sell and forge strategic alliance with other businesses.

So now you understand why sales skill is the most important skill in business. A business cannot survive without generating sales; sales keep the cash flowing into your business and cash flow is life blood of a business. Another reason why sales skill is important is because it is a synergy of skills. When you improve your sales skill; you are also developing your persuasion skill, negotiation skill and public speaking skill.

The reason I am stressing the important of selling is because I often hear potential entrepreneurs make the following statements:

I hate selling
I hate rejection
I have a degree, why should I take a course on sales
I can hire sales professionals to generate the sales

When I became an entrepreneur, I also had such mindset and it affected me negatively. My inability to sell was the major reason why I failed to succeed in the network marketing industry. But instead of hiding in my shell and blaming the network marketing company, I worked on improving my sales skills and today; I am strong in sales. So if you want to become a successful entrepreneur, if you want to build a business empire; then learn how to sell. Selling is a necessity for success in business.

As a final note, you can download my Master List of Best Startup Business ideas and learn How to Make a Million Dollars Fast in less than a year.

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When Investing In Yourself Isn't About The Money

By Doreen M Rainey

Invest in yourself.

Most of us have heard this term many times. It means that you have decided to be in the driver's seat of your life and be responsible for improving yourself so that you can achieve whatever goals you have.

Whether you want to move up the corporate ladder, grow your business, get healthier, improve your communication skills or gain more confidence, courage, power or inner strength, you have to be willing to invest in getting the support, information, and tools you need make those objectives a reality.

And investment doesn't necessarily mean money.

It can be an investment of time. Maybe you get up earlier, stay up later, or stop doing other things that take up your time to make room for your self-improvement. You use that time to read, study, listen, meditate, reflect, journal, plan, strategize or implement.

But this article isn't about whether you have the time or money to invest in yourself. This article is about why you don't invest - even when you have both.

This came to the forefront of my mind when I remembered talking with a woman last year who said she really wanted to start a business. Having worked in corporate for almost 20 years, she stated she knew she needed to work with a coach/mentor so that she could shorten her learning curve and get moving faster with the right processes to get clients and generate revenue. However, she just didn't have the money.

We talked periodically over the next several months. Then, earlier this year, she told me she had been GIFTED a $10,000, 12 month business coaching program. Yes - gifted. Free. At no cost. And she was over the top excited.

The program was made up of a small group of new business owners who would receive core strategies and processes to build a six figure business. She happily accepted. What were her results? She attended 4 sessions the first couple of months, dropped off the coach's radar and didn't complete the program.

That's when it hit me. It's not about the money, or the time, that some people don't invest in themselves. It's much deeper than that.

It's fear!

Fear is the reason why you can hand someone exactly what they say they need on a silver platter and they still don't accept it, use it or benefit from it.

Here are 5 sneaky ways fear shows up to rob people of investing in themselves:

They are comfortable in their misery and dissatisfaction. They have been there so long, the idea of doing something proactive to change their situation is just too uncomfortable.
The ego won't allow them to actually accept that they need help from someone else. They worry about what people will think if they actually seek out help - from a coach, mentor, therapist, boss, manager, friend or family.
They are scared to death. If they put themselves in a position to get what they need to move forward - they will actually have to do it. Change. Be different. Take action.
They fear they will get what they want. They will attain success - and that is more scarier than staying where they are. They wonder if they will change, if their friends or family will see them differently. If they'll have to let some people go.
They doubt they are really worth it. They don't value themselves, their gifts, or their talents enough to know that they are worth every minute and every dime they invest in themselves.
Whether you are one that readily invests in yourself, or if you fall under one of those 5 scenarios, continually seeking out ways to learn, grow and expand your knowledge base, circle of influence, and inner strength is what makes this journey of life interesting.

RADICAL Success Coach Doreen Rainey helps her clients define success for themselves and then get the guts to go after it. Ready for your RADICAL change? Grab your Radical Success Kit. Get unstuck, get moving and get results with your FREE RADICAL Success Starter Kit with: 7 RADICAL Tips, an audio of 5 Characteristics of Successful People Audio and subscription to Get RADICAL ezine.

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How To Start Your Own Business (It's Not Easy)

By Josh Haynam
What makes a Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? Why are they different from you? Or are they?

It can be awfully frustrating to look around and see success everywhere when your own life isn't all you dreamed of, but don't lose hope, here are the top traits that lead to growth of your own business.

1. Constant Positive Attitude

This is the hardest thing on this list to pull off. After all, how many people actually have a positive outlook all the time? However, it's also the most important thing on this list because a positive attitude is contagious. When embarking on any adventure, a positive attitude will rub off on everyone you interact with, including customers. Your clients will appreciate that you did that for them and will be more likely to come back (and give you more money)

2. Scary Persistence

If your friends and family don't worry about how hard you try to make things work out, you are not persistent enough. Starting a business is highly stressful, totally demeaning at times, and the outcome looks bleak most of the time. However, one day it will all come together and your business will work. The founder of Netflix has a cool story to share about this. He had been working on the idea for a few years and things weren't working out. He was broke and his car was broken down so he was walking to the bus stop. On that walk he got a text saying Netflix had almost magically reached 1 million users.

3. Vision With Blinders

You've got to keep your eyes on the prize. It's impressively depressing to look at other successful businesses while your own company is struggling to survive. One look around can put you in such a bad state of mind that you give up. Tunnel vision is a necessary component of success.

4. Devotion

Your going to have to love whatever you start with, because your gonna be doing it for a long time. If you start a business purely to make money, that might work, but what if it takes 3 years for your idea to get off the ground? Then your stuck doing something you hate, and not getting paid for what will feel like forever. If you want true success, and to feel like a success, you've got to do something the you love - otherwise making money will be like pulling teeth.

Hear about success! Get Inspired!

http://entrepreneur-stories.com

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Want to Start a Business? 5 Thoughts That May Be Holding You Back

By Rachel Zivkovic
Do you really want to start a business but just can't seem to get started?

If so, your lack of action is probably the result of wrong thinking. 'Wrong thinking' is any thought that you have that delays or impairs your ability to take action. Wrong thinking over-complicates a process (the process of starting a business) that does not need to be complicated!

The process of starting a business is a simple one. It involves:

deciding on a business idea
refining your business idea so that you understand the 'who, what, when, where and how' of what you are trying to accomplish
taking constant action
Many aspiring business owners fail to become business owners because they cannot seem to make it past Step 1 (or even worse, fail to make it to Step 1 at all!).

A lot of the time, this comes down to one (or more) of five thoughts that seriously impair your ability to take action. These thoughts are:

I need to 'find my passion' first!

'Finding' passion is a ridiculous concept, as passion (by its very nature) is NEVER hidden. You absolutely know what you are passionate about, and you may be conflicted because none of these passions seems to work as a business idea.

Deciding on a business idea does not need to have anything to do with passion. Rather, it has everything to do with who you are as a person, what you are capable of, what you want to achieve, your financial situation, resources and much more!

You will never find passion by searching for it. Passion is a result of taking action on your goals and seeing the fruits of your efforts.

If you think you need to find your passion before you can start your business, think again! Start your business first, and you will be filled with passion after.

I don't have enough money!

Do you ever stop to think about why you don't have enough money to start a business?

Could it possibly be because you spend your entire day consuming the creativity of the people around you, without offering any creativity in return?

People rarely understand the concept of 'creativity give and take'. Everything you use on a daily basis and every service you pay for whilst you sleep (electricity, phones, internet, and so on) are the result of someone else's creativity; and you are paying for it. Who is paying for your creativity?

Don't allow a lack of money to stop you from starting a business. There are plenty of ways to start a business without a lot of money - it just takes dedication and a little extra creativity! And once you start to provide this creativity to the people around you, the issue of money will (over time) begin to diminish.

I'm too tired to start a business!

Unfortunately, being too tired to make an effort on your business goal is usually the result of not having started your business in the first place.

Being too tired often happens because what you are doing in your daily life is against your natural inclination. You may be in a job you hate, be doing something that is not expanding your mind, or have simply allowed yourself to get into a 'rut'.

People are rarely very tired because they are too busy. They are tired because they are depressed. If you start your business and decide to start pursuing what you really want, then the creative energy that fills your body and your mind will destroy that tired feeling and you will achieve more than you ever thought possible.

So do whatever you have to do to push yourself to get started. Because starting is the only way to rid yourself of constantly feeling tired.

I don't like my business ideas!

If you keep coming up with business ideas and discarding them, it may not be the idea that's wrong...it might be your approach.

Business ideas are like bright, shiny new objects. They look great at the start, you can't wait to make them yours, and you are sure that if you could just get hold of them - your life would be so much better! However after a while, they lose their appeal. They start to require a bit of work, problems begin to appear and before long, you are looking for a different shiny, new object that will give you that great starting feeling again.

If you have been doing this, stop now. You could spend the rest of your life coming up with great business ideas and discarding them. That will not change your life. Next time you are about to discard a business idea, ask yourself whether the next one is really going to be 'better', or whether you are giving up on the one you have too soon.

I don't know what the next big thing will be!

Waiting to start a business because you think you need a revolutionary idea is as ridiculous as trying to uncover your passion.

The next big thing is what you make it. Determining the future of consumerism is the job of existing business owners (to ensure they can evolve their product or service and survive). As an aspiring business owner, your job is to come up with a business idea that suits you.

The next big thing could be a fantastically packaged cheesecake! It does not matter. Forget trying to come up with 'the next big thing' and just pick something that is right for you. This will give you a much greater chance of success in the future.

So, do any of these thoughts resonate with you? If so, take stock of them and decide once and for all that you will not let them prevent you from taking action any further.

Yes, deciding to make a change in your life is scary. Worrying about failure can be terrifying. But do you know what is even more terrifying? Living a life of unrealized dreams.

Nothing should terrify you more than that!

Rachel Zivkovic works with Business Epiphany.com, helping aspiring business owners become business owners.

If you need great business ideas, visit http://www.businessepiphany.com for the Business-Idea-Generator, Personalized Business Ideas, Motivation, Coaching and much more!

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Entrepreneurs Business Academy, 21st January, only a few places left!

Don't leave your success to chance:

MAKE 2012 YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

TICKETS SELLING FAST!

Dear business colleague,

Join business guru Nic Rixon at this exclusive EBA event "PLANNING FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS" and plan your own business success and security for 2012.

What else could be more important at the start of the year?

Unpack the clutter of your mind
Unlock and learn new business success strategies
Re-pack your mind with what you need to succeed in 2012
Create a business master plan to guide you through the next testing 12 months
This content rich, action packed day, will provide you with a clearly designed action plan specific to you and your business.

This day is crucial to your success in 2012 - put it off at your peril

The interest in this event has been absolutely immense and based on the response we've had so far, places are now limited.

Look forward to seeing you.

Kind Regards,

Bev James
CEO The Academy Group
Entrepreneurs' Business Academy
Hill House
2 Heron Square
Richmond-upon-Thames TW9 1EP
United Kingdom

James Caans' Entrepreneurs Business Academy 21st January 2012

Seven Steps to Accomplish Your Extraordinary Goals

By Rick Meekins

The year-end/start of the new year often marks a mile-marker for people in all walks of life. New tax year. New goals. New expectations. New resolutions. I believe that many of us create expectations for ourselves that we have every intention of pursuing, but neglect to think in terms of how to actually accomplish them. One of those has to do with personal or professional improvement. While it might be great to increase revenue or increase productivity, the "how" is often the debilitating factor. I am not suggesting that the goals are logically impossible or impractical, but rather, without evaluating the "whole picture" the goals are idealistic and success unlikely.

You might liken it to the routine of losing weight. Many people who wish to lose weight plan to diet, exercise or both in order to do so. While they have every intention of doing so, most people who want to lose weight will fail - not because they don't try with the best of intentions, but rather, because they go about it wrong: while they are looking for a physical change and instant results, the way people lose weight and keep it off is often by a lifestyle change, which might include diet and exercise, but is more of a psychological change which often begins with answer questions that begin with "why?" starting with "why do you want to lose weight?"

In your business, change doesn't occur any differently. Understanding what you would like to do is only the tip of the iceberg. The business psychology is still subject to the same psychological rules in order for the organizational change to take place. It is not an overnight process. It does require ongoing commitment and dedication in order to see it through.

While many subject-matter experts have written on the subject, I have discovered a path that logically makes sense in order to not just achieve the goals that you have set out for your company, but for the endeavors to be successful. It has a lot to do with "setting the stage" for whatever venture you are planning to launch rather than the instant-gratification method of "throwing some ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks." As a business leader, it makes me think in terms of creating my own Blue Ocean strategy, rather than fighting to get scraps in the more popular target areas. Keep in mind that regardless of the goal - internal or external to the organization, it has to be sold.

Here are the seven steps:

Establish your goal. This, of course is the most obvious. What, exactly, do you want to do? What is the bottom line result? What will the painting look like when it is finished? What is the destination? Without understanding, clearly, what the goal is, it will be impossible to create a path toward it, share it with others or even stay motivated.
Frame it. As the questions:
Does this serve our company beliefs (mission, vision, values)
What new knowledge/understanding are required to accomplish this?
Who can advise me on this?
Why are we doing this? What is its purpose? What is the vision?
What are the criteria for quality?
How will we measure success?
Will it be desirable by our end-users?
Make it appealing. Make something that people will truly hunger for. Your audiences will need to understand it and relate it back to something they already enjoy. Only a small segment of the population will "risk" trying something completely new and untested. You've got to focus on the majority.

Prepare to maintain it. You already know that any time you introduce change, even if something is appealing, consumers will need to be able to "wash it down," so to speak. They need to feel confident that the right choice has been made and the initial appeal needs to be renewed.

Do things well. Make the experience as palatable as possible. Think in terms of needing to repeat the activity or getting other people on board with it. If you do it well the first time, it will be easier to get people on board the second time around and to keep those who have gotten on board to stay on board!

Create your consumer experience. Anticipate needs. Whoever will be involved with bringing the goal to fruition will have an experience with you and your company. Having the customer experience completely "mapped out" touching on creating value at every interaction with your company is invaluable. If your goal is to track your sales teams' activities, you will want to put some time and energy into figuring out how to create value for them at every step of the process, versus threatening to fire them or not pay them if they DON'T follow the process!

Tell people about it. Get people on board. Get them excited about the change or about getting on board.
These seven steps can be applied to marketing, product or service development goal setting or starting a whole new company. These avoid the time and revenue sucking "spaghetti" technique and helps a business leader thinking through the goal. It avoids pulling goals out of thin air or creating baseless goals that some managers and business leaders use just because that is what is always done.

As you begin your journey onto 2012 and beyond, think it terms of going big. Think in terms of being extraordinary.

Rick Meekins is passionate about helping business leaders start, run and grow extraordinary businesses. He focuses on helping leaders clarify their business goals and develop strategies to achieve them. He is a strong believer in alignment between people, purpose, passion and pursuit. He believes that people working in alignment with their individual purposes is the foundation for successful businesses and successful communities.

Mr. Meekins is the Founder & Principal at Aepiphanni: The Business Strategy People, a boutique consulting firm based in Metro Atlanta, Ga. Aepiphanni is a Business Strategy Consulting Firm dedicated to providing leadership and direction in the areas of operations, communications, branding, leadership and marketing. Their work has helped business owners expand their businesses, increase revenues, reduce costs and pursue sustainable futures. For further information, please contact them, directly, at 678-265-3908, email them at info@aepiphanni.com, or visit their website at http://www.aepiphanni.com.

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How You Can Start Living Your Dream Starting Today?

By Mamiko Ito

If money was not an issue, what would you like to do? It is one of the questions I always like to ask in my coaching sessions. Many people tell me that they want to spend more time with their family, build a school for orphans, travel around the world - all are beautiful dreams. But most dreams are too vague and lack in both timeline and immediate action. This is why people don't really fell excited and get lost in daily life of busyness.

We all have dreams for someday - someday when I have more money and time, someday when my children grow up, someday when I'm more experienced in my job... but when is "someday"? We often use lack of money or time as an excuse for not doing anything. And if you are enduring hard work and stress for 40 years in order to retire rich to enjoy your life, you are missing out the best time in your life. Remember time will never be perfect and the universe will never set up everything for you. But when you say "I'm going to do this no matter what", the universe will provide you all the resources you need to achieve your goal.

Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.- Japanese proverb

Instead of waiting for "someday", why don't you set smaller dreams every 6-12 months that excite you and pump up your adrenalin? If you want to travel around the world, why don't you start with one month back-packing in Asia? If you want to spend more time with your family, set a more specific goal like going for a camping trip in New Zealand for 2 weeks. If you want to build a school in India, contact non-profit organization that is involved in the same area, find out how much it costs to build a school and raise fund by organizing a charity event, or sign up as a volunteer trip for 3 weeks?

When you break down your dream into smaller chunks, most of them will look more realistic. And it often costs much less than what you think. For example, round the world ticket of from LA, Hong Kong, Bangkok, India, Europe, NY to LA costs only US$2,289. Sailing around the world for a year costs much less than paying a rent for a year. A brand new Porsche Carrera can costs $430,000-440,000 but second hand can costs less than $100,000. Building a school in a third-world country costs as low as $8,500.

If you change location, things can be much more affordable. With $550 a month, you can live in a penthouse apartment in Buenos Aires. A full-course French dinner with candlelight costs only $15 in Bali. How about a beautiful private pool villa in Bali for $135 a night?

Here is the next step. When you picked a dream, decide when you want to make it happen. If you want it in 6 months, divide the price of your dream by 6, if 12 months, divide by 12. For example, if your timeline is 12 months, your round the world ticket costs only $190 a month. A school in Africa costs $708 per month. Does it sound more achievable? Definitely! Once you figure out your dream, timeline and cost of your dream, the "how" will come in much easier.

Difference between rich people and poor people is when they see someone very successful, rich people think of "how" they can do to be like them while poor people think of excuses why they can't be like them. Having smaller but exciting goals make you more excited and productive at work. Once you taste the zest of your dream, I'm sure you'd love to do it again and again.

Put the picture of your dream vacation, mark the calendar, make a dream account and start putting money. Start talking to people about your dream so that you feel more committed to make it happen.

Talk to people who have done what you'd like to. They'll share all the experiences, tricks and tips and you'll be more convinced to make it happen. You can even book a non-refundable ticket to really push you!

When you start feeling what it is like to live your dream, you'll attract more of what you want. Let's stop living for "someday" and start living a dream you've always wanted. Someday will never come if you wait. You have to go out and make it happen. What are you going to do next?

Mamiko established businesses on 2 continents, and with her partner she grew them into half million dollar ventures in less than a year. As the founder and CEO of Abundant Women and Co-Founder and Master Trainer of The Learning Partner - the fastest growing personal development company in Latin America, she is devoted to empowering women to build and grow successful businesses and achieve financial freedom. She has worked with millionaire women in around the world and started the women empowerment movement in Singapore.
Mamiko's high-energy and enchanting style keeps her audience spellbound. Her explicit knowledge and fortitude attracted thousands of people around the world, and she has quickly become an inspiration to a new generation of Asian women.

Mamiko coaches women around the world to help turn their passions and talents into a profitable business. Her simple and proven strategies help many women & men make more money, create a lifestyle that they want, and live a life based on passion and purpose.

Visit http://www.AbundantWomen.com to learn more about her.

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"Tycoon" Book by Dragons Den entrepreneur Peter Jones

Review
"This book will inspire you to achieve great success" (Philip Green, retail billionaire )

"The voice of lucrative experience" ( The Financial Times )

"Budding entrepeneurs everywhere have been eagerly awaiting the release of Tycoon, and the book is certainly one they will treasure" (The Herald )

"Tycoon may just be the book that kickstarts the rest of your life" (Sunday Business Post )
Product Description
This is the book that budding entrepreneurs everywhere have been waiting for.

Dragon's Den star Peter Jones will demonstrate how anyone can become successful - you just need guts, determination and ideas.

In Tycoon, Peter offers his personal insight into the qualities and skills he believes every successful entrepreneur possesses. His Ten Golden Rules provide key building blocks for turning your ideas into successful businesses.

He shows how to road test your ideas, create momentum behind a project, inject investors with enthusiasm for your ideas, and how to have the courage to risk failing in order to see your vision become a money-spinning reality.

A hugely inspiring book - it's the ultimate guide to thinking like a millionaire and becoming one.

"Tycoon" by Dragons Den entrepreneur Peter Jones

Brand Like Elvis, If You Want a Big Brand

By Jack Sims

A couple of months ago my son said to me "Dad I am taking my son (my grandson Adam who is 10 years old) to see Elvis. I thought he was talking about a movie, or maybe on a road trip like he and I had done years before to visit "Graceland", Elvis home in Memphis. Yes I was and am an Elvis fan.

But no, he was talking about the "Elvis in Concert" show that was at the Radio City Concert Hall in New York. They put together all of the original musicians and singers, put them in a live show and then put Elvis on a screen in the middle of all of the live music. My first reaction was that it's a bit hokey, but he said that it would be the closest he would ever get to see Elvis, and true to form he said that it was an amazing show and you felt that you were really seeing the "King" live on stage.

Now this show is apparently touring all over the world and was started in order to celebrate 20 years after Elvis died back in 1997, and today is a box office success everywhere the show plays. Just as an aside, the great guitarist James Burton and amazing drummer Ronnie Tutt is in the line up, and it's worth seeing the show just to see these two guys play, they are the best in the business.

The reason that I mention this is that we are looking at a singer who is as popular as ever, 25 years after his death and many of the people who are buying his music were not even born when he died. So there is something special going on here that needs looking at, and I decided to look at what makes the Elvis Brand so special and what gives it it's incredible longevity. And what can we learn from Elvis, that we can apply and help our business.

Like all successful programs I did my due diligence and conducted some market research, and would seem that there were three big things that made the girls swoon, and frankly the guys too, when it came to Elvis.

First and foremost it was about the sound,it was totally different from anything else that teenagers had ever heard before. This was a white guy singing his version of black music and doing a heck of a job with it. It made you jump out of your seat and start dancing with whoever was around you at the time. The words didn't matter, it was all about the sound and the beat of the music. He had a southern drawl, and singing voice that was unmistakeable and all of a sudden when he arrived on the music scene, everyone wanted to look and sound like Elvis.

Second he looked different than any other singer, he died his blonde hair black and greased it back and had sideburns that made him look like the truck driver that he was. His signature lip curl, the high collars and puffed sleeves on his shirts, big belt buckles all separated him from the traditional clean cut image of the Pat Boone's of the time

Third was his attitude, he was the original "Rebel Without a Cause, he was going to do it his way, shake his legs, hips, fight you if he had to, and put his head down and look at girls with his come hither eyes.

So there are three very distinct attributes that got Elvis the attention when he first arrived on the music scene and these are the areas that you can use to grow your brand from where it is to a brand leading brand:

1st: Sound like Elvis: Elvis was totally different from anything else on the music marketplace at the time. The radio was full of Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney (yes George's Aunt), Guy Mitchell et all and Elvis was nothing like these. He was UNIQUE, he was totally different to any other singer on the radio.

So that's the question you have to ask yourself, what is your UNIQUENESS that will separate you from the rest of the competition in the marketplace that you compete in? Being average is simply the price of entry. Find out what is it that will have your target audience view you as something totally different in a sea of sameness!

2nd Look like Elvis: Elvis physically looked like no other singer the world had seen before. He wore a slicked back hair do, black and white shoes, velvet shirts, virtually everything he wore was like nothing any other singer would ever have worn.

Not only did his looks separate him from the pack but it made him far

more obvious in the musical marketplace. And for you, it's the design of your product, your packaging, your marketing communications, is it the very best on the market today? Your products goods or services should look great, feel great, smell great, sound great and use as many of the senses as possible to create an on going communication with your target audience. Spend time, effort and money in this area if you want to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

3rd Get the Elvis Attitude: Yes Elvis had an attitude, an edge that made him different. This attitude was pervasive throughout everything that he did, from the songs to the clothes he wore to the way he just looked at people, it was all orchestrated to ensure that Elvis was unlike any other singer product on the market.

Attitude is the component of the product mix that must exist if you want to differentiate your products, goods or services from the competitive set. For instance Apple has it in spades, it's an irreverent, hot, cool, different attitude that every Apple product purchaser get's. Virgin Airlines and it's founder Sir Richard Branson have it. It's that certain something that makes them different. In the case of Virgin, it's about looking at products in the marketplace where the traditional products have a stranglehold and creating a product that beats the system in every way.
So what are you doing to create an attitude in your business that will differentiate you in your marketplace?

Conclusion on the Elvis Brand:

Elvis had all of the components that go towards making a good singer into a BIG BRAND, and it lasted throughout his career, even during the time he was in the army. Despite a downturn during the "Beatles years" he re-built his image and remade himself over and over, resurfacing in the NBC Comeback Special in 1968 and of course then took it to Las Vegas and around the country for years.

Twenty five years after his death, he is still the "King" and the Elvis Brand is as strong as ever and delivering profits to the company that now owns his name and likenesses, CKX, which is owned by Bob Sillerman. Just for the record he paid $114 million for Elvis Presley Enterprises just two years ago, and that might be a steal!

Here's what in my experience a brand is, see if yours matches up to this 6 part brand statement that I created after 30 years of helping grow brands around the world: 

1. Uniqueness - are you different to everyone else in your category?
2. Promise - Do you keep your promises to your customers?
3. Value - Are you delivering Value, above and beyond the industry norm?
4. Expectation - Is your product what the target audience expects, or is it even better?
5. Mind - Does your brand have a piece of your customers mind.

"A unique promise of value that causes an expectation in the minds of the consumer"

Jack Sims

Copyright Jack Sims 2011

Jack Sims has literally "been there, done that". He founded one of the top five creative groups in his native England and then he did it all over again in right here at home in the United States. His marketing agency became the #1 ranked in America. Now as an author and consultant Jack speaks for companies and associations who are looking to strengthen their brand and grow their business. Jack's meeting presentations and keynote speeches are high energy and loaded with information that he has proven to work in the real business world. You will laugh at his stories, be excited by his delivery, but most importantly you will walk away with information that will help you go for serious long-term business growth. He was voted as one of the "Best Keynote Speakers" by the meeting planner readers of "Meetings and Conventions Magazine".

Contact: info@jacksms.com - http://www.jacksims.com

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